《Surviving A Harsh Fantasy With Cheat Items》 Prologue Prologue ¡°Uwaaaaaaaaaaaa, I will die, I¡¯m seriously going to dieeeeeeee!¡± It sounds like I¡¯m making an excuse out of nowhere, but, I was attacked by a pack of stray dogs outside a village. Originally, I planned to fight. However, I¡¯ve already tossed my sword aside and am now running away desperately. To be more precise, they weren¡¯t stray dogs, but seemed to be more like those monsters, called ¡®crazy dogs(1)¡¯. I thought that maybe mad dogs would be a good comparison to these ones here, but, they were far more enormous than what I had imagined as normal dogs. My legs began to tremble as soon as I saw drool dribbling from their bared fangs and their glaring eyes filled with madness. Dogs usually tend to gather in packs. There were probably 4 of them. Back when I accepted a request from the guild of adventurers in this village, I thought there was no way for an armored person to lose against mere dogs. I made light of this fantasy world. Being surrounded, I was about to be eaten alive by those guys. The moment I thought about various things awaiting me next, I lost my will to fight. ¡°Aahhhhh!¡± I was prepared for the worst as I knew one of them had aimed for my ankle from behind me, but, for some reason, I didn¡¯t feel anything. My heart was palpitating so much I thought it would burst. I tried to grasp the situation while being awfully calm. To my luck, the wound wasn¡¯t that deep, as the dog had to bite through my thickly-made trousers. More importantly, the real problem was that its sunken fangs wouldn¡¯t separate from me. Even if I was to dash away, like a startled hare, while dragging that mad dog along, it would still hinder my movements. Like that, I threw myself forward, leapt in the air, and tumbled. Gently falling down onto the ground, I rolled heavily forward while feeling the soil in front of me. At that time, I understood I was going to die for sure. I¡¯ve seen somewhere a movie where a certain guy dies in slow motion. I think the same is happening to me right now. However, this was a real occurrence and not just a scene from that movie. Don! ¨C My body hit against the ground. Lying sprawled out and face up, what I saw next were flashing memories of my life till now. I was carelessly thinking about various things from that time. I was betrayed by my own expectations. The mad dog jumped onto the top of my chest with a bang and I could feel its weight. Even though it didn¡¯t hurt back when I was bitten, it felt incredibly painful and heavy when a crazy dog sprang up on top of my chest. Preparing to devour my head, the mad dog opened its big jaw at me. The inside of its jaw was bright red and there were white, sharp fangs lining the interior. Ah, there are cavities in this guy¡¯s molars. What one should see before death was probably not a dog¡¯s cavities. Thinking that you ought to remember at least your sweetheart¡¯s face (which I don¡¯t have), I gave up and closed my eyes. I couldn¡¯t watch myself being devoured by a dog. ¨D¨Dslash Together with the sound of something falling down with a thud, the weight of the dog disappeared. Ahhh, have I already died? Apparently, death doesn¡¯t hurt if you don¡¯t detest it much. As expected from a fantasy world. I wonder if a ¡®game over¡¯ screen will appear after this. Still, I couldn¡¯t care less about that. That¡¯s because writhing in pain and dying after being bitten to death by a pack of dogs wasn¡¯t just some joke. I¡¯m thankful that it wasn¡¯t¡­.. With my eyes closed, I realized my ankle began to tingle in pain. Speaking of which, it damn hurtsssss! Not being able to endure the violent pain running through my ankle, I opened my eyes. Ahh, the sky is blue. I was still alive and laying on the ground face up. While being attentive to my much hurting ankle, I slowly raised my body up. There was a sea of blood around me. The scene looked like it came straight out of a splatter movie. ¡°What¡¯s this? Is it my blood?¡± That can¡¯t be true. The blood was spilling out from the dead bodies of the dogs, which were gruesomely slashed. It was their blood. The dog that had pounced on top of me and tried to bite my head off had its own head split by a knife, from which pink-colored brain matter was seeping out. And then, a bit further away from me, I found a warrior girl, who was thrusting her somewhat large sword into the remaining dog that had completely surrendered. Kyuuuun ¨C an awfully small shriek reverberated from that dog. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes, well¡­. I guess somehow.¡± It was a lightly armored warrior girl who wore a thick, leather-made jacket and a black Farstian (a garment similar to those thick, cotton-made, cheap jeans). For warriors, this was considered light equipment, but, it was probably crucial for them to be able to move with ease. Her sword was a straight one with a rustic design and a dully radiating light. Judging from how effortlessly she swings it, I could easily understand this girl is strong. Her vivid, crimson hair that stretches till her shoulders was coarsely bundled up in a ponytail while swaying from a high position. Despite being a girl, she has a large build. Her tempered body is slim, just like the blade of a naked sword, making her style look great. It¡¯s clear her facial lines are that of a westerner, which for a Japanese, like me, is beautiful. Is she in her mid-twenties? Had I been some beautiful onee-san, I would¡¯ve probably become imperious. However, it would apply if it wasn¡¯t for her face and body stained with spurts of blood from the slain dogs, and the patterned cloth of her drawn sword which she held in her hand. I know it¡¯s rude to say this after being saved, but, that gruesome appearance of her looks even more scary than that of those crazy dogs. ¡°Can you stand?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­.. ow.¡± No good, my ankle, which got bit, still hurts like hell. I was also wearing Farstian-like trousers, which I bought from one of the shops in town, but, a part of it was ripped apart with blood running down from the top. The wound was quite deep and it wouldn¡¯t stop. Just from looking at it, I felt unwell. ¡°I can provide you with a light treatment, but¡­.¡± ¡°Umm, do you have a recovery potion with you?¡± I, who was already weakened, made such an immodest request. The expression on the Onee-san¡¯s face turned stern. ¡°I don¡¯t have any, but, do you know how much a single potion like that costs?¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡­.¡± Was there anyone in that village selling recovery potions? I went to a second-hand shop in the village and sold tools which I happened to carry with me. I used the money I got from that to equip myself. Then, I took over my first job from that guild for adventurers (that functions as bar and an inn too) and came here without realizing there was a market where you could buy recovery potions. ¡°No matter where you buy the potion, it will cost at least a silver coin. You said you accepted a quest in that bar, but, how much was it worth?¡± ¡°Ummm, it was 5 big copper coins.¡± A single silver coin is worth 5 big copper coins. I could understand what this Onee-san was trying to convey. That is to say, I will go broke if I buy that potion. Even a modern Japanese, like me, knows how important money is. I, who sustained an injury serious enough to immobilize me, was in no place to ask anyone to hand me a recovery potion just like that. The fact that I was rescued from almost certain death is the proof of my weak social status. ¡°It¡¯s fine as long you understand. Now drink this quickly.¡± The Warrior Onee-san took out a blue vial from her rucksack, which seemed like it had been thrown away in a battle, and passed it to me. ¡°Are you okay with that?¡± ¡°You probably won¡¯t be moving anywhere with that leg. In exchange, I¡¯ll take the reward from your quest. Also, if we sell the hide and meat from those dogs, we won¡¯t go into the red.¡± Saying so, the Onee-san took out her knife and calmly proceeded to dismantle the dead dogs. I, on the other hand, drank the blue vial. Its taste was a bit bitter, but I could feel its effect spreading throughout my body. My torn off trousers wouldn¡¯t be repaired, but the wound on my ankle almost closed up. I¡¯m saved ¨C I sighed with relief. Still, after seeing how the Onee-san cut the dogs¡¯ stomachs and took out their still warm organs, I gradually fell into despair. This is a cruel real fantasy world. ¡ù¡ù¡ù I, who was supposed to be a regular high schooler, was sent to a European-styled village before I realized it. A short time ago, after looking at the unfamiliar fronts of the houses in this village, I somehow came to realize I wasn¡¯t teleported to Europe, but to a different fantasy world. At that time, I felt a highly positive feeling gushing inside of me, similar to that of a chest burning hot. The chance for me to become a hero in a different world has finally arrived! ¨C Is what I thought when I jumped for joy and went to kill some monsters while being in high spirits. However, the result of me swinging my sword at monsters turned out like this. A crypto-otaku high schooler, like me, was a bit knowledgeable regarding stories that involved phantasm. For instance, I¡¯m reading this old book that I have with me. I¡¯ve properly study things about summoning, reincarnation, and transition, without distinguishing any of them. Recently, I¡¯ve been fond of different world summonings as well. I can make free use of the knowledge from those light novels and judge the situation accordingly. This world is neither a game or a simple fantasy world, but a real fantasy world based on old books! As long as this is a real fantasy world, I should be able to make use of the crazy dogs¡¯ hide and meat, which the Onee-san had killed in a blink of an eye. Still, the sea of blood that is unfolding before my eyes, the internal organs taken out and the skinned corpses of the dogs, looks grotesque. In other words, you can¡¯t expect things like an easy system of leveling, convenient magic, cheats at the player¡¯s disposal, and a support characteristic that is found in simple fantasy worlds. Rather, if you¡¯re careless, you might die before realizing it. This is a harsh world. Not to mention, when you die, it hurts like hell. Thinking back on the terrific pain, which I got from that huge dog just now, I¡¯d rather not have the same experience twice. My stomach has already started to growl. I want go back as soon as possible¡­. ¡°If you have the time to spare, can you help me with gathering firewood?¡± The Onee-san asked me who was reluctant in helping her in dismantling the animals. ¡°*Sigh*, seriously what should I do.¡­.?¡± Complaining and grumbling, I held my head in my hands, which had been gathering dry wood. A with-it youngster like me has no power to survive in these turbulent times. Just a moment ago, I went my own way and mistook myself for being some sort of hero summoned to a different world. Far from being able to kill a monster, I don¡¯t even possess the knowledge and experience needed to process those corpses into meat and hides. ¡°Speaking of which, those internal organs are probably way too grotesque for me. That¡¯s impossible.¡± There was not a single depiction of that in the light novels I had read. Certainly, if memory serves me, there was a maniacal game in which I could dismantle animals. But it was only cutting their intestines. Maybe, if a layman like me was to practice, then perhaps, I would be able to do it. However, scientific and intuitive dismantling methods are totally different things. If a modern kid, like me, was able to completely process a body, then I¡¯d be considered on par with those at a superior level. If I possessed such skills for survival, I would, by no means, choose to be an adventurer or a hunter. Does she understand the feelings of someone like me? The warrior Onee-san took the gathered firewood from me and started to cook a dog¡¯s internal organs in a frying pan, happily. ¡°You can eat this meat afterwards as well. We can also make them into dried meat, but, as for the liver, you should only eat them when going on a hunt. Delicious!¡± ¡°Yes¡­.¡± I was encouraged to eat some dog¡¯s internal organs. Indeed, the sizzling sound of the cooking meat stirred up my appetite. There was also the burnt fragrance of delicious looking fat. I gave it a try and bit the steamy thing served on my wooden plate with all my might. ¡°Delicious¡­..¡± ¡°Right?! There¡¯s still plenty left, so eat, eat.¡± I used to have an image of liver as something associated with bitterness, but it seems like I was totally wrong. Rather, it felt sweet on my tongue. This could simply be described as being delicious. Even though the offal of this fresh crazy dog was soft, it had an appropriate food consistency. The rich taste of its fat went smoothly through my throat, which made me eat to my heart¡¯s content. I¡¯ve heard stories about meat being more preferably sold as dried food, but, being able to eat like this, this one here is incredibly delicious and rich in protein too. As we encompassed the burning firewood and ate together, I was able to befriend and hold a natural conversation with this Onee-san. Her name is Louise Carlson. The name of Louise seems to be quite popular in this area, called Silesia. If I was to use Japan as a comparison, wouldn¡¯t it be Hanako? Right now, there are no people named like that here, but, that¡¯s because this is a medieval fantasy world. As one would expect, Louise¡¯s main occupation is that of a female warrior. She uses her straight sword, but, she¡¯s generally skilled in everything, and even seems to be able to fight on a horse. While we¡¯re at it, she¡¯s 24 years old. Since I¡¯m 17, I guess that makes her 7 years older than me? ¡°I guess so¡­..¡± ¡°What are you guessing to?¡± I ran my mouth without thinking ahead. Well, even if I did, there¡¯s no use in thinking back on it. Now, it wasn¡¯t the right time to speak one¡¯s mind unreservedly and be infatuated by her. ¡°That Hi-gh Schoo-ler, what kind of profession is that? ¡°Ummm, I wonder about that, you see¡­..¡± A school title was probably not common in this Kingdom of Silesia. In that case, wouldn¡¯t I be an unemployed? Perhaps, an unemployed NEET¡­.? Since becoming my ideal magic sword hero doesn¡¯t seem to be possible, I need to find some job that¡¯s appropriate for me. It looks like Louise has been following me from when I accepted the quest in the guild, because I seemed to be very frantic. That¡¯s right, now that I think back, I was certainly in a hysterical state after being transported here. And now, I¡¯ve changed completely from being crazy to being depressed. Despite Louise¡¯s unsociable appearance, she was actually a kind person. When I asked her if she knew any jobs appropriate for me, I was told that being just an adventurer was no good. ¡°With your skills right now, you¡¯ll die before gaining any experience.¡± ¡°I see¡­.¡± It¡¯s just like Louise-sama says, I guess. ¡°Your swordsmanship a bit eccentric, but, rational. That¡¯s why I was hesitating to help you, since I didn¡¯t know if you could fight.¡± ¡°Ah¨C, I see¡± My swordsmanship is that of the North star ittou-ryuu style(2). Despite saying so, I didn¡¯t practice Kendo during high school. Instead, I was part of the go-home club. Once I quickly returned back home after school, I would use the surplus of my time to read about old style swordsmanship and practice using a bamboo sword. I was fond of Musashi Miyamoto, so I aspired to become a fine swordsman. What¡¯s more, I also read various Olympic books. I¡¯m one those so-called chuunibyou guys. Despite me being already a high schooler, being a chuuni is quite weird, isn¡¯t? Yeah, you can laugh at me. After all, this is something to laugh about, right? However, I cannot laugh at my current situation. Otherwise, I¡¯ll die on the battlefield for being half-hearted. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, is what they say. I¡¯m weak. In addition to this place¡¯s culture still developing and its bad public safety, I am forced to survive in this cruel world with its violent monsters. Ah, somehow I¡¯ve become gloomy again. Anyway, I¡¯m going to eat to my heart¡¯s content, since this dog¡¯s organs are tasty. And then, I helped Louise with transportation of the hides and meat to the village. Once I did so, I expressed my deepest gratitude to her, and even sat in dogeza style, so as to have her find a job for me through the good connections of her friends. One day has passed since I fell into this world. I was arrogant to think I could become a hero reincarnated in a different world. I was also naive to think that a death here would result in a ¡®game over¡¯ screen appearing. I would have disappeared the moment I was about to be killed by those crazy dogs. Nevertheless, I don¡¯t want to die, I want to live though no matter what. This is what I strongly wished for. The mad dogs, which tried to kill me, were further slaughtered by the stronger Louise, processed into delicious meat and preserved as a life provision. I, must live on in this cruel world, where the weak are meat and the strong do eat. CH 1 It¡¯s been 1 week since I was teleported from the modern Japan to Roscoe, a remote countryside located in the Kingdom of Silesia. I¡¯ve already become completely discouraged. ¡°Arhh! For Christ¡¯s sake, why is there no running water!?¡± I was regularly transporting well water to a certain farmer¡¯s barn. My job right now is taking care of cattle, which are a common replacement for farming tools in these medieval times. Once I finished drawing water, I proceeded to feeding them next. I filled a manger with plenty of dried leaves. ¡°Mooo¡± ¨C making such a sound, the cattle seemed to be pleased. I thought they were kind of cute, but I had no time to ponder about that because of my demanding labor. That¡¯s why, I¡¯m telling you not to lick me. I do like meat, but I¡¯d rather not be the one licked by it. ¡°Haaah¡­.. Good grief.¡± It was one hard work after another. And muscle pain after muscle pain. I was hired by a family of farmers who live in this household, thanks to Louise¡¯s mediation. As long it¡¯s something like helping a farming family, even I can do it. I was thankful to Louise for that. Still, even though I was supposed to be hired as a farmer, why was I forced to do a job similar to that of a dairy farmer? Oh right. To begin with, I didn¡¯t plan to become either a farmer or a dairy farmer. What I wanted to become was a magic sword wielding hero! I think, I should already give up on that idea, but still¡­. I thought I¡¯d become accustomed to demanding physical labor if I continued to work like this, but, I guess it won¡¯t happen. My muscular pain is piling up one after another. No matter how much time passes, it won¡¯t change for better. The amount of work I had to do wouldn¡¯t let me recover in time, and there was no work regulation department. ¡°We still haven¡¯t entered the busy farming season.¡± ¨C I got the owner of this farm to say that, which made me look like a person with a lot of spare time. The reason why it¡¯s hard for me to complain is because the head of this farming family, his wife, and even their small daughter are working harder than me. In a medieval times fantasy world, even water drawing and wood-chopping are incredibly hard. Naturally, instead of modern science, there exist magic in this world filled with swords and magic. However, the ones who are able to use it are particular people called magicians. Even if they didn¡¯t make their names as adventurers, it seemed they would generally serve some royal family or work as a government official of some kingdom. Later on, they could also become priests capable of using holy magic. Indeed, those people are quite influential, aren¡¯t they? In other words, the life of a common plebeian with no magic has remained unchanged since long ago. Judging from the point of view of a modern kid, like me, even those who live their daily life without magic possess a strength, which makes them look like they¡¯re holding a cheat skill. What should I do once it becomes hectic during that aforementioned farming season? Perhaps, my arms will fall off, I guess. ¡°Argh!! I don¡¯t want to do this any longer.¡± I laid myself on top of some dried grass. The dried grass had no bugs, which is usually an unavoidable part of it. Therefore, it was hygienic and pleasant. I could sleep like this, endlessly. And then, would I be dismissed for skipping out on my job, even as a farmer? Even though I survived and was saved from those crazy dogs. ¡°It won¡¯t do if I give up. I have to live on.¡± I raised my body up from the dried grass and roused myself. Picking up a thin stick of firewood, I began to draw up a plan on the ground¡¯s surface. I was in a situation with no paper and pen, but, rather than grumbling to myself, writing like this made it much easier for me to gather my thoughts. For example, instead of grieving over the lack of running water, how about I make it myself? No, with my unskillful fingers, making something to produce running water will be tough, but, I can also suggest that idea to someone who can make it. Since there¡¯s also a water wheel used for grinding powder at the river nearby, can¡¯t I use the pure energy from its dynamic force to draw water with a pump? Even if it was going to have to be a water well with no dynamic force, I could still easily draw water as long as I had a hand powered pump. Thinking it wasn¡¯t related to social science, I told myself to cut it out and focus more on improving things, like my cooking skills. But, I still need that¡­. and this¡­. ¨C While I was worrying, a certain blond girl came into my view. ¡°Ah¨C, Takeru is idling again.¡± ¡°No no, I¡¯ve been just thinking about something for a little bit.¡± This girl is Sara-chan. She¡¯s the daughter of this family of farmers. Sara-chan wasn¡¯t that much of a special beauty, but, her blond hair and small posture were cute, which made her the no.2 feast for my eyes. (While we¡¯re at it, the no. 1 feast for my eyes is Louise. She¡¯s indeed a no.1 with a rare appearance in these times.) Sara-chan¡¯s cape and apron that looked like garments of Heidi indeed gave the impression of a village girl, which was nice. She¡¯s nice, but despite her being a child, she¡¯s very noisy. It looks like she¡¯s been incredibly puffing up with pride upon finding out there¡¯s someone more inferior than her in this household. I want to speak my mind and tell her to shut up. But well, I¡¯m already an adult. Even if I¡¯m treated like a servant by a girl younger than me, I guess there¡¯s no way for me to scold her over a minor matter. I named the girl Sara-chan, probably because of her rustling blond hair, as a form of my modest retaliation against her inside my heart. By the way, this is a secret. ¡°Eh? Takeru, you can use Shinse letters?¡± ¡°Right, I can write them. That¡¯s because even someone like me is a high schooler¡­¡­¡± For some reason, Sara-chan looked at my letters and drawing on the ground¡¯s surface with an astonished face. No, I¡¯m working as a farmer, so there¡¯s no way for me to be a neet. That¡¯s right, I¡¯m doing a job for a middle school graduate. Somehow, it didn¡¯t feel like my status would improve. ¡°Incredible. For you to be able to write Shinse letters, Takeru is a literary man, right?!¡± ¡°Yeah, I know I¡¯m incredible¡­.. hey, speaking of which, what are Shinse letters?¡± When I asked Sara-chan for more detail, it turned out that the letters, which I had written with ease, were apparently the same as those high-rank letters used in official documents, called holy characters. Being able to read and write letters without seeking assistance is considered a skill needed to obtain a prominent job in this world with low literacy. Especially, those who can use holy letters are treated as an intellectual class and revered as literary people. Even Sara-chan, who had been taught by a single literary person in this village during her free time, could, at most, write low-rank letters. Somehow, it seems like the holy letters are being applied by some sort of church on a global scale. If I was to use my former world for comparison, it would probably be equivalent to Latin or Greek. So would low-rank letters be the same as those in regional languages, such as French and English? I tried to write some of those low rank letters used in this Kingdom of Silesia, and it turned out I could write them easily. ¡°Amazing, you¡¯re so smart! Despite Takeru being a literary man, why are you working as a subordinate of this household? Are you an idiot?¡± ¡°Am I an idiot or smart? Honestly, decide which one it is.¡± I was told I to cease my job of cleaning cattle¡¯s dung and go straight to this village¡¯s office to apply for a job, which I could do as a literary man. Since Sara-chan¡¯s teacher worked in that office, it seemed she could introduce me to that person. I had no idea that the language commonly used in my country, from which I was transported, would be related to me finding a job here. I wanted to express my gratitude to Sara-chan, who had told me this world¡¯s letters. However, how should I repent for speaking ill about your job, Sara-chan? ¡ù¡ù¡ù I, thanked the Rhod family, who had been looking after me over the past days, and took my leave. I received my one week-worth share of money. The money that I held in my hand was 7 fragmentary copper coins. While we are at it, 2 fragmentary copper coins is equal to 1 big silver coin. If I were to convert the currency here into Japanese yen, 1 fragmentary copper coin would be around 50 yen. Not including the cost of 3 meals per day, which I could eat to my heart¡¯s content, I¡¯ve earned a little less than 350 yen. When working desperately for the whole week. My earning was extremely low, but there was no work regulation department in this Kingdom of Silesia. ¡°Oh my, it¡¯s good that you¡¯ve found another job.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you very much.¡± And so, everyone from the Rhod household saw me off with expressions similar to that of sighing with relief. I was being evasive, but, it was wholly thanks to the female warrior, Louise, who¡¯s an influential person in this town, that this family decided to hire me. It looks like I¡¯m now indebted to her. Even though I had helped this family each day by paying for my stay with one fragmentary copper coin, it looks like my work wasn¡¯t sufficient enough. I guess it was reasonable for me to be chased away. That¡¯s right, if I don¡¯t pass as a literary man, I won¡¯t be able to survive in this world at all. Feeling the sense of crisis once more, I was brought by Sara-chan to this village¡¯s office. ¡°Senseiiii, I¡¯ve brought Mr. literary man.¡± The office was located in the corner of an open space inside this stone-built village. It was an exceptionally splendid building, As soon as I entered in, what I saw was a neatly made wooden floor. In this village, where floors are full of gaps, this building was gorgeous. While we are at it, even the fairly well-off Rhod family, who own a big plantation, has dirt flooring covering more than half of its house. Alongside that portion, they also have stone and mortar-made floors, but apparently, they have to put straw on top of them when it gets cold during the winter. Even those floors with gaps are considered luxurious here. Yeah, indeed, life here is harsh. Certainly, this building is the most gorgeous one in this village, but, there is just a single girl inside of it. Hmm, a girl? The person who was preparing documents over the desk was wearing a male¡¯s attire. In modern days, you would usually see an office clerk wearing a black-designed business suit, but, it¡¯s not like its design is that functional. The girl¡¯s buttons were done up to her nape and she was wearing an extra tight vest, in which one could feel sultry. Her attire gave an impression similar to that of a middle ages¡¯ noble or a gentleman. It was clearly different from those rough clothes worn by villagers. The buttons were pretty, just like jewels. Her attire¡¯s embroidery was beautiful, and its sewing was firmly done. Looking at her garments, they were most likely the formal wear in this kingdom. However, despite her being dressed in such a uniform, to me, she still looked like a brown, short-haired beauty. ¡°I¡¯m a man.¡± Did she understand what I was thinking about from my gaze? The man dressed beauty lifted up her fine cheeks and spoke with a chime-like beautiful voice. Her cheeks were amazingly slender. Is she a model? Many would agree she is an astonishing beauty. Is the sensei who proclaims herself as a man past her twenties? It wouldn¡¯t be strange for her to look like a female if she was a handsome male, but it¡¯s hard for me to imagine an adult man who looks like a woman. Obviously, anything can happen here, in this fantasy world¡­. ¡°Greetings, Sensei. My name is Sawatari Takeru. It¡¯s my first time to meet you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Lyle Raerutiosu. Right now, I work as a secretary in this area. I¡¯m also in charge of teaching letters to Sara-chan, you see. Also, I¡¯d kindly ask you not to mistake me for a woman. ¡± No matter how many times you say it, it doesn¡¯t sound that credible, you know. However much of a Caucasian you are, your lines are way too slender and your skin is too smooth. For you to be this beautiful, could be it you¡¯re an elf? However, I see no pointy ears, so I guess, you¡¯re a human. I was very curious and wanted to ask this person what kind of toner they use but¡­. I refrained myself from doing so. I don¡¯t know his circumstances, but, if I were to make fun of his statement, I¡¯d most likely just worsen his mood. Also, this Lyle sensei holds my chances at getting a job. ¡°Sensei is an incredible person, you know. He¡¯s a secretary who was sent from the kingdom¡¯s capital, and even that tribal chief, who speaks his mind and holds nothing back, is just a small fry in comparison to Sensei.¡± ¡°Hahaha, Sara-chan, you¡¯re actually the one who doesn¡¯t hold back.¡± This person had a bit of a stiff expression toward me at first, but, I guess even someone like him can laugh with Sara-chan, who¡¯s his disciple. I think his cheerful, smiling face is too pretty. Seeing how he laughed without denying anything, perhaps, being a secretary was really much more distinguished than being a tribal chief. Excellent! So he¡¯s an influential person, right? I¡¯m going to flatter myself as much as possible. ¡°Lyle-sama, actually, I¡­. no, I have some confidence as a literary man.¡± (1) ¡°I don¡¯t remember anyone talking about having self-confidence as a literary man, but, if you say so, I shall test you a bit.¡± As expected of a teacher who would immediately give me a test. It seemed that Sara-chan had also made some unpleasant memories regarding tests. I looked at the test I had received from Sensei with bitter expression. I too hates tests a lot, but, since I had already learned from my bad experience with the previous job, I decided to become serious and listed as many letters as possible. ¡°Done.¡± ¨C Leaving my pen aside, I finished the dictation test by copying down its content. ¡°Heh¡­.? This is interesting, isn¡¯t it? I may be rude, but I didn¡¯t think someone as young as you could do it. Where did you learn to write holy letters?¡± ¡°Umm, it seems like I was transported here from somewhere, but, I have no recollections of that.¡± It thought he wouldn¡¯t believe me, were I to say I had arrived from another world, so I decided to pretend I lost my memory. Things like that usually work in different world scenarios. Had I simply said the truth, I would¡¯ve probably been treated as a lunatic. ¡°So Takeru-dono is a stray person? That¡¯s rare indeed. Actually, I had thought that your unfamiliar name would be from somewhere in the eastern direction.¡± ¡°Umm, what¡¯s a ¡®stray person¡¯?¡± ¡°A stray person is considered to be someone teleported from unbelievably far away. Rumor has it they come as a result of an explosion from a summoning magic or a space-shift magic, but, the exact reason is still unclear to us.¡± ¡°So you have no details regarding that?¡± ¡°Space-shifting and summoning are both rare magic, you see. When they run out of control, rare phenomena tend to occur. From what I¡¯ve heard, there seem to be people who had their memories disturbed or lost after being transported. Apparently, there are also those who possess strange knowledge, but, it¡¯s hard for us to search for the main cause, you see.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡­?¡± Lyle-sensei is certainly an amazing person. After all, he¡¯s been described as such by Sara-chan. Engraving that extensive knowledge to my heart, I Immediately understood the extraordinary situation, in which I was placed, without the need for an explanation. I was probably one those characters who possessed that sort of ability. Judging from the Sensei¡¯s talk, my case wouldn¡¯t sound like a different world transportation, but, I can guess I¡¯m not the only one who has been sent here over the years. ¡°Umm, Lyle-sensei, I have a request. Please hire me one way or another.¡± There¡¯s no way for me to let this chance slip away. I have to beg for Sensei¡¯s instruction no matter what. ¡°Even I alone would be more than enough to operate this office, but, since Takeru-dono is a valuable stray person, and also a fellow literary man, whom I have gotten acquainted with after going through all this trouble, I shall hire you on as an assistant clerk.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Like that. I was entrusted with the position of an assistant clerk. It felt as though a sheriff half-heartedly hired a gun-toting stranger as his helper in some Western. Were there also cases in which he would appoint a bureaucrat at his own convenience? Even though Lyle is the person who runs this office, no matter how much of a secretary he is, doesn¡¯t it feel like he¡¯s got way too much authority? Just who on earth is he¡­¡­.. CH 2 The job of an assistant secretary was, bluntly speaking, boring. I became Lyle-sensei¡¯s assistant, who was in charge of making clean copies of detailed reports and drawing up official documents. However, the amount of work wasn¡¯t that big a deal. Rosugo was a small settlement located at the foot of Ye Mountain, with a population that could be, at most, 200 people. At the outskirts of this village, there is a small iron ore mine that falls under the jurisdiction of a different country, unlike this village that belongs to a local feudal lord. If one was to include laborers and blacksmiths living near that mine, or perhaps, even wandering adventurers, like Louise, the population shouldn¡¯t be more than 300 people. Certainly, this village feels like a miniature garden. Even though I said my job includes drawing up official documents, it doesn¡¯t really amount to much. I can understand why secretary Lyle decided to work additionally as a private tutor of children, as he had too much spare time. Still, there was a benefit even in drawing up these boring documents. While I had been checking on and writing various documents intended for this place¡¯s king and feudal lord, I finally was able to understand this village¡¯s topography and characteristics. Even the distance separating here and the royal capital wouldn¡¯t take more than 4 days of travel by stagecoach to traverse. Reversely, it would probably mean the kingdom itself wasn¡¯t that big. Either way, I want to try to go to the royal capital of Silesia. However, there¡¯s something I¡¯m more concerned about¡­. ¡°Secretary Lyle, are there any hot springs in our village? ¡°I guess. If you want to enter a hot spring, you¡¯ve gotta dig one with a shovel.¡± As I was told, apparently, there is no convenient place here in which hot water will gush out. Rather, the place along the river on the outskirts of the village would become a hot spring if you dug there. ==== Somehow, it feels different. I wonder if it¡¯s due to the appearance of this plain hot spring located in this dry river bed. ¡°Well then, shall we enter together this time?¡± ¡°Yes¡­. no, I¡¯m not quite good when it comes to entering with someone.¡± Ah, sensei-made an unpleasant face. I guess he¡¯s right, as there¡¯s no way for us to enter together. That¡¯s because it won¡¯t do if we don¡¯t hide our private parts. Were I to insist on doing that too much, I would worsen his Excellency¡¯s mood, so I decided to stop. More importantly, it isn¡¯t something to be concerned about right now. ¡°Secretary Lyle, does this hot spring contain sulfur?¡± ¡°Ohh, I see you can understand it well. It does, as there¡¯s a volcanic crater, which exposes them, nearby.¡± That¡¯s right. The presence of a hot spring doesn¡¯t necessarily mean there¡¯s sulfur, however, there are lots of instances where a sulfur mine would appear whenever there¡¯s a hot spring nearby a volcanic crater. The erudite Lyle-sensei, known for his intellectual thirst and vigor, seems to also be a 1st class alchemist, who does field works besides merely drawing up documents, such as checking this surrounding for mineral resources. I shall ask him for more detail regarding this place later. ¡°Are there also mines with niter in them?¡± ¡°Niter, you say? There are none in the surrounding area. If you want niter no matter what, how about ordering some from royal capital, or producing it by yourself?¡± Were I to order niter from far away, the size of the budget I would need for my plan would probably skyrocket. I know this from a manga, but, certainly, niter should be a product obtained from fermentation of animal dung. I think I should be able to make it if I boil down soil from areas that had been previously used as a toilet for livestock and humans. I will ask Lyle-sensei, who¡¯s a professional alchemist, for more details regarding that as well. Having sulfur, niter, and charcoal, I should be able to create gunpowder. ¡°Could it be¡­.. you¡¯re thinking about making gunpowder?¡± ¡°Ohh, did you notice?¡± As expected of Lyle-sensei and this medieval times fantasy world. ¡°I too have never made gunpowder before. I have only read about it being applied before in some distant empire during a war, in history books.¡± ¡°I see, so gunpowder has already been used in a war.¡± However, it would mean then that gunpowder isn¡¯t commonly found in the Kingdom of Silesia. Despite the item having already been invented, nobody seems to have recognized its effectiveness yet, I guess. In that case, it may be possible for me to follow my original plan. There was a fear that someone would steal my idea, but, I had already decided to tell Lyle-sensei my plan. Lyle-sensei has been taking care of me a lot, so I don¡¯t mind if he steals the idea. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m thinking about making bombs created with gunpowder and marketing them for the purpose of open-pit mining.¡± ¡°I see, so by creating explosions, you could dig a hole til you hit bedrock? That¡¯s an amazing idea¡­. I¡¯ve never heard about such a method. Is that something Takeru-dono has hit upon?¡± That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a technique I¡¯ve hit upon. Well, it¡¯s merely rock blasting, but still. That¡¯s why Lyle-sensei, if you gaze at me that much with your eyes radiating with respect, I¡¯ll become embarrassed, so please stop. There¡¯s no way for me to tell him my knowledge is something I¡¯ve gained from a different world. Obviously, manufacturing bombs takes time and I don¡¯t know if I can market this item, However, if things work out, this might become a source of income. ¡°Lyle-sensei. If it¡¯s fine by you, can I have you help me with the production and sale of gunpowder goods? Of course, I¡¯ll reward you appropriately.¡± ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t mind. Despite me having lots of free time, I¡¯m deeply curious about manufacturing of gunpowder. Also, I don¡¯t particularly mind the money.¡± Was Lyle-sensei the type of a person that valued knowledge above money? Well, I guess he¡¯s even more remarkable than the tribal chief of this village. Naturally, I plan to manufacture gunpowder, but, since the iron ore pit belongs to the Kingdom of Silesia, I¡¯ll allow myself to make use of secretary Lyle¡¯s reputation when marketing it. A person of doubtful origin, like me, might be able to pass through any obstacle, rather than having to traverse them. ¡ù¡ù¡ù For the time being, I¡¯ve decided to check on the site where the sulfur is being collected when going to the hot spring located on the dry river bed. Because going there alone would be tedious, I decided to call someone to tag along with me. The first person who came into my mind was Lyle-sensei, however, I was denied by him to associate with me in bathing together as fellow men. I wonder if Louise will agree to come with me. Speaking of which, I haven¡¯t met Louise much recently since the time I became an assistant secretary. That¡¯s because Lyle-sensei lent me a room to stay at in this village¡¯s only inn. In this inn, there were also a bar and an adventurer¡¯s guild. Once I returned back from my work this afternoon like usual, I saw Louise drinking in the bar. ¡°Yo, if it isn¡¯t Takeru-dono, the assistant secretary.¡± ¡°Please stop that.¡± When I told Louise, whom I haven¡¯t met for a long time, about me becoming an assistant secretary, she treated me to hunted meat (It was monster meat again), and even congratulated me for getting my new job, but¡­. Lately, she¡¯s been bantering with me each time we meet each other. It looks like she learned about me being referred to as ¡®Takeru-dono¡¯ by Lyle-sensei, and has since then become addicted to use that name as a key point for her to laugh. Naturally, I myself knew I wasn¡¯t fit for such a formal way of being referred to, so, I got red in the face upon hearing it. ¡°Fufu, sorry for that. I¡¯ll bring you some more crazy dog¡¯s meat next time, so forgive me.¡± ¡°More importantly, won¡¯t you come with me to a hot spring?¡± Because I had already gotten tired of eating grilled monster meat, I thought I would invite Louise to the hot spring. ¡°Hmm, a hot spring? Let me think for a moment.¡± ¡°As expected, is it no good?¡± Louise doesn¡¯t seem to be that interested. Perhaps, I should have let her get drunk before trying to invite her? I was hoping to have a mixed bath with a beauty of exceptional figure, like Louise, however, it might be that she was able to read my skillfully hidden ulterior motive. ¡°I don¡¯t quite get why I should, you see.¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡­¡± ¡°No, what I mean to say is, I don¡¯t see any meaning in submerging oneself in hot water. If you want to clean yourself, wouldn¡¯t it be fine just to wash yourself with the hot water in a bucket instead?¡± ¡°Hmm, I see.¡± It seems like taking a bath isn¡¯t common in this place. I wonder if it¡¯s because of cultural diversity. Perhaps, it would also depend on the person themself, as Lyle-sensei wasn¡¯t against bathing in a hot spring. The moment I thought I should give up and not try to force Louise, I heard a cute, familiar voice from beneath me/from below. ¡°If you¡¯re going to a hot spring, why won¡¯t you invite meeee!¡± ¡°Uwaaaa!¡± A rustling, blond Sara-chan, whose appearance resembled that of a childhood friend, appeared from below the table. Wouldn¡¯t I hit my thighs against the table, as a result of being surprised? What will you do if my old injury from the crazy dog¡¯s bite opens? Despite this rattle and noise, Louise quickly grabbed her plate of cooked beans together with her mug of beer and continued to eat and drink composedly. It looks like the only one who was surprised was me. Could it be that coming out from below the table is a common part of this world¡¯s culture? ¡°If it¡¯s now, I don¡¯t mind giving Takeru, special, rights to invite me to a hot spring.¡± ¡°Hmm, if you have permission from your parents, then I¡¯ll take you.¡± If we choose to go to the hot spring near the sulfur mine, then the place won¡¯t be that far away from the village. There also doesn¡¯t seem to be any danger of monsters appearing on our way, so there¡¯s no need for me to object to her request. Having Sara-chan come with me will be a form of repaying her favor for introducing me to Lyle-sensei. I¡¯m fine with her coming with me if she wants, but, I¡¯d rather have her receive permission from her parents first. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re treating me like a child. You¡¯ve got some guts, even though you were a servant just recentlyyy.¡± ¡°Sorry for that.¡± Sara-chan stuck out her almost flat chest while raising up her chin. She most likely intends to act bossy, but, because she¡¯s a child, it looks cute instead. Still, isn¡¯t this all the more reason for her to get permission from her parents, since I used to be their former servant? I¡¯m not sure if it exists in this world or not, but I¡¯d hate it if I had to be involved in some sort of legal case. ¡°If it¡¯s permission, then I can get it. So, take Sara-chan quickly with you.¡± ¡°Ah, is that so?¡± Holding her plate and mug of beer skillfully in both her hands, Louise said so with a disappointed face while eating her side dish. If Sara-chan was to go rampant here, she would most likely hinder Louise in eating. It would be a different story if it was just Sara-chan, but, if the elder-sister-like Louise insists so, I can only follow what she says. ¡ù¡ù¡ù Carrying towels and shovels, the two of us went to a spring located on a dry river bed. Indeed, there was a stream coming up from a brooklet-like small river. The smell of sulfur, which I could detect, gave me some hope of turning this place into a mining site. ¡°Well then, it¡¯s time to dig. Takeru, dig a hot spring for ussss.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Could it be that, even now, I¡¯m still a servant of the Rhod family? Well, since I was indebted to Sara-chan, I started to dig a big hole, like I was told. Interestingly enough, clean water mixed with mud continued to gush out as I was digging firmly and gradually. Digging a hole becomes a habit when you do it gradually, and once you become hooked, it doesn¡¯t feel like you will be bothered by digging at all. ¡°Lyle-sensei said that your skin turns pretty when you submerge in a hot springggg.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, I guess this will work as well.¡± Still, to think that Lyle-sensei would know about a hot spring¡¯s properties in this period. I guess he¡¯s way too incredible. Could it be, he¡­. who isn¡¯t a girl, is actually a modern person that was transported from another world? Hmm, thinking about that, it¡¯s indeed a frightening possibility. This time, should I have tea with Lyle-sensei and try to casually ask him about modern times. One thing I can tell is, that there¡¯s a chance Lyle-sensei¡¯s transparent-like skin was created as a result of this spring. And then, if I hide for a long time somewhere in this surroundings, will I be able to watch some precious bathing scene involving Lyle-sensei? ¡°Takeru, are you thinking about some dirty things?¡± ¡°Arara, you can tell?¡± Not like I¡¯m particularly thinking about anything dirty, since Lyle-sensei is a man. Even if I was to see bathing scenes involving a man from time to time, it shouldn¡¯t be considered a crime. Rather, it should be fine for fellow men to take a bath together, but, for some strange reason, I¡¯m feeling guilty. ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine either way. Let¡¯s enter quickly.¡± ¡°Ummm¡­¡­ I think it¡¯s the right time to ask, but, are you really fine with us entering together?¡± No matter how much of a flat-chested child Sara-chan is, it felt a bit awkward. Since it¡¯s quite bothersome to dig two holes in separate places, it can¡¯t be helped but have a mixed bath. ¡°Takeru, are you the type of a person who gets aroused by looking at naked children?¡± ¡°¡­..No, I guess I¡¯m not, even if I¡¯m told that.¡± ¡°My mom told me I should be careful, because there are people like that, but, isn¡¯t it fine if you¡¯re not like them.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I guess it¡¯s all about protein.¡± Since it would be troublesome if I were mistaken and reported as a lolicon, I decided to stay composed. Sara-chan peeked at my face with her upturned eyes as if searching for something. The pink-colored lips of Sara-chan, whose appearance was vivid, changed into a smile. I wonder, if I¡¯m not being made fun of. For a high schooler to be ridiculed by a girl 5 years younger, what will people think about that? Somehow, it felt like she was putting on airs. As I was thinking so, Sara-chan suddenly undressed and became naked. Uwa, I guess in this world there¡¯s no concept of underwear. Or perhaps, it¡¯s because of her being a child born in countryside? I couldn¡¯t think of anyone I could compare her with, so I didn¡¯t know. No good, my heart is beating fast. Don¡¯t panic! A hero who comes from another world isn¡¯t supposed to panic! ¡°Takeru¡­¡­ however much it is, I¡¯ll be embarrassed if you stare at me that much.¡± ¡°Sorryyyyy!¡± I guess it will be a breach of manners if I stare at her too much. Protect me, my manners! Come to me, my seat belt! I quickly undressed myself and I submerged inside a natural bathtub. Speaking of which, I thought Sara-chan had no chest at all, but, it turned out she actually had some. On that chest of hers, which was around the size of a small wooden bowl, there was plumpness. The tips of her slightly bulged chest resembled cherry blossom-colored petals, however, the area near her crotch was still smooth like that of a child. Oh my, I¡¯m really staring at a child¡¯s body, which is probably wrong by any means. The situation suddenly felt like the one with an R18 setting. Sara-chan quickly entered into the bathtub. The hot water was white and cloudy, so as long we submerged inside the spring, it would be fine even if something was to explode. I¡¯d rather you not ask me what¡¯s going to explode. ¡°This feels goodddd.¡± ¡°Yes, indeed, it feels like being reborn.¡± For Sara-chan, it was probably something just pleasurable. However, for me, it was a bath which I could enjoy again after half a month. The climate here was much more dry than in Japan. Therefore, even washing your body with hot water would suffice, still¡­ ¡°As expected, you can¡¯t call yourself a Japanese if there¡¯s no bath!¡± I thought so from the bottom of my heart, or better to say, shouted. Being a Japanese is about baths! I¡¯ve decided to come to a spring more often. ¡°That¡¯s right, don¡¯t you use soap?¡± ¡°Soap, it¡¯s that thing that creates bubbles, right? I¡¯ve never used anything as expensive as that.¡± Certainly, if memory serves me rights, there wasn¡¯t even something like that in this village¡¯s only general store. Despite there being towels, there is no soap? ¡°Hmm, would you like to try if there was one?¡± ¡°If I say ¡®I want ittt~¡¯, will you buy it for me, Takeru?¡± Oh my, so you already know how to coquet a man at this age? Indeed, she¡¯s a scary kid. Despite Sara-chan being a child, she can sometimes say things like an adult woman. Perhaps, it¡¯s because of the short life span in medieval times. She¡¯s still a 12-year-old kid, but, unless she quickly becomes an adult, she will probably die. This what you call living fast, isn¡¯t it? Who would¡¯ve thought the 17-year-old me would be teased by a girl this fast. Certainly, that¡¯s a frightening speed for a fantasy world. ¡°I¡¯ll try and see if I can get a hold of some soap.¡± However, I won¡¯t be buying it, you see. It should be fine if I try to make it. ¡°Hee? As expected of Takeru, who¡¯s a literary man.¡± Somehow, it felt like I was being revered. For some reason, it looks like Sara-chan imagines a literary man as someone who draws amazing graphs together with Lyle-sensei. In comparison with that cheat-like level pundit, I¡¯m merely just the sort of person who possesses half-baked modern knowledge. However, I do want others to place their expectations on me. If I remember correctly, soap should be easily made with oil and ash. Provided it¡¯s true that soap is expensive, maybe it¡¯s possible for me to turn this into goods for sale too. CH 3 The job of an assistant secretary was, bluntly speaking, boring. I became Lyle-sensei¡¯s assistant, who was in charge of making clean copies of detailed reports and drawing up official documents. However, the amount of work wasn¡¯t that big a deal. Losgow was a small settlement located at the foot of Ye Mountain, with a population that could be, at most, 200 people. At the outskirts of this village, there is a small iron ore mine that falls under the direct jurisdiction the country, unlike this village that belongs to a local feudal lord. If one was to include laborers and blacksmiths living near that mine, or perhaps, even wandering adventurers, like Louise, the population shouldn¡¯t be more than 300 people. Certainly, this village feels like a miniature garden. Even though I said my job includes drawing up official documents, it doesn¡¯t really amount to much. I can understand why Lyle-sensei decided to work additionally as a private tutor of children, as he had too much spare time. Still, there was a benefit even in drawing up these boring documents. While I had been checking on and writing various documents intended for this place¡¯s king and feudal lord, I finally was able to understand this village¡¯s topography and characteristics. Even the distance separating here and the royal capital wouldn¡¯t take more than 4 days of travel by stagecoach to traverse. Reversely, it would probably mean the kingdom itself wasn¡¯t that big. Either way, I want to try to go to the royal capital of Silesie. However, there¡¯s something I¡¯m more concerned about¡­. ¡°Lyle-sensei, are there any hot springs in our village? ¡°I guess. If you want to enter a hot spring, you¡¯ve gotta dig one with a shovel.¡± As I was told, apparently, there is no convenient place here in which hot water will gush out. Rather, the place along the river on the outskirts of the village would become a hot spring if you dug there. Somehow, it feels different. I wonder if it¡¯s due to the appearance of this plain hot spring located in this dry river bed. ¡°Well then, shall we enter together this time?¡± ¡°Yes¡­. no, I¡¯m not quite good when it comes to entering with someone.¡± Ah, sensei-made an unpleasant face. I guess he¡¯s right, as there¡¯s no way for us to enter together. That¡¯s because it won¡¯t do if we don¡¯t hide our private parts. Were I to insist on doing that too much, I would worsen his Excellency¡¯s mood, so I decided to stop. More importantly, it isn¡¯t something to be concerned about right now. ¡°Lyle-sensei, does this hot spring contain sulfur?¡± ¡°Ohh, I see you can understand it well. It does, as there¡¯s a volcanic crater, which exposes them, nearby.¡± That¡¯s right. The presence of a hot spring doesn¡¯t necessarily mean there¡¯s sulfur, however, there are lots of instances where a sulfur mine would appear whenever there¡¯s a hot spring nearby a volcanic crater. The erudite Lyle-sensei, known for his intellectual thirst and vigor, seems to also be a 1st class alchemist, who does field works besides merely drawing up documents, such as checking this surrounding for mineral resources. I shall ask him for more details regarding this place later. ¡°Are there also mines with niter in them?¡± ¡°Niter, you say? There are none in the surrounding area. If you want niter no matter what, how about ordering some from royal capital, or producing it by yourself?¡± Were I to order niter from far away, the size of the budget I would need for my plan would probably skyrocket. I know this from a manga, but, certainly, niter should be a product obtained from fermentation of animal dung. I think I should be able to make it if I boil down soil from areas that had been previously used as a toilet for livestock and humans. I will ask Lyle-sensei, who¡¯s a professional alchemist, for more details regarding that as well. Having sulfur, niter, and charcoal, I should be able to create gunpowder. ¡°Could it be¡­.. you¡¯re thinking about making gunpowder?¡± ¡°Ohh, did you notice?¡± As expected of Lyle-sensei and this medieval times fantasy world. However, I was surprised he could notice that. Hmm, could it be that gunpowder is something commonly used in this world? I thought about marketing it as my own original technique, but¡­. ¡°I too have never made gunpowder before. I have only read about it being applied before in some distant empire during a war, in history books.¡± ¡°I see, so gunpowder has already been used in a war.¡± However, it would mean then that gunpowder isn¡¯t commonly found in the Kingdom of Silesie. Despite the item having already been invented, nobody seems to have recognized its effectiveness yet, I guess. In that case, it may be possible for me to follow my original plan. There was a fear that someone would steal my idea, but, I had already decided to tell Lyle-sensei my plan. Lyle-sensei has been taking care of me a lot, so I don¡¯t mind if he steals the idea. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m thinking about making bombs created with gunpowder and marketing them for the purpose of open-pit mining.¡± ¡°I see, so by creating explosions, you could dig a hole til you hit bedrock? That¡¯s an amazing idea¡­. I¡¯ve never heard about such a method. Is that something Takeru-dono has hit upon?¡± That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a technique I¡¯ve hit upon. Well, it¡¯s merely rock blasting, but still. That¡¯s why Lyle-sensei, if you gaze at me that much with your eyes radiating with respect, I¡¯ll become embarrassed, so please stop. There¡¯s no way for me to tell him my knowledge is something I¡¯ve gained from a different world. Obviously, manufacturing bombs takes time and I don¡¯t know if I can market this item, However, if things work out, this might become a source of income. ¡°Lyle-sensei. If it¡¯s fine by you, can I have you help me with the production and sale of gunpowder goods? Of course, I¡¯ll reward you appropriately.¡± ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t mind. Despite me having lots of free time, I¡¯m deeply curious about manufacturing of gunpowder. Also, I don¡¯t particularly mind the money.¡± Was Lyle-sensei the type of a person that valued knowledge above money? Well, I guess he¡¯s even more remarkable than the tribal chief of this village. Naturally, I plan to manufacture gunpowder, but, since the iron ore pit belongs to the Kingdom of Silesie, I¡¯ll allow myself to make use of Lyle-sensei¡¯s reputation when marketing it. A person of doubtful origin, like me, might be able to pass through any obstacle, rather than having to traverse them. ¡ªScene Change¡ª For the time being, I¡¯ve decided to check on the site where the sulfur is being collected when going to the hot spring located on the dry river bed. Because going there alone would be tedious, I decided to call someone to tag along with me. The first person who came into my mind was Lyle-sensei, however, I was denied by him to associate with me in bathing together as fellow men. I wonder if Louise will agree to come with me. Speaking of which, I haven¡¯t met Louise much recently since the time I became an assistant secretary. That¡¯s because Lyle-sensei lent me a room to stay at in this village¡¯s only inn. In this inn, there were also a bar and an adventurer¡¯s guild. Once I returned back from my work this afternoon like usual, I saw Louise drinking in the bar. ¡°Yo, if it isn¡¯t Takeru-dono, the assistant secretary.¡± ¡°Please stop that.¡± When I told Louise, whom I haven¡¯t met for a long time, about me becoming an assistant secretary, she treated me to hunted meat (It was monster meat again), and even congratulated me for getting my new job, but¡­. Lately, she¡¯s been bantering with me each time we meet each other. It looks like she learned about me being referred to as ¡®Takeru-dono¡¯ by Lyle-sensei, and has since then become addicted to use that name as a key point for her to laugh. Naturally, I myself knew I wasn¡¯t fit for such a formal way of being referred to, so, I got red in the face upon hearing it. ¡°Fufu, sorry for that. I¡¯ll bring you some more crazy dog¡¯s meat next time, so forgive me.¡± ¡°More importantly, won¡¯t you come with me to a hot spring?¡± Because I had already gotten tired of eating grilled monster meat, I thought I would invite Louise to the hot spring. ¡°Hmm, a hot spring? Let me think for a moment.¡± ¡°As expected, is it no good?¡± Louise doesn¡¯t seem to be that interested. Perhaps, I should have let her get drunk before trying to invite her? I was hoping to have a mixed bath with a beauty of exceptional figure, like Louise, however, it might be that she was able to read my skillfully hidden ulterior motive. ¡°I don¡¯t quite get why I should, you see.¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡­¡± ¡°No, what I mean to say is, I don¡¯t see any meaning in submerging oneself in hot water. If you want to clean yourself, wouldn¡¯t it be fine just to wash yourself with the hot water in a bucket instead?¡± ¡°Hmm, I see.¡± It seems like taking a bath isn¡¯t common in this place. I wonder if it¡¯s because of cultural diversity. Perhaps, it would also depend on the person themself, as Lyle-sensei wasn¡¯t against bathing in a hot spring. The moment I thought I should give up and not try to force Louise, I heard a cute, familiar voice from beneath me/from below. ¡°If you¡¯re going to a hot spring, why won¡¯t you invite meeee!¡± ¡°Uwaaaa!¡± A rustling, blond Sara-chan, whose appearance resembled that of a childhood friend, appeared from below the table. Wouldn¡¯t I hit my thighs against the table, as a result of being surprised? What will you do if my old injury from the crazy dog¡¯s bite opens? Despite this rattle and noise, Louise quickly grabbed her plate of cooked beans together with her mug of beer and continued to eat and drink composedly. It looks like the only one who was surprised was me. Could it be that coming out from below the table is a common part of this world¡¯s culture? ¡°If it¡¯s now, I don¡¯t mind giving Takeru, special, rights to invite me to a hot spring.¡± ¡°Hmm, if you have permission from your parents, then I¡¯ll take you.¡± If we choose to go to the hot spring near the sulfur mine, then the place won¡¯t be that far away from the village. There also doesn¡¯t seem to be any danger of monsters appearing on our way, so there¡¯s no need for me to object to her request. Having Sara-chan come with me will be a form of repaying her favor for introducing me to Lyle-sensei. I¡¯m fine with her coming with me if she wants, but, I¡¯d rather have her receive permission from her parents first. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re treating me like a child. You¡¯ve got some guts, even though you were a servant just recentlyyy.¡± ¡°Sorry for that.¡± Sara-chan stuck out her almost flat chest while raising up her chin. She most likely intends to act bossy, but, because she¡¯s a child, it looks cute instead. Still, isn¡¯t this all the more reason for her to get permission from her parents, since I used to be their former servant? I¡¯m not sure if it exists in this world or not, but I¡¯d hate it if I had to be involved in some sort of legal case. ¡°If it¡¯s permission, then I can get it. So, take Sara-chan quickly with you.¡± ¡°Ah, is that so?¡± Holding her plate and mug of beer skillfully in both her hands, Louise said so with a disappointed face while eating her side dish. If Sara-chan was to go rampant here, she would most likely hinder Louise in eating. It would be a different story if it was just Sara-chan, but, if the elder-sister-like Louise insists so, I can only follow what she says. ¡ªScene Change¡ª Carrying towels and shovels, the two of us went to a spring located on a dry river bed. Indeed, there was a stream coming up from a brooklet-like small river. The smell of sulfur, which I could detect, gave me some hope of turning this place into a mining site. ¡°Well then, it¡¯s time to dig. Takeru, dig a hot spring for ussss.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Could it be that, even now, I¡¯m still a servant of the Rod family? Well, since I was indebted to Sara-chan, I started to dig a big hole, like I was told. Interestingly enough, clean water mixed with mud continued to gush out as I was digging firmly and gradually. Digging a hole becomes a habit when you do it gradually, and once you become hooked, it doesn¡¯t feel like you will be bothered by digging at all. ¡°Lyle-sensei said that your skin turns pretty when you submerge in a hot springggg.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, I guess this will work as well.¡± Still, to think that Lyle-sensei would know about a hot spring¡¯s properties in this period. I guess he¡¯s way too incredible. Could it be, he¡­. who isn¡¯t a girl, is actually a modern person that was transported from another world? Hmm, thinking about that, it¡¯s indeed a frightening possibility. This time, should I have tea with Lyle-sensei and try to casually ask him about modern times. One thing I can tell is, that there¡¯s a chance Lyle-sensei¡¯s transparent-like skin was created as a result of this spring. And then, if I hide for a long time somewhere in this surroundings, will I be able to watch some precious bathing scene involving Lyle-sensei? ¡°Takeru, are you thinking about some dirty things?¡± ¡°Arara, you can tell?¡± Not like I¡¯m particularly thinking about anything dirty, since Lyle-sensei is a man. Even if I was to see bathing scenes involving a man from time to time, it shouldn¡¯t be considered a crime. Rather, it should be fine for fellow men to take a bath together, but, for some strange reason, I¡¯m feeling guilty. ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine either way. Let¡¯s enter quickly.¡± ¡°Ummm¡­¡­ I think it¡¯s the right time to ask, but, are you really fine with us entering together?¡± No matter how much of a flat-chested child Sara-chan is, it felt a bit awkward. Since it¡¯s quite bothersome to dig two holes in separate places, it can¡¯t be helped but have a mixed bath. ¡°Takeru, are you the type of a person who gets aroused by looking at naked children?¡± ¡°¡­..No, I guess I¡¯m not, even if I¡¯m told that.¡± ¡°My mom told me I should be careful, because there are people like that, but, isn¡¯t it fine if you¡¯re not like them.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I guess it¡¯s all about protein.¡± Since it would be troublesome if I were mistaken and reported as a lolicon, I decided to stay composed. Sara-chan peeked at my face with her upturned eyes as if searching for something. The pink-colored lips of Sara-chan, whose appearance was vivid, changed into a smile. I wonder, if I¡¯m not being made fun of. For a high schooler to be ridiculed by a girl 5 years younger, what will people think about that? Somehow, it felt like she was putting on airs. As I was thinking so, Sara-chan suddenly undressed and became naked. Uwa, I guess in this world there¡¯s no concept of underwear. Or perhaps, it¡¯s because of her being a child born in countryside? I couldn¡¯t think of anyone I could compare her with, so I didn¡¯t know. No good, my heart is beating fast. Don¡¯t panic! A hero who comes from another world isn¡¯t supposed to panic! ¡°Takeru¡­¡­ however much it is, I¡¯ll be embarrassed if you stare at me that much.¡± ¡°Sorryyyyy!¡± I guess it will be a breach of manners if I stare at her too much. Protect me, my manners! Come to me, my seat belt! I quickly undressed myself and I submerged inside a natural bathtub. Speaking of which, I thought Sara-chan had no chest at all, but, it turned out she actually had some. On that chest of hers, which was around the size of a small wooden bowl, there was plumpness. The tips of her slightly bulged chest resembled cherry blossom-colored petals, however, the area near her crotch was still smooth like that of a child. Oh my, I¡¯m really staring at a child¡¯s body, which is probably wrong by any means. The situation suddenly felt like the one with an R18 setting. Sara-chan quickly entered into the bathtub. The hot water was white and cloudy, so as long we submerged inside the spring, it would be fine even if something was to explode. I¡¯d rather you not ask me what¡¯s going to explode. ¡°This feels goodddd.¡± ¡°Yes, indeed, it feels like being reborn.¡± For Sara-chan, it was probably something just pleasurable. However, for me, it was a bath which I could enjoy again after half a month. The climate here was much more dry than in Japan. Therefore, even washing your body with hot water would suffice, still¡­ ¡°As expected, you can¡¯t call yourself a Japanese if there¡¯s no bath!¡± I thought so from the bottom of my heart, or better to say, shouted. Being a Japanese is about baths! I¡¯ve decided to come to a spring more often. ¡°That¡¯s right, don¡¯t you use soap?¡± ¡°Soap, it¡¯s that thing that creates bubbles, right? I¡¯ve never used anything as expensive as that.¡± Certainly, if memory serves me rights, there wasn¡¯t even something like that in this village¡¯s only general store. Despite there being towels, there is no soap? ¡°Hmm, would you like to try if there was one?¡± ¡°If I say ¡®I want ittt~¡¯, will you buy it for me, Takeru?¡± Oh my, so you already know how to coquet a man at this age? Indeed, she¡¯s a scary kid. Despite Sara-chan being a child, she can sometimes say things like an adult woman. Perhaps, it¡¯s because of the short life span in medieval times. She¡¯s still a 12-year-old kid, but, unless she quickly becomes an adult, she will probably die. This what you call living fast, isn¡¯t it? Who would¡¯ve thought the 17-year-old me would be teased by a girl this fast. Certainly, that¡¯s a frightening speed for a fantasy world. ¡°I¡¯ll try and see if I can get a hold of some soap.¡± However, I won¡¯t be buying it, you see. It should be fine if I try to make it. ¡°Hee? As expected of Takeru, who¡¯s a literary man.¡± Somehow, it felt like I was being revered. For some reason, it looks like Sara-chan imagines a literary man as someone who draws amazing graphs together with Lyle-sensei. In comparison with that cheat-like level pundit, I¡¯m merely just the sort of person who possesses half-baked modern knowledge. However, I do want others to place their expectations on me. If I remember correctly, soap should be easily made with oil and ash. Provided it¡¯s true that soap is expensive, maybe it¡¯s possible for me to turn this into goods for sale too. CH 4 ¡°So you plan to make soap? Even though you had come up with gunpowder just recently, you still have lots of ideas, don¡¯t you?¡± As usual, I commuted from the inn to the office. During our break, I told Lyle-sensei about my plan to make soap, which left him astonished. For some reason, my mind wouldn¡¯t stop flowing with ideas once I began to think about making gunpowder. Because I lacked experienced subordinates and skills required as an alchemist, the manufacturing of gunpowder wouldn¡¯t go well in practice, but, I had decided to count on Lyle-sensei¡¯s extensive knowledge. ¡°Surely, from what I¡¯ve heard, there¡¯s a city in which soap is produced using olive and canola oil. I¡¯m not well-informed about that alkaline mentioned by Takeru-dono, but, it¡¯s certain that ash and quicklime can combine together and solidify, right?¡± ¡°As I thought, it might be not possible for us to obtain olive oil, but, apparently we can use monsters¡¯ oil as a replacement.¡± The only animal oil which can be obtained for free in Rosugo is that from monsters. There are 3 types of monsters that live nearby this village, these are: Crazy Dogs, Gray Rat-Men and Blood-sucking Bats. In case there are too many monsters to deal with, we file a petition for monster extermination in the Adventurer¡¯s Guild and have Louise-san accompany us with hunting. The spoils would be then divided between us and I would be able to extract the oil from my part. I¡¯ve seen how oil and ash can be mixed together to make soap in the past, but, right now, I¡¯m continuously failing in doing so. I managed to create a soft, soap-like thing, however, it didn¡¯t make lots of bubbles and gave off a bad stench, similar to that of clay. Making a high-grade product using olive oil is out of question, but, as long the soap is affordable and usable by commoners, it should sell well. ¡°That is to say, Takeru-dono wants me to assist with the production of soap, right?¡± ¡°Well, if you put it frankly like that, then it¡¯s just as you say.¡± Even a wooden bucket is feasible as long as its method of production is established, but, as one would expect, I¡¯d rather have a much experienced alchemist assist me. Fufufu ¨C Lyle-sensei burst into laughter as soon as I humbled myself and put my hands together. ¡°Even though we have yet to make gunpowder, Takeru-dono is really a slave driver.¡± ¡°I apologize.¡± Despite me receiving my job through the good offices of Louise, I kept doing nothing but causing problems for Lyle-sensei. ¡°Ah no, I was just kidding. In fact, I¡¯m glad that my skills can be of any help. There is nobody in this village with whom I can talk to regarding alchemy, so if it wasn¡¯t for Takeru-dono, I wouldn¡¯t even come up with things like making gunpowder or soap.¡± Putting up with my troublesome talks and smiling while being carried away by our conversation, I thought there would be no good-hearted person willing to help me out. I might be stuck on him because of that. Naturally, I was straightly refused when I tried to offer to wash Sensei¡¯s back as a form of gratitude. It was a minor joke, so please, stop drawing back while looking at me with a serious expression. ¡ù¡ù¡ù Anyway, a decent prototype of a bomb was done. It was a jute bag completely filled with gunpowder and connected with a detonating cord made from gunpowder wrapped in paper. Ah, but I guess that¡¯s fine as long as it¡¯s just once, right? Far from sulfur, it was much harder to create niter. That¡¯s because it¡¯s something you obtain from throwing in human and cattle¡¯s waste. We built a small hut and buried the waste with grass under the soil. Then, we waited for the niter to start be produced by microorganisms and collected it. Apparently, you can also use corpses as a replacement for the waste, but, it¡¯s smelly either way. Not to mention, you would need at least 2-3 years for the bodies to decompose and release niter, which is impossible for us to wait. Therefore, to make the bomb, we received some soil from the Rhod household¡¯s cattle hut and extracted the niter from it. Obviously, we could pick some soil from humans¡¯ toilet as well, but, even in a western fantasy world, checking on the condition of toilet was cruel enough. If this was medieval Japan, people would have, supposedly, built places designated for collecting waste, such as cesspools, however, in this world, nobody seems to use manure made from humans¡¯ excrements. This might sound dirty, but, apparently people here would just store their waste in jars and throw away their contents on a road¡¯s surface in suitable amount¡­. Oh, thinking back, the harshest thing to deal with when I arrived here for the first time was the toilet. There was no toilet paper; the only thing I could use to wipe were leaves. I also used to sing the ¡®micchan michi''(1) song back when I was a brat, but, I wouldn¡¯t have thought I would end up wiping my ass with leaves. I discussed with Lyle-sensei on the matter of making paper, however, it turns out there are actually no defined methods of paper manufacturing. Certainly, even in the office, we do use paper despite its bad quality. Since the paper is bad and starchy, we will at least use parchments for truly important matters. When I asked Sensei as to why paper isn¡¯t common here, it turned out it was due to the lack of materials, rather than technical problems. Was it because of the dry climate? Just like in my hometown, Japan, it felt as though trees here wouldn¡¯t grow back after being cut down and become a bare hill. The reason why there wasn¡¯t enough wood was because of people here lumbering trees without planting them first. The more a city expanded, the more wasteland appeared. Even with my modern knowledge, material shortage is the only thing I couldn¡¯t help with. As expected, what is needed is the power of money. By the way, when I tried to ask Lyle-sensei about what they do after using the toilet, his face turned red as he answered ¡®Using magic¡­.¡¯ That¡¯s mean, Lyle-sensei. I wanted you to confirm that for me, but, with my magic skill being close to zero, my hopes for that have become even smaller. If I possessed a magic tool or a magic gem, even someone like me could become able to use magic. However, that being said, the price of such things was unreasonably high. As I thought, even in this world, everything comes to money, money, money when you want do something. Now, let¡¯s return to the main topic. Together with Lyle-sensei, we carried bombs with their attached detonation cords and went to an iron ore mine located deep inside the mountains near Rosugo. The mine was even smaller than what I had thought at first. There were few, small caves from which laborers transported minerals on small goods wagons. The laborers were exhausted and wore worn-out clothes. Iron-made chains were attached to their legs. ¡°Are they possibly¡­?¡± ¡°Slave miners. They are the one who work this mine, you see.¡± Several of them were carrying minerals on wagons. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Since the conditions in a mine are severe, having a disposable labor force is very vital. Takeru-dono, don¡¯t you have slaves in your country?¡± Lyle-sensei spoke to me as if noticing my silence. I was at loss for words upon seeing people being forced to work in the worst environment and having their freedom taken away. Judging from the way the usually gentle and graceful Lyle-sensei could watch this scenery with composure, slaves were probably common in this world. However, for me, who was brought up in times long free from slavery, this was a shocking view. According to Lyle-sensei¡¯s explanation, slaves are generally considered to be those who are unable to clear their debts. Even I could become penniless and fall into debt. The me right now was living in a society run by slaves. For the sake of surviving in this world, it was clear to me I couldn¡¯t quarrel with the reality. Still, this scenery burned into my memory. ¡°I apologize, Sensei. Let¡¯s proceed.¡± ¡°Takeru-dono, over there, you will find the mansion of this place¡¯s governor.¡± At the entrance of this mine, the surroundings resembled that of a small village. In addition to miserable shacks where the slaves stayed, there were also row houses for soldiers and engineers, and a blacksmith¡¯s shop where one could melt and process ores. And then, there was the mansion of this mine¡¯s governor, which was the tallest in this shabby village. It was a building with a proper wooden floor. As soon as we were guided by maids and entered inside, what awaited us was a room made of large planks. The furniture here was splendidly made. The interior was lined with stuffed monsters from the vicinity, and even decorated with vivid tapestries. Were they made by this mine¡¯s blacksmith? the room was ornamented with an iron-made knife, sword, halberd, and plate mail as well. These weapons were probably crafted by someone even more skilled than the blacksmith in our village. Honestly, I don¡¯t think the person who decorated this very boorish room has a refined taste, but, it may be that being a governor of a mine is beneficial. Meaning, I can expect quite a profit from doing business with my next trading partner. Once the door opened, a half-naked, muscular man entered inside. The man was in his prime and his head was smoothly becoming bald. His physique was even larger than that of the female warrior, Louise. ¡°Looks like I made you wait. My name is Natal Dacall, and I¡¯m this mine¡¯s governor.¡± So it was this guy? At first I thought it was some miner as he was wearing a pair of simplistic Farstian trousers while being half-naked. Despite that, that Natal turned out to be some muscular macho dude. The amount of the muscles in his upper arms and his somber, bald head made him look like some protagonist from a Hollywood movie. I gazed at those piling up muscles in admiration. As I did so, the man bowed his head apologetically. Did he misunderstand something? ¡°I apologize for appearing like this in front of you. I¡¯ve just returned from the mine¡¯s actual location, so¡­.¡± ¡°No no, we too have come here uninvited, therefore¡­ by the way, my [Ore], that¡¯s not right, my [Watashi] name¡¯s Sawatari Takeru. Nice to meet you.¡± I too introduced myself while bowing down deeply and hurriedly. To think that this mine¡¯s governor, named Natal, would genuinely bow his head toward a shabby, 17 years old greenhorn like me. Could I really afford that? For this elegant man in his prime, not to mention, a personage of a high social status to treat me this politely, I felt ashamed of myself. Despite one¡¯s viewpoint regarding a topless, muscular man being a pervert, one could notice this man¡¯s fine attitude displaying unaffected sincerity, fortitude, and vigor. What a great person he is to work in a mine despite being the governor of this place. Apparently, Lyle-sensei and Natal are acquainted with each other, since both of them were appointed to the same village as civil servants. It may be that Natal is deliberately acting kind toward us, in order to prompt the negotiations, as he knows we are here to sell him the bombs. However, even if I¡¯m cautious of him, I can¡¯t help but have a good impression of his straightforward attitude. Not to mention, Natal, with his beautifully balding head, greatly resembles a favorite actor of mine from a western movie. I¡¯m fond of beauties, but, I¡¯m also quite weak toward good-looking adult males. ¡°Then, without further ado, can I have you demonstrate to me that thing called a bomb?¡± So as to show him in practice the effect of the bomb, I blew a newly dug tunnel inside a quay to atoms. Just to make sure we weren¡¯t affected, I prepared a long cord and distanced myself far enough before detonating the bomb, however, even that much wouldn¡¯t prevent the violent blast from beating our eardrums. For me to create such a fearsome thing. (Obviously, the one who took care of the compounding was Lyle-sensei, but whatever.) ¡°Uoooohhh!¡± ¨C Was Natal agitated by his first in a lifetime blast? He held aloft both his arms while shouting that. ¡°What¡¯s your impression?¡± ¡°This thing called a bomb has splendid power. I guess we would save lots of time, were we to use it wisely.¡± Checking on the huge hole left by the explosion, Natal gathered minerals, which had been hurled, and touched them one by one. It would be nice were he to take a liking to the bombs and buy them at high prince, but. ¡°For each bomb, I¡¯ll pay you with a silver¡­.. No, how about one gold coin? ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­¡± I took a deep breath. A single gold coin is a large amount of money. I wouldn¡¯t have thought I would manage to sell the bombs at such high price. Since bombs are considered a rare item in this world, perhaps, I should increase their price¡­. ¡°Honestly, you aren¡¯t going to overcharge me more than this, right? I place my trust in you as a fellow working for the same country. What¡¯s more, I told you before I can barely afford this much, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Haha, no way. Of course, please do so.¡± I broke in a cold sweat while laughing. Natal most likely saw through my expression. As one would expect from a veteran governor, his ability to negotiate was quite sharp. ¡°Also, I¡¯d like to place a condition on your purchase. I¡¯d like for you to pay me afterwards.¡± ¡°Umm, what¡¯s the meaning of that?¡± ¡°I would be troubled if I were to supply you with defective products, so you will only have to pay for items that work properly. Otherwise, rumors might spread in the village about how ineffective my bombs are if you fail to successfully use them in practice.¡± I made a wry smile as soon I looked at Lyle-sensei next to me. Certainly, there have been lots of cases where a bomb would fail to explode despite it emitting smoke. With Lyle-sensei¡¯s effort, we should be able to adjust the bomb¡¯s compound as we wish, so it¡¯s hard to imagine it could fail, but, nothing can be said for sure in regards to gunpowder. Obviously, we should also consider the possibility of a misfire. As long there are no defective products, it should be no problem for customers to pay afterwards. ¡°And then, there¡¯s one more condition.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡®You still want to complain about something?¡¯ ¨C Natal took out a golden coin for the bomb while wanting to say that, which made me endure patiently. ¡°Despite Rosugo¡¯s ore mine being a small one, it¡¯s actually state property. You do understand that we¡­. plan to promote these bombs, right?¡± ¡°Uhmm¡­..¡± He probably won¡¯t understand even if I say it in a suggestive tone. Unable to watch me becoming astonished, Lyle-sensei whispered in my ear. ¨CLet¡¯s form an exclusive agreement with the Kingdom of Silesia. I think there¡¯s no need to worry about others merchandising this bomb, but, wouldn¡¯t it be fine to do so either way?¨C Hmm, I see. Certainly, it¡¯s just as Lyle-sensei says. I agree this is a favorable opportunity to form an agreement, considering the fact we can use Lyle-sensei¡¯s position as a state secretary. ¡°Well, if you make an exclusive agreement, you will be able to build a market for bombs in other mines and places, where the use of bombs is essential for public works. I see no harm in doing so.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll accept your offer.¡± Bowing down my head, I was still reflecting on my carelessness. That¡¯s because, despite making every effort to create gunpowder, I didn¡¯t consider the idea of expanding our market for that. After all, this place here is just a rural area. I need to merchandise this bomb in other regions of this kingdom, so there¡¯s no way for me to let this chance slip away. On the other hand, if I want to sell products for consumer use, it won¡¯t do unless I specify the characteristics of our market, since we can¡¯t monopolize this area, right? Is there no good solution for that? I shall ask Sensei, who¡¯s a fountain of wisdom, later. More importantly, there¡¯s something else I should mention. ¡°Afterwards, please pay utmost attention so as not to get yourself involved in an accident. There¡¯s also the fear that a tunnel might collapse from an explosion.¡± ¡°Haha, haven¡¯t I told you already? I¡¯m a mine engineer, so I won¡¯t commit such a blunder. Still, well, I agree with you about paying more attention when handling these things. I¡¯m grateful for your advice. Even if Natal was to estrange someone due to his nagging, I thought I had to give him at least some advice. Even in the modern Japan where I used to live, there are lots of instances where people will be buried alive in a mining accident. I¡¯d have an uneasy conscience if those miners from before died because of my bombs. The black powder, which I¡¯m selling, has a low level of safety. Therefore, it¡¯s necessary to have Natal pay enough attention. CH 5 Finally, as a result of trial and error, I managed to complete the soap. Despite saying so, I was still far from obtaining a fine quality one, which could produce white, fragrant foam. Rather, what we got instead was a large number of unrefined, clay-like, smelly, failed products that couldn¡¯t solidify well. However, I knew that even a failed product will be enough for laundering clothes, so I decided to put them up for sale as detergents for 1 fragmentary copper coin, as a part of a big sale. Apparently, commoners in this world will use a mixture of ash and water as a replacement for detergent. Compared with that simple mixture, even a failed soap will be more effective in removing stains. While we are at it, the price for the high grade monster-made soap is 1 silver coin each. At first, I thought I was overcharging way too much in comparison with the cost of the raw materials, not to mention, the market price for olive oil and canola-made soaps were also different based on the region, but, it seems that the retail price for a bar of soap could also reach as high as 1 gold coin. Now that I think about it, most of the high grade products with defects are sellable for at least ten times its original price, so there¡¯s probably no way I can¡¯t sell mine. When I had brought the completed soap to the family of Rhod, Sara-chan was overjoyed. It was a secret, but, before putting the soap up for sale, I intended to have them use some samples. ¡®Thank you! Thank you!¡¯ ¨C Sara-chan expressed her joy with these few words. This was also the reason why I had them try it out. ¡®Let¡¯s go the spring again, together!¡¯ ¨C Getting carried away, she suddenly said this. Following that, I was gazed fixedly at by Sara-chan¡¯s father. Louise-nee-san¡­¡­ didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d receive her parents¡¯ permission? ¡ù¡ù¡ù I took the opportunity and put the soap on an experimental sale when going to local general stores and a second-hand shops. More and more people started to buy my items in large quantities. At any rate, my pockets are now filled with gold coins. If the sale of the soap goes favorably together with the bombs, I should be able to yield more profit, so it should be fine to treat my products as luxury items, even if it¡¯s just a bit. ¡°Do you sell magic items?¡± ¡°For now, we only have this ¡®wand of the flaming orb''¡± As expected, even second-hand shops have little in stock. As for general stores, you can only find lots of daily necessities there. With this ¡®wand of the flaming orb¡¯, as long as I shout out ¡®Fireball!¡¯ clearly, I can cast the very basic, and at the same time, the most ultimate flame orb spell without being capable of using magic. Still, because I can¡¯t figure out this wand¡¯s remaining durability, I don¡¯t know how many times can I use the same spell. Anyway, should I buy this wand? It would greatly comply with the gunpowder as my weapon. This undefined wand, which is the specialty of this shop, cost 5 silver coins. I can¡¯t find fault with other people rather than myself, but, this is indeed a silly pricing. I wonder how many similar wands this guy has lying in stock. ¡°I wonder if you don¡¯t have any tool for casting water magic.¡± ¡°Uhm, no. After all, our village is located in the countryside, you see.¡± Since there is a problem dealing with toilet waste, I thought I¡¯d surely like to have water magic, but¡­ As expected, there¡¯s no other option than going shopping in some city, is there? ¡°Then, please sell me all these recovery vials and antidotes.¡± ¡°Oi oi, do you plan to buy up my shop? Please spare me.¡± Ah, is that so? I guess buying up everything won¡¯t do despite having money. Since there are neither churches nor hospitals, potions will become the only lifeline. ¡°Sorry for that. Then, please give me 5 of each.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you for your continued patronage.¡± A potion¡¯s cost is relatively high, still. 1 item was around 1 silver coin. I wanted to sell the soap, so I entrusted the seller with the sale. He was very pleased to see me bringing in rare goods every time. I also wish I could¡¯ve bought back my school bag and my writing implements that I had with me when I came to this world, but looks like everything was sold. Too bad. ¡ù¡ù¡ù ¡°In that case, how about we visit the City of Est?¡± As I complained about how shabby items in Rosugo are, Lyle-sensei made such an attractive proposal. ¡°But, Secretary Lyle, won¡¯t it be bad if both the secretary and his assistant leave their post?¡± ¡°Recently, have we had anything to do?¡± Despite me humbling myself and making myself appear serious for the first time in a long while, Lyle-sensei replied without holding back. Certainly, it has been more than a month since I arrived here, but, from that time we haven¡¯t done anything that could really be considered a job. Didn¡¯t we have to deal with just a single wedding? ¡°If there is any procedure that require authentication, we can rely on the tribal chief to do it instead of us. Conducting a survey of the neighboring areas is also one of the important jobs of a secretary, so it won¡¯t hurt even if we drop by Est once.¡± ¡°I see, so basically we can have some fun under the pretext of conducting a survey.¡± I too spoke my mind without holding back. As I did so, Lyle-sensei laughed. Having fun under such a pretext, no matter how I look at it, we looked like bad public servants. However, I was glad to know we became friendly enough to exchange jokes this way. ¡°Of course, it was a joke. We won¡¯t just be fooling around. Considering Takeru-dono¡¯s business, I think it¡¯s much wiser to greet his excellency, the Earl, who resides in Est once. ¡°I see. In other words, you¡¯re telling us to pay a courtesy visit to the authority that owns the land¡­.¡± The places in the vicinity here, including the village of Rosugo, are part of the territory that belongs to the Earl, Est. So, if I want to expand my trade, it¡¯s necessary to be on good terms with the landowner? Greetings are also an important part of doing business, I guess. As soon as I finish my job and return back to the inn, I will request Louise to become my guard, just to be on the safe side. ¡®A horse drawn cart is the basis of every trader.¡¯ ¨C I hesitated whether to buy or borrow a horse drawn cart, but, Louise gave me her input by saying those words, so I decided to buy a second-hand prairie schooner(1). A prairie schooner isn¡¯t just a simple horse cart. It also has a canopy spread on top, so as to endure the wind and rain. Considering the fact that our goods are soap and gunpowder, it won¡¯t do unless we have something waterproof to protect them. Even a second-hand prairie schooner was surprisingly expensive, making me become flat-broke. Since I had little money left, I borrowed a horse from the Rhod family. I received a request from the mine to deliver Rosugo¡¯s iron-made goods to the city. I estimated I would profit if I load up and bring back things that are missing in Rosugo, such as clothes and salt, on the schooner. For some reason, I was uplifted and felt as though I had become a real peddler upon obtaining my own schooner. My aspiration to become a magic sword wielding hero didn¡¯t vanish, but, becoming a peddler wasn¡¯t half as bad too. Loading the cart with items we were entrusted to deliver, as well as the gunpowder and soaps, we decided to depart for the city of Est. ¡ù¡ù¡ù The first time I saw the city, I thought it was gloomy. I guess, I was at fault for raising my expectations too much. I thought it was natural for Rosugo to look shabby, since it was primarily a mountain village, but, this region where the feudal lord lives, is probably, so to speak, just a prefectural capital. Even though we travelled for 9 days on the shaky cart and on a path that meandered between wastelands, hills, and rural districts, what we arrived at is this not very big city? However, despite this city being small, I was deeply moved by the stone-made wall stretching around it. ¡®A fantasy world is the best!¡¯ ¨C is what I thought. I affectionately touched the surface of the wall with a face deeply impressed. Lyle-sensei, and even the guards protecting the entrance gazed at me with disgust. Come on, this is the first for me to witness a stronghold like this. You ought to have more feelings. Not to mention, I thought that this city¡¯s main street and plaza are properly and splendidly made of inlaid pebbles. When I asked Lyle-sensei more regarding the city, it appears that the differences between this place and a village didn¡¯t just pertain to the population, but also things like maintained streets or defense facilities, such as this stronghold. Also, even though this city is small, it¡¯s actually similar to a Japanese prefectural capital, so there will be points of contacts from all kind of guilds and church subdivisions located in this place. The presence of castle walls means there¡¯s also a castle. The earl I¡¯m going to meet lives in that castle located in the center of the city. As expected, when it comes to an earl-sama, even the castle will be made from stones that stand out. Still, for some reason, its steeple was painted with red as its primary color and towered pointlessly as high as 3 storeys, making the whole castle look like an amusement park. Were I to describe the castle imprudently, it resembled a love hotel with strange ornaments. Was it due to there being many ornaments? It felt as though the castle neglected much of its main purpose, which is to defend. Certainly, if I¡¯m not wrong, noble families should be the ones to protect their territories with their own efforts. When I asked Lyle-sensei about that, he replied ambiguously by saying that there had been no wars in that surroundings for more than a hundred of years. As one would expect, the feudal lord-sama of this place is a bit eccentric. Taking the schooner to an inn, we booked a room and took a breather, after which we decided to meet the feudal lord at his castle. Once we contacted the castle about Secretary Lyle arriving, not to mention, him wanting to greet the feudal lord because of his intention to establish a new trade on the latter¡¯s territory, an appointment was immediately booked. Even here, Secretary Lyle¡¯s influence would come into effect. He has authority, knowledge and a good appearance. Truly, he¡¯s an all-round athlete. Rather than me, isn¡¯t Lyle-sensei more suitable to become this world¡¯s hero? While we are at it, I tried to talk Louise into visiting the castle. ¡®I don¡¯t like nobles.¡¯ ¨C However, I was curtly refused. In addition to a pretty secretary, I thought that having a beautiful guard would make both sides understand each other better, but well, it can¡¯t be helped. I asked for Louise¡¯s assistance through the adventurers guild¡¯s request form, so I couldn¡¯t afford to take any more advantage of her courtesy. Once we were invited to enter the castle, there was an extravagant interior. Unlike all the buildings that I had seen before, this one was much more spacious and had a high ceiling. I¡¯m also excited about things like a real, medieval times castle, but, this is the first time for me to see a red carpet spread out on a floor with no gaps since coming to this world. I was overly excited, since, til now, I had been living in that mountain village, Rosugo. Later, I understood that the earl-sama of this place likes red. There were luxurious furnishings lining up inside the room, but, many of them were red-colored. Holy crap, shouldn¡¯t have I dyed the soap red? A butler wearing a tail coat appeared and we were led by him. I thought we would be surely showed in to a room similar to that for an audience when meeting the great earl-sama. As I was thinking so, we reached a room with a round table. While we are at it, both chairs and the table were painted red too. Just what the heck. The chairs¡¯ cushions were soft and the atmosphere felt relaxing. Without thinking ahead, I sat on my chair cozily. As I did so, a middle aged man, with his body wrapped in a red dress drawn with extravagant patterns, appeared, making me stand up in a hurry. ¡°Ahh no, please continue to enjoy like that. My name is Donovan Est Almark and I¡¯m the owner of this castle. Thank you for coming all the way here.¡± Even if I was told to enjoy, I wonder if I wasn¡¯t forcing myself on the earl-sama. Anyway, I stood at attention and matched my movements with Lyle-sensei. Once the earl reached his seat, we were urged to sit again, so it looked like it was fine for us to do so. Uhmm, I guess the greeting comes first. For well-bred nobility, I wonder which form of greeting is the most favorable. ¡°This is the first time for me to meet you, your Highness. My name is Sawatari Takeru. You seem to be in a good mood, which is a lucky aspect of today¡­. ahh, I guess I¡¯m just boring you, but¡­¡± Somehow, my introduction became tedious, so instead of that, I presented him with a pack of a soap and gunpowder as a gift. For some reason, it felt like a year-end gift. Showing not the slightest interest toward the gunpowder, the earl-sama picked up the white soap and gazed at it as if wanting to lick it. Kunkun ¨C he even sniffed the soap. I thought that the bomb would have a much greater impact as an invention, but, the earl seemed to take a strange liking to the soap. I guess, well-bred people are more attracted towards such things. ¡°Takeru-dono, I¡¯ve heard you were appointed as an assistant secretary this time. In the Kingdom of Silesia, being a secretary or nobility, holds the same rank that serves his Majesty the King. By all means, please call me just Donovan. Ahahaha¡± ¡±Don¡¯t forget that this is an official stance, so please pay the nobility proper respect by adding ¡®sama¡¯ to their names.¡± Lyle-sensei whispered these words in a hurry to me, who didn¡¯t know what to do and was unaware of this world¡¯s manners. Certainly, in my case, only peer language would work. ¡°Then, I shall call you as Donovan-sama. The aim of my greeting today is to start a new business in your territory¡­..¡± ¡°Well well, Takeru-dono, before we can proceed to this elaborate talk, doesn¡¯t it look like you need to take a breather now?¡± The earl-sama interrupted me and ordered his butler to make tea. A single maid brought the drink to the table. It was obviously not some dingy plain water, but neither a red tea, which is this place¡¯s specialty. Instead, it was a black liquid. ¡°Eh, could this be¡­..?¡± I was familiar with this manly aroma, which almost brought me to tears from nostalgia. If I drink this and it proves to be just some muddy water, please stop with your punchline before this happens. ¡°I like peculiar things, you see. This is a drink which I obtained from the capital in the southern region and it happens to be popular there recently. It¡¯s called coffee. It¡¯s quite bitter, so in case it doesn¡¯t suite your taste, I can request something else for you¡­.¡± So, as I thought, this is coffee? Hooray! Truth be told, I¡¯m addicted to this. Without holding back, I drank the cup of coffee dry in one gulp. This caffeine, which I greatly yearned for, felt as though it spread throughout my entire body. This is it! This is what my body had been yearning for! ¡°Delicious!¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised, Takeru-dono. This coffee is something we could usually only drink after putting in lots of sugar, but, to think you¡¯d drink it in one gulp, did you take that much of a liking to it? The aroma was intense and there was a little sourness. I¡¯ve never drank such a tasty coffee, but, I used to be treated as an oddball when drinking black coffee. I wonder if the bitterness of the coffee doesn¡¯t match the taste of the local people here. Even Lyle-sensei tried to drink it by copying my way, but, he would hurriedly put sugar after making a bitter face. This is a waste. The best coffee is only when it¡¯s a black one. ¡°I prefer drinking black coffee. I¡¯ve heard about people adding milk besides sugar, but¡­¡± ¡°Hehhh? So you can drink it just like a milk tea? I don¡¯t think such a custom is practiced even in the capital. Indeed, Takeru-dono¡¯s way of understanding is very fine.¡± The Earl would probably be not disappointed if he quickly ordered the milk and drink it like a caf¨¦ au lait. On top of that, he also gave me another cup of coffee. He¡¯s truly a good person. Apparently, coffee is currently quite popular in the capital, and there¡¯s even a cafe serving coffee there. Our discussion covered from topics regarding coffee brands to rare products in the southern region. It looked like the earl Donovan was fond of rare things. Lyle-sensei was also able to bring out an interesting talk thanks to his extensive knowledge. Not surprisingly, our discussion changed to the topic about us wanting to start a new business in Est. ¡°Naturally, I¡¯ll grant you the permission to do so. It looks you plan to form an agreement with the country on the gunpowder, but, if you want to merchandize new products for consumer use, wouldn¡¯t it be better for you to open your own company?¡± I was way too hyped, as the discussion suddenly escalated. By saying ¡®my own company¡¯, does he mean to tell me to start a company? To think that I and Lyle-sensei rose in steps even though we had just recently started to peddle on our handmade schooner. As I hesitated, Lyle-sensei said these words. ¡°Certainly, what we handle are our products, so it won¡¯t do if we become affiliated with some other company.¡± Sensei, turned his look at me as if implying something. In other words, is he telling me to establish such a company? Provided he does, I shall make up my mind. ¡°Then, I¡­..I¡¯d like to start one.¡± ¡°Really? That means a new company will be established by Takeru-dono, I guess. Well then, I shall grant you a place in Est for running your business as my form of congratulations. By all means, I¡¯d like for you to build your company on my grounds.¡± Eh? So he¡¯s going to grant me a place? Does it mean I can have my own place? The moment I looked at Lyle-sensei with a sidelong glance, she too¡­.that¡¯s not right, he too made a surprised face. True, after all, we will operate with real estate, right? We were offered way too much of generosity, even from a wealthy noble. ¡°Hahaha, Takeru-dono, is this thing which you gave me called monster soap? It¡¯s actually a high grade product. I too have a prominent nose when it comes to new, special products from Est.¡± I see. I, who became clear-headed thanks to the caffeine contained within the coffee that I could drink for the first time in a long while, understood the intention of the earl, even faster than Lyle-sensei. Giving me a place to run my business is a prior investment. I¡¯ve heard about their existing soaps, made from olive and canola oil, but, in this world, soap appears to still be something that could only be obtained in specific places. Assuming new products are launched in Donovan¡¯s territory, his city will flourish with trade and peddlers. And as a feudal lord, his profits (taxes) will probably increase as well. I thought that good-willed nobles are only those living in the countryside, but, this earl could clearly understand the principles of commerce. The city of Est is known for its production of food. It even develops textiles as its specialty product. Perhaps the reason why this city flourishes, as well as why there are no people dying from starvation or those collapsed in the street, is not just because of its blessed grounds, but also thanks to this ruler¡¯s skills. ¡°Donovan-sama, I will gladly accept your offer. The Sawatari Company shall, from now on, deliver your Highness new products, so please look forward to it.¡± ¡°Umu, just tell me if there¡¯s anything I can help with. I¡¯m looking forward to working with you.¡± The earl Donovan put a smile on his plump, rosy-cheeked face as a gesture understanding my words. Fine, I will, without fail, make your investment pay off. Isn¡¯t he quite an understanding earl who can share one¡¯s ideas. One could say I was lucky to meet such a ruler by chance. However, I had no further plans despite making such a promise to him while being carried away. Well, shouldn¡¯t I be able to figure something out? CH 6 Chapter 6 ¨C Let¡¯s Rescue the Caravan! ¡°Won¡¯t you join me in a monster hunt?¡± I was suddenly asked this question by Louise-nee-san (24 years old, single) on whom I could rely on as my guard. Right after the establishment of the Sawatari Company, I was in a deadlock. ¡®Let¡¯s open the company~~¡¯ ¨C making such an impressive declaration, the earl, Donovan, granted me a vacant lot in Est¡¯s business district, near the city¡¯s plaza. I was thankful for that, but¡­. Now that I think about it, I ran out of funds after buying the prairie schooner. However, the horse was borrowed from Rhod family. Despite that, one could say I was in the red to some extent. I carried the iron-made goods I had been entrusted with from Rosugo¡¯s mine to Est, so I earned some money, but, it was just peanuts. Apart from launching the company, we had to erect its building and hire workers as well. As expected, not even Lyle-sensei, who¡¯s familiar with a company¡¯s structure, knows how to manage it. ¡°Possessing the knowledge and being able to execute it are two different things, you see.¡± ¨C Such was Sensei¡¯s remark. I too had fully realized that since my arrival in this world. Later, I had my own plans, but, despite coming to this place for shopping after going to the trouble, it really pained me, since I was unable to take the initiative. I managed to sell all of my soaps (selling price: 1 silver coin each) and detergents (selling price: 1 fragmentary copper coin each), like hot cakes, thanks to their rarity and cheapness, but, because my profit wasn¡¯t great, it was still not enough. As for the bombs, they were a product bound by the exclusivity agreement between me and the Royal Family of Silesia, so I couldn¡¯t sell them to other merchants or commoners. I also considered implementing products containing gunpowder for common use, but they were still at the experimental stage. Being at the end of my rope, I thought about giving up and returning to Rosugo for the time being, but just then, Louise suggested this. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be fine for you to make profits by doing monster subjugation requests? I usually take up escort jobs, so I can make money anytime.¡± Uwa, Louise-onee-san, you¡¯re too generous. To think she would offer me a suggestion like this with such a favorable condition. ¡°In exchange, I¡¯ll take the monsters¡¯ meat and pelts.¡± Uwaa, the usual Louise is back. Most likely, she only wants to eat their internal organs, rather than protect me. Still, I¡¯m thankful for her suggestion. Rather than thinking about this and that, it¡¯s better to work for now. I, together with Louise-onee-san and Lyle-sensei, made a party of three and went to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild. As we arrived, the situation turned boisterous and hectic. ¡°You¡¯re, are you by any chance adventurers!? This is an urgent request, but, will you please accept it?¡± The moment we entered the guild, a middle-aged staff member came to us with a serious look and earnest request. ¡°It looks like, a caravan of merchants was attacked by monsters near this city. Right now, there is a garrison heading there, but, we also have received a request for aid. The reward will be the one given by the feudal lord-sama, so please!¡± ¡°Okay, okay, we¡¯ll go there!¡± Louise, who¡¯s usually known for making swift decisions and taking quick actions, decided to go. We don¡¯t know how numerous the monsters are, however, since the garrison is heading there too, shouldn¡¯t it be fine? I¡¯ve heard about this city being a peaceful place, but, monsters will appear even here? Well, isn¡¯t it a good chance for us to demand gratitude from the earl? Let¡¯s consider it in a positive way. ¡ù¡ù¡ù ¡°This is the worst. It looks like the caravan lured a herd of monsters here while running away.¡± Taking a glance at the battle in front of him, to which we were heading toward, Lyle-sensei said this while being disgusted. About 3 km outside the city, a battle between the garrison and monsters unfolded. More than 50 humanoid monsters were surrounding the caravan. The small green monsters were goblins, whereas, the big, ashen ones, ogres? They were all monsters with which I was familiar from an RPG. I knew what they were from my knowledge, however, my legs froze when I saw the monsters holding weapons, just like humans, and attacking while killing their enemy. Against them, there were a little less than 10 people holding their spears. It was clear they were outnumbered. Originally, they should have retreated to this city¡¯s bulwark, but there was probably a reason for why they hadn¡¯t done so. What the caravan was carrying with them, were, as I feared, slaves. Being tied in a row with chains, the slaves were neither able to fully run away nor put up any resistance. With no means to escape, they would die from getting attacked. Some had their heads were split open from rustic clubs held by ogres. Others, had their chest pierced through by goblins¡¯ short swords. Having no equipment on them, the slaves immediately fell down. So, finally, the time has come for me to use this? ¨C I mustered my courage and clutched my iron sword. This was a sword I wouldn¡¯t let go of, even if I were to gasp while struggling for my life. The time has come! I¡¯ll show you the real might of my fully mastered North Star Ittou-ryuu! (from my correspondence course) ¡°That¡¯s wrong, Takeru. Use the gunpowder, which emits that strange sound, and throw it at them! Sensei, I¡¯ll leave casting magic to you.¡± A gunpowder which emits strange sound¡­ wai, does she mean those firecrackers that I¡¯ve been testing recently? Louise, who instructed me, held a small, portable bow in her hands and easily shot down goblins nearby. What a fast and accurate headshot! ¡°Heaven and Earth, I, Lyle Raerutiosu, command thee. Send us the howling cascade; the loudly crying, violent wind; and the crumbling down vast lands. Mow down your enemy, the wrongdoers, with thy power!¡± It was Lyle-sensei¡¯s middle class, wide range spell of which he was proud, the Spiral Howling. As he chanted, Sensei raised his hand overhead in a bit of a Chuuni style. Releasing all his wind, water, and earth-based magic at once, multiple giant water dragons appeared, blowing away the horde of ogres. Not just the enemy, but earth and stones were also flying around in the surroundings devoured by the tornado-like things, as a result of their shady adverse effect. It was a fantasy world-like strongest spell. Certainly, magic is a convenient thing. Compared to that, I was falling off a bit with this kid¡¯s toy. I aimed at a group of monsters and threw a fistful of firecrackers at them. Next, I lit another firecracker I had on my person, with the minimum output from my ¡®wand of the flaming orb¡¯, and threw it at the goblins. *Pan pan pan pan!* ¨C familiar, parched sounds reverberated. To my surprise, those goblins that received direct blasts, dispersed as a result of their own overreaction. Eh? My items worked better than I had expected? Even more than Lyle-sensei¡¯s showy attack of dragons. The familiar explosive sound and light from a firecracker seemed to be more effective in attracting the monsters¡¯ attention, making them cease to move for a while. The garrison also stopped fighting and looked in this direction with dumbfounded faces. They¡¯re just fireworks, you know? ¡®*Kiii Kiii*!¡¯ ¨C Following that, the goblins stepped on the dispersed firecrackers and screamed in high-pitch voices. They tumbled one after another as a result of them being confused and making a commotion. Before anyone realized it, Louise switched from the bow to her straight sword and jumped at the goblins, slashing and piercing their chests while moving around. ¡°What are you doing, throw more of them!¡± Being scolded by Louise, I threw lit firecrackers one after another at the goblins and ogres in front of me. Even though the crackers didn¡¯t have that much destructive power, the monsters panicked and faltered each time one of the crackers burst. Using that momentum, Louise transferred her blunt sword from one position to another while slashing, mowing, piercing, and killing the enemy with almost single blow each. It was a very quick, single blow, certain kill. ¡®*swoosh swoosh*¡¯ ¨C For some reason, the last part was a short-sword two-style attack. I too wanna become a warrior, like your usual main protagonist. It¡¯s impossible for me though, since I have no skills, but well¡­ I thought I would act cool by at least casting a spell in the end, so I rammed a fireball at the enemy using my wand, however, the spell wouldn¡¯t even leave a burn on an ogre¡¯s skin. This attack is even more useless than those firecrackers. Could it be that this wand¡¯s power is derived from my mana, which is close to zero? Tohoho¡­. In the end, with almost half of the monsters being slaughtered by Louise, the rest escaped just like scattering baby spiders. Many of the attacked slaves and merchants were in bad shape and wounded, as well as the garrison, so nobody had the spare power to pursue the monsters. Louise, who finished this fierce battle, had only sustained scratches. She immediately healed herself after drinking a recovery potion. I, on the other hand, received no injury, as I stood behind her while simply throwing the crackers. Despite that, why were the crackers that effective? ¡®The intellectual type monsters are weak against attacks they are seeing for the first time.¡¯ Louise replied this way when I asked. In this world, firecrackers are new type of weapon, which has never been seen before. Apparently, Louise came up with the idea to use them against the enemy when I invited her to a play with fireworks. Even if that¡¯s true, I would¡¯ve been grateful if she had told me about her tactic at the beginning. Soon after the battle ended, the caravan¡¯s members and the garrison held a conversation, but only a few lower position employees from the caravan were all that was left. We don¡¯t know how many people were here at the beginning, but, can it be that almost every one of them were wiped out? All the merchants who had been chased after and fought back died. You could say the battle was fierce enough, but, even if the merchants were chased after, they should have had the spare power to request help from the city. Had they thrown away their carts immediately and escaped to the city, they could¡¯ve at least saved their lives. One could say they were greedy til the bitter end. I would¡¯ve understood if it was a game, but they miscalculated the right time to escape even though their lives had been at stake. They were just one step away from reaching the city, so it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t understand their feelings, but¡­.. Staring at this sad and gloomy battlefield, filled with both monsters and merchants¡¯ corpses lying on top of another, I swore to myself I would throw away my cart and run away when the time called for it. You can¡¯t buy your life with money. As expected, dying here would be something I¡¯d hate. And then, there were those slaves who groaned painfully but didn¡¯t die, despite being pierced and hit by monsters. It should be fine for us to rescue them, right? ¡°It looks like these slaves have already lost their master. You have your own potions, so you use them at your convenience.¡± As soon as Louise stated so, she drew near a goblin¡¯s corpse and started to dismantle it with her knife. Ahh, she¡¯s going to dismantle even those humanoid monsters. I was quite against doing that, as it looked somewhat harsh, but, it goes without saying you could even extract those monsters¡¯ fats and squeeze out their oil to make soap. For the garrison, merchants, and even the slaves tied up in chains and blood besmearing them, it was a blunt view. Won¡¯t Louise turn everyone against her? I guess she has no discerning eyes for others. So, this is what it comes to when you have no human rights? I only had 5 recovery vials with me, so I selected those slaves who could be still rescued and made them drink the vials. It was hard to make a choice in this life-or-death situation. It felt as though I was in a manga involving disaster medicine. I was sorry for myself, as I could¡¯ve bought many more recovery vials, had I known this would happen. ¡°Why, are you, helping us?¡± The child slave, which I nursed and gave the potion to drink asked me with a faint voice. My heart felt incredibly painful. The child¡¯s sand-besmeared long hair was ruffled and its face was covered in mud. It was wearing a robe, which could barely be called clothes, roughly torn off by a monster. It looked as though the child was wrapped in a tattered cloth. I can¡¯t tell its gender despite its thin, worn-out cloth, but, if I look closely, it¡¯s young. Even among slaves, there are very young children. Originally, a child at this age should be placed under its parents¡¯ protection. What a pitiful child. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but, I guess it¡¯s because I felt I could save you.¡± I couldn¡¯t change the fact about it being a slave, so perhaps it would be cruel if I gave it false hope, just because of my simple sympathy. Truth be told, I could buy more potions any time using my money, but, I couldn¡¯t buy a life. However, I knew I couldn¡¯t help, even if I applied a modern person¡¯s sense of values. Things turned out like this, because a human¡¯s life can be easily purchased in this world. Good grief, there¡¯s no salvation in this fantasy world. Which is what I hate about this world. ¡ù¡ù¡ù ¡°Takeru-dono, I heard about it from the garrison. It seems you greatly flourished during the battle with no hesitation.¡± ¡°No, no, I just happened to be there at the right time.¡± Once we returned back to the city, we received words of admiration directly from the earl, Donovan. Rather than this praise, I was more glad about him letting me drink the coffee, but well¡­ Louise had been invited as well, but she refused the invitation by saying she had to dismantle as many corpses as possible, so only me and Lyle-sensei visited the earl¡¯s castle. Nobody can stop Louise when she¡¯s dismantling corpses for meat and pelts. ¡°I¡¯ve heard you use used some strange magic when fighting the monsters, but, was this small ball your weapon?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called a firecracker. Truth be told, I originally planned to use it as a toy for children, but well¡­¡± Earl Donovan was brimming with curiosity. Even though I brought him gunpowder products before, he didn¡¯t show any interest in them. The moment he had heard about these crackers being effective in a real battle, he checked their power by blasting one by himself. ¡°It would be quite interesting to have these things made into toys for children, but, I think they would become a weapon strong enough to scare off the enemy. Even non-magical items have their good points.¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. As expected, perhaps it¡¯s better to sell them as a weapon.¡± In China, there¡¯s a custom of using firecrackers for showy celebrations, however, it¡¯s probably not something nobilities from a western culture would be fond of. Primarily, I had thought about using gunpowder for peaceful purposes, but, it looks like you can only use it as a weapon in these turbulent times. ¡°Umu, and then, I wanted to discuss with Takeru-dono about your reward, but, things have become slightly complicated¡­..¡± According to what the earl says, the caravan, which sustained loss both in goods and people, seemed to have dispersed as a result of their employer dying. The remaining employees held a discussion and decided to leave all their broken carts behind. They took the remaining funds and money, and returned back to their hometown. The problem was, they had a cargo of 13 slaves who had survived the attack. Since there were no slave traders in Est, nobody would buy the slaves, even if they were sold out. Therefore, as a form of compensation for causing trouble to the city, the employees forced the slaves, whom they couldn¡¯t monetize, onto Donovan. Despite the earl having them forced onto him, it¡¯s not like he wanted the slaves. ¡°Ahh, I see. So in other words, you want to give me the slaves as a reward, right? Perfect timing. Actually, I¡¯m in need of hands for my newly opened company!¡± As expected of the earl who could understand my needs. Certainly, I also want money, but workforce is what I need the most right now. Didn¡¯t I receive a godsend offer? ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± The earl made a strange expression. Could it be that I said something odd? Lyle-sensei, what¡¯s the meaning of this? ¡°Slaves are, the majority of them are descendants of those who had drowned themselves in debt, so, they¡¯re not suitable for becoming merchants of a trading company.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Even if the slaves aren¡¯t malignant enough to become a thieves, they¡¯re nothing but people who are bound to be ruined. Normally, they would be watched and punished with a rod by someone, and wouldn¡¯t become useful unless they worked. They are considered an inferior labor force.¡± ¡®I guess, it can¡¯t be helped¡¯ ¨C Sensei smiled, like wanting to say that to me, who was totally unaware of how things worked in this world. He explained it to me profoundly as if talking down at a kid. Certainly, I remember those slaves¡¯ expressions looking as though they had already given up on being humans. Perhaps, the people¡¯s opinion here isn¡¯t necessarily wrong. Still, that being the case, aren¡¯t the slaves behaving like that because they were driven into a hopeless situation? ¡°If it¡¯s fine with Takeru-dono, I¡¯ll hand them over to you as this time¡¯s reward, but, judging from what I¡¯ve heard, there are no good quality slaves¡­..¡± ¡®Is it really okay with you?¡¯ As if wanting to convey that, the earl exchanged a short look with Lyle-sensei. ¡°Yes, whichever it is, we need laborers. Takeru-dono won¡¯t mind even if his laborers are inferior slaves. It maybe be that he¡¯ll come up with a plan on how to raise them into workers.¡± ¡®Well then, I¡¯ll leave it up to you¡¯ ¨C The earl gave his permission, as Lyle-sensei declared, with a smile, I would take responsibility. Yes, I¡¯ve thought about this before, but¡­. As expected, by being sensible, I won¡¯t gain any trust. Well, I¡¯m just a shadow when compared to Lyle-sensei, so I guess it can¡¯t be helped, right? CH 7 The Sawatari Trading Company Planned Construction Site (in fact it¡¯s just another name for a vacant lot) was located in the city¡¯s plaza. I was standing there together with Lyle-sensei and our covered wagon. And then, in front of me, there were thirteen petite slaves wearing kantoui(1), which could barely be called clothes. They were all standing in a row with their legs tied up in chains. They are now the property of the Sawatari Trading Company. The slaves were crouching down with their faces looking through their knees and had expressions similar to that of person with a death wish. It was quite painful to look at them. Rather, if only there was someone who could agree with me on releasing these slaves. ¡®That¡¯s absolutely out of question.¡¯ ¨C I was stopped by Lyle-sensei. ¡°Are you really okay with that? These children here are the lowest of slaves.¡± ¡°However much it is, aren¡¯t you going a bit overboard?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. Are you okay with letting them go free? We have yet to prove their worth, but, it shouldn¡¯t hurt to bet on them. What¡¯s more, all of them are girls.¡± How do you know that? Well, I guess Lyle-sensei is the type of person that can tell everything. ¡°There¡¯s a reason for why I know that. To begin with, a male slave will be able endure any labor, no matter how heavy it is, as long it¡¯s given food and gains weight. That¡¯s possible for even a male child.¡± ¡°An adult male can be immediately converted into a working force, whereas, if it¡¯s a girl in her blooming age, she can be made into a subordinate. On top of that, if the girl is of exceptional beauty, she can be sold to brothels.¡± ¡°However, these dirty, skinny girls won¡¯t even amount to becoming normal slaves. Judging from their appearance, they had most likely been sold and were being taken to some mine by those slave traders, as they were not worthy enough to be raised.¡± ¡°In regards to mines, is there any way to utilize even girls?¡± ¡°In tunnels, there are small holes dug out in which only children can fit. The children are forced to work, regardless of it being day or night, til they become unusable. Therefore, there¡¯s always a demand for them.¡± While saying so, Lyle-sensei frowned his eyebrows in displeasure. Even if the concept of human rights didn¡¯t exist in this world, it isn¡¯t like the people here didn¡¯t any feel pity for the slaves that were treated as items. Not to mention, forcing a child to work til it breaks is a cruel story. Still, as long as nobody finds a clear solution for this, children won¡¯t be able to survive in this harsh world. ¡°Just a while ago, Takeru-dono proposed setting these girls free, right? Did you think about what would¡¯ve happened if you had done so?¡± ¡°Uhmm¡­..¡± ¡°They would become homeless beggars, as there are no jobs for them in this city. Being unable to endure their hunger, they would become criminals by resorting to theft, in order to obtain food.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t give it any thought.¡± I see, so that is why the earl asked me so many times if I wanted to accept these slaves. If I were to be irresponsible and release them, I would only increase the workload of the garrison, and nobody would become happy. ¡°You got it? You said you¡¯d be taking care of them, so please have some responsibility. The master of slaves is in charge of giving them food and work, so that they don¡¯t starve. Takeru-dono, you¡¯re the master of these slaves.¡± ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll do my best and assume the responsibility.¡± As I promised I¡¯d take over the slaves, Lyle-sensei finally smiled and handed me lots of leather-made collars. ¡°The earl too, probably felt a bit awkward when he let you handle the slaves, so he had these collars made for their identification. If you put these collars on their neck, they will act as IDs and the girls will be recognized as slaves belonging to the Sawatari Company.¡± Apparently, there¡¯s a rule where a slave, whose status isn¡¯t recognized as that of a citizen, has to have chains, handcuffs, or a collar attached with their master¡¯s authentication. As long a slave has that, it will be considered safe for it to walk around in a city. Saying that slaves, who are no different from humans, are less safe than vagrants was ironic. ¡°Everyone. This person here, Sawatari Takeru, shall, from now on, become your master! From now, you¡¯ll wear these collars instead of your chains.¡± The moment Lyle-sensei shouted that, he walked around and removed the chains from the slaves¡¯ legs using his magic. Following that, I proceeded with fastening the new collars. Everyone extended their heads and let me affix the collars obediently. Was it due to them receiving some sort of training? Everyone kept silent, just like robots, and acted as they had been ordered. I couldn¡¯t recognize the base color of their hair and their kantoui (or should I say, a piece of cloth?), probably due to them being smeared. However, everyone looked gray. So this is where the name Cinderella derives from? Despite being picked on by her evil, stepmother, Cinderella still sparkled with life. However, all these girls here had faces and eyes filled with death wishes. Everyone had worn-out clothes, but, I couldn¡¯t afford to buy all of them new ones. ¡®As expected, it will be bad if I don¡¯t make additional purchases.¡¯ ¨C I looked into my wallet and made a sour look. It will be fine if I can earn more money later. Pulling its clothes, a single child was walking around half-naked, with its clothes having been torn apart by a monster. It was too much for me, so I placed my gray, rat-man-made cloak, used for protecting against rain (it was also water and fire resistant to some extent.), around the child. Well then, what should we do now? Just when I was pondering about what to do with the thirteen slave girls in front of me, Louise arrived. ¡°So, you were here? I managed to get an insane amount of meat and pelts, so if it¡¯s fine by you, I¡¯ll put them on the wag¡­.¡± Once she got silent, she threw a glance at the slave girls, drew near to me and stared into my face. What¡¯s this? Please don¡¯t look at me with that much pressure while staying silent. ¡°I was given these slaves as a reward. They all have become members of my trading company.¡± ¡°Hmm, then, do you plan to buy a large pot?¡± Saying so, Louise put an implicit smile on her face, as if recalling something interesting. Like always, I couldn¡¯t understand Louise-nee-san¡¯s words and conduct that well. Well, I guess it¡¯s Louise, so what she says must bear some meaning. Like always, Louise didn¡¯t care to explain things to me, so I went out to buy a large pot, like she had suggested, and helped her with carrying the meat and pelts. The slave girls followed our covered wagon in succession. For the time being, they didn¡¯t try to run away despite them being no longer bound by chains. ¡ù¡ù¡ù We returned back to the field where the battle took place a moment ago. It looked even more tragic than after the fierce battle when it was filled with corpses. According to what the garrison has said, things were put in order as soon as they carried out a burial for the dead merchants, but¡­¡­ What I saw now was a bizarre scene of green and earth colored skins lining up in a row. Thanks to Louise¡¯s master class dismantling skill, the skins were neatly dried and set up without a gram of waste. Next to that, there was a heap of pink colored internal organs that resembled a mountain. Seeing that, I recalled the view of a dissected frog and felt some disgust. For some reason, the neatly arranged humanoid skins felt more gross than a splattered pool of blood. Just what kind of tools can you make from those skins? Well, whatever, I¡¯ll use their extractable fat to make soap. ¡°I talked the garrison into giving us the wooden clubs from the monsters, whereas, they can have their swords.¡± It looks like the wooden clubs swung by the ogres came in handy just the right time, as we can make them into firewood. As expected, the garrison didn¡¯t express the desire to keep the ogres¡¯ meat. Taking ash from the burnt firewood, we can use it as a soap material without any waste. As one would expect from the big sis Louise. ¡°Let¡¯s quickly put these organs into the pot.¡± Yes yes, I knew this would happen. Louise¡¯s favorite food was monster organs. She skillfully fixed the pot on an ogre¡¯s large wooden club and made a bonfire. The organs boiled well while simmering. Being at a loose end, the slave girls only watched her cooking. ¨CThe slaves won¡¯t move less they¡¯re given an order¨C Lyle-sensei gave me this advice in a casual manner. It feels kinda weird, so I¡¯d rather you stop blowing into my ear. Still, the real me wanted him do it much more. Sensei smelled nice, which made me thrilled. A young man¡¯s heart is a complicated thing. Ah, that¡¯s right. If I don¡¯t give them an order, ¡°Everyone! Right now, let¡¯s go search for burnable things in this surroundings, like withered grass or wooden pieces. It¡¯s dangerous, so don¡¯t go anywhere outside the range of view.¡± There were no trees growing in this wasteland, but, you could at least find small wooden pieces here for fuel. As I commanded the girls and searched together, I recalled the day I first met Louise. Back then, it wasn¡¯t that bad, as the monsters were those crazy dogs, but, now I was reluctant about eating these humanoid monster organs. For the sake of surviving in this world, I guess it can¡¯t be helped. Once we collected enough firewood and returned, a soup made from the ogres¡¯ organs was done. It was a simple dish made from water, meat, organs, and salt, but, it gave out quite a delicious smell, which was scary. However, won¡¯t these organs, belonging to the ogre race, upset my stomach? ¡®Lend me an antidote.¡¯ ¨C When I pointed that out, Louise ordered me. Just as being told, I handed over one of my antidotes. ¡®This should do.¡¯ ¨C Louise replied this way as she poured in the potion into the large pot. The cooking has become way too hearty. And then, everyone proceeded with eating the food. Because we had no spare wooden plates, we decided on the order when eating. I was fine with being the last, as I was quite reluctant about eating meat from a humanoid monster, but nevertheless, the slave girls didn¡¯t appear to have such reservations. They were gladly eating their portions. I wonder if they¡¯re hungry. Judging from their waiting look, they were drooling all over that food. As soon as everyone finished their meal, it became night. We had yet to process the skins and make dried meat, so we couldn¡¯t leave these things behind. Therefore, we decided to camp here tonight around this bonfire. I think you could say we were eating out of the same pot. Surrounding a pot and collecting firewood together, the girls¡¯ stiff expressions lightened up. Perhaps, they finally became able to accustom themselves to their new surroundings and calm down. Thinking it was a good opportunity, I talked with everyone in an easy-to-understand manner. About the purpose of the Sawatari Trading Company, and about us creating and merchandising soap and gunpowder. I told everyone I wanted them to assist me with making and selling the soap for the time being. I would teach them from scratch, so it wasn¡¯t that hard. And if they did their job properly, I would provide them with life necessities. I wonder if this much of information will be enough for now. I turned anxious, as everyone kept silent. I wonder if they were listening to me. Lastly, I asked them if there was anything they were troubled about, wanted to say, or didn¡¯t understand, and urged them to speak. ¡°U, Umm¡­.I¡¯m, a slave, trader.¡± Among the slave girls, a single girl with exceptionally big eyes raised her hand. I shivered because of that sudden response. ¡°Ah no, saying that you¡¯re a slave trader. I¡¯d say you¡¯re the ones that are for sale.¡± I thought she was a dunce, so I quickly retorted, but, my retort too, sounded quite harsh. ¡°No, uhm¡­.that¡¯s, not what I mean. I, was, before, becoming a slave, a daughter of a trader.¡± For some reason, the girl with big amber eyes seemed to have difficulty expressing herself. Ah, but somehow, I could understand this difficult feeling quite well. During one summer vacation, I¡¯d become a shut-in and play games the whole time. I¡¯d rarely go outside, and when a clerk in a convenient store asked me if I wanted to warm my meal, my voice would turn hoarse, making me unable to express myself. Certainly, I would¡¯ve probably been told I hadn¡¯t been talking for a long time. If people don¡¯t talk, they will forget how to do it. ¡°Is that so? So you have experience in commerce, right? ¡°Our shop, was attacked by thieves¡­. so our business became insolvent, and everyone in my family was sold.¡± Uwaa, that¡¯s some heavy topic. I don¡¯t know what to say to make it right. ¡°If Master, sama, wants to trade, I can help with calculations.¡± ¡°Is that so? So you¡¯re saying you can help me with accounting?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­¡± Did she think our discussion was finally over? The slave trader-chan sat down, looking completely exhausted. Following that, the other slave girls began to talk about their circumstances chronologically before being enslaved. Insolvency, business failure, deception, betrayal, family breakup, their talks covered these topics. Without holding back, everyone described their miserable, harsh life, which made me become speechless. While we are at it, based on all the girls¡¯ stories, 1 of them was a daughter of a trader, 2 of them ¨C daughters of soldiers, 1 ¨C of a flower vendor¡¯s, 1 ¨C of a miner¡¯s, 1 ¨C of a baker¡¯s, 1 ¨C of a prostitute, and the remaining 6 ¨C of beggars. Almost half of them were children of beggars, which was a surprising number, and at the same time, a cruel thing to me. I guess what Lyle-sensei said about slaves becoming beggars once they¡¯re released from their duties was true. Afterwards, Louise, who had been silent the whole time, changed her expression and began to question the two slaves with the soldier parents as she heard about their life stories. I was surprised by her. It was rare for the usually calm Louise to become this emotional, to the extent of her voice trembling when she spoke. Apparently, the two aforementioned slaves were daughters of soldiers stationing in the royal capital. Their parents were involved in some sort of factional dispute or power struggle; punished for no particular wrongdoing; and reduced, as a whole family, to being slaves. Truly, there were lots of heart-breaking stories. Louise, whose face was gloomy, finished listening to them and said: ¡°I¡¯ll take care of these two.¡± Making such a decision without asking me, who was their master, first, it was much like the big sis Louise. That¡¯s fine by me, however, who would¡¯ve thought she would have taken this much of an interest in the slaves. It would be nice if Louise could tell me why she suddenly became this enthusiastic, but, whatever. ¡°I intend to raise these two into warriors, but, do you mind that? ¡°Well, I don¡¯t particularly mind, but still¡­¡± Was it because I gave her my permission? Louise handed them swords in a bombastic way. Somehow, even warriors seemed to be obliged to have some manners, so the two slaves accepted Louise¡¯s short swords with trembling hands while kneeling. Lyle-sensei laughed after hearing Louise¡¯s talk. ¡°Then, shall I teach this flower girl some pharmaceutics?¡± Is what he said. ¡°Choosing wildflowers is quite similar to distinguishing medicinal plants, you see. Perhaps, this girl has an aptitude for pharmaceutics. What¡¯s more, it may be just my imagination, but she seems to be¡­¡­ Looking fixedly at the flower girl, Lyle-sensei hesitated to say something. ¡°Is there something you¡¯re concerned about?¡± ¡°No, perhaps the medicinal and wild plants won¡¯t sell for as much as the soap, but, the more choices we have, the better our trade will be.¡± Walking around the plains shouldn¡¯t be that dangerous, since the two girls will tag along Louise. Certainly, I was curious about the way to pick out plants, but maybe another time. Well, does that mean I too should be doing my job? I have to make soap and collect niter in this surroundings, otherwise, we won¡¯t meet the demand. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be teaching the rest how to make things, like soap.¡± There¡¯s a variety of materials that can be used for making soap, but, I¡¯ve yet to carry it out in practice to see if the fat from ogres can be utilized. Like this, The Sawatari Trading Company commenced its activity. CH 8 ¡°Hmm, morning already¡­.?¡± The red, morning sun was ascending from the other side of horizon. The thirteen slave girls curled up while sleeping, as if drawing a circle around the small campfire. Could it be that we camped outside without returning back to the inn yesterday? I enjoyed camping like it¡¯s supposed to be, but my body wasn¡¯t used to it. Today, we are lucky, as the weather is clear, but, it could¡¯ve been a different story had it rained. Was she doing some morning practice? Louise, who had woken up earlier than me, was swinging her saber while reheating yesterday¡¯s soup with more meat added. Once we finished the breakfast and woke up the children, everyone looked to be still craving for food. That¡¯s good, otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t be able to work. Watching these girls eating, I thought I had to provide them with bedding, in addition to food. I shall teach them how to produce soap. Anyways, money is what is needed in order to advance, so I had to focus on earning more income. The slave girls aren¡¯t used to making soap. Teaching something requires perseverance, so there¡¯s a high chance I might not succeed. However, failing to make a product, like detergent, doesn¡¯t necessarily mean it will go to waste. Not to mention, if the number of workers increases, our job will progress significantly. Why didn¡¯t this idea cross my mind earlier? ¨C I lamented. Louise, brought her two disciples with her and went hunting for food and the raw materials for making soap. Following that, Lyle-sensei took the flower girl with him and searched for herbs, edible wild grasses, and firewood, needed for both preparing food and composing the scum for soap. At the very least, two weeks are necessary for producing soap. I wanted to improve the quality of the soaps by letting them rest and dry for a bit longer, but I had the feeling I needed money as fast as possible. I know that this may sound rude, but right now, my income depends solely on how well Louise and her disciples can hunt monsters. For some reason, I have been constantly protected from the hostile surroundings by Louise and am indebted to her. Nevertheless, you could say this is an obvious thing when it comes to trading, no? Having her pass to me all her earnings without any complaint, I felt there was no excuse for me. ¡°And I also need to pay the rent for borrowing the Rhod¡¯s horse¡­.¡± I decided to return my favors owed by tenfold to everyone once our business has started to thrive, so I bought up daily necessities for that to happen. These will become necessary for our initial investment. ¡°Everyone, gather!¡± The girls gathered after I gave them the signal to stop their tasks. First, I decided to wash them clean. With these dirty-looking appearances, they wouldn¡¯t even become shop assistants. Despite saying so, there were other things that required money, so, I didn¡¯t have the sufficient budget for letting everyone here enter a bathhouse. That¡¯s why, I decided to put up a tent in the wasteland outside the city and groom them there. ¡°Sensei, I¡¯m relying on you.¡± Lyle-sensei¡¯s magic, which is water based, can absorb water from the atmosphere, so it¡¯s pretty convenient. Perhaps, I should create a water supply with his magic? The moment Sensei drew water into a large pot, we heated it using firewood. After that, Louise transferred the hot water into wooden buckets. Lyle-sensei and I distributed the steaming, hot water between the children and proceed to clean them. ¡°Hey, we¡¯re going to start from your hair, so take off your clothes.¡± ¡°Umm, but, Master, isn¡¯t this, one of your precious goods for sale¡­.?¡± As I used a bar of soap and produced foam, one of the girls became modest. Somehow, her modesty didn¡¯t feel like that of a child. ¡°Don¡¯t be reserved. You won¡¯t be able to do business, less you take care of your appearance and make yourself pretty, right?¡± ¡°I guess, master is right. I¡¯m sorry for that¡­.. and, thank you for using this expensive item on me.¡± This slave with the amber colored eyes was the first girl to offer me help with my business. It may be that she wanted to become useful by doing commerce, since she had previously been a child from a family of traders. I was troubled by her weird sense of obligation, but, being able to tell the value of this soap I was wasting on her, perhaps I could expect something from her in the future. ¡®Now that you feel indebted to me, you better earn to pay it off¡¯ ¨C I neatly washed her hair while having this wicked thought. I had never used a bar of soap before, despite having seen it, as I belonged to those who would bath themselves with body soaps. However, being able to use this solid soap for the first time since I arrived in this world, I was surprised to see how well it foamed. Well, maybe it¡¯s because the soap uses natural components. One of its materials is a monster, but still¡­. As the other girls¡¯ hair got washed, the gray dirt sticking to them gradually fell off and their hair recovered their base color. I could tell that the one I was in charge of had orange as its base color. And then, a pair of ears slipped out abruptly from within her hair. Eh, what¡¯s that, ears? ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry, my ears suddenly popped out. It¡¯s difficult to wash my head with them sticking out, right?¡± ¡°Ah no, that¡¯s fine. More importantly¡­.¡± Once I brushed up her hair, there was a pair of human ears located in its proper spot. However, besides them, there was one more pair of animal ears attached to her head. I¡¯m aware that everything is possible in a fantasy world, but, having two pairs of ears, just what¡¯s the meaning of this? ¡°Oh my~, looks like I was right about this child.¡± Lyle-sensei gazed at the girl with a sidelong glance and said as if being curious. ¡°What do you mean, Lyle-sensei?¡± ¡°That girl, if I look more closely, she also has some hair on her back. I thought it was weird for her to have these long, thick limbs in comparison to her petite trunk, therefore¡­.¡± ¡°Therefore?¡± ¡°Most likely, she¡¯s got some animal blood mixed in, about a quarter, I think. The shape of her ears is similar to that of dogs.¡± Lyle-sensei stopped washing others and traced the girl¡¯s ears with his finger, after which he gave a detailed explanation. When it comes to animal ears, I¡¯d say it¡¯s similar to a situation where you discover a beast that had previously snuck into your cart while you were peddling your wares. No, wouldn¡¯t that be rather a play of a god? I wasn¡¯t all that excited, since I wasn¡¯t a kemona, but I thought it could be an interesting thing. Apparently, various beastman species exist in this world, such as dogs, cats, wolves, and lions. It seems it¡¯s not strange for them to mate with humans, so, it¡¯s possible to have individuals with mixed blood, such as this one. Such an occurrence is incredibly rare to me, but well, I guess I can¡¯t be just surprised at everything here. After all, this is a fantasy world. If I were to describe a cat-type race, what comes to my mind as first is a robot, rather than a beast. ¡°Still, what did you mean by saying you were right?¡± ¡°A child that possess mixed blood, tends to mature fast, therefore, it will grow into an adult very quickly. Her body is still intact, so she will gain an even higher evaluation as a slave.¡± ¡®Tends to mature fast, heh¡­?¡¯ Is what I thought. I looked at that still petite body of her. It didn¡¯t look like she would grow fast anytime, but¡­ Being told by Sensei, I was able to notice the difference in the girl¡¯s limbs and body. She was a skinny person with thin flesh. Ah, there¡¯s a scar on her body. I¡¯m going to apply some previously boiled herbs onto her, later. ¡°Despite you saying she matures fast, it doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s growing that much.¡± ¡°She won¡¯t grow, unless you provide her with enough nourishment. For a beastman to mature properly, you need to feed it lots of food, so you better be prepared for the incoming food expenditures.¡± ¡°That¡¯s, well, about feeding, shouldn¡¯t it be fine if she works for that?¡± ¡°So I guess, Takeru-dono is planning to make her a focal point of the company. It¡¯s really convenient to have her grow faster than other girls, right?¡± ¡°I guess so¡­.¡± Lyle-sensei said so as if seeing through my feelings. Surely, I wondered myself if this girl could become our salesperson, if she could do calculations. Nevertheless, I didn¡¯t want to say that directly, as it sounded like I was treating a human being as a pawn. ¡°Hmm, I guess it was reckless by the slave traders for not noticing a slave possessing the mixed blood of a human and a beastman. Still, you too, couldn¡¯t you have avoided being sent to the mine, had you shown them your ears?¡± At Lyle-sensei¡¯s question, the trader¡¯s daughter replied little by little. ¡°That¡¯s because, I didn¡¯t care to live, any longer.¡± The atmosphere has suddenly become heavier! I didn¡¯t know what to say, so as to cheer her up, so I couldn¡¯t say anything. The girl looked in my eyes and added something by muttering these few words. ¡°But now, it¡¯s different, I want to live.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the important part, right?¡± One could feel strength in her voice. That¡¯s a good thing. I too, thought about wanting to live when I was about to die back when I first came to this world. Indeed, it was a peculiar type of shock therapy. ¡®I want to live¡¯ ¨C nothing will change until you think that way. I combed her long hair that regained its vivid-like, sunset color. While doing so, I felt deep sympathy toward the other girls¡¯ circumstances out of line and made up my mind to figure out something. I was by no means a virtuous person, but, neither did I like to be a hypocrite. Still, how should I say it¡­. these girls¡¯ circumstances were so pitiful, I was taken aback. Despite making this girl with animal ears undress and washing her body, I felt no lust at all. It¡¯s because I was neither a kemona(1) nor some kind of gentleman with a lolita complex. I didn¡¯t want to explain myself too much, but upon seeing these girls¡¯ naked bodies, I could understand the meaning behind Lyle-sensei¡¯s words when he had said they wouldn¡¯t even amount to being sold to a brothel. Judging from the ribs surfacing on their underweight bodies and their skins covered in bruises, I could tell they had gone through a very severe life. This was so pitiful, I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to feel any lust. Luckily, we had enough soaps and herbs for sale, so after washing their bruises we proceeded to heal them. All of the slaves are girls, so it will be better if there are no scars left. Well then, now that we made them clean, there¡¯s no longer any need for them to wear those old rags. Sensei and I prepared new clothes for the girls, which we then made them change into. ¡°Uwaa~!¡± ¡°Master, thank you, for these pretty clothes.¡± The slave girls raised voices of joy and gratitude, which made me put on triumphant airs. What we prepared for the girls were sets of apron dresses. I thought they would look like Alice from Alice¡¯s Adventures in Wonderland, so I purchased a large number of these clothes. As one would expect, it¡¯s important to emphasize the visual aspect, so I had to stress their cuteness. These children clothes, which I bought for the girls, gave a high impression about them. However, it was thanks to this city¡¯s production area that used woolen fabric based on Est¡¯s goats, as well as the city¡¯s vigorous distribution of clothes, that I was able to purchase them at a cheap price. For some reason, there were only red colored apron dresses on sale. ¡¯Ah, could it be because of the ruler¡¯s taste?¡¯- I thought so, but, I saw no problem in these work clothes. Naturally, I also bought the girls lingerie to match their clothes. I thought about collecting their old tattered clothes, wash them, and weave into a temporary store tent, but, as I tried to collect the clothes, a small problem arose. The girl whom I had lent my raincoat to before, due to her clothes being far too torn, wouldn¡¯t let it go, claiming it was something she had received. Certainly, if I¡¯m not wrong, this girl is one of the soldiers¡¯ daughters. I would feel sorry if I took it against her will, so I ended up distributing gray ratman-made cloaks to everyone. ¡°Again, I was able to avoid unnecessary costs¡­.¡± Rain gear is also necessary, considering the fact they might have to work outside. Perhaps, we can call this a part of our initial investment as well? Judging from what I¡¯ve heard from Louise, it appears that a master of a guild is obliged to provide each of his apprentices with a set of clothes and a pair of boots as a present. Providing one¡¯s subordinates with necessities is the duty of an employer, so it can¡¯t be helped. Hiring people is a greatly troublesome thing. The money was steadily decreasing in my wallet. While we are at it, I began asking the girls about their names and races after we had finished bathing them, and so, Sharon, daughter of a trader (Race: A quarter beastman from a dog-type animal tribe.) Suzanne & Claudia, daughters of soldiers. Viola, daughter of a flower vendor (Race: A half nymph.) Laure, daughter of a miner (Race: dwarf) However, despite me asking them, it didn¡¯t look like I could memorize all their names. I managed to remember Sharon, so perhaps I¡¯ll be able to learn other names gradually. The half nymph, named Viola, seemed to possess mixed blood from a water fairy. She was a girl with blue eyes and hair. When I looked closely, I noticed she had pointy ears, which made me wonder if she wasn¡¯t an elf. As I asked Lyle-sensei about that, he gave me this explanation. ¡°Just because someone has pointy ears, doesn¡¯t make them an elf. Also, elves have a light complexion. By the way, dwarves, who possess a dark complexion, also have pointy ears. Generally, everyone related to those beings have pointy ears.¡± ¡°They, don¡¯t look to be that much different from humans, still¡­.¡± Certainly, Laure, who is a dwarf, also has pointy ears. However, apart from her red copper hair, which is rare in this area, and her brown colored skin, she doesn¡¯t look all that different from a human. If I were to say, I¡¯d have imagined a dwarf as a being with a slightly firm body and short height. ¡°When a dwarf becomes an adult, its face will bear special features, however, in the case of female dwarves, their faces aren¡¯t that different from humans. Dwarves are known for their strength and firmness, and for having skillful hands, therefore, they¡¯re fit to become a miner or a blacksmith. Nevertheless, I¡¯m afraid, female dwarves are bound to live as slaves, as they lack the strength required for physical jobs¡­.. ¡°I see. So it was like that?¡± The reason why this girl was made into a mining slave and was soon going to be worked to death was probably due to her low value. Be it Laure, the dwarf, or Viola, the half nymph, I think both of them are incredibly cute. Still, unlike a full-fledged elf that can be sold to a brothel for an extra-high price, a nymph, even if it¡¯s a half, doesn¡¯t seem to be popular among the people, despite both of them coming from the same family. Apparently, around these parts, water spirits are treated as demons that kill people by pulling them into a pond or by crying in front of their houses. Because of that, they¡¯re regarded as beings carrying misfortune and discriminated against. According to Lyle-sensei, ¡®most of these theories are baseless rumors.¡¯ Uhmmm, so does it mean, some of them are true? ¡°Still, Lyle-sensei, for there to be a half nymph and half human, that¡¯s to say¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s very fascinating, isn¡¯t it? I think it¡¯s rare for nymphs to mate with humans. Also, this is the reason why humans are afraid of them, but, nymphs are born with a divine protection coming from a water spirit. It¡¯s possible that Viola won¡¯t be welcomed by local people if we appoint her as a shop assistant, but she¡¯s apt to use water-based magic, so she might actually become useful.¡± I see. Does Sensei mean to say he will teach Viola herbal medicine? Apparently, Lyle-sensei, who is a middle class magic user, can feel the presence of magic within people, so it¡¯s likely he was able to sense something coming from Viola. Still, as expected, it would be a bad thing for a flower vendor girl to be hated just because she was a nymph. Everyone probably had their own circumstances as slaves. Once I looked in Viola¡¯s direction, she was grabbing the hem of her apron dress while slightly trembling. With just my impudent look, her blue eyes turned wet, as if wanting to cry. I was bit scared off, as I had just heard a person would be killed when a nymph cries. It¡¯s probably just one of those urban legends, but¡­¡­.. no good, no good, if I believe that, she will think I¡¯m discriminating against her. I wondered myself whether words of consolation would cheer her up. However, I would just worsen the situation, were I to make Viola afraid of me, so I decided to entrust her to Lyle-sensei. I too, want to cure myself of being worthless, but it doesn¡¯t seem to be going well, I guess. Notes and References: CH 9 Chapter 9 ¨C A Day off in Rosugo ¡°As expected, I can do nothing but increase the production of gunpowder.¡± I didn¡¯t know how much time it would take to stabilize my company so that it could safely cover the living costs of the girls, were I to sell only soap. Even soap takes lots of time and effort to be made, but, more importantly, I realized I could raise my funds by increasing the production of gunpowder. For the time being, I managed to improve our living conditions in the camp a bit, but, even there, it will be hard for us to live like this for a long time. I want to quickly build a shop with a firm floor and roof. Luckily, there seemed to be a fair demand for bombs used for blasting purposes. A new order came from Nattal from the Rosugo mine, whereas, the Earl, Donovan, wanted to buy some firecrackers. As for the Earl, he saw me become desperate in searching for means to raise money, so he¡¯s most likely doing this out of sympathy. Well, anyway, if they want the gunpowder, then the only problem will be producing niter. I need more niter, more soil with the fermented dungs of animals in it! Louise, together with her apprentices, Suzanne & Claudia, will be in charge of supplying us with materials while making a living by doing monster quests near the city of Est, whereas, Lyle-sensei(?) and Viola will go pick herbs. I had to choose people from out of my soap making group and form a new one that will be producing niter. ¡°Master, I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°Laure? However, you know that making niter is quite hard in comparison with soap, right?¡± The process of making niter is simple, you could say. You collect soil containing appropriately aged dung from an animal huts and boil it together with potassium carbonate (Yes, it¡¯s the familiar scum that you use for creating soap) inside a hole in the ground or under the floor, where light doesn¡¯t reach. After that, you concentrate the mixture, crystalize it, then melt and boil it again, after which you crystalize the niter. Nevertheless, despite the process sounding simple, the actual labor is much more troublesome. Carrying large amounts of soil, mixing it with water, and boiling, just how much effort would it take? For a young girl, it was quite a harsh job. What¡¯s more, in addition to drying up the soil, you had to gather human and animal dung, and even build a small hut for collecting niter at the same time. It¡¯s a job that consists of smell, dirt, and many labor pains. ¡°I can do it if you tell me how it works.¡± ¡°Hmm, well then, I¡¯ll try and teach you, so I¡¯m relying on you.¡± The copper-red haired and brown skinned Laure is a daughter of a miner. She is also a dwarf (from black spirits) with a height shorter than other girls and pointed ears. I¡¯ve heard about female dwarves being physically more inferior to males, but, among all the girls here, she¡¯s probably the only one suitable for this job. Upon teaching her, she generally grasped which soil she should collect and what the process of making niter is. Laure wasn¡¯t quick witted, but, she would do her job calmly and steadily while working twice as hard as others. Whether she did good or bad, she was the type of person that would immerse herself in her job without looking aside, so perhaps, she could cope with this job of making niter that required lots of perseverance. Later, I¡¯ll create a line of production for niter and entrust the rest to Laure. If she can do her job well, I shall praise her. However, even if she doesn¡¯t, I won¡¯t get mad. I entrusted Laure with making niter and decided to return back to Rosugo for now together with Lyle-sensei. Loading our covered wagon with niter and goods, which the village was lacking of (such as cloths, salt and miscellaneous), we set off for a one day visit. I was worried, since I would be leaving the girls in charge of the company, but, I made a request to Louise to protect them, as she seemed to be dependable. ¡ù¡ù¡ù As soon as we arrived in Rosugo, we offloaded the items at a general store, after which I took the wagon and headed towards the Rhod family. Once we stopped in front of this somewhat nostalgic farm, a blonde haired girl came out to meet us. I quickly apologized. ¡°Sorry, Sara-chan. It looks like I¡¯ve been borrowing your horse for quite a while. Later, I¡¯ll make it up by paying you lots of money, therefore¡­. ¡°We don¡¯t particularly mind about the horse. We only use it during the growing season, so you saved us the cost of feeding it. More importantly, I¡¯d rather have Takeru apologize for constantly using my Sensei, you see.¡± Saying that, Sara-chan made a smile of satisfaction. Did she treat Lyle-sensei too, as some kind of belonging? I was surprised by such a possibility. Well, to begin with, it¡¯s Sara-chan¡¯s Sensei, so taking him away from her would be a bad thing, I think. I¡¯m sure Sensei is currently catching up on the paperwork that had accumulated during his his absence, but¡­ ¡°If you hadn¡¯t brought Sensei with you, I would¡¯ve been able to study letters.¡± ¡°I see. In that case, I¡¯ll give you lots of homework this time.¡± ¡°Ah, Lyle-sensei.¡± ¡°Gah!¡± I turned my face toward Lyle-sensei¡¯s clear voice who had immediately caught up with me. ¡°Sensei, have you finished sorting the documents?¡± ¡°Sorting the documents and sending them to the capital didn¡¯t even take five minutes. Recently, I¡¯ve become unable to understand my purpose here, you see.¡± The very capable Sensei, made a bit of a lonesome expression while saying so. I guess, you could say that working in an office inside a village is similar to being demoted for him. ¡°Still, I didn¡¯t know Sara-chan was this keen on learning. It makes me proud as her teacher, you see. I¡¯m going to give her lots of homework.¡± ¡°Uwaaa, save meee.¡± Sara-chan dashed inside her house as if trying to run away. After all, she¡¯s still a child, I guess. For some reason, things have settled down since I arrived here. Even though working on a plantation is severe, a farming village is quite tranquil in comparison with the hectic city of Est. I felt the urge of wanting to rest here now. However, it wasn¡¯t the right time for that. I had to collect sulfur, create bombs, and deliver the goods to the mine. I too, had become occupied with lots of things. ¡ù¡ù¡ù ¡°Goodness me, your bombs are excellent indeed. Our work has been greatly progressing thanks to them.¡± What reached me first was the voice of Nattal, the Rosugo mine governor, whom I hadn¡¯t met in a long time. I brought him bombs made from niter, which I had previously carried to this village. As I did so, I was handed over a full sack of Silesian golden coins. Was he at the mining site again? As always, he looked muscular while being half-naked. I wonder if he¡¯s always dressed like this. ¡°With these, we can blow apart even that hard bedrock that¡¯s impossible to be broken with a miner¡¯s hands. Normally, we would¡¯ve had to call a high class magic user to pierce through that thing, so if we consider the time for waiting, even one gold coin is cheap.¡± It looks like Nattal has worked out the best way to utilize the bombs and is now showing it in practice. ¡°I also showed my fellow engineers from other mines how the bombs work, but, they were curious to try out the bombs themselves.¡± ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m glad to hear that.¡± I was grateful to Nattal, since I was worried if he wouldn¡¯t try to promote himself thanks to his influence. No matter how much money it is, having a demand is important at the early stage of a company. ¡°Later, if you want to sell your bombs to the state mines, I think it¡¯s safe to go along the Ye mountain range. However, if you plan to visit the royal capital, you better pay enough attention, even to the road.¡± On my way back, I was given such a piece of advice by Nattal. I had nothing in particular to do in the royal capital, but, Nattal¡¯s comment made me a bit curious. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Apparently, monsters have become more active near the royal capital for some reason. Even among the merchants, there are rumors about that place being dangerous.¡± ¡°Ah, now that you mention it, I think I¡¯ve heard about the royal capital becoming boisterous.¡± ¡°Even the kingdom¡¯s chivalric order has had a hard time protecting their territories. I would still understand if it was just a caravan of merchants getting destroyed, but, there¡¯s even been rumors about groups of bandits getting caught up in monsters¡¯ attacks, so you should consider it a serious threat.¡± I think that the rumor about the bandits, who prey on merchants, isn¡¯t that bad, but, monsters becoming active is a scary thing indeed. ¡®I wonder what the reason for that is.¡¯ ¨C I became a bit curious. If we go with that theory, it¡¯s possible the environment will be destroyed or something like that. It wasn¡¯t related to me, since I didn¡¯t plan to leave the peaceful city of Est for the time being, but¡­¡­.. While thinking so, I recalled something. ¡°Lyle-sensei, about the herd of monsters that attacked the merchants and slaves nearby Est.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Their trip was probably delayed due to the sudden outbreak of monsters outside the royal capital. Even if it¡¯s not related to us, it¡¯s better to pay more attention.¡± Lyle-sensei too, seemed to ponder for a while. As expected, do we need to strengthen our fighting strength even though we have just started to make a living from trading? As I thought, this is world is indeed harsh. However, I¡¯ve become robust to that. I also noticed that those who are troubled will become a source of income in this world¡¯s economy. Taking into account the number that can be hunted, I became able to see monsters as a source of income. ¡°Speaking of which, I want to make this, but, I wonder if it can be crafted by someone who¡¯s a blacksmith here.¡± Taking into consideration a plan to enhance our fighting strength, I decided to show Nattal some of my blueprints containing ideas I had thought of. Following the production of gunpowder and bombs, I immediately came up with guns and cannons. I was a bit reluctant about introducing this technology, which brought damage upon my world during wars, into this world. Nevertheless, for the sake of protecting myself from those monsters, I, who possessed no magic power whatsoever, wanted those firearms. ¡°What¡¯s this, a hole made inside an iron rod¡­.?¡± ¡°By detonating the gunpowder placed inside that hole, you can fire a lead ball straightly, using the force of the explosion.¡± ¡°Hmm, do we need to make something as dull as this?¡± ¡®If you want to attack an enemy, shouldn¡¯t it be fine to throw these bombs directly at them?¡¯ ¨C Is what Nattal wanted to say. Since Nattal was just an engineer, he probably couldn¡¯t imagine how effective a gun and cannon are. Well, if I hadn¡¯t witnessed the real things myself or learned about their history, I too would probably have had the same impression as Nattal. ¡°For example, there should be those catapults in this world. The cannon, which I mentioned, can fire a large iron ball a far longer distance than a catapult. How about that?¡± ¡°Despite you telling me so, it¡¯s still hard for me to imagine. As long you pay the necessary expense, I don¡¯t mind asking a blacksmith to craft the tube and balls, but, he might have never heard or seen something like this, so it might take him some¡­.. no, actually, quite a bit of time to make these.¡± Nattal wasn¡¯t sure about this himself, but, Lyle-sensei, who stood next to me while listening, had his face turn pale as he snatched away my blueprint and looked at it intensely. As expected of Lyle-sensei¡¯s cheater detecting sense, could it be that he quickly understood my intention? ¡°Governor Dacole-dono! I¡¯d like to ask you to manufacture these things, but, please do so using your utmost power.¡± ¡°O, Oh. Fine by me, however, was Secretary Laertius always this ardent?¡± Even if you ask me that, I don¡¯t know. Nattal, seemed to be surprised from witnessing Lyle-sensei¡¯s rare emotions. ¡®If we manage to make these, the whole concept of wars will be turned upside down¡­..¡¯ ¨C Lyle-sensei, whose face was unusually stern, gazed even more at that clumsily drawn blueprint of mine while muttering these words. I¡¯m glad he can understand it, but still¡­ No matter how much it was, Sensei¡¯s conjecture was way too sharp for someone coming from this world, which made me pull back. ¡ù¡ù¡ù Having concluded our sale, we went to the Rhod family and took a breather there. I paid them a generous amount of money for lending me the horse, since I made quite a lot thanks to my previous transaction. I can buy whatever I want without having to worry about money for now. ¡°I think I¡¯ve already told you not to fret about the horse, but, how long do you plan on staying here?¡± ¡°Eh, so I¡¯m being a nuisance to you?¡± Being told like that by Sara-chan, I was a bit shocked. I thought I had already become a part of this family, but, I guess I¡¯m still an unwanted laborer. ¡°That¡¯s wro¡­that¡¯s not what I mean. You are always welcomed here.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s about time I should check on the company in Est, so I was thinking if I shouldn¡¯t go back soon.¡± ¡°Hmph, is that what you mean¡­..?¡± I wonder if Sara-chan was in a bad mood. For some reason, it felt that way. Well, after all, I was about to take Lyle-sensei with me at my own convenience. ¡°Ahh, that¡¯s right. I bought this gift for you, Sara-chan. If it¡¯s fine by you, please try it on.¡± ¡°Oh my, this dress from Est is indeed lovely. Aren¡¯t you quite thoughtful, Takeru?¡± What I gave her was a red apron dress bought in Est (child sized). I thought it would suit Sara-chan, so I bought an extra set. I also thought ahead and deemed it was necessary for me to have this family cooperate with me. They were a family that raised cattle, so they could supply me with soil and materials for making niter. Like this, I made yet another future investment and also was able to put Sara-chan back in a good mood. ¡°Also, I brought you some drink called coffee, but¡­.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this? It¡¯s bitter, so I don¡¯t need.¡± Just as I thought, she doesn¡¯t like it. Uhaha, it can¡¯t be helped. After all, she¡¯s still a child. I too, used to consider bitter drinks in the same way when I was small. Later, I would drink coffee after adding milk and sugar, however, I soon realized that black coffee suited my taste much more. ¡°Apparently, coffee has become popular in the royal capital and is drunk by everyone from noble families.¡± ¡°Ehh? Is that true?¡± Sara-chan was a self-interested person, so as soon she heard about that, she decided to give her best and try to drink the coffee. ¡°How about you start drinking it by adding sugar and milk?¡± ¡°Well, if it¡¯s too sweet, it won¡¯t do as well, but¡­.. this one is bitter.¡± Could it be that Sara-chan is longing for city life in her own childish way? The coffee that I told her about was a caf¨¦ au lait, but even so, she tried to drink it with a painful expression. ¡°That¡¯s right, Takeru. It¡¯s been a while since we last went to a hot spring. Shall we go again?¡± ¡°Ahhh, that¡¯s sound like a good idea.¡± As expected, perhaps, it was the best thing to do to recover from exhaustion. Well, in any case, it meant I¡¯d be in charge of digging a spring once again, but¡­ I tried to ask her something that had been on my mind since before, when we spent our time together inside the spring. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you wear underwear?¡± ¡°Honestly, nobody in this village does such a thing.¡± No no, that¡¯s probably not true. Is it because she¡¯s a child that she isn¡¯t aware of such things yet? There bound to be lots of complication if a girl doesn¡¯t wear underwear, but¡­ Well, she seemed to be pleased with my gift, so I thought maybe I should buy her a pair of underwear the next time we meet Once I fully recharge my batteries at the spring, we¡¯ll proceed to leaving the village. Looking around the general stores and secondhand shops in Rosugo, I worked out what we should bring to replenish the village¡¯s stock when we come here next time. For some reason, goods here were overly expensive, as the stock was short of items. Perhaps, it could have something to do with the goods distribution being delayed, due to the increased activity of monsters near the road leading to the royal capital. Thanks to that, I managed to sell the cargo, which I had carried here with me, at a high price, however, I was a bit concerned about the market being slightly in unrest. As expected, what we would carry with us from Rosugo would be iron-made goods. Later, I thought about collecting large amounts of sulfur from hot springs, which is needed to make gunpowder. Lyle-sensei and I set off back to the city of Est. CH 10 I¡¯ve heard the rumor about the increase of monsters near the royal capital. With Louise being absent as my front guard, is it finally my turn to become the target? I¡¯ve secretly been practicing my swordsmanship, so that I will be able to fight one day, but I had no chance to show off my skill while we were traveling to Est. I saw other merchants going back and forth on their carts, so rather than Est, it was more likely the royal capital had been thriving more in trade.(1) ¡°Master, welcome back.¡± Sharon, who had been fulfilling her role as a shop assistant in the Sawatari Trading Company (temporary store), greeted me with a smile. ¡°Are, Sharon, haven¡¯t you grown a bit taller?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve been eating lots of food, just as master told me. That¡¯s why.¡± Sharon was quite smart, which runs contrary to the common image of a rough beastman from a fantasy world. At first she was reserved to do so, but she ended up eating lots upon realizing the meaning behind my words. I told her that her quick growth was part of our initial investment, no matter how much her food expenditure would cost. Sharon was also familiar with accounting, so when we checked on our earnings, it turned out we were in the black, as the monster soaps sold out completely as soon they had been made. It looks like the more soap we make, the faster they sell. We can sell plenty, based on the city¡¯s demand. ¡°Umm, Master, could it be that our soaps have been resold?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t deny such a possibility, I guess.¡± Most likely, the soaps had been resold, as a result of their pricing being too cheap, which is 1 silver coin. I too, had noticed it. However, I thought I couldn¡¯t care less about that, as my newly-established company had yet to find a new market in other cities. That¡¯s because, I was grateful to the other trading companies for helping me spread my goods in other places. Soap is a consumable good. If the other companies decide to resell it at a higher price, then I¡¯ll surely be able to win in terms of price competition. With my company selling the soap for 1 silver coin for now and other companies reselling it, I can reclaim the demand that has been dug up by others. What I fear is that sooner or later some company might be able to copy my goods in this period, where product patents don¡¯t exist. I also wondered if I would make this period regress, were I to let other companies benefit from reselling. ¡°As expected of Master-sama, I didn¡¯t know you could anticipate this far into the future.¡± ¡°Sharon, you¡¯re smart too. After all, you were able to notice our goods being resold and point that out to me.¡± ¡®Good girl, good girl¡¯ ¨C I gently brushed Sharon¡¯s light orange hair while praising her. On the outside, Sharon¡¯s hair looks no different from that of a human, but, whenever I try to brush her hair like this, I can sense a smooth feel, similar to that of touching a long haired dog¡¯s back. As I got carried away while stroking her hair, Sharon¡¯s dog ears slipped out with a bounce, probably from her feeling good. This is some interesting stuff. Louise and her disciples seemed to still be out on the hunt. I checked on the soaps that were being made inside our temporary tent shop. At first, I thought that the soaps would be hard to produce, using these local monsters¡¯ fat, but surprisingly their success rate turned out to be high. The remaining thing would be to think of a way to utilize these skins, but I couldn¡¯t come up with an idea. I parted myself with Lyle-sensei, who was confirming the content of Viola¡¯s collected herbs, and went to check on Laure who was silently producing niter outside the city. ¡°Master-sama, I¡¯ve only managed to make this much for today.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you for your hard work.¡± When you boil soil mixed with animal dung inside a large pot, quite an odor can be smelled coming from it. That¡¯s why this isn¡¯t the type of a labor you¡¯d do inside a shop. The inside of the cloth bag, which Laure had presented to me, was fully crammed with long and narrow, crystallized, white niter. ¡°Ohhh, you¡¯ve done a great job. Do you want a reward from me?¡± ¡°Ummm, that¡¯s¡­. I¡¯m fine as long Master-sama praises me.¡± Laure was saying some laudable things there. I stroked her head and gave her some salty kitsu nuts mixed together with high-grade sugar, which I had previously pilfered from the Earl, Donovan. Laure seemed to be eating them quite eagerly. Being able to replenish one¡¯s lost nutrients after a demanding labor is probably good for one¡¯s body. However, it was different in case of Laure, who was in charge of collecting one of the raw materials for gunpowder. In addition to me being her breadwinner, I had to treat her appropriately. ¡°These are delicious.¡± ¡°Is that so? Well, I think the taste is fair.¡± Laure was pleased with the food, however, the excess of sweetness and saltiness didn¡¯t look quite appetizing for me. I myself wondered if I could make some delicious sweets using this fantasy world¡¯s poor ingredients. On my way back to the company with Laure, we encountered Louise and her disciples, who had just finished their hunt. If I remember correctly, were they Suzanne & Claudia? Suzanne was holding an iron spear, whereas, Claudia was equipped a shortsword and shortbow. The reason why Louise had been in the vanguard was probably so as to separate the girls from being targeted and allow them to launch a range attack, as both were still lacking in experience. Behind the three female warriors, there was Viola, who possessed no combat abilities, holding a basket full of gathered herbs and dry wood. Not just herbs, but also wood costs quite a pretty penny even if it¡¯s just a piece of wood, as it usually tends to run out of stock. Therefore, Viola¡¯s job, though plain, was important. That being said, it looks like Louise and the rest of her team had, once again, managed to hunt quite a bit, as Suzanne and Claudia were carrying heaps of animal pelts and skins on their backs. What¡¯s more, Louise was shouldering a large pot while looking very delighted, as if preparing to cook something. ¡°Louise-san, are these¡­.?¡± ¡°Our dinner for tonight. Today, we were able to harvest a great deal of fresh werewolves.¡± Ahh, so it¡¯s going to be a stew from monsters¡¯ organs again? It seems that Louise perceived monsters as something to be harvested. Certainly, if memory serves me right, werewolves are supposed to be quite strong¡­. Hmm, a meal consisting of organs isn¡¯t that awful, but I better tell the girls to have some vegetables too, so as to balance their diet during their growth period. ¡ù¡ù¡ù Night. We had a meal while surrounding the large pot placed on a campfire. In the meantime, I tried asking Louise about the monsters¡¯ recently increased activity, so as to see if I could get any more information about it. ¡°Certainly, I¡¯ve heard about that¡­¡­¡± Louise kept silent right after saying so. She was staring at the campfire¡¯s light while deeply pondering about something. It was very like her, who wasn¡¯t sociable; however, Louise¡¯s reaction felt somewhat different from the usual. ¡°Umm, Louise-san?¡± ¡°Ahh, sorry¡­¡­That¡¯s right, even in Est, the number of monster quests has recently increased. Yesterday again, I received a request for cooperation from the city¡¯s guild, as a caravan of merchants had been attacked at the outskirts. The main road leading to the royal capital has become quite dangerous as well.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the reason for that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Louise, again, kept silent. ¡°It may be because of the ¡®miasmatic mana hole¡¯ appearing outside the royal capital, you see.¡± Just then, Lyle-sensei interjected. ¡°That ¡®miasmatic mana hole¡¯, is it similar to a dungeon?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t as big as a maze, but, how should I explain¡­?¡± ¡®It¡¯s something that¡¯s been kept as a secret from the people by the kingdom, in order not to cause anxiety among them, but¡­¡¯ ¨C Sensei added that, after which he gave a detailed explanation. ¡°The miasmatic hole, which releases mana, has been sealed away once before by this country¡¯s heroes, but for some reason, it seems to have reopened again. Monsters are generally considered to be magic beings, so they will become more active upon being flooded with mana.¡± ¡°Then, shouldn¡¯t it be fine if we close it again?¡± ¡®Don¡¯t be silly!¡¯ ¨C As soon as I said so, I was scolded by Louise. Umm, could it be that I said something to be mad about? Louise, made an expression as if being surprised at herself for getting mad, after which she apologized. ¡°Sorry¡­ even the kingdom¡¯s chivalric order would fail to seal away that hole if they went there. With that powerful mana oozing out from there, adventurers would be terminated by strengthened monsters, even before drawing near to its entrance.¡± So, it¡¯s that bad? ¡®Then, does it mean there¡¯s nothing I can do?¡¯ ¨C I gave up immediately upon realizing that. If someone as strong as like Louise was barely able to handle that, then it was all the more reason I could do nothing. Right now, this part of the main road is safe, so there¡¯s no reason for us to fret. While we are at it, apparently the cities and villages nearby the miasma hole have been destroyed by large numbers of spawned monsters. And it seems that the kingdom¡¯s chivalric order and its soldiers have continued to fight desperately, trying to suppress the monsters and ward them off from reaching the royal capital and the main road. I guess, you could say that a war has somewhat started. I don¡¯t know if a hero or yuusha will eventually appear, since it¡¯s a fantasy world, but, if they do, they will most likely manage to seal away the hole splendidly. Unfortunately, as for me, I don¡¯t possess the right confidence to become a person of such rank. If there¡¯s time, I¡¯d rather hold a discussion regarding the new company¡¯s policy and trade, as it seems to be more meaningful. ¡ù¡ù¡ù Another month has passed since we commenced our business in Est. In addition to the soap, the niter production was going smoothly as well, so I was able to force a sale of my bombs to the state mine located in the Ye mountain range, which yielded quite a profit. There are lots of villages with iron ore mines based in the Ye mountain range that belonged to Est. Not to mention, there are even coal, copper, tin, and silver mines there, so when I¡¯m supplying customers with bombs, I can learn lots of useful things about mineral-made goods that can help me in trade. In an RPG, copper and tin are metals that are more fragile than iron, but they are both considered to be more valuable, and hence, more expensive than the popular iron. As tableware, they are inferior to silver, however, there are lots of bronze and tin-made things, including tableware, that aren¡¯t just practical but also valuable in terms of art. As expected, even a silver mine used to cast coins is under severe restrictions, isn¡¯t it? The one which I had visited was heavily guarded everywhere by both guards and soldiers. Shouldn¡¯t it be obvious? After all, this place is a mint. What was also different about this world was a mine containing magic jewels. Magic jewels are items with crystalized mana (Also known as source of magic used by magic beings to cast spiritual, holy, the four elemental spells, and various ones like these.) that dates back long ago when Ye mountains were still sacred. They¡¯re usually transparent red or blue, depending on its nature of power. I wasn¡¯t very knowledgeable on jewels, but, they looked like sapphires and rubies. Even though jewels are just items for practical use, they¡¯re actually highly valuable if you regard them as jewels. Together with the silver mine, this one too was heavily guarded against illegal digging. ¡°With this magic jewel, will I also become able to use spells?¡± ¡°I would doubt that, as Takeru-dono has no foundation in magic. However, it¡¯s still possible for you to use them if you choose the right jewel and magic tool.¡± Inside the village nearby the magic jewel mine, there was a magic jewel shop. This convenient ¡®wand of the flame orbs¡¯, which I could use instead of a lighter, had its mana about to run out, so I had to recharge it using one of the magic jewels from the shop. With this ¡®wand of flaming orb¡¯ being fully charged, I can shoot approximately 5 fireballs at the maximum power output, and as many as 10 times, with a normal power output. The cheapest price for an average magic jewel is 5 silver coins. ¡°That is to say, I¡¯ve spent 1 silver coin each time I cast a spell?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about that before, but, now that I think about it, it¡¯s quite an expense, isn¡¯t it?¡± Lyle-sensei, who is a middle-class mage, showed me previously how he could cast a spell really fast. Since he can replenish all his mana within a single night, it would be equivalent to a few gold coins. I could understand why mages are treated as special beings, even if they can only use simple elementary spells. I decided I would buy a bunch of ¡®ring of water currents¡¯ later, which allows you to cast basic water spells. The ring is a magic tool that creates water currents by absorbing molecules of water from the atmosphere, but, even if I were to buy wholesale and beat down the price, I could only purchase it for as little as 5 silver coins per item. ¡°Buying that many items, what do you intend to use them for?¡± ¡°I thought about using them for our company¡¯s toilet.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­.?¡± Perhaps, Lyle-sensei wasn¡¯t aware about that, but for me, the lack of a washlet(2) was a real pain in ass. Together with the soap that can be used for hand washing, the washlet will most likely greatly improve this world¡¯s sanitation levels. Right now, I have an abundance of money, thanks to my bombs selling favorably. ¡°Sensei too, is there anything you¡¯d like to have?¡± What Sensei asked for were fine quality items, high grade magic jewels which housed an amount of mana more remarkable than those standards ones. Even a novice, like me, could notice the difference from their aura. Far from it being 3 times the normal amount, the jewels stored 5, perhaps 6 times as much mana as a standard jewel. In addition to them being used when running short of energy, they also acted as charms, which apparently many mages would carry with. The price for a single item was quite high in comparison with normal jewels, ranging from 3 to 5 gold coins. However, it wasn¡¯t that much if it was meant to be used during an emergency case. Let¡¯s take this opportunity and purchase several sets of this and standard jewels. ¡°Umm, I know I¡¯m the one who asked for this, but, at this rate, won¡¯t you use up all the money from our sale which we earned this time?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind. After all, the producing area is located here, so there¡¯s no way anyone could sell our goods at a cheaper price.¡± I too, have made dealings upon checking market price from other places. Our goods are ones that can be sold in Est with no loss, even if somebody was to buy plenty of them. Well, I don¡¯t plan to sell out my items, so as to avoid money shortage, but¡­ ¡°Speaking of which, I was wondering if there¡¯s no tool that casts recovery magic.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like there isn¡¯t, but holy magic is under the complete jurisdiction of the church. You may be able to find some low class recovery magic tools, however, they won¡¯t be different from drinking a potion.¡± I see, so this is the reason why I couldn¡¯t spot any recovery spell casting tools in the shops. Not even Lyle-sensei, who¡¯s close to being omnipotent in the magic field, can use recovery magic. Just having picked herbs wasn¡¯t reassuring, so I decided to make additional purchases and save up recovery potions when the market prices fall down. ¡®Just do whatever you can.¡¯ ¨C There¡¯s never enough money, so I can only encourage myself to do more business. ¡ù¡ù¡ù Once we finished peddling around the territory near the Ye mountain range, we returned back to the city of Est. ¡°Finally, we have returned, right?¡± ¡°¡­..I think, the city feels somewhat different.¡± As we were about to enter in, the city became noisy, just like Lyle-sensei said. The guards, who were at the entrance, had stern expressions and gave out an impression of as if being in a hurry. ¡°We should head to the company post haste.¡± ¡°You bet.¡± The Sawatari Trading Company is located near the city¡¯s plaza, that is to say, in the heart of this city¡¯s trade district. I would usually come here astonished at the sight of this bustling plaza. However, despite this marketplace normally bustling with activity, today, it wasn¡¯t crawling with many people. And neither, did it feel like there was any festival going on. What we saw in front of us was a plaza full of set up tents and injured crowds of people huddling together. Notes and References: CH 11 Chapter 11 ¨C The Recapture of Ona Village The plaza located in the city of Est was jammed with people who had escaped with nothing but the clothes on their backs. That¡¯s right, there¡¯s no way a city wouldn¡¯t become noisy because of that. Was there some kind of disaster? As soon as we entered the Sawatari Trading Company, we were welcomed by Louise, who had a sour face, and her disciples, Suzanne & Claudia. It was rare for our team of female warriors to not be out on a monster hunt. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°The village of Ona has been attacked by a large group of monsters. We were able to fight them back together with this city¡¯s garrison and other adventurers, but eventually, our side was outnumbered and forced to retreat.¡± The village of Ona is located in the northern direction, not too far away from Est. Apparently, it¡¯s a settlement built on a spacious, tranquil meadow that houses as many as 200 villagers. Does this mean that the remaining monsters from the large wave that spawned near the royal capital has, in the end, managed to surge into Est¡¯s vicinity? ¡°Did you sustain any injuries?¡± ¡°Yeah, but we¡¯re fine. That¡¯s because we carried plenty recovery potions with us. Still, even though we were there, we barely managed to evacuate all the villagers¡­..¡± Even though they recovered themselves with potions, I could tell how fierce their battle must have been, judging from their shredded leather armors. Still, to think that someone as strong as Louise was forced to give up. Even our company has been doing business with Ona, as their village, which thrives on stock-farming, has been supplying us with the soil necessary for niter production. There were familiar faces among the villagers who had been huddling together in front of our shop, so I decided to go and check if there were any injured people. ¡°Louise, is it fine for me to use recovery potions on the injured people?¡± ¡°Why are you asking me that every single time? They¡¯re your items, so you can use them as you want.¡± I knew Louise would answer that way. Her response was cold, but there¡¯s no doubt Louise would¡¯ve done the same and used her own potions on the injured people. The villagers of Ona were people under protection of the Earl, Est, so even the healers from the city¡¯s church arrived to help, however, they were short-handed, as there were too many injured people. ¡®The city is probably running short on recovery potions, so maybe I could take this opportunity and resell them at a high price?¡¯ ¨C Is what I thought. However, I subdued this wicked thought of mine and proceeded with the distribution of my potions. ¡°Thank you very much! Thank you very much!¡± ¡°Ah, no no, we¡¯re on the same boat in these troublesome times, so¡­.¡± (This young villager who threw these words of gratitude at me, he must be thinking I¡¯m a fine person. Kukuku¡­..) You must lose a fly to catch a trout, or so they say. These villagers here live nearby, so if I demand gratitude from them, I can easily yield big profits afterwards. (Despite saying so¡­¡­) Even though I went through the trouble of establishing this company in Est¡­ Nevertheless, I don¡¯t intend to look on passively as the monsters take over their village. ¡®Now that it has come to this, what we need is the strength of firearms, rather than swords.¡¯ ¨C Is what I thought. I alone, made this resolution silently. ¡ù¡ù¡ù ¡°What? You plan to retake the village of Ona from the monsters?¡± ¡°Yes. If possible, I¡¯ll show you, later, how to push the monsters back and get rid of them entirely.¡± I decided to visit the Earl, Est¡¯s, castle and declare this in an impressive way. As expected, was I boasting too much? The Earl looked at me doubtfully. ¡°Certainly, you¡¯ll become a big help to me if you can do it, but¡­.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be using the new weapons, so there¡¯s a chance for success.¡± I received a message from Dacole about the prototypes of the gun and cannon being made, and therefore, had Lyle-sensei go pick them up at the moment. In the meantime, Louise and the rest are scouting for the location and scope of the monsters. Originally, the soldiers in the standing army of Est were scarce. And then, there was that epicenter placed near the royal capital that spawned large number of monsters. Both the royal capital¡¯s chivalric order and its army corps were occupied with defending the main road and territories that fell under its direct jurisdiction. Because of that, they couldn¡¯t afford to send reinforcements to the territory of Est, which was located at their back. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right, there are supposed to be those strange, new weapons which Takeru-dono has. Fine, I shall issue a special request for extermination. I¡¯ll give you these 10 platinum coins if you manage to retrieve the village of Ona. How about that?¡± ¡°Ohh, so these are platinum coins. I¡¯ve heard about them, but, this is my first time seeing them.¡± Platinum coins were special coinage made from rare platinum. A single piece was worth 10 gold coins. In other words, 10 platinum coins would be the equivalent of 100 gold coins. The coins are reserved to only be used by nobilities during their trade with distinguished traders, so they can barely be found in money circulation. If I were to compare, they¡¯re similar to those 100,000 yen worth gold coins. Looking at these glittering coins placed on top of the red table, I reached out my hands without thinking ahead. As I did so, they were pulled in. ¡°I won¡¯t give you them yet. Only after you get rid of the monsters and manage to get the village back.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± ¡®If the Earl has this much money, shouldn¡¯t he invest more in soldiers for his army, or hire mercenaries?¡± ¨C I wondered about this, but¡­. To begin with, the territory of Est was a peaceful area far away and free from border disputes. Perhaps, this was the reason why he couldn¡¯t make any recruitment during an emergency. It would be just the right time if there was anyone who could lend their military power. ¡°Furthermore, if you can eliminate the nearby monsters once and for all, and restore peace to this place, I¡¯ll give you additional 300¡­. no, 500 gold coins!¡± ¡°Well then, please do as you as say.¡± I drank dry my cup of coffee, after which I left the castle behind. 10 platinum coins for releasing Ona village, and an additional 500 gold coins for exterminating the monsters? Even if the Earl Donovan was grand, it was quite the lavish promise, however, he probably thinks there¡¯s no way for me to accomplish such a feat. I, too, don¡¯t know how far I can get, but, I guess it can¡¯t be helped if there¡¯s someone seeing me that way. Anyway, I just wanted to seize the opportunity to go on an attack and make the most of my winning streak. ¡ù¡ù¡ù Lyle-sensei returned back with a set of big guns and cannons, so we held a strategic meeting inside the company building. According to Louise and the rest¡¯s reconnaissance, the group of monsters that has been staying in the village consists of 100 armored orcs, as the main force, and nearly 100 ogres and kobolds, which makes a total battalion of 200 units, or so it seems. An orc is a monster well-known in fantasy worlds, with a pig face and human features. It¡¯s equipped with more proper weapons (not just weapons, but also protectors) than ogres and kobolds. Besides that, it¡¯s highly intelligent, so one should consider it slightly on pair with armed forces. While we are at it, despite orcs having those ugly pig faces, they are surprisingly sociable and tend to form large groups with other humanoid monsters, however, they¡¯re not on good terms with werewolves. Apparently, they would kill each other upon clashing. Certainly, I¡¯d like to have them kill each other, but, there were no groups of werewolves nearby. Since orcs prefer livestock raised by humans, one could probably say they attacked Ona village due to its thriving stock-farming. Against them, our war potential comprised of me; the magic user, Lyle-sensei; Louise; and the 13 slave girls. In addition to that, it was decided that we would be joined by a group of 20 young villagers capable of combat. With this, a total of 36 people would be fighting against an enemy of 200 monsters, which was a harsh number. Obviously, that would be true under normal circumstances. However, our side possessed modern weapons. The guns, which we received from the Losgow¡¯s(1) blacksmith, were manufactured arquebuses with simple constructions. Since the ammunition is made from paper cartridges, it¡¯s much easier to be inserted than in those real, old fashioned arquebuses. Once we tested the weapons at the outskirt of the city, the villagers became unable to stand due to surprise. Well, it can¡¯t be helped. After all, they¡¯re not used to it yet. If our allies are this surprised, then it should be just the right weapon to scare the enemy. Apart from me, who was used to this gun, Sharon seemed to be the one who had accustomed to the weapon the fastest. ¡°The recoil isn¡¯t that strong, so in order to avoid the gunpoint trembling, all you need to do when pulling the trigger is-¡° ¡°Like this?¡± *bang* ¨C As a noisy sound was produced, the gun¡¯s lead ball struck its target. That¡¯s a skillful shot indeed. The other girls, too, became able to shoot at their targets accurately once they got used to it. As one would expect, young people tend to get accustomed to new skills much quicker. ¡°I know it¡¯s effective, but, perhaps a bow would suit me better.¡± ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s better for Louise to fight using other weapons.¡± Louise made a bitter face as she tested out the gun. Naturally, she too could handle the gun quite decently. Still, judging from the fact that Louise was already experienced with throwing knives and shortbows, it didn¡¯t look like she would be able to master the gun that fast. One could say that one of the gun¡¯s advantages against the bow is that a novice can handle it, more or less, as long as it shoots. We decided we would try out the big cannon by moving it on the covered wagon up to the hill, where Ona village could be fully seen, and use it for a surprise attack. ¡°Everyone, once I light the cannon, cover your ears.¡± The cannon wasn¡¯t that much different from the arquebus in terms of both being big, but, because the gunpowder we used was the black one, which has a powerful explosion, its sound would become way too severe. *Dokkaaaan* ¨C A terrific roar generated and the large cannon ball quickly launched toward the other side. As soon as the cannonball reached its target it sunk into a fixed stone pedestal, making the ground tremble. It looks like the cannon will have quite an impact if it hits precisely. Despite the cannonball not hitting its target accurately at all, the group of monsters that were stationed inside the village fell in utter chaos. Should we try and give one more shot? ¡°Lower the angle of the cannon and move it slightly to the left.¡± As Laura was cleaning its gunpoint with a mop, Sharon and the rest desperately moved the big cannon while wearing leather gloves, just like I had instructed them. ¡°Excellent, that¡¯s enough. Load the cannonballs, we¡¯re going to make 2 more shots.¡± ¡°Doneee!¡± Once I made sure Laura had loaded the gunpowder with a stick and stepped aside, we launched two more shots. ¡°Ohhh, straight to the target.¡± ¡°We did ittttt!¡± The cannonball bursted right in the middle of where the orcs were exiting from a building in a bustling manner. It looks like the chaos has settled down quite a bit, which is probably due to the orcs forgetting to escape and falling into a stupor. And for some reason, they also haven¡¯t noticed this side attacking them. Perhaps, to them it looked as though their allies had suddenly disappeared following the sound of an explosion, as they had no concept of cannons. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s continue to shoot them steadily with this angle.¡± ¡°Aye aye, Sirrr.¡± [TN: Said in English] Laura, who had become accustomed to the cannon, loaded the balls in it steadily and fearlessly. Because of that, the cannon kept firing rapidly towards the village, making the stone pedestal split open, and even the cannon¡¯s barrel began to turn red from the excessive firing. As a result¡­.. the group of orcs became frightened at the deadly cannonballs that came flying from an unnoticeable direction. They scattered away and fled from the village. ¡°I guess this makes our gun practice meaningless, right?¡± I was told like that by Lyle-sensei, who was a bit dumbfounded. Perhaps, I¡¯ve gone a bit overboard. CH 12 Chapter 12 ¨C Further Expedition After we managed to chase away the orcs using the big cannon, we searched through dead carcasses of many of them for their weapons, and received ten platinum coins for the completion of the Earl¡¯s special request. The recapture of Ona village turned out to be highly profitable. We had obtained so many internal organs that we couldn¡¯t eat them all, therefore, Louise was pleased with herself at that fact. (Obviously, she tried to offer them to the villagers by distributing organ-based soup once we had returned, but, they didn¡¯t receive much recognition.) Because we were the ones to gain the most from this battle, we felt sorry for the villagers, so we decided to help restore their village while picking up the cannonballs that were responsible for tattering it. We repaired the fence enclosing this village¡¯s pasture and helped gather the livestock, which had previously scattered and ran away due to the monsters. Borrowing the hands of the young villagers, who became adapt with the guns, we finished off the remaining orcs that were hiding nearby after they had escaped. With this, it should be fine to say we brought peace back to this village for the time being. Still, the root of this monster wave has yet to be solved. ¡°If we go further north from here, there will be a fort belonging to a group of bandits. They are referred to as the Iwanushi group, but apparently, they¡¯ve already been destroyed by monsters, who proceeded to turn that base into their own, and they keep charging at the territory of Est from there.¡± Based on Louise¡¯s intel, things turned out that way. ¡®Well then, it should be fine if we just crush that bandits¡¯ fort using our large cannon.¡¯ ¨C As I said so, nobody seemed to object to my opinion, so we decided to set out on another expedition. I thought our plan would succeed with just the large cannon, however, there were twenty volunteers who were willing to join us while carrying guns on their shoulders. Just as what Louise had checked beforehand, we set a camp nearby a hill, from which we could launch an attack on the fort (Even though it belonged to those bandits, how on earth had they managed to construct such a splendid, stone-made, three-story building in this small mountain, away from the main road?) ¡°This fort belongs to the bandits anyway, so nobody besides them will probably mind even if we blow it up. Well then, aim the cannon toward the fort.¡± ¡°Just give me a moment. I¡¯ll calculate and decide the right angle.¡± Lyle-sensei, took out a bunch of paper. Apparently, he was also in charge of calculating the right distance and firing angle back when we launched the attack on those orcs in the village. ¡°My calculations might vary depending on the weight of the cannonball and the amount of gunpowder, but, it should set a criterion. (?)¡± It seems that Lyle-sensei, has realized he could predict the landing point of the ball by calculating the cannon¡¯s angle. Just what kind of cheat is that? Like Lyle-sensei had instructed us, we aimed the cannon and fired. Once we did so, the cannonball hit right in the middle of the fort with the first shot. Getting carried away, we continued to rapidly fire at that angle, making the stone made fort start to crumble. The orcs residing inside the fort run out in a bustling manner, so we inflicted a single blow at the entrance and buried them alive. We have, created something fearsome. ¡°What a terrific strength. I guess, we can use this for sieging forts from now on¡­.¡± Was, Lyle-sensei thinking about something diabolical. I wasn¡¯t very keen on using this cannon against human fellows, but well¡­. ¡°¡­¡­No, in the end, they should be used for self-defense.¡± If you say it that way, humankind will certainly start a war against each other. Saying this and that, I guess, it was fitting of him as the secretary of the Silesia Kingdom. Ah, is that so? I think I used to have the same way of reasoning. The extermination of the monsters went favorably, but, I later realized it went so well it became scary. We finished off the remaining orcs and kobolds with our guns and received meat and skins while collecting the bullets and cannonballs. Since it was formerly a fort belonging to the bandits, there was a rumor about valuable goods left inside of it, and even gold and equipment. ¡®Let¡¯s use this chance and prepare a meal.¡¯ ¨C Feeling joyful, Louise took out the large pot that somewhat settled down the situation. The white stew made by Louise from internal organs had a bad reputation among the villagers of Ona, however, its porky taste perfectly matched my buds. The villagers had pale faces upon seeing Louise processing an orc¡¯s meat, however, as for me, I could only think of it as food preparation. It could be that my common sense has gradually accustomed to Louise¡¯s while we¡¯ve been hunting together, which made me become a little bit scared. ¡ù¡ù¡ù ¡°I wonder if we shouldn¡¯t be returning to Est¡­.¡± We discussed together whether we should continue further our expedition or not, but, Louise was against that idea as she had advised us before not to come too close to the miasmatic mana hole. It was certain we felt self-confident thanks to us acquiring guns and cannons, so we were ready to even go as far as where only a hero class person could go. At this rate, there won¡¯t even be any need for a legendary dragon to make its appearance. What¡¯s more, a reinforcement sent by the royal capital had arrived, so the Earl didn¡¯t make any further request to attack. It was decided we would return back to Est. While we are at it, we¡¯ve received one more horse cart set, which doubled our horsepower at the same time. In addition to the artillery battery, our covered wagon was also completely filled with meat and pelts. Despite that large amount, we were somehow able to transport the goods. Things which we couldn¡¯t load on the cart, like gold and equipment, would apparently be taken care of by Louise, who would go and return one more time. Upon our arrival in Est, we visited Earl Donovan¡¯s castle again and reported the result of our expedition to him, at which, he was greatly pleased. He told us it was completely fine for us to keep the money and goods we had found in the bandits¡¯ fort. Not to mention, the Earl placed a sack of 500 golden coins, with a thud, on the table. The victory coffee, with which the Earl treated us, wouldn¡¯t compete with a high-grade sake, however, it was tasty. As one would expect, even I would be in good mood upon receiving such a lavish treatment. I could understand more or less the Earl¡¯s intention of wanting to put me in good mood. After all, he too was an authority with great sharpness and capability. Still, there is no doubt it was also his way of saying he wanted our guns and cannons¡­. ¡°And then, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to discuss with you, but¡­.¡± Look, it¡¯s already here. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about appointing you, Takeru-dono, as the knight of our household, Almark, but, would you accept the offer?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I lost a bit of my composure at these unexpected words. Did he notice that on my face? The Earl put on a smile as if he trying to curry favor with me. ¡°Yes, rather than becoming a knight, I¡¯ve been wondering if it wouldn¡¯t be better to make you a Baron judging from Takeru-dono¡¯s actions. But, as expected, my rights as an Earl don¡¯t extend that far.¡± ¡°Haa, ah no, that¡¯s a little¡­.¡± ¡°However, despite saying you¡¯ll become a knight, I¡¯d like to bestow you privileges as my governor and ask you to govern Ona¡¯s site alongside protecting it. If you agree, you¡¯ll practically hold the same power as a Baron. How about that?¡± ¡°Haa¡­.¡± What should I do in this situation? I, who didn¡¯t anticipate this course of action, became troubled and shifted my gaze towards Lyle-sensei. I was glad to have him by my side. ===Why not accept his offer? I think Earl Donovan¡¯s offer is even more genuine than his desire to have the new weapons.=== Ahh, so he meant it that way? Does the Earl want to convey something, like ¡®You can do whatever you want with Ona, as long you can hold back those monsters coming south from the miasmatic mana hole.¡¯? With the Earl¡¯s territory being constantly attacked, even the devastated village of Ona would need time to recover, so there was probably no loss in handing it over to me. One could say it was a decent deal. ¡°Earl Donovan, I¡¯ll take up your offer.¡± ¡°Ohhhh, so you agree?!¡± Like this, I was accoladed as the knight of the Almark household, the ceremony of which I had happened to see very often. ¡°Excellent, Takeru-dono, from now on your name shall be ¡®Takeru Ona Sawatari¡¯.¡± ¡°Ah no, that¡¯s a little bit¡­¡± Please, don¡¯t put ¡®Ona¡¯ between my nameeeee. ¡ù¡ù¡ù The village of Ona, which I had newly acquired, thrived in stock-farming and its business efficiency progressed even further. Just like the last time, we used the previous site as the base for making niter. I also gave jobs in my company to villagers who lost theirs due to their farms being devastated. We could gather as much soil as we wanted for the niter production. What¡¯s more, we were allowed to build small huts in public places inside the village, to our heart¡¯s content. On the other hand, the company kept manufacturing and selling soaps in Est. With the surplus of money I had received, I sent further requests to the mine in Losgow to build more cannons. For now, we managed to suppress the monsters that are coming south, but, if there is any chance of greater demons or dragons appearing from the hole one day, we better have many large cannons. If it¡¯s about finding carts with pedestals for carrying cannons, we can obtain one in the stock farm of Ona village. Naturally, my true intention was to use guns and cannons to fight against monsters, therefore, I didn¡¯t feel like promoting them on a large scale for now. Earl Donovan appeared to be somewhat skillful in trade, but, he gave off the feeling of being unfamiliar with military affairs. I couldn¡¯t comprehend why I, who was supposed to be a merchant, had to think of a plan to defend a territory, but, I guess it can¡¯t be helped, since I accepted the Earl¡¯s offer to become his knight. ¡°I guess we lack hands¡­..¡± ¡°Should we make more use of the girls?¡± Lyle-sensei whispered, like a devil would, upon hearing my murmur. I considered both the options of utilizing the girls and hiring new people. Still, why does it have to be only the girls, Sensei? It wasn¡¯t just making niter or soap that the girls were entrusted with. They were also being trained to wield weapons, just like Louise. You won¡¯t find soldiers comprising of slave girls in just Africa. ¡°Sensei, despite them being slaves, it feels awkward to let children fight with guns and large cannons.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it better than leaving them to their certain death in the mines? Even children can easily master weapons upon seeing them, as they can memorize how to use them much better than adults. Not to mention, slave girls are dirty cheap in comparison with adults, so they can be quickly gathered.¡± ¡°Hmmm, I see. So we¡¯re doing a philanthropic work?¡± Indeed, Sensei as well, is dark inside. ¡°Hahaa, that¡¯s some splendid work there. Since our side has gained control over the route from the royal capital to the mine, we can contact slave merchants and get more slaves at any time.¡± ¡°Still, won¡¯t those at the mine¡¯s side become troubled if we buy up the slaves?¡± Certainly, child slaves were supposed to be consumable goods for digging narrow holes inside a mine. There were also regular customers from mines who ordered gunpowder for blasting purpose. As for Losgow, we had received requests not just for gunpowder but also guns and cannons. ¡°Don¡¯t fret. About that, I think they will use adult slave miners instead and make them work away to death.¡± ¡°¡­.I guess you¡¯re right. Then, let¡¯s do as you say.¡± If children don¡¯t die from work exhaustion, then adults will take their places. It was something I was quite mindful of, however, such things couldn¡¯t be helped in this world. I thought it would be nice if gunpowder could be proven effective and help reduce the number of deaths, but, was there little hope for that? In this world¡¯s society, being heartless was something based on personal affairs. ¡ù¡ù¡ù ¡°¡­¡­..With that, we¡¯ll be gradually receiving more fellows from now on, so¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I told Sharon, who had grown to be near me in height, about us hiring new slave girls. Today as well, she was in charge of managing the company while selling our goods. Sharon was fit to become a leader who would be looking after other girls. That¡¯s why, I deemed it was best to inform her about any news. However¡­.. her ears looked as though she was somewhat discontent. I couldn¡¯t see her tail, as it was hidden, but, I normally would understand when she was in good mood from her standing ears. Sharon is usually in good mood, however, her completely hidden ears now somehow gave off the feeling of her grieving over something. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about living here. We¡¯ve got enough funds and the company will also expand alongside the number of people.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Are? Did I miss your target, Sharon? ¡°If there¡¯s something you aren¡¯t content with or troubled with in your life, I¡¯d like you to tell me, but¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve already received enough pay.¡± ¡°Is that so? In case you¡¯d wish for me to set you free from slavery, you can always go back to living as a citizen using that money you¡¯ve earned.¡± ¡°Everyone is now content with their lives. Rather, if they were told they would be thrown out, I think they would hate it and cry.¡± Ah no, even though I said I¡¯d set you free, I didn¡¯t mean to throw you out. I still want to utilize children who can memorize their jobs. Fumu, so there¡¯s some other kind of problem present. I couldn¡¯t understand it anymore, so I gave up and decided to ask her directly. ¡°Could it be, it¡¯s something personal?¡± ¡°Uhmm, just one thing¡­.. When new children join us, like last time, we¡¯ll have to wash them, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­.¡± Their dirty appearance probably felt inconvenient to them, so nothing would start, until we made them neat and clean. However, you as well, don¡¯t you always bathe yourselves in hot water, behind the company¡¯s shop? It was okay for them to wash themselves at their own convenience, but, all of them were still children, so girls, like Laura, quite disliked hot springs. ¡°¡­..Ah, yes, rather than that¡­¡± It should be fine for us to build a hot spring when expanding the company, right? I feel bad for having Sensei cast magic each time we needed water, so let¡¯s dig a well and make a pump. Speaking of which, in the past, I¡¯d thought about constructing a pump the first time I arrived in this world. Since its mechanism is simple, should I discuss this with Sensei and try it out? I too, want to occasionally submerge myself in a tub and enjoy my time, therefore, it was bothersome when I had to go to Losgow just to enter a hot spring. ¡°Uhmm, Master-sama?¡± ¡°Ah sorry, I¡¯ve been thinking about something. Like if it wouldn¡¯t be better for us to construct a new hot spring.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. I was wondering, why, am I the only one who can¡¯t have you wash my body.¡± ¡°Ah no, that¡¯s, you know¡­.¡± I wondered if she could do it by herself, since she was the only one, among the other girls, who had an adult body. Rather than that, does this mean she wants to be treated the same as the other girls? Ah, so it was about that? Is this what she wanted to say? Sharon possesses the blood of a beastman, so her growth has been fast, however, her insides are still that of a child. She comes from a family of merchants, so she could write using low class letters and memorize how to do single-entry bookkeeping. Her sagacity is also what persuaded me to talk with her, like an adult. That¡¯s right, being the only one left behind, perhaps she felt worried about herself being discriminated against. ¡°¡­¡­.I wonder what will become of me.¡± ¡°Sorry, that was my bad. I shall consider you as well, the next time I bath the girls.¡± You don¡¯t need to make that face, as if being about to burst out in tears. Finally, as I caressed her head, a pair of animal ears stuck out from her soft, orange-colored hair. ¡°Yes¡­..¡± Well, just because her body grew up a bit, doesn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t pamper her a bi¡­..speaking of which, it feels quite inconvenient, but, is it fine for me to think of her as a grown-up child? Considering her age, she probably still wanted to be spoiled despite her looking like an adult. ¡°By the way, since Lyle-sensei won¡¯t object, it should fine to entrust him with bathing you, right?¡± Once I said so, both Sensei and Sharon¡¯s moods worsened. This was intended to be a joke, but, could it be it was something forbidden to Sensei¡­¡­? CH 13 Lyle-sensei had been buying new slave girls, following the expansion of the company. The number of members wasn¡¯t particularly fixed, but we received 13 slave girls. Every one of them belonged to the same age-group, which is around 12 years old. Perhaps, it was the best age range one could look for when managing slaves. I was joking back when I said we were doing a philanthropic work, however, this is certainly a profit-making enterprise. And also, it was a fact that I want people that are at the age where I could use them as part of my labor force. Later, we¡¯d have problems with things, like teaching and accommodations, were we to increase the number of people, so this many is just right, but well¡­.13 people? It doesn¡¯t look like people in this country consider ¡¯13¡¯ to be an unlucky number. Lyle-sensei, probably thinks that adding new slave girls a few at a time will make a good education system when showing them how to operate guns and do specific jobs. Should I just calmly entrust that part to him? We had expanded the company by doubling the size of its building, however, the most particular trait of that expansion was a large bathroom erected on the 1st floor. Water was scooped from a water well using a hand pump, and the bathroom was heated from the outside with firewood. Naturally, there was also a drainage mouth build-in, so the water remained clean. Even though I told her she didn¡¯t have to, Laure was, currently, drawing water and burning firewood by herself. Apart from wanting to put wood on the fire, even in her job, she would continuously burn niter. Just how much did she like burning? It looks like dwarfs are a workaholic type of beings. Still, even though we had heated the bathroom, there was still the problem of many girls not taking a liking to bathrooms. ¡®Could it be that dwarfs are bad at dealing with water?¡¯ ¨C I thought so, but I didn¡¯t feel like wanting to ask Sensei. That¡¯s because, I¡¯d rather dip kids that hated water inside of it. I thought I¡¯d do so later. ¡°Well then, things will become faster if we wash you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± All the slave girls, were obedient with dead fish eyes. They neither cared nor objected, since they understood this was natural when coming here for the first time. I, Sensei, and Sharon took charge of bathing the 13 newly arrived slave girls. ¡°Sharon, you too, are going to help us bath them?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it Master-sama who told me to do so?¡± Ah no, you don¡¯t need to make such a displeased face. She¡¯s right, I recall asking her for a help. Still, didn¡¯t she want to be treated the same way as other girls? Well, isn¡¯t it fine? Be it Laure or Sharon, the most important thing is that both of them are eager to help. All the slave girls were kind of like Cinderella. ¡®Is it because they haven¡¯t bathed themselves even once since they were born?¡¯ ¨C This is what one would think upon seeing their grey hair and skin. Should I really call it grey? The color looked as though it was made as a result of mixing different paints together. Once they¡¯re made neat and clean using the foam from the soap, they will regain the base color of their hair and skin. Red, blond, black, green, and even blue colors were included. It felt very much like a fantasy world. As for the skin, there were lots of girls with small bruises, which was to be expected. Even the slave merchants weren¡¯t particularly sadists, so the bruises weren¡¯t done deliberately. Are you supposed to get that many bruises when you become a slave? Or perhaps, they¡¯re marks from getting roughly caught, like with animals? After we cleaned these girls¡¯ injuries, Viola proceeded to treat them by applying an ointment she had prepared from boiling the herbs she had gathered. It was sad to watch them being treated like that without showing any pain. Now that I think about it, the fact they dislike bathing, just like Laure, proves they¡¯re still human beings, I guess. As soon as we briefly finished cleaning them, there were other seniors, besides Sharon, who joined us in wiping the girls¡¯ bodies using towels. With each of them being in charge of a single person, the senior girls were very helpful for generally feeling responsible and teaching others, but¡­. ¡°Well, now that we are done wiping the girls, let¡¯s change them into clothes. Once we find clothes for them, I think it¡¯s fine to conclude this day with a meal and sleep.¡± Despite me saying it this simplistically, the slave girls, who had just arrived, wouldn¡¯t move on their own. Even if I were to give them proper undergarments, aprons, and boots, they wouldn¡¯t understand if someone told them it¡¯s okay to wear those clothes. They were most likely deprived of their sense of ownership. I made the girls sit at the dining table and have a proper meal, after which, I told them to go sleep in their beds. Retrieving one¡¯s humanity is, quite a bone breaking labor. The moment we put the 13 girls to their bed, this time we proceeded to bathing the senior girls. ¡°Oi, where did Laure go?¡± ¡°She was there, a moment ago.¡± I couldn¡¯t spot Laure anywhere, so I asked Colette, the former daughter of a baker, who had been working together with Laure for a while. Nevertheless, she was nowhere to be seen. Could it be she ran away? It was very like Laure to disappear before her bath, right after she had finished taking proper care of the newcomers. Well, that¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll soak her in water anyway sooner or later. ¡°Well, if she accustomed herself slowly and starts to bathe herself¡­. Hey, you¡¯re pretty fast when it comes to undressing, aren¡¯t you? Oi!¡± Sharon too, had undressed herself and was waiting. Uwaa, I guess I raised her to act like this. To think she would be able to recover back her growth after just 3 months of proper eating, however, she was probably still a school child in regards to her age. That¡¯s right, a child isn¡¯t supposed to be either scared or embarrassed. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll start with bathing Sharon. Everyone, you better learn how to bathe yourselves too, got it?¡± It¡¯s not like I disliked bathing Sharon or anything. Though, it would be very helpful if they could do it with their own hands. Does Sharon have a strong metabolism? The large bruises, which had covered her body back when I saw her for the first time, are already gone. Instead, her skin is now pretty, which is a real relief. She would probably suffice to work in a brothel, but, her insides would cause problems from an ethical point of view. ¡°Master-sama, I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s been ignored twice when taking a bath, so please make it up by cleaning me properly.¡± ¡°I got it, I got it.¡± I understand, so please stop showing me that expression from before. It was already bad for a portrayal. I shall subdue my emotions as much as I can, and wash you properly from head to toe. Her small, wagging tail was cute, which distracted me upon seeing it. Also, there was slightly orange colored fur on her back and wrists. Nearby her chest, there were extra lumps of soft meat, which I¡¯d rather not comment on. Her groin area was also hidden in orange fur. That saved me lots of trouble. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s done, you¡¯re now neat and clean.¡± ¡°Uhmmmm.¡± Ah no, you¡¯ve already become clean. Your body was completely covered in foam, you know? I think I¡¯ve done my best. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s done. I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± If you gaze at me that displeased, I won¡¯t be able to face you. Sharon is around the age of a school child, so she might be a bit peculiar due to her race. It¡¯s probably not something I should mind, but¡­. Rather, I¡¯d be a failure as a man if I were to. I too, am 17 years old already, so responding more than this is impossible for me. Even though I¡¯ve been enduring lots of things¡­.. I¡¯m already at my limit, and about to spew out blood. Washing the other children behind Sharon¡¯s back, I guess, they understood quite well that I¡¯m not a lolicon. I couldn¡¯t help but feel at ease. Lyle-sensei, as well as Louise, were helping me, so we quickly finished bathing the senior girls. ¡°Yes, now that you¡¯ve had your body cleaned, try and submerge yourself in the bath. It feels good once you start to get used to it.¡± For the time being, I tried to make them submerge themselves. I didn¡¯t tell them to do anything unreasonable, but, that¡¯s because I had experience of that, you see. Since a bathroom is good for one¡¯s metabolism, their bodies will also recover themselves, so perhaps they will take a liking to it while still being children. ¡ù¡ù¡ù As one would expect, dividing 26 people into 2 bath rounds made the hot water become sordid. I decided to remove all the sordid hot water, and burn new firewood for Lyle-sensei and Louise to enjoy their baths. I was last in the queue. For a moment, I thought about inviting Lyle-sensei to have a bath together with me, but, before I could even ask, he told me he would enter alone. It could be that he saw through my intention. More importantly, what about Laure? Once I find her, I¡¯ll have to soak her in water at all costs. There was Colette in the dining room. Her soaked, long brown hair was glamorous. This girl too, has the capacity to become at least a shop girl in a bar, were we to make her look pretty. Indeed, her future looked promising. Was it because she was formerly the daughter of a baker? Colette would prepare meals and serve them to others, just like part of her job, and eat as last. The fact she is eating now, could be because Laure has finished her meal. ¡°Has Laure already finished her meal?¡± ¡°Ah, Master-sama. She¡¯s still hasn¡¯t, it seems that she usually eats late. I apologize.¡± ¡°Ah no, that¡¯s fine. Do you know where she has gone off to?¡± ¡°I wonder if, she¡¯s still burning firewood for the bathroom.¡± I guess that¡¯s possible. I wasn¡¯t there to scoop new water, but, it¡¯s likely that Laure chose the moment when I was absent, gathered firewood, and took care of heating the water. Indeed, she¡¯s a workaholic. ¡°Then, let¡¯s await Laure¡¯s arrival and prepare a special dish for her.¡± ¡°Eh? A special dish?¡± ¡°Orc meat gives out a nice aroma when you add lots of salt and spices to it. Later, we¡¯ll also treat her with a distilled alcohol for her hard work today, a first-class one.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Laure works twice as much as others, however, she eats as much as a single person. There¡¯s no exception among dwarfs, even young ones like alcohol. Alcohol is known in their world ¡®life water¡¯, and apparently, they don¡¯t feel alive without it. It also looks like it¡¯s not particularly forbidden to let children drink alcohol in this world, so they can enjoy it as much as they want. Dwarfs like food that are intense in taste, so if you make it smell really nice, they will fall for it. And with the delicious alcohol, Laure will surely become satisfied. ¡ù¡ù¡ù ¡°So as expected, you were here?¡± ¡°Ah, Master-sama.¡± Just what¡¯s the matter? I had a hard time catching you, but as expected, you returned back to the dining hall at last? ¡°It looks like we¡¯ve both finished our meals at just the right time. Since Lyle-sensei and Louise have finished their baths, we¡¯re the last to enter.¡± ¡°Ah, but I still don¡¯t have enough fleas to be bathed.¡± Yes yes, you can later drink as much as you want, so let¡¯s go to the bathroommmmm. However, just a single bottle of whisky won¡¯t suffice to make you drunk, right? Or could it be it¡¯s because you¡¯re a bit drunk that I was able to catch you, despite you running away from me. Laure is the biggest earner among the senior girls, so it¡¯s fine for her to ask on her whim for as much high-grade salt, spices, or meat she wants to have. Still, it¡¯s a ¡®no¡¯ unless you take a bath. That¡¯s because, even yesterday, she¡¯s been working away at building the niter storage shed and gathering niter. It¡¯s not a decent task, but, her job is something that involves being smeared in animals¡¯ dungs, rather than in soil. I understood the best how demanding her job was, so I wouldn¡¯t become satisfied unless I made her clean. ¡°Okay. then take off your clothes. I¡¯m going to wash these as well.¡± ¡°Ah, Master-sama.¡± I quickly took off her dirty apron dress, so she covered herself with her hands once she became naked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Please be gentle.¡± ¡°Seriously, who taught you such things?¡± We were both last, so I took the opportunity and took off my clothes to enter the bathroom. I didn¡¯t know what Laure¡¯s age was, but, she looked to be the youngest among all the other slave girls, so I didn¡¯t think of anything in particular upon seeing her naked body. That¡¯s why, she might be the easiest person to hang out with. ¡°I won¡¯t be too hard on you, so I¡¯m going to wash your whole body. Prepare!¡± ¡°Hyaaaa.¡± I covered Laure with foam made from a new block of soap, and cleaned her with all my might from tip to toe. Her red copper hair and her brown dwarf skin were also the proof of her being pretty when polished. If she does her best, she could also aim to become that dark elf, which is recently popular in fantasy worlds ¡°I guess I¡¯ll become Laure¡¯s producer and polish her into a fine person.¡± ¡°Uwaaaaawaawa.¡± Hahaha, what an interesting person she is. As expected, I might possibly be an S. Bathing someone like Sharon, is harsh however, I can¡¯t help but enjoy people¡¯s reaction of dislike when bathing them. What¡¯s more, Laure¡¯s red copper hair also regained its glamor after washing it. Isn¡¯t your brown skin pretty as well? Not bad, not bad. ¡°Excellent, now you¡¯ve become completely clean. It¡¯s even fine to call you a dark elf.¡± ¡°Master-sama, I, don¡¯t like elves.¡± Ah, so was it like that? I guess elves and dwarfs are on bad terms with each other in this world. Well, that¡¯s fine. Then, I shall name you ¡®bishoujo dwarf¡¯. ¡°Master-sama, you¡¯re mean¡­¡­¡± ¡°Uaaaaa.¡± This bathroom was quite high, but I wanted a pretty mirror at all costs, so I requested one in this bathroom. It was something only noble families could afford. (In this world, a mirror is generally one type of a silver glass. I spent 2 platinum coins to buy all of them, so as to cover the majority of this bathroom. Citizens would usually use copper and tin based mirrors.) Before I could tell, there was orange hair reflecting in the mirror, which made me surprised. ¡°Uaaaaa!¡± Following my sound of astonishment, Laure too, did the same. I think she was probably just surprised at my voice, which made her react in the same way. Laure¡¯s miserable voice echoed throughout the bathroom. I guess, my voice was also the same. As I turned around, there was fully naked Sharon standing there¡­.. ¡°Even though you only washed me half-heartedly, you¡¯re doing nothing but the opposite to Laure, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Hey Laure, you should be already soaking in the water.¡± ¡°Uwaaaa!¡± My mind switched its focus to something else, in order as to escape the situation, so I lifted up Laure and put her into the bath. ¡°How¡¯s that? Baths feels nice, right?¡± ¡°So hot~~~~¡± ¡°Even though you¡¯re were the one to heat it up, now you¡¯re feeling hot yourself? Hahahaa.¡± ¡°Master-sama, are you listening to me?!¡± Uwaa, Sharon quickly turned mad and didn¡¯t seem she would let me off. Today was a tiresome day, so I too should enter the bath. Haaa, as expected, bathrooms are the best. At last. ¡°Laure, if you count to 100, you can then leave the tub.¡± ¡°2, 3, 5, 7, 11¡­¡­¡± Are, why does she know the prime numbers? Probably, someone had taught her that. Sharon too chased after us to the inside of the bathroom. Indeed, she¡¯s truly persistent today. ¡°Master-sama¡­..¡± ¡°I got it, I got it.¡± I¡¯ve got it, so please stop pressing your chest against my back. Honestly, that sensation will give born to something dangerous. Also, I¡¯m tired, so I won¡¯t have any energy left for self-restraint. ¡°89, 97, 100. Master-sama¡­.¡± ¡°I got it, you can already leave, honestly.¡± Sharon, ran after Laure, who had left the bathroom, and went to the changing room. I see, so she brought a change of clothes for Laure? (Phew. Somehow, it feels like we¡¯re always in a rush¡­.) To think that the hardest working person was Sharon, who would clean up afterwards. Sharon is an indispensable member. I¡¯m truly glad I could find someone like her. Submerging myself in the warm water, I expressed my gratitude towards my lot. ¡°Master-sama¡­..¡± ¡°Uwaaaa!¡± Oi, you don¡¯t have to wash my back, it¡¯s over. Good grief, I should¡¯ve gone out when those two were outside. ¡°We still haven¡¯t finished our talk.¡± ¡°Uaaa¡­.¡± Again, she entered inside the bath. It would be okay if it was different place, but a bathroom is bad. ¡°Why, is Laure the only one to get special treatment, and I just a slapdash?¡± ¡°I got it. Then, from now on, I¡¯ll do my best when bathing you, so as to make up for the time I¡¯ve been ignoring you.¡± ¡°Really?!¡± I got it, so don¡¯t rub your body against mine! I could tell her ears were standing up and her tail, wagging, while she was inside the tub. Good grief, I wonder if that place is the only one here I can look at. ¡°Yes, but under one condition. When I leave the tub, just sit there and don¡¯t open your eyes till I say so.¡± ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll do just as Master says!¡± Just as she was told, Sharon sat near the washstand and closed her eyes. Excellent, with this, I can avoid the worst-case scenario. I scooped water into a bucket, got psyched and rinsed off Sharon one more time carefully from tip to toe. ¡°Han, kyan!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make weird sounds.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but Master-sama¡¯s hands are gentle.¡± Honestly, I wonder if this girl realizes what she¡¯s saying. Damn, having a grown-up body, despite being a grown-up child, is a real torture. That¡¯s why I hate fantasy worlds. ¡°I have to focus when cleaning you thoroughly, so don¡¯t make any weird sounds.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll do my best, Master-sama¡­..Hau.¡± ¡°Your breathing-like sound is too dangerous, so stop it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stop breathing, Master-sama¡­.¡± Ah, I¡¯m already far past my limit and my heart is throbbing, so become serious and wash her, me! It¡¯s a physiological phenomenon, so it can¡¯t be helped. ¡°I guess, it can no longer be helped, this¡­..¡± ¡°Ah, Master-sama, if you touch there¡­..¡± ¡°By there, what do you mean by there?!¡± In the end, I covered Sharon completely in foam from tip to toe and rinsed her. I was even requested to wipe her with a bath towel in the changing room. The only thing that saved me was the fact that she kept her eyes closed, just like I ordered her to, till the end. Thanks to that, I was able to put my clothes on, but¡­ ¡°Thank you, Master-sama. I¡¯ll ask you for a favor again another time, is that okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, I wonder when it will be¡­..¡± Good grief, truly, your master no longer knows what¡¯s going on. Because of that, I spent this night worrying endlessly while being unable to sleep. I cursed this bad lot, which was responsible for my misery. CH 14 Chapter 14 ¨C Various Battles Since then, hordes of humanoid monsters continued to pour in from the miasmatic mana hole. The village of Ona located in the north eastern part of the territory of Est has completely turned into the frontline between the monsters and humans. Feeling the need to arm ourselves, we enhanced the fence surrounding the village, and erected small, stone-made towers equipped with large cannons. We had around 20 young villagers, who had also become able to operate the iron cannons, for self-defense, so you could say we had enough defense capability, even without having to borrow people from Est¡¯s garrison or its adventurers¡¯ guild. Louise, who seemed to be previously perturbed by the modern weapons, added another 2 people to her group of warriors, mounted her horse, and set off to conduct some reconnaissance. That was rare coming from Louise. For some reason, Louise didn¡¯t take a liking to the small arms, and instead used a small bow. Nevertheless, despite saying so, not only did she teach her subordinates, Suzanne & Claudia, horse riding, she also taught them how to operate guns, making them become a platoon of unrivalled dragoons (soldiers capable of using guns and horses.) At first, I wondered to myself if it was fine to teach only girls horse riding, but apparently, horse riding is more suited for people with small builds, so I was surprised at these two being able to quickly learn how to ride horses. Well, the one who could truly fight on a horse was Louise, but, there should be no problem for the others if it was a simple scouting that involved long ranged attacks. As one would expect, children are much more flexible. While we are at it, I, who was appointed as a real knight, tried to practice some horse riding, but then quickly gave up. It was much more fun to move on a horse cart, so I considered that as a better option. Today as well, Lyle-sensei and I went to Ona village on our covered wagon, in order to collect soap and gunpowder from there. Ona received lots of damage to their stock-farming from the monsters, but through our guidance, the village helped us with the production of new goods and thrived in business even more than before. It was only thanks to us betting on the village that we were able to utilize it to its full potential, but, it felt nice to see one¡¯s own village thrive. ¡°Lord-sama, it¡¯s the enemy¡¯s attack!¡± ¡°Ah no, I¡¯m not a lord¡­.. ehhh, didn¡¯t Louise and the rest head that way?¡± A young man dashed to me in a hurry while carrying his gun. In the end, I was just a governor and not a lord, but even if had explained that, the villager wouldn¡¯t have understood. Not to mention, it felt uneasy to be called ¡®lord¡¯ by someone who was older than me. Still, for the enemy to appear near the outskirts of the village, despite Louise and the rest setting off for their scouting, could it be they were aiming for this place? I looked in the direction which the villager pointed out and saw a cloud of dust rising from the other side of the meadows, together with a battalion approaching. It was still small, so I couldn¡¯t tell, but, were they orcs again? There was quite a number of them. ¡°It¡¯s probably a diversion.¡± Even though the village was about to receive the attack, Lyle-sensei said so with a smiling face. I¡¯ve been hanging out with him for quite a long time, so I can understand him, but, this person is interesting. Sensei is unexpectedly fond of wars, despite him being an official¡­.. ¡°Are orcs really that smart?¡± ¡°There are rare instances where a senior orc will become an orc lord. I guess, we¡¯ll be dealing with a slightly tougher opponent.¡± Lyle-sensei faced toward the battalion of orcs and casted his magic that would hold them. As he did so, some villagers from the self-defense team climbed the small towers with batteries and took their posts. Sensei chuckled to himself while holding his handbook which contained his calculations he would do each time we aimed the cannons. Despite the upcoming battle, his expression was too imprudent, which made me pull back. Well, all I can do is follow Sensei¡¯s tactic. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯ll gather and fight!¡± ¡°Ohhhh!¡± Carrying their arquebuses, the self-defense team gathered around me. I immediately handed out cartridges that were loaded on the covered wagon. The accuracy of the arquebus wasn¡¯t high. Therefore, unless we gather and fire into the enemy, the weapon won¡¯t become effective. I think it¡¯s that thing called a ¡®barrage¡¯. I wish there was some guy who could say things like ¡®our barrage is weak, we need to strengthen it¡¯. The self-defense team made from villagers wasn¡¯t as skilled as our girls, but, they were trained for a mass battle. Lining up horizontally, the villagers lay in wait for the orcs that had passed through the village¡¯s enclosure. They were quite numerous. If serious, the orcs will become a threat, however, our side didn¡¯t plan to lose. *Boko* ¨C A sound of crumbling was generated as the vanguard of the orcs fell into a hole. If memory serves me right, was it ¡®Earth Trap¡¯? It was quite a basic level earth spell, however, the range you could use it over and cause the ground to fall down is wide. In a battle that involved a large number of units, even a simple fence or a pitfall would prove more effective than any attack spell. The orcs charged vigorously, however, they stopped in front of the pitfall. ¡°Excellent, shoot!¡± On that command, the guns fired at the same time. At the sound of the explosion that was large than anything, and the severe rain of lead, the orcs started to lose composure and they¡­.. didn¡¯t escape. ¡°GuuuuuuGagagaaaaaGoogogooooo!¡± A terrific war cry, which was hard to describe, made the orcs behind step forward and hold back their puzzled comrades, who were about to break formation. What tried to come out sluggishly from the hoard was a giant orc king that was twice as big in comparison with a normal orc. It was wearing a helmet, with a large horn attached to it, and a waving red mantle. The orc king carried a stone-made hammer, which was longer than him. I see, so this is an orc lord? It¡¯s dignified body that stood out was the proof of its violent power. With just a single war cry, the orc instinctively delivered fear to its enemy, and made other orcs shake. If I were to describe the orc¡¯s ferocity, it would be that its eyes were filled with the color of wicked wisdom, alongside its madness. A monster that could make everyone shiver with just its gaze. I honestly wouldn¡¯t like to take it on as my opponent. No, actually, by no means. ¡®I guess it will be here soon.¡¯ ¨C I thought so, covered my ears and put my head down. That very moment, an explosion of flames together with a violent shock rose into the air. The fearsome orc lord and some of its allies disappeared amid the cloud of dust. *Dokan!* ¨C A firing sound that shook the air reverberated with a delay. I was able to endure the impact, as I could tell from the ground trembling when it would come. Beside me, this side too, became desperate to endure the shock wave and the tremble coming from the impact. ¡°Phew, you guys are truly scary, despite us being allies¡­¡­Everyone, keep firing the cannonballs rapidly.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Far from the orc lord remaining where the cloud of dust arose, there was only a wide hole opened. Both the skin and meat of the rare orc lord had probably been blown away somewhere. I¡¯m sure, Louise will be sad upon hearing that. I don¡¯t know how strong the orc lord was exactly, but, if you come uninvited like that in front of a large cannon, it¡¯s bound for you to become like this. In the end, the orc only possessed the intelligence of general Saruyama. It was an explosion coming from a large cannon firing at a close distance. It was so strong, even our side received some damage coming from the impact and blast of the cannonballs. Having lost their commander, and being at their wits end, the hoard of orcs scattered and ran away. We used that momentum and killed as many as possible. Our side had zero deaths. Even those who were injured would recover with potions. The killed monsters would leave masses of dropped equipment, meat, and skins as a resource. The more battles we fought, the more this village would thrive. ¡°As expected of Lyle-sensei.¡± I directed these words of gratitude toward Sensei, who was getting off the small tower. Thanks to his leadership, only one shot was needed to dishevel the orcs. That alone, let us seize victory, as the shot aimed directly at the enemy¡¯s leader. ¡°What? The gist of this battle was to use both magic and large cannons, you know?¡± ¡°I see, so it was thanks to that?¡± ¡®Have I granted an outrageous weapon to an outrageous person?¡¯ ¨C I pondered for a bit about that and became scared. Not only was he able to skillfully operate the large cannon by himself, but also direct the villagers, and even teach them tactics. Could it be it was actually Lyle-sensei who a threat to this world, rather than orcs? Well, as an ally, he¡¯s a dependable person, but¡­ ¡ù¡ù¡ù Our business was doing extremely well. Once I established a trade chain that stretched around the territory of Est, and acquired numerous covered wagons, I decided to transfer my knowledge of manufacture, sales, and even peddling to the slave girls, so as to have them do all the tasks, instead of me. In other words, I¡¯ve gained a little bit of free time. Our prosperity has also resulted, in major part, from Sharon¡¯s managements skills. ¡°Sharon, you should change your shift from time to time and have some fun.¡± ¡°Haa, then, I¡¯d like to go shopping.¡± Sharon made a face that was rare for her. Well, I was just killing time on a whim, but I also wanted Sharon to relax from time to time. I too, didn¡¯t want to just peddle, but also enjoy how my company thrives, from the top of the building. Despite saying so, what our company handled were still soap, detergents, and gunpowder. Besides that, Viola was also making ornaments for display from gathered herbs and wildflowers, but it also didn¡¯t seem like she was that busy. I, on the other hand, would stop by places deep inside the city, and have some idle chat with the workers at the Earl¡¯s castle while promoting my soaps and detergents. ¡®That¡¯s right, back in my high school, I would do things, like running a refreshment booth.¡¯ ¨C I thought about that nostalgically. Back then, I wasn¡¯t optimistic about joining my class exhibition, but, I would enjoy treating other people with my cooking, Despite me having been in this world for only half a year, my past memories felt as though they were distant. ¡°Somehow, it feels like I can enjoy my peace after a long time¡­.¡± ¡­..The customers won¡¯t come. Even though I went through the trouble of making firecrackers as a form of toys, nobody from this city¡¯s citizens would buy them, as they were fully regarded as a weapon for battle. What a pity. As expected, I wonder if I should increase the number of goods in our repertoire. ¡°Ahh! So you were here!¡± ¡°Welcome¡­.¡± A young woman wearing a white mantle with blue lines suddenly pointed at me upon entering inside. I guess, she¡¯s not someone I know. ¡°Nice to meet you, I come from the Asama Church, and I am a sister. My name is Steriana.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t trying to deceive me, right¡­.?¡± On her white mantle, there was a blue colored symbol of the Asama Church. Even I knew that much, so I didn¡¯t consider the possibility of her being a scoundrel trying to impersonate someone from a church. To begin with, I wasn¡¯t a big fan of religionists. I was quite familiar with the them, and was sick and tired of their natural-like attitude, so I unintentionally grouped this person together with the rest. ¡°That¡¯s wrong, I¡¯m a full-fledged woman who walks the path of evangelism. Not a sibling¡¯s sister, but a real sister, Steriana!¡± ¡°Haa, nice to meet you¡­..¡± The sister, whose hood was deeply covering her eyes, smiled at me and held out a silver ankh from her voluptuous chest. I intended to say this as a joke, but, was I really supposed to accept it? ¡°Despite me asking around many shops, I had hard time meeting with the ¡®rumored¡¯ Sawatari-sama. You could even say that our encounter is fate, which we owe to the guidance of the Goddess of Genesis. Ahh, Asama-sama be praised.¡± The item she held looked like a cross, but, the head of it was a bit spread apart. The woman held out the ankh and prayed. I felt troubled having someone suddenly pray in front of my shop, but¡­¡­ While we are at it, the Asama Church is the biggest ones in this world¡¯s religious society. This is also knowledge I had acquired from the holy document I¡¯d borrowed from Lyle-sensei, but¡­. Apparently, the Goddess of Genesis, called Asama, is the one who created this world¡¯s origin 8000 years ago from chaos. The followers of Asama revere the one and only goddess, forbid race discrimination, impartiality between sexes, and teaches about love for all living things. Despite there being such a wonderful religion, there exists the slavery system, the weak and poor are oppressed, and there are races, like nymphs, that are publicly persecuted. You could say it was ironic. Well, I guess those religionists are the kind of people who are different on the outside and inside. Perhaps, this was something common in a fantasy world. Still, rather than spreading some fanatic teaching, I think the powerless and peaceful goddess-sama is way better than that. While we are at it, the spread of the holy letters, which I could use (somehow, it turned out like this.), was also thanks to the faith of Asama. While it¡¯s obvious, an outsider like me has no religious piety, so I¡¯ve never gone to a church here before, since I had no need for learning holy-based spells. Wait a moment. What did sister mean by ¡®rumored¡¯? ¡°¡®Rumored¡¯, what do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re rumored. Right now, you¡¯re considered as a first rank hero, Sawatari-sama, who had arrived from nowhere to the city of Est, established his own company within the blink of an eye, saved the village of Ona from the savage monsters, and was bestowed knighthood and the title of governor from the Earl-sama¡­..¡± ¡°Ah, no, you¡¯re praising me way too much.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve also heard you are a philanthropist who rescued slave children on the verge of death. You¡¯ve gained quite a reputation here in this neighborhood.¡± ¡°Ah, no¡­..¡± I¡¯ll be ill at ease if you praise me this much. ¡°Even though you¡¯re such a strong and kind person, you have no piety toward Asama!¡± ¡°Yes¡­..¡± Just when I thought she was praising me, for some reason, our talk turned into a difficult one. ¡°Still, you¡¯re the one and only Sawatari-sama. I, Steriana, won¡¯t mind any trivial thing. I¡¯ve come here today so as to help you deepen your belief from now on, and ask for a contribution from the Sawatari company to our church.¡± ¡°A contribution?¡± Anyways, I, who was branded as someone with zero magic skills, and who probably couldn¡¯t even use a recovery spell, didn¡¯t plan to deepen my faith at all, but¡­. ¡°This is a talk between us, but, we¡¯ve received lots of donations from companies in other cities. It was thanks to everyone being deeply religious that we were saved.¡± ¡°Ah, I see, so it was like that?¡± I had finally given up. Even in this world, the church holds the same power as a king. It was probably a form of demand to pay for holding a place, on top of running one¡¯s business. However, back when the city of Est was attacked, there were also priests from the church who helped by treating others. Normally, when you¡¯re requested to pay a contribution, I can think of it as nothing more than paying one¡¯s tax. ¡°Then, how much would suffice as a contribution?¡± ¡°Your will is all that matters to us.¡± For the time being, I tried to present her 1 golden coin. Are, she won¡¯t accept it? ¡°Your will is all that matters to us!¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Then, one more coin. ¡°Your will is all that matters to usssss!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Is it not enough? Then, I¡¯ll add 5 more. The golden coins, which I placed on the table with ka-ching, were sucked inside the sister¡¯s robe¡¯s hem in a blink an eye. ¡°Thank you for your contribution! Deeper than any sea or mountain, Sawatari-sama¡¯s deep act of devotion will surely be responded to by the benevolence of Asama!¡± ¡°Yes, thank you very much.¡± I don¡¯t mind if it¡¯s a contribution around one¡¯s necessary expenses, but, I didn¡¯t want to quarrel with this person. I want her to go back already. ¡°By all means, if you have any free time, please visit our site once. I, Steriana, shall welcome you whole-heartedly and with great attention to detail.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­..?¡± ¡°Yes, ummm¡­.. please feel at ease and call me by my nickname, Ria. Everyone who¡¯s a close friend of mine calls me that. And since, I too, will be calling Sawatari-sama by Takeru, I beg, you by all means.¡± ¡°Haa¡­. you mean it?¡± Why did she suddenly start to address people without honorifics? This sister has a strange sense of distance. The sister gradually approached me at the shop counter and bent her body forward. Oi oi, don¡¯t just place your chest on the counter! Even if you give me that service, I won¡¯t increase my contribution, you know? I wonder if she¡¯s feeling alright, having a chest that huge. Could it be that this nun¡¯s thick robe is actually intended to emphasize her awfully huge rack, and arouse one¡¯s sexual desire? Hmm. I have the feeling this sister is giving out an intimidating air for some reason. Better not get too involved with her¡­.. If only I hadn¡¯t suffered from being unsociable when talking for the first time with a woman, I¡¯d have immediately found a good reason and chased this nun away. ¡°Is there anything you¡¯re troubled with? It¡¯s my job to assist everyone, who are adherents and children of the goddess, with their problems.¡± My problems, right now, occur with time, but¡­.. ¡°Uhm, Sister-sama, there¡¯s nothing in particular, so if you could,¡± ¡°Oh my, Takeru, you¡¯re indeed graceful, despite not calling me by first name. What a humble person you are!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± That¡¯s why, even though we¡¯ve just met, why are you suddenly this friendly with me? I don¡¯t want to become intimate with you, your sense of distance is weird. I know I¡¯m only partially aware of what¡¯s considered common sense in this world, but if you act strangely like that, I won¡¯t be able to retort you that easily. Perhaps, it¡¯s due to this world being a fantasy, and also because of Asama¡¯s teaching being supposed to be this friendly. Certainly, if someone like her with such sex appeal approaches me, it¡¯s much easier to collect donations. For me, who was bad in first time interactions with women, it felt close to being tortured¡­. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right, I¡¯ll take off my hood. Usually, I hide my face, because other adherents say they would lose their minds if I didn¡¯t, but, I¡¯ll make an exception for Takeru.¡± ¡°Uhmm¡­.¡± The nun suddenly started to lift up her hood, which was worn low over her eyes. ¡®What do you think?¡¯ ¨C The sister, Ria, looked at me with glittering eyes, as if wanting to say so. Ah no, it¡¯s¡­.. normal. Should I say her face was normal? Certainly, she was a person with silky, transparent-like blond hair. Her blue eyes were pretty, her facial features were well adjusted, and her skin too, was considerably beautiful, just like a white porcelain. I guess, this is to be expected from a western fantasy world. No matter how beautiful she was, I would still be troubled if I were asked to comment on that grandiose appearance of hers. ¡°Uhm, could it be that you¡¯d rather have me take off my robe? If you¡¯re a person that swings in that direction, I shall do it without fail.¡± ¡°Nonononono, please wait, Sister!¡± Don¡¯t undress, like it¡¯s a common thing! ¡®This thing too, is hindering me.¡¯ ¨C Ria was about to unzip the robe near her chest as if saying so. Do you even consider a man¡¯s feelings when you show him that cleavage between your breasts, even though he doesn¡¯t want to see?! She probably planned to laugh at me behind my back while saying something like ¡®That guy was looking at my chest, gyahaha,¡± I took the series of events into account, and finally understood this situation wasn¡¯t the result of Ria¡¯s religious doctrine, but due to her personal reasons. Suddenly undressing like this, no matter how insane a religionist you were, this probably wouldn¡¯t work, even in a fantasy world. A religious cult also had its good points. ¡°Somehow, Takeru¡¯s reaction is weak¡­.. as expected, I can¡¯t avoid undressing myself?¡± What? Is she threatening me? I guess, it can¡¯t be helped but to praise her look. ¡°Uhmm¡­. Ria, you¡¯re an incredibly beautiful person! I even accidentally mistook you for an elf!¡± ¡°Fuhii, noo, Takeru, you meanie, you¡¯re praising me too much! For me to be called an elf¡­. but, but, unfortunately I don¡¯t have pointy ears.¡± It seems I was right about praising her. Ria, whose face was radiant with smile, brushed up her blond hair. As she did so, I glanced repeatedly at her ears. Indeed, her ears were also pretty. However, she was a bit annoying. Despite having such an appearance, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to praise her any longer. In the first place, was this sister an elf or not? Asking that to myself, I didn¡¯t feel that curious. For the time being, I¡¯d rather have this person stop stripping inside my shop. ¡°Also, there¡¯s one piece of advice I need to give to Takeru, but, sisters are obliged to swear to keep their chastity, so it won¡¯t do if you fall for me.¡± Honestly, I don¡¯t. Where did you get that idea from in our talk? Just what¡¯s the deal, with this person¡­..? I guess, this is when¡­. doing business with customers becomes a big pain in ass. I don¡¯t know how to deal with people like this. Later, I should praise Sharon for doing this tough job. ¡°Sister-sama, today, I was able to observe your stunning face, so if you could leav-¡° ¡°Oh that¡¯s right. I¡¯ll say this, but, Takeru has done us an incredible favor. Maybe, I, could prepare you some holy water in return?¡± No, please go back already. I¡¯ve no need for holy water, so I don¡¯t go to a church. No, wait a second. On second thought, there might be a way to utilize it. I wonder if I should at least get some samples. ¡°Uhmm, I think holy water is fine.¡± ¡°Ohhh, so Takeru too, is willing to have it? I usually wouldn¡¯t answer to this request, even from the most devout of adherents. Empty potion bottles or anything similar will do, so can I have you go and scoop some water? Also, I¡¯d like for you to do it quickly.¡± ¡®This sister is quite a slave driver, isn¡¯t she?¡¯ ¨C Being curious about the new item, I went and collected water in as many as 10 empty bottles, and returned. ¡°Is this much fine?¡± ¡°10 bottles¡­.? Well, that¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll make this first time a service special.¡± Somehow, it feels like the people from the Asama Church are easy-going. ¡°I, Steriana, the loyal adherent of the Goddess of Creation, Asama, pray to thou. Bring us a fragment of thy holy light of order, and grant us your grace of benevolence!¡± As soon as the sister placed her ankh on top of a bottle and finished praying, the water inside of it radiated in silver. ¡°Ohhh.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I need to chant this prayer when creating the water, so we can omit this part when doing the same with the rest.¡± Honestly, say that earlier. To think you¡¯d need to make this long speech each time you had to give this burbling, silver light to water. Somehow, it looks like the ankh is the item through which you make the holy water. ¡°Uhmm, I managed to turn each water in the 10 bottles into the holy ones.¡± ¡°That was amazing, indeed.¡± I cannot use spells, so obviously, I considered this as amazing. Well, if we disregard her personality¡­. No, actually, this person¡¯s personality is incredible too. ¡°Ehe, alchemy based on holy power is my specialty. I won¡¯t mind if you praise me more. By the way, if you sprinkle this holy water on items, it will dispel their curses. If sprinkled beforehand, the items will act as a charm. You can even attack undead using this water.¡± Ria kindly explained while pointing at the bottle containing white water. I only wish she could¡¯ve done that service in a more normal way from the beginning, but¡­ ¡°Shall we try it out? Do you have any item at hand that you usually use?¡± ¡°Uhm, how about this one?¡± I placed my magic item, ¡®wand of the flaming orb¡¯, on the table. Ria sprinkled one of the newly made bottles of holy water on it. ¡°With this, your item has become a ¡®holy wand of the flaming orb¡¯. The wand has the divine protection of Asama, and it will also consume less power when used. What¡¯s more, it will be difficult to place any curse on it.¡± ¡°I see¡­.¡± Following that, she pointed at the silver radiating water inside a bottle once more and carried on with her explanation. ¡°This water also has health properties and is rich in nourishment. If you just drink it like this, it will recover you from any abnormal state. They say that combining recovery potions and miracle drugs are the most popular way of creating elixirs, you know?¡± ¡°Fumu, it¡¯ll become a good lesson for me.¡± Certainly, if my memory serves me right, there¡¯s supposed to be that thing called an elixir, which is highly compatible, just like the recovery potion. So, you make it like this? As expected, anything that¡¯s recovery-based involves the use of holy spells. ¡°This time it was a real exception, so please don¡¯t tell the other sisters I made this holy water for you, okay? Originally, I planned to have you come to our church, and make it there in exchange for your donation.¡± ¡°About that, thank you very much.¡± I pondered about this for a while, but, this person looks to be more of a peddler, rather than a sister. I felt, a bit of sympathy on that part. Perhaps, it was natural for her to involve herself in peddling activities, since, as a nun, she was supposed to convey her goddess¡¯s teachings. I guess, you could tell it from that grand way she asked for a contribution a moment ago. ¡°Also, it¡¯s better if you keep that fact, about me showing you my face, just between us. It would be quite troublesome if Takeru were to be resented by my fans.¡± ¡°You mean that?¡± ¡°However, worry not. Even if you¡¯re resented or cursed, the holy water will protect you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± That was clever of her, but, I wonder who should be the one saying it. ¡°If something happens, we can always guide you to our church. Still, it¡¯s just the matter of time, you see.¡± ¡°I still have a company to take care of, so I apologize.¡± I¡¯m grateful for your holy water, so please quit this talk and go back already. ¡°As expected, I wonder if shouldn¡¯t have stopped at my hood and taken off the rest of my robes too.¡± ¡°Ah no, that¡¯s already quite enough.¡± ¡°Takeru, since you¡¯re a man, could it be, you were looking forward to that service?¡± ¡°Ah no, it¡¯s really okay¡­..¡± I beg you, please go back! In the end, we managed to chase her away thanks to Sharon returning back to the shop, so the Sister, Ria, didn¡¯t remain here to continue her business with us with that attitude. I reflected on myself for a whole day upon realizing how great Sharon was, to be able to deal with such demanding customers, despite her being just a salesperson. CH 15 On a certain day, I was called by Lyle-sensei to have an earnest talk with him. Despite this place being my company, it was my first time entering Sensei¡¯s private room, so my heart was throbbing a bit. There were books lined up in a row on shelves, and his desk was crammed with piles of documents. It was a bit hard for me to find a place to sit, so I had the feeling the 2 of us would end up sitting on his bed. Still. What¡¯s the reason behind Sensei giving out a nice smell, characteristic of that in girls? Despite his brown, short hair and his body covered in official clothes, as one would expect, he looked nothing different from a girl with a ripened, beautiful profile. ¡°What¡¯s it, Sensei? It¡¯s rare for you to call me for a talk.¡± Usually, it would be me to hold a conversation, however, this was truly rare. Haa, could it be that it¡¯s finally come to ¡®that¡¯?! Was he finally going to reveal the secret behind his gender?! ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not something I can do on my own, so I need to discuss it with you.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Could it be, that I raised Lyle-sensei¡¯s flag, before I could¡¯ve even noticed? Fine. Be it a cross-dressing male or a girl, I love both of them! I¡¯m ready to accept them, to the extent of being at the point of bursting! ¡°Won¡¯t you consider merchandising guns and cannons to the country? If that¡¯s fine with you, I will use my experience as a secretary and draw up a plan of sale and distribution.¡± ¡°Eh, that¡¯s¡­.¡± What¡¯s that? So he isn¡¯t going to confess his gender? ¡°Being an arms dealer is profitable, you know?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I also thought about trading weapons, since I wanted money¡­ However, I also thought it could end up as a bad idea. ¡°I do understand your concern well, Takeru-dono. You¡¯re afraid that the weapons would be used in battles between human fellows, right?¡± ¡°True, there¡¯s such a possibility as well.¡± As expected of Lyle-sensei. ¡°However, there¡¯s a ¡®but¡¯. The monsters spawning from the miasmatic mana hole are causing great troubles to the kingdom. Only in the royal capital, the area nearby, and the main road are barely able to keep them away. On the other hand, the villages and cities on the east side are sustaining devastating attacks from the monsters, rather than fighting between each other.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡± ¡°Well, please let me finish speaking. If even people, who aren¡¯t able to use magic, can use guns and cannons for self-defense, things like having hard times dealing with the monsters won¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°I do understand your point, Sensei.¡± ¡°No you don¡¯t, Takeru-dono. It¡¯s thanks to the large influx of refugees to the royal capital, that there are this many slaves, and therefore, lots of children being randomly sent to the mines.¡± I see. So the situation looked like this? I didn¡¯t give it that much thought. ¡°Takeru-dono, you¡¯re also gentle toward slaves, right? You even rescued the villagers in Ona, who had lost their basic livelihood, gave them means of self-protection, and new jobs. That¡¯s splendid coming from you. I too, feel greatly proud of myself, having helped.¡± ¡°Well, it wasn¡¯t that much, but¡­.¡± In the end, I used the slaves and villagers for my own gains. I wasn¡¯t trying to do any good deeds, so it felt embarrassing to be praised. ¡°However, things like these are originally what a country is supposed to do. Even if I wasn¡¯t the one to suggest them, the royal capital would still inquire of me upon hearing about the rumored recovery of Ona village. I think they would buy the new weapons and do nothing but utilize them.¡± I see, Sensei had thought about that as well. That¡¯s why he was so passionate about manufacturing the arms and researched how to use them. I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s any difference, but, we have also tested lots of materials for ammunition when building a bronze-made cannon, instead of just the standard iron-made one. ¡®Why am I brooding so much over a single village?¡¯ ¨C I suspiciously thought so. ¡°Still, even if this country purchases our arms, you said there¡¯s been never a case where they would exploit them, right?¡± ¡°True. That¡¯s why, I¡¯d like for them to accept our proposal.¡± ¡®I implore you.¡¯ ¨C Sensei, to whom I was greatly indebted, bowed his head toward me. Even I had difficulty in responding to that. Sensei continued to solicit me, who was hesitant. ¡°The number of slaves won¡¯t fall as long the root of that, displaced people, still exists. I can¡¯t guarantee that the weapons won¡¯t be used between fellow humans, but, won¡¯t it become a chance for Silesia kingdom to overcome this crisis¡­.?¡± ¡°Ah yes, I understand. Please do as you deem right, Sensei.¡± ¡°Thank you, Takeru-dono. You have my eternal gratitude.¡± Sensei¡¯s gorgeous and soft palm of his hand piled up on mine. Perhaps, it was truly a bad decision. Still, if it wasn¡¯t for Sensei¡¯s help, I¡¯d have died long ago. I too, grabbed Sensei¡¯s warm hand in return. It was actually me who should be eternally indebted to him. Even I, who possessed the knowledge of modern warfare history, couldn¡¯t tell, at all, what effect the weapons brought into this world of vast plains would have, despite people here being attacked by monsters spawning from that miasmatic mana hole. It may be that the arms won¡¯t be utilized just for one¡¯s self-defense, as they may be proven highly efficient, so there¡¯s also a fear they will induce wars, which can¡¯t be undone. It was a problem I couldn¡¯t solve, even if I pondered on it. However, it couldn¡¯t be helped that I worry about the future, could it? As for me, I could only choose the path that the people around me continued to walk. ¡ù¡ù¡ù Having my mind filled with nothing but serious matters, I headed towards the dining hall on a whim. ¡°Ah, Master-sama. Shall I make something for you?¡± The one who welcomed me inside the hall was the brown haired and eyed Colette, the former daughter of a baker. She holds deep interest toward food, so it somehow turned into her being in charge of cooking. Besides that, Colette was also in charge of supplying us with foodstuff. While we¡¯re at it, she would usually hang around dairy farming families in villages near Est, and even help Laura, who was a poor talker, gather soil for niter making, in exchange for other services. She wasn¡¯t as competitive as Laura, but this girl was quite a hard worker too. ¡°Ah no, I thought about doing it by myself today, so¡­.¡± ¡°Then, I shall assist you.¡± Colette put on an apron on her, heated the stove, brought cooking utensils, and stood on standby, as if it was natural thing for her to do. ¡°Then, can you help me?¡± ¡°Since I¡¯m deeply curious about Master-sama¡¯s cooking, please allow me to learn by all means.¡± Recently, I had had a lot of spare time, so I decided to revive modern cooking and handle it. I normally like to eat, so perhaps, I could create some rare food with little effort, and add them to my products for sale. ¡°Whip this raw cream.¡± ¡°Yes¡­. is it fine for me to whip it just like I¡¯ve been doing before?¡± There¡¯s refrigerator-like equipment in our dining hall (Lyle-sensei made it by creating and cooling water using his magic.), so we left the fat there for a whole day, atop the sediment. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going to bake Cr¨ºpes¡± I mixed together wheat flour, cow¡¯s milk, some eggs, and sugar, and then made raw Cr¨ºpes. ¡°So we bake the wheat flour just like a galette, right?¡± The galette, which Colette spoke of, was a food made from thinly baked flour, common to this country¡¯s working class. It had simple taste, so I quite liked it, but, it wasn¡¯t something I¡¯d recommend to eat as sweets . Surely, if I remember right, Cr¨ºpes are supposed to be French-based cuisine, so perhaps you could find it somewhere in this country, were you to search deeper. Still, I couldn¡¯t spot it anywhere in the city of Est, so I made one with raw cream inserted inside. This one is certainly a Japanese style one, hence, you will probably find it nowhere in this world. I added the raw cream inside my quickly baked Cr¨ºpe, and tried to eat it in one go. ¡°It¡¯s delicious, but, I think it lacks a bit of sweetness.¡± Still, for me, it felt like a taste that I¡¯d been missing for a long time. Colette stared at me fixedly with a face telling me she wanted some, so I immediately baked one more. I thought about increasing the Cr¨ºpe¡¯s sweetness, therefore, I put a peach that was rich in sugar together with the raw cream. I presented the Cr¨ºpe wrapped up with the peach to Colette. Once she put it in her mouth, her brown eyes sparkled with light. She had an incredible smile. ¡°Itsh Dhelhicius¡­.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± It felt really good to watch a child enjoying something delicious. I myself was still an adolescent, but, perhaps this is how I would feel if I had a sister. For some reason, watching her makes me want to smile as well. ¡°Master-sama, it¡¯s so delicious it feels as though my cheeks are about drop. This is the first time I¡¯ve ever had something like this. I think this Cr¨ºpe will become a blockbuster if we add it to our line of sales products!¡± I also added nuts and cinnamon to other Cr¨ºpes, and even made a Mille Cr¨ºpe, so as to create different tastes to enjoy. The Cr¨ºpes received extreme popularity from the others, as soon as I served some to them during our lunch. It was still difficult for us to produce large amounts of raw cream, but, it isn¡¯t like you had to add cream to every Cr¨ºpe. About its sweetness, you could always add fruits as a replacement, even though they were a bit high on that part. As for the raw cream, you could use egg white to make desserts, such as meringue. Not to mention, there were also salty Cr¨ºpes, besides the sweet ones, which you could eat just like a sandwich with cheese and ham inserted. Speaking of which, there are still sandwiches common in this country, so maybe I should make some hamburgers? There were, as well, girls that wanted to open a food cart inside the company building. If I tell them how to make street food and have them sell it, perhaps, a new culture of eating while standing will be established. The Cr¨ºpe as a sales product won¡¯t yield any huge profit, but, it could become a source of encouragement for people who make a livelihood from cooking. I think this will leave a much greater impact than just promoting guns and cannons. ¡ù¡ù¡ù Holding a letter with the delightful affixed seal of the Silesia Kingdom, Lyle-Sensei entered inside my room. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for intruding!¡± ¡°Ah, what¡¯s the matter?¡± It was rare for Sensei, who was usually well-mannered, to enter without knocking at the door. Sensei, whose skin was normally pure white with no tan, had a face even paler today. I guess it¡¯s not good news. ¡°It¡¯s from the kingdom of Silesia. Our proposal for the deployment of weapons, has been¡­¡­ rejected.¡± ¡°Ah, so I guess it was no good?¡± I felt sorry for the Sensei being vexed, but, this information made me breath out sigh of relief. That¡¯s because I feared that the implementation of arms would bring a huge disbalance in hegemonic stability. ¡°However, the both of us have received an urgent calling from the royal capital. Can I have you come with me therel? Right now!¡± Why, were we summoned to the royal capital, despite our proposal of deploying arms being rejected? I had a slightly bad premonition about this sudden call. It would be nice if it was just a needless worry, but¡­. CH 16 Chapter 16 ¨C Silesia, the Wretched Royal Capital Being invited from far away to the royal capital of Silesia, I imagined we would be received on a red carpet and have an audience with His Majesty, the King, however¡­ As soon as we reached the castle of Silesia, we were immediately led to a separate, small room, and held a discussion with an old man who claimed to be the Prime Minister, and one more who was the head of the Imperial Guard Cavalry. I guess, it was to be expected. There¡¯s no way for someone like me, with a low social position, to talk directly to a king. Or perhaps, could it be I¡¯m the one at fault for being delusional, even though I haven¡¯t become this world¡¯s hero yet? ¡°I¡¯m the Prime Minister of this kingdom, Rogue Solitaire.¡± The white-bearded old man, whose body was covered in a luxurious, silk-made, purple dress suit decorated with golden embroidery, gave us a bombastic welcome. The other old man, with a pitch black, stern, unshaven face, wore a black mantle draped over the shoulders of his steel armor. I looked at this man, whose expression seemed to be nervous, as he threw a glance at us. ¡°I¡¯m the head of the Imperial Guard Cavalry, and at the same time, the Commander of the Army designated for the extermination of the miasmatic mana hole, General Gail Dot Zeus.¡± Sitting on his chair, it was an old man who seemed to be putting on airs as he threw out his chest. Are? I wonder which one of these 2 is acting haughtier? If I consider it calmly, I guess, it would be the Prime Minister. Still, the Prime Minister, Rogue, came from a plebeian background and had a 2-character name, whereas, the General, Gail, was a noble with a 3-character name. But, but, the Earl had said before that officials and nobles hold the same rank in this country, right? ¡°Sawatari Takeru-dono, the knight of the Almar household, today, we have summoned you for a special purpose¡­..¡± As I took glimpses at both of their eminent looking faces, the old man Prime Minister spoke. It was a Prime Minister¡¯s duty to lead a conversation, so he was most likely doing a great job as one. Otherwise it would cause a lot of a trouble if their partners were to misunderstand their acts as curry favoring. That was one of the important things in hierarchy when taking on a hackneyed country. ¡°¡­.I¡¯m sure you¡¯re probably aware that the kingdom is right now at a loss in dealing with the miasmatic mana hole. Based on secretary Laertius¡¯s report, you led an army against the monsters that invaded the territory of Est, and eventually, managed to protect it, at the same time exterminating the enemy. Is that right?¡± The Prime Minister, Rogue spoke out to me in a calm voice. That dignified attitude of his, which made others listen to him attentively and instinctively, is what one could expect from him as this country¡¯s Prime Minister. ¡°By all means, we would like to have you lend that power of yours. General Gail is currently leading his army and pressing it toward the hole from the east side of here, but, we also would wish to have Takeru-dono¡¯s army cooperate with us in driving away the monsters to the east.¡± Saying so, the Prime Minister sent another glance at General Gail. The general made a broad grin as if enjoying something, and started to talk after wondering if it was his turn. ¡°Sir Takeru, it appears you¡¯ve managed to take down the fort belonging to the bandit group, Inuwashi, which the monsters had been occupying as their base, right? Even our cavalry, which has been defending the road, couldn¡¯t capture that troublesome base.¡± Is this information the General had acquired through the Earl? As expected of the leader of a cavalry, I didn¡¯t know what kind of a general he was, but, he could grasp a war situation well. ¡°I hear that you command small fries, such as soldiers made from slaves and villagers, however, now we¡¯re so busy, we¡¯d even welcome the help of a cat. Therefore, it will be fine if you could lend us a reasonable amount of help.¡± Honestly, why does this conversation have to start from lending one¡¯s strength? Don¡¯t expect people to comply after just asking them for a help. For some reason, this General is so proud, I can¡¯t bring myself to like him. Even though they themselves were unable to take down the fort, I wonder if it¡¯s rude from them to call our side small fries. As expected, even I, who was kind, couldn¡¯t avoid being pissed off. ¡°Prime Minister, your Excellency, please wait!¡± Lyle-sensei, who had been silently listening, raised up a big voice. ¡°It should¡¯ve been mentioned precisely in my report, but I remember telling you about Takeru-dono taking down the monsters using the great strength of guns and cannons. And also about the kingdom considering the implementation of the new weapons for extermination purpose.¡± ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, we have already rejected your proposal.¡± The Prime Minister, Rogue, replied immediately. ¡°However, only this way we can get out from this situat-¡° ¡°You¡¯re repeating yourself, secretary Lyle! Currently, we do not wish to hear any opinion from you. Even for a mere secretary like you, it¡¯s quite impertinent to meddle with a Prime Minister¡¯s decision.¡± Uwaa, he¡¯s got on his high horses. But well, this reaction was probably fit for a Prime Minister. Even I, felt like I would prostrate myself in front of this person. ¡°This is an important discussion regarding how we should deal with the miasmatic mana hole. A petty official like you with such arrogance is in no position to suggest what is the best for protecting one¡¯s citizens or eliminating the hole!¡± However, without pulling back, Lyle-sensei objected. Despite Sensei being usually kindhearted, I guess, even he knows when to speak when it¡¯s necessary. ¡°Hmph, you¡¯re just a youngster who¡¯s benefitted from your parent. Just because that person has done some deeds, how self-conceited can you be?!¡± ¡°Ughh¡­¡± ¨C Sensei kept silent. He looked incredibly vexed. I can understand that feeling, as it¡¯s indeed harsh when having your parent being mentioned. Certainly, that Prime Minister is cruel. You know, it¡¯s got nothing to do with one¡¯s parent! At that time, General Gail cut in. ¡°Secretary, I¡¯ve also read your report about that, but, don¡¯t the guns and cannons work the same as our bows and large-scale spells?¡± ¡°General, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll become convinced of the arms¡¯ effectiveness upon using them.¡± Sensei, who was bad at giving up, depended even on the General, but¡­. ¡°I¡¯ve already tested them, but, they have way too many weaknesses. The fuse of the arms won¡¯t light if they get soaked in the rain. And if they get drenched, even that gunpowder will become useless.¡± ¡°About that, it¡¯s fine as long we can figure out how to carry the weapons. Luckily, there¡¯s not that much rain in this country, so it will be even more difficult for the weather to hinder our plans.¡± The General got cocky and rasped under his nose at Sensei¡¯s appeal. ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re a naive official who has no knowledge regarding battles. Even if we put cannons or guns on the battlefield, we¡¯re done if there¡¯s a high class mage on the enemy¡¯s side who can wash them away.¡± ¡°But the enemy are monsters. Why should a high-class mage appear?¡± At Sensei who asked that question with a sharp look, the General responded with a daring smile. ¡°You never know what could happen on the battlefield. Like if there¡¯s a monster capable of using water spells. I see no reason for why we should bet on and invest a huge money in something that will prove lethal due to its defect. You know, I¡¯m the kind of a person that puts things in perspective.¡± ¡°General, at least let us test the arms once or twice!¡± I could understand why Sensei was that persistent, but¡­ Those guys, were probably just mocking him. ¡°Oi, Secretary, try to think harder. There¡¯s no way proud knights like us would resort to those weapons.¡± ¡°Then, how about we let the ordinary soldiers use them first?¡± ¡°We, knights, are in charge of directing battles. Something like an explosive gunpowder is good for those engineer fellows in mine, but not for us, you see. There¡¯s no soldier in this country crazy enough to bet other lives over those strange weapons.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± ¡°Fuhahaa, it looks like you¡¯ve finally understood that it¡¯s impossible to order us, the knights, to use those toys.¡± The General sneered again at Sensei, after saying so. For some reason, this meeting felt very unpleasant. ¡®If you can¡¯t convince us any more than this, it¡¯s better for you to retreat.¡¯ ¨C Sensei was even more silenced, after the Prime Minister stated this. Well, then for what purpose did you call us? So as to make Sensei a laughing stock? I don¡¯t know if these guys are big shots, but¡­ As one would have expected, I couldn¡¯t remain calm any longer. ¡°Prime Minister, is it fine for me to say something?!¡± ¡°Yes. After all, we are the ones who have requested cooperation from you. If there¡¯s something on your mind, ask.¡± ¡°What will you do if, I manage to seal off that miasmatic mana hole using guns and cannons?¡± General Gail bursted into an uncontrollable laughter. ¡°Fuhahahaaa, obviously, you¡¯d then be considered as this country¡¯s hero and savior!¡± The General held his stomach, and looked as if being about to fall from his chair. Prime Minister Rogue rebuked him with a grave expression. ¡°General, we¡¯re in the middle of a serious discussion right now.¡± ¡°Hey hey, I was joking a bit, you know? The talk was so interesting it made me laugh.¡± ¡®Cough.¡¯ ¨C Once the Prime Minister glared at the General, he made a cough and carried on. ¡°Sir Takeru, we look forward to sealing off that miasmatic mana hole, therefore, we¡¯d like to implore you, as well as the Asama Church who¡¯s the only one capable of sealing off that hole, to help us. Even if you don¡¯t succeed in sealing it, rest assured, as we shall reward you appropriately for your deeds.¡± The Prime Minister was hard-headed when speaking, which made him give an impression of being easily understood. Should I ask him something? ¡°Prime minister, what I want to ask is, whether or not you¡¯d be willing to apologize to Secretary Lyle if he proves his point about the guns and cannons being effective?¡± ¡°I believe my decision, as this country¡¯s Prime Minister, was justified. However, were that person to be able to seal off that hole and save this country¡­. this old aged me wouldn¡¯t hesitate to do what he wishes, even if he was to cut me off or besmear me in the ground.¡± The Prime Minister declared that clearly and loudly. Heh? It looks like he¡¯s well prepared. He probably doesn¡¯t think we can do it. I don¡¯t know what kind of big shots those two are, but, I want them to atone for their crimes of disgracing Sensei¡¯s good name. Uhm, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m completely sure if we can manage to do it, but well. Anyway, I decided to take up their request and joined the monster extermination force. ¡ù¡ù¡ù ¡°Ah, wait, wait, Sir Takeru.¡± ¡°¡­.What could it be, General?¡± Just when I thought our talk had finally concluded, I was stopped by the General¡¯s challenge. I¡¯m not too keen on holding a discussion with this guy, but¡­ Even a General sounds eminent by its name, so I guess, it couldn¡¯t be helped for me to react. ¡°How¡¯s Louise been doing?¡± ¡°Wha? Why does General Gail know about Louise?¡± Could it be he has researched this side that far? For some reason, he¡¯s an uncanny guy. ¡°Gufufufuu, I know everything about that girl. It seems like she¡¯s fallen as low as to become an adventurer, but, the person named Louise Carlson was once a considerable friend and coworker of mine who would compete with me for the seat of the leader of chivalry order, you see.¡± ¡°Heh? So there used to be times like this? Speaking of which, does that mean Louise used to serve the kingdom as a knight?¡± ¡°What? You don¡¯t even know that¡­.? Well, I guess, it¡¯s not necessarily impossible for a person of doubtful origin not to know that. The household of Carlson has been considered as one of the greatest and most notable families for generations in Silesia. Their lineage is even greater than that of mine. What¡¯s more, for her to have an impetuous dash towards acquiring new skills at such young age, it¡¯s thanks to her deeds as a knight that she¡¯s known as ¡®Louise, the Myriad of Swords¡¯ in the kingdom.¡± ¡°Heh? So she¡¯s that famous?¡± Louise wearing steel-made plated mail and riding on a horse, just imagining that was cool. And then, General Gail sneered while making a broad grin, as if being extremely pleased with something. ¡°However, in the end, that girl was expelled from the order, for one particular mistake.¡± ¡°¡­..Did something happen?¡± With an act-like attitude, the General stroked his beard with his fingers, and looked at me with a broad grin. Indeed, he was an unpleasant guy. ¡°Fuhahahaa, that girl, Louise, brought shame upon her family, so she¡¯s probably hiding that fact from her friends. If that¡¯s the case, I, am willing to tell you everything about that.¡± ¡°You mean it?¡± I guess, even this bearded face general has quite an unexpected side. I felt a bit sorry for Louise, but I felt curious to learn more about her. ¡°That foolish girl, despite her skills and reputation, not to mention her noble background and rise to become a councilor of the chivalry, she committed a blunder for which she was disinherited and forced to leave the royal chivalry order.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why, I¡¯m asking you what kind of blunder did she commit?¡± Just go straight to the point, you annoying general. You¡¯re way beating over the bush, so tell me quickly. ¡°Fine, I shall tell you. There can be nothing else than that huge failure in which they failed to seal off the miasmatic mana hole. The troops from the chivalric order, which she led for extermination of monsters, were completely annihilated due to that foolish girl¡¯s foolish failure.¡± ¡°So it was because of Louise?¡± As I asked so, the beard faced old man smirked at me again. ¡°Of course. It¡¯s because of that girl¡¯s failure, that we, the Chivalric Order, are still being troubled. They were annihilated, all destroyed! Still, to be able to survive alone, that girl did really well. I guess, despite being called a knight, her feminine body doesn¡¯t necessarily know the meaning of shame.¡± ¡°I see¡­.¡± I didn¡¯t know Louise¡¯s circumstances in detail, but, it was certain her failure was considered as fact. Is this the reason why she told us not to come close to the miasmatic mana hole? I could now broadly grasp why she was so against coming, despite me trying to persuade her. ¡°Sir Takeru, you don¡¯t look like a person that will rise into becoming an influential official. It appears that that girl, Louise, is still in charge of directing battles behind the curtain. Even though she was expelled from the chivalric order, I must admit she has some guts worthy of respect for not giving up.¡± ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s as you say.¡± It would be unexpected for her not to be strong-willed, but, there were also some parts of her that couldn¡¯t be helped. Still, it was fact that Louise excelled more in fighting strength than me. ¡°Hmph, now that I¡¯ve become the leader of the Royal Chivalric Order, and on top of that, a General, I can only consider that failure of a knight as a bug. Still, tell her she did a good job in crawling to some other place and doing her best. That¡¯s because she would experience nothing but the shame of being laughed off by her old comrades, were she to return here nonchalantly. Fuhahahahahahaaa!¡± Talking at his own convenience while laughing, the general left. Uwaa, indeed, he¡¯s a guy with a bad personality. I guess, people like him are those stereotypical villains. It would be nice if he could just die from being stabbed from behind. ¡ù¡ù¡ù The royal capital was royal in name only. Its castle and walls were splendid, however, as soon as you walked a bit onto side roads branching from their main one, you could witness a disastrous scenery filled with beggars and refugees. I also saw lots of people who collapsed in the street dying, as a result of widespread crime here. Most likely, it was due to a large number of soldiers being occupied with fighting the monsters, which is why there¡¯s a lack in garrison responsible for protecting this city¡¯s order. Did everyone grow emotionless? Despite there being corpses rolling on the floor, nobody seemed to pay any notice. Has this country become a battlefield? I want return back to the peaceful territory of Est. I¡¯ve already lost my interest in this city¡¯s fashionable cafe for nobilities, of which I heard lots of good things from the Earl. It would be strange if there was any nobility watching the city and drinking coffee buoyantly under these circumstances. Even if I wasn¡¯t Louise, I could understand her feelings of not wanting to visit this place. For the time being, I checked on this city¡¯s market and managed to sell all the soaps, loaded on my covered wagon, at the possible highest price. Since there were no traders coming to this city at the moment, the citizens couldn¡¯t tell what was considered a reasonable price. Still, as expected of this royal capital, it was abundant with a variety of goods. Having lots of money, which I had brought with me, I proceeded to buy up antidotes, recovery potions, and precious miracle drugs here. I didn¡¯t know what would become of this city, but I knew I could screw up its economy badly. Did nobody expect traders coming to this city? The prices at the market were awfully high. It was a city with a collapsed order and morality. ¡°Takeru-dono, I apologize for this uncouth sight. To think this city would become like this¡­.¡± Back when we were in the castle, I tried to avoid any talk regarding that topic, however¡­. I was interrupted by Sensei and suddenly apologized to in the middle of buying up items from the oldest and most well-known stores in this capital. Sensei, please don¡¯t make such a sad expression. ¡°You¡¯re not the one to be at fault, Sensei. Hey look, I¡¯ve purchased lots of magic items. In addition to that, how about we buy magic jewels and gear up for the upcoming battles?¡± ¡°Ah no, it¡¯s fine by me. More importantly, Takeru-dono, how about you purchase those protectors? I think you have enough offensive power, but you should also consider increasing your defense.¡± ¡°Then, which one would you recommend me, Sensei?¡± ¡°They quite vary in price, but, how about you purchase this mithril cap?¡± The price for the cap was in Silesian platinum coins, that¡¯s to say 100¡­. Uwaaa, not 100 golden coins, but 100 platinum ones?! It was a price which I thought to be a joke. In Japanese currency, wouldn¡¯t it be around 10 million yen? The shop owner wasn¡¯t willing to take out the cap from its glass case, but, after somehow convincing him with an earnest request, I was allowed to touch this smooth, skin and silk-like cap, which was so light it didn¡¯t seem to be made from metal. This is the real deal. As expected from a magic metal. ¡°It¡¯s probably amazing. The cap has its price as well, but, I bet it must be hugely effective. After all, it¡¯s made from a legendary rare metal casted with magic. It¡¯s also said to be proof against a dragon¡¯s breath and fangs. What¡¯s more, you won¡¯t find this anywhere outside the capital.¡± ¡°I guess, we¡¯ll need at least this much equipment if we want to seal off that hole, right?¡± Lyle-sensei nodded in agreement with a bit of a lonesome face. Then, it¡¯s decided we¡¯ll buy this cap. I¡¯ve been totally encouraged by sellers who tried to make a turnover by telling me to buy anything and everything, but, when it comes to Sensei¡¯s opinion, nothing has gone wrong till now. If it¡¯s about powerful armors, I¡¯d also like to have Louise and the rest use some. Upon seeing a youngster like me, the seller doubted if I could really afford to buy this cap. It was amusing to watch him, whose eyes changed color and expression turned stiff from astonishment, as I presented him 100 platinum coins. Purchasing expensive items is one way of releasing your stress, you know? ¡°Thank you very much!¡± We were suddenly seen off by a now courteous shop owner. As soon as we left the place, the shop temporarily closed, which made both me and Lyle-sensei look at each other and laugh. Certainly, the shop owner must have brought the bag of platinum coins with him to a bank. I could somewhat understand his feelings. Later, as we finished buying various things here, we left this disastrous city behind with a fast pace. Apart from shopping here, we had no other business to do in this terribly detestable city. That¡¯s because we had already accepted a formal request from the Kingdom of Silesia. From now on, our plan of capturing the miasmatic mana hole commenced more and more. ¡®Will we manage to live through this war?¡¯ ¨C Pondering over that, I became anxious. CH 17 Chapter 17 ¨C Let¡¯s Gather Volunteer Soldiers! ¡°Takeru-dono, in the end¡­ in the end it looks like the extermination of the miasmatic mana hole has been decided, right?¡± Finally, returning back from that gloomy and sad city, I went to greet the Earl, Donovan. However, what awaited me was this question. I don¡¯t know what kind of fast horse your messenger used to come back here from the royal capital, but, the tension-filled scenes are over, my dear Earl. Also, I don¡¯t need you to strike a pose, like firmly clenching your fists while shouting ¡®Yosh!¡¯, you see. ¡°Well, for the time being, I think we should focus on sealing away that hole, but¡­¡± To be honest, I have gradually become anxious on my way here from the royal capital. It¡¯s true we¡¯ve got both guns and cannons in our possession, however, what should we do if some giant dragon was to appear? As I thought, not being able to forecast the future, is a scary thing. ¡°Nothing less expected from the lordly Sir Takeru, who would put his heroic deeds before all else, and not get worked up at all!¡± ¡°Haha¡­..¡± Making a great face, what¡¯s this Earl spouting off? Such a description doesn¡¯t suit me, and even if you praise me that much, nothing will come of it. Rather, it would be better if you gave me some coffee. I won¡¯t be going to battle soon, so let¡¯s hold a business talk. ¡°As soon as I heard about Takeru-dono taking part in the extermination, I too resolved myself!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± What¡­..? Could it be, he¡¯s declaring his willingness to fight alongside me? Treating a person of doubtful origin like me, who was utterly badmouthed at the capital, with coffee while holing himself up inside this castle and dressing his maids in red aprons, could it be that the Earl, who had been doing nothing but fooling around¡­., finally took matters into his own hands? ¡°I shall issue an official notice to the entire territory of Est!¡± ¡°Oo, ohh¡­.¡± This Earl has become serious. His actions might even bring down lightning and kill a dragon. ¡°Sir Takeru, my proud knight of the Almark family and the General of the subjugation troops of Est, you shall gather military volunteerssss!¡± ¡°Ehhhhhhhhhh?!¡± What¡¯s, that? Even though I thought the Earl had finally decided to lead the army by himself, he¡¯s putting me in charge instead?! Just what kind of resolution did you make? ¡°Takeru-dono, could it be I said something wrong?¡± ¡°Ah no, it looks like Earl-sama is placed in a difficult situation.¡± Not being carried away by the Earl¡¯s talk, I made a wry smile, which is why there were question marks appearing above his head. Being told to gather volunteer soldiers, on top of that, using my name to do so, and fighting, it seems this is the Earl¡¯s greatest ¡®resolution¡¯. Well, I guess he¡¯s that kind of person. Isn¡¯t it fine to be peaceful in nature? In comparison with those rotten folks from the royal capital, the Earl who¡¯s trying to gather war potential is hundred times better. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll cover the cost of recruitment. I shall give you 100, no, 500 golden coins!¡± ¡°Ohhhh, I truly appreciate that.¡± I forced myself to buy that mithril cap, so again, it felt like I was running out of money. Unlike that stingy Prime Minister, I was glad to have the Earl pay me in advance. The generous Earl made a kind-hearted smile upon seeing me become happy. ¡°In addition to soldiers, you¡¯ll also need goods, such as uniforms and provision, so leave those to me!¡± ¡°Earl-sama, Your Highness, I¡¯m truly thankful!¡± I honestly felt sorry for mocking him a little bit inside my heart before. However, in this world, only those with money and goods are the most revered ones. ¡°Not just that, I¡¯ll also take care of backing up your troops, so Takeru-dono, without any reserve, please knock down those evil hordes of monsters near the hole. Cut them into pieces, seize them, smash them, continue to hit and kick them, beat them up thoroughly with lots of noise and¡ª¡° ¡°¡­¡­¡± For some reason, the Earl was heated up in his own excitement, so I decided to leave him alone. I¡¯m not someone from this world. Therefore, I might not understand, but, it looks like subjugating a miasmatic mana hole is a job that makes one¡¯s heart race. The territory of Est is mostly a countryside, so there are probably no big events. ¡°¡­..Haha, if there¡¯s anything I can do, feel free to as¨C¡° ¡°Then, Earl-sama, I¡¯d like to have some coffee.¡± The hole won¡¯t go anywhere, so before I make a bloodbath there and bring it down, let¡¯s have a breather for a moment, my dear Earl. That¡¯s because I¡¯ll hear you repeating yourself on how to beat up those monsters if I continue to listen. ¡ù¡ù¡ù Once I deemed my business with the Earl had concluded, I returned back to the trading company in Est, gathered all its members, and held an explanatory meeting. Lyle-sensei, Louise, and all 26 slave girls were present. For some reason, there were also 12 Ona villagers from the self-defense unit, whom I hadn¡¯t invited. Wait a moment. Are those people behind them, the whole village?! Honestly, I don¡¯t recall inviting you here! ¡®What¡¯s going on, what¡¯s going on?¡¯ ¨C With this kickoff party attitude and the fuss caused till the outside of the shop by them, citizens of Est started to gather in the plaza while asking these questions. To make it worse, our salesgirls carried items outside for sale as the number of customers started to grow. Ah, could it be that Colette is selling baked Cr¨ºpes? I wonder if she wants to open a food cart. I guess, it would be nice if her sale succeeded. ¡­..H-Hey, this isn¡¯t the right time for that. Even though I planned to hold an explanatory meeting with the staff members, why did it turn into such a commotion? Isn¡¯t it because I lost the control of the situation? That¡¯s right, I guess it can¡¯t be helped for the folks from Ona to join our meeting, since their village is going to become the starting point for our plan of forming an army and exterminating the hole. ¡°Lord-sama, we too, plan to risk our lives and fight alongside you!¡± Apparently, being the son of Ona¡¯s tribal chief, the man, who assumed the presence of a leader of the self-defense group, was an easily elated person with his loud voice being his only outstanding feature (Was his name Mars, or so?). The man who was apparently the son of Ona¡¯s tribal chief shouted some grandiose words at me and crouched down. It¡¯s nice you¡¯re eager to help me, but, even if you squat like that while wearing a leather armor and holding a lance, you look no different from a boorish onii-chan. The rest of the villagers followed Mars¡¯s example and crouched down in an unrefined manner. Are you lots some kind of Yankees that would hang out together in front of one¡¯s shop? Don¡¯t force yourself if you don¡¯t know the right etiquette of soldiers. Honestly, I¡¯ve gone through the trouble of giving you the arquebuses, so at least bring them with you during times like these. I guess, I¡¯ll need to teach them the modern military style greeting. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be placing my hope in you, so do your best, okay?¡± ¡°Y-Yes! Lord-sama!¡± My spoken words were enough to make Mars and the rest of his companions crawl on the ground and kowtow. Despite them assuming the presence of soldiers, I guess they will quickly revert back to being villagers. I¡¯ve long since given up on telling the villagers I was a Governor, rather than a Lord. They probably wouldn¡¯t understand the difference anyway. The self-defense unit from Ona was in charge of protecting their village, so it would be troublesome if I had them over-enthusiastic. I¡¯d rather have them be moderate in giving their best. ¡°We, the slave girl musketeers of Takeru-sama¡¯s personal guard, will too, risk our lives to protect Master-sama.¡± At Sharon¡¯s order, all 26 slave girls gathered together and formed a neat line up while bowing in the Silesian-style (i.e. kneeling down on one knee, putting up their arquebuses, and kissing their barrels.) ¡®Just who had taught you such etiquette?¡¯ ¨C I glanced around with this question and saw Louise and Lyle-sensei smiling. ¡°Is that so? Thank you. However, referring to yourselves as my personal guard¡¯s musketeers is an exaggeration, you see.¡± ¡°But, isn¡¯t it Master-sama who told us we¡¯re musketeers?¡± ¡°Ahh, that¡¯s right. I guess, I said something like this before.¡± Looks like I boasted myself by saying they¡¯re musketeers upon seeing them carry guns. I better not inspire Sharon with weird ideas. ¡°Also, Louise-sama told us we¡¯re the closest to Master-sama in terms of protecting, therefore, we are Master-sama¡¯s personal guard of slave girl musketeers.¡± ¡°Is there any need to add that ¡®slave girls¡¯ at the beginning?¡± ¡°¡±¡±We are Master-sama¡¯s personal guard of slave girl musketeers! Thank you very much!¡±¡±¡± All the members gathered their voice and said this at once, as if trying to imply ¡®Don¡¯t complain!¡¯. Slave girls, slave girls, for some reason it sounds like magical girls to me if you say it repeatedly. I do wish to create my personal guard of magical girl musketeers, but I guess it won¡¯t happen, right Sensei? Well, I guess it can¡¯t be helped for me but to feel the need of troubling Sensei with this stupid idea. ¡°More importantly, do your best so as not to commit any mistakes when selling goods.¡± ¡°Please leave it to us, as we¡¯ll create shifts with no gaps.¡± I see, they know what shifts are. Speaking of which, was there a concept of shifts in this period? Good job on doing your part as a work leader, Sharon. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to get you too much involved in battles, so I¡¯d rather have you stay in this shop.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be changing our shifts with other members, so we can definitely protect Master-sama at all times!¡± You¡¯re fully motivated, aren¡¯t you, Sharon? It¡¯s good to see that, however, I¡¯d like you to listen to me till the end. ¡°¡­And so, the explanatory meeting was held for that purpose. Does anyone still have any objections for why we shouldn¡¯t advance toward the miasmatic mana hole?¡± I intended to ask for opinions from each of them, after I made a proper explanation. Even if all the members are slave girls, it¡¯s not like I want to be dishonest towards them. ¡°Whatever Master-sama assigns me to, I will neither object nor complain!¡± ¡°It feels reversely scary when you say it that way.¡± If you¡¯re mistaking something, please make a proper complaint. After all, I¡¯m still a high schooler. Despite there being lots of children in this company, it¡¯s harsh for me to take care of this many by myself. And I¡¯m the type of a person who¡¯s honestly bad at fulfilling my role as a leader. ¡°Obviously, everyone here will discuss matters together with Master-sama. We swear to our heart we will fight together, cry, shout, and protect Master-sama. If there¡¯s anything we¡¯re against, it would not allow us to put our lives on the line.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to go that far¡­.. and also, if possible, please restrain from shouting.¡± Now that I think, it¡¯s been a long time since Sharon was this lively. And her bad habit of saying things one after another still hasn¡¯t been fixed. I guess it can¡¯t be helped, right? Since she¡¯s still a child inside, despite her looking as smart as an adult. *Haaa*, but she¡¯s the face of this shop. What should I do to make it right? ¡°Sensei, later, I¡¯d like you to help me settle this someh¡ª¡° ¡°Oh my, just when I thought Takeru-dono was going to make a speech, you¡¯re giving up?¡± It¡¯s rare for Sensei to say provocative things like this. ¡°Could it be, you find this crowd unmanageable and want me to take care of it?¡± ¡°Even though these people have gathered here, isn¡¯t this a chance to make a fervent speech and recruit volunteer soldiers?¡± Ehhhh? So who¡¯s supposed to make that speech¡­? Could it be, me¡­.? Big Sis Louise averted her eyes, as soon I took glance at her. Ehhh? But I¡¯m not someone who¡¯s good with speechessss. Oi Louise! You¡¯re making a serious face, but, we¡¯ve been hanging out together for quite long, so I can tell you¡¯re holding back from laughing. I think she¡¯s aware of that, but Louise, who used to be part of the cavalry, is a big shot. Even though she would be much more suitable as a leader or commanding officer than me¡­. Hmm, still, shouldn¡¯t I too, grow up and take matters into my own hands? Both Louise and Sensei are telling me to do it, so¡­. Fighting isn¡¯t just about battlefields. That¡¯s because you¡¯re bound to do the recruitment using your name upon becoming a knight. This is something only I could do. Bringing the musketeers and the self-defense group with me, I resolved myself and shouted toward the crowd at the plaza once I made my way to the main road. ¡°Everyone! I, Chevalier Sawatari Takeru, the knight of the Almark family, shall speak!¡± I stood in the center of the crowd and looked around me. As I did so, the commotion settled down before one could notice. That¡¯s because, I was currently wearing this radiantly shining mithril cap. Perhaps, only a small number of people look important, but, they say that clothes make the man. Good grief, had I known I was going to do this, I¡¯d have worn a red mantle like General Gail. Still, being the center focus amidst this silent crowd, I felt somewhat pressured. Back in my world, I was chosen as a candidate for the student council against my will by my classroom teacher, and had nothing much to say. Till now, that memory still prickles me. However, Lyle-sensei, please watch me, as I will do it! I unsheathed my iron sword and hung it out toward the blue sky, on which Sensei kept his eyes. *Shakin* ¨C The sound of the unsheathed sword reverberated silently throughout the crowd. I knew it. Doing it like this feels much coooooooler! ¡°From now on, the volunteer army of the Est shall commence its subjugation towards the north and aim to destroy the monsters that are spawning from the miasmatic mana hole! Be it slaves, beggars, farmers, citizens, traders, adventurers, soldiers¡­. your social position, age, sex, and experience, I won¡¯t inquire into theseeeee! I don¡¯t care who you are. You¡¯re free to bring whatever you want, and as long as you are brave and determined, you can join me! With your body and soul, hasten to join my side! For the sake of rescuing this country, and for the sake of protecting the innocents, I¡¯d like you to lend me that power of yours!¡± *¡­¡­.* Uwaa, this is embarrassing. Everyone was looking at me with dumbfounded expressions and widely opened eyes. Ah no, Sharon, as well as you lot from Ona village, don¡¯t just salute, help me! I guess, there¡¯s a strange tension rising in the air. I¡¯m at fault for overdoing this, so I need to smile or deceive them, do any follow u¡ª- ¡°Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!¡± A large shout of joy, which could blow one away, was raised up at me, who remained stiff while holding aloft my sword. It was an eruption of voices that echoed throughout my stomach. The ones shouting were everyone present. The stream of cheers and applause which could split one¡¯s head, and the self-defense group howling words that didn¡¯t make sense while pushing up their lances, spread all over the plaza. Ahh, I¡¯m glad I produced this kind of performance. I sighed with relief at my smooth performance, and cried tears, even though I wasn¡¯t sad. (Lyle-sensei, it should be fine with this, right¡­..?) I sheathed back my sword, held back my tears and looked up at the sky. Sensei, who should also be watching the sky, lightly supported my back with his hands, as I staggered at these shouts of joy. ¡°Takeru-dono, you¡¯ve done well.¡± ¡°Please praise me more.¡± Isn¡¯t this the first time I was honestly praised by Sensei? I¡¯m incredibly happy, but still¡­ While we are at it, this day marked the Sawatari Takeru Trading Company¡¯s food cart¡¯s first big sale of Cr¨ºpes. ¡ù¡ù¡ù At last, the entrance of the shop became quiet. Words of admiration could be heard directed at my back, as I had become melancholic from the atmosphere that resembled that of a festival. ¡°You¡¯ve done a good job, Takeru.¡± Fluttering her sunrise-like, burning crimson hair, Louise entered inside. Has she still not forgotten the event just now? ¨C She made a clearly curious face while hitting my shoulder. Was I really that funny? Louise was the only one who held her stomach while laughing upon hearing my speech. I too felt embarrassed, as I was aware such a performance didn¡¯t suit me. Rather, I¡¯ll hate if people takes it seriously. In order to save this country and its people, be it a good sounding reason or a big lie, both will do. With Louise laughing me off, it felt as though I could be at ease from that speech. However, there were also things at which I couldn¡¯t feel at ease. I was still confused if I should discuss with Louise the matter of her past, which I had heard from General Gail. ¡°As I expected, this fate cannot be avoided.¡± Louise talked to me in a monologue tone. ¡°Fate?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about the miasmatic mana hole. You¡¯ve probably heard about it, about me once leading a subjugation army against the hole and suffering defeat.¡± Ahh, is that so? Could it be that Louise already knows about things I know? If I were to say, I was glad she saved me from any unnecessary consideration. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, for hearing about it without your permission.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. To begin with, Lyle-sensei, who was present in the capital at that time, also knows about me serving once in the cavalry.¡± Ah, is that so? So Lyle-sensei kept it secret from everyone? To be able to express oneself without words or gestures, not even I could do that. As you would expect, Sensei¡¯s an amazing person. ¡°Hey, Takeru, even now I¡¯m against it, against the idea of challenging the hole.¡± Louise, looked at me from the corner of her eyes in a serious manner. Her beautiful madder red eyes, which were smiling before, were suddenly filled with a hue of seriousness, making me unable to avert my look. ¡°I¡¯ve been constantly running away, from my own defeat and from my deceased friends. Even after meeting you, I¡¯ve been doing the same, constantly running away from my past.¡± ¡°Louise¡­.¡± ¡°The time when I saved you from the monsters, as well as when I decided to raise those children into soldiers, perhaps I wanted to at least atone for my actions, but in the end, I guess it was just a fruitless attempt to run away from my past.¡± ¡°Louise, if by any chance, you¡¯re still against¡­¡± This was an expedition that had piled up and could become successful, but, I thought about ceasing it if there was anyone fully against it. No matter how much the Prime Minister tried to instigate me, there was no way I could become honestly naive and charge at this dangerous hole. I also thought if it wasn¡¯t safe just to continue to ward off the monsters from the kingdom¡¯s territory. ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Takeru. Challenge it.¡± ¡°Louise.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it a prominent speech? My feelings might be temporary, but, I could feel your speech echoing inside me.¡± ¡°Really? Even though you were laughing at me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, you were amusing, because such a speech usually doesn¡¯t suit you.¡± ¡®However, for you to be chased after by the dogs in tears,¡¯ ¨C Being about to burst in laugh, Louise said this and trembled with her shoulders. Oi, this isn¡¯t the right time to bring up that old story again and laugh. You¡¯re mean. ¡°Still, had I had a flexible way of thinking like Takeru, regardless of one¡¯s social status and position back when I formed the subjugation army, perhaps, I could¡¯ve avoided that defeat.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Even if I were to become as strong as Louise, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to win against the opponents she had defeated. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why, I will help you with all I¡¯ve got. You¡¯re, my new possibility, Takeru.¡± Saying so, she placed her hand on my shoulder which was gentle, unlike before. Somehow, it felt like I could give my best, but, I was still ready to run away if things became dangerous. But well, I guess I could become a bit serious and do my best if it¡¯s for someone like Louise. I also have the mithril cap, so I probably won¡¯t die that easily. CH 18 The speech, which I had previously made, spread at its own convenience, just like a manifesto, throughout all the territory of Est. Soon after that, volunteers with the desire to become my soldiers began to assemble more and more. Having the volunteers come to my shop would be troublesome, so I decided to turn Ona village into a gathering spot and set a camp there instead. I also had sets of leather armor, undergarments and arquebuses distributed, alongside having the self-defense unit and the troop of musketeers undergo practice. Obviously, I entrusted the last part to Louise, who was known as the demon sergeant of training. (I think she¡¯s a competent person.) Even if we gather volunteer soldiers, it doesn¡¯t mean they will be able to use guns and cannons, unless we teach them how to do it, you see. Of course, we were also lacking in gunpowder, so I also needed them to learn how to make it together with bullets. I don¡¯t think the volunteers will have any previous experience as soldiers, as most of them have made a living as farmers. I¡¯ll make sure to give them food and wages, so they probably shouldn¡¯t complain. As for me, I waited for the practice to settle and endeavored with Sensei, Sharon, and the rest of girls in trade, just like the usual. Naturally, we¡¯ve received money to cover the cost of arrangements from the Earl, however, we were still in need of more. That¡¯s because the recovery potions, which we provided the volunteer soldiers with, were costly. (And the cheapest one was 1 silver coin!) Despite saying so, there would probably be no end to my regrets, were I to let people die because of my stinginess. Money can¡¯t be converted into one¡¯s life. Honestly, I¡¯d have manufactured potions by myself if I could, but, it seems there are magic users here capable of casting water and recovery magic. Too bad, there¡¯s no priest in my group. However, it should be fine for me to make it up by earning money, earning money! ¡°Welcome!¡± I, who was in charge of the shop, welcomed a customer loudly. The customer, who had just entered in, turned out to be the blond-hair Sara-chan, whom I remember. ¡°Long time no see, Takeru¡­..¡± ¡°Oh, Sara-chan, why are you here?¡± For some reason, there was a group of boys and girls tagging along behind her, but, could it be they are on a trip to Est? Somehow, they were holding dangerous, pointy weapons which looked like remodeled farming tools. They were even carrying wooden shields and wearing heavy clothes, but¡­. ¡°I, Sara Rhode and the Losgow¡¯s volunteers troop of 10 are checking in!¡± ¡°Uhmmm¡­¡± What¡¯s this? ¡°Wait, Takeru! Honestly, why do you look slightly doubtful?! I¡¯ve gone through the trouble of gathering volunteer soldiers just for you, so please give us a warmer reception!¡± ¡°Ah no, but aren¡¯t you all just kids?¡± The boys and girls brought by the 12-year-old Sara-chan were all in the same age category as her. Well, you¡¯d expect the same from the slave girls in my household, but¡­. These kids, they are way too young to become soldiers, right? Aren¡¯t they really just on a school trip? ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumors about Takeru giving weapons to very young children and making them fight.¡± ¡°Eh, why does it sound like I¡¯m creating a troop of mercenaries¡­..?¡± Just what kind of wicked people spread rumors like these? Honestly, am I going to be punished, before their country will be by the hands of monsters? Ah, but could it be, this is actually how I look? I didn¡¯t want to stand out, since this fantasy world is very cruel, but, it may be that I¡¯ve already become a scoundrel. ¡°Well, actually half of what I said is a joke. The truth is, I¡¯ve heard that Takeru is recruiting soldiers regardless of their age, so I thought children can also participate and brought everyone with me. I also told them I used to be your boss.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re willing to become part of our military strength, but honestly, where we are heading is a battlefield.¡± Even if you were to do nothing but shoot from a distance, I can¡¯t afford to bring children with me. Still, there¡¯s no doubt even that part will be dangerous or life-threatening, as guns and cannons might explode. ¡°Hmph, what more can I say¡­..? The 2 girls and 3 boys whom I¡¯ve brought here come from poor farm families. They¡¯ve been nothing but fed and treated as children, so everyone is desperate and determined to help!¡± ¡°Ah no, having them become desperate would be troublesome. Even you, Sara-chan, I would feel incredibly sorry for your parents¡­..¡± If something was to happen to her, what would I say to the Rhodes? Even if it¡¯s just Sara-chan, I¡¯d like her to return back. ¡°Fufu, but I¡¯ve got Lyle-sensei and Takeru to protect me, don¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Well, I guess it should be safe to assign you to the rear, but¡­.¡± When it comes to possessing a large army, a battlefield won¡¯t be just about front line. The rear is too, important for its supportive role. What¡¯s more, we also don¡¯t know how strong the monsters are going to be. If, by any chance, the battle were to expand into a large-scale one, it would be seriously bad, were Sara-chan to be attacked. ¡°Worry not. Rather, I¡¯ll be the one to protect Takeru. I know better than you when it comes to maneuvering.¡± ¡°Well, certainly¡­..¡± Indeed, Sara-chan won¡¯t lose in terms of physical strength. What¡¯s more, back when I was working in their farm, the petite Sara-chan would have much more explosive power and stamina than me. Since then, I had managed to train my body a bit, but I know very well that children are quite robust in this cruel world. ¡°Despite saying so, Takeru too, has become successful in your life. You aren¡¯t just a Governor or a Knight but also a General of an extermination army.¡± ¡°Well, it can¡¯t be helped about my career rising.¡± ¡°From our farming assistant, to a merchant, Knight, and even becoming a General, I guess it was thanks to rumors about you being spread in our village that you became this successful.¡± ¡°Please stop thaaaat.¡± Good grief, could it be that Losgow is no longer good? ¡°Ara, but you¡¯re an aspiration for the children in the village. Everyone has come here with the intention to become knights, so please take good care of us, okay?¡± Saying so, Sara-chan grasped my hand firmly. Despite her being a 12-year-old, it¡¯s ominous that Sara-chan is able to capitalize on her connection. Being told a fictional story about me by Sara-chan, the girls¡¯ and boys¡¯, who were brought here by deception, eyes glittered. Argh. Good grief, if you want to look at me, then at least do it with eyes filled with honest respect. That¡¯s right, the blood of those kids must be boiling, after being instigated they could rise to being a knight from a farmer. ¡°Kuu, Sara-chan, you bad girl. Just what kind of sin have you committed¡­.?¡± ¡°Even if I don¡¯t become a knight, I¡¯m fine with being a General¡¯s wife.¡± Saying so, she grasped my hand while acting flirtatious, even though she had yet to become a full-fledged adult. Hmph, I don¡¯t know what she¡¯ll become in 5 years, but, even if she brushes up her silky blond hair and tempts me with her nape, she looks nothing but merely cute to me. As she was acting intimate with me like this, Sharon and Lyle-sensei finished the distribution of items and returned back. ¡°Ahhhh, who are you guys?! Get away from Master-sama!¡± Before Lyle-sensei could call out, Sharon rushed over and came between me and Sara-chan who was holding my hand. Indeed, Sharon plunged in quite forcefully. ¡°Ah no, wait wait. That¡¯s fine, Sharon. These kids are from Losgo¡ª¡± ¡°You as well, what¡¯s your relationship with Takeru?!¡± Before I could intervene, Sara-chan became enraged. Uwaa, wait a bit you girls. Don¡¯t just play Oshikura Manju, listen to me! ¡°I am, Master-sama¡¯s slave girl, and at the same time, his personal musketeer!¡± ¡°Heh, is that so? So you¡¯re one of those rumored slave girls. You look to be pretty huge for a girl, but¡­. whichever it is, it¡¯s been decided my volunteers troop will take charge of protecting Takeru, so your business is settled.¡± I shifted my gaze toward Lyle-sensei and looked for help, however, he shrugged his shoulders. ¡®Try to figure out something by yourself.¡¯ ¨C As if telling me that, Sensei took all the children, besides Sara-chan, with him and drew back inside the shop. Well, I do understand that all these children are your acquaintances from the village, but¡­ Isn¡¯t Sara-chan Sensei¡¯s precious pupil? Why are you leaving her behind to me?! And then, somehow it feels like, lately, Sensei¡¯s become cold towards me. It feels lonesome not to receive enough love. ¡°Get away from Master-sama immediately! It¡¯s been decided before that we, the loyal slave girls, will be his personal guard!¡± ¡°Ara, what¡¯s a slave like you suddenly spouting? I, have been acquainted with Takeru since he was a little farmer brat, you see?¡± Sara-chan, don¡¯t just fabricate my past to your own convenience. I used to work for the Rhode family, but, I don¡¯t recall spending my childhood there. ¡°The time of encounter doesn¡¯t matter. We, the slave girls, and Master-sama are tied with a strong bond and this collar!¡± ¡°Haa? What are you talking about? Someone like me has already entered a hot spring together with Takeru.¡± Seriously, you two, please stop! Otherwise, this will become a base for strange rumors. I¡¯ve the feeling like I¡¯ll be the one to receive all the damage. ¡°I too, have bathed together with Master-sama, and even had him clean every nook and cranny of my body!¡± ¡°Eeeeeeeeeeh, what do you think you¡¯re doing Takeru?!¡± ¡°Eh, me?¡± I became surprised as the quarrel suddenly involved me. ¡°That¡¯s right, Takeru! No matter how much of a slave she is, it¡¯s no good to bathe with an adult woman like her. Could it be, that, you were attracted by this slave¡¯s¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Ah no, I don¡¯t know what kind of an idea you¡¯re getting, but, you¡¯re getting it wrong!¡± ¡°T, T, That slave¡¯s¡­¡­¡± ¡°Uwaaaa, that¡¯s wrong! Children like you shouldn¡¯t say any more than that!¡± Stop it! Don¡¯t be disillusioned upon observing that dirty part of an adult¡¯s body. My body, is still noble! ¡°Sharon is still a child despite her matured appearance. It¡¯s because of the beastman blood within her!¡± ¡®What¡¯s this guy talking about?¡¯ ¨C Sara-chan made a face as if saying so, after I had already explained it to her. ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®Eh¡¯ me. I¡¯m the one who actually wants to do it. Do you yourself understand the meaning behind what you are saying?¡± ¡°Uhmm, basically that beastmen tend to grow faster? Sharon has the body of an adult, but, she¡¯s still a child inside, so it can¡¯t be helped for me to treat her the same as the other slave girls.¡± As I said so, Sara-chan compared both me and Sharon with a fixed eye, and sighed deliberately. Her expression was better than that of disillusionment a moment ago, but, for some reason, she still was dissatisfied and amazed. ¡°Takeru, as usual, you¡¯re an idiot, aren¡¯t you¡­.? When a body becomes that of an adult, it¡¯s natural for its owner¡¯s heart to mature as well.¡± ¡°Ehhhh, no no, it¡¯s probably not. In what kind of a fantasy world would that be possible?¡± What¡¯s wrong? It¡¯s feels as though I¡¯m being deceived, even though I didn¡¯t say anything strange. ¡°Hey, Sharon.¡± I looked in Sharon¡¯s direction. However, she averted her amber colored eyes abruptly, which was rare for her. Aree? ¡°Hey Takeru, cut it out and admit it. Assuming you aren¡¯t lying on purpose, you¡¯re being deceived by this vixen.¡± ¡°Ah no, to say she¡¯s a vixen, she¡¯s actually a dog-type beastman.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Yes, I know I¡¯m lame, sorry for that. ¡°Ah no, but, wait a moment! Isn¡¯t this something even Lyle-sensei has said?¡± Upon hearing my shout, Sensei suddenly stuck out his head from the interior of the shop. ¡°I didn¡¯t mention anything about beastmen growing fast while their minds remaining that of a child.¡± Ehhhhh, what¡¯s with you Sensei?! Why am I being left high and dry by you at times like these?! Seriously, I¡¯ll be troubled! ¡°But Sensei, shouldn¡¯t you have noticed that too when Sharon was pestering me back when we were bathing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think this matter is something I should be concerned with. The girl herself didn¡¯t want to discuss it, so I read the atmosphere and decided to ignore it.¡± ¡°Uwaa!¡± I guess even Lyle-sensei will sometimes say things like these! So not only did he keep silent about Louise¡¯s past but is also reserved about that time¡¯s bath? No, this isn¡¯t the right time to joke. ¡°Takeru-dono, since it¡¯s come to this, it can¡¯t be helped for me but to tell you. Based on my calculations, beastmen generally reach their maximum growth at the age of 10, which is twice fast as is the case for humans. As for half and quarter beastmen, it would be one and a half. Since Sharon should be around 12 years old, her actual age would be 18 years old.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it mean she¡¯s already fully grown?!¡± Apparently, children in this world reach their adulthood at the age of 15. An 18-year-old adult¡­.? Wouldn¡¯t it mean she¡¯s 1 year older than me?! So, the person, whom I¡¯d believed to be still a child, became older than me before I could realize? What a shock. This is too much of a fantasy world for me. My mind can¡¯t follow it anymore. So it was like that? For some reason, I¡¯ve the feeling like a mystery has been resolved. A mystery which has been troubling me, I see, so this is why Sharon has been able to memorize things very well¡­. Assuming her brain has also developed rapidly, it should be natural thing for her to master bookkeeping and trade with ease. Being unaware of that, I had thought Sharon was a trade-born genius. ¡°Sharon!¡± ¡°Yes¡­..¡± Don¡¯t think you can dodge me by averting your eyes. ¡°So you¡¯re 18 years old after all, right? Do you have any justification for that?¡± ¡°Uhmmm¡­.. actually, I¡¯m Sharon¡¯s older sister. ¡± Sharon unfolded both her hands in front of her in a cute-looking manner. ¡°Don¡¯t joke with me!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Sharon sat in a neat dogeza style, as if folding up her large, grown body. She even put together three fingers on each hand. That¡¯s why, I¡¯m asking, where did you learn that? Honestly, I don¡¯t feel like I can be mad at her any longer. ¡°Haaa¡­¡­ So the only one who was unaware of Sharon being an adult was me?¡± ¡°Master-sama, I¡¯m sorry, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to explain it to you that suddenly!¡± Is this kind of an excuse popular in this world as well? Good grief, I no longer know what I should say to make it right, so I kept silent. Sara-chan interfered from the sideline. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we give her some sort of a punishment, now that it¡¯s become clear she¡¯d been deceiving her master?¡± ¡°Hmmm, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, please don¡¯t throw me away!¡± ¡°Ah no, I wouldn¡¯t go that far.¡± To be frank, this shop won¡¯t function without Sharon being around. That¡¯s why, even if I¡¯m told, I can¡¯t release her from her duty. What should I do about her punishment? ¡°Then, let¡¯s do it like this, I will no longer need to assist you when washing your body.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll repent my action by dying here right now.¡± Sharon, took out a short sword and pushed it against her throat. ¡°Wait, why did it come to this?!¡± ¡°No, being treated by Master that way, there¡¯s no reason for me, as well as other slave girls, to live any longer¡­¡­¡± It was supposed to be a joke. Still, for this girl, who had lived in her former environment, it was probably something she could pull. I want to remain serious toward her, but if she says she¡¯s going to die, she¡¯ll most likely do so. ¡°Got it. If you promise me to reflect on your action, I¡¯ll let you get away with it this time.¡± ¡°Thank you very much! I¡¯ll reflect on my action thoroughly!¡± Sharon, again sat in dogeza while holding her head low. Still, judging from her animal ears standing straight up, I guess she won¡¯t completely reflect. I must admit however, I¡¯m easily deceived. I must have been silly for taking everything she had said seriously. ¡°Haaa¡­¡­..¡± ¡°You¡¯re too lenient, Takeru. Is this how a master¡¯s discipline is supposed to be?¡± Being told by Sara-chan, I could only ponder about it, but¡­ ¡°Well, it can¡¯t be helped, since the problem has already been solved. And Sharon too, will probably stand on her own from now on.¡± ¡°¡­..I¡¯ll die now.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Why has it become like this? Speaking of which, that short sword is hazardous, so hand it over to me. ¡°I¡­..I¡¯m fine with just my hair, so Master-sama, please continue to bathe me.¡± ¡°Argh, I get it already!¡± So in the end, I guess it¡¯s about that. I got it. It can¡¯t be helped. ¡°Takeru, you¡¯re way too soft.¡± ¡°Sara-chan, please don¡¯t say anymore¡­.¡± If I were to say to myself, I felt sorrowful at my mercifulness. Being told they would put their lives on line for me, I became reluctant to punish my slaves, even though I was literally fooled by one of them. As expected, I¡¯m not the type of a person who¡¯s oriented to this world. CH 19 TN: Machine translated garbage. Read at your own risk. _________________________________________________________________ One after another, from the villages of EST Earldom, the volunteers are gathering. Wow, my corps has expanded to more than three hundred people in total. A number of soldiers that exceeds the population of Ona village gathered at the camp in the meadow and trained loudly. It was so crowded as if a new town was made. I was surprised that volunteer soldiers from Losgow village is composed of only children. For the villagers who participated from other villages and the city of Est, I was relieved that they are young adults and mostly like the village self-defense group of Ona village. It is a nightmare to fight with an army of only children. When I went to visit the volunteer corps camp in Ona Village, I was invited by Louise who was overlooking the training. For once, we are building a temporary headquarters camp, so we will listen to the report in the tent. ¡¸Takeru, good news, normal news, bad news, and really bad news, what do you want to hear first? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, please order from the better one.¡¹ It is unusual for four kinds of news. There are too many bad news, let¡¯s balance. ¡¸Good news, the training of the volunteer soldiers is doing quite well. Many of them are young. Everyone got the chance to shot a bullet. The new bronze cannon artillery is almost operational.¡¹ Lyle-sensei is developing a bronze cannon which is inferior in size, power and durability to iron cannon, but it is lightweight and convenient for carrying with a carriage. It finally entered the stage of combat deployment. Because it is heavy and fragile, the bronze cannon of the prefabricated type can be operated with high stability of motion and mobility as compared with a stupid steel cannon that can be used almost exclusively for a fixed battery. The new bronze cannon has four gates, now you can make an artillery unit. Arquebus also have long or short cylinder that were devised to have various options. Actually, I want a gun with a metal shell with bolt action, but even if I explain the structure, metallurgical technology of this age has not catch up and it is struggling. As a possibility, I am thinking that it will manage somehow with a mechanism that combines magic, but it is a future research subject. ¡¸Next is normal news, most organizations are settled. I¡¯m a head of a volunteer soldier company and Lyle-sensei is the strategist and chief of staff. Next is a cavalry corps that serves as messengers and scouts, a slave girl squadron , volunteer gun man corps of each village, and an artilleryman unit.¡¹ ¡¸Louise will be the commander, is it not? ¡¹ I made it clear to Louise that the commander of the whole army is her of course. I tried to evade responsibility to it. ¡¸Bad news, Sara decided to change the organization chart. She selfishly assume the position of being your guardsman chief. ¡¹ ¡¸Well, you¡¯re the commander Louise so please stop Sara-chan.¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t refute Sara being the leader. The Rod family took care of me when I was an adventurer. I¡¯m sure that you too will find it hard to say.¡¹ ¡¸Well, it¡¯s true. It is because of your gratitude, but is it not favouritism?¡¹ I just made it, suddenly the organization is now rotten. ¡¸It is strange that Sarah decides to be the leader. Lyle-sensei is also pleased to be called strategist by Sara.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, yeah. Sensei is that kind of man.¡¹ Lyle-sensei isn¡¯t faddy. Even if a strange fan appears soon, it isn¡¯t surprising. It will really be happen since he is an intermediate magician that can use stong spell. A magician strategist is cool. Indeed, Sara¡¯s talent is that kind of thing? Somehow we have to decide at first, should Louise herself will be the leader or the embarrassed sensei. Originally, I should have been the one to lead, I should not blame her. ¡¸Lastly, the very bad news, it is popular among recruits to call Takeru as ¡°General Choro¡±. I do not know well the meaning but a feeling of disdain comes from the connotation ¡¹ ***TN:probaby originated from choromakasu, meaning to pilfer ¡¸Please stop hastily with the captain¡¯s authority! ¡¹ The one which could have popularized it by all means is a soldier. Better remember. ¡¸I¡¯ll give them a warning. It was kind of bad mouthing as expected. By the way Takeru, I do not know if I can ask, but what is the meaning of Choro?¡¹ ¡¸Louise, it¡¯s useless to hear.¡¹ ¡¸Understood¡­¡­¡¹ Well, it isn¡¯t decent. When I heard the report of Louise at the training camp of Ona village, scouting reports from the cavalry party of Suzanne and Claudia came. This too is not very good news. ¡¸The Kingdom of Silesie, the third corps is not stuffed into the fortress of the Eagles Bandit team? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, Master, you will be repelled if you are not a soldier from there.¡¹ The kingdom army seems to be sharp. It seems that the 3rd corps of the kingdom has taken over the fortress of the eagle bandit team whom we have purged and left during our previous expedition and use it as a base. Unwilling to use the fort for a joint Allied army!? ¡¸Well, I wanted to use that base too.¡¹ When I¡¯m making complaints, Lyle-sensei, who seems to be motivated by being a strategist, came, although he did not have a weird fan. He is in a gray magician robe with the anti-magic protection effect on and have a short cane from the top of an usual black robe. Apparently this is her ¡­ ¡­. It¡¯s like his combat clothes. ¡¸General, this may rather be convenient.¡¹ Oh, is it not a strategist-like line? There is a chance after the pinch, but do not call me General sensei. ¡¸Sensei, you don¡¯t have a fan? ¡¹ ¡¸What is the story about a fan? ¡¹ Is there no strategist with a fan in the history of this world? ¡¸Let¡¯s talk about securing new bases first ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. ¡¹ ¡¸I tried examining the strategy. The choice of moving in with with the king¡¯s army by joint operation aren¡¯t possible? ¡¹ ¡¸Impossible. ¡¹ There are a lot of side encouraging me in. I wonder if it was unwise. ¡¸If you do something wrong, the third corps of the kingdom may get in the way of this. ¡¹ ¡¸What, why? ¡¹ ¡¸When you can render distinguished services here and there, that would be a problem. At any rate, the king¡¯s army is in a losing streak, it will sullen their reputation.¡¹ ¡¸There may be something like that.¡¹ Certainly, the party from the royal capital attacked the monsters and suffer defeat. However, the crisis now threatened the existence of the nation with the Royal Capital endangered of being attacked. I wonder if there is no idea to cooperate for the sake of the country. Is it better not to expect help for scouting that place? ¡¸Rather it is a good opportunity if you can move on your own without asking for reinforcement! ¡¹ ¡¸Oh I see. ¡¹ Lyle-sensei is not motivated, her beautiful face looks cool, but I feel a high tension on the gesture that shakes the cane. ¡¸So we, Volunteer Corps will try to find a new base here¡¹ Sensei opens a map on a desk and points to one place with the cane. ¡¸It is the town of Ox in the northwest of the Est, at the former Ambazak baroness. Let us release it from monsters and make it a new base.¡¹ ¡¸Is it a suitable place? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, Ox is a small town in the mountain where there is a quarry, but it is close to the¡¯ miasma hole of doom¡¯. It was one of the important military bases. When The ¡®miasma hole¡¯ opened, it is the first town to be completely destroyed in the baroness ¡­.¡¹ Securing a transportation route is not difficult if you proceed around the mountain from the city of Est. Sensei says that there are no other bases to hit the monsters from the miasma hole. I believe, of course, that there is no mistakes in the judgement of my strategists. Also, when considering the capacity of Ona village, the number of troops has increased too much, so even if you stay in Ona village as it is, we should advanced even a little as soon as possible. It also serves as Ona village defense. Camping, training and solicitation continue as it is, but the flock of monsters has to be engaged at any rate. Or get out in front. ¡¸Sounds good, I will touch the whole army preparations for attack! ¡¹ Lyle-sensei is pretending with a cool face, but he can¡¯t hide his laughing mouth. He is trembling with Bing and Short Wand happily. I understand the feeling because it is like a boy¡¯s dream or as a strategist. When I saw Lyle-sensei who was stuck out, I felt it was going to be a fierce battle. ¡ù¡ù¡ù ¡¸Oh, Sara-Chan was here? ¡¹ I speak to Sara issuing an appeal for boys and girls of the same generation at the training camp. ¡¸What is it? Does a general inspect practice personally? ¡¹ A stiff look in her face. Do you think I¡¯ll get angry about you deciding personnel selfishly? ¡¸I think I have to greet the newly-appointed corporal.¡¹ ¡¸Wow ¡­ ¡­.¡¹ If I spoke ill, I will sound sarcastic, but I will not scold her with the matter that she was being selfish. Sara-chan did the work I did not do in the end after all, and I was a choro. Though the person with experience of handling a gun doesn¡¯t participate in Sara-chan¡¯s corps, they still have a decent shooting training. Young age of 12 but still, Sara-chan is a rich farmer¡¯s daughter who can read and write the lower rank character. She may be really fit to be a corporal. If she was killed in a battle, I will not be able to face the Rod family, so I do not plan to put her on the front line, but it would be nice if she is in charge of personnel affairs at the back. ¡¸I came here to take a bath today, you may bring along the village members.¡¹ ¡¸Huh, you have a bath? ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, it¡¯s on my house. Fatigue from training can be healed. ¡¹ ¡¸Well then, shall I borrow it? ¡¹ I haven¡¯t return her kindness of collecting soldiers from the village. And because she was a hot spring lover, Sarah will also like the bath due to sensei¡¯s influence. ¡ù¡ù¡ù Including Sara, I wash the boys and girls from Losgow village with soap, and put them in the bath as it is. Everyone was a small farmer¡¯s child, so they never used soap. It will be disappointing to take a bath without using it, but it seems that they understood it since it was a comfortable one. After all, a child has no resistance to new customs and techniques. In that aspect, it can be said that their side is more likely to absorb things than an adult whose head is stiff. If you hit the sanitary side from early on, the morbidity rate of soldiers will go down, and our goods can also be judged responsible for that. ¡¸Even so, Takeru is already coming along calmly.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s because it¡¯s worthless if I feel embarrassed with children.¡¹ When I first entered a hot spring with Sarah, I did not get used to it, but my spirit was trained in this world as expected. Even if I¡¯ll wash a nude child with soap, even if we soak in the bath together, it doesn¡¯t feel strange. Even if I am not asked to wash it, how much will I wash child¡¯s back? ¡¸I¡¯ve gone together with an adult too, but.¡¹ ¡¸Ugh¡­..¡¹ It is quite severe whether if it¡¯s a revenge from a short while ago. Sharon ¡®s case was bad for me too, but please that is beyond my control. ¡¸Well, keep something bothersome for now, it will be real war from now on, so I do not even know what will happen.¡¹ I will withdraw if it is dangerous, but there is no guarantee that this can be done since there is no control over the tide of war. If Sarah-chan and the others feel danger, I want them to escape too. ¡¸Takeru is lenient as expected for a commander of the whole army, to recommend an escape before an opponent.¡¹ ¡¸Anyhow, it¡¯s choro for me.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I do not dislike that kind of thing, as I¡¯m guiding you, I will help you to not die so leave it to me.¡¹ ¡¸Ha ha, it is reliable if it¡¯s Sarah-chan, you can say so.¡¹ ¡¸Do not put on chan! ¡¹ I washed my face with gushing hot water and I enjoyed my beloved bath. Seeing that my wet black hair is getting a little longer, I¡¯m thinking of getting a haircut before the war. Think about being carefree. Next, how long can you enjoy taking a bath and relaxing slowly? Before the tough battle against the Miasma hole of Doom, I was preparing for a severe battle as it was ¡­ ¡­. At that time, I was thinking if I will be betrayed by the forecasted result. CH 20 ________________________________________________________________ When I pushed aside grass which even grows thick around the lower back luxuriantly and advanced, I saw an earthly color and a green monster walking. An earth ogre and a green goblin. Did a few get strayed from a group of monsters? Are they lost or already on their route to be defeated? Either way, it is convenient. ¡¸In this case, I can hunt alone.¡¹ I¡¯m holding a gun and shoot the green goblin. I shot through the head of the goblin so that the bullet will pierce it. Excellent head shot! At the same time with a sudden shooting sound, the goblin collapsed, another one makes a kekee fuss. ¡¸Haha, you will die on your battlefield! ¡¹ I tossed the matchlock gun, pulled out the iron sword. I strike the ogre with a massive iron mass that gives off a dull sparkle with the momentum of running! The ogre attacked me without hesitation with a gigantic club. The power of ogre is strong indeed. This is good and I wanted this response. ¡¸UGAAAA! ¡¹ A fierce cry is given, and the ogre is using a club to me with full force. The sharpness of my iron sword is the lowest, but there is also no worry of a nick instead. I beat back with full force while mixing and receiving a blow of the ogre from the front. Hard oak wood and an iron sword, the lightning-fast feeling of speed against which we beat each other. Reproachfully, we beat each other with full force and every time a ferocious adrenaline runs through the brain. It¡¯s intolerable in the strength of the dialogue of the life, the feeling is being uplifted. This is the delicious taste of fantasy! ¡¸Oh, what¡¯s up! ¡¹ ¡¸GUGAGAGAGA! ¡¹ Is there a match between the ogre and the other? At the edge of my eye, watching another one of the goblins recovering warfare and heading towards me, I swing the sword and it goes down. It¡¯s slightly wasteful, but I took the ¡°cane of a holy flame ball¡± out and make goblin bite the maximum blow. It was drunk on the fire ball and the green goblin collapsed. In a blink of an eye, it is charred. It isn¡¯t known whether it is alive or dead, but a battle is impossible with this. ¡¸Now, let¡¯s continue ogre! ¡¹ Its companion was killed and now ferociously barking. I kept the sword in positive eyes to the ogre. The following moves are the techniques of brute force to show clear up or down to move to make the edge of the sword wiggle. The ogre falls into confusion. ¡¸How is it, Hokushin Itto-ryu, stance of the wagtail! ¡¹ After playing with the unable to endure ogre, flying over and striking with faint, I batted a strong blow on the shoulder. Although it does not lead to a fatal injury, the blade of my sword is rough, the response into which the meat of the ogre is torn. ¡¸GYAGAGAGAGAGA! ¡¹ If it hurts, I wish it hurts. Victory or defeat will be decided by the next blow. ¡¸The Hokushin Itto-ryu, heart and star king sword! ¡¹ I put my heart and soul and cut a head of ogre off by an iron sword from a highhanded attitude. Though the opponent is an ogre, my whole body is bloodcurdling in the feeling of which I slaughtered a life by this hand. The body of the big monster rolled over the grass. It is not alive anymore. ¡¸Fuu ¡­¡­¡¹ Remaining on guard. I look around vigilantly. Apparently there were no other monsters, they seem to have been annihilated. Overlooking the carcasses of the uninvited monsters, I suppressed the excitement that gushes up. Even I become strong. My heart and my body. Of course, real fantasies have no visible levels or exp, but there is a certain accumulation of battle experience on the battlefield. I now would also be able to kill easily at least ten crazy dogs. ¡¸Oh! Master, what are you doing!¡¹ Sharon has taken a gun and has run to this place. From behind, followed by the slave girl personal guard corps. ¡¸What have you found out? ¡¹ ¡¸The other is not, YIKES! ¡¹ Sharon screams, looking at the body of the ogre rolling around me. ¡¸Are you OK? Did you fight? Are you unhurt!¡¹ ¡¸No, I could handle it because there are few enemies.¡¹ I wanted to show my cool side to the slave girls when I fight if possible. Sharon looks like crying and clinging on my body. She is making sure of my safety by touching and embracing my greasy body. ¡¸You should stop doing dangerous things! ¡¹ ¡¸No, because there were few monsters, and I¡¯m also wearing my mythrill hauberk so I do not have any injuries.¡¹ I don¡¯t probably become overprotected to some point. If I do not fight, it will not raise the experience value. I do not know if there is such a concept in this world though. ¡¸You¡¯ve got us worried. ¡¹ ¡¸Am I being scolded? ¡¹ Other slave girls are nodding uniformly too. ¡¸That would be a problem. It is the generals job to stay within sight.¡¹ Wearing ostentatious sorcerer¡¯s robe, Lyle-sensei came. He¡¯s on magician strategist mode and has given me a completely candid advice. Oh, Louise has come too. Louise just glanced the corpse and says nothing. ¡¸Well, Louise is a warrior, so you can understand. I can not become strong unless I have battle experience.¡¹ ¡¸Takeru, if you lick the battlefield you will die.¡¹ Louise said so coldly, she began dismatling by putting a knife in the corpse of the ogre I killed. Even though I fought by myself, the corpses are going to be dismantled with Louise¡¯s help after all. ¡¸Aaahh! Losgow¡¯s volunteer corps will be Takeru¡¯s personal guard slave girl. Leave the personnel management to me.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re persistent, corporal! It has been decided for a while already that Master¡¯s personal guard will be us, the slave girl corps.¡¹ Even Sara is here, running in with her volunteer corps and has begun an argument with the slave girls. Because it becomes obscure with that, I was not scolded. It¡¯s somewhat good, but are they going to quarrel about which will be my personal guard troops forever? Huh, it is troublesome. Whichever is backed up, it will become noisy. Among such a fuss, Louise is disassembling meat silently. Glancing at the goblin which became charred, she clicks her tongue with ¡°TCH¡± (She¡¯s angry about the one which can¡¯t probably be peeled beautifully.). Louise really is unfluctuating. On the second thought, should a general and a head be so poised? ¡ù¡ù¡ù Great battle with big troops of monsters. I did not understand the real meaning of its severity at all. Anyway its leisure time. The Volunteer Army Corps military action for several days; starting at Ona village, entering the former Ambazak baroness, and liberating the villages along the road towards Ox, our destination. In ruined villages, livestock and food remain even if the residents already escape. There are only abandoned buildings and the village becomes a gathering spot for the monsters. Using common sense, monsters should have been safer as they gathered closer together. But modern weapons as guns and cannons have made that tactics change completely. First, bombard with a cannon from a safe position towards a group of monsters in the village. The group which becomes frantic and runs around to escape is seized with a salvo of a gun man corps. Monsters who had scattered and thought they had finally escaped were also scooped down by the cavalry party hunting the remaining while scouting the vicinity. This is no longer a battle but a unilateral massacre. Well then there is a problem, what is my job after being raised as general of the army. Answer: I was told to sit down wherein I can be seen by the whole army. It is just a day wherein I am being shaken by a horse-drawn carriage and is inspecting the battlefield. Occationally, sensei says ¡°Please wave to the other side. ¡± or ¡°They took an active part so show appreciation please. ¡°. A day of being a general idol. I¡­.. It is much better if I had gone out to peddle. Moreover, I am being surrounded perfectly by my personal guard corps (called Sara or Sharon), no battle at all. I want to go to scout by myself, and also want to get rid of monsters at the same time. Even if I think of such thing, isn¡¯t it worthless? ¡¸Anyway, please be a little bit more patient. A little more and we wilI come be at Ox. Then the turn by which Takeru plays an active part will surely come..¡¹ Lyle-sensei admonished it strongly without hesitation. A little more, I heard a lot for a while¡­. After all, It seems to be useless that I¡¯m going [urouro] and go out without permission ***TN: urouro is a japanese sound effect for loitering Even to sensei, it is sad to think if I¡¯ll die due to stray bullet. I do not mean to go there until that. If it cools down, should I be making a gesture to go to a restroom secretly again and fight outside? ¡¸Hey, Takeru is going to escape again. Please use a string.¡¹ A passing by Louise who¡¯s holding large amount of skins and meats of monsters quickly saw my complexion and pointed it out. Kuu¡­ a sharp fellow. ¡¸Master you can¡¯t go! Come here and make paper cartridge with me.¡¹ It has been even reproved by Sharon. By the way, they¡¯re making paper cartridge while being jolted on the horse-drawn carriage. ¡¸Well, this is kind of plain even though I came to war ¡­¡¹ ¡¸Master, logistic is important work. There is time for everything.¡¹ If you say so, until my role has come I have no choice but to comply? Certainly, there are many times that the importance of logistics was demonstrated. My motherland lost a war because of that before. It is already a trauma, rather than a warfare. Indeed, if you fight like this, no matter how much bullet you have, it is not enough. It can¡¯t be helped, should I participate in making paper cartridges? I am not allowed to participate in a battle. It is a job to kill time. I do not feel like being in battle at all. It¡¯s somewhat different from the commander I imagined¡­¡­. ¡ù¡ù¡ù Finally, I came to the city of Ox of the late Ambazak Baroness. I lay down on the hill that overlooks the valley, and look down upon the city. Ox is a small city, but a stone pavement is laid out on the surface. There is a quarry nearby, and lumber can also be collected, so the whole city is like a fortress. Originally it might have been a rigid town, but it had been dropped by a battalion of monster already so the thick stone wall was deformed. The small old castle which seems strong was partially destroyed and could also break at a steeple snap. ¡¸Isn¡¯t that a person sensei? ¡¹ When I say so, sensei has a steep face. It seems that people are living in the city which should have fallen already. I can not see good because of the distance, but I can tell the difference between a humanoid monster and a person. ¡¸Is it so or does Takeru see that so? I¡¯m using magic of zooming, those are all zombies.¡¹ ¡¸Well, do you mean people in the town are zombiefied? ¡¹ Is it so, that magic is convenient since you can see far even if there is no telescope. I wonder if they are sold somewhere, if possible, I would like a binocular. ¡¸There are hundreds in the city just by looking and they are a very troublesome enemy for us. Well, seeing is believing . Let¡¯s just shoot a cannon for the time being.¡¹ In this case, Lyle-sensei shook a short cane and the artilleryman corps lodge a cannon. A big roaring sound rings at the place by the mountain. It is a bombardment consisting of four bronze artillery cannon and two large cannon. Although it is in a town, it should fall like the usual party of monster. ¡¸Even if it¡¯s under fire, it¡¯s ordinarily moving, sensei¡­..¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, I was worried about a while ago, but guns and cannons are not effective on undead monsters.¡¹ Sensei ¡®s awesome to anticipate this already, but the strength of guns and cannons is not only in artillery power but also in their roar and shocks. Even if it is a dull opponent like a zombie, even if it is blown away by a bullet, there is no intelligence that is displayed by looking at an ally being blown off. ¡¸You can say that it is an incompatible enemy. Even if you shoot a gun, it¡¯s already dead, so it will take quite some time to disable it.¡¹ Lyle-sensei sighs because there are limits to bullets. ¡¸Does a sensei have any strategies with that? ¡¹ ¡¸Fortunately the city wall is not functioning, zombies are about one hundred. If I am a usual commander, I will be assaulting by wearing some soldiers here and will assault from all sides then drop it quickly. ¡¹ Even if we say wearing out the soldiers, it is a party from Ona village that will die. Perhaps it is Sharon or Sarah-chan. ¡¸That is kinda ¡­¡¹ Sensei saw my complexion. He seemed lonely and laughed. ¡¸Because I¡¯m General Choro its inevitable.¡¹ ¡¸Sensei ¡­¡¹ ¡¸It will be okay, it will take some time, but I will consider a strategy with less wear.¡¹ ¡¸Please.¡¹ ¡¸Then it¡¯ll be a long-drawn-out war. Let¡¯s begin to rebuild the ground first.¡¹ He looks at a map of the town which is expanded into a folding stool. Lyle-sensei is issuing directives. In accordance with the instructions, everyone began to move hastily. ¡¸Sensei, what should I do? ¡¹ ¡¸Please remember what the general¡¯s job was.¡¹ I¡¯m just sitting and watching ¡­ Should I help making paper cartridge? They seem to run out of bullets. In the end, we encircled the city from the outside and shoot from all directions. Zombies in the city did not move at all against the bombardment. There was no noticeable counterattack and the war situation entered a stalemate. CH 21 ¡¸The military situation does not seem to change.¡¹ I came to the headquarters while eating orc meat burgers cooked by Colette. Orc meat is sandwiched in a bread. It is already delicious as it is but I would like it better if it has mayonnaise. ¡¸Well, I have already prepared it, so it will be easier to attack from the other side.¡¹ In the tent, Lyle-sensei is staring at the war simulation board diagram with a dauntless smile. Even though it¡¯s for military purposes, each piece is elegantly made like a shogi piece. You don¡¯t need to build anything fancy here¡­ As a store owner, I think this is marketable. Since sensei creates it with magic, mass production cannot be done so it will not be sold cheaply. Well, as I heard from the sensei, binoculars doesn¡¯t exist in this world (lenses are valuable items). If you sell it as battlefield equipment, you can sell it higher. I¡¯m still a businessman even after peace has recovered. Even today, Lyle-sensei¡¯s face looks beautiful, but when you look closely you will see black under those beautiful brown eyes. ¡¸Sensei, did you asleep? ¡¹ ¡¸I napped a little a short while ago so it¡¯s okay. Preparation was fun so I couldn¡¯t sleep.¡¹ Oh, I think I have seen such face. It¡¯s the look of a gamer. If I¡¯m in the present-day Japan, I think Lyle-sensei will be a guild master of an MMO by all means. ¡¸Well, General¡¹ Lyle-sensei then modeled the military shogi figure to that of the City of Ox. ¡¸The strategy is simple, discontinue the bombardment, and then set up fences and traps around the castle as this.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, pitfalls?¡¹ I like pitfalls sensei. Orcs on the road were knocked down with that. ¡¸Please expect that it will be wonderful. We¡¯ll dig it for the undead. Unfortunately we don¡¯t have a cleric.¡¹ As our soldiers are mostly former farmers, there is hardly a priest or a wizard with useful skills. Well, what happened to the story of the Prime Minister¡¯s dispatch of high priests from the church? There is none at all. ¡¸Oh, I have some holy water.¡¹ A while ago, a sister whose head had its screw broken came to the store. I recall that she gave me holy water. Because there was no opportunity to use it at all, there are still a lot left. ¡¸Keep it for now and use it if the time comes.¡¹ ¡¸Will that time come? ¡¹ The general¡¯s turn will come, it is near. Though they have been telling me that for a while. The player that is called a secret weapon will end up as secret weapon. ¡¸I¡®ll stay silent about what I do not need to say, I will not lie.¡¹ ¡¸Do you say by yourself? ¡¹ ¡¸Fufufu, well Takeru, you don¡¯t need to worry, there is ¡°if¡±.¡¹ Lyle-sensei says with a bit serious face. ¡¸There should be a pollutant source in this town that is overflowing with zombies. Although there is no problem considering a job related to zombie, there is a risk of a zombie master or a ghost-using necromancer. I¡¯m making a strategy for it. ¡¹ ¡¸That won¡¯t be a joke. I wish that there is no opportunity for me to use it.¡¹ Zombie master and necromancer. It¡¯s obviously a middle boss class. When such a thing comes out, our side will have multiple casualties. Was it luxury to complain about being bored? ¡ù¡ù¡ù In the morning, a siege battle to the city of Ox began. The area around the city was fenced in advance. We lure the zombies in the city outside and drop them to the pitfall the soldiers dug. They are former farmer so the construction is good. Soldiers, equipped with spears, poke the zombies while being protected by fences. Louise¡¯s cavalry corps pushes them like a wave. They are dropped in the pit. There are no conspicuous marks in the pitfalls, so if you make a mistake your ally may fall. It was a quiet but tense battle. ¡¸But this pitfall is wonderful.¡¹ Below the deep hole, sharp pile of wood crawls, the fallen zombies are skewered. The moment one fell in a thing like this, I shudder. Real fantasy is gruesome. ¡¸There is also a theory that a tree stake is effective against zombies. I did my best to make it.¡¹ Lyle-sensei personally help digging pitfalls. He even use magic. I¡¯m really thankful but you also have to direct the battle. In addition, sensei said that I should not be rough to people. Don¡¯t be too much competent sensei. ¡¸Ah, Takeru. Be careful of the pitfall even if you¡¯re wearing your mythrill hauberk. It will not instantly kill you if you fall but it will be painful.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­¡¹ He perceived me by the thought ¡®hey let¡¯s look at fighting zombies in the front line¡¯? Their movement are slow though seems to be strong. I think that even if I¡¯m alone, I can manage. ¡¸You don¡¯t need to rush, there is much work for the triumphant general after it enters the city.¡¹ ¡¸No more speech please.¡¹ I am not good at speaking in front of people. Why do I have such a role ¡­ ¡¸We had dropped them since it is necessary to bury the zombies. If you want to help with the burial, please say it anytime. ¡¹ ¡¸Whoaah¡¹ It is probably good, but this is too simple for an actual war. Whether the primitive attack will be effective for the opponent who is difficult to attack by guns, opponents are impaled and buried alive(zombies are already dead though). Louise is running around the battlefield with her cavalry. The job of attracting enemy is flashy, but that is impossible for me. ¡¸General, the city zombie clean up is complete. Let¡¯s try to get inside carefully.¡¹ Finally, I also enter the town from collapsed gate with a tense face. ¡¸Whoaahhh!¡¹ When I entered the city, orcs and goblins came out from hiding. Did they run away from the rain of bombardment? However, it is not a big number. They become prey from the salvo of the gunman corps. ¡¸It¡¯s bad¡­¡­¡¹ Lyle-sensei clutches his short cane wand with a tense face. ¡¸Well, it was an easy victory.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s different. The fact that other monsters aren¡¯t seized by zombies means there is a boss that¡¯s causing it.¡¹ ¡¸I see, so there is a big boss inside.¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s quickly deploy artillery corps, we will proceed carefully.¡¹ Louise ordered the cavalry to send the message. ¡¸If there is a boss, it¡¯s over there, right? ¡¹ I point to the old castle where the spire in the back of the city broke. Whatever you think, that is obviously suspicious. ¡¸Okay, I have a strategy so please proceed as instructed.¡¹ ¡ù¡ù¡ù ¡¸FUHAHAHA! The foolish knight from the royal capital came.¡¹ I, Lyle-sensei, Louise, and my personal guard corps which compose of the slave girls and Sara-chan¡¯s volunteer corps, entered the old castle where the spire broke down. Red carpet leading to the audience ahead seems like telling us to advance. A plate mail-wearing zombie, who had turned his black cloak over, was waiting. ¡¸What¡¯s this situation tend to be.¡¹ The deja vu is cruel. Isn¡¯t it against the game going straight to an RPG boss fight. ¡¸Wow.¡¹ Lyle-sensei looked at the face of the zombie and had a nasty look on her face. It is unusual for a teacher to reveal such emotion. ¡¸What is it? ¡¹ ¡¸That zombie is an old acquaintance of me and Louise. The Baron of the Ambazak territory. I heard he was missing after the territory fall¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Did you mean that even after turning into a zombie he¡¯s still acting as the feudal lord? ¡¹ ¡¸He is¡­ And believe it or not he became a zombie master.¡¹ ¡¸Ignoring me and saying foolish things! I am a zombie, Baron Louz Ambazak Ox!¡¹ The zombie baron whose head is cracked and half rots is swaying the sword and is angry. ¡¸Oh, these are faces that I¡¯ve seen in the royal capital. Knight Louise and Secretary Lyle? ¡¹ After finding an acquaintance, the baron¡¯s mood got better. He seem to be showing off by winding his mantle around his body. Perhaps his brain is now rotten. ¡¸Oh, it¡¯s been a long time Baron Louz. You died and became a zombie master.¡¹ Does Lyle-sensei intends to prolong the story? Courteous greeting is returned. Louise has a painful look with the miserable end of her acquaintance. Holding her head silently with her hand. Lyle-sensei says that he is a zombie master because he is a zombie that can revive the corpse of a dead man to zombies and use it. It is stronger than a zombie carrier that eats people to spread infection, but it is not a terrible enemy compared to a necromancer or a lich who uses nasty magic. However, the monsters here are strengthened with magic because the Miasma Hole of Doom is quite close. ¡¸HaHa, Secretary. Could you stop using common title master to refer me? I am undoubtedly the baron of this territory. I at least would like you to call me Zombie Lord.¡¹ ***TN: He said master in English. ¡¸Is that so¡­¡­¡¹ Lyle-sensei is disgusted. He is trembling seriously. Lyle-sensei who doesn¡¯t get agitated easily is now agitated due to the zombie baron. ¡¸You seem to be triumphant to the extent that you have defeated my zombies, but it is sweet.¡¹ ¡¸No, if you are the lord, please help the citizens.¡¹ I was awfully curious. ¡¸Kukuku. If it were the old days, I would have done so. However, I am already a zombie lord. It is possible to revive them no matter how many times they die.¡¹ ¡¸I see ¡­¡­¡¹ I have been convinced instinctively. Anyhow, its logic was reduced to a monster. If I don¡¯t properly took care of the zombies that fell in the pitfall, they¡¯ll revive again. ¡¸Fufufu, that¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. In particular, my gray brain cell seems sharp today.¡¹ ¡¸¡­ ¡­ or, there is a hole in my head, is it not? ¡¹ Oh, it was ignored. ¡¸Certainly, my territory collapsed due to the Miasma Hole of Doom, but now that I receive immortality as a zombie lord. Now the Miasma Hole of Doom gives me infinite power . There is no fearfulness in me already. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­ ¡­ you are not immortal. You no longer live.¡¹ Unfortunately it seems that he will not answer. ¡¸That way, the powerless Kingdom of Silesie hounds us! ¡¹ In a voice filled with anger, the zombie baron shouts. ¡¸Although you have come to blatantly subjugate me, it is good. You¡¯ll become zombie and be the people of my territory. ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, the baron who became a zombie has his opinion too¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Takeru, do not be convinced of that strange thing.¡¹ No, because he became a zombie. Turn everyone into a zombie while having a defiant attitude. Moreover, this might be a job of a noble. He is an enemy so I have to knock him down. Having a grudge against the kingdom that did not help until turning into this. I understand how he feels. ¡¸Come, my four heavenly kings!¡¹ Four bodies shows up; Ogre Lord, Orc Lord, Goblin Chief, and Kobold Magician. I think that it is a strong party as it is. Ah, really, I wanted to collect four on the road, but I only got two, so there is a sense I¡¯ve tried adding two more with the numbers. However, take a look at this. What is the sense to stick with such people¡¯s big four? It may be the one which imagines ¡°dead person¡± by ¡°four people¡± only an undead. If so, it can be said that it is good. ¡¸That baron has been slightly interesting.¡¹ ¡¸What is it? If it is good I¡¯d like you to say it.¡¹ ¡¸Why did the baron call his subordinate four heavenly kings? Isn¡¯t it strange for a king to be a subordinate of the baron?¡¹ ¡¸Ah! ¡¹ The baron was holding his head. Because it is rotten, if you hold it strongly, it will come off. ¡¸Is everything okay, zombie baron¡­. ¡¹ Maybe I was slightly sorry. He do not want anyone to thrust right into it. ¡¸Um, I¡¯m sorry, my head hurts. I seem to have said something wrong.¡¹ The baron pulled himself together again. It¡¯s infinite life force indeed. ¡¸These guys are my Four Majo! ¡¹ ¡¸So why are you so particular about four¡­¡­¡¹ As expected, it seems that we cannot stall any more time. The baron gave an order and the black mantle changed. ¡¸Now, this will be a fine gift to the underworld, impudent striplings! It is good that you¡¯ll be the first food of a legend.¡¹ Uwa, Is this the beginning of combat? ¡¸Fugija ¡¤ Angulara Mogyara! ¡¹ In response to the decree of the zombie baron, the cane-wielding kobold magician with a non-translatable scroll cast a spell of a fiery fire. Oi oi, that is a gradual mistake. Because the weak point of zombies is flame, if it¡¯s burning, the baron can¡¯t go out to the front. Unlike fireball magic, it is an uncontrolled flame so it burns up everywhere. Don¡¯t cast spells in the castle! Stupid bastard! Didn¡¯t the red carpet which seems expensive burn? ¡¸Water as the root of all things, become a raging stream, push demons! ¡¹ Lyle-sensei instantly shook a short stick wand and kept the flame under the rigid water magic. While the fire is being extinguished, the orc lord and the ogre lord attacked Louise. They seem to know who is instinctively the strongest. Louise slash the short sword that she had on her left hand against the orc lord, and cuts the ogre lord with a saber sword on her right hand. A lightning like sharp slash of Louise trembles the air. The giant ogre lord sets up its large sword and caught it. Brandishing an iron halberd, the orc lord did not budge even if its shoulder was slashed by a short sword and swings at Louise. But Louise is quick, by the time halberd¡¯s blade arrives, she has already swung back to the side after swinging the straight sword. Louise seems to be able to manage even if the opponent are two lord level monsters reinforced with miasma. ¡¸Be careful, these guys are stronger than usual! ¡¹ I do not need to tell that to Louise though. Because these are enemies that appeared in such situation, they¡¯re strength is not the same as usual. However, the giant spear-wielding goblin chief with gaudy decorations moved slowly, it seems that he not much of an enemy. The gunman corps shoot it in all directions and was suppressed while having no achievement. Baron¡¯s Four Majo. It isn¡¯t known how strong they are, but isn¡¯t this a war which cooperation should be executed? Now, the opponent, as expected¡­¡­. ¡¸After a long time, it is fun finding an opponent who understands the real meaning. Stripling, it is good that you¡¯ll be the first food of a legend!¡¹ As expected, the zombie baron stabs a sword towards me. I¡¯m at the same level as my opponent whose brain is rotten because I can communicate with it. ¡¸Baron, no matter how good it is, don¡¯t use the same line twice! ¡¹ My iron sword and the baron¡¯s sword collides, grit and sparks fly. It is difficult to understand why instead of rotting, I¡¯m receiving great sword pressure. The strength of the blow of the zombie baron numbs my hand. Indeed, this is different from small fry monsters. The opponent is not lacking! It was finally set in the old castle, the fantasy boss fight finally begins. CH 22 ________________________________________________________________ ¡¸Eat this! ¡¹ To be honest, the slash was quite hard, so I tried using the ¡°cane of holy flame ball¡± towards the zombie baron. ¡¸Guooohhh, is this the strength of a fireball? ¡¹ I see, because I sprinkled holy water. It¡¯s the double offensive of the weak point of a zombie by holy + flame. I thought of a good thing, I sprinkle the holy water I have to my iron sword and mithril hauberk. This way, it will be effective against undead. ¡¸Holy water of a high priest is indeed my virtuous enemy! ¡¹ Oh, could it be that sister has a high rank? Because the zombie says it, it might be correct. Me and the baron¡¯s exchange is now different compared to a moment ago. That weird sister, I will thank you once! ¡¸Oi oi, the holy water is gradually weakening you, Baron! ¡¹ ¡¸Fufufu, I can handle this extra handicap, stripling! ¡¹ While shouting such a thing, Lyle-sensei calls from behind. ¡¸What are you doing Takeru? We will withdraw soon!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, sorry! ¡¹ The fight was fun and I completely forgot the strategy. ¡¸Ha ha ha, did you not realize how frightening it was before the infinite power of mine.¡¹ The baron chase after us with the four heavenly kings (or the four majo) while raising laughter. The goblin chief is dead already. The baron is not bothered that they became three. When I went outside the old castle, I confront again the baron and his three commander. ¡¸Fufufu, you realized that you can not escape then be the first food of my deadly legend.¡¹ A terrible roar vanished baron¡¯s long-winded speech. Along with the roaring sound, smoke rose, the baron and his three commanders were swallowed. Four bronze artillery guns carried by artillery corps blew the fire and a big iron bullet tumbled them all over. If you just shut yourself up in a castle quietly, the cannon will not hit you. Cannons won¡¯t hesitate and helps you attain nirvana, baron. When dust clears up, a big pothole is shows up in the place where barons stands. Perhaps I had anticipated that there would be development like ¡°GU HA it did not work!¡±. Not even a trace remains. ¡¸Ah, the castle got scratched again.¡¹ If we rebuild this place and use it as a base, the repair seems to be serious. It seems that there is a quarry nearby so I wonder if we will be able to procure materials. While thinking about such a thing, I faintly hear little voice from below. I wondered what it is and look. ¡¸Guu¡­ amusing¡­ the attack¡­¡¹ Meat pieces are left under this hole, and that is talking. Which is weird. ¡¸Are you possibly the baron? Do you still live?¡¹ Because it is an undead, will not you die with a cannon? Even if you become a piece of meat, you are alright. ¡¸I am ¡­ ¡­, infinite ¡­, power ¡­ ¡­.¡¹ I¡¯m sorry for a moment but I guess it can not be helped. Even if you¡¯re restored, you¡¯re in trouble because you become a zombie slime baron. I put my hands together and brought the Holy Water I had to the baron. ¡¸Gyaaa ¡­ ¡­, my body is ¡­ ¡­, melting ¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry Baron. I¡¯m sorry but you are already dead, give it up already¡¹ ¡¸I am ¡­ ¡­ to the kingdom, revenge ¡­ ¡­. Oh ¡­ ¡­¡¹ ¡¸Namo amidabutsuda, Baron.¡¹ ***TN: There is no direct translation for this, it is similar to Amen. The baron¡¯s meat melted away in holy water, which seemed highly effective, it disappeared. Even if it¡¯s purified, I hope that you can attain nirvana at least. ¡¸You did it, Takeru.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, thanks to sensei¡¯s strategy.¡¹ Sensei probably didn¡¯t notice it, but I sympathize with the baron a little. I don¡¯t know what circumstances happened for him to become a zombie, I guess everyone in the city of Ox died. There is no point in resenting the kingdom that did not help. ¡¸Takeru, I¡¯m sorry to have kept you waiting. It¡¯s the general¡¯s work from this.¡¹ ¡¸Before that, I only have a bad feeling ¡­¡¹ Lyle-sensei keeps commanding the entire operation. His eyes are gladly shining although it still looks exhausted with the presence of eyebags. I cannot go against this. ¡¸Siege warfare is hard and cleaning up the drops is also serious.¡¹ ¡¸Ha, good luck.¡¹ Hereafter, the zombies will be buried. It is necessary to hold a service. Although I am not good at plain job, I thought that it was for the baron and had no choice but to do my best ¡­. ¡ù¡ù¡ù When the renovation work of the City of Ox ceased, a strange report came in from the messenger. He was in charge of political affairs at the old castle which became the operation base. ¡¸A traveling missionary nun came and helps us purify zombie hole.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, it¡¯s good.¡¹ As the person in charge of the volunteer corps, I guess I should thank the traveling missionary nun. Why do I have an unpleasant hunch? What is it, the feeling that my back is stirred¡­¡­. ¡¸¡±I would like to say a few words.¡± is Sister¡¯s message to the general.¡¹ ¡¸¡±I¡¯d love to¡± is my reply.¡¹ What is this, something in me emits a danger signal to escape now. Is the greeting left for Louise? ¡¸I have already come here.¡¹ ¡¸Er¡­¡¹ On a white background with blue lines, the sister in Asama Church robe came quietly. Face hidden with the hood, her long blonde hair could not be hidden completely and I remembered those excessively large breasts. ***TN: As a man I also can recognize a woman with the looks of her breast, and strength of her slap. She is a priest so a silver ankh hang around that area but it doesn¡¯t looks good. ¡¸Yahho, long time no see Takeru. I came to see you!¡¹ ¡¸Thanks¡­..¡¹ It came out, a strangely over-familiar sister. We only met once, and I do not remember becoming friends at all. Every time I see her, my character breaks. There is a feeling of incompatibility because the mysterious nun¡¯s broken character flakes off with her eyes covered by the hood. What was that name, Sister, Stelliana? ¡¸It¡¯s not a strike. It¡¯s Stelliana. If you do not remember, you can call me lovely Lia-chan.¡¹ ¡¸Well, Sister Lia, what can I do for you today? ¡¹ I will donate to the church, so please come home early today. When this sister comes, talk tends to be long. ¡¸Thank you for liberating the City of Ox. I can revive the church in the City of Ox. Asama is pleased.¡¹ ¡¸No, I heard that you purified the city, I thank you this time. The holy water I received is also useful.¡¹ For once, it is courtesy. If you think that zombies are no longer in the castle, you can sleep with confidence. I do not want to have a funny sister in place of zombies, so I want to purify her to the church early. ¡¸Today rather than ¡®From the Church¡¯, it has been a request from the Kingdom of Silesie.¡¹ Is it so? To say it in a way that seems to be bantering. Siste Lia plays with her Ankh. Yeah yeah I remember. ¡¸Wait, there¡¯s a request from the kingdom ¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I was asked by the kingdom to be the one to seal the Miasma Hole of Doom.¡¹ I am shaken by the glittering ankh. My head has become painful. ¡¸Takeru¡­¡­ the¡­, it feels like that I also have no countenance which doesn¡¯t rise with right or wrong.¡¹ ¡¸Do you understand? ¡¹ That would be a problem really. Why? I long for a valuable talent as a cleric at my company. People whose personality is broken is not needed. ¡¸I felt my destiny is at an unexpected reunion with my beloved, but this Sister Lia is a missionary nun.¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s not there.¡¹ Premonition that seems to be sending something strange again. ¡¸With the evangelistic nuns, the level is insufficient. Unless you are a saint or a sacred class, you can not seal the Miasma Hole of Doom. ¡¹ ¡¸I do not know the rank of clergy, but those who can¡¯t do sealing are in trouble.¡¹ What is that? We need a sealer, so if you can not do it, the reinforcement is useless. ¡¸Then again, will you be able to ask you the church to send a saint or a saintess who can seal the Miasma Hole of Doom? ¡¹ ¡¸Please be relieved. Do you know that ¡°holy alchemy¡± is my specialty?¡¹ No, I do not know. I do not understand anything. Well, I heard from the zombie baron that the holy water made by Lia is strong though. ¡¸I used Holy alchemy to seal the pothole. I¡¯m still immature as a sister, but holy alchemy is within the level of a saint class, so I¡¯ll able to seal it.¡¹ ¡¸Is it so¡­¡­? ¡¹ Then, she won¡¯t be replaced. A little, disappointing. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry¡­. No matter how beautiful of a sister I am, the one you sought is one with fighting power not my loveliness and elegance. You want us to dispatch a stronger clergy, is it not? ¡¹ No matter what you said to this sister, the story will only prolong uselessly. I do not think there will be any replacement anyway. Let¡¯s give up. ¡¸The Miasma Hole of Doom is settled in various places. The church dispatches clerics that has the ability to seal it. Compared with the greatness of Takeru, my level as a nun can be somewhat disappointing but please bare with it.¡¹ ¡¸No, I guess it really can¡¯t be helped.¡¹ The Asama church is not bad. My face looking gloomy is caused by another reason. ¡¸There is absolutely certainly nothing, let¡¯s do something for amends! ¡¹ ¡¸No, I do not need that.¡¹ Again? ¡¸If you ask me to atone by taking off my robe, I will do so. So later when we¡¯re alone together¡­..¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not telling you to take it off! ¡¹ I absolutely thought that we could connect with our talk. Are you a stripper? Even though I want to take it, today I have kept hoods in my eyes. ¡¸Hey, Takeru! I¡¯m not a stripper! ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ As expected of a cleric, unable to read the air but can she read mind? ¡¸I don¡¯t want to take it off unless I¡¯m alone with Takeru.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, because a soldier keeps an eye on this place¡­.. why is¡­¡¹ I have heaped up tsukko bluefish and have taken the one I didn¡¯t have to nori tsukkomi. Sister Lia¡¯s awesome. It¡¯s suffocating. Its thanks to the eyes of the boy from Goslow village surrounding me as personal guard. ***TN: This is also the first time I saw Goslow village. The author is probably just playing with words. He possibly thinks that I¡¯m using my authority to force the sister to undress. I think I¡¯m misunderstood. I have nothing to do with the metamorphosis of this pervert sister. It is a misunderstanding! My body is still pure. If you think so, the boy soldier from Losgow village sent a glance(Is it Miruko? Same age as Sara) which is embarrassing. As soon as I decided, it came to me. ¡¸General, if I am in the way, shall I go down? ¡¹ Such a thing comes to my ears. Please stop it. Even though he is a child, do not be strange. ¡¸No, Miruko-kun. Please stay here all the while and protect me¡­..¡¹ Rather, I will depend on you. Please don¡¯t leave us alone. ¡¸I seem to have received a very rude misunderstanding, I want you to definitely explain it.¡¹ No, I was rather misunderstood. I think that Sister Lia is making a correct interpretation. ¡¸There is a really deep reason for me to wish to reveal the figure of truth in front of Takeru.¡¹ ¡¸Is it a joke? Is it true?¡¹ Because the talk has already become long, I want you to pardon me. ¡¸Really true, big, serious and very important story.¡¹ ¡¸Haa, well then. It can¡¯t be helped. State briefly please¡­¡¹ If Sister Lia is going to be a companion from now on, I can¡¯t afford to not ask. Rather, I would like to ask if there are any reasons to remove the robe. ¡¸From the first time we met, even before we met, I felt Takeru would be like the hero of my destiny.¡¹ ¡¸Ha?¡¹ Could it be that Sister Lia is of the fushigi-chan¡¯s faction? ***TN: Fushigi Yuugi reference? Not sure. It has been a long time since I watched that anime so I can¡¯t remember specific details. When thinking if it was just sister¡¯s act, did Men Hell A Stalker accompany her? ***TN: He said ¡°Men Hell A Stalker¡± in english. What hero of destiny? The line of my backbone makes zowa. ***TN: Zowa is a japanese sfx for shudder. ¡¸I caused some impolite misunderstanding again¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Okay, I will listen to it in detail so please speak.¡¹ For the time being, let¡¯s think about coping after listening. In some cases, there is also the danger that Sister Lia may be a threat like the Miasma Hole of Doom. If I think the zombie baron was beaten, it is surprising for a final boss. ¡¸Let me say just in case. The story of being a hero is not a joke. My spirit lacks balance and that kind of talk does not imply from it. As for reality, I can certify Takeru as a hero.¡¹ ¡¸At any rate, no one knows whether it¡¯s realistic to be a hero.¡¹ Hero is a custom in fantasy. There is also such existence in this world. It isn¡¯t strange. There was a time when I was saying ¡°I want to become a hero of the cursed sword.¡±. However, this world is too realistic for fantasy. Even if it is said that I can be a hero now, it does not come with a pin. If you come, it feels like you should have come sooner. ¡¸Does Takeru know what a hero is? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, I do not necessarily know what it is ¡­..¡¹ There must be various kind even if it is said to be a hero. If it is conditional to come from a different world, there must have been some flag at the time of transition. I know that it is different. This world was too strict for me in order to think that I am a special being. ¡¸So let me explain. ¡°Heroes¡± are born from the people, while the ¡°Church¡± is born of God. They two existence symbolizes the order and justice that Asama created.¡¹ ¡¸If born out of the people, perhaps if Sister recognize him, he could be anyone? ¡¹ ¡¸The difference is that hero does not mean simply those who have courage. After clearing harsh conditions, they are admitted to the saint who is an agent of Asama on the ground. He will receive power and goddess¡¯ blessing for the first time as a legendary hero.¡¹ ¡¸Do I have to clear the trials of a hero? ¡¹ So, it¡¯s a bit time-critical. As we set up base in the City of Ox, the battle with the Miasma Hole of Doom is near. You can not do a trial in a long way. ¡¸No, Takeru has already met all requirements of a hero.¡¹ ¡¸Well, before all, is the different world transition a condition? ¡¹ ¡¸What is a different world?¡¹ ¡¸No, if it¡¯s different, but ¡­¡¹ Sister Lia says three conditions to be a hero. ¡¸Since I am an evangelist who has not reached the saint rank yet, I can only certify up to third grade of a hero but he still does not become a hero. Still, I think that there will be considerable differences in future fights.¡¹ ¡¸Third grade, what ¡­ what kind of qualifications is it? ¡¹ The system of the Asama church is difficult to understand too. However, it is understandable that a saint or sister certifies a hero as it is a fairly unique pattern. No, but wait a moment. As the other two are assumed to be good, I have not defeated the demon king. There is nothing to think about. ¡¸It¡¯s the zombie lord that ruled this city.¡¹ ¡¸Well, was the baron a demon king? ¡¹ Though there was no such pretense at all¡­¡­. No, indeed it feels like an RPG-like demon king. Or, if you feel it, can you become a demon king? Rather than the hero, that needs to be certified instead? Is it a demon king if introducing oneself? As a system, it is too sloppy. What is going on different world fantasy. Although Tsukkomi springs up a lot, I feel that not wanting to talk long with Lia grows stronger than doubt raising. ***TN: Tsukkomi is often used to describe a Japanese anime character who is frustrated, under appreciated, or just plain ticked off. The Tsukkomi attempts to keep a calm facade, only to be thwarted by someone, or something, they find irritating. Often resulting in violent actions. ¡¸The zombie baron was a nucleus that has just been born. If it continues to be influenced by miasma as it is, it would have become a demon king who threatens the world in about a hundred years. ¡¹ ¡¸If you are so certain, it is not strange. ¡¹ Monsters other than zombies were also obeying, and it was certainly a big deal just to say that the person in question has infinite power. Is it so, Baron? If you grow up smoothly as it is, you will be a demon king. If I did not interrupt, he is likely to have been able to retaliate also against the kingdom where his grudged is directed. I guess you have done something poorly. Because this is also common practice in the Age of Warring States, please attain nirvana¡­¡­. ¡¸Takeru, that zombie lord became a provision for becoming a hero. ¡¹ ¡¸Stop speaking that way.¡¹ Even though he is a monster, he¡¯s pitiful . ¡¸So, will Takeru be my hero? ¡¹ ¡¸I will be. ¡¹ Though I likely to have hesitated a little in case of other timing. In this situation, I would even borrow the hands of the cat before facing the Miasma Hole of Doom. In this flow of event, it cannot help becoming it. ¡¸Then in the name of Sister Stelliana, I will appoint Sawatari Takeru as a hero of Asama. ¡¹ Thus, there is neither a deep emotion nor a promise, I was recognized by Sister Lia as a hero. CH 23 Added illustrations. Enjoy this chapter!!! ________________________________________________________________ ¡¸Oh?¡¹ ¡¸What is it Takeru? ¡¹ The stone fortress City of Ox. The big open room which was an audience of the zombie baron. So, before me who is in charge of political affairs, the evangelist nun Lia is coming. Boy member of my personal guard corps, Miruko-Kun, has a face that want to abandon the role and go out of the room. When he goes out, I¡¯ll follow. ¡¸No, it¡¯s this story¡­. I thought this story is still going on.¡¹ Don¡¯t add and subtract long scene and then get going in the end anyway. How long do I have to talk to Leah. ¡¸Rather Takeru, are there no more questions about heroes? The delight of becoming a hero is fine¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸No, since somehow I got to be a hero now. There seems to have been no ritual, and my body has not changed.¡¹ When saying so, Lia knelt seeming to apologize. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. If it is a cleric with higher rank , the ankh will shine brightly, angel with doves fly down, and there are various flashy production. To me who was able to take only the third grade hero recognition class, it won¡¯t happen.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, you don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡¹ I have a bad feeling. ¡¸There is no choice but to take off already¡­¡¹ ¡¸No, stop that kind of joke in front of Miruko! ¡¹ I don¡¯t know what kind of bad reputation I¡¯ll have. Even though I¡¯m already called General Choro. I mean, wait. I was spoofed in by the story of the hero. The matter you mentioned a little while ago, Why do you want to take it off Lia? There is no explanation at all. ¡¸Ah, it is the ability of the hero, but you can put out a sword from your hand.¡¹ ¡¸Really? ¡¹ Is it a magician that you can put out a sword from your hands? ¡¸There are various kinds of spells, legends, etc., but in reality those doesn¡¯t matter. Please imagine a strong sword and shout.¡¹ Eh? Don¡¯t you need an incantation to cast that sort of spell? Somehow, Lia was talking about that for a while. Oh well, I¡¯d like to try it¡­ ¡¸Make, oh, then, the¡­¡­ Hokushin Itto-ryu heart and star king sword!¡¹ It made a loud noise and a sword of light appeared in my hand. Every time it is shaken, an artificial pale blaze makes you think of it as a stellar twinkling. ¡¸This is the image of the sword of the Hero Takeru, is it not? ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, but for the time being I will devise the shape a bit more.¡¹ The image of mine is improved more and it was made to shape like a blade. It¡¯s wonderful, it¡¯ll follow my image. ¡¸You should be able to use special spells exclusively for heroes but ¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah, my magic power is zero so I can¡¯t use it.¡¹ Lyle-sesei already said that I don¡¯t have magic power. Well, I¡¯m already thankful with the light sword alone. I now believe the story of the hero certification. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. I must apologize my hero, for not being able to use the spells.¡¹ ¡¸Please stop it! Don¡¯t put your hands on the robe! ¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Is there no further benefit for heroes? ¡¹ When talking to Lia, summarizing only the main points is what I want as it will be long. ¡¸Will this suffices as privilege? A beautiful sister pledges her lifelong love to the hero and attend him for a lifetime. ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not a benefit, is it not a curse¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸It is not. When holy water is necessary, please always push and give it to me.¡¹ Are you kidding? That¡¯s also a joke. Let¡¯s say it is a joke. A strange sister became a companion. An absurd story that I became the hero of the sword of light. How shall I speak with everyone? I am terribly worried. Miruko ¨C kun, a nearby guard who witnessed everything, spread the rumor so I had to explain it. ¡ù¡ù¡ù There is a reason why I had favor with him after the death of Baroness Louz. It is an old castle where the spire has collapsed, but the first floor of the foundation has a feeling that most of it was undamaged and could be used as it was. There, I have found a cool stuff. A large bathroom made of store. In the dressing room, there were even expensive mirrors that are produced limitedly in this world. Although it is a regrettable thing that it did not lead to the idea of placing a mirror up to the inside of the bathroom, it can be considered sufficient. It is probably because the City of Ox has plenty of stone and wood. A wonderful public bath was made. As a human being of this age, we have to praise him as a man of great sensitivity. It is regrettable to think that I will never meet the baron alive and talk about the greatness and comfort of the bath. A man like a bath becomes a zombie, what a tragedy. I am not a believer of Goddess Asama and I do not know if I am going to heaven or hell, but I pray that there is a big bath there. Although the baron¡¯s souvenir is a sure thing, even if I confirmed that water could be pulled and burned from the nearest fountain, I did not immediately enter myself. From the soldiers who engaged in the reconstruction of the city and the men who take the initiative in taking a lot of work, I decided to take a bath slowly and have them rest for a while. At first they were pleasantly surprised and they were satisfied as they noticed the comfort of soap and bath soon. Were very grateful. This will be a prior investment. It is a future plan, but I intend to disseminate the bath culture itself as a sale, including not only soap, but also bathtubs and hand pumps. Taking myself as a contributor, I successfully collected a good quality ammonium nitrate found in the cave near the town, basically fruit bat droppings. I was delighted to the point of crying when I soaked in a bath as a reward. Well, after various people immersed in the bath, I secretly replaced hot water and enjoyed the bath alone. ¡¸Fuh, mission complete.¡¹ ***TN: He said ¡°mission complete¡± in english Tastily rise from the bath, dressed in a bathrobe, drinking victory ice coffee chilled at the dressing room. The reason why I took such a trouble is that recently there are too many troubles with bathing. It is not a flag, the bathroom was steeped in quiet. I do not think it¡¯s a love comedy. I thought about it before I came to a different world, but trouble really happens if I have an environment with lots of girls around in a bathroom. When I was going to take a bath suddenly, I anticipated flags coming in with Sharon or Lia if I incorrectly entered (I may be thinking too much). That is why I left a little step. ¡¸Oh, are you here master? ¡¹ ¡¸Ou!! ¡¹ Look, as she talked, Sharon came into the dressing room. It is fantasy whether such thing can happen in sync. ¡¸Did you possibly enter the bathroom? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I got it ahead of you.¡¹ ¡¸It is cruel¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡¹ Why is that? ¡¸Master promised me to let me wash your hair. Do you not know how much I expected it when I heard that there is a bath! ¡¹ Oh, is that an appointment? I thought that it was an ad-hoc conversation. ¡¸Oh! My bad¡­ then again, maybe next time. It was a nice hot bath, Sharon should also come in.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡­.¡¹ Someone obviously seems to be in a bad mood, an animal ear is turned down. I fled quickly. I¡¯m not bad. I¡¯m already an adult so I can wash my own hair. ¡ù¡ù¡ù It¡¯s a big bed. Another goodwill from Baron Louz. I can use the best room in the castle, the baron¡¯s bedroom. This is also wonderful. With a big big bed, you can toss and turn over again. To what extent this is luxurious? I know the severity of this world I am deeply impressed to the way of living of royal and nobles. Well, I do not think I¡¯m at war with monsters. You can sleep slowly by putting smooth silk sheets on the soft bed. It would be the best. Being able to do such a good living in this age, the baron gained greatly. Wood and stone are valuable building materials of this era, so it probably was doing well. I wish I had met him before alive. It is really regrettable. I could have been excited about the story of business. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong Sharon? ¡¹ I got into the bath and when I thought about going to bed slowly, Sharon came to my bed. For some reason, Sharon is in cotton underwear form. With her very thin outfit, growth is visible(How to say it, because she becomes senior to me). I am a bit taken aback. I wonder if she is going to go to bed after bathing. People in this age doesn¡¯t have pajamas. It is not amusing even if sleeping in such an appearance. ¡¸Today, slave girl personal guard corps decided to escort master in the bedroom.¡¹ ¡¸Huh ¡­.¡¹ What do you mean? ¡¸Of course, I will not do rudeness such as the slave enters master¡¯s bed. It is excellent here, I will sleep.¡¹ After saying such, Sharon sprawled on the stone pavement in the room. ¡¸Oi! ¡¹ Do you not think that your body will get cold when you take a bath. If a girl cools a lower back, it¡¯s useless. I rushed out of bed, rise up and make Sharon stand up from a bed. ¡¸How should it be done? ¡¹ ¡¸No, I do not need an escort when I am asleep. I have my own room, so please go to bed.¡¹ Also, Sharon lying on the stone pavement making a rolling over sound. I don¡¯t hear that ,it¡¯ll be so¡­¡­ ¡¸OK then, sleep at the edge of the bed.¡¹ ¡¸Master, thank you! ¡¹ Sharon is in an undergarment appearance, it might be interesting. Not only are the beast ears standing but you can see the tiny orange tail swaying in the buttocks. If I saw a tail swaying quietly, I could not say it was no good. Though it has already died, when I am small I have kept dogs. It usually slept in my house. Before I knew it, it slept by rolling down at the bottom of my bed. I wondered what the dog thought at that time. Were you lonely or did you want to be with me more? It always seems. I regretted that I should have loved it more before it dies. So, I will sleep and turn off the lights. Sharon who should have been sleeping on the edge, did not say anything when it stuck to me unintentionally. I am not a child anymore, but I thought that she was a dog and should be cherished ¡­. ¡¸¡­.. It might be impossible.¡¹ If this is a dog, there is no big soft chest, no hips, and smell of a girl who just took a bath. I can endure today, but it is quite hard to keep this going on everyday. Too much sleep disturbance. Su-ssu, It is confirmed that Sharon is quietly setting up breathing of a sleeper. I remove the hand and foot around which is twined and a little, move to the end of a bed. Finally I can sleep, I think she will come back little by little until I realize it again. I hit a soft one and I can¡¯t move. ¡¸Master ¡­¡¹ I heard a sweet voice at my ear. Stop, because I¡¯m thrilled. It¡¯s bad even if I woke you up. I beg you, please part a little more. But what is this soft sensation, Sharon¡¯s arm, thighs, breasts? With my poor experience value, I can¡¯t think of a remedy. Do not think about it anymore, do not think about anything. ¡¸Shikisokuzek¨±, k¨±sokuzeshiki¡¹ While saying a prayer to the Buddha, it took some time but somehow I manage to sleep. Is this also part of the severity of real fantasy? For inexperienced people, the world is not sweet. No, correction, it is too sweet and stifling. CH 24 ¡°Devil¡¯s Mountain¡± rises northwest from the mountain City of Ox. The Devil¡¯s Mountain is a name that is too intact, but there is no choice but to call it so. The vegetation is clearly different from the other mountains and the hard sharp black cedar is a surface to cover . The black mountain itself seems to be a natural fortress. A lot of spears have spawned. The Miasma Hole of Doom at the top of the mountain. Miasma is invisible to human eyes. It spurts it out and does not stop like lava. Two hundred and forty years before of fact which sails up now. From that Devil¡¯s Mountain, there was a man who stopped the infinite blowing miasma. Former Great Hero, Renz Albert. The legendary Hero Renz who succeeded identifying and sealing the cause of activation of the monster, the Miasma Hole of Doom. He beats the demon king who monitors the monster. As he sealed the Miasma Hole of Doom, the mass production of monsters ceased, people could live in this region of Silesie, and a country was eventually born. The founder of the Kingdom of Silesie, Renz Silesie Albert I. He is that person. For the seal problem to be solved, the army coming from the Royal Capital should be placed against the Devil¡¯s Mountain. Then, perform a pincer attack from from both side of the Royal Capital and the City of Ox which is another base from the foot of the Devil¡¯s Mountain. I think Founding King Renz made the City of Silesie and the fortress City of Ox to perform such. ¡ù¡ù¡ù ¡¸It was same with the front.¡¹ Horse-riding Louise who finished the reconnaissance comes back to Ox ¡®s old castle and murmured a word. Even though monsters are activated, there is no demon lord who oversee the monsters in the current Miasma Hole of Doom. I understand the cause and coping method. Compared to the era when the former hero sealed it the first time, the quest can be said much better. However, there is only one problem. ¡¸This Devil¡¯s Mountain is a stronghold of flying dragon wyvern.¡¹ It is a subspecies of the dragon. Wyvern is a small biped walker and less intelligent than the legendary dragon which is considered as the last boss of some RPG. Dragons uses four legs with high intelligence and high magic. The difference in power is about adults and children. Though being able to fly over the sky is troublesome, dragon knight keep and ride them. When spanning kingdom chivalry, it is said that it isn¡¯t a difficult foe to knock down. However, it is a story if there is no influence of the Miasma Hole of Doom. Wyvern who lives just beside the hole is growing strong. The scales are dyed in black, and they are changing to existence that can even be called black flying dragons. That power seems to approach the superior kind of dragon. ¡¸Therefore, we¡¯ll try to split the flock of black wyvern of the Devil¡¯s Mountain. ¡¹ The tactics of the subjugation troop Louise led before is this; raid the Devil¡¯s Mountain to pull them off the mountain, then fight the black wyvern. Meanwhile, the saint goes on to seal the Miasma Hole of Doom. No matter how much it grows, wyvern will not be smarter than dragon. Though a simple feint, it can be said that the success rate of this strategy is high. However, it failed. ¡¸The saint who tried to seal it couldn¡¯t fulfill his duty. ¡¹ What kind of mistake was there in the sealing ceremony? On the contrary, the seal was further opened. Monster activation has become catastrophic. Most of the soldiers who tried to rescue the saint by fighting the miasma-enraged black dragons were killed in the battle. ¡¸I did not even know why I failed. I took command, so it can¡¯t be helped that they are blaming me for it.¡¹ Louise who looks back to a last war and murmurs in blank surprise. Everyone surrounding the desk is silent. Sister Lia raised her hand and said. ¡¸The saint who went with Louise was my master. A merciful saint of Silesie. She was a holy alchemist that can be considered number one or two in this country. I never thought that she will fail to seal it.¡¹ ¡¸But actually ¡­.¡¹ The rebuttal of Louise, Lia continues to suppress it by the hand. ¡¸It would be in the state which isn¡¯t ordinary.¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean¡­¡­¡¹ Louise glare with her dark red pupil fiercely. Without fear, Lia continued. ¡¸The upper echelon of the Asama church has speculated that there was some sabotage work.¡¹ ¡¸Who would do such a thing? Neighbors hostile to Silesie? Even other countries that the kingdom bordered are undergoing invasion of monsters that have been massively generated from the Miasma Hole of Doom.¡¹ There are no human beings that will gain anything by opening the lid of the hole. I understand the desire to say that it is impossible. Even Louise and the others, attacked it with great care by using a strategy that considers danger. ¡¸What if it is a knight that supposed to do that disturbing work? Master was the person who doesn¡¯t know how to doubt a person. For instance, to the person who believed the ally, Saint Wand Holy Paull that is used for the seal can be replaced by an imitation.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s impossible! ¡¹ For the Louise, the Order of Knights and the soldier are both her subordinates and colleagues. I really understand the feeling that want to believe. ¡¸Because there is no mean? I would like to say, how about General Gail who was a deputy head of the King¡¯s Order? At that time, he was contesting Louise for the leader¡¯s seat.¡¹ The name of the other party who dislikes it most in this world is put out, Louise was blocked. ¡¸No, I certainly think that Gail is the worst man. For having a successful career, it¡¯s okay to get in other people, but what I say is that the sealing of the Miasma Hole of Doom fails. How many people died ¡­¡¹ No, no, I do not want to think. Louise shakes her burning red hair and has an expression of agonizing on her face. ¡¸Well, I will ask you, what is the movement of General Gail as commander of the King¡¯s Subjugation Army? It is as if it is a mysterious movement that seems to believe that it is unnecessary to seal the Miasma Hole of Doom. However, opposition factions trying to save the people have been raided many times and are crushed.¡¹ Well, I guess that Gail is incompetent. ¡¸That¡¯s impossible! The proud knight of this country. Moreover, the person who even became leader of imperial guards have interfered with sealing the Miasma Hole of Doom because of self-interest.¡¹ ¡¸In terms of circumstances, it is certainly the case.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s stupid! A knight betraying the country, it can¡¯t be. As a former knights, even if it¡¯s Gail, let me say that it is impossible!¡¹ Louise is unusually rough. Well, it is a story where you can¡¯t stay calm. Lyle-sensei who was listening to Louise ¡®s story quietly inquired during the conflict maneuvering meeting. ¡¸Commander Louise, I don¡¯t want to say but, if it¡¯s impossible, how is it done? ¡¹ ¡¸Such a thing, if the knight doesn¡¯t defend the people and the country, at that time, the ruin of this country already¡­..¡¹ Somehow, the talk comes off from the main plot. I also decided to intervene. Internal conflict within the country, betrayal. It would be nice if someone would like to do it without permission. It is now before my eyes. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s leave it once, how shall we seal the hole? ¡¹ Because I intervened suddenly, Louise and others who were arguing look blank and looks at me. Oh, sorry. Is it a serious scene that you should not disturb air? ¡¸Well, the basic strategy is the same as the punitive team led by Louise-san, separating Wyvern from the Devil¡¯s mountain while Lia-san seals the Miasma Hole of Doom. I think that it is easy to do since we have cannons.¡¹ Lyle-sensei added after he made it for a while. ¡¸It is, without the interference of someone we¡¯re talking about¡­¡¹ Lyle-sensei absolutely does not believe Louise¡¯s opinion that there are no obstacles. I do not know how deep Lyle-sensei¡¯s strategy is, but I can tell by looking at the face that was clear at first glance. This is the scheming face of sensei. I¡¯m sure he will make a secret strategy considering that there is obstruction. We assume that the plan may have reflect. I did not ask for a separately detailed strategy. Sensei didn¡¯t say what he doesn¡¯t have to say and would inform me what I should know. Has anyone imitated such a way as to interfere with the seal? Rather than searching such a thing in a leisurely way, I¡¯ll prioritize sealing the Miasma Hole of Doom. If we do not seal it as soon as possible, we will be sacrificed by revitalizing monsters. However, until sensei thinks it is enough, I¡¯ll arrange the preparations accurately. Because we don¡¯t want to match the damage. ¡ù¡ù¡ù Lyle-sensei is fortifying the City of Ox so to the point that it seems to be overkill. Earthwork makes the town new by re-formed momentum. The moat is deepened, the spire is repaired, and all of those for the purpose of making a fixed artillery. I wonder what sensei is going to fight. It seems that we are engaged in development and increase production of new type cannon in cooperation with Ye Mountain Range Mining Association. We are keeping in touch with Nattal in Losgow mine from behind. We need to climb the mountain in front of me, and seal it up with me. I wonder if I need to be here. When will the ¡± Miasma Hole of Doom ¡± be attacked? However, there is actually a demand letter from the kingdom. Sensei crushed it. Is it safe? Oh dear, sensei does that so it might be significant. Apart from the new canon, I also want a rifle. I¡¯m sending many blueprints, so I beg you to ask the blacksmiths. The volunteer soldier corps led by Louise could also do a quite complicated mobile practice now by sensei¡¯s direction. A group of monsters comes down regularly from the top of the mountain where the Miasma Hole of Doom is. They¡¯ve become a good opponent for training. Since we don¡¯t want to waste bullets, monsters were massacred with guns. We don¡¯t even use the cannon. Quick slaughter, overkill massacre. As for me, I¡¯m acting as the watching general from the carriage. Because Sharon and Sara are watching, it is not possible to go out to the battlefield. I, who is looking at the progress of a battle, has come to gradually sympathize with the monsters. I have become a hero. There is a sword of light. I still don¡¯t have a turn as usual. With the hero thrown into the carriage for a long time, what cruel Dragon Quest? ***TN: I don¡¯t play Dragon Quest so I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s with the reference ¡¸Takeru, are you here? ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, Lia? ¡¹ I feel sorry for Lia. After making me a hero, I seem to be a secret weapon that is reserved for the end. Somehow, the eyes of Sharon and Sara who sees Lia are thorny. It will be okay because this person is not aiming to be part of my personal guard corps. It took me some time to know the character of Lia so it can¡¯t be helped to look at her with suspicious eyes. In fact, her behavior is suspicious. ¡¸I heard Strategist Lyle. It seems that the date for attacking the Miasma Hole of Doom has been decided.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, at last.¡¹ Sensei¡¯s suggestion. There is probably something. Probably the reason why you did not go quickly and saved it. I¡¯m looking forward to what happens rather. ¡¸By all means when sealing it, there should be a hero with the saint. ¡¹ ¡¸Can you climb the Devil¡¯s Mountain? I don¡¯t mind if sensei approves it. ¡¹ While listening to the story, it seems unlikely that a light sword would be useful for sealing. Because the one that sealed it up first is a hero, it is probably not needed in the ceremony. Oh, I don¡¯t like that. Lia¡¯s tone is infected. ¡¸The permission of the strategist, I certainly do not have it.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t laugh Lia.¡¹ ¡¸Seriously, my master went to seal and disappeared. Even if you say that the black wyvern will be lured, wouldn¡¯t there still be danger?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, but I believe in the strategy so it¡¯s okay.¡¹ Lia¡¯s god is Asama. The god of my strategy is Lyle-sensei. As long as the sensei says it, it is okay. I do not feel afraid of enemies. ¡¸Takeru is religious. ¡¹ ¡¸Right. ¡¹ Lia made her well-shaped mouth come unsewn suddenly. Though it is hidden in the dazzling hood, I barely see her mouth. So after coming here, Lia really does not take off the hood. She never takes it off. It might be a joke just to get rid of it. Well, she keeps wearing hood but I think it is definitely something. I will never say to show your face from here. It isn¡¯t liked to pick an unnecessary thicket and take out a snake. ¡¸My preparation was also decided, so I¡¯ll prepare the Sacrament that gives the goddess¡¯s protection to the hero. I¡¯ll prepare and arrange it. Please take the time before the strategy begins.¡¹ ¡¸Sacrament? ¡¹ It is a word that I cannot hear. ¡¸ The Asama church; it is a ceremony of strict secret. By the blessing of the saint, the hero¡¯s magic power and physical defense power are greatly improved.¡¹ ¡¸I like quite a bit of that, but there might not be any compensation? ¡¹ There is a disadvantage to a good story. ¡¸It is truly good to know.¡¹ ¡¸I am doubtful if you do business and become skeptical.¡¹ It¡¯s a pattern. ¡¸There is a safe procedure in the sacrament too. However, as a hero, Takeru lacks magical power and fighting power as well. I am not a saint. Therefore, even if taking risks, I will try to raise each other¡¯s power to the utmost limit by using a forbidden curse. ¡¹ ¡¸You clearly said that I am lacking in combat power.¡¹ Well, the point without reserve is the good part of Lia. It is not a joke. ¡¸Forbidden curse is too dangerous to give a sacramental prohibition from the church. If Takeru¡¯s spirit can¡¯t endure the ceremony, you will lose something important.¡¹ I¡¯m afraid. I¡¯m afraid for certain. But if you make such gesture, it can¡¯t be declined. Even I have obstinacy, I am confident of perseverance alone. If you do not want to die, you may try even by a painful trial. ¡¸At the time of ceremony failure, I will definitely lose the qualification as a sister. I got lost many times, but I have prepared for that.¡¹ Unnoticeably, Lia is serious. Well, because you also have a high risk, is it natural? ¡¸Even if you fail in that ceremony, can you seal the Miasma Hole of Doom? ¡¹ ¡¸We have already completed the creation of the Saint Wand Holy Paul for the seal.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll do it if Lia is good.¡¹ ¡¸Have I already said that I decided to prepare? ¡¹ Lia plays with the ankh that shines in white silver. It¡¯s a good resolution. ¡¸Then, after I rest for a short while after this battle is over, this evening.¡¹ ¡¸Well, definitely not.¡¹ When I became a hero there was no trial or emotion, and it was awful. I feel like I finally arrived. In order to obtain a strong power, there is a wall that must be overcome and it is natural. I¡¯m a man. I am ready. That is certainly not the case. CH 25 _________________________________________________________________________________________________ After taking a rest for a while, all schedules for tonight were cancelled. I then joined the cursed sacrament ¡°Sacrament¡±. ***TN:They called the cursed sacrament ¡°Sacrament¡± which is written in english. It is a mystery that somehow, I was told that we should heat a bath. Perhaps it uses a lot of holy water. Is there also a cold-water ablution in Western countries? But there are no cold-water ablutions for hot water. What would I do if I¡¯ll be soaked in boiling water bath in order to test perseverance (that¡¯s impossible). When I went to the bathroom, the hood-wearing Lia was waiting at the dressing room. ¡¸I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. It is an unusual ceremony, Lia.¡¹ She raised the hood that had been covering her faintly eyes. The light blond hair which became wavy shakes a little. Lia¡¯s so beautiful that she can be mistaken as an elf. If she keeps silent, you can see her as a compassionate saint. Only if she keeps silent. Looking at these sea blue eyes with a serious look on them. Air is heavy. What has been prepared? I hold my breath in tension unconsciously. Because it isn¡¯t the Lia which usually plays around. I¡¯ll get crazy. ¡¸First of all, there is something you must absolutely protect.¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­¡­¡¹ Lia put her hand on the robe, then it dropped beneath. That ¡­¡­. Under Sister¡¯s robe, it was a pure white underwear with a lace. Compared with the modern day, I feel a bit uneasy, but there is a shiny silk underwear with a knitted pattern properly. It seemed that it would be a quite luxury goods. At the same time, I was surprised from the bottom of my heart. Lia was the type that looks thinner in clothes. No, her belly is not fat. Rather it is slim. Her chest¡­. What cup is it¡­..? My boobscouter is broken! ***TN: It¡¯s over 9000!!!!!!! It is impossible to measure. Fool, this size is unlikely for humanity. The bottom might be only raised with the pad. ¡¸Do not be absolutely horny ¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Impossible!¡¹ ¡¸Takeru this is not a joke!¡¹ While saying so, the hook of the bra was removed. The cloths fell and Chomolungma appears. ***TN: ¥Á¥ç¥â¥é¥ó¥Þ (Chomolungma) is the Tibetan name of Everest I instinctively kneeled. You did not have a pad, didn¡¯t you? Just what did you eat to have this size? Is it muskmelon? ¡¸(Gulp) ¡­ ¡­ if you are not joking, what is this for you!¡¹ ¡¸This.., it is real, serious, and it is necessary.¡¹ So don¡¯t take off your shorts while saying that! Ahhhhh, it was cast off too short. Was the bottom also light blonde for a blonde? She becomes naked too blankly so I could not react. ¡¸Okay, let¡¯s hear the explanation.¡¹ ¡¸Before that, take off your clothes Takeru and get naked. I will not explain until you do.¡¹ Huh ¡­ why? Everyone and this fellow as well. Because I am a choro anyway, I have no choice but to take off with this momentum. It forced me to skip high hurdles to take off from the opponent. I feel like I am about to take off. When I¡¯m about to, it made me conscious. ¡¸To the Vow of Sister¡¯s Chastity, there is something that one should not show her skin to anyone.¡¹ ¡¸Why did you take it off ¡­?¡¹ It is getting sad to tsukkomi. Or, because I was suddenly touched, I looked straight at the body of Lia ¡­ already ¡­. ¡¸However, there is a loophole in the vow of chastity.¡¹ ¡¸For the time being, I¡¯ll hear it.¡¹ ¡¸Then, let¡¯s speak slowly while stepping into the bath.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, it is already good. I have understood.¡¹ I enter a large indoor bath quickly. It¡¯s better one hundred times more than being confronted naked. ¡¸Takeru, you have to do something with the hot water.¡¹ ¡¸I know even if it isn¡¯t said!¡¹ Who do you think I am? A trueborn Edo bath lover. I entered the bathroom. It was good hot water. Even at such a cold mood, the bath is warm and pleasant. ¡¸Then I will tell you the truth, in fact the bath is a foreshadow.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, foreshadowing or whatever.¡¹ I hate fellow who give the advance hint and says it looking triumphant. Not noticing that it would be a bigger secret. ¡¸There is a teaching of Asama in the ¡°Supplement of the Vow of Chastity¡±. Accidental encounter in the bathroom is inevitable.¡¹ ¡¸Is the goddess like that too?¡¹ The doctrine is okay with lucky sketchy things. ¡¸Moreover, this is not a coincidence no matter how you think.¡¹ ¡¸This meeting is inevitable, is it not?¡¹ In this situation where you are soaked in a bathtub, it is possible to shine by blushing your cheek! ¡¸So, first of all, this is a sacramental spiral that enhances offensive magical power.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, I wanted to hear that! ¡¹ ¡¸Originally the saint just hugs the hero, but the power given from above the clothes is weak.¡¹ ¡¸Wait a minute.¡¹ ¡¸I will go first from the back!¡¹ ¡¸Were you waiting!¡¹ She swam in the bathtub and hug me from the back. ¡¸Its hitting my back!¡¹ Indeed, I must focus and return. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, I have too much meat on my body, it feels bad.¡¹ ¡¸Uhhh, I don¡¯t feel that bad¡­.¡¹ It was better for me to return with a joke. Lia is seriously rubbing her boobs on my back. This is not a joke nor anything, it feels through the skin. It was a really heartfelt, soft feel. That¡¯s why I am in trouble. ¡¸This is really a ritual! ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. That is why I first told you that it will make you feel horny.¡¹ That¡¯s why it is impossible. You¡¯re teasing a virgin. It¡¯s already bad being in the bathtub. ¡¸Next, I will go on ahead.¡¹ ¡¸No! Now is slightly bad, please wait a moment!¡¹ ¡¸Takeru, be strong. There is a reason for this to be called forbidden curse.¡¹ ¡¸No. Even if you don¡¯t mention it, I understand.¡¹ I swim and try to escape in a hurry. The movement is getting dull like somehow hot water entangles. Damn, maybe my feelings are rather flowing in the direction I want? I have been driven into the four corners of the bathtub soon. ¡¸Up to this point, many historical heroes and saints have tried this disinhibition and they have scattered their pure blood forever.¡¹ ¡¸Well, it will be banned from the church!¡¹ Lia is truly unforgiving, she really came from the front. ¡¸It¡¯s okay, Takeru. Asama prohibits abortion. Even a child without love will be nurtured well if it will be a case.¡¹ ¡¸No! Saying it like that while doing it!¡¹ Ahhh, this is really bad¡­ ¡¸Is it safe? Please endure for another five seconds!¡¹ ¡¸Uuhhh¡­.¡¹ Uh, something safe ¡­ ¡­.? ¡¸Sacrament of strengthening offensive magic power complete.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you.¡¹ I said thank you in what they say is only a feeling. Well, I told you that you did nothing wrong in return. ¡¸Don¡¯t mention it. The following is the sacrament of the physical defense power strengthening.¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s wait for a moment. I really need to prepare my spirit.¡¹ Reverberations of a little while ago still remain. ¡¸You said you are prepared for it?¡¹ ¡¸I never thought that it was such a ceremony.¡¹ ¡¸Please be relieved. Physical strengthening is better than earlier.¡¹ ¡¸In what way?¡¹ ¡¸Originally, it will be finished by kissing once.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I could read it somewhat.¡¹ When she rose up with a big splash of hot water, she kissed the top of my hair. ¡¸By kissing in the body, we strengthen the defense power evenly.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so?¡¹ Before my eyes, there¡¯s less damage than Lia¡¯s chests coming. I do not want to say this but, her boobs were floating on hot water. The buoyancy is too high. Lia kisses like licking slowly from the top of my head. My hair feels ticky and I feel a little unsettled. If it is the original ritual, the hero goes in a war. It seems that it was a picturesque scene that the saint hugged, kissed quickly and gave the goddess¡¯s blessing. Who made it such an erotic ceremony? The legend is bending screws somewhere. ¡¸Eh, mouth too?¡¹ ¡¸It is natural. It should spread intraoral evenly.¡¹ Is it not a deep kiss? ¡¸The intraoral is said.¡¹ ¡¸Do you not know the story of a dragon that immersed in an invincibility spring? It died by being stabbed in the throat since it did not soak it in the spring.¡¹ ¡¸No. That¡¯s plausible, but I have not experienced it.¡¹ Far from deep, it is not shallow. ¡¸I¡¯ve never done it. Are you dissatisfied that I am your first partner? You cannot permit the lips since you have a favourite child?¡¹ Ah, even Lia¡¯s mood is getting kind of bad? I thought she won¡¯t be moved. ¡¸No, I have nothing to complain about, but I guess that¡¯s what others like to do ¡­..¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s implied. Saying you dislike me?¡¹ ¡¸No, that¡¯s not it! ¡¹ ¡¸So what do you mean? I thought I¡¯d end the ceremony as quickly as possible, but I can¡¯t continue if you are not certain. I can not do it anymore.¡¹ ¡¸Well, what a strange thing ¡­ we have not met so much yet¡­.. I mean, we¡¯re not even dating¡­¡¹ My idea may be old, but after going through a lot of twists and turns, there are confession events and so on. Having a date several times, becoming a couple and finally deepening love for each other. Forgive me. What¡¯s annoying you? I do not have experience, not even a date. I¡¯m a dreamer, but I¡¯m bad, damn! ¡¸Takeru is different I guess. We step in a bath mutually naked but it is not possible to kiss since we are not dating? Even children won¡¯t think that way.¡¹ ¡¸Ah well, a child seems to seem to kiss readily reversely.¡¹ ¡¸Now just accept it in a child¡¯s mood.¡¹ That said, Lia piled up lip with me. ¡¸How is it? Something changed?¡¹ ¡¸No, but ¡­ I thought it was unavoidable.¡¹ ¡¸Once I kiss your lips, the defense force should have gone up overall.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I see, hmmmm.¡¹ I do not feel like it changed too much. ¡¸Is it not? After all, I do not have the level as a saint.¡¹ ¡¸No, because I am immature as a hero.¡¹ ¡¸Well then I will kiss you more, maybe I¡¯ll change it.¡¹ Once again, the soft lip of Lia touches me. ¡¸A little while ago¡­..¡¹ I could taste better than before. ¡¸Oh good, then again.¡¹ A soft feeling. A lip is inserted by a lip just slightly. Lia smiled fluently. Oh, what feeling right now. ¡¸I felt it. The magic power went out for a moment just now.¡¹ ¡¸It is so¡­ It was different for a moment.¡¹ I should not feel it because my magic power should be zero. Perhaps, I feel something has changed. In addition to kissing several times. When thinking how long it will be repeated, Lia. ¡¸Well, then, inside the mouth this time¡­¡¹ That said, she have made a warm tongue crawl in my lips. The sound echoed in the bathroom. What is this obscenity? it seems that my hips will escape just by kissing. ¡¸Nnnn¡­.¡¹ ¡¸N, I¡¯m sorry, was it stuffy?¡¹ ¡¸No, I am fine but it was so sudden.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, but the lips are essential to the ceremony. They are so important that it can¡¯t be helped.¡¹ That being said, she also screwed her tongue into my lips. Lia¡¯s tongue and my tongue mix up with each other and makes a noise. ¡¸Wha ¡­ ¡­. Lia, that stuff¡¹ ¡¸I am sorry. My saliva is dirty but if my tongue does not reach the back of your throat, I won¡¯t be able to strengthen it.¡¹ No, I will not say it is dirty. I wanted to say that I do not need to swallow up your saliva. ¡¸As expected, it is OK.¡¹ Any further, it seems that it will not build up anymore. Somehow this has become an unbearable feeling. It may have been a bit hot water. ¡¸Well then, I will kiss even more in the body.¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­¡­¡¹ As it is done, I am kissed as if Lia is licking my whole body. It has now come to the vicinity of a chest, so I rise up from a bathtub and sit down on an edge of the bathtub. ¡¸How do you feel? Is it pleasant?¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­¡­¡¹ My body feels heavy somehow. It is not possible to go against Lia. Surely I have never thought of it. That my whole body will be tasted by a lady. I wonder what will happen to my life in the future as a high school student. I have not even dated yet, why is this ¡­? Even my fingertip is tasted. I¡¯m not worried any about it being not good. My head is sluggish and I don¡¯t even know what is wrong. However, I am held by Lia¡¯s soft body. My whole body is licked. When Lia¡¯s tongue started reaching the lower half of my body, I shivered. ¡¸Lia, that place is certainly not good!¡¹ ¡¸But we have to increase defense power. I am fine.¡¹ ¡¸No! I am not fine because it¡¯s not okay!¡¹ ¡¸It is all right. Please leave it to me by all means.¡¹ NO! Absolutely avoid it. ¡¸Stop it seriously! It will not work. Lia will not be able to be a bride!¡¹ ¡¸There is no certainty. I am a sister anyway so I can not be a bride.¡¹ No no. Devote oneself to God if you are a sister. What would you do after serving me? ¡¸No! I will refuse it. No matter how much a Choro I am, there is a limit!¡¹ It¡¯s a man¡¯s pride. Don¡¯t let her run over. Show male obstinacy. ***TN: To the feminist readers, I¡¯m just translating so please don¡¯t sue me. No. Don¡¯t show it. You have to run away¡­ ¡¸Fufufu. What¡¯s wrong with you? It is showing effect slowly.¡¹ ¡¸Ha! Even if it works¡­¡¹ Incidentally, my body doesn¡¯t move freely since a little while ago. ¡¸No way Lia. With aphrodisiac ¡­ ..¡¹ ¡¸What kind of sister do you think I am? You misunderstood me.¡¹ ¡¸No but¡­ I can¡¯t move my body and it feels hot.¡¹ ¡¸Didn¡¯t you just feel dizzy? Hot water of the bath was being converted to ¡°Holy Anesthetic¡± secretly. Though that might not be the reason.¡¹ What is that strange medicine. I understand holy water or recovery potion, but it is anesthetic! ¡¸I mentioned before I am adept at sacred Alchemy. Now your body will certainly not move.¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s useless! Please stop it already ¡­.¡¹ ¡¸No, I will not stop. Now give up. It will be fine to strengthen for the first time. It will end soon so leave everything to me.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, let¡¯s stop already! ¡¹ ¡¸I will not stop. ¡¹ ¡¸Because we will soon conquer the ¡°Miasma Hole of Doom¡± . ¡¹ ¡¸Ha !!¡¹ ¡¸So just give up¡­¡¹ ¡¸No. We already come this far. Is it terrible to hate it this much? Even I am a lady!!¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not that kind of dislike! I am already at my mental limit!!!¡¹ I am me in various ways. I do not want to experience the first time in such a place. Give up, give up! I can only move my neck. It is not possible to escape from Lia¡¯s hand. My body becomes numb and it doesn¡¯t move. Only a part is energetic. It is amusing¡­¡­. Lia lifted my body from the bathtub with a splash. Oh! Powerful! ¡¸Now, let¡¯s sleep here. The bath might be good because it will be warm for another ten minutes. The mat of the towel cloth was prepared specially for Takeru.¡¹ ¡¸Haah ¡­ ¡­. as it is done.¡¹ If it becomes such a thing, I will not become a hero. Where did I make a mistake in the choices I took? While being licked further by Lia, my heart is searching for the past options with the feeling of escaping from reality. To be a hero was an option that can not be refused by the strategy already, and it seems that it is inevitable for conquering¡­.. ¡¸Takeru, this is certainly destiny. Let¡¯s decide on your resolution.¡¹ ¡¸Is it so or perhaps this¡­ Is the foreshadowing that Lia meant?¡¹ Let it be. As Lia¡¯s tongue approaches the part that should finally be absolutely avoided. ¡¸Now, leave it to me with peace of mind. It¡¯s absolutely okay. It does not hurt and weak parts of the mucous membrane will carefully raise the defense power.¡¹ ¡¸Can you tell me why it¡¯s okay!!!¡¹ If you make the anesthetic, you should know that eve the senses of the the skin is numb. I don¡¯t feel pleasant at all. Damn! It is absolutely no good. Stop it. My body can¡¯t move. Ah ¡­ ¡­ AAA! Finally my numbness rapidly went away. Did the effect of the anesthetic receded? It is already late ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡ù¡ù¡ù ¡¸Ha?¡¹ ¡¸Ah. Did you awaken master?¡¹ Uu. My body feels heavy somehow. ¡¸Sharon? ¡­where is this place?¡¹ ¡¸The changing room in the bathroom. Master is down and is naked so I dressed you in a bathrobe.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? Where did Lia go?¡¹ My body can move. Thout it¡¯s still numb, my body has a refreshing feeling. ¡¸Lia? Is it Sister Stelliana? I did not see her.¡¹ Sharon¡¯s face has a suspicious look on it. I got up and looked into the bathroom. There is only an empty bathtub. There is even no hot water. ¡¸Maybe they were all dreams ¡­¡¹ ¡¸Are you okay master? You did not slip and strike your head right?¡¹ Sharon brings her hand to my forehead as to check whether my head is okay. Yeah, maybe. I do not have a fever. I do not think I have hit my head though. ¡¸I¡¯ll brush my teeth and go to bed.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll go with you master.¡¹ I saw a nightmare that night. A dream on which my whole body was swallowed by a big snake. ¡ù¡ù¡ù ¡¸Good morning Takeru.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, oh ¡­.¡¹ The next morning. Sister Lia who is covered by a hood up to the eyes passed in the hallway of the castle. Lia seems to be nothing in particular and greets me as usual. Due to what happened yesterday, I am very conscious about Lia but the other side seems to be her usual self. Yesterday was a dream. I wonder if I should think about it. Yeah, it is easier for me to keep up with dreams or realities or vagueness in the future. That was a secret ceremony. It was treated as nothing. It might be consideration of Lia. ¡¸I heard something wrong. You fell down in the bathroom? How do you feel?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I slept overnight and I felt refreshed.¡¹ Lia glanced from her hood and remove it upon checking whether if anyone was there. Wasn¡¯t the sister shows her skin in vain? ¡­¡­ Huh¡­ Her complexion, she is awfully glowing. ¡¸The reason behind this is that I actually ranked up to Saint yesterday!¡¹ ¡¸Oh, that¡¯s awesome¡¹ It leads to the improvement of the war potential. Though It is a good thing, I have a bad feeling on such a rank up. ¡¸The basic magical power has improved a lot. It seems that the Saint levels up along with its Hero.¡¹ ¡¸Is it so? Then that means I also raised my level?¡¹ Oi, what is this dangerous conversation. It is blur or sounds vague to me. ¡¸Today¡¯s Takeru is a bit weird.¡¹ ¡¸Not as much as you.¡¹ Ufutto, her shiny cheeks is now dyed with cherry blossom color and then smile with her plump lips. After all, she have to suffer on being covered with hood forever. ¡¸Ara-ra.. Even if you say that. The me of today is still the same right?¡¹ ¡¸For a moment¡­..¡¹ Wait, if you talk any further, it will be a strange story again. Let¡¯s forget what happened in the bath yesterday. ¡¸Takeru is a guy, so you do not have to worry about anything.¡¹ ¡¸¡­..¡¹ ¡¸I told you that you will feel horny. Since you are young, physiological phenomena are certainly ¡­ ¡­¡¹ Without hearing it anymore, I walked away from Lia and left. Since I was chased from behind, I ran away with all my might with the power of Hero. I wish Lia will not be angry. So I was just running away, and was perhaps too choro, but I decided not to listen to her for a while. CH 26 Choro is a word used for a person who draws blood of indigenous people. It may be used as a contempt word which means¡± hidden ¡°or¡± poor man ¡°. Inputs from our comrade It comes from the word choroi (¤Á¤ç¤í¤¤), meaning simple/easy. I think being easy is more appropriate if we think about our MC. Anyways, enjoy this chapter! ________________________________________________________ Finally, the time has come to start a major offensive towards the ¡°Miasma Hole of Doom¡±! Lyle-sensei purposely advertised the expected date of attack and sent the report to the royal capital. Then, arrange four bronze artillery cannon at the foot according to the schedule time of the expected date. These were encircled by the fast gunman corps. ¡¸Why didn¡¯t we go out before?¡¹ ¡¸The general should not move from here until I say so. ¡¹ Around that time, Louise¡¯s cavalry corps will be running up to the top of the Devil¡¯s Mountain. After attracting Black Dragon Wyvern, they should descend the mountain path as if rolling. The force that will engage it is at the foot of the castle. I think that plan is a little too shallow. I and Lyle-sensei are watching the scene at the base of the spire where the entire battlefield can be seen. Because the view can be seen from the naked eye, Lyle-sensei who can use the telephoto magic will have better view of the war situation. ***TN: I changed it from Zooming magic Eventually, the cavalry corps of Louise, who came desperate as they descend the mountain path, runs next through the artillery corps as instructed. A group of black dragon wyvern chase Louise group after they descended. Though it is said that wyverns are green, due to the influence of the Devil¡¯s Mountain, their scales are dull black. The body far exceeds the imagination and it is large. Though the shape of the wings or the foot might be different, their power is on par with dragons. Though the magnificence of the springing black wyvern is a wonderful one, Louise who descends the steep mountain path with a dashing horse is more wonderful. Is it across Yoshitsune¡¯s dusky thrush? ***TN: I don¡¯t know any Yoshitsune who has a bird so I don¡¯t know what he means. The black dragon wyverns that exaltedly chasing the horses flew when hit by the bronze cannon¡¯s bombardment. ¡¸Gyaaaa! ¡¹ The leading black dragon wyvern raised the high squeal, and rose in the sky. Originally, it was supposed to be a fatal blow but it was still alive even if it got hit by a bronze cannon. Still, does it become as hard as an average dragon because of miasma? The gunman corps tried to take over the black dragon wyvern but the arquebus shows a little effect. For the strengthened black dragon wyvern, the lead bullet of a gun might feel like a mosquito bite. Uwa! This time a black dragon wyvern spit out a breath. It is not the usual flame breath but a black and burning flame. The soldiers that were engulf by it rolls painfully. That time. A big rain cloud suddenly emerge from the Devil¡¯s Mountain causing heavy rain to fall on top of the bronze cannon and gunman corps. Fortunately the flame of the breath went off. What is it, uh, strange cloud? ¡¸We can¡¯t do it. ¡¹ Sensei launched a red rocket firework from his hand. It was the third series of fireworks which colored-gunpowder firecracker in the form of a rocket. I never thought that it will be used as a signal bullet. Red is a signal for retreat. ¡¸Ah. Are we retreating? ¡¹ Soldiers, bronze cannon, and arquebus are getting wet with the rain. We won¡¯t be able to shoot so it is best to withdraw all forces towards the castle. I crossed the trench and shut myself up in the castle like Louise who retreated already. That time, on the spire of Ox¡¯s castle at the side of the tower, the nearest black dragon wyvern face off with the first and the third batteries. Unlike bronze cannons, these are large iron cannon that has a long range. The two shot but only scratched the wings of the black dragon. Still the group of the black dragon wyvern has begun to fly like the character of eight and check in the state which looks like a competition shuddered by a powerful enemy¡¯s appearance. ***TN: °Ë this is the character of 8 Is this the time where it will be a battle against the cannon of the castle? At that time, suddenly, a sound of rumbling and torrent flowing pops out. From the other side of the valley in the mountain,the deluge that generates suddenly flowed. ¡¸Is this a water magic? ¡¹ ¡¸It is a disturbance caused by a guy for example. I thought that it will come¡­. ¡¹ The bare rock of the valley, even trees and the soil rolled. The deluge that turns into the rampaging mud flow. It approaches and swallowed the City of Ox. The only thing I could do from the commanding stand is to look at how the city is being swallowed. ¡¸Ah! The city will be swallowed by water! ¡¹ At the moment when I thought so, the flow of torrent flowed away avoiding only the city somehow. ¡¸Wow! How is this possible sensei? ¡¹ ¡¸The outline in the town is surrounded in the embankment of the tree and stone dike. It is in the shape of a battleship of the ocean that goes forward. It were made for something like this to come around.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­.. ¡¹ I certainly thought that the shape of the city is a rhombus. So it was an image of a battleship. ¡¸As we dug the pitfalls, we dig not only the visible moats but also invisible drainage ditches. Even if the valley became the river, the unsinkable warship Ox will not sink! ¡¹ A thunderstorm was poured on. Whether you perceived it as an interference of mysterious magic or a cataclysm from heaven, an intense squall showered. ¡¸Ha ha ha! It is useless! There are dozens of waterproofing measures on side towers that have a battery. Though the angle of bombardment has been limited, rain or wind magic will not affect it! ¡¹ Sensei¡¯s character has changed. Is this okay? ¡¸How is it Takeru-dono? I name it ¡°Camp of a Land Battleship¡±! A first in history strategy!¡¹ ¡¸Wow! It¡¯s amazing¡­¡¹ It¡¯s amazing, but sensei¡¯s tension is more amazing. ¡¸This is the weak point of the cannon that I mention in the report, water magic. After all, the culprit is someone from the kingdom¡¯s upper echelon.¡¹ ¡¸Ah! That report was a trap?¡¹ ¡¸I think the deal with new weapons is not to reveal its weaknesses.¡¹ ¡¸As expected of sensei¡­¡¹ ¡­..Black. ¡¸What! Meteor strike!¡¹ Lyle-sensei, who¡¯s character broke¡¯s, screams. Behind sensei, I also looked up at the sky. I felt like I wanted to scream too. When thinking why the starry sky seems to darken suddenly, meteorites with scattering sparks aims for the City of Ox. What large-scale magic is it! This is a foul! ¡¸The enemy is using the highest tier magic¡­ but what would they do if it doesn¡¯t hit!¡¹ Sensei occupies the commanding stand, and doesn¡¯t move an inch while grasping a handrail by both hands. The magician strategist isn¡¯t flustered! I trust you, sensei! This will cross somewhere by all means! Those make serious thumping noise. Many meteorites landed on the city. They were absorbed. Even the fortress makes a crumbling sound. The commanding stand was not hit directly. It can be said that it is nothing but good fortune. ¡¸Damage report!¡¹ Sensei seeks a report from the messenger in the castle which is full of confusion. ¡¸The third and the fifth battery was destroyed. Connection path is fine.¡¹ ¡¸How about the remaining battery?¡¹ ¡¸Can still be use!¡¹ ¡¸Good! Follow the strategy. Begin the bombardment at my signal!¡¹ After giving instructions, Lyle-sensei looks at me and laughs kukkukuku. ¡¸Takeru-dono, I¡¯ve won this match.¡¹ In the castle where sparkles and dust flutter, Lyle-sensei gives off a fierce smile. Shining in the middle of the storm¡­ ¡¸The brilliance of the stars at night that illuminate the darkness. It¡¯s there!¡¹ Lyle-sensei used it. The magic of starlight. It is a magic to ¡°shine with a big-high intensity light¡± an arbitrary place. Because meteor strike, an ultimate large-scale magic, was shot. Lyle-sensei now knows the position of the enemy who was hiding with magic. That place that Lyle-sensei showed with the light was the place where an enemy¡¯s advance magician wearing a black robe for hiding is located. ¡¸I will tell you that the era where war is determined only by magical power is over, advance magician-shi!¡¹ With sensei¡¯s mutter, the entire castle trembles with the roaring sound. The batteries breathes fire simultaneously. Number six, number four, and number two the most. The bombardment has landed at the light that sensei indicated. Furthermore, from the window of the outer wall of the castle, soldiers who were not dead shoot at the target. It is more fearful than the meteor strike which can only be used once due to huge magic power consumption. The barrage of attack from the batteries continues until the batteries burn. ¡¸Did the enemy magician die, sensei? ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t understand. Advanced magicians in the class that can use Meteor Strike are all tenacious.¡¹ Even Lyle-sensei is an intermediate mage. There are not many advanced magicians in one country. One advanced magician alone can overturn the progress of a battle. An special existence. ¡¸The bombardment that pours down can be averted. If he did not die instantly, he¡¯ll survive. ¡¹ ¡¸Is something still there? ¡¹ ¡¸Even if we failed to kill him, they will do it. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­¡­¡¹ In the place of Lyle-sensei¡¯s bombarded, a bright sparkle of magical power had occurred many times to prevent shelling. A group of black dragon wyvern descending from the mountain rushes there. ¡¸If you use intense magical power, you¡¯ll definitely pull out the attention of black dragon wyverns. It is foolish to think you can hide by using water magic.¡¹ The black flying dragon spews black and blazing fire breaths and the advance mage who seemed to have lived starts a shootout. ¡¸Now, the black flying dragon wyvern will come to this castle too. We must prepare defense.¡¹ What a frightening strategist¡­. Was it somewhat calculated until the advance magician¡¯s hidden form resolved and the black flying dragon herd reacted to the magical power attacked it? The aim is neither the enemy magician nor the black dragon wyvern. The purpose is for them to fight each other. This is a piercing solution that looks at the momentum of the villains. ¡¸From here, it is the work of Takeru-dono. From this place, I made a communication passage to escape to the Devil¡¯s Mountain from the city even if it is submerged in water. With this chance, please seal the ¡°Miasma Hole of Doom¡±.¡¹ ¡¸Yes!¡¹ ¡¸Attracting the black dragon wyvern will be the job of us and of that stupid advanced magician blinded by his mighty magic.¡¹ The glimpse of sensei who looks at the light twinkling in the fierce battlefield was so beautiful. Well, if you do sensei¡¯s instruction, I¡¯m certain that everything will go successful. That is what I believe. CH 27 _____________________________________________ I advance while escorting Saint Lia who¡¯s carrying the Saint Wand Holy Paul of the seal engraved with the sacred character of A-sama. The members who¡¯ll challenge the ¡°Miasma Hole of Doom¡± with me, the hero, are the slave girl corps led by Sharon. She insisted no matter how much she was persuaded. Not being able to persuade at such time shows that I¡¯m still Choro. I become sad as usual. The slave girls are still good. Sara insisted coming selfishly as the corporal of my personal guard corps. I become blue since there will be no excuses for the Rod¡¯s house if something happened. Fortunately, though it is the Devil¡¯s Mountain, only a large number of small fish monsters shows up and they can be handled with guns. I thank Louise who first came into the mountain and pulled out the Wyvern. ¡¸Star shadow!¡¹ I also brandish the sword of light. It cuts down the stone hammer set up by the orc lord in one hit. The sharpness of the blade that emits a pale light, the sword of groaning light with the sound of cutting air like an image. Is the effect of sacrament Sacramento? My footwork is also light. I somehow manage to defend my comrades and put out the said lord. Orcs and Ogres occupied many areas of the forest. I cut them down with a single blow while running swiftly and desperately on the mountain path. It seemed that we approached the summit of the mountain. My foot stopped unexpectedly. The ¡°Miasma Hole of Doom¡± is there. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong Takeru?¡¹ ¡¸Lia, what is that¡­¡­.¡¹ ¡¸What a surprise! That is our destination. Miasma Hole of Doom-desu.¡¹ ¡¸Eh. But¡­.¡¹ It was a dull, silvery shining square building that was at the top of the mountain where the black cedar continued. A reinforced concrete building. Impossible. Oh well, let¡¯s talk while heading anyway. ¡¸Metallic buildings are impossible in this world.¡¹ ¡¸Incidentally, I do not see anything else.¡¹ What is that unusual building? I¡¯ll be more surprised if a car is seen and they¡¯ll say ¡°The wild boar made of iron is running.¡±. ¡¸Lia, when was it built?¡¹ ¡¸Two hundred and forty years ago. I heard that the founding king Renz made it into an oddly shaped building to make it stand out.¡¹ ¡¸It cannot exist for 240 years so it will rust normally.¡¹ ¡¸It will not.¡¹ No, Lia. I do not really understand that horrible thing. Why are you not here Lyle-sensei? Even if it is true that someone built, 240 years ago might be a lie. Apart from the concrete part, the metal that became weather-beaten doesn¡¯t seem to remain. ..the repair., Who is repairing? ¡¸My master said that it was an alloy that used the heroes electric shock magic.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, Is it metal plating?¡¹ I heard that armor made by modern electroplating remains in the present age. Or, as a possibility, for 240 years. It is impossible. Even galvanized iron rusts. No. I don¡¯t understand due to limited knowledge. As I approached,the bottom is a little rusty. It¡¯s hardly rusty. Does this make the metal which rusts originally rather difficult to rust? Isn¡¯t it galvanized iron, or latten? Or did it undergo stainless processing for it to not rust? Rather, it is easier to admit if it is a case wherein magic is used. I can¡¯t help but think that it indicates a possibility that someone was able to make latten and plating products. Even now, I desperately want metallurgical technology. ¡¸Master, it is not time to say such thing!¡¹ I was obsessed too much that Sharon got angry from behind. ¡¸I understand. Sorry. I will go inside now!¡¹ I run in from the square gate. A lot of big dokuromaku decorates the passage. ***TN: Dokuromaku is skull with crossbone ¡¸The legendary hero that founded this nation shows it¡¯s dangerous.¡¹ ¡¸It is scary!¡¹ Your hobby is wicked, Legendary Hero Renz. Though you likely died a long time ago, I absolutely don¡¯t want to be your friend. If you go through several doors, you¡¯ll easily reach the hole in the middle. It was on the large circular metal floor. A lot of holes are open. Bluish white light begins to leak under. What is this? I have seen it in a picture. A danger alarm is ringing in my head. ¡¸¡­. is this a nuclear reactor?!¡¹ Does this mean that miasma is radioactivity?! Then, a lot of strange monsters also come out! Uaa, I don¡¯t have protective gear! ¡¸Here. Insert the Control Rod Holy Paul and seal it.¡¹ ¡¸Lia! You just said a control rod, right?¡¹ ¡¸I made a mistake, Saint Wand Holy Paul. I¡¯m plugging it in! ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t care. Just stop it as soon as possible. ¡¹ ¡¸Loyal believer Stelliana of the creation goddess A-sama prays and requests! Please stop the gush of miasma that springs from chaos below in the name of the sacred world!¡¹ A noise was made as the saint wand is being swallowed. The blue light that begins to leak from the below gradually calmed down. ¡¸Was it satisfied with this?¡¹ ¡¸Yes! The sealing is completely successful! ¡¹ This ending is really disappointing. ***TN: IKR. If Stelliana didn¡¯t evolve to a saint she probably at least strip I only pray that there will be no radioactive contamination from the hole. However, the light sword of hero is also blue. The mystery of the Miasma Hole of Doom will remain. Is it magic of a certain magical element? Or is the miasma that springs from the ground magical? Why did it stop after inserting the Wand of A-sama? I consider such thing making my brain hang. Lia pulled out the failed wand. She still looks for the criminal who plots against and killed her master. I¡¯m planning to investigate it later. Before a strange tentacle or feathers grew from our body. We better leave this room as soon as possible. ¡ª¡ª-Scene Change¡ª¡ª- A balance heart. When I get out of the ¡°Miasma Hole of Doom¡±, I take the light sword in my hand and look around the vicinity carelessly. This is the most dangerous moment, when you achieve your goal after a long time. The pattern I neatly understand. The black forest, where the gush of miasma ceased, is eerily quiet. Ah. With this kind of atmosphere, it will absolutely come. I heard a keen, earth-splitting sound. Hora, it came! ¡¸Well, since the lord of the mountain returned, did the small fry disappeared?¡¹ I, who looks up from the top, was convinced. If such one is seen, every kind of monster will run away. The surviving black dragon wyvern dives with a tremendous speed. After that staged fight, the black dragon wyvern which has survived is ostentatious. Among the black dragons, there is one with a particularly big body. Is that the boss of the crowd? Even though we protected the Devil¡¯s Mountain, they were angry. The miasma which is the source of their power stopped gushing. From the black dragons point of view, we killed their companions and I understand their feeling. However, I can¡¯t be defeated here. The black dragon flew before our eyes and opened its big jaw at the same time. It spouts a black flame strengthened by miasma. ¡¸What a bad breath!¡¹ Apart from me to whom the defense power was strengthened, Sharon, Sara and others run away neatly. ¡¸A-sama, protect everyone, Holy Shield!¡¹ When Lia came out, she puts up a silver holy shield that held down the breath. Even if it is a bad chant, A-sama protected them properly! ¡¸Gugigyaaa!¡¹ The black dragons raise their cry of rage. The holy shield breaks. Should I remain here and confront it? ¡¸Master! Get down!¡¹ ¡¸Take this!¡¹ Sharon, Sara and their corps fired simultaneously. The firing line is concentrated on the huge black wyvern that arrowed here. Though holes opens in its thin wing, it just take on the lead bullet that hits its hard scales. The momentum of the black dragon that is falling rapidly does not stop. For some reason, the black dragon comes straight down to me. Is it because the mithril hauberk stands out by sparkling? Oh dear, it is convenient. ¡¸Fine, Come!¡¹ My spirits are united. The sword of light is put out with the maximum output. I took a fighting stance with positive eyes, look at the red eyes of the frenzied black dragon in one point, and concentrate deeply. ¡¸Hokushin Itto-ryu heart and star king sword!¡¹ I don¡¯t need wasteful power. Just think only to cut off the enemy from the beginning wholeheartedly. A big sword of light was raised. I shook and lowered it quietly. Huge figure of the black dragon plunged and crossed it¡ª With a thud, the black dragon which became two exact halves made a noise, and lay on a place. ¡¸There is no thing that can¡¯t be cut by the star king sword.¡¹ When the sword of light is used quickly, light converges. A balance heart. ¡¸Takeru you did it! You¡¯re a splendid hero!¡¹ ¡¸Master, are you alright!¡¹ Sister Lia si trembling with excitement while holding a big saint wand. The slave girls and also Sara tremble with excitement while crying with a gun. A good final episode. ¡¸Yeah¡­.¡¹ Even if the sharp fang of the black dragon grazes, my mithril hauberk doesn¡¯t even have a scratch. However, the man inside took a considerable damage when cutting and turning it down. I drink a recovery potion just in case. Aloof from the impressed companion, while gulping the bittersweet potion. My head began to use an abacus while looking at the red flesh of the of the black dragon wyvern. Can I eat black dragon wyvern¡¯s meat? Is it delicious? Does black dragon wyvern¡¯s scale sell high? Can anything be made if I process it? After all, my essence is more of a merchant than a hero. If there is no money, nothing can be done to survive. ¡¸For the time being, it¡¯s time to clean the battle field.¡¹ I examine the damage of the deluge and meteor. The one that still can be used is picked up. There were various expenditure, but there will be a large profit in total this time. CH 28 While eating the red-black savory soup called ¡°black dragon¡¯s internal organs soup¡± made by Louise in the dining room (seems to be fine but taste bitter). Corrective measures are being discussed by Lyle-sensei. ¡°Miasma Hole of Doom¡± was sealed several days ago. The battlefield cleaning is finished already. It seems that it will still take time to repair the fortress¡¯ streets who suffered a considerable damage from the meteorite and deluge. The gunpowder too is quite moist and has become useless. It¡¯s a great loss. I hate that stupid advance magician. ¡¸In the report from Ona village, recruitment of volunteer soldiers seems to be terrible.¡¹ A lot of people gathered since the war ended. The number of the volunteer soldier approaches one thousand people. Even the City of Ox can only accommodate three hundred station soldier. A thousand soldiers clearly exceed the capacity of Ona village camp. With that momentum, it may become bigger than the City of Est. It is a scene I can¡¯t imagine. ¡¸Sensei, I will stop recruiting for a while¡­.¡¹ Earl Donovan would be holding his head with just supplementary expenses such as clothes, foods, and drinks. Is it human nature to gather after war ends? ¡¸What are you talking about? You have additional worker, general.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Is that so?¡¹ ¡¸Please think about it and see. First of all, there is the reconstruction of the City of Ox and other villages of the old Ambazak territory.¡¹ ¡¸Sensei, isn¡¯t that a baron¡¯s job?¡¹ Well, Baron Louz is dead. At least it¡¯s not my job. ¡¸No, you¡¯ll receive the old Ambazak territory as it is.¡¹ ¡¸Eh!?¡¹ What¡¯s that? ¡¸In the northwest is the old Roren margrave territory, the southwest is the old Ambazak barony and at the southeast is the Silesie¡¯s king territory; are surrounding the Devil¡¯s Mountain. Shall we snatch everything to along the highway?¡¹ ¡¸No sensei. This is not a kingdom stealing story.¡¹ I want money, but I do not need the territory. I do not want to have any more headaches to manage. It is already difficult managing business alone. ¡¸Since Takeru is a hero who sealed the hole, you must take advantage of this achievement to the fullest extent. It is a territory that collapsed anyway. Wouldn¡¯t it be okay to take over with the reason of the hero monitoring the Devil¡¯s Mountain? ¡¹ ¡¸Umu.¡¹ For sensei to make such judgement. However¡­. the idea is not of a hero. It is of a thief. ¡¸You¡¯ll be giving away so much to the other party. It is not only the barondom, there is also the rights of the mines of the Ye Mountain Range.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, that¡¯s good.¡¹ Mines are deeply involved in my business. If we have the mining rights, we can expect a large profit. Is that your favorite? Sensei is indeed black. ¡¸Well, joking aside.¡¹ ¡¸That was a joke? ¡¹ I don¡¯t understand sensei¡¯s joke sense. ¡¸The matter of the traitor behind the ¡°Miasma Hole of Doom¡± incident has not ended yet. It is better to have more fighting power.¡¹ ¡¸That is a job of the Kingdom of Silesie right? ¡¹ ¡¸Most of the soldiers we gathered from our recruitment are refugee from the capital. ¡¹ ¡¸What does that mean? ¡¹ ¡¸Unnn, I do not know. But probably it is a mess enough for the citizen to abandon the capital. ¡¹ ¡¸Sensei¡­. ¡¹ Ah, something like that. I abruptly become senile. Because our association has considerably become long, I understood the scheming face of sensei. ¡¸Well, there is a rumor in the capital that it is hopeless to wait for the legendary hero to seal the ¡°Miasma Hole of Doom¡± and that there is no longer a salvation for the capital. ¡¹ ¡¸Please stop it for a moment¡­. ¡¹ Sensei who begins to say such thing by like reading in a singsong manner. An intense joke. ¡¸Hero Takeru is kind to both common people and slaves. Even poor people can participate in the volunteer army and somehow¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸No more than that! ¡¹ It will really make me angry if such sutema was done. ***TN: ¥¹¥Æ¥Þ(Sutema) ¨C Stealth Marketing = a marketing strategy that advertises a product to people without them knowing they are being marketed to*** It is a joke. ¡¸Joking aside, Takeru is the person responsible for liberating the Ambazak barondom. Former residents of the City of Ox and other villages naturally wants to stay.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I understand what you want to tell me sensei¡­¡¹ ¡¸Thank you for understanding. I will keep pushing hard on strengthening our war potential in the name of Hero Takeru.¡¹ Please don¡¯t overdo it. Even if I understand it, the whole scenario is not visible. Although I understand that there is still a threat. If the annoying advance magician died, it will at least be a less hassle. Being attacked by a group of black dragons after casting a large-scale magic, I wonder if he died. However, Kukkukku, that fellow. Being alive after that? This is a living flag right? Why am i assuming that the villain left? If someone like that came out again when we are immersed in a product, the Sawatari commercial firm will go bankrupt. It has become scary somehow. I should ask my subordinates to look for a corpse¡­. I come to look like a villain on one event after another, but when there is something to protect, a person becomes timid. ¡ªScene Change¡ª ¡¸Sharon, is the manpower of the business enough? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s going well.¡¹ Once I got off the ground, I have become worried about the my commercial firm. I ask Sharon who¡¯s eating delicious soup in the dining room. ¡¸Is it true? The slave girls are in the war cutting our staff considerably so I think shift in the store isn¡¯t going around.¡¹ ¡¸I already outsourced contract farmers for making niter and soap.¡¹ Ah, did you finally learn outsourcing? What kind of fantasy is this? ¡¸However, is outsourcing safe as the slave girl employs and handles the person? ¡¹ For the time being, Sharon and the others are slaves. Their status is lower than free man. ¡¸They are careful because we are slaves of master. ¡¹ ¡¸Well, if so, I hope they are. ¡¹ To be honest, I¡¯m already thinking of releasing them from slavery. ¡¸For instance desu ga, who is more credible? The property of a merchant who¡¯s also a famous hero-sama? Or the local girls there? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I understand. It is comprehensible.¡¹ Even if you deduct not being old enough, Sharon is wise as expected. She grew to be a better merchant than me. ¡¸Master, though it is not necessary now, when thinking about the business expansion in the future, it may be good to buy new slave girls soon. You might raise them as gunman or as commercial firm member.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll leave it to you. Please do as you see fit.¡¹ I did not think that the day where Sharon will proposed purchase of slave¡¯s come. Don¡¯t receive Lyle-sensei¡¯s bad influence. When I met Sharon, she said ¡°I¡¯m a slave merchant.¡±. Don¡¯t tell me that is a foreshadowing of what is happening now? I will not participate in the business of buying and selling slaves. ¡¸When a new slave child comes, it¡¯s bath time again.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I believe so? ¡¹ That is still not ethically black. ¡¸From that master, there is something I would like you to see for a moment desu ga.¡¹ ¡¸What? ¡¹ ¡¸Viola, please come in here for a moment.¡¹ Half nymph with blue hair, Viola is summoned. This child is reserved and doesn¡¯t talk with me easily. When nymphs have received persecution from people, I heard that they will cope with difficulties. Behind Sharon¡¯s skirt, a small hidden Viola is watching over here. ¡¸Here, please take out the example for me.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. ¡¹ Viola put a blue colored bottle with cotton in front at my desk. ¡¸Well, this is a recovery potion. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I cooperated with Sister Stelliana and succeeded in making a recovery potion.¡¹ ¡¸Ohhh! You made this? This is amazing! ¡¹ I raise the recovery potion and look it up. Impressive-desu, impressive! Because this is an essential item for the military and it is super important. How long did this fellow pressed the finance of my commercial firm¡­ Indeed, Viola has the divine protection of the water spirit. Is this water magic + recovery magic? Are medical herbs and holy water mixed? Viola is whispering something to Sharon. ¡¸¡­¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸The area around here has a lot of highly effective medicinal herb due to the influence of strong miasma. It seems that they succeeded taking a lot.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? Anyway, you did well. It is necessary to reward Viola. Is pocket money good? Or do you want something else?¡¹ I begin to smile and make the gold coins jingle for Viola. I look like the bad adult who cajoles a child by some money and goods. I also want Viola to open up slowly. ¡¸It seems that master¡¯s praise is enough.¡¹ ¡¸Sharon might be translating arbitrarily.¡¹ ¡¸It is true, Viola says so.¡¹ Umm, that kind of reward choice is most troubling. That time, the sister who¡¯s covered with hood up to the eyes, Lia, came. ¡¸Please wait Takeru. You heard the story of the recovery potion making. Are you not forgetting that half of it is my exploit? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes. Thank you.¡¹ The end. ¡¸¡­¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸Takeru, for a moment, it doesn¡¯t feel anything.¡¹ ¡¸Haa, still saying something? ¡¹ Now, this is a meeting of the Sawatari Company. People who are not involved should not enter. ¡¸I am. I¡¯m very good at holy alchemy so I¡¯m very useful for potion making. ¡¹ What is it? What do you want to say? ¡¸In fact, holy magic can be used by me only. Rather than an outsider, I can be called the main axis of the team. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t want to say it but I certainly can work harder if I receive some rewards.¡¹ Conversation with Lia is long. ¡¸I see. Then I will consider something for Sister Stelliana as well. I will consider the distribution of reward positively.¡¹ ¡¸First of all, please stop acting formally with only me.¡¹ What? Did you notice it? ¡¸Are you still mad-desu? From the thing before?¡¹ ¡¸Wait a minute! ¡¹ She tries to take the talk in a doubtful direction. More than that, in the dining room.. You¡­¡­¡­¡­. Hey, my slave girls are looking here with a face that seems to be suspicious from ¡°the thing before¡±! ¡¸What? I definitely want to talk about it.¡¹ Her mouth has a fiendish grin! Do you intend to intimidate me by raising your hood with your hand? ¡¸I understand. I¡¯ll stop being formal.¡¹ ¡¸Because the two of us are not strangers.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t you think I¡¯ll get mad due to your teasing?¡¹ In this case, I¡¯ll say it again. Is playing with my pure heart every time your religion? If you think calmly, Lia is so useful that it is possible to say that her cooperation is indispensable. But teasing me everytime makes your usefulness disappear! Being toyed by women is embracing my old wounds. Me who doesn¡¯t have any decent relationship with woman. ¡¸You said trauma but there was no relationship with woman at all.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t read my mind! What do you know about my past?!!¡¹ Basically I¡¯m not good at meeting women first; I lack a bit of communication skill and women never had good impression on me in general. Louise-anego¡¯s case is different. There is no discomfort even if I get involve with her from top to bottom. In business mode, there is no problem since it is only surface relationship. The faction that disturbs and depressed me the most is Lia¡¯s. That type is like my weak point. Compatibility is fatally bad. ¡¸Takeru, I think it is better for you to get accustomed to the other party¡¯s goodwill desu yo.¡¹ ¡¸You mean it?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m also counselling everybody as a sister. We should seclude ourselves in the City of Ox church¡¯s confession box. I think it would be nice for you to receive a sacrament to help you with your secret rage of regret in order to buy springtime.¡¹ Her lines are long. Moreover, when Lia says, ¡°kaishun¡± sounds somewhat different. ***TN: MC thinks she saidÙI´º(Kaishun) which means hiring a prostitute. The meaning is different if symbols are separated ÙI(buy) ´º(spring/springtime). *** ¡¸You already understand what I want to say Sharon!¡¹ ¡¸Yes, master.¡¹ ¡¸I heard that Sister Stelliana is going back.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, everyone!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I have not eater all my rice meal yet!¡¹ ¡¸Yes, Sister, let¡¯s eat there.¡¹ Sharon encloses and captures her. She took her out of the dining room. As expected, my slave girls with abundant battle experiences are competent. I didn¡¯t listen to the talk directly and should done it this way from the beginning. ¡¸Well, Viola.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ Yes.¡¹ The interpreter Sharon is no longer around. Viola is not related to the ruffian¡¯s play of Lia. Lia¡¯s way of speaking was lowest, but she certainly is accustomed deeply concerning a person. It is mortifying how she hits right on the target. ¡¸I want to do whatever you like so I¡¯m hoping you to say it. You have a legitimate right to do so.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ Ice cream¡¹ Is it so? She was eating deliciously the one I made before. Ice cream making. It is possible to make it from milk as long as there is ice. You may put seasonal fruit and it can be an expensive imported item. You can also use vanilla beans. ¡¸Alright, I will let you eat plenty! Sensei please! ¡¹ Because ice cannot be made without magic. Though it is bad to use sensei for this every time, he¡¯s the only one who can use magic. I can¡¯t use magic so it can¡¯t be helped. ¡¸No. If it¡¯s just ice, Viola can also make it. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Really? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ Yes.¡¹ Since when? ¡¸Viola has been learning water magic from me all the time. In case of water magic, she reaches beginner class magician.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s amazing.¡¹ This doesn¡¯t seem like a reward. ¡¸Well, I¡¯m sorry but Viola, will you help me make ice?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ Yes.¡¹ ¡¸Collete is also coming. Let¡¯s make it together.¡¹ ¡¸The preparation is already complete.¡¹ Collette who¡¯s in charge of the kitchen was listening to the story and prepared pieces of equipment such as bowls. If you make it in large quantities, then how about producing a hand-held stirrer agitator? It seems that business boundaries are likely to expand again. Oh no. Its supposed to be a reward making for Viola. It¡¯s a bad habit to consider only the development of business. For desserts on this day, various ice creams were made. I decided to behave. We cook together so I think the shy Viola opens up a little. Depending on her attitude in the future, I might just consider giving Lia a chance to be appreciated a little. Let¡¯s keep it at that. CH 29 ___________________________________________________ ¡¸Takeru, please come with me for a moment.¡¹ ¡¸What? Are you going to make fun of me again?¡¹ Lia has come. ¡¸I am not. We¡¯re to going to talk seriously.¡¹ ¡¸All right.¡¹ She looks over here upon moving the hood. The blue eyes show a color of earnest anxiety. It does not seem to be a lie. If this is a strange talk, no matter how much of a choro I am, I will never trust this woman again. ¡¸Ah, have you called?¡¹ The destination, Lyle-sensei¡¯s room. It is sensei who makes the room assigned a disorderly laboratory. Today it was cleared up neatly and the Saint Wand Holy Paul was placed on the desk. ¡¸This is¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it is the imitation of Saint wand that Lia¡¯s master used for the failed seal.¡¹ ¡¸As expected, is it fake?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, a magic is casted that projects the past afterimage speculation concerning the thing. It is magic used for the important crime investigation, but¡¹ ¡¸As a result of the investigation, General Gale¡¯s strong thought remained. His involvement is almost certain.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I understand it somehow.¡¹ It was bad for Louise that advocated the pride of the knights, but I thought that General Gale did it. I guess this is a proof. ¡¸I am going to visit the capital and condemn the General Gale with this.¡¹ ¡¸There is no choice but to do so.¡¹ I dislike dispute but I understand that it is necessary to face Gale given the evidence. Because the other party is not foolish, there is danger that it is possible to be killed here if we do not face and condemn him early. Lia holds the ¡°fake saint wand¡±. Under her hood, her eyes deepens and became foggy. ¡¸Takeru, A-sama prohibits taking revenge by commandments. We were taught to forgive sins. However, I¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yeah. I think it can¡¯t be helped.¡¹ To put it out, Gale is evil. I do not know what kind of person Lia¡¯s master is. ¡¸My master was my foster parent that raised me who was an orphan. A person who is too kind¡­ ¡­ I will never forgive Gale who conspired and killed my master.¡¹ ¡¸Understood. He will surely compensate for his crime by all means. Look forward to it.¡¹ After doing such self-indulgence, Gale will be executed. Though I don¡¯t know whether there is a death penalty in this country, execution is certain in medieval fantasy. Lia doesn¡¯t need to dirty her hands. Thus, we decided to head for the kingdom¡¯s capital for Gale¡¯s denunciation. ¡ªScene Change¡ª When you go around the mountain road, the distance is quite far, but if you cross the ¡°Devil¡¯s Mountain¡±, the distance between the City of Ox and the royal capital is close. I¡¯m very concerned about the metalwork of the ¡°Miasma Hole of Doom¡± at the top of the mountain. I can¡¯t drop in and check it when I think about Lia whose master has been killed. When I arrived at the capital, I was welcomed unlike the previous time. We suddenly have an audience with his majesty the king. We are shown into an luxurious room that is reserved for distinguished guest unlike last time. The old man with white mustache wearing a luxurious formal clothe, Prime Minister Rogue is waiting with a smile on his face. ¡¸Prime Minister, it¡¯s been a long time.¡¹ ¡¸Ohhh! The country¡¯s saviour, Hero Takeru, please be at ease.¡¹ He¡¯s in a good condition. ¡¸I¡¯m preparing for the audience with the king. This is a sordid place but please heal your fatigue of travel first.¡¹ ¡¸Haa ¡­¡¹ The reception is warm. Does the prime minister¡¯s character changed? The treatment has changed so probably. Even with zero magical powers, I have a reputation of a hero as authorized by the church. ¡¸Prime Minister, isn¡¯t there something you have to say to us? ¡¹ ¡¸Ha ha, of course, I apologize.¡¹ The Prime Minister puts his luxurious clothes to the ground. Even it is not a ground(it is carpet), his head looks like it¡¯s almost rubbed on the ground upon kneeling. ¡¸I apologized, Knight Louise.¡¹ That is. I intended him to apologize to Lyle-sensei. ¡¸My decision to have you taken the blame of the last failure and drove you away from kingdom¡¯s capital were a mistake. I would like you to return to the Knights by shedding the past.¡¹ Oh, he should apologize to Louise too. Well, that story preceded it. ¡¸Prime Minister, I have a story about the Knights Order. Actually, General Gale¡­¡¹ To Lyle -sensei¡¯s explanation, the Prime Minister makes a blue face. ¡¸Such a thing, Gale himself! Capture him at once!¡¹ The Prime Minister called for his aides and moved to condemn Gale. With this, is it going to be settled? Gale came into the room. When I thought that it was too early to catch him, he appeared with a military unit with crossbows. ¡¸Your Excellency Prime Minister. ¡¹ ¡¸What are you trying to do, Gale?!¡¹ What Gale has in his hand was the head of a dignified man who wore a crown. Moreover, it is a gross development. ¡¸Ha ha ha, even if you call your lord the King, this is inconceivable.¡¹ ¡¸You, you, you are crazy! ¡¹ Gale throws the King¡¯s head to the prime minister. A sword pierced the prime minister deeply. It is impossible for him to do anything for the assault of the kingdom knight, the prime minister who is a common old man. ¡¸I¡¯m crazy? Who do you think can reprimand me in this situation?¡¹ ¡¸Guahhh! Gale! You!¡¹ Gale pulls out the sword. The prime minister collapse and ceased to breath. ¡¸Ha ha ha ha, the man who was so bossy. I feel great!¡¹ ¡¸Gale! You¡¯re out of your mind!¡¹ Louise pulled the straight sword saber toward Gale. ¡¸I¡¯m sick of hearing it. Why don¡¯t you try to admit that this is the end?¡¹ ¡¸What!¡¹ ¡¸Look at the foolish king and the prime minister who died there. The kingdom¡¯s royalty and aristocrats, I killed them all. The authority of the Kingdom of Silesie has ended.¡¹ ¡¸Gale, you are a knight who swore loyalty to the kingdom. Why¡­..¡¹ ¡¸HAHAHA, wonderful, Louise. Are you still saying that? You¡¯re going crazy.¡¹ ¡¸What!¡¹ ¡¸Even though you did nothing wrong, you¡¯re still forced to take responsibility and expelled. You¡¯re not even a knight anymore, you don¡¯t know that this country is already rotting from the roots. ¡¹ ¡¸Even so, a knight exist to fight for the country! ¡¹ ¡¸That is only for you who were born in a knight¡¯s house. For me who doesn¡¯t even have a father, it is difficult to rise in this rotting country. ¡¹ ¡¸That does not matter, if you are a proud knight, try to fight with me with a sword fair and square in this place!¡¹ I hear it from the sidelines, and I did not get it enough which is funny. Certainly, because there are places which are not good in this kingdom¡¯s capital where the weak is oppressed and being done in. A thief may have thirty reasons. Though Gale is evil, there might be people who listen to his words. A situation where Louise and Gale fights one on one. Here and the other side reads the air and watches calmly. If Lyle-sensei uses magic, she will be able to blow away Gale. The other side has a crossbow corps. That might be dangerous. In the situation in which I cannot unskillfully move, Louise and Gale repeatedly crossed over. ¡¸As expected, you are strong, Louise. ¡¹ ¡¸Gale, to the sword of yours who doesn¡¯t have a knight¡¯s belief, I won¡¯t be defeated! ¡¹ ¡¸Louise¡­regrettably¡­ since you were reduced to an adventurer, I thought that we might be able to understand each other.¡¹ ¡¸Prior to being a knight, I dislike your face physiologically! ¡¹ Louise is a bit terrible. You overstated it. I understand that Louise and Gale are not compatible but to extend to this point. You were really hated. ¡¸Is it so? Then hold the knight¡¯s grand pride and die.¡¹ ¡¸Gale, you! ¡¹ Ah, the face comment was ignored. I understand your feelings. ¡¸I got it, it is good already. You guys, shoot this fellow dead! ¡¹ ¡¸Na, that¡¯s cowardly. ¡¹ The crossbow corps shoot towards Louise the same time Gale pulled out and signaled. Uwa, not good. Sensei¡¯s surprise magic attack can¡¯t make it in time. It is a foul to break a duel scene in medieval fantasy! However, the ugly face of Gale who¡¯s been smiling in the room was distorted for the first time. ¡¸HAAAA-? Being directly hitted by crossbows of this number and still unscatched? Are you a monster?¡¹ Louise is wearing it. ¡°Black Dragon Wyvern scale armor¡±. There is no way to penetrate the hard scale even with a high-speed, high-powered arrow of a crossbow which even a lead bullet did not pierce. Though Louise that deflects the arrow approaching at a little less than 100 meters per second aimed at the vital part that is not protected by the armor with a sword is enough to call her a monster. ¡¸I¡¯m not the same as the old days, Gale! ¡¹ Louise puts the sword away the moment she deflects the arrow. She equips a small bow and shoots at Gale. If it isn¡¯t a duel any more, Louise has the flexibility to use projectile. ¡¸Chi, pouring entertainment! ¡¹ Louise¡¯s precise arrow was brushed off by a steel gauntlet. I have a feeling that Gale is more than human. As expected of two people who has the ability to be a knight leader. ¡¸We heard enough from General Gale. Withdraw Leader Louise, I will defeat him.¡¹ The calm voice of sensei echoed in the room. ¡¸Kukkukku. How will it be done? Are you going to use magic Secretary Lyle? The current state with which you¡¯re surrounded is a proof that will not change.¡¹ In the meantime, the crossbow corps puts the next arrow. ¡¸We¡¯ll do this.¡¹ In the signal of Lyle-sensei, the slave girl corps came in. Their number exceeds Gale crossbow corps. ¡¸What?¡¹ Toward the deplorable cry of Gale, a salvo of the gun man corps attacked. Smoke burst out. ¡¸Did you do it?¡¹ The crossbow unit which was defenceless while pulling a bow. Gunfire is received, all members fall, and all lies down. Gale is¡­ Surprisingly, Gale pulled a desk down immediately and made it a shield to stopped shooting. It is admirable in spite of being an enemy. You have no right to say Louise is a monster. ¡¸Well, don¡¯t think you already won with this degree, Louise!¡¹ Gale escapes while holding a big desk leaving behind those lines to Louise. Even without doing such a thing, the arquebus can¡¯t fire in rapid succession, but you don¡¯t know it. Ah, are you going to barricade by hanging on the door of the room? ¡¸Should we pursue, sensei? ¡¹ Louise, she tried to pursue him by getting over the desk that Gale left at the entrance in the room even without hearing it. Because it is Gale, I am at a loss because there can be a trap after this. ¡¸You must not chase, Louise! ¡¹ It is not good Louise. Her eyes looks back to us with severe dissatisfaction. ¡¸But, what does sensei intends to do?¡¹ ¡¸Master¡¯s enemy will escape.¡¹ We failed to catch Gale. Lia voiced out her opinion and seems to cry. For her, it is the enemy of her benefactor. Aside from usual times, I sympathize with today¡¯s Lia. As long as we defeat Gale, this commotion will come to an end. ¡¸Gale¡¯s order will join the regular army of the kingdom. There is certainly a trap ahead. Even with Takeru, we can¡¯t do anything!¡¹ The gentle sensei got angry. That¡¯s true. Since the mouse is out of the bag, is letting it escape better? Sensei deserves a credit, I¡¯m sorry. ¡¸You should understand it. Now everyone will escape. The entire capital is not yet enclosed. We only have to break through the defence of the castle. ¡¹ Under sensei¡¯s skilled tactical command, the enemy¡¯ s enclave which was deployed double ¨C triple in the castle was broken through by the attack of the gun man corps. It is good to know that my gunman corps cannot be defeated even with the latest mechanical bow as the opponent. It¡¯s good but I feel dark. Finally, humans are killing each other. As Gale said, there are troops surrounding the castle but it seems that the military doesn¡¯t have enough power to surround the whole city. ***TN: Lyle is the one who says it earlier so the writer is probably just tired*** The city is in a tumultuous state. The side who wants Gale and the neutral knights and the soldiers are fighting. It seems to be easy to escape from this city. When I was relieved to go out of the capital city of Silesie, I looked back. The royal castle was burning. Perhaps there was a battle between court magicians that ignited it. The fall of the kingdom¡¯s capital. Flame goes up everywhere. It was already a terrible city full of refugees, but it is sad when this happens. Gale is doing such since his plot came out. How will you get this under control? In spite of being an enemy, I begin worrying. ¡¸Sensei, which way do we escape? ¡¹ ¡¸Of Course, we¡¯re heading toward Count Est territory. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Isn¡¯t the City of Ox closer? ¡¹ ¡¸Gale is probably not a fool, so he¡¯ll chase us with a fast-footed knight. I want to avoid unnecessary fighting.¡¹ Sensei took out the volunteer corps from Ona village along the border of the King¡¯s Territory and the territory of Est. Allied troops was stretched. It will be safe to escape to Est territory. I was relieved, but if you already read this far, sensei could have prevented Gale¡¯s plot. I was wondering whether to ask sensei who jolted in the carriage with composure. I hesitated and left it after all. Also, I¡¯ll get angry and be rude. I¡¯m going to think of Lyle-sensei as a universal cheat, but it¡¯s not like he can do anything because she¡¯s a mage. Rather, I am the one who is said to be a hero but became phlegm in this story. The future development, I can¡¯t read it at all. I made the Prime Minister lower his head, Gale was driven into a fall and I will live happily ever after. What on earth is going to happen after this¡­? CH 30 APRIL 13, 2017 ~ ELITE4HARMON Finally, my personal favorite other world fantasy race is here! Enjoy! _______________________________________________ When we enter the City of Est, it is currently in a turbulent uproar. Did a report of the Kingdom¡¯s Capital fall reached this place? Though there cannot be any good means of communication, the speed that a rumor spreads out is fast. While thinking not to depress upon absorbing it, we went to meet the earl. Lia and Louise are both unusual. As for the slave girls, we brought them as if we¡¯re begging because they don¡¯t want to leave the fight there. I understand their feelings. I throng a great number of people. It will trouble Earl Donovan but it¡¯s too late. ¡¸Takeru, I heard what happened to the capital. You¡¯re safe.¡¹ ¡¸Earl, it¡¯s been a while.¡¹ Earl Donovan seems to be depressed. That¡¯s a given. Earl is an aristocrat of Silesie kingdom. Though the country is going to fall, I can¡¯t laugh. I¡¯m welcomed in an inspiring feeling. It might have been good. I also wanted to apologize for the trouble that was caused by supplying too many volunteer soldiers even though we have no time for it. ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m glad that Takeru is safe. I don¡¯t know what to do.¡¹ ¡¸Earl, please get a hold of yourself. This is the time to have a strong mind.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, whoa. Yes, I am the Lord for such a time. I have to hang in there¡­.¡¹ The earl seems to have pulled himself together. I¡¯m also troubled with the state of emotion but I should not be too depressed. Then, the entrance of the residence suddenly became noisy, and someone ran in. It¡¯s the Earl¡¯s favorite maid. ¡¸Earl, ano, a fine carriage arrived on the table. It seems to be the royal princess!¡¹ ¡¸What? Let them through immediately.¡¹ The count rushed and went to receive. ¡¸In that development, the royal family survived¡­¡¹ I was as surprised as the earl. He said something like everyone from the royal family was killed. It seems that Gale¡¯s coup was not perfect. Wait, why not escape to other nearer territory? Why bother to escape to the territory of Est? ¡¸Oya, that was early.¡¹ Sensei nods with a known face. Is this also part of sensei¡¯s strategy? Along with Earl, a petite princess comes in wearing a regal white dress with a deep hood. Her face is hidden, so I can¡¯t peep at it. Long blonde hair with curls, although she¡¯s entirely different, she seems like Lia with the hood she¡¯s wearing. Longer than the pale blonde hair of Lia, the color is darker with a shade of pink. Oh, this is strawberry blonde! As expected of a royalty from a fantasy! The noble one is of different hair color. It strikes my favourite! I¡¯ve been waiting for this for a long time, thank you! Thank you! I was shot by the gratitude to the goddess of the world and reverence for the princess. I instinctively kneeled on the spot. ¡¸Hey, why are you suddenly kneeling?¡¹ Lyle-sensei tries to pull me up in a hurry with a thin hand. ¡¸Because the other party is a princess of the royal family, it is natural to kneel¡­¡¹ ¡¸Because the other party is the princess of the royal family, if you kneel here, the power balance will be bad!¡¹ Sensei is desperate. It seems that there is no other way, so I decided to stand up reluctantly. I didn¡¯t only see the beautiful hair colored princess. An astringent brown bearded old guy and knights wearing full plate mail from head to foot streams from behind. There are a lot of people in the group. The castle of the earl is now full. It is unlikely that guests will come to the earl¡¯s place when they have spare time, so it is hard for the maids to serve. ¡¸Hero Takeru, this is the first time we meet. I am Nicolas Laertius, a guardian for the royal family. I can not express my gratitude no matter how much I am willing to say it. Thanks for the rescue this time.¡¹ The brown-beard magician at the prime of his life comes to me and kneeled. In addition, I feel like he¡¯s a Hollywood star or I was just tired of seeing it a little. I¡¯m a japanese. The actors from the movie I see were all cool westerner. His voice is quiet and can be employed as a good voice actor. Is it due to power balance that the princess did not thank directly? Dealing with aristocrat¡¯s is troublesome. But what is this rescue? I do not remember helping at all. ¡¸I rescued the guardian? ¡¹ ¡¸Takeru-dono, I will tell you ahead of time. The princess¡¯ guardian, Nicolas Laertius, is my father.¡¹ ¡¸Er, that is your father?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. I ordered the volunteer army along the border to rescue the princess. I¡¯m sorry for not getting your approval but given the circumstances, there is no other way.¡¹ Listening to it, the astringent(meaning ikemen) guardian makes a bitter face. As expected, Lyle-sensei¡¯s father is beautiful. Their eyes and hair quality are sure similar. I say you resemble your father, was he a girl? ¡¸Are you the one who helped us, Lyle?¡¹ ¡¸How is it, father? The feeling of being helped by the youngest you abandoned like an odd person? I can¡¯t tell if my older brothers lived while on their castle duty.¡¹ ¡¸I thank you for rescuing us, to the extent that I think it¡¯s good to have kept you alive.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s superimposed.¡¹ ¡¸If possible, I would like you to help your elder brothers¡­.¡¹ ¡¸So far, I don¡¯t know either. It is not heard that other surviving royal families exist. It is correct to consider that she was missed daringly by Gale right? It is because Princess Silhouette is an odd person like me.¡¹ Here, the father, Nicolas, glared angrily in insolent politeness and was enraged. ¡¸Shut up. I¡¯m not going to leave you alone if you insult the princess.¡¹ ¡¸I told you that she is the same as myself, isn¡¯t my father mocking me?¡¹ ¡¸Know your stupidity. The meaning differs between you and the princess!¡¹ The relationship between Lyle-sensei and his father is terrible. I heard that you are abandoned, such a heresy. It seems like there are circumstances, but I should put a mouth in a complex parentage relationship. ¡¸Oh my, I¡¯m sorry for heating up, but what are we going to do now?¡¹ When I said so, everybody looked at me and remained silent. No one thought anything. ¡ªScene Change¡ª For the time being, the good-after measures were discussed in the living room of the earl¡¯s castle. Between those, the progress of the battle in the capital is reported steadily. The capital was occupied by Gale¡¯s troops and declared the new generation Silesie kingdom. Gale is even the king. That was quite a promotion. All the royalty who were in the royal city was killed and many aristocrats were killed by Gail. Earl Donovan, who is the feudal lord here, becomes the prime minister of the kingdom¡¯s provisional government and is promoted to a marquis(the territory remains as it is). Lyle-sensei negotiated with the government Prime Minister (a result race). I formally became a baron and received Ambazak barony. They seem to divide the old Loraine margrave territory, the one that sensei wants, to the knights and nobles taking sides with the princess. Everybody from the knight captain¡¯s group of the princess faction was overjoyed after being promoted to a viscount, baron, or general. Even if the one they received are collapsed towns and villages due to the monster, it¡¯s just fruitless. As an alternative to the province, Lyle-sensei manage to give me the mining rights of the Ye Mountains. The state mine, where money is produced, became mine in substance. The large profit gives me dangerous quiver! However, the capital was conquered by Gale. I must not rejoice since the coup d¡¯etat forces approaches this place. This is a situation wherein the high rank given to those who aide is useless if the country is ruined. There are very many neutral parties when I see the strategy map for some reason. The regional aristocrats has not taken sides, except for Earl Donoban. What about aristocratic patriotism? In the present situation, the pursuers from the coup d¡¯etat armies from the capital are also stuck in a stalemate with my volunteer corps and the Princess¡¯ s army at the border of the Est territory. One of the reasons is that the third corps that stuffs into the important base ¡°Fortress of the Eagle Bandit¡± beside the highway. They have not made their standpoint if they are ally or enemy. I understand if they still support Gale. Since they are neutral, it means that they are only thinking about themselves right? I¡¯m not so conscious of patriotism, but I think this is funny. ¡¸What the hell is going on in this country?¡¹ ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped. Princess Silhouette becomes the banner. She¡¯s hiding her ears but she¡¯s an illegitimate half elf. It¡¯s not something you can claim to inherit the throne.¡¹ ¡¸Is the princess being a half-elf that bad?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s bad because all aristocrats in Silesie Kingdom are humans. Someone with mixed blood will not be admitted to the royal family formally.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s strange.¡¹ ¡¸The lineage of the Silesie Kingdom is mixed with the royals and aristocrats of other countries. If you do not do well, neighboring countries will claim inheritance rights.¡¹ Earl Donovan probably guessed what is happening at this stage that he became the prime minister. Even if she is illegitimate, she¡¯s going to be the queen soon. What a troublesome other world fantasy. ¡¸Rather, I consider that Gale missed Princess Silhouette on purpose.¡¹ ¡¸Why would he do that?¡¹ ¡¸Rather than inviting other countries to intervene with the royal family eradication, he let only the princess to survive. After slowly crushing opposition forces in the country, he intend to be the legitimate king of Silesie by killing the princess if she go against him or marrying her if she obeys.¡¹ ¡¸Wow, that¡¯s too much¡­¡¹ Gale. What a vulgar fellow. But well, it¡¯s a rational way of doing things. Even though it is vulgar. ¡¸Let¡¯s strike the hands we can hit this way. The City of Est is too defenseless, so I¡¯ll remodel it to an impregnable fortress. Afterward, it will be the work of the provisional government¡­¡¹ With a glance, Lyle-sensei saw her father who took office as a provisional government minister. The viscount and the general are discussing with other high ranking people with a roar. The other side does not try to look at sensei. ¡¸Fu, it is hopeless. Let¡¯s do what we can. ¡¹ ¡ªScene Change¡ª I am tired of a strategy meeting that will not go anywhere due to intense debate alone. I¡¯m leaving. The Earl¡¯s maid gave me a cup of coffee. I was able to relax in a separate room and was called by the white-dress wearing Princess in a deep hood. ¡¸Hero Takeru-sama. ¡¹ Ah, I thought of Lia momentarily. Lia is here. If you were to take that white hood, they can be seen as a big Lia and a small Lia. No, to compare a noble princess with an abnormal sister, I am foolish. ¡¸It is impolite of me, your highness princess. ¡¹ I kneel deeply as if to lick a foot. What supreme bliss, for that day to come that I¡¯m in front of the princess. If you talk about etiquette, should I kiss the back of her hand? ¡¸Ara, you¡¯re on your knees. Won¡¯t your sensei get angry? ¡¹ That¡¯s right, sensei said such a thing. The power struggle between nobles is irrelevant to me. Oh dear, it is just now though, I¡¯ll endure it if sensei is here. ¡¸No, I do not care about political bargaining.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­ Hero-sama has changed.¡¹ ¡¸It is often said.¡¹ The princesses by whom choro is being talked about. ¡¸Your Highness, could you please take off the hood and permit me to see your face? ¡¹ ¡¸Is this alright? ¡¹ A beautiful princess who wore a strawberry blonde hair was there. I don¡¯t care even if she¡¯s a half elf. Yes, in fact isn¡¯t it a plus point? Somehow, Lia grumblingly says, ¡°Your attitude to me is opposite¡­¡± or something. I¡¯m wearing a character, I was aware of it properly. Kukkukku, your times were over. ¡¸Your Highness, you¡¯re really beautiful, like an elf.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m half-elf, but didn¡¯t you hear that?¡¹ ¡¸I heard that.¡¹ She¡¯s one of the elves. Lia is pleased when I compliment her that way, is it different? Ah, is it subtle if you made it for the princess who cannot inherit the throne because of Elf¡¯s blood? ¡¸Then, please stop calling a child of a concubine Your Highness. At any rate, an illegitimate child from a concubine has no place. An odd princess like me is far from Your Highness.¡¹ ¡¸What would I call you then?¡¹ ¡¸We haven¡¯t had a greeting yet, I am Silhouette Silesie Albert. An illegitimate child of the former king, the Silesie Kingdom 17th generation king, King Gaius Silesie Albert¡­. No, I am the daughter of a prostitute kept by the king. Please call me Silhouette instead of calling me princess.¡¹ She is a strawberry blonde special fantasy princess, but is refracted¡­.. It¡¯s also a disgusting part of real fantasy, dude. ¡¸Then, Princess Silhouette.¡¹ ¡¸It is excellent to be calling by the first name.The shadowgraph silhouette is putting a posthumous name from my parent. A mistress was a rogue who isn¡¯t even recognized as an illegitimate child.¡¹ ¡¸Princess Silhouette-sama¡­.¡¹ ¡¸It is a waste, call me by name without any honorific title. Compared to Hero Takeru-sama who sealed the ¡°Miasma Hole of Doom¡±, I¡¯m just a child of a concubine which is comparable to a garbage rolling on your feet. Better yet, even if you look down on me with garbage,I don¡¯t mind.¡¹ Ugh, it¡¯s not going to be undone. She was also raised that way,though she knows the king and Lyle-sensei¡¯s father. She is a noble strawberry blonde princess. If she¡¯s that unconfident, look down and get covered by a hood, isn¡¯t it spoiled? ¡¸Well Silhouette. I¡¯m not a big deal either. I am a hero for now but only a third grade hero certified by a sister. I cannot use lightning magic and my magic power is zero. I¡¯m an odd man.¡¹ ¡¸Ano, since I became a saint, you were promoted to second grade ¡­¡¹ ¡¸Be silent Lia!¡¹ When you appear, talk becomes complex. Even though the talk is simple, it became complicated. I¡¯m still wearing a character, so I don¡¯t line up with Princess Silhouette. ¡¸Was Takeru-sama an odd person too? That¡¯s good. Then, it seems that we will be able to be a well-matched married couple.¡¹ ¡¸Yes I am. So Silhouette¡­¡­ Married couple?¡¹ ¡¸Are, did you not hear it? Your sensei Lyle said that even if I am a child of a concubine, marrying a hero will authenticate my inheritance to the throne of Silesie Kingdom.¡¹ ¡¸Ehh?¡¹ I did not hear it. Please consult with the person first. If you think you are not close to being odd, did you try to do such a thing? Even if my partner is a princess, I cannot be married off suddenly¡­. CH 31 ____________________________________________ ¡¸That will not happen at all. It is not possible for Princess-sama to marry Takeru.¡¹ Lia intrudes the marriage talk of me and Princess Silhouette. I think so too, but I have a bad feeling when she comes out and steps over the scene . Just stay back. ¡¸Why do you say so Saint-sama? What is the reason?¡¹ No, marrying someone she do not know suddenly. Will Princess Silhouette be fine with it? ¡¸Takeru is not going to marry someone he never dated.¡¹ ¡¸Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.¡¹ YYYYOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUU! ¡¸Huh, Saint-sama, what is the meaning of date? ¡¹ ¡¸Takeru is a person who never dated someone before.¡¹ ¡¸Lia, you, really, I¡¯m going to kill you!!¡¹ I gripped the collar of Lia¡¯s robe and pulled it up. I was stopped by Sharon. Get out of there or I won¡¯t be able to kill her! ¡¸No, Takeru is too intense in such a place. Undress me where there is only the two of us.¡¹ ¡¸Aaah? Seriously, I will make you cry once, GORAA!¡¹ I¡¯m the one who¡¯s crying though. Even so, why everyone stop me? Stop that girl¡¯s mouth! I was pulled out by the slave girls and was torn away by force from Lia. ¡¸Master, what¡¯s happening??¡¹ ¡¸Hey, you said what you should never say now!¡¹ Before I knew it, there was a sword of light coming out of my hand though I did not even call for it. The blade which shines palely is in maximum output which has almost reached the ceiling. That¡¯s right, the Star King Sword, it is the only one who understands my wrath! ¡¸Master, the sword of light is dangerous!¡¹ ¡¸Lia, disappear!¡¹ It doesn¡¯t matter whether I am a hero in an another world fantasy or anything. Lia disappears now. ¡¸Sorry, I did not expect Takeru to get so angry.¡¹ Lia suddenly prostrate. She might have tried to avoid the Star King Sword that I swing. Damn, this is where the sword that I raised is going to go¡­ Huh. ¡¸You¡¯re the one that made me angry, you idiot!¡¹ Everybody is dumbfounded. It¡¯s impossible to just keep silent and watch this. I look at Lia. Because of you, the development of the story became messed up! ¡¸Fu, Fufu¡­¡­ Ahahahahahaha¡¹ Princess Silhouette burst out a laugh. She¡¯s holding her belly while laughing. No, it¡¯s good to be happy, but there is no laughing element earlier. Setting being toxic aside, me who got furiously angry and even Lia is silent while kneeling on the ground, looks at the princess, who becomes the ¤Î character, having a hearty laugh. ¡¸Aha, Ahaha, I¡¯m sorry for laughing. It is because I have never heard of a hero who cuts down his saint.¡¹ ¡¸No, I guess there probably won¡¯t be.¡¹ It¡¯s not my fault, I can¡¯t have a saint like Lia. ¡¸However, if you are such a hero, even a princess from a concubine might be acceptable.¡¹ ¡¸No, Princess Silhouette. I want you to ignore what Lia says, but I can¡¯t marry someone I¡¯ve just met.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? However, Hero-sama¡¯s sensei says so. I do not know about my camp but they are convinced on the surface.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not it. Is Princess Silhouette okay with it? Being suddenly married to a person you don¡¯t know?¡¹ ¡¸There is no good or bad for a concubine. I have no choice but to do what is told by everyone around. It is fortunate that my mistress mother was kept by the king. Because I¡¯m a concubine¡¯s daughter, nothing change by being a slave of Hero-sama.¡¹ ¡¸Princess-sama, that is not the case.¡¹ I have to deny this. ¡¸Could you tell me?¡¹ ¡¸My slaves are living by their own will. I will not marry someone I do not know, I will not let it go.¡¹ Sharon and others nod too. It is natural and I did not make them do it. ¡¸However, because they move like with the condition of their master in mind, aren¡¯t they slaves? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, I will not let my master do it. You too, Princess Silhouette-sama. Such a forced marriage, I will destroy it.¡¹ ¡¸Well, Hero-sama is interesting. But looking at the problem, isn¡¯t it the best thing to do?¡¹ Then, Lyle-sensei who heard the commotion came in holding a paper bundle. ¡¸The conference here seems to have become complicated somehow.¡¹ A refreshing smile. It doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯re trying to get people to get married without permission. How far ahead are you reading? What are you plotting? ¡¸Sensei, marrying Princess Silhouette, I will not do it.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s the first time, isn¡¯t it?¡¹ ¡¸What is, sensei?¡¹ ¡¸For Takeru-dono to defy my plan.¡¹ Lyle-sensei looks at me in a very happy way. ¡¸You know I was going to oppose it, didn¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I thought that there might be such a thing.¡¹ I¡¯m sure it is. You waited for this to reach a conclusion and entered. ¡¸I¡¯m against it anyway, what are you going to do with that sensei?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s my line. Besides the marriage of the Princess Silhouette and Hero Takeru, do you have a plan to break through this stalemate?¡¹ Lyle-sensei seems to have purposely brought the strategy map. He quickly spreads the whole map of the Kingdom of Silesie. Somehow it seemed to be Lyle-sensei¡¯s homemade and she had written notes by with various pens. ¡¸I only have to defeat Gale.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right. I took the marriage talk as the best measures to break the current equilibrium. If you¡¯re going to break it, a counterproposal is necessary.¡¹ He turns her thin jaw to me and laugh provocative as if saying that I can¡¯t do it. No way, I never thought that it would be a tactical match with Lyle-sensei. Certainly, if it is the usual, I will not be able to win Lyle-sensei¡¯s talented strategy cheat. However, I have knowledge of a modern Japanese. For example, how about a sneak attack on the Kingdom¡¯s Capital from the City of Ox? No, Gale can think and form a battle array with such. There¡¯s no way that Lyle-sensei can¡¯t make a simple diversion. Think, there is absolutely a hint somewhere in this strategy map Lyle-sensei wrote by all means. Both militaries which takes up its position across the boundary of Est and the kingdom. All the noble and military corps that do not take side too. Their movement is dull due to watching breathlessly which one will win. The key by which it¡¯s victory or defeat is the third corps, which stays neutral, that defends the important base ¡°Fortress of the Eagle Bandit¡± on this hill. I have seen this kind of figure, somewhere ¡­. ¡¸How is it Takeru-dono? Have you come up with something groundbreaking?¡¹ ¡¸Well, it¡¯s like the Battle of Sekigahara.¡¹ ¡¸Haa? Sekigahara?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, Sekigahara!¡¹ Yes, it was the age of guns and artillery. There is a strategy of Tokugawa Ieyasu. ¡¸Sensei, I have a plan. I¡¯ll put the third corps on my side.¡¹ ¡¸Were you listening to me? The third corps commander is Zawa Haruto. He has a character apt at making profit. He¡¯s sending a lot of demand for them to become an ally. Either way ¡­ if you do not see which one will win ¡­¡¹ ¡¸Sensei, lend me your ear.¡¹ ¡¸Yes? ¡­ ¡­ Oh, no, this will be bad.¡¹ ¡¸Is it useless?¡¹ ¡¸Rather than useless ¡­¡­Such an unreasonable method, there is no analogy in the military history which I learn.¡¹ ¡¸How is it? In sensei¡¯s point of view, will my plan work?¡¹ ¡¸Well, no. I can¡¯t predict it at all. As expected, only Takeru-dono can think of it.¡¹ Lyle-sensei looked at me with a stunned face. Sensei cannot predict it. My behavior will not be predictable to anyone in this era. ¡¸Then, I¡¯ll take responsibility, and do this plan. It¡¯s much better than being forced to marry a woman I just met today.¡¹ ¡¸Is it useless?¡¹ ¡¸Takeru-dono who¡¯s usually wavering is now confident to that extent. You probably think that there is a high chance of winning. I understand¡­.¡¹ Sensei is probably dubious at a point. I do not even know if it will actually work. The Human Heart, it might be the one which does not change in neither different world nor modern Japan. ¡ªScene Change¡ª I took an artillery unit and my personal guard corps and came before the ¡°¡°Fortress of the Eagle Bandit¡± ¡°. I arranged the four-gate bronze cannon in front of the three-story fort. I put up the flag of the volunteer corps more than required and make demonstration of attack preparations. ¡¸Sensei, could you send the messenger to the commander of the third army corps Zawa Haruto telling him to side with Hero Takeru? You can use general or baron if it is suitable to the condition.¡¹ ¡¸I have already sent it many times.¡¹ The third corps seems to accept both messengers fast. That way, they might catch the condition. An immediate reply came back. ¡¸He said, ¡°Give me all of the Est, and make me the commanding general. With that, I¡¯ll stand by your side.¡±.¡¹ Zawa Haruto, you¡¯re too greedy. I cannot accept such a demand. I don¡¯t know his face, so there is also no sense of guilt with this. ¡¸Good. So if you¡¯re not on your side right now, under the name of the legendary hero, shoot the letter fixed to an arrow when I abolish everything from the ground!¡¹ A letter fixed to an arrow flies immediately, it is a good game of speed. ¡¸Sensei, where do you think that guy Zawa Haruto is looking over here from?¡¹ ¡¸It is probably from the commanding stand of the third floor.¡¹ ¡¸Then we¡¯re going to fire there.¡¹ ¡¸Takeru-dono, if you hit Commander Zawa Haruto¡­¡¹ ¡¸Sensei, you already know that if he is not on our side, we attack and destroy as it is.¡¹ ¡¸Well, that ¡­ ..¡¹ How can it be done if we don¡¯t have resolution for it? It is not just the problem of the 3rd Army, I will do it to all the people who do not clear which side they are! ¡¸I intend to take care of enemies before my eyes. Aim and shoot all bullets!¡¹ ¡¸You, are you really Takeru-dono ¡­.?¡¹ An explosion roared bang, and all the round shots of four gates hit the ground on the third floor of the Fortress of the Eagle Bandit. With a rattle, the splinter of the fort falls in, and the soldier who was in the bottom runs around to escape. ¡¸Yosshi, this is good! Turn the guns to the vicinity of the entrance for enemy attacks. Don¡¯t be careless. If the enemy attacks here, annihilate everyone!¡¹ ¡¸Takeru-dono, your personality has changed¡­¡¹ The fort has begun to rustle. That¡¯s quite natural, they never thought that we¡¯ll attack seriously. Honestly, I don¡¯t know if it will work or not. If it doesn¡¯t go well, we¡¯ll just crush the enemy in front of us! Dammit! That Lia bastard, die at once! ***TN: Not sure why Lia was mentioned*** ¡¸Master, it¡¯s a white flag. The enemy surrenders! It is a sign of surrendering!¡¹ ¡¸Yosshi, it¡¯s a little disappointing though.¡¹ Lyle-sensei was judging me from the face at which he shuddered. Please do not be afraid so much. ¡ªScene Change¡ª The speed of spreading rumors of this world is fast. The third Corps descended from the fort (we just stuck at the back and advanced). When I attack the desperate forces of Gale¡¯s coup, the enemy¡¯s team began to sway evidently. The King¡¯s army and the volunteer corps of this place were energized and have begun to attack. Even in a battle of large army, the equilibrium state can collapse in an instant. Even the magician mixed in the armed forces cannot stop the retreat of an ally who was hit by the avalanche once. Besides, they are the ones who did not fight in the same way which one would win. Betrayal occurs successively in the coup force. The team could not be maintained, and fled to the kingdom¡¯s capital. A war in the medieval age, the larger-scale it becomes, the more it seems to end too short. I am convinced that this is such a situation. The soldier and the knight will attempt to save one¡¯s own necks. It is because the nobles only think about preserving their own provinces. Indescribably empty, real fantasy. The honor of a knight shouting in such a terrible age. What is the meaning of a Hero? In a carriage toward the capital, I think a little. ¡¸Takeru-dono, what are you dying twilight for?¡¹ ¡¸No, it is just disappointing to end too soon.¡¹ Lyle-sensei that have been amazed tells me. ¡¸Still, it probably has yet to come.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, I have to beat Gale.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry for that. In my case, I have to think about the system in postwar days. The head is hard of those who only do politics in a safe place in the back.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, sensei.¡¹ The teacher loosens her mouth with good shape. ¡¸You have to understand. Ahh, if Takeru-dono will be together with Princess Silhouette, we¡¯ll have the real power with inheriting the throne, we could make an ideal country.¡¹ ¡¸Aha, is that a joke?¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m serious. In a sense, Gale and I are the same.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re totally different.¡¹ What¡¯s different is that, sensei is not as unpleasant as Gale. ¡¸I¡¯m glad you said that. However, I had an ambition. If I would be able to look down on that father, it is enough.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, your father?¡¹ ¡¸It is so, I seem to be an unworthy son.¡¹ ¡¸Is it a problem if I hear the details?¡¹ I do not care much though, though. I know that there is a key point on Lyle-sensei. We have been acquainted of a long time, so I might able to turn it around. ¡¸Fufu, what you would do? Well, you can think of it if Takeru-dono gives me all of Silesie Kingdom.¡¹ ¡¸Uwa, say it seriously.¡¹ I¡¯ve already had a long relationship with Lyle-sensei. ¡¸Come on, we¡¯ll land in the capital soon. Let¡¯s brace ourselves!¡¹ CH 32 When the Silesie kingdom provisional government army arrives at the kingdom¡¯s capital, they stopped their feet with a stunned face. The castle was partially destroyed. White flag rises from the stone wall of the burnt city. ¡¸Sensei¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸This. I can¡¯t say anything.¡¹ It¡¯s too awful. Everytime, why such development? This is the first spectacular siege battle in the history of the capital. Isn¡¯t this supposed to decide the victory or defeat of the kingdom? I don¡¯t think this kind of real battle is required. ¡¸Sensei, that Gale.¡¹ ¡¸He¡¯s not stupid enough to get caught in this. He probably run away but without any support from a noble. Other countries that are hostile with Silesie would have cooperated implicitly since this definitely weakened the power of the kingdom of Silesie. No matter where he escapes, he will be killed.¡¹ Then, where did Gale go? When I enter the kingdom¡¯s capital, soldiers and people welcomed me in total since the hero came to free them. But you people, what were you doing when you were under Gale¡¯s rule? There would have been some people that would be rebellious, so I did not say anything. Even if I asked, no one knew where Gale is. ¡¸Oh yes, he was a baron, wasn¡¯t he? Baron Dot.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, but the provisional government already concluded that Baron Dot has nothing to do with Gale.¡¹ That means he have not escape there. Wait, I wonder if my idea of escape is different. Something is snagged. It seems that the mystery that has not been solved yet, a piece of a puzzle remains. That¡¯s right, the undercover advance magician which attacked the City of Ox. I still don¡¯t know his identity yet. We could not find a corpse. Then¡­¡­. ¡¸This is serious! A large army of monsters has attacked from the Devil¡¯s Mountain!¡¹ A report from the cavalry corps who was searching for Gale in the vicinity. ¡¸Sensei, please devise a plan.¡¹ Lyle-sensei who suddenly puts up a face. As expected, it looks like he understood all with that alone. ¡¸Intercept the monsters!¡¹ Sensei restrained the gunman corps who¡¯s trying to go. ¡¸It¡¯s useless! Artillery corps! Gun man corps! We have to evacuate in the castle fast. Use the side tower if needed and withdraw to a high place, hurry!¡¹ Why? Such instructions¡­ I thought of a moment, and noticed. The cavalry as a decoy and monsters outbreak are also a decoy¡­. A deluge was generated suddenly from the suburbs of the kingdom¡¯s capital. Water¡¯s coming! ¡¸The citizens will also be swept away.¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s escape and let loose in the castle. We won¡¯t fit in so I will command the soldier to evacuate anywhere if it is already a tall building.¡¹ We rush and escape to a castle. Floods will flow into the highway, and if someone gets caught it it, he will die. ¡¸Well, the water is coming, but the monsters won¡¯t be able to attack us soon.¡¹ ¡¸The capital is a city in a plain. Because the stone walls also collapse, the flood water would recede soon. After ruining the guns and cannons, the monsters will destroy the city.¡¹ ¡¸Why is there a monster outbreak? Did the ¡°Miasma Hole of Doom¡± open up again?¡¹ ¡¸Gale opened it. Because he is the counterfeiter of the Saint Wand Holy Paul, it is not strange to know such a method.¡¹ ¡¸Sensei, what shall we do?¡¹ ¡¸Theoretically, the jaws of death is here. There is no choice but to retreat, but the kingdom will completely come to ruin.¡¹ The capital which was burned previously is now flooded. I think that it¡¯s already partially-destroyed. Cannon is suitable for defense, but may not be suitable for attack. I wish Lyle-sensei had a waterproof team in the capital. I¡¯m responsible for the lack of preparation. ¡¸What is the purpose of the enemy?¡¹ It feels too unreasonable. What is Gale doing now? I wonder. This is also his city. ¡¸Is it a righteous scenario for the hero and the provisional government army to abandon the people and escaped from the capital? It will lower our reputation. If we do not do it well, the Silesie Kingdom which finally settled will be disrupted again. It¡¯s a difficult decision to make.¡¹ ¡¸Before that, there is no choice which abandon the people.¡¹ Lyle-sensei smiles at me very joyfully. ¡¸Takeru came to say, doesn¡¯t he? Alright, the great hero says that. How about her saint?¡¹ I advance to the depths of the castle and go to Lia. She is at the castle workshop. She was wielding arms of sacred alchemy. ¡¸I am already burning carved seal on the new Saint Wand Holy Paul.¡¹ What? Lia, did you do that when you thought I couldn¡¯t see it? There still seems to have been material in the royal palace. ¡¸I will go as well.¡¹ Louise said so. ¡¸I will beat Gale.¡¹ That¡¯s right. Louise is fated to do that. Well, it¡¯s not necessarily means that Gale is in the Devil¡¯s Mountain. Unsealing the ¡°Miasma Hole of Doom¡±, outbreak of monsters in the City of Ox. Because he cannot escape to the capital either, he may lie hidden in the mountaintop. Somehow, if you look at the face of Louise, Gale will feel like coming out even if he wants to hide. Because, that guy ¡­ ¡­. ¡¸Master, we will also go!¡¹ ¡¸Takeru!¡¹ Sharon and Sarah-chan? ¡¸You¡¯re my personal guard corps. If a citizen of this castle dies, I¡¯ll lose my popularity.¡¹ ¡¸We are with master.¡¹ ¡¸Look, you guys protect my reputation. There is no black dragon wyvern anymore in the ¡°Miasma Hole of Doom¡±, so it is more important to protect the royal palace.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand¡¹ It was the first time that I succeeded in persuasion. I finally breakaway from being General Choro. ¡¸Sensei will remain here to command the volunteer corps. I will go with only Lia and Louise.¡¹ ¡¸Roger. I, that advanced magician, this time, at any cost¡­..¡¹ Even sensei is seriously burning up against that advanced magician. Because he is an intermediate magician, does she wants to show that in actual combat, it is not decided with magical power alone? I understand the feeling well. Well, it is a few elite. Even if Gale is there, he is already abandoned with no soldiers. I look at the city completely immersed in water. ¡¸I have no choice but to swim somehow.¡¹ Mythril and black dragon scales will float. It might be unexpectedly dangerous for Lia. ¡¸I was said to have a foot like a white fish which is a beauty by all means.¡¹ Oh, is that so? Hearing it was useless. I came up with a good thing. ¡¸Lia, the fake Saint Wand Holy Paul that was left there. Let¡¯s take that too.¡¹ ¡¸What are you going to use such thing for?¡¹ ¡¸The enemy is Gale. We should be extremely cautious.¡¹ ¡ªScene Change¡ª Swim across the capital that has become like a lake. Just sinking the Great Plains in water. It seems that the magical power of the advance magician has gone out and there is no attack. I cut down orcs and ogres which herd on the opposite bank when I swim over. ¡¸Louise, postpone the dismantling.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s only reflex by habit.¡¹ What hauntingly puts out the knife? Where is it? I cannot say it though. We just run up the way to the Devil¡¯s Mountain. ¡¸Lia, are you okay?¡¹ ¡¸Haa,haa, there is nothing wrong!¡¹ She doesn¡¯t look okay, I do not really understand. It¡¯s hard for a living human being to keep up with the physical strength of a monster-level Louise-onesan. Lia makes and drinks holy water many times along the way. Oh, I want it too. Even I, who raised basic physical strength with the blessing of the saint, find it tough. As for the combat, the battle itself is too cinch. There is the sword of light that balanced my swordsmanship. Louise¡¯s fighting power is somewhat beyond human beings. Louise first shoot with a small bow. After using all the arrows accumulated in the rucksack, she throws away the bow and slash with her sword. If there is no blood with the cut of the sword, she¡¯ll take the stone hammer of the orc lord. It just blows down several oaks. Who can stop this? From the back, the saint use recovery and assistance magic. You can go anywhere until the magic power of Lia expires. The Devil¡¯s Mountain¡¯s terrible appearance came from the black cedars that stains it in jet black. It is not that high. We are already at the mountaintop or I have a feeling that we¡¯re done climbing up. As the stage of the final battle, it is not quite difficult. There is a time limit where the capital is attacked, so it will be troublesome if it takes time. ¡¸Lia!¡¹ The royal castle is in front of me. Lia which had the Saint Wand Holy Paul goes to the top. ***TN: Not sure why he called it royal castle*** It was then. With the sound of the saint wand breaking, Lia was blown backwards. How did Gale shows himself with a slash? Although it is not as good as Louise-anego, it is quite a good cut. However, the brilliance of swordsmanship is lacking. Gale who grabs a big sword is badly breathing and his complexion is bad. A splendid steel plate mail that paints arrogance has crumbled from the torso already falling apart. Getting away from the falling castle and unsealing the ¡°Miasma Hole of Doom¡±. I can say that Gale is amazing. If you think about it, alone, he manage to survive the monster outbreak, and paid the compensation for acting rashly. Even if you drink a recovery potion, the repair of the equipment is not possible and the fatigue accumulated cannot be healed. Indeed. Body covered with wounds, General Gale of the defeated army is exhausted. ¡¸Fuhahahahaha. This is my win, Louise!¡¹ Is this really a time where you¡¯ll reach Louise, Gale? We already surrounded you when you cut Lia. ¡¸There is no escape any more, Gale.¡¹ Louise, if you say such a line, stop it because the escape success flag is set. ¡¸The capital is ruined by the time you pick up a new saint wand. Admit your defeat!¡¹ ¡¸Hah, do you think you¡¯ve won with that?¡¹ Louise threw the huge stone hammer flying while rotating. Gale plays with the great sword in both hands. ¡¸Please! Holy spear! Holy spear! Holy speeaaaarrrr!¡¹ Leah, who got up, cried with her hands in front. From nothingness, a white silver shining holy spear appears, jumping into Gale like a missile. Lia did not chant. She fires a magic attack without incantation. Even though A-sama forbids revenge, she¡¯s helping Lia. She¡¯s a good goddess. The upper section, at the lower berth, Gale who uses and plays a large sword with full force. A holy spear pierced the shoulder and the steel shoulder pad shatters. ¡¸Guu, you prostitute!¡¹ Gale thrusts his shoulder and elbow suddenly. Even so, instinctively, Gale is also a knight who thrust the big sword in front. ¡¸There¡¯s a match, Gale.¡¹ The large sword which Gale pushed out, Louise broke it with a sword slash. He didn¡¯t have the strength anymore. ¡¸Louise! You¡¯re mine!¡¹ ¡¸Die.¡¹ That last line is too much Louise. When she plunge into Gale¡¯s heart, a straight sword pierced the chest deeply. I could see that it penetrates up to the back. With a sound of heavy fall, Gale¡¯s huge figure trembles with the impact pushed up by Louise. He collapsed to the back as it was. I ended up joining the box and looking at him. I could not do anything. Maaa, I guess Gale wanted to be killed by Louise, is this okay? While looking down at Gale¡¯s corpse, it looks like in tatters but the expression is good. He really had his own way to lent it. ¡¸It¡¯s Gale¡¯s corpse.¡¹ ¡¸Do you want to take the head?¡¹ Louise-onesan, you¡¯re idea is scary. ¡¸No, if you leave the corpse as it is, it would be a zombie lord¡­¡¹ There¡¯s an unprecedented zombie baron. Because it is a knight, cutting the neck would turn it to a dullahan. ¡°It¡¯s possible,¡± says the nodding Holy Alchemy expert Saint Lia. Gale is stubborn, so he can stalk Louise even after he¡¯s dead. ¡¸For the time being, I¡¯ll turn it to ashes with the Cane of Holy Flame Ball. Go and seal the ¡°Miasma Hole of Doom¡±.¡¹ ¡¸Then, I¡¯ll do that. Let¡¯s go Lia.¡¹ Louise took out the ¡°Saint Wand Holy Paul¡± from the rucksack and passed it to Lia to seal the ¡°Miasma Hole of Doom¡±. That¡¯s right. It was the fake Saint Wand that Lia kept in an ostentatious way. Gale was deceived by the fake saint wand he prepared. If it is the usual Gale, he will not be deceived by a simple trick. It was because he was completely devastated over here. Gale was deceived and died. I hope Lia¡¯s master is delighted even a little by this. It seems that he was a really good person, right? ¡¸Gale, you probably liked Louise.¡¹ The bearded face of Gale has a good expression. I¡¯ll cut the corpse in round slices, I call out the sword of light (This is gross. It can¡¯t be helped since I need to burn it.) . A man who is competent and cunning enough to tilt a country. For the deep attachment to one woman, he ruined himself at last. No, Gale likes Louise. I just thought so, and it may be a different one. Because it is the love of the old bird, he likes or he loves. It is not such a simple feeling . More crooked envy, and a muddy, jealous mind is involved. It might be acute deep attachment nevertheless. Louise is a good woman. Even if I don¡¯t understand, I know how you feel. I burned Gale¡¯s corpse off with Cane of Holy Flame Ball beautifully. Gale¡¯s ashes was purified by Lia¡¯s holy water. It will be buried in the church cemetery. Give severe sanctification to never revive again. Gale really did what he wanted to do already. Risen from a noncommissioned officer to become the commander of the whole military of the kingdom. The coup caused the capital to be scorched. Annihilating the hateful aristocrats including the royal family. Despite a very brief reign, became the king of the Kingdom of Silesie. And the end is, being killed in the hands of the woman he likes and be buried in the church cemetery. I heard he said the he won. The meaning of Gale when he said¡°This is my win¡± . It may be such a thing. Louise will be angry if I told her that. Only I recognize it as your victory, Gale. CH 33 After sealing the ¡°Miasma Hole of Doom¡± for the second time, I returned to the kingdom¡¯s capital. Water mostly went down already. No matter how much magic is used to generate a flood, a good land with drainage can¡¯t be made a lake forever. Lyle-sensei was preparing for the attack of a advance magician but it seems that he realized that Gale has failed and did not show up again. Sensei was frustrated to the point of stomping with vexation his foot on the ground. Probably because the preparation were not enough. As for that magician, the identity remains a mystery. An advanced magician is famous in every country, so I thought we can find it but it seems that there is no corresponding person. Well, it¡¯s hiding with the use of a black robe. It is already sunset at the time we¡¯re finished taking care of most of the remains of monsters. In spite of that fierce battle, I was amazed at Louise, who started dismantling the monster¡¯s flesh. I¡¯m the one who said to postpone it when we¡¯re climbing the mountain. I can not see the bottom of Louise¡¯s physical strength. Well, we¡¯re distributing rice porridge for the refugees. We also helped with cooking. After eating, I fell on my face on the ground since I¡¯m quite exhausted. Finally, the rebuilding of the Kingdom¡¯s Capital began a few days later. ¡ªScene Change¡ª ¡¸Thus, Takeru-dono will be the regent of Princess Silhouette.¡¹ ¡¸Is that the pattern again?¡¹ Finally, sensei has a sense of extraordinary feeling against me. By the way, what rank is it? If an official is appointed to a position that far exceeds his ability, the other party will put a curse and kill him. ***TN: Takeru is thinking about what is a regent and his ability to be one.** ¡¸You want to avoid marrying Princess Silhouette? Collaboration between the hero and royal family¡¯s lineage is at the very least, will be the line that can sustain the Kingdom¡¯s Government against other countries and aristocrats.¡¹ ¡¸Well, only in name.¡¹ Why are you all trying to push the responsibility on me? It¡¯s better than getting married. ¡¸I will do everything I can to negotiate with the government and the kingdom. If you don¡¯t like the title then First Consul, Guru, Generalissimo, or whatever you want.¡¹ ¡¸I had enough already with regent.¡¹ The first consul is Napoleon. Perhaps I think a Silesie Kingdom was a French model country, but the time would be different. ¡¸Burnt down by a conflagration, and drifted by the flood. We have no choice but to rebuild the capital from scratch. It¡¯s serious.¡¹ ¡¸To that extent you look happy, sensei.¡¹ Sensei has such a unique imprudence. I¡¯m neither insane nor ruthless, but a rogue ruler is good just like the reign of Nobunaga. ¡¸Because we were able to clean up, we couldn¡¯t say that the last state of the capital was of a wonderful city.¡¹ ¡¸I understand it well.¡¹ The refugees are overflowing and received no help. The royal family and aristocrats are just exploiting their people. The Knights and the bureaucrats are also making it worst for the people. They just folded their arms and look. The whole city is covered up by something like hopeless miasma, and is gloomy just to see it; felt unpleasant. Gale¡¯s coup was foolish but it is a good opportunity for the oppressed people to overthrow the government. The true ¡°Miasma Hole of Doom¡± may be the previous capital itself. After everything is washed away beautifully, there is nothing in the kingdom¡¯s capital now, but the complexion of the citizen who grinds on in rehabilitation is cheerful. The threat of the approaching monster also disappears. The party who repressed it by power was swept away by the top. ***TN: The party he¡¯s referring to is the group of black dragon wyvern*** Even though lots of supplies are scarce, people can live if there is hope for the future. ¡¸There¡¯s a way for my firm to make money by bringing Ox¡¯s wood and stone and metal products from the Ye Mountain range.¡¹ When I said such a thing, I was seen in a surprised face. ¡¸Takeru-dono still wants to gain more? ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s obvious. I want to set up a branch in this new capital. It may widen the business network in the kingdom¡¯s side.¡¹ ¡¸No, I was really appalled. I may be too ambitious to be a little too much, but Takeru-dono is also much more.¡¹ ¡¸It would be nice if you could make money with an honest business. It¡¯s much better than aristocrats who exploit from the bottom without doing anything.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s good. Then the reconstruction supply for the capital¡¯s revival will be controlled by the Sawatari Commercial Firm. I will negotiate with the Kingdom¡¯s government. The national treasury will be upset because of this. Let¡¯s also repaint the capital in a splendid city with a cannon.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s called government rigging. As for this for the security of the nation, monopoly can¡¯t be helped either.¡¹ ¡¸Takeru-dono, this is also a charity project.¡¹ ¡¸No, it is different.¡¹ In any case, he will not do what she wants in war and politics without permission. I will let her at least let me expand my business in the meantime. ¡ªScene Change¡ª With wanting to found out more about the fatal defect that happened in the ¡°Miasma Hole of Doom¡± event, Lia started managing it with the church support. A nationwide warrant was issued for the advance magician. The cleaning up of this event is endless because it is boundless. Even if I¡¯m not involved, Lyle-sensei will be able to make sure that remedial measures are good. Leaving the shrewd sensei like a fish that got in the water in the capital, I decided to go back to the City of Est with Louise. When I arrive at the city, it is the same city as usual. ***TN:He¡¯s basically saying nothing has changed*** What changed was that Count Donovan was promoted to a marquis. Well I guess the Marquis Donovan will be able to increase the territory for a moment. When I visit the Marquis¡¯ residence, he still hasn¡¯t return from the capital yet. I guess that person was the Prime Minister. I am sorry to have kept you going back to the territory. I was relieved to go back to the office of Sawatari Commercial Firm. ¡¸Welcome back, Master!¡¹ Sharon and the slave girls are busy working. They went back to this office as soon as the war was over. ¡¸Master, M&A advance smoothly.¡¹ ***TN: mergers and acquisitions*** ¡¸We finally started to buy company¡­¡¹ Anyway, because the mining rights and the Ambazac Barony were rolled into the Sawatari Commercial Firm, a number of related professional guilds and company guilds have been affiliated. The commercial firm won¡¯t be around if Sharon is not the chairman. Rather, if Sharon didn¡¯t manage everything by herself, it will not reach this scale(or maybe not). ***TN: He¡¯s basically saying that the growth of the company is due to Sharon¡¯s effort alone*** When it comes to product distribution and corporate acquisitions, the almost white silver haired Sherry is fighting with numerical formula at the side of Sharon. Sherry is among the second batch of slaves after Sharon¡¯s batch. She has a strange background as a daughter of a gambler. When sharon taught them about business for trial, she demonstrated high mathematical understanding and market analysis ability. We get the market price and information gathering in the firm under our control and analyze it, how to distribute goods, and which business should be purchased next. I have raised my precise proposal to Sharon, my boss. The information they are writing on the board with chalk is no longer in a state I can understand even if I am a highschool student. It¡¯s fun to watch when it¡¯s vibrant. It has such a feeling like Seri City. ***TN:No idea what/where is Seri City*** ¡¸Well, Sherry seems to be working hard, do you have something you want?¡¹ ¡¸Master, I have such a feeling during your absence, so please check it out.¡¹ As I ask Sherry for a reward for her service, I was given a bunch of papers with numbers I don¡¯t know. I am from liberal arts course. Sherry looks at me expecting to look at the document with ease. With this, I am troubled even if I am told to just check it. I did not say this since I will be despised by Sharon. In fact, both bookkeeping and financial statements are things I do not understand well. There was no such practical business affair processing in a game. Why is Lyle-sensei not on my side at time like this? Pressed by the pressure, I have to say something. ¡¸Alright, I¡¯ll leave it to Sherry in the future. Do not accumulate the stock in circulation too much. Aim for efficient and simple logistics. Focus on industries that are oligopolistic or monopolistic. The rest¡­ Well, listen to what Sharon says.¡¹ ***TN:Somehow I feel like in the future, he¡¯ll say ¡±Demiurge, I permit you to explain.¡±.*** ¡¸Indeed Master. Accurate comments hurts.¡¹ I do not have confidence at all, I wonder if this is the right thing to do. Honestly, I don¡¯t know the meaning of the instructions I¡¯m leaving myself. ¡¸Sherry is doing well.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much for your compliment. I am honored to be able to help master.¡¹ I¡¯m just talking about secondhand information of a simulation game. For a high school student to be asked for decent business capability, I am in trouble. It will be good if the bottom figure is the profit which is probably false. The slave girls are mix of gems and pebbles. Sending someone like Sherry as a workforce until crushed to the mine is a waste. ***TN:Remember, Takeru and Lyle are buying slave girls that will be sent to a mine*** This country¡¯s way of doing things is useless. ¡ªScene Change¡ª I took a bath as soon as I got back to the company. I watch the water temperature now while a Rolu puts firewood. Because the making ammonium nitrate is completely outsourced in the City of Est, Rolu becomes the person in charge of the bath. If I were the usual, I will soak her in the bath, but today I am exhausted and I can not afford that kind of thing. After that war, what kind physical strength everyone has to be able to return to normal business immediately? I feel like going to Losgow and get cured by the hot spring. When I washed my face with hot water, I felt like all the tiredness was going through. ¡¸Haa, it is a bath after all.¡¹ I may sound like a grandfather but I still like baths. It reminds me of my hometown. Whichever world I enter, the goodness of bath doesn¡¯t change. I wonder if it¡¯s a luxury to monopolize a large bathroom. I entered without putting feint so someone might enter. Look, as I say that, a little girl came in. A shortcut silver hair. What is it, Sherry? ¡¸¡­¡­Hmm¡¹ ¡¸Do you mind if I disturb you, master?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I do not mind.¡¹ I do not mind, but I thought Sharon would come. She was saying that she was going to wash my hair all the time, it was unexpected that Sherry came. ¡¸Is it unexpected that I have come?¡¹ ¡¸Well ¡­..¡¹ She get into the bathtub after pouring the water properly. Properly educated. ¡¸Sharon-onesama gives in for the reward.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so?¡¹ I was surprised again. It¡¯s super surprising for that woman to be obedient. Outside her gentle expression, she absolutely is not the type to give up. Did she think highly of Sherry as a brain? ¡¸Master, I think you are tired, but¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah, don¡¯t tell it to everyone that you wash my hair.¡¹ Sherry nodded. It won¡¯t take a big effort for one child. I wash my body. As I got out of the bath, I whipped soap. I would like to have a light haircut. Even a clumsy one would be enough. ¡¸It is the greatest honor of a slave girl to have wash master¡¯s hair.¡¹ ¡¸I see, I see¡­¡­¡¹ While my hair is being washed, I wonder if it is good to say to a child to stop doing things a little too much. ***TN:Takeru means there is no need for the slave girls to wash his hair and wanted to tell them to stop thinking that it is an honor to do so*** It¡¯s Sharon¡¯s bad influence by all means¡­¡­. Sherry¡¯s hair has a beautiful texture like silver. It is interesting because such a rare hair color does not exist in the world I came from. ¡¸Next to master, I also want to wash Sharon-onesama. It is my dream to help Sharon-onesama to make the commercial firm bigger.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? That¡¯s amazing.¡¹ Sherry talks happily. She¡¯d taken enough of my work and I do not mind it. If that is what she want, I want her to do it at will. I think that it is a favorable change because when Sherry came to me, she looks like dead even though still living. ¡¸A merchant has a merchant country. In order to let master rule another Kingdom, I¡¯ll also exert myself to the fullest.¡¹ What a big vision. Another kingdom? What an impact. Is it because this girl has a gambler¡¯s blood? I become slightly worried that they may make a terrible mistake and make management go bankrupt¡­¡­. However, it is also probably good. ¡¸All right. Then do as you like with all you have Sherry. Even if you go well or you do not, I will take responsibility! ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll do my best!¡¹ If you think about it in reverse, I won¡¯t be bothered if Sherry fails and go bankrupt. I do not rely on me alone. Because there are Louise and sensei too, even if a slave girl goes bankrupt, it is possible to feed her. There are no problems. ¡¸Ah, I¡¯ll also wash master¡¯s back.¡¹ ¡¸Then, please.¡¹ With her little hand, she rubbed my back with a towel, so I smiled. Yeah, it was a good break. ¡¸Then, we¡¯ll soak in the bathtub again. Sherry, do not go up until counting to one hundred.¡¹ ¡¸One, three, five or thirteen, eighty-nine, two hundred and thirty-three, one thousand five hundred and ninety-seven, twenty-eight thousand six hundred and fifty-seven, five hundred and fourteen thousand two hundred and twenty-nine, four hundred and thirty-three million four hundred and ninety-four thousand four hundred and thirty-seven, two billion nine hundred million¡­..¡¹ It¡¯s scary. When I thought it was a prime number, what is it? It¡¯s a large number. Stop doing mathematically blurry beyond the scope that I can tsukkomi! Another one hundred are far far enough so it will go up! ¡ªScene Change¡ª ¡¸Well, it¡¯s quite a taste. Let¡¯s drink Sherry.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much.¡¹ How luxurious it is to have a cold drink from the refrigerator in the bath. I can¡¯t say that real fantasy is tough anymore. By the way I¡¯m drinking water ice coffee, Sherry is drinking fruit milk. Of course my cup and Sherry¡¯s milk bottle are made of glass. ¡¸Mmm, after all, it is still impure.¡¹ ¡¸The real bottle is transparent.¡¹ It¡¯s black history that I baked sand and failed in order to make glass. I burn weathered granite and quartz crust at high temperature and I understood soon enough that one like this bottle can be done. It¡¯s just low in transparency, far from being a transparent bottle like in modern times. The information might be kept secret somewhere like the Venetian glass. ¡¸Sherry, information is money. People who control the information will win the business.¡¹ ¡¸I take master¡¯s word in my heart.¡¹ When I said that, Sharon who finished her work came. ¡¸Arara, you¡¯ve gotten along with Sherry.¡¹ ¡¸Thanks to you.¡¹ Sharon being an elder sister is much better than I expected. You can understand by seeing the intelligence of the slave girl she is raising. ¡¸It¡¯s still early, but would you like to go to bed now?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, yes. I am tired of being shaken by a carriage for a long time. I¡¯ll brush my teeth and sleep slowly today.¡¹ ¡¸Ok, master, please go here.¡¹ ¡¸Yes?¡¹ Even if I¡¯m not guided by Sharon, I know about my room. Oh, there is no room for me. ¡¸Master¡¯s bedroom was changed to the room in the back of this place when the office was remodeled.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? I don¡¯t mind since I entrusted it to Sharon but the bed is awfully big.¡¹ It¡¯s about the size of a semi-double. Such a luxurious bed is in my house. ¡¸Yes master, this was purchased you you can sleep slowly. I usually warm the bed.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, I see.¡¹ No, my bed is nominal. Sharon has a hobby of not getting permission. You bought a big bed and sleep. Is it probably good? It cannot be helped because I entrusted it to her. The greater also serves for the lesser. I must say that a big bed feels good. I decided to go to bed slowly. ¡ªScene Change¡ª ¡¸I¡¯m too careless. I¡­..¡¹ Early morning, I thought there is something soft on my bed. Sharon was sleeping sideways in cotton underwear as it is quite natural. It is good because this development should only be expected. The problem is, if you think there is something soft in the bed it means that I fall asleep deeply that I did not notice that it is already crowded. I embrace Sharon with all one¡¯s might particularly, and make her a pillow. I don¡¯t regret having spent the whole night. The knowledge of the habitual presence in battlefield. If this is the world of master swordsman Musashi Miyamoto, I can get killed while sleeping. I am called a hero too. The number of allies increased but the number of enemies also increased. Originally, I should be more cautious. ¡¸Sharon might not be necessarily wrong to say that I need a personal guard at bed.¡¹ However, Sharon is sleeping with a happy face. Though she doesn¡¯t seem to be useful as the guard of the bed, I permit it because it is lovely. Oh, her ear moved twitchily. ¡¸¡­¡­ Good morning.¡¹ ¡¸By any chance, were you awake?¡¹ She¡¯s good at sleeping, Sharon is a dog. Dogs and cats are shallow sleeper but is a quarter beast person too? ¡¸When Commander Louise is near, I do not have to worry. When you are in the company, we will protect you, master.¡¹ ¡¸Really? You¡¯re thinking in various ways.¡¹ By the way, Louise and me came back to the City of Est yesterday together. Since she is responsible for the volunteer corps, she went to visit the base camp in Ona village and stayed. Oh, wait a moment. By any chance, when I peek outside the room. ¡¸Master, good morning.¡¹ Claudia was sitting with a chair in the hallway. Fully armed with a bayonet and ¡°black dragon wyvern scale armor¡± early in the morning. It¡¯s a small Louise. ¡¸Were you keeping an all-night watch?¡¹ ¡¸I sleep by turns properly with Commander Louise so you do not have to worry.¡¹ Suzanne is sleeping in a makeshift bed next to her. She¡¯s sleeping with a bayonet on the right side, these guys are doing Miyamoto Musashi more firmly than me. The combination of Suzanne and Claudia. They received a graduate knight¡¯s education from Louise. There may be a teaching same as [the book of the Olympic Games] in the chivalry of the Middle Ages. ¡¸Umm, for this¡­..¡¹ How should this be judged? I told Sherry that I like what her doing. In the case of these girls. When strict defense is strengthened, is it going to be a flag wherein I¡¯ll be attacked? ***TN:He gave Sherry a push so he¡¯s being cautious that if he also gave a push for these two, there is a possibility that instead of being safer, he¡¯ll receive an enemy attack instead*** ¡¸What will you do, Master? It¡¯s a result of thinking about what we can do.¡¹ Unnoticed, Sharon got up and is stuck to my back. I feel like deriving my conclusion somehow while saying what I want to do. But well, there is no malice, so it is not that annoying. ¡¸Claudia, you had a hard time. I will go to bed a little more so please continue.¡¹ ¡¸Yes! I will protect master¡¯s quiet sleep.¡¹ The young knight apprentice stood up from the chair and smiled with a beautiful salute. Looking at her, I slowly close the door. ¡¸Then I¡¯ll accompany to bed.¡¹ ¡¸Do whatever you want.¡¹ It makes you happy so it¡¯s OK. After all there is not enough rest. It has become troublesome to think about various clutter. I will dive into bed for a while and sleep. Even if Sharon is rustling next to me, even if she smells good to extent where it doesn¡¯t hinder quiet sleep. I¡¯m in this harsh environment. Maybe I¡¯m getting used to it. CH 34 Several days after staying at the office in the City of Est, I lived a life like I am completely soaked in tepid water. Suddenly, chill runs down my spine. I have a bad feeling. This pressure is by any chance ¡­¡­ ¡¸Master?¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¹ The guarding Suzanne stands up then wink to Claudia as if saying (you stay here). She rushed to the front of the store with a sword. I feel that a great disaster is approaching. ¡¸Master, a huge, strange carriage is on the front of the store!¡¹ I didn¡¯t answer Suzanne¡¯s warning, and slipped into the back of the store. It¡¯s my own store and there are plenty of places to hide. ¡¸Where are you Takeru? Your Sister Lia has come!¡¹ ¡¸Stelliana-san, please do not make a fuss in front of the shop! ¡¹ Sharon copes with the situation. It was a narrow escape. Even before, she has a track record of driving away persistent sisters. I¡¯m counting on you, Sharon. ¡¸Well, Takeru is here according to the divine message of A-sama.¡¹ ¡¸If it is Master, I think he went to visit the base camp in Ona Village.¡¹ Sharon who can tell a lie on a breath is reliable. As expected, there can be things that can be acquired by studying as a merchant. ***TN:He¡¯s means that one needs to learn how to lie to be a merchant*** ¡¸Is that true? If you lie to me, you will received divine punishment from A-sama.¡¹ ¡¸I am a devout A-sama believer.¡¹ I can imagine the face of Sharon who¡¯s probably smiling nicely. If she is your ally, she¡¯s a reliable existence. ¡¸Is that so ¡­ ¡­ Then I will go to Ona village.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I think master is this eager to meet Lia-san by all means too, so.¡¹ Fuu, Did she go¡­¡­.? However, why is Lia, who¡¯s summoned by the church and should have been devoting her time to the Devil¡¯s Mountain and the sealed Miasma hole of Doom, coming to the city of Est? What is happening in the capital? I mean what is the church is doing? Please manage it properly. Lia might have pretended to go and she might still lie hidden in the front of the shop. Just to be sure, I will keep Suzanne and Claudia to watch the front. And as I try to sneak out of the office at the back of the store, I bumped into a woman whose eyes are covered by a white robe. I almost scream. ¡¸Iii!!¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s the concubine desu yo.¡¹ Even with the same white robe, the height and age differ from those of Lia. She raised the hood. The beautiful strawberry blond hair is stirred up, and the pointed ear is shown. There was a fragrance of a rose, a lovely aroma. It is Princess Silhouette. ¡¸Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I must resign myself for mistaking Princess Silhouette for the female Saint.¡¹ ¡¸You are not surprised to see the concubine here but surprised by being mistaken of me for Saint-sama. As usual, hero-sama is different. ¡¹ ***TN:Hime-sama expected that Takeru will be surprised to see her but instead Takeru was surprised that she is not Lia.*** Well, I already get a strange feeling with the huge carriage. A luxurious carriage with fancy design is usually the owned by Kingdom nobles. ¡¸You probably accompanied Marquis Donovan in incognito when he returned to his territory.¡¹ ¡¸As expected of Hero Takeru-sama. To have guessed to that extent with just a quick glance at the concubine¡­¡¹ I thought that it was possible that Princess Silhouette came to the City of Est. It is impossible to think if it is usual, for example, the sole successor to the Kingdom of Silesie leaves the capital. The collapse of the capital. The unstableness of the Miasma Hole of Doom. With these, it can be judged that the City of Est, which is manage by Maquis Donovan, is rather safe. And above all, Lyle-sensei¡¯s scheme tangles by all means. ¡¸I asked Lyle-sensei to let the princess as free as possible.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? Even if I go out without permission, I thought that nobody would care about a concubine.¡¹ So negative. I wonder if I can do anything about this character of the princess. ¡¸No, probably sensei has not given up yet.¡¹ ¡¸Is it the marriage talk between Takeru-sama and the concubine? I¡¯m sure you should think ahead. I was persuaded indirectly by hero-sama¡¯s sensei.¡¹ By sending the princess under me, she¡¯s trying to advance my marriage talk. That person. If we meet often, our relationship will be good and we may get married. If I think about it, it seems that sensei is not so sensitive in terms of romance as compared with political strategy and warfare. Sensei does not have experience in that area after all. Well, I¡¯m also a pureblood pure boy so that remark won¡¯t sound great. In the case of this princess, if she don¡¯t improve her personality, I think this is not yet the stage that I can call her a bride. ¡¸Hero-sama, are you a little lonely being separated from your sensei?¡¹ ¡¸Did I have such a face?¡¹ It is a little different from lonely, but no, I wonder if I really am lonely. I certainly have no adviser since sensei is not here. I feel inconvenience in various ways. ¡¸It is enviable. As for a concubine like me, I do not have an intimate friend like hero-sama.¡¹ ¡¸Speaking of which, are you really alone? It is indeed dangerous.¡¹ As I asked, a large female knight appeared from the shadow of our stored firewood. A female knight who is about the same age as Louise and more muscular than Louise. This lady has a raven-black hair like me which is a rare thing in this world. ¡¸The princess will not be left alone, Hero-dono.¡¹ ¡¸Um, is that Jill?¡¹ ¡¸Jill Rootbeer. We only met once but you remembered it well.¡¹ ***TN: (¥¸¥ë?¥ë©`¥È¥Ó¥¢¤À ) ¨C anyone else who¡¯ll read her name in different way please let me know*** ¡¸I¡¯m good at remembering a person¡¯s name and face.¡¹ It¡¯s because I¡¯m a merchant. Oh, one big reason is that Jill¡¯s hair is the same color as mine. Her raven-black hair is tied to a ponytail like Louise. Her skin is also burnt in light brown so I mistaken her for a Japanese for a moment. After the conclusion of the war that Gale initiated, Louise was offered repeatedly to return to the knights order. She refused each time. She also decline to become the princess knight escort. Instead, she mediated for a female knight which is her former subordinate. I heard Jill, who is now the escort of Princess Silhouette, was like the right hand of Louise although I¡¯m not familiar with it. After finishing her greeting, Jill hid in the shadows again. An escort should not stand out so she¡¯s really skillful to be able to hide with that big body. ¡¸A concubine like me doesn¡¯t need an escort.¡¹ ¡¸No no, you should have. There will be an uproar if the princess walks alone.¡¹ ¡¸Ara, the people don¡¯t know that I¡¯m a concubine.¡¹ ¡¸Ehh, is that so?¡¹ ¡¸The only remaining royalty is a half elf. It cannot be said in public.¡¹ ¡¸Is that what it is?¡¹ I do not quite understand it. I don¡¯t see any other race being persecuted other than the blatant discrimination of nymphs. Is it a big backlash to be the Queen of the country? ¡¸Fufu, a concubine has a body of shadow. There is an interesting thing in the royal palace for the concubine. There is a painting of Silhouette in the form of a shadow¡­..Ufufufu, please don¡¯t hesitate to laugh.¡¹ ***TN: The princess called herself with her name, Silhouette,not the other term of shadow*** ¡¸No¡­..¡¹ That¡¯s not funny. Why do you try to be self-deprecating and laugh? I¡¯m worried about how I should react. ¡¸Apparently, it seems that this concubine is disturbing Takeru-sama. Silhouette doesn¡¯t have the ability to have an interesting talk. I will disappear to this place.¡¹ ¡¸Uwa, wait wait. I didn¡¯t say you¡¯re disturbing me.¡¹ She tried to go to the shadow where Jill lurks. Jill-san is in trouble. She¡¯s so negative. Now, how should I encourage her to be confident? ¡¸Then, in response to Takeru-sama¡¯s kindness, this concubine, please permit me to exist only a little more.¡¹ ¡¸You can stay here for a while.¡¹ If I say that I won¡¯t allow you to exist, are you going to disappear ¡­? Princess is a princess. Be aware that your personality is too negative. It may have been good that she tried to laugh at least. I have to shake things with a bright topic. ¡¸That¡¯s right, Princess Silhouette! Do not stay in such a dark place. Shall we go out to play somewhere? I¡¯ll show you around the city. It¡¯s a small town so it doesn¡¯t have much attractions.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, is that possibly a date? Allright.¡¹ Gu¡­¡­ It¡¯s that topic again? ***TN:He meant the marriage talk*** Princess Silhouette looked at my blood-red face, her face quickly turned to such too. ¡¸Oh I¡¯m sorry. You¡¯re not going to marry someone you never date. Saint-sama carefully warned me many times when we were in the carriage.¡¹ That fellow might have been free in the carriage but what is she teaching the princess? The princess doesn¡¯t mean any harm but Lia is a bad influence. ¡¸I want to listen to the princess just in case, do you even think that you want to marry me even a little?¡¹ ¡¸No, I do not think that it was such a big deal!¡¹ I thought so. I¡¯m glad to hear it before making funny misunderstandings. ¡¸You really don¡¯t have to do what Lyle-sensei says about marriage. I requested for the princess to be liberated from the royal palace so she can live as she like.¡¹ ¡¸If I could even be added to the lowest seat of Takeru-sama¡¯s concubine¡­¡¹ Haa, I said in subdued voice. Having no time for me to correct it, Jill-san has appeared quietly from shadow. ¡¸Hero-dono, Princess Silhouette is the only heir to the throne. Making her your concubine is an insult against the Kingdom of Silesie.¡¹ ¡¸No, no, Jill-san, I did not say that!¡¹ What is a concubine? It is different from the lawful wife. Like a sub. First, I¡¯m not married so it¡¯s positive that I don¡¯t have a wife. ***TN:Takeru doesn¡¯t get why would he make the princess his concubine since he doesn¡¯t even have a wife*** ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. This odd person is being cheeky of being a concubine. This concubine is only fine enough being the end woman sex slave.¡¹ ***TN: End woman is like the last choice*** ¡¸Hero-dono! To make the princess the end woman! Do you intend to enslave the princess?¡¹ Jill-san is enraged. She appeared, put her hand on a sword, lower her back, and protected Princess Silhouette. What is this¡­. I can¡¯t deal with it. ¡¸Anyway, we¡¯re talking at the back of the shop standing. To the living room please.¡¹ ¡¸Oh a special invitation. Much obliged!¡¹ If you think carefully, there is a possibility of finding Lia while walking leisurely in the city. For Lia, I have this feeling of anger that I want to scold her but I don¡¯t want to either talk or see her. It¡¯s a complex feeling. ¡ªScene Change¡ª I treat the visitors to a tea in the living room and gave them cake. ¡¸This confectionary is a bread-like cake¡­ Oh, it¡¯s so delicious.¡¹ ¡¸This concubine also never eaten something like this in the castle.¡¹ Princess Silhouette aside, Jill was impressed by the cupcake. I wonder if she has a sweet tooth. Freshly baked with plenty of fresh eggs and butter, it will be better that the sweets of the capital. ¡¸Well, our chef Colette is excellent. The tea that the princesses brought me is also delicious.¡¹ I am a coffee person. As is expected, the tea of the Royal Family purveyor for the government is not bad. ¡¸Louise-ojousama, I was wondering why she couldn¡¯t come back to the Knights Order. Perhaps there is no choice if you eat such things everyday.¡¹ ¡¸Are you convinced with that¡­.? Louise-ojousama?¡¹ I was convinced that she is an elite knight, but ojousama? Though, as for it, only her name is ojousama-like. ¡¸The Carlson family is a prestigious noble family of knights with 240 years of history. Our Rootbeer family has a standing of retainer of Louise-ojousama. Takeru-dono doesn¡¯t seem to know well but a knight has to be formally be in a knight¡¯s family. Louise-ojousama is the one who stands at the top of it. ¡¹ ***TN:She¡¯s basically saying that to be a knight, one has to be associated with a Knight¡¯s house like the Carlson. It seems that the Carlson is the most prestigious Knight house and Louise is the heir? Let¡¯s wait for a Louise family chapter in the future*** ¡¸Is that such a great lineage?¡¹ Whether it is a bureaucrat or a knight, I meet only retainer of a certain clan. They are monopolizing important posts and that¡¯s where I think Gale came out. I thought of it for an instance but decided to not say it. ¡¸Ojousama¡¯s father regrets disinheriting her. Louise-sama¡¯s sin is not clear. He decided for Louise-sama to return and take over the family but they are mutually obstinate. Takeru-dono, can¡¯t you speak with her?¡¹ ¡¸Umm, I¡¯ll be in trouble if Louise disappears.¡¹ I do not know the complicated circumstances of the Carlson family. To be frank, it doesn¡¯t matter. If Louise disappears, it will be impossible to put together the Volunteer Army. ¡¸Is that so? I¡¯m sorry. Takeru-dono have his circumstances too.¡¹ ¡¸Whoa, you¡¯re going to pull out that easily?¡¹ ¡¸Even if I ask you, ojousama won¡¯t listen.¡¹ ¡¸Haha, it must be.¡¹ If I teased her by calling her ojousama, she might angrily return to the capital. No, I¡¯ll be beaten up before that. Let¡¯s not imitate Lia. ¡¸In addition, you have such a delicious cake. Ojousama will be happier if she stays here.¡¹ ¡¸Eat mine if you liked it that much ¡­ ¡­¡¹ If she likes sweets so much, should I make a crepe too? ¡¸Oh, Hero-dono. I will never forget this grace!¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s not such a big deal.¡¹ Well, there are a lot of people in the knights order who have a strong character. As I enjoyed the chilling tea time, the table became noisy. Suwa! Did Lia return? Sharon came over and say it proudly. ¡¸Master, new slave girls are coming.¡¹ Oh my, when did I order such a thing? The customers are coming at this time. With the delivery of the slaves, I feel embarrassed¡­. CH 35 There are 26 slave girls who had dead eyes and are thin in front of the store. Every time I see this, I feel my heart tightens. ¡¸Hello everyone. His name is Sawatari Takeru, your new master. Please say hello.¡¹ I can¡¯t do this, Sharon. They bow if they were ordered but they are not in condition to be able to speak directly first. ¡¸Hey Sharon. Let¡¯s talk about the employment of the new slave girls.¡¹ ¡¸That, did you not receive the report?¡¹ ¡¸I heard about it but what would you do about the place where they live?¡¹ Sharon looks down to the short cut-silver haired Sherry at that instance. ¡¸Ihh, ehh, onesama. I have reported it to Master properly! You see, it is described properly in this report.¡¹ That said, Sherry brings me a bunch of parchment paper. Oh, because I do not understand this before, I skipped reading. ¡¸This is it, yes, you showed it to me! Sherry¡¯s not at fault.¡¹ Sharon momentarily swam her amber eyes and nods as if she¡¯s been convinced. ¡¸Really? Then, it is good. I think that master already knows, but we bought the neighboring haberdashery shop. We can secure the residence with that.¡¹ ¡¸Eehh¡­. well, then I worry about nothing!¡¹ Sorry, Sharon. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t read the report. Consideration not to disgrace the master, I¡¯m greatly obliged¡­¡­. ¡¸Still, isn¡¯t it hard to find and add 26 slave girls.¡¹ ¡¸I think with the scale of the commercial firm now, that number can be bred sufficiently. There are a lot of girls in the capital that wants to become master¡¯s slave.¡¹ But the timing is not right. At that point, Princess Silhouette and her escort Jill came out. ¡¸Princess Silhouette, I¡¯m sorry for the disturbance.¡¹ ¡¸No. It is a famous story that hero-sama is employing slave girls.¡¹ Such thing becomes famous. That, isn¡¯t that a bad reputation¡­? ¡¸I¡¯ll be busy with the arrival of the new slave girls. It will be better for you to return to the residence of Marquis Donovan.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, can you not show it to this concubine?¡¹ ¡¸If you want to then so be it.¡¹ ¡¸Earlier, you told this concubine that she¡¯s higher than a slave and Takeru-sama¡¯s slaves are different. This concubine prefers to judge that on her own eyes.¡¹ Oh, seriously. Well, Princess-sama¡¯s circumstances would make her look like a caged bird. It might be possible to correct a negative character by seeing the process of recovering the human nature in the slave girls who held a similar mind set. ***TN:He¡¯s basically saying that Silhouette has similar circumstances as the slave girls so it is possible to cure her personality with the same method he¡¯s using on his slave girls*** There may be psychotherapy like that, but I don¡¯t know. ¡¸Well, I will wash slave girls in the bath from now, so please look.¡¹ ¡¸The concubine will also help.¡¹ No, isn¡¯t a princess can¡¯t wash herself by yourself. ***TN:Takeru thinks that servants wash the princess while taking a bath so she probably don¡¯t know how to wash someone*** If you can, let me see your ability. Then, let¡¯s wash them together. Naturally, Jill will also help. ¡¸I¡¯m not good at dealing with children, but¡­¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll make you eat sweets later.¡¹ ¡¸Hero-dono! Entrust it to me!¡¹ Choro Jill. I am glad that there is someone who is more choro than me. However, washing 26 children is a big job. Let¡¯s leave the store to Sherry for the time being, and start the washing work. I let slave girls line up in the dressing room in nude in a row. Me, Sharon, Princess Silhouette and Jill then washes them. Also, even though they are also children, Suzanne and Claudia help us as a bonus. Well, they are like older sister a little. First step is to clean their body. Check the skin for wound and treat it with medical herbs if there is any. ¡¸Takeru! You are here as expected!¡¹ ¡¸Sister-sama! No!¡¹ Sherry who is working alone at the store was not able to suppress Lia who jumps into the bathroom. Haa, that¡¯s enough. ¡¸Oh Takeru. Are you busy?¡¹ ¡¸You too. Help us wash the body of the slave girls.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m good at washing children! I¡¯m better at washing Takeru though.¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t have to say unnecessary things!¡¹ To be honest, I do not have time to pay attention at Lia. However, Lia is a considerable war potential if I were to say. Usually, a nun will not show her skin but this one quickly taken her robe off and roll a towel in her body. There is a feeling that she has a skill of washing a child promptly. After all, my hands still hesitate and can¡¯t wash children as skillfully as Lia. Regardless of Sharon, I somewhat don¡¯t want to lose against Lia. ¡¸I¡¯ve been taking care of children before I became a sister. I feel nostalgic.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, Lia was an orphan and was raised by a saint.¡¹ Did her master gathered the orphans and creates an orphanage at a church? Even though she¡¯s supposed to be an alumna, how did she ends up with such a catastrophic personality? ***TN:Takeru thinks that Stelliana should have taken the character of her master*** I was wondering what happened to Lia in the process of being raised by her master. Even if I¡¯d like to say a word complaint about child¡¯s education, he¡¯s already dead so I don¡¯t want to think about it. ¡¸Takeru, I am good at raising children.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Okay, let¡¯s wash them all for the time being.¡¹ At the same time I put on clothes, I also put a leather collar on the slave girls. I do not feel so good, but this is for safety. If they become my possession, children can live without being disturbed by anyone in this city. They can get protection when something happens. ¡¸Why is the princess queuing up?¡¹ ¡¸I thought this concubine should rather become a slave.¡¹ No, I don¡¯t understand. At the point where Princess Silhouette became a slave, the Silesie Kingdom will end. It is a funny joke to think that a slave dynasty will be born at that moment. Lia, don¡¯t look at me like that. In any case, the slave girls will regain their human nature, but not immediately. It takes time and effort. It is important to teach them first from one to ten properly. From how to get meals with the use of the spoon, brush their teeth, change to their sleepwear, check the place where they sleep and instill it. If they have the right way to learn, they will be able to do so. ¡¸Fuu¡¹ Taking care of 26 children, if you are a school teacher, you should be doing it every day. I got mentally fatigued after some time and become dizzy. I¡¯m dealing with humans so it feels very heavy but not physically. Really, raising children is a heavy burden for a high schooler. ¡¸Master, thanks for your effort.¡¹ Sharon bound my sweaty head with a big bath towel. ¡¸No, you better ¡­ Next time, I will let you wash my hair properly without forgetting it.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, thank you. Master. ¡¹ ¡¸Hero-dono, the promised sweets.¡¹ ¡¸Jill, Colette is probably baking, so please go to the dining room.¡¹ I asked her to add a snack after preparing a meal. Jill disappeared in the dining room when she finished the business. Wait a second Jill, are you going to leave the princess? What happened to the escort job? The body that runs to the dining room will lose to Louise but she¡¯s also an expert as can be seen. ***TN:She probably runs to the dining room in an assassins creed way*** Princess Silhouette, who was left behind by Jill, laugh as if she were amazed. When the princess is neglected, she¡¯ll become negative immediately so I use my mind to call out. ¡¸How was it, Princess Silhouette?¡¹ ¡¸I thought that it was very splendid. Takeru-sama¡¯s slave girls are all treated as human beings. Even if they are connected by a collar, it is not connected to their heart.¡¹ Although Princess Silhouette way of using her hand is awkward, it was useful to the extent of Suzanne and others. I think she¡¯s not a girl who can¡¯t do anything. ¡¸This concubine also: by all means, also thought that I would like to be a slave girl.¡¹ What the hell is this kid? It¡¯s a joke. ¡¸Now, could you wear the collar to the concubine¡­¡­? Master.¡¹ ¡¸No, princess, it¡¯s wrong!¡¹ Though I intend to rehabilitate her negative character, why did it turn worse? If I put a collar on Princess Silhouette, I will really get killed by Jill. ¡¸Then I want a ring, Takeru.¡¹ ¡¸Shut up Lia.¡¹ I wonder why they are in a combination. They have the same white robe, blonde, both characters are overwhelming and both are too troublesome. At least unless there is each one of them, I won¡¯t maintain my position. ¡¸Sharon, I¡¯m at my limit¡­ I will lay down on this place for a while.¡¹ ¡¸Certainly, Suzanne! Claudia!¡¹ The voice that barks like ¡°collar¡± or ¡°ring¡± goes away toward the distance. I sleep for a while with Sharon¡¯s lap pillow. I can¡¯t even tsukkomi due to intense senility. I might have degenerated at a level to not mention the princess. ¡ªScene Change¡ª ¡¸Did you wake up¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, sorry Sharon.¡¹ Did I used her as a lap pillow for a long time? Her legs would have become numb. What time is it now? The outside is completely dark. Though it was noisy until just now, it¡¯s awfully quiet. When I peek at the room where the new slave girls are sleeping, everyone sleeps healthily in each bed. Because the origin of the slaves might be from the capital which is overflowing with the refugees, they would be tired from a long journey. ¡¸Master, do you want to have a meal? Or is it a bath?¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s right. I¡¯ll take a bath to fulfill my promise.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, let¡¯s go. I¡¯ve already asked the Rolu to replace the hot water.¡¹ ¡¸Really clever.¡¹ I think that it is an effort of the person in question that oneself can move, but. It is talent to employ a person without moving. ***TN:He¡¯s basically praising Sharon¡¯s leadership skill*** ¡¸Ufufufu, yes.¡¹ Sharon¡¯s cheeks flushed and her ears straightens up to the heaven. Even without looking at the loose cheeks, I know that she¡¯s in good mood. ¡¸Then, shall we go?¡¹ I do not understand why it is a slave girl¡¯s greatest honor is to wash my hair. For Sharon, I¡¯m a parent, so to speak, I might be a substitute existence. ¡¸For Sharon and others, it is deplorable to be helped ¡­¡¹ ¡¸Master, did you say something?¡¹ No, as someone with a lot of good daughters, I just thought I could do more. ¡¸Undressing is good Sharon but you should consider wrapping a towel on your body.¡¹ ***TN:Having no clothes in taking bath is what Takeru meant to be good*** She¡¯s already an adult so she should understand it without saying. I also put a towel around my waist. Should I wash my body first or soak in the bathtub? I see that Sharon winds up a towel, and enter the bath quietly. First of all, I drew hot water from the bathtub to be able to wash my hair. The body of Sharon has grown up is in a state where it is not fully hidden even with a big towel. The towel gets wet with hot water when she soaked in the bathtub. It seems to become awkward. ¡¸I have kept you waiting considerably.¡¹ ¡¸No¡­¡¹ A splash of hot water covered Sharon. She beat the soap with her hand and wash my hair. ***TN:How did that cover Sharon? We all know that japanese bathhouse/hot spring steam has some sort of sorcery wherein all of them are concentrated in certain body parts*** My hair is being carefully washed. I wonder if I can have the slave girls give me a haircut. Then, I feel like cleaning my hair by myself, but that does not matter. Because the person in question wants to do it, I will respond to it. ***TN:Takeru response is to let them wash his hair until the slave girls are satisfied*** ¡¸Sharon that¡¯s nice. You have a beautiful hair.¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡­¡­¡¹ I was embarrassed as she wash me silently. I said something strange. Pale orange hair. When it gets wet with hot water, I have this feeling of being close to her amber colored eyes. It¡¯s a bit brighter and more beautiful than brown. She washed it neatly. Sharon washed her hair while being careful not to get hot water into her animal ears. It will not be a big deal since it ends quickly. ¡¸Ano, master.¡¹ ¡¸Nnn.¡¹ ¡¸Let me wash your body too.¡¹ ¡¸Haa¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m sorry. Maybe I¡¯m too much to worried about it.¡¹ I know Sharon doesn¡¯t have an ulterior motive. However, it is expected that having my body washed by an adult female is beyond the line already. ¡¸Then, I will scrub master¡¯s back.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s okay.¡¹ I did not hope for this. When I turn my back, Sharon beats and washes my back. I don¡¯t know why Sharon wants to wash it. Other people wash by themselves but it feels pleasant so I don¡¯t care. Even if I don¡¯t say anything, Sharon will wash my hair from behind. It feels good. I felt refresh having my back washed. ¡¸Sharon, do you want me to wash your back?¡¹ ¡¸Yes! Please!¡¹ Come on, are you Lia? Because being a pervert is contagious, I stop talking about it. I ordered her to properly get covered by the towel, and put my hand on Sharon who is turning her back. I have no intention of being obscene to wash her by the hand without using a towel. Sharon¡¯s skin, which already grown, has a delicate feeling. I was a little irresolute, but I thought it might be injured by a rough towel. She grew up really big. It¡¯s big, soft and warm ¡­¡­ no, let¡¯s stop it. I know Sharon when she was small and full of scratches so it is hard to look at her face straight. ¡¸Master, please wash my front as well¡­¡¹ ¡¸That won¡¯t happen.¡¹ ¡¸Then, I¡­.¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Sharon? You are a well-behaved child.¡¹ It is not usually ..so.., it twines awfully only at such time. ***TN:He means Sharon is generally a good child and only gives him trouble on bath topic*** You know I have resistance. It¡¯s embarrassing to say that. ¡¸What kind of slave does master like?¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­.¡¹ No, you, why, at such times. It became somewhat unbearable so I turn my back on Sharon. ¡¸If master prefers a good slave then I¡¯ll be just like that.¡¹ ¡¸That, you¡­¡­ I. I want my slaves to be free. I always say that.¡¹ Slavery is acknowledge by the present society. It cannot be helped to be oppressed. But I don¡¯t want to allow it to be within my reach. ¡¸Do you mind if I go against master¡¯s word?¡¹ A slender hand is turned around my neck, and a soft feel hit my back. ¡¸Sharon, that¡¯s right, but this is different!¡¹ ¡¸Which one is it, master? Do you like submissive slaves? Or do you like a wild slaves?¡¹ I can¡¯t move at all. Because of various circumstances, it was impossible to stand up while being stoop-shouldered. ¡¸Master. Which is it?¡¹ One sunny afternoon, I was called to the volunteer corps base camp in Ona village. Commander Louise called for me and not the others. Though only I should have come, for some reason, the slave girls who claim to be my personal guard corps, came in great number. Lia and Princess Silhouette with her knight escort Jill also come. ¡¸Oh.¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡­..¡¹ When Louise did a glance for an instant, Jill lowered her head. No salute, no greeting after a long time, just a glimpse and something is transmitted. The former knight and lady of a distinguished family, and the daughter of their retainer. They¡¯re curt, but this might be their manners. ¡¸It is not the others that had have Takeru come¡­.¡¹ There is a phrase ¡°it is not the other¡± but I do not understand a this unreasonable meaning. ***TN:Louise is probably saying that Takeru wouldn¡¯t go to the camp if the ¡°others¡± are not with him*** ¡¸¡­.Actually, the number of thieves is increasing in Ambazak territory.¡¹ ¡¸Again? Why?¡¹ It is so unpleasant, Sharon also said that the caravan of Sawatari Commercial Firm was attacked. Because the slave girls are armed with a arquebus, it doesn¡¯t cause great damage, but this is a troubling situation. ¡¸It is the influence of ¡°rakuichi rakuza¡± that Takeru started. Thanks to that, the way to Ox, which was the back doorway to the capital, came to be crowded with a merchant¡¯s carriage, but the number of thieves that aimed at it increased accordingly.¡¹ ***TN: ¤é¤¯¤¤¤Á¤é¤¯¤¶(rakuichi rakuza) ¨C free markets and open guilds (policy enacted by daimyo in the Azuchimomoyama Period (1573-1598) that weakened the strict regulations surrounding business establishment in market places and important cities, allowing new businesses to open in Joka-machi market places)*** ¡¸I see, I did not think that far.¡¹ Nobles in this world do not leak out to the example of middle age fantasy. There are tax upon entering and exiting highway or town. I¡¯ve got quite a lot of profit thanks to the monopoly of public works of the Kingdom¡¯s Capital. Also, because I am a merchant who manages a commercial firm, the toll was abolished in my territory. It is good that the merchant¡¯s caravan enters and goes out, and the rebuilding of Ambazak territories villages and town is good, but it was not supposed to increase thieves as a side effect. ¡¸Fortunately, soldiers who received training at the Volunteer Army participated quite a bit in the rebuilding of Ambazak villages.¡¹ ¡¸Do you think it¡¯s okay if the village is attacked?¡¹ ¡¸A village has a minimum of self-defense. I think we¡¯re going to have enough patrols on the road, but thieves are a nasty opponent.¡¹ ¡¸Really?¡¹ According to Louise, the thieves know everything about the mountain path and escape if the enemies are too many. They will repeat the pattern of attacking if the enemies are small enough to beat by themselves. Regardless of the highway, thieves are the ones who knows the forest in which the development of Ambazak has still not advanced yet. If you fight from the front, even if you¡¯ll win at the initial battle, they will be a troublesome opponent since they will repeat guerilla tactics. ¡¸Can Louise¡¯s scouts not be able to complement the enemy¡¯s position?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m doing my best, but Ambazac has a lot of mountains and deep forests. It¡¯s not compatible with the Cavalry Scouts.¡¹ ¡¸Indeed, the cavalry party is unsuitable for the bandits which are protected by mountainous terrain.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s why I thought that Takeru should make a business trip. The Ambazak barony is Takeru¡¯s territory and exterminating thieves is a work of the feudal lord.¡¹ Mmm, that¡¯s true. No, I know what she¡¯s talking about, but Louise¡¯s already dealing with it. What do I say to get out? ¡¸Thief extermination¡­¡­¡¹ Looking at my complexion, Louise seems to want to say something. ¡¸Takeru, are you reluctant in thief extermination?¡¹ ¡¸No, there are no such things¡¹ ¡¸Really? Because you¡¯re one who¡¯s fond of battling, I thought your blood boils and are happy about such a thing.¡¹ ¡¸eh¡­¡­¡¹ She knows everything about me. ¡¸All right everyone, we¡¯re all done for today. Takeru will stay with me for a moment.¡¹ ¡¸Er¡¹ To be left behind is not a good thing. ¡ªScene Change¡ª I stayed with Louise. Just two people. I wonder what we¡¯re going to do.Suddenly, I got on the back of the horse and ended up going down the endless mountain path. ¡¸Louise, where the hell are we going?¡¹ ¡¸Fufu, Takeru. You are still hesitant to kill people.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s correct.¡¹ It would be strange if I do not hesitate. ¡¸Were you that choro? But I do not dislike that sweet part of you. I know you¡¯re more sane than that. But for a knight, that sweetness can be fatal.¡¹ ¡¸Choro is even learned by Louise. I¡¯m shocked¡­.¡¹ You said you didn¡¯t know the meaning of choro. Have you heard it? ***TN:For those who don¡¯t remember, it was on chapter 19*** Well, I wonder if I should retort to Louise-ojousama. I will definitely be killed so I better don¡¯t. ¡¸Our destination is the hideout of the female cat thief group. It is the hiding place of the thieves with playful name.¡¹ ¡¸Female cat is truly screwing around.¡¹ ***TN:He meant it as a name of the group*** But the sense of the thieves is unexpected, right? There were thieves who had built a huge fort called the Golden Eagle Bandit Group. ¡¸There is also a rumor that the Golden Eagle Bandit Group has come to the Ambazak barony because their original headquarters has been taken over by the third corps.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s troublesome.¡¹ ¡¸The female cat thief group seems to be a small thief group that is under the umbrella of the golden eagle bandit group. Generally speaking, about 15 people are stuffing into the hideout. The number that I can keep company with at a stretch is to 13 people, you should understand it now.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m going to get rid of the rest.¡¹ Is it possible to keep company a total of 13 people alone? Are you Miyamoto Musashi? Somewhere in this world there are different people, I¡¯m not going to spread the ¡°Book of the Olympics¡± as it is translated. By the way, Louise is said to be a million swords (Banken), but her sword technique is an extremely orthodox type. It is an orthodox western fencing style that the Carlson House teaches to the kingdom¡¯s knight. However, since Louise uses knife throws and small bows, she seems to be learning from various places flexibly. Knights should not use bow and crossbow. Knife throwing is the technique of thieves. At the Miasma Hole of Doom event, it is an open secret that Louise is the only one that survived. ¡¸We have arrived, it¡¯s there.¡¹ ¡¸Ua, it is really a thief group only for women.¡¹ Although it can be said that the entrance of the hide is well camouflaged so that it can not be seen from the road along the highway, if you observe it well, you can see the smoke from cooking. If you go around the back and look at the scenes from a hill, you will know that only women are hanging out. ¡¸Takeru is generous with women in particular. In order not to destroy yourself, you have to tighten up here. Despite being a woman, a thief is a criminal. Don¡¯t think that they are human beings when you kill them.¡¹ ¡¸Indeed, it¡¯s a good time to get used to killing in that sense.¡¹ Louise thinks really carefully. I am thankful but my ears hurt since I¡¯m a little too kind. But can I put out such outright good intentions? I am a perverse person so I want to do it idly. ¡¸I entrust the strategy to Takeru. I will move as you command.¡¹ For some reason, Louise is really happy. Does she hate being a commander? I wonder if Louise, who is strong and powerful in all aspect, find it unusually interesting to be ordered. ¡¸Then I will make contact with the thieves and have a discussion with them.¡¹ ¡¸Eh?¡¹ Louise looks surprised. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? Are you not going to obey my order?¡¹ ¡¸Fufu, you think so? All right. I can crush any kind of situation. It¡¯s okay to be surrounded by that number.¡¹ Okay, I got the permission of Louise. I¡¯ll say ¡°Hello¡±! I decided to set foot in the hideout of the female cat thief group. ¡ªScene Change¡ª ¡¸Kyahaha. You? The hero came to negotiate.¡¹ Upon entering the thieves hideout in front, I was immediately surrounded in all direction by armed, dangerous onesama. Dark purple curly hair hangs down up to her feet, an onesan with a strange hairstyle responded. My ¡°Who is the most important person in this place?¡± scouter says this person looks like the leader. ¡¸Neneka-san. This guy is the hero. He is also the feudal lord here.¡¹ ¡¸Even if this is swindling, he have a dauntless spirit. Did you ever think that we would be fooled by a boy just by wearing a little flashy outfit? Neneka-san of the female cat thief group already tasted this.¡¹ Neneka with purple hair is amorous. Her breast almost burst in her leather armor. I can also smell a scent of perfume indignantly. Were all of this can be considered as threatening action? ¡¸It¡¯s a strange greeting.¡¹ ¡¸Ho. You¡¯re surrounded by this number, right? False hero bozu. You may lick it if you like back.¡¹ ***TN:Bozu is some sort of endearment for addressing little boys*** Do you want to be licked back? ***TN:Not sure what do they mean by licking. The thieves are probably provoking Takeru so they will have a just cause to exterminate him?*** ¡¸I¡¯m just here to negotiate. I¡¯ll forgive you now if you just leave the territory.¡¹ ¡¸What did you say!¡¹ She is a woman, and barks at a pretty good voice. As for me, I¡¯m gradually becoming calm with such opponent. Lethal weapon Louise is backing me. I won¡¯t say whom but rather than the other woman who suddenly rubs her breasts, this is very comfortable. ¡¸My territory is not a place to commit your illegal act. I will use force if you ignore my warning. At that time, it will not be settled anymore only by leaving. ¡¹ ¡¸Ha, let¡¯s do it. Your equipment seems good but what can two people can do to this number of opponents? Hey guys, fold them up like clothes including their bodies!¡¹ Should I leave quietly? While thinking so, even I understood that it could never happen. It is a group of people who work in the sense of smell as thieves. I notice the blood thirst that Louise releases on aside from me is dangerous even though I¡¯m already at a distance. In the end, they prioritized to attack. When I take out the sword of light, Neneka is in front of me. I slashed her strange sword. If I want to, I can cut an iron sword easily. ¡¸Hii! Sword of light!¡¹ ¡¸The female cat chose the wrong opponent!¡¹ Behind me, Louise sent three people flying with a sweep. I guess it¡¯s a lie that she can only face thirteen people. ¡¸He is really the hero! Please forgive us!¡¹ ¡¸Oh.¡¹ The female thieves in front of me all dropped their weapons and lay down on the ground. Surrendering immediately is disappointing as if it was a trap. It is the most predictable pattern that everyone is slaughtered by Louise if they tried to escape. The female cat thief corps may be unexpectedly smart at this last moment. Let alone me who¡¯s a choro, Louise is ready but it is hard to cut an opponent who threw their weapon and surrendered. Louise had the face which seems somewhat bored. Still, swinging a straight sword around buzzingly is so intimidating for them to not escape. Louise says to me. ¡¸What are you doing Takeru? Kill them quickly.¡¹ ¡¸Er, they already surrendered.¡¹ ¡¸Sorry, please forgive me! Do not kill me, I will do anything!¡¹ Look, the thieves are saying this. And I heard that Neneka will do anything now, right? Don¡¯t forget it. ¡¸If you won¡¯t kill them, how would Takeru bring them back with only a single horse?¡¹ ¡¸However, you promised to move with my instructions, right?¡¹ Louise who rebelliously glances. It is not suitable as a plausible reason for this unreasonable onesan. It may be a weak point of disciplined Louise. ***TN: Basically, using Japanese values/logic to Louise will just frustrate her but since she¡¯s a knight who follows her higher ups with absolute vigor, Takeru decided to use it against her*** ¡¸Takeru, then that means you¡¯re overlooking a thief committing an illegal act as a feudal lord!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not saying that I¡¯ll overlook it. If they surrendered, I will just turn them into an army and have them work on this place. ¡¹ ¡¸Are you insane?!! You¡¯ll use thieves to hunt thieves? Then it wouldn¡¯t be different from the thing Gale and the others were doing!¡¹ So, did Gale do such a thing and succeed? Apart from his behavior, his head is flexible and was excellent to some degree. It is an effective theory to use former thieves to control thieves. Better leave it to a specialist. To catch thieves and to prevent damage in advance, it is best to use thieves. ¡¸Anyway, I can not agree with such a method. They are criminals who killed people, if you won¡¯t kill them, I will.¡¹ If Louise is unsheathing her sword and says she¡¯ll kill them, this is no longer a joke. There are already four or five heads rolling. I can already picture it. For a start, the body of Neneka who lay down on the ground trembles. That¡¯s scary, I¡¯m not confident that I can stop Louise who came earnest too. ¡¸Wait a moment, Louise. You said that if you were more flexible in your thinking, you might not have failed.¡¹ ***TN:For those who don¡¯t remember, she said it to Takeru after his speech to recruit his current volunteer army*** ¡¸It¡¯s different from this!¡¹ To get used to killing thieves, I was happy for Louise¡¯s good intention. However, if I think that you are wrong, I will refute properly. ¡¸It is not different. It may be similar to Gale¡¯s method, but by defeating thieves with thieves will result to decrease in damages on innocent people. It is my judgment as my lord to take over from a pretense of justice.¡¹ It¡¯s because I¡¯m a merchant that I utilize. Well, it is also to pull the neck of a woman who is already surrendering. There are some resistance. ¡¸I do not understand, I can not accept it¡­.¡¹ Louise handed me her favorite straight sword. ¡¸Appoint me as your knight here, right now. If Takeru becomes my lord, I will close my eyes even if I somewhat do not understand it.¡¹ ¡¸Er ¡­ ¡­., Louise. What on earth did you say?¡¹ ¡¸Make it fast and don¡¯t hear anymore than this! I think it¡¯s shameful that oneself says to make her your knight.¡¹ With red face, Louise knelt. It¡¯s bad to make her humiliate herself. I¡¯ll really be killed. ¡¸Then, I appoint Louise Carlson as my knight¡¹ I held the ceremony that let the naked sword touch her shoulder. Louise kissed to the blade of the straight sword which I held out quickly. Oh, there are such manners, too. Just a moment ago, is it not the sword that butchered the thieves? I will not say anything uncanny. ¡¸I swear to my lord, Takeru Ambazak Sawatari! I¡¯ll never forget to be the knight of my master, I will be a shield to protect the people, I will be a sword that shoots down the enemy of my lord, and I will continue to fight until the day this body collapses.¡¹ ¡¸Oh¡­¡¹ Returning the straight sword to Louise, she received it with an ecstatic expression. She said [then my master do as my master would like] in satisfactory nature. The female cat thief corps who watched it while kneeling on the ground have dumbfounded faces. I understand how they feel, I was surprised too. Even if you hand over a hundred steps and becomes a knight, you should do it during the audience in the castle. Instead, the bestowal ceremony was held in a thief¡¯s hideout. That¡¯s my changing knight. This is already at a loss. It was then. ¡¸Ah, Sharon-san. You can¡¯t go with stealing a march silently. The punishment of A-sama will fall.¡¹ Lia has barged in. I thought that this was a save. ¡¸Hey, Lia, put the towel on, idiot!¡¹ I am not saved. A nun shouldn¡¯t show her skin to others right? And don¡¯t shake those useless meat too much! You¡¯ll be punished by A-sama! ¡¸Ara, there is no towel size that can cover my breasts, so this is without any means.¡¹ ¡¸To say something like that, you¡­..¡¹ It¡¯s a drag. In what world there are clerics boasting big breasts. I who was in the state which can stand up remained because I was pulled too much? I immediately put hot water in me. When I run to Sharon, she¡¯s sinking down and falling forward for some reason. I quickly evacuated to a bathtub. If there is only Lia, I would have let go through the side and escape to the changing room. Princess Silhouette and Jill came in from behind Lia for some reason. There is no choice but to go down to the back. I can see two people entering the bath. Anyway, I wondered how Lia was able to instigate them to enter together. That¡¯s fine, but Princess Silhouette who has a small chest that don¡¯t need to conceal it originally is wrapped in a towel neatly. ¡¸Why aren¡¯t you covering yourself Jill-san?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, Hero-dono. I¡¯m sorry for polluting your eyes.¡¹ No, it isn¡¯t eye pollution. Her limbs are muscular without useless fat. I think that it is beautiful in its own right, and has a good style. I have gone out of the place where I go out accurately. Also, the tan skin and raven black hair in ponytail has a high point. Beautiful desu yo. But that¡¯s not the problem! ¡¸No, it¡¯s an eye candy. Cover yourself with a towel!¡¹ ¡¸Was such one preferred? Saint-dono is not covered at all so I thought that it is the proper bath etiquette.¡¹ No, please notice. Lia is strange. I cannot convince her. Why is she treated as a normal saint? ¡¸Oh, that¡¯s it, Jill. Soaking in the bath with a towel, please stop Takeru because of breach of etiquette.¡¹ ¡¸Why do you know of Japanese bathing etiquette!¡¹ Towels to wash your body may have soap and dirt, so putting it in a bathtub is a violation of etiquette. But Lia shouldn¡¯t have known. Kingdom of Silesie has no bathing culture. Lia properly poured herself hot water and enter the bathtub. Which country are you from, really? Are you a human from the same world? Are you a citizen of the same town?! ¡¸Hey, Takeru. I¡¯ll stop the tactless imitation by all means. It¡¯s a naked relationship.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, where did you learn that phrase?¡¹ Lia did not hesitate for a moment. She came in front of me and took off the towel that hid my lower body. With your behaviour , tsukkomi is not really enough! ¡¸Kuhaa, I¡¯m revived ¡­. It is a pleasant hot water by all means.¡¹ ¡¸I came to a hot spring a while ago and stop the sweet sigh like an OL.¡¹ ***TN:OL = Office Lady*** ¡¸Ha, please, Takeru. What is OL? Is it Ogre Lord?¡¹ ¡¸Now, stop making things like you do not know that intriguing contemporary knowledge.¡¹ She knows by all means¡­ What is right or wrong or what resemblance other world person. Lia is too detailed about modern Japan bath etiquette. There is something absolutely there. I¡¯ll criticizes her this time. ***TN:Takeru is probably unable to comprehend why Lia has knowledge from the world he came from. I personally think that it¡¯s just that she¡¯s reading his mind*** But it¡¯s slightly bad now. I have narrowly escape Lia. ¡¸More than that, there are more sacrament sacramento which raises the hero power of Takeru. You definitely want to know it.¡¹ ¡¸I absolutely don¡¯t want to know that.¡¹ I¡¯m telling you I don¡¯t want to know. It floats in the bathtub that looks like a balloon that is not attached. ¡¸Sharon, do something!¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Lia-san, let¡¯s withdraw.¡¹ ¡¸Eh, I am still¡¹ ¡¸Ne!¡¹ It was good, Sharon did something by force. When she broke between between me and Lia, Sharon¡¯s chest also performed magnificently. At this chance I deal with no objection. ***TN:He probably means her chest bounces like the balloons. I also won¡¯t object at that spectacle*** It was said that it was good to have breasts and to take control of the breasts. ***TN:Complex wording of only boobs can beat another boobs*** If it comes to Lia, I should let Sharon guards everything. It is not a case to choose the means. Come on now, I have to get my towel back. Ugh¡­¡­. ¡¸Why are you taking off your towel, Princess Silhouette?¡¹ ¡¸Because Saint-sama says the towel cannot be soaked in hot water.¡¹ It¡¯s a very correct manner. But it is a bathtub. Is it natural for me to hug her? I do not know what to do. ¡¸Are, Hero-sama¡¯s reaction for this concubine is too thin. I feel terrible.¡¹ ¡¸If it¡¯s the princess, I can somehow control myself. But I¡¯m happy to be able to refrain from it.¡¹ Princess Silhouette has a strawberry blonde hair, an unmatched beauty, even a half-elf. But I¡¯m sorry for her body and chest, they¡¯re about the size of Sherry. For me who is trained by the slave girls, there is not much damage. Princess Silhouette is an adult (different world standards) women. Though, for appreciation, I think that her polished white skin is very beautiful. I¡¯m a gentleman, so even I avert my eyes. ¡¸Wait a minute, why are you clinging to me, Jill-san?¡¹ Jill-san, you¡¯re a little strange¡­.. ¡¸No, since everyone is doing such etiquette, is it incorrect Hero-dono?¡¹ There is no such etiquette! No, this is wrong from the mixed bathing stage. It is different from there. Please, let me take the towel already. I mean, let me rise already¡­¡­. Eventually, on this day, I couldn¡¯t get out of the bath until everyone was out. It resulted in a long-running hot water. With this momentum, I thought that if Lia comes to the bath, she¡¯ll probably meddle and crawl to the bed. Suzanne and Claudia guarded me all night. They keep vigil to attack mode, so my sleep was protected. The fact that the flag is indeed set up. It was up to now I thought that it was a thing to be recovered firmly surprisingly. CH 36 One sunny afternoon, I was called to the volunteer corps base camp in Ona village. Commander Louise called for me and not the others. Though only I should have come, for some reason, the slave girls who claim to be my personal guard corps, came in great number. Lia and Princess Silhouette with her knight escort Jill also come. ¡¸Oh.¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡­..¡¹ When Louise did a glance for an instant, Jill lowered her head. No salute, no greeting after a long time, just a glimpse and something is transmitted. The former knight and lady of a distinguished family, and the daughter of their retainer. They¡¯re curt, but this might be their manners. ¡¸It is not the others that had have Takeru come¡­.¡¹ There is a phrase ¡°it is not the other¡± but I do not understand a this unreasonable meaning. ***TN:Louise is probably saying that Takeru wouldn¡¯t go to the camp if the ¡°others¡± are not with him*** ¡¸¡­.Actually, the number of thieves is increasing in Ambazak territory.¡¹ ¡¸Again? Why?¡¹ It is so unpleasant, Sharon also said that the caravan of Sawatari Commercial Firm was attacked. Because the slave girls are armed with a arquebus, it doesn¡¯t cause great damage, but this is a troubling situation. ¡¸It is the influence of ¡°rakuichi rakuza¡± that Takeru started. Thanks to that, the way to Ox, which was the back doorway to the capital, came to be crowded with a merchant¡¯s carriage, but the number of thieves that aimed at it increased accordingly.¡¹ ***TN: ¤é¤¯¤¤¤Á¤é¤¯¤¶(rakuichi rakuza) ¨C free markets and open guilds (policy enacted by daimyo in the Azuchimomoyama Period (1573-1598) that weakened the strict regulations surrounding business establishment in market places and important cities, allowing new businesses to open in Joka-machi market places)*** ¡¸I see, I did not think that far.¡¹ Nobles in this world do not leak out to the example of middle age fantasy. There are tax upon entering and exiting highway or town. I¡¯ve got quite a lot of profit thanks to the monopoly of public works of the Kingdom¡¯s Capital. Also, because I am a merchant who manages a commercial firm, the toll was abolished in my territory. It is good that the merchant¡¯s caravan enters and goes out, and the rebuilding of Ambazak territories villages and town is good, but it was not supposed to increase thieves as a side effect. ¡¸Fortunately, soldiers who received training at the Volunteer Army participated quite a bit in the rebuilding of Ambazak villages.¡¹ ¡¸Do you think it¡¯s okay if the village is attacked?¡¹ ¡¸A village has a minimum of self-defense. I think we¡¯re going to have enough patrols on the road, but thieves are a nasty opponent.¡¹ ¡¸Really?¡¹ According to Louise, the thieves know everything about the mountain path and escape if the enemies are too many. They will repeat the pattern of attacking if the enemies are small enough to beat by themselves. Regardless of the highway, thieves are the ones who knows the forest in which the development of Ambazak has still not advanced yet. If you fight from the front, even if you¡¯ll win at the initial battle, they will be a troublesome opponent since they will repeat guerilla tactics. ¡¸Can Louise¡¯s scouts not be able to complement the enemy¡¯s position?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m doing my best, but Ambazac has a lot of mountains and deep forests. It¡¯s not compatible with the Cavalry Scouts.¡¹ ¡¸Indeed, the cavalry party is unsuitable for the bandits which are protected by mountainous terrain.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s why I thought that Takeru should make a business trip. The Ambazak barony is Takeru¡¯s territory and exterminating thieves is a work of the feudal lord.¡¹ Mmm, that¡¯s true. No, I know what she¡¯s talking about, but Louise¡¯s already dealing with it. What do I say to get out? ¡¸Thief extermination¡­¡­¡¹ Looking at my complexion, Louise seems to want to say something. ¡¸Takeru, are you reluctant in thief extermination?¡¹ ¡¸No, there are no such things¡¹ ¡¸Really? Because you¡¯re one who¡¯s fond of battling, I thought your blood boils and are happy about such a thing.¡¹ ¡¸eh¡­¡­¡¹ She knows everything about me. ¡¸All right everyone, we¡¯re all done for today. Takeru will stay with me for a moment.¡¹ ¡¸Er¡¹ To be left behind is not a good thing. ¡ªScene Change¡ª I stayed with Louise. Just two people. I wonder what we¡¯re going to do.Suddenly, I got on the back of the horse and ended up going down the endless mountain path. ¡¸Louise, where the hell are we going?¡¹ ¡¸Fufu, Takeru. You are still hesitant to kill people.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s correct.¡¹ It would be strange if I do not hesitate. ¡¸Were you that choro? But I do not dislike that sweet part of you. I know you¡¯re more sane than that. But for a knight, that sweetness can be fatal.¡¹ ¡¸Choro is even learned by Louise. I¡¯m shocked¡­.¡¹ You said you didn¡¯t know the meaning of choro. Have you heard it? ***TN:For those who don¡¯t remember, it was on chapter 19*** Well, I wonder if I should retort to Louise-ojousama. I will definitely be killed so I better don¡¯t. ¡¸Our destination is the hideout of the female cat thief group. It is the hiding place of the thieves with playful name.¡¹ ¡¸Female cat is truly screwing around.¡¹ ***TN:He meant it as a name of the group*** But the sense of the thieves is unexpected, right? There were thieves who had built a huge fort called the Golden Eagle Bandit Group. ¡¸There is also a rumor that the Golden Eagle Bandit Group has come to the Ambazak barony because their original headquarters has been taken over by the third corps.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s troublesome.¡¹ ¡¸The female cat thief group seems to be a small thief group that is under the umbrella of the golden eagle bandit group. Generally speaking, about 15 people are stuffing into the hideout. The number that I can keep company with at a stretch is to 13 people, you should understand it now.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m going to get rid of the rest.¡¹ Is it possible to keep company a total of 13 people alone? Are you Miyamoto Musashi? Somewhere in this world there are different people, I¡¯m not going to spread the ¡°Book of the Olympics¡± as it is translated. By the way, Louise is said to be a million swords (Banken), but her sword technique is an extremely orthodox type. It is an orthodox western fencing style that the Carlson House teaches to the kingdom¡¯s knight. However, since Louise uses knife throws and small bows, she seems to be learning from various places flexibly. Knights should not use bow and crossbow. Knife throwing is the technique of thieves. At the Miasma Hole of Doom event, it is an open secret that Louise is the only one that survived. ¡¸We have arrived, it¡¯s there.¡¹ ¡¸Ua, it is really a thief group only for women.¡¹ Although it can be said that the entrance of the hide is well camouflaged so that it can not be seen from the road along the highway, if you observe it well, you can see the smoke from cooking. If you go around the back and look at the scenes from a hill, you will know that only women are hanging out. ¡¸Takeru is generous with women in particular. In order not to destroy yourself, you have to tighten up here. Despite being a woman, a thief is a criminal. Don¡¯t think that they are human beings when you kill them.¡¹ ¡¸Indeed, it¡¯s a good time to get used to killing in that sense.¡¹ Louise thinks really carefully. I am thankful but my ears hurt since I¡¯m a little too kind. But can I put out such outright good intentions? I am a perverse person so I want to do it idly. ¡¸I entrust the strategy to Takeru. I will move as you command.¡¹ For some reason, Louise is really happy. Does she hate being a commander? I wonder if Louise, who is strong and powerful in all aspect, find it unusually interesting to be ordered. ¡¸Then I will make contact with the thieves and have a discussion with them.¡¹ ¡¸Eh?¡¹ Louise looks surprised. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? Are you not going to obey my order?¡¹ ¡¸Fufu, you think so? All right. I can crush any kind of situation. It¡¯s okay to be surrounded by that number.¡¹ Okay, I got the permission of Louise. I¡¯ll say ¡°Hello¡±! I decided to set foot in the hideout of the female cat thief group. ¡ªScene Change¡ª ¡¸Kyahaha. You? The hero came to negotiate.¡¹ Upon entering the thieves hideout in front, I was immediately surrounded in all direction by armed, dangerous onesama. Dark purple curly hair hangs down up to her feet, an onesan with a strange hairstyle responded. My ¡°Who is the most important person in this place?¡± scouter says this person looks like the leader. ¡¸Neneka-san. This guy is the hero. He is also the feudal lord here.¡¹ ¡¸Even if this is swindling, he have a dauntless spirit. Did you ever think that we would be fooled by a boy just by wearing a little flashy outfit? Neneka-san of the female cat thief group already tasted this.¡¹ Neneka with purple hair is amorous. Her breast almost burst in her leather armor. I can also smell a scent of perfume indignantly. Were all of this can be considered as threatening action? ¡¸It¡¯s a strange greeting.¡¹ ¡¸Ho. You¡¯re surrounded by this number, right? False hero bozu. You may lick it if you like back.¡¹ ***TN:Bozu is some sort of endearment for addressing little boys*** Do you want to be licked back? ***TN:Not sure what do they mean by licking. The thieves are probably provoking Takeru so they will have a just cause to exterminate him?*** ¡¸I¡¯m just here to negotiate. I¡¯ll forgive you now if you just leave the territory.¡¹ ¡¸What did you say!¡¹ She is a woman, and barks at a pretty good voice. As for me, I¡¯m gradually becoming calm with such opponent. Lethal weapon Louise is backing me. I won¡¯t say whom but rather than the other woman who suddenly rubs her breasts, this is very comfortable. ¡¸My territory is not a place to commit your illegal act. I will use force if you ignore my warning. At that time, it will not be settled anymore only by leaving. ¡¹ ¡¸Ha, let¡¯s do it. Your equipment seems good but what can two people can do to this number of opponents? Hey guys, fold them up like clothes including their bodies!¡¹ Should I leave quietly? While thinking so, even I understood that it could never happen. It is a group of people who work in the sense of smell as thieves. I notice the blood thirst that Louise releases on aside from me is dangerous even though I¡¯m already at a distance. In the end, they prioritized to attack. When I take out the sword of light, Neneka is in front of me. I slashed her strange sword. If I want to, I can cut an iron sword easily. ¡¸Hii! Sword of light!¡¹ ¡¸The female cat chose the wrong opponent!¡¹ Behind me, Louise sent three people flying with a sweep. I guess it¡¯s a lie that she can only face thirteen people. ¡¸He is really the hero! Please forgive us!¡¹ ¡¸Oh.¡¹ The female thieves in front of me all dropped their weapons and lay down on the ground. Surrendering immediately is disappointing as if it was a trap. It is the most predictable pattern that everyone is slaughtered by Louise if they tried to escape. The female cat thief corps may be unexpectedly smart at this last moment. Let alone me who¡¯s a choro, Louise is ready but it is hard to cut an opponent who threw their weapon and surrendered. Louise had the face which seems somewhat bored. Still, swinging a straight sword around buzzingly is so intimidating for them to not escape. Louise says to me. ¡¸What are you doing Takeru? Kill them quickly.¡¹ ¡¸Er, they already surrendered.¡¹ ¡¸Sorry, please forgive me! Do not kill me, I will do anything!¡¹ Look, the thieves are saying this. And I heard that Neneka will do anything now, right? Don¡¯t forget it. ¡¸If you won¡¯t kill them, how would Takeru bring them back with only a single horse?¡¹ ¡¸However, you promised to move with my instructions, right?¡¹ Louise who rebelliously glances. It is not suitable as a plausible reason for this unreasonable onesan. It may be a weak point of disciplined Louise. ***TN: Basically, using Japanese values/logic to Louise will just frustrate her but since she¡¯s a knight who follows her higher ups with absolute vigor, Takeru decided to use it against her*** ¡¸Takeru, then that means you¡¯re overlooking a thief committing an illegal act as a feudal lord!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not saying that I¡¯ll overlook it. If they surrendered, I will just turn them into an army and have them work on this place. ¡¹ ¡¸Are you insane?!! You¡¯ll use thieves to hunt thieves? Then it wouldn¡¯t be different from the thing Gale and the others were doing!¡¹ So, did Gale do such a thing and succeed? Apart from his behavior, his head is flexible and was excellent to some degree. It is an effective theory to use former thieves to control thieves. Better leave it to a specialist. To catch thieves and to prevent damage in advance, it is best to use thieves. ¡¸Anyway, I can not agree with such a method. They are criminals who killed people, if you won¡¯t kill them, I will.¡¹ If Louise is unsheathing her sword and says she¡¯ll kill them, this is no longer a joke. There are already four or five heads rolling. I can already picture it. For a start, the body of Neneka who lay down on the ground trembles. That¡¯s scary, I¡¯m not confident that I can stop Louise who came earnest too. ¡¸Wait a moment, Louise. You said that if you were more flexible in your thinking, you might not have failed.¡¹ ***TN:For those who don¡¯t remember, she said it to Takeru after his speech to recruit his current volunteer army*** ¡¸It¡¯s different from this!¡¹ To get used to killing thieves, I was happy for Louise¡¯s good intention. However, if I think that you are wrong, I will refute properly. ¡¸It is not different. It may be similar to Gale¡¯s method, but by defeating thieves with thieves will result to decrease in damages on innocent people. It is my judgment as my lord to take over from a pretense of justice.¡¹ It¡¯s because I¡¯m a merchant that I utilize. Well, it is also to pull the neck of a woman who is already surrendering. There are some resistance. ¡¸I do not understand, I can not accept it¡­.¡¹ Louise handed me her favorite straight sword. ¡¸Appoint me as your knight here, right now. If Takeru becomes my lord, I will close my eyes even if I somewhat do not understand it.¡¹ ¡¸Er ¡­ ¡­., Louise. What on earth did you say?¡¹ ¡¸Make it fast and don¡¯t hear anymore than this! I think it¡¯s shameful that oneself says to make her your knight.¡¹ With red face, Louise knelt. It¡¯s bad to make her humiliate herself. I¡¯ll really be killed. ¡¸Then, I appoint Louise Carlson as my knight¡¹ I held the ceremony that let the naked sword touch her shoulder. Louise kissed to the blade of the straight sword which I held out quickly. Oh, there are such manners, too. Just a moment ago, is it not the sword that butchered the thieves? I will not say anything uncanny. ¡¸I swear to my lord, Takeru Ambazak Sawatari! I¡¯ll never forget to be the knight of my master, I will be a shield to protect the people, I will be a sword that shoots down the enemy of my lord, and I will continue to fight until the day this body collapses.¡¹ ¡¸Oh¡­¡¹ Returning the straight sword to Louise, she received it with an ecstatic expression. She said [then my master do as my master would like] in satisfactory nature. The female cat thief corps who watched it while kneeling on the ground have dumbfounded faces. I understand how they feel, I was surprised too. Even if you hand over a hundred steps and becomes a knight, you should do it during the audience in the castle. Instead, the bestowal ceremony was held in a thief¡¯s hideout. That¡¯s my changing knight. CH 37 ¡¸Etto, I wonder if the leader of this female cat thief corps is Neneka.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right. Hero-sama.¡¹ The attitude changes completely compared to a little while ago. She is now obedient. Because Louise was suddenly doing the mandatory ceremony, they might have been affected by it. I can say that Louise seems to be so happy. She¡¯s spinning the hilt of her sword. That¡¯s scary, I¡¯m sorry, thieves. You¡¯re freaked out, right? ¡¸Then, let¡¯s begin with hearing the circumstances for now. Is the female cat thief corps a subordinate of another thief corps?¡¹ ¡¸To tighten the road in the Ambazak territory, we drifted from the golden eagle bandit groups. There are over three hundred subordinates of that thief group, so we can not go against them.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, then why do you commit murder?¡¹ ¡¸Hero-sama, we did not kill anyone. We¡¯ve robbed caravans and got their cargo and money, but that¡¯s all.¡¹ Yes, that¡¯s a criminal act, isn¡¯t it? ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but I have some circumstances. My younger brother got sick at my hometown Mira village. I had no choice but to become a sex slave or a bandit to keep paying for the treatment.¡¹ Well, the reason why she fell to thievery is poverty. It is commonplace in case of this world. ¡¸Then, let¡¯s do this.¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­ you¡¯re going to give me some money?¡¹ I gave the gold coin to Neneka. ¡¸Is it enough for your younger brother¡¯s illness treatment cost?¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much, it is very helpful.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, Takeru ¡­ no¡­ my lord. It¡¯s a lie, isn¡¯t it?¡¹ As expected, Louise broke in the conversation. I think, it is not a lie. But what these guys are saying is a lie or the truth, it doesn¡¯t matter for the purpose. ¡¸It is not a lie! It is true. Also, we are not really killing anyone. We prevent doing it.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, Neneka is not lying. If you¡¯re doing it to help your sick brother, not only money, but my company also has a variety of medicinal herbs. I can send also send a sister to the village cure him. I will help you.¡¹ If you¡¯re alright with a pervert sister. Neneka was a courageous woman who didn¡¯t seem to cry. I was astonished for a moment because her purple eyes were overflowing with a flood of tears. Did a thief have a heart of a person? ***TN: ¡¡µÁÙ\¤Ë¤âÈˤÎÐĤ¬¤¢¤Ã¤¿¤Î¤«¡£If someone knows a better translation please let me know. It seems that a thief is not considered as a man/person since a thief is a criminal so a thief is expected to have a criminal heart or probably a heartless individual. It is on the same level of the legendary ¡°People die when they are killed¡±.*** ¡¸Uu¡­¡­ a Sister-sama. It is true that hero-sama is a friend of someone in trouble!¡¹ ¡¸Well, it¡¯s not such a big deal.¡¹ I am concerned about the circumstances of each female cat robber corps member. I heard everything from the hometown to the family structure from going around.The wounded individuals are healed with potion and gold was distributed. They are all suffering from poverty. They are refugees who have been chased by hordes of monsters from the Ambazak territory. Most troubles can be solved with money. Otherwise, I am a merchant whose accompanied by a saint, so even valuable medicine can be prepared. ¡¸Hero-sama, we will reform and work seriously.¡¹ ¡¸No, that¡¯s not good.¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­¡­¡¹ If I just want to break you up, there is no point in paying high amount of money. ¡¸Neneka will betray the other thieves and you will stick with the volunteer corps here. I¡¯ll help you with anything, money or supplies, but I¡¯ll need to get the job done.¡¹ ¡¸But betraying, there is also honor in the world of thieves¡­¡¹ ¡¸Then you¡¯ll be subdued as a thief and die.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯d rather be killed than be branded as a traitor.¡¹ When I pointed a sword of the light to the neck of Neneka, she just strongly closed her eyes. It¡¯s true that she¡¯ll choose death than betrayed someone. ¡¸Then, how about the life of your family? A short while ago, everyone was talking to me about their hometown.¡¹ ¡¸Even so, our family did not commit sin! They are unrelated!¡¹ ¡¸I never said that I¡¯ll take care of your family. I just listed to your story. Some of my troops have their families killed by thieves. What do you think will happen if they hear that there are villages where family member of thieves live?¡¹ Even though it was a simple bluff, using family for soup stock worked well. While Neneca was shedding tears (it would be different from happy tears earlier), she collapse to the ground. ¡°I will obey Hero-sama.¡± was voiced out with a hint of distress. She fell. Even if she won¡¯t obey me, I will not lay hand on her family. It is troublesome. I evade danger carefully and repeatedly. Your family is now under my protection. I whispered that I would absolutely guarantee their safety unless they betray me. ¡¸Hey, everything is okay. Just let me know the position of the hiding place of the thief regularly. For the sake of safety, start a rumor that someone is betraying them. There are people that more likely to betray the leader of the golden eagle bandit group than you.¡¹ The one who¡¯s aiming for the seat of the leader will be suspected more than Neneka who¡¯s a newcomer. I ordered to spread rumor targeted at such one. In particular, if a newcomer is suspected, his or her peers will work to discredit it. If it goes well, after securing safety, it is likely to reduce their number further by infighting. ¡¸Then, you will act that way.¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡­..¡¹ The female cat thief corps, when I went away, all members collapse. Where did the energy they showed in the beginning go? They have to do more than usual. Put power in again, female cats. ¡¸My lord¡­ or rather, Takeru.¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¹ Louise picked me up behind with a horse and spoke with me. I¡¯m skillful at riding so I do not shake a lot, but I still seem to be chewing my tongue. ¡¸It was a mistake to say that you are the same as Gale, my lord is much more of a scoundrel than Gale.¡¹ ¡¸Is my knight quitting?¡¹ ¡¸I will not quit. I told you that I¡¯ll be a knight with resolution.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, is that so?¡¹ I, who was dull, finally noticed. Louise turned down the post of the Knight Captain of the kingdom to become my knight. ¡¸I¡¯m not Lyle-sensei, but this country is already useless. It is only because I swore loyalty as a knight once, but it is rotten from the head to the bottom. I have lost all hope.¡¹ ¡¸Really.¡¹ Gale betraying the kingdom was the last trigger. I know Louise will despair, I don¡¯t really expect this to be a real fantasy at all from the beginning. ¡¸Therefore, I became your knight. If you¡¯re going to be an adventurer, I¡¯ll be your vanguard and fight until I die, and if you want to be a king, I¡¯ll always be your shield.¡¹ ¡¸Louise, why are you willing to go that far¡­?¡¹ I wonder what have I done to buy Louise-anego to that point. From the beginning, I¡¯ve only been helped. ¡¸My lord you are weak against women and children, choro, still unreliable after becoming a hero, only thinks about making money, don¡¯t posses determination or pride of a knight, and a man who does not hesitate to use sneaky hands.¡¹ ¡¸Louise, why did you suddenly gouge out my heart?¡¹ It is amusing, the phase that admires me. I was too depressed and almost nearly fell from my horse. ¡¸Somehow I don¡¯t even know myself why I¡¯m dying to be your knight. If you¡¯re a weak lord, it¡¯s the type that I think is worth protecting. I¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Is that so?¡¹ I don¡¯t understood well, but if the person herself is saying such thing, it¡¯s already inevitable. ¡¸So do not worry, please continue to use me in the future. That is my desire. Once you¡¯ve fallen into an adventurer, you can be a divorced knight.¡¹ ¡¸Well, then, let me be grateful.¡¹ I was getting embarrassed more and more as I heard some confession of Louise. I wish I could be more dignified, I¡¯m not going to let Louise say that I¡¯m wrong¡­.. ¡ªScene Change¡ª Golden eagle bandit group is active behind the scenes in Ambazak barony. The subjugation of the bandit group and its subordinates advances interestingly. Anyway, here you can see the location beyond. I don¡¯t have the strategic skills of Lyle-sensei but there is nothing as simple as a strategy game where the enemy¡¯s position is visible. On the other hand, what I feared was to be robbed of my firearms and used it against us. Thieves are different from knights. If they realize that guns are useful, they might use it in imitation. Actually, there was a sly guy who saw the power of gun, and was able to take it. Being caught off guard and being robbed happened. ¡¸Master, it seems that thieves can¡¯t make new bullets.¡¹ We were actually robbed with an arquebus. It was according to Suzanne who caught the gunfire. It is truly an expert thief to be able to shoot by model-learning. I think it is wonderful up to that extent since he did not undergo the systematic shooting training like the volunteer army. After firing the gun blindly, if the number of bullets is limited, it is hopeless. After all, he will be outnumbered and will be subdued instantly with numerical superiority. ***TN:Having a single arquebus is useless since only one can shoot and they don¡¯t have the ability to produce bullets. A single gun can¡¯t do anything with the number of gun Takeru¡¯s group has.*** ¡¸Kuh¡­ Kill them.¡¹ When we attacked the cave where there was the big hideout of the enemy, we caught an uncle with the nickname ¡°Golden Eagle¡¯s Agito¡±. When his underling was caught, they beg for their life first. As for this fellow, he is just sitting down. Although it doesn¡¯t matter, he never talks even if I try to get information regarding the bandit group. From the others testimony, he turned out to be the sub-leader of the group after the head. ¡¸Okay, let this Agito escape.¡¹ All the volunteer corps peeled eyes and looked over here. But I quickly cut off the Agito¡¯s rope and let go. He runs away like a rabbit. ¡¸My lord, it is indeed.¡¹ ¡¸Other than Agito, execute everyone and expose their corpse as a lesson.¡¹ Louise¡¯s eyes become question mark. She¡¯ll understand soon enough. ¡ªScene Change¡ª ¡¸Alright, deliver this letter to the ¡°Golden Eagle¡¯s Head¡±. Do not give it directly, you will be in danger.¡¹ ***TN:The leader of the Golden Eagle is the head since the sub-leader is Agito which means ¡°jaw¡± *** When I received a scheduled report from Neneka of Female Cat Thieves, I gave a letter to my push. ¡¸Ano, hero-sama¡¯s letter.¡¹ ¡¸This is an appreciation letter to ¡°Golden Eagle¡¯s Agito¡± which I let go. It¡¯s just a word of thanks from me and his status is guaranteed is written.¡¹ Neneka realizes the meaning of what I am saying and is at a loss for words. Her purple curly hair which stretched up to the ground shook unintentionally as shown the emotion of her fear. You¡¯re a thief, what are you upset about now? Isn¡¯t this plot (thing) ordinary? ¡¸Hero-sama is mistaken. Thieves have honor. The heartlessness¡­..¡¹ ¡¸My sensei probably won¡¯t do this. I was always scolded if the method is sweet.¡¹ ¡¸Frightening hero-sama, please spare us. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, of course. I want to make the new scout troops after annihilating the bandits. I want you to be an instructor of the newly built unit since you have a lot of spying experience.¡¹ ¡¸I understand, up to this point, I¡¯ll take the dishes even if I get poisoned. ¡¹ ¡¸You know difficult words Neneka. After you finish this, you are free to escape here. When the time comes, you should put on this collar and surrender.¡¹ I hand over the collar that was certified by Sawatari Commercial Firm. To the person who¡¯ll put on my collar, it will becomes a lifeline in case of emergency because I ordered to never put this out of hand. ¡¸Please, anything but a slave. ¡¹ ¡¸Fool, you¡¯re not going to be a slave. I don¡¯t want you to be killed by mistake so I handed it to you with the intent of protecting you. ¡¹ I don¡¯t know what Sharon will say if I increase my slaves without permission. I am waiting without expecting too much how effective the strategy of Sengoku period is. The head of the bandit and the second in command Agito, a report told that the golden eagle had fallen into a state of dispute. ¡¸The human heart is fragile.¡¹ In excessive disappointment, I smile wryly. However, I may have been licking things with thieves because of plagiarism going too well at this time. Even a mouse bites a cat if cornered. ¡ªScene Change¡ª ¡¸Oh, hero!¡¹ What did the wounded all over ¡°Golden Eagle¡¯s Head¡± thinks of in an internal squabble? He¡¯s holding an ax in one hand which makes him looks like someone residing in a mountain village. He has advanced suddenly. Being a group of three hundred men, the grand bandit group of Golden Eagle that absorbs small and medium thieves group and ruled the darkness of Ambazak barony, is already ragged. Looking at it, there is no more than fifty people left. I do not see the female cat thief group so they probably escaped already. This number was the one that followed the head till the end. A brown bearded banditsome ojisan with a small bow. I think he was surprisingly popular. ¡¸You! You¡¯re doomed!¡¹ However, why is this type of scoundrel not to be self-assertive at the last minute? Our location was attacked suddenly so the one¡¯s who holds position in front of the village only my personal guard corps and the vigilante corps but a fast horse is running to the base camp now. If it goes well, these guys will be pincer and destroyed. No, if it¡¯s just fifty bandits, it might end with a salvo. It is a shame that this village is not equipped with a cannon. ¡¸But hey, I¡¯m desperate too. I¡¯ll make you regret it!¡¹ Where were they hiding? An army exceeds three hundred which shows up in the mountain. Moreover, unlike the golden eagle that wears only leather armor, there are many people equipped with mercenary class iron equipments. ¡¸What? Ambush? Where are the bandit group?¡¹ I break out in a cold sweat. I did not expect such thing at all. ¡¸Ha ha ha. I sold my turf to the thieves King Wake the Wake. I¡¯m done for but this will also be your end, Hero!¡¹ ***TN: The king of thieves name is written in English*** ¡¸Wake, the king of thieves!¡¹ ¡¸Louise, who is it?¡¹ ¡¸He is the head of the Great Thieves Guild that spreads to the three countries; Kingdom of Silesie, Transylvania Dukedom, and Roland Kingdom. He is a celebrity with a rumor of brutality but on the other hand, a chivalrous thief. His ability is origami.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s dangerous.¡¹ Why does a guy with Louise¡¯s level ability come out? I heard that it is mere thief extermination. This is not a joke! Leading three hundred thieves who¡¯s wearing strengthened equipment, a young man dressed in a green hood stood in front with an outrageous size composite bow. Ah, this template is very bad. The green hood is from the rumored chivalrous thief, cheat bow type Robin hood! CH 38 A young man in green hood, holding a big composite bow. King of Thieves ¡°Wake the Wake¡±. ¡¸Toward that Green, shoot simultaneously!¡¹ The gun man corps concentrates the fire and attempts to shoot down the green hood, but he¡¯s¡­ unscathed. No, beyond the gunshot dust, is he somewhat damaged? However, it is possible that he didn¡¯t withdraw one step even if it is a barrage of a lot of firearms. What kind of cheat it is, I felt like despising it. Even though my mithril or the scales of the black dragon wyvern can also repel the bullet. It is probably a magical equipment with enhanced defensive power. On top of that, Wake¡¯s ally were not affected by the shooting. He even step forward. What a cool guy! ¡¸It didn¡¯t go through. Wake snipes will come!¡¹ Louise shouts. He¡¯s trying to pull a big bow and shoot three iron arrows at once. This is truly an act of foul play (cheat). ¡¸Damn! When it comes to this!¡¹ I stepped forward. In order not to harm my allies, I have to do things with him. ¡¸Hokushin Itto-ryu and the stance of the wagtail (wagtail)!¡¹ Come on, Wake! The more accurate your aim, the better. I¡¯ll cut all three, with a speed of light feint of a wagtail sword, off. Wake looked at me who came in front and laughed. I slashed the enemy¡¯s arrow with Wake is only watching. Then I saw it. His lips moves, ¡°Magical Bullet of Rebellion¡±. Biiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnn! Is it the sound of the string in which the big bow was pulled? Or the sound of an incoming iron arrow that cuts through the air? Or is there some magical power applied to the arrow? Did Lia put a holy shield (seitate) from behind? A silver-colored shield flies towards the arrow, but the ¡°Magical Bullet of Rebellion¡± pierced through it like it was natural. It is alright as long as the sword of light hits it. Whatever kind of iron it is, if struck at high speed, it will be cut. I will blow away the approaching arrow! Another arrowhead was caught by a return sword and I manage to break it to pieces. Ah, this slow-motion sensation. It¡¯s been a while. Damn it! The two previous arrows were a feint to guide the tip of my sword. The third arrow aims at my defenceless torso as my hand are swung up. My guard will not make it in time! My mithril hauberk or his Magical bullet of rebellion? It is a match with my life on the line. With a thud, I heard a dull sound. I receive an intense shock from a chest and vanish behind. When I noticed that Louise was hugging me as I search for a chest wound, I¡¯m already screaming. ¡¸I don¡¯t want this template!¡¹ If Louise dies, I¡¯ll bear a grudge, real fantasy! ¡¸It missed the vital organs.¡¹ That said, Louise, who received a magical arrow instead of me, powerlessly fell in the ground. The Magical bullet of rebellion was not able to stop by the black dragon wyvern scale armor. Louise also tried defending it with a buckler but there is also a hole on that shield. The long iron arrow, it pierced through the small shield and the body of Louise then stopped. This is too much of a cheat. ¡¸Lia!¡¹ ¡¸You must not remove the arrow.¡¹ Lia and Louise¡¯s sidekick, Claudia, dragged the injured Louise with a face which seems to cry. And before me, Suzanne, who¡¯s wearing a black dragon wyvern scale armor, puts up a big shield(kite shield) with her small body. Hey, stop already. Please stop. ¡¸Sharon, put that up!¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Is it really okay?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, before the next arrow comes!¡¹ From my camp, the white flag went up. ¡ªScene Change¡ª ¡¸I was surprised. Is it a thing for a hero to surrender quickly?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. My bad, Wake!¡¹ Naturally, because the commanders went out ahead mutually, it became Wake and my discussion. It¡¯s as Louise says. I do not have the pride of a knight. I will give way to terrorism and settle in discussion. And, if it is possible to do, scratch the head of a sleeping person from the reverse side! ***TN: ¡¡(¤½¤·¤Æ¡¢¤Ç¤­¤ë¤Ê¤éáá¤ÇÑY¤«¤éÇÞÊפò¤«¤¤¤Æ¤ä¤ë£¡)No idea what it means.*** ¡¸The man who succeeded the legendary hero. I came all the way here to meet him and he was such a soft lad.¡¹ Wake raise the green hood while saying so. It was silky blond young niichan. Not as much as I do, but I think Wake is too young. ¡¸So what are you going to do? I do not have time to do idle talk.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I guess it¡¯s to buy some time.¡¹ That¡¯s right. I dispatch a messenger on a fast horse to go to the volunteer army headquarters. In this situation, I do not think that reinforcements will be in time, but it can become one of the materials of negotiations. ¡¸There is also buying time, but it¡¯s true that I surrender. Because you are the winner, say any condition. Even money can be prepared accordingly.¡¹ ¡¸It has been a long time since I have a feudal lord opponent which surrenders quickly.¡¹ Are you a little appalled? Wake smiles wryly. ¡¸I surrendered before the damage was made. I will be glad if a little color will be added here as well.¡¹ ¡¸Fufufu, I¡¯ve heard the reputation of the merchant hero which says a very formidable thing.¡¹ The merchant hero thing is a form of bad mouthing from the official of the kingdom. It seems that the highway on the other side is deserted and tax revenue declined because the merchant are concentrated on the highway here due to rakuichi-rakuza. ***TN: Remember that there are two highways to the kingdom¡¯s capital. Ambazak territory highway became available when Takeru and his group liberated it.*** Then, sarcasm is said. ¡¸However, because I am a thief, I am dislike by merchants.¡¹ ¡¸Kuu¡­..¡¹ Are you threatening me? Well, I think it¡¯s a good way to negotiate. Even though he is young, he has a powerful ability to back it up. As expected of the king of the underground world of three countries. And, there. ¡¸Please wait a moment, Wake-sama! Please listen to my story.¡¹ Neneka of the female cat thief corps ran over here while her purple curly hair sways. I was wondering where you are. Did you slip into Wake¡¯s army? ¡¸Oh, what¡¯s wrong Neneka? Even if you came after a long time, we¡¯re busy.¡¹ The man whom I threatened until a while ago laughs. Even though my reinforcements are approaching, I really can¡¯t afford it. ***TN:He probably thinks that he can¡¯t afford Neneka to blew away the negotiation*** ¡¸This hero has saved our lives. Besides that, he gave me money and also treated my sick brother.¡¹ ¡¸What? Are you cajoled by this youngster?¡¹ Wake narrowed his eyes and pull up his pale blond hair in the way upward. ¡¸It¡¯s different, Wake-sama. That¡¯s not it. He believed the story of us thief from beginning to the end all this time.¡¹ Looking at Neneca, the color of the warm blue eyes got deeper. Kukuku¡­.and Wake makes a funny laugh like a bird call. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s what it is. Hey hero, it seems that Neneka was under your care.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, oh¡­.¡¹ This is a little awkward. I¡¯m simply utilizing them with the development, I did not even believe or thought of their story. ***TN: It is just by mere luck that Takeru helps them. It¡¯s just that he can use them for his plan.*** ¡¸Victory or defeat is a pear. I want to conclude friendly ties with the hero.¡¹ ¡¸That is perfect, but what are you going to do with the ¡°Golden Eagle¡¯s Head¡± who¡¯s full of vengeance on me?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, that guy? He promised to give me his turf if I come but I did not promise anything in return. If he goes in the way, I¡¯ll crush this place.¡¹ Wake, with a frozen eye, glanced at the yelling golden eagle bandit group. It might not be a lie that he¡¯s going to crush it. Wake is a fierce guy with a fluctuating emotion that is scary to watch. He¡¯s easy-going to a thing that caught his interest but cruel to something indifferent. ¡¸Besides, I apologize for hurting your ally.¡¹ ¡¸No, I don¡¯t mind if it can link a friendly tie with Wake.¡¹ After all, the discussion went well. With the promise to build Wake thieves guild at the City of Ox, Wake¡¯s subordinate has signed an agreement that they will not act as thieves in Ambazak Barony. As for the subordinates of Wake, unless they commit evil, their security is guaranteed but only in my territory. I¡¯d suggest that they¡¯ll negotiate with Marquis Donovan of Est Territory under the same conditions. It¡¯s convenient to be in a city where Thieves Guild can always be contacted. I am thankful that I did not have to worry about the damage of thieves in my territory. The relationship with the head of the thieves guild, Wake the wake, is very useful. Wake alone symbolizes cheat level of fighting power. What more the power of an underground organization that seems to have great power in medieval fantasy. ¡ªScene Change¡ª ¡¸I¡¯m sorry Louise, I made a compromise with Wake.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s okay. No matter whether your judgment is wrong or wrong, I am your knight.¡¹ With the arrow removed, Louise got her injury healed by Lia. She got up in front of me wearing ¡°Black Dragon Wyvern Scale Armor¡± with a big hole. Ah, I have to repair it again. Stocks of black dragon wyvern scales should have remained. It was good not to sell it because of its high value. It was a really dangerous place this time. I think that we should consider improving the equipment in the future. Though I have money, but good items and materials are not sold in the market. Maybe I should go and pick them myself up as an adventurer. As for Wake, he suddenly disappeared in the mountains. The Golden Eagle Bandit Group just helplessly turn the muzzle while cursing. ¡¸We¡¯ll remember this!¡¹They run away while shouting. What should we do with the remnants of the Golden Eagle Bandit Group? If they become Wake¡¯s subordinate, I can¡¯t start the fight. Should I subjugate them now before it¡¯s too late? ¡¸Still, it was a great arrow.¡¹ An iron arrow was left. It¡¯s as long as Louise¡¯s half-body. Such a long thing. To be able to launch it with a bow in such speed, what power. ¡¸It¡¯s well-known. Wake the wake¡¯s ¡°Magical Bullet of Rebellion¡± can tear steel. I heard that there are only a few knights who survived after getting hit. If you think about it, I should be proud.¡¹ Louise says that, but it¡¯s better not to receive it from the beginning. Please, do not die. ¡¸That¡¯s my line. My liver got cold when I thought that the third arrow will hit my lord. It was more painful than the arrow scratch I received.¡¹ ¡¸Louise predicted the trajectory of the arrow that would be shot and move. It¡¯s amazing.¡¹ Even before, Louise slashed a shower of crossbow arrow. To tell the truth, I was conscious of that movement. ¡¸Even if you are lured by a feint in a feint and was defeated, the kinetic vision and body movement of Takeru was quite good until the second shot.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you.¡¹ Still, my performance has still not reached the full capability of the sword of light. It¡¯s rare for Louise to compliment me in terms of combat. ¡¸However, the third shot might have hit a vital part. Even if I did not make it in time, I can receive it without hitting my vital part. It is not possible for my lord to do it at the present.¡¹ ¡¸I will devote myself to it.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not what I mean. I¡¯m trying to look at my own current capability and work it out.¡¹ ***TN:Takeru misunderstood what Louise is saying. Louise is trying to look for at her current ability in order to protect her lord but Takeru thought that she¡¯s telling her to train more in order to receive an attack like that without hitting a vital part*** ¡¸I understand. Sorry, Louise.¡¹ ¡¸It is good if you understand it. Do not forget that I am on the side.¡¹ While saying that, I will not leave Louise for a while. She¡¯s been around me all the time. Umu, I wonder if I¡¯ll be scolded with that reckless behaviour. ¡ªScene Change¡ª ¡¸According to Wake-sama, it¡¯s an interesting proposition to receive.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? I¡¯m thankful for that.¡¹ At the base camp in Ona village, I received a report from Neneka who is a liaison officer for King of Thieves Wake. Wake seems to have liked my proposal to employ the members of thief guild. I suggested them to act as an adviser of the guards for crime prevention. ¡¸Thieves have other use other than crime.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. I am glad that Neneka has come to understand.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, because that¡¯s exactly what I am.¡¹ ***TN:Neneka is a thief so she was able to get what Takeru is trying to do*** ¡¸Neneka¡¯s Corps, I think I¡¯ll name you the Spy (Scout) troops. Your main duty will be assisting the cavalry scouts and intelligence gathering during operations.¡¹ ¡¸Did hero-sama just say that we would be a spy?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. If it is necessary, I want you to pretend as an adventurer and then pretend to join a bandit group. Listen to their story and create a disturbance within their group. ¡¹ It seems that Neneka was given a places to live in the Thieves Guild. I decided to have a place to live in Ona village. Because she¡¯s a valuable liaison officer, it¡¯s better to make sure that we can contact each other. Sharing Neneka¡¯s corps will be useful in the future with the alliance with Wake. ¡¸Then, it is time for my report. The remnants of the Golden Eagle Bandit Group in Ambazak Barony all fled and disappeared from the territory. Perhaps, I think they ran away to a remote region in the old Margrave Lauren Territory of the Silesie Kingdom.¡¹ ¡¸Oh yes. If they go that far, we don¡¯t have to chase them anymore.¡¹ It does not matter because it is not my territory, but the old Margrave Lauren Territory were divided into smaller territories for viscount, baron, and knights. The rights relationship there is complicated. ***As we all know, the territory was divided among nobles that sided with Princess Silhouette. The borders of each territory is probably not that established due to division that probably complicates the land rights/ownership of each feudal lord*** It is probably the best for the bandits to escape avoiding the pursuit of someone who holds power. On the other hand, there are more monsters than a human being there. It is a place of troublesome game for merchant to do business because there are a lot of borders. ¡¸Still, the thief guild.¡¹ ¡¸Something wrong with the thief guild, hero-sama?¡¹ ¡¸No, I don¡¯t think thieves can imagine that they have a guild in a city which is arranging job for them.¡¹ ¡¸Even thieves are not always doing criminal activities.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? For example, examining a trap in a dungeon?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s exactly it. There are also shady jobs on archaeological excavation. There are legitimate work that a thief¡¯s hand is useful.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? Is it possible for Neneka to explore a dungeon?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I can do it. I am good at unlocking and removing traps. Even though I learned such a thing, there was no demand in this period, eventually I became a bandit.¡¹ ¡¸I hope we can go to a dungeon together someday.¡¹ ¡¸If I can go with hero-sama in a dungeon, I¡¯ll be proud as a thief.¡¹ As she said so, I watched the purple curly hair reaching to her feet and pulling it in hand. I get worried about whether Neneka¡¯s hair too long. Every time I look at it, I can¡¯t help but think that it will interfere with covert action. Well, here skillful walking might have some meaning. Because thieves prefer jinx, it may be something unfair. ¡¸Is there something wrong with my hair?¡¹ ¡¸No, I wonder what you use it for.¡¹ ¡¸I use it like this.¡¹ ¡¸Fuha¡¹ She brought purple curly hair to my nose, so I instantly sneezed and she laughed. ¡¸This is a weapon indeed.¡¹ ¡¸Well, there are many uses of women¡¯s hair.¡¹ Neneka who¡¯s been giggling for a while left without a sound. A heavy, sweet fragrance from hair faintly remained in the back of my nose for a while. I never thought at this time that she and I would really attack a dungeon soon. CH 39 It gradually becomes my trauma that Louise almost died in response to the ¡°Magical Bullet of Rebellion¡± of the King of Thieves Wake. Wake¡¯s arrow can reach any of my companion. ¡¸Are you alright, master? Did you have a scary dream?¡¹ ¡¸Sorry. Thanks¡­..¡¹ I had a nightmare at midnight and was woken up by Sharon. I¡¯m really scared to think that the third¡¯s arrow would hit Louise¡¯s vital part. When I think about such a thing carefully and sleep, I¡¯ll certainly have a nightmare. A dream of losing an important companion. I¡¯m screaming desperately, but I can¡¯t do anything to my friends who¡¯s becoming cold. It was Louise, Suzanne, and Sharon who died. I wake up to the agony of more painful than death blood freezing. ¡¸It¡¯s okay, there is no scary person here.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s like soothing a child¡­.¡¹ At that time, it might have been Sharon to have received an arrow. If so, she will not be here anymore. So I just thought, even if I am held by Sharon, I can¡¯t bring myself to jump or move like always. I even think that I must catch it to not disappear. Including Louise, there are only a few vanguards who¡¯s wearing ¡°Black Dragon Wyvern Scale Armor¡±. I contacted Lyle-sensei in the kingdom¡¯s capital but there was no Mithril Equipment left in the armory. ¡¸Sharon, are you going to buy strong gear?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, of course. We¡¯re doing our best looking for it using our main store in Est, the branch store in Ox, and the branch store in the capital.¡¹ I hugged Sharon¡¯s body tightly. She¡¯s only wearing thin cotton underwear so I get a raw soft feel, but I¡¯m not interested now. ¡¸Master, what do you really want do?¡¹ ¡¸I will not tell you to not to go into battle, but you absolutely must stay as a rear guard.¡¹ Even if she stays in the rear, that arrow might still reached Sharon¡¯s chest. Wake became an ally for the time being. However, there might be several cheat level enemy in this cruel, ¡°real fantasy¡± world. For example, the one that caused flood and dropped meteorites. How is the advanced magician who faced the flock of black dragon wyvern directly? That unidentified man (maybe a woman), what will happen to these children if they get shot by surprise? I want power, I want the power to protect those who are important to me. It is painful to think so, my breath becomes rough. ¡¸Master, it¡¯s all right. This place is being protected. Suzanne and Claudia are stuffed in the hallway and I¡¯m on your side so master is absolutely safe.¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­¡­¡¹ I guess so. I¡¯m protected by you. But Sharon, how about you guys? ¡­¡­I get it. For example, we may just die tomorrow in an accident. Whoever dies, even if I die, I¡¯ll give up in case of accident. The world I¡¯ve lived in, even in real fantasy, it¡¯s the same. But ¡°If you are going to die in front of me and I did not do anything ¡°, I¡¯ll never forgive myself. I should not curl in the bed of a safe merchant house in the peaceful city of Est. The more peaceful the days were, the more I came to think. ¡¸Master, are you thinking of scary things again?¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Master, please don¡¯t do dangerous things.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah right ¡­¡¹ ¡¸Is there anything I can do for you?¡¹ ¡¸Sharon, what you can do is stay in a safe place and never die before I die.¡¹ Power entered the hand of Sharon whose hand is grasping me. I do the heavy labor and I am quite powerful but it hurts, honestly. Though it didn¡¯t feel bad. It¡¯s painful because I¡¯m alive. From the hallway, I heard a voice saying ¡°Here I come!¡±. She¡¯s coming every 2 hours. Is Lia suffering from insomnia too? ¡¸Sharon, let Lia in.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Are you serious?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, just for today.¡¹ Sharon¡¯s hesitating so I got up and went out into the hallway. I told the struggling Suzanne to let Lia in only today. Suzanne also has an ¡°Are you serious?¡± face. Is it so strange? Well, I might be strange today. What is it, Suzanne? Would you like to sleep together too? ¡¸No, because all-night watch is work of an apprentice knight.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? It¡¯s a hard work.¡¹ That¡¯s right, Suzanne and the others, are going to be a knight? Sooner or later, they will be the same as Louise. I also have a Knight¡¯s title, but I do not understand well though. ¡¸Lia, are you still wearing that hot robe at midnight?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, No¡­ I will take it off in bed.¡¹ ¡¸Then, take it off and enter. Despite that it will be cooler at night, it will still be difficult to sleep.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Eeeeeeehhhhhhhhh!¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re noisy Lia. Go home if you don¡¯t want to go in.¡¹ ¡¸Well, it will definitely go in, but ¡­¡¹ ¡¸Sleep quietly, I will knock you out if it¡¯s noisy.¡¹ It is semi-double so I think three people can fit somehow. I did not consider the body shape of Lia. ¡¸Takeru, I can not sleep if I do it like that intensely.¡¹ ¡¸So noisy, sleep.¡¹ As if being pushed by the obstructive meat of Lia, I sank into the lower part of the bed and slept. Being crushed by the chest while sleeping, it is better to be sandwich by belly. Is it Lia¡¯s, Sharon¡¯s, or my own? Dokkundokun ¡­¡­ Only the big sound of heartbeat envelops the night. I finally peeled off from my persistent nightmare. ¡ªScene Change¡ª ¡¸Amulet of defense has defense strengthening capability. Ring of prayer that increases magical power, I don¡¯t need it¡­.¡¹ I checked the equipment that I thought would be useful that was gathered by the branch of Sawatari Commercial Firm. I groaned. Though it¡¯s bad for the members who collected them, there is nothing decent. It is because they are not comparable to the black dragon wyvern scale and mithril. The number of high-class armor material is few. There are a lot of magical jewels probably because the Ye mountain range, which has a magical mine, is close. ¡¸Lia, the ring of prayer is for you. It should be compatible to you since it¡¯s a prayer.¡¹ ¡¸Na na na. What happened, Takeru? Did your dere stage come at last?!!!¡¹ ***TN: Since you¡¯re reading a web novel, I assume that you already know what dere is*** ¡¸No, I just gave you an equipment.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I told you I absolutely want it. Because I am¡­ But I understand the meaning of giving rings to women. Takeru is prepared for it!¡¹ As usual, it¡¯s annoying. If you¡¯ll reduce the lines of Lia, you can probably omit around one-fifth. There is also a lot of waste in the ratio with meat. ¡¸Sister can not get married, right?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, why do you say something like that!¡¹ Yes yes, Lia¡¯s turn ends. ¡¸How about this amulet of defence for Princess Silhouette?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, it is wonderful. But this concubine already have this in her neck.¡¹ Wait a minute. ¡¸Why are you wearing a collar from our company?! Where did you get it?¡¹ Hey, are those of the kingdom¡¯s capital goods? Before I knew it, the Silesie kingdom was destroyed and the Silesie slave dynasty rises suddenly. ¡¸I bought it on the way here. For some reason, the proof of slavery of hero-sama became a popular fashion statement to non-slave members of the company.¡¹ ¡¸Still, I understand if it¡¯s you Princess Silhouette, but what are our other company members doing¡­¡­?¡¹ Because we acquired small and medium-sized business and professional guild and repeat absorbing merger, there are a lot of regular staff which are not slave in the Sawatari Commercial Firm. Somehow, it is said that the non-slave member of the company envies and puts a slave girl collar as fashion. What is happening to our business? Is it on the same level as the negative princess? ¡¸Anyway, please stop the Princess Silhouette. Jill will get angry if she finds out.¡¹ And when I was talking about such things, Jill came over as promised. It is a pattern to put her hand on the sword while she misunderstands it while saying ¡°Do you intend to make the princess a slave!¡± again. ¡¸Wait a minute, Jill is also wearing a collar!¡¹ Did she just exceeds my expectations? ¡¸Eh? Everyone here is wearing it. Is it not a custom here?¡¹ I¡¯m sorry to say a little bit, but¡­ is Jill really an idiot? Collars are slave certification. Even I, an otherworld person, know it. ¡¸Isn¡¯t this a fashionable choker?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not the case.¡¹ Well, I¡¯m also paying attention to the collar to some degree. I¡¯m aiming for comfortable materials. I wrote in both sacred and lower letter that the person is my slave. No wonder Jill, though she is a knight, was not be able to read the letters. ¡¸If the slave collar is a custom, should I wear one too? Would it suit me?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t want Lia to put one ostentatiously. I did not make an extra collar, where did they find it?¡¹ The slave collar of our company, it was made on a backdoor deal extensively. I decided this should be the agenda of the next general meeting of employees. ¡ªScene Change¡ª Better leave it to a specialist. Then, who should I ask to find a good equipment? ¡¸So is it the reason to which you have come to ask me?¡¹ ¡¸Louise as an adventurer, you probably have a lot of experience.¡¹ She has a lot of weapons in her backpack. It seems that there is no particular preference for weapons to use so many. It¡¯s the Thousand Swords (Banken) that she always use. ¡¸Most of them are ordinary weapons I used since I was a knight of the kingdom. For example, this knife is engraved with distant throwing magic.¡¹ The pairs of knives raised by Louise certainly had a pale light if you look carefully. There is also a magic sword which is comparable to my sword of light. ¡¸Where did you find it?¡¹ ¡¸In an abandoned mine near Losgow village. It becomes a kind of dungeon.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? There was a dungeon in the vicinity?¡¹ ¡¸What are you talking about? Dungeons are pretty common.¡¹ It was originally a magical jewel mine but they don¡¯t get much anymore. Moreover, a stone golem shows up due to the influence of miasma so it has been abandoned and it became a dungeon. ¡¸No, I was serious. The Stone golem was hard and the knife didn¡¯t work.¡¹ ¡¸Then what happened when the blade does not pass?¡¹ ¡¸I hit it a lot using the rocks that was there.¡¹ ¡¸Louise is amazing. You can use anything as a weapon.¡¹ There is a saying for propagating Buddhism without choosing the writing brush. Louise doesn¡¯t choose a weapon, either. Whether it is a rock or a wooden stick, it is an excellent weapon for her. Louise was a little embarrassed when I praised her as a thousand swords (Banken). ¡¸I found the magic knife in the depths of the dungeon.¡¹ Perhaps, because of the influence of miasma from the ground, an ordinary knife might have been tinged with magic. A thing naturally placed in a dungeon (or it is likely to be an item that was dropped by an adventurer who died) might possibly taken magical power of miasma. It is called the Magic Sword if there is a positive effect and if there is a negative effect, it is called a cursed weapon. It is a magic tool if man finds it convenient and cursed tool if something is inconvenient. Magic tool and cursed tool, although sometimes it is intentionally made by a magician or alchemist, it seems to be an imitation of such a natural product. ¡¸In other words, as a conclusion of Louise, if you want to get good equipment.¡¹ ¡¸It can be called a shortcut to hunt in a dungeon.¡¹ ¡¸But I didn¡¯t hear the rumor that there was a dungeon.¡¹ ¡¸In the area where peaceful Estonians live, there is almost nothing that can be called a dungeon since the miasma in Ambazak territory concentrates on one point.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? Because of the Devil¡¯s mountain, there is no dungeon nearby.¡¹ ¡¸There is no need to stick to the dungeon if you are stocking materials. The Black Dragon Wyvern Scale Armor that I¡¯m wearing is also from the Devil¡¯s mountain.¡¹ It was a blind spot. Close to the town I¡¯m governing, was there a treasure trove of material? ¡¸Around here, there is a historical big dungeon. It is in the old Margrave Lauren territory. It¡¯s not bad to try out the dungeon exploit after collecting the material in the city of Ox first.¡¹ Of course I will go as well, Louise added. From the base camp, the are three hundred people trained troops of the volunteer corps. It has become a very large-scale talk. I guess my personal guard corps will come as well. It becomes a slightly different feeling from the dungeon capture that I am imagining. For the time being, I¡¯ll write a letter for Lyle-sensei when I go to the City of Ox. I decided to go while inspecting the state of the village along the highway slowly. As expected, I should do the work of a feudal lord. CH 40 When I went to the city of Ox, Lyle-sensei was waiting in front of the town. I wonder if the work in the capital was already good. ¡¸Sensei! I wanted to see you.¡¹ ¡¸Ne, I¡¯m grateful for your enthusiastic welcome ¡­ ¡­¡¹ I embraced Lyle-sensei tightly. Uwa, soft. ¡¸Takeru, you¡¯re hugging too much.¡¹ ¡¸Why are you stopping me, Lia?¡¹ No, I knew that someone would tear me off but why is it Lia? ¡¸I felt something impure. As a sister, I will not allow it by all means.¡¹ ¡¸Impure? That mouth says¡­¡­¡¹ Because Lyle-sensei is a boy, it is not impure at all. And I understood it when I hugged him even from the top of the vest. Sensei, you have a normal breast¡­¡­. ¡¸*Ahem*. I confer that I was neglecting to write so (this practice) is enough. Would you like a report, Takeru?¡¹ ***TN: This practice means the action of hugging*** ¡¸Please.¡¹ ¡¸For the time being, I organized a group of officials, aristocrats, and knights that we can call regent party of the kingdom. Because I was able to make reformist bureaucrats on my side, I also left the capital reconstruction project and came back under Takeru.¡¹ ***TN: Regent party, a group of individual that supports the regent*** ¡¸So you¡¯re the regent?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s impossible. You are the regent of Silesie kingdom. I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t forget it.¡¹ ¡¸No, never.¡¹ I remember about it so much. ¡¸That¡¯s right. You won¡¯t forget since you brought the princess along.¡¹ ¡¸Sensei, how long will I have to accompany the princess? At any rate, Marquis Est territory is peaceful.¡¹ ¡¸Ugh. As expected, this concubine is an obstacle to hero-sama¡¯s travel after all¡­.¡¹ ¡¸No no. It¡¯s not like that, it¡¯s different.¡¹ Handling of the negative princess is difficult. ¡¸No. Rather than being in the royal palace that haven¡¯t been fully restored yet, isn¡¯t it safer for her to stay with Takeru?¡¹ With a glance, sensei look at the carriage and the army accompanying us. I know what he wants to say. It is like a feudal lord¡¯s procession. Even so, this is efficient because I can inspect villages, facilitate highway maintenance, and do some peddling at the same time. I got a lively feeling while peddling at the villages along the highway because the former refugees all returned and settled down. ¡¸Well, Jill is escorting the princess so it¡¯s okay.¡¹ Jill-san, who¡¯s beside the princess, proudly rings the sword on her waist. I have never seen the ability of this person, but since she was Louise¡¯s right hand, I think she¡¯s good. ¡¸In addition, I will go to the old Margrave Lauren territory from now on. Isn¡¯t it better for the princess to draw in the local aristocrat on her side?¡¹ ¡¸Indeed. So you are busy, sensei?¡¹ There is always a meaning behind Lyle-sensei¡¯s movement. It is surely have nothing to do with my dungeon exploration. ¡¸You know, I don¡¯t want to say bad things about my father but he is a scholar, so he doesn¡¯t know diplomacy and politics.¡¹ ¡¸The new lords of the old Margrave Lauren territory, you want to draw them on our side.¡¹ Mr. Lyle is fighting for power with his father, who is a former royal family guardian, who became the prime minister of the kingdom¡¯s government. ***TN: Marquis Donovan is the prime minister of the provisional government. How and when did Nicolas became the prime minister? There is no detail for that yet. Let¡¯s look forward in the upcoming chapters.*** Although it is not a talk that I should get involved with, it might feel good to be able to get revenge to the father who deserted sensei. ¡¸Legendary hero, conquer the unprecedented dungeon! It¡¯ll be also a good demonstration for foreign countries. Anyway,on the other side of the vast margrave territory is the enemy nation Transylvania Dukedom and the friendly nation Roland Kingdom.¡¹ ¡¸Do you anticipate diplomacy with other countries?¡¹ Well, it is said that I didn¡¯t have much trouble liberating the ¡°Miasma Hole of Doom¡±. If the border dispute with the Transylvania Dukedom resumed, I¡¯ll be troubled. I would like human countries to get along. ¡ªScene Change¡ª The material collection of the Devil¡¯s Mountain began. Under the direction of Commander Louise, the defence soldier of the city of Ox, that are already expert, and the 300 recruits, who just got out of the base camp, are sweeping the mountain in full force. As for me, I don¡¯t wanna be sentenced to spectator general and watch in the carriage again so I came to check the state of the ¡°Miasma Hole of Doom¡±. That square building reinforced with concrete, majestically endure the wind and rain today. Knowing that there are human beings that can unlock the seal with malice like Gale, the church cope with it by stationing a saint class so it can be re-sealed if something happened. The kingdom soldier also established a tight defense system. Originally, it¡¯s a building like a mass of lost technology that has a corrosion-resistant iron plate on the concrete, so it is easy to protect. Perhaps, when the great hero Renz built it 240 years ago, soldiers would always defend it originally. That defense consciousness faded away unexpectedly because it was safe for many years. Permanently stationed soldier ceased to reside. ¡¸Thanks for your hard work.¡¹ I take Lia with me and we received the most respectful bow from the soldiers protecting the the gate while we enter inside. Dokuromaku, I look at the markings between the seal which mimics a nuclear reactor clearly. As usual, it is the worst sense. ***TN:For those who didn¡¯t get the last 2 lines. Chapter 27*** The founding king Renz Albert story is drawn on the relief. He¡¯s a caucasian with blond hair and blue eyes. It is not a thing which I understand because it is a story from 240 years ago. I can say almost certainly that Renz is an otherworld person from the same era as me. Lyle-sensei said that he was a lost person. A hero came from a different world existed. It is not limited to Japan but Renz came here from modern day earth. He built Kingdom of Silesie in this area, was surrounded by many descendants, and died peacefully. Though he might have been lonely. It is the same as me now, even if I¡¯m surrounded by many companions, there is no one who I can talk about my hometown. ¡¸Takeru, making that face¡­. You¡¯re unusually serious.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t want to hear that from you, Lia.¡¹ What is a nuclear reactor? It¡¯s probably a tool to destroy the world by using miasma. I¡¯d like to say that it can be utilized as an energy source. It is made to this shape that only a man who came from the same world as me understand it. ¡¸So, this is an area where he did not even leave a convenient item. He seems to have a bad personality. ¡¹ ¡¸Are you bad-mouthing the founding king? ¡¹ ¡¸Lia, how much do you know about founding king Renz? ¡¹ ¡¸There are a lot of ancient documents left in the church. I know a story that he is like Takeru, an other world person.¡¹ ¡¸Lia, why did you keep quiet about such an important thing?!!¡¹ She has a habit of saying unnecessary things. Moreover, when did she notice that I was an other world person? ¡¸The hero king, Silesie¡¯s founding king Renz. He came from a different world with an unknown character¡­. It will be bad if a rumor that someone like him exist. The ancient document I read is a prohibited book that should not be taken outside.¡¹ ¡¸Indeed, there is that too. ¡¹ So far, my thought did not reach there. There are perks of being an other world hero but depending on the location, is it possible for an other world person negatively taken? I have not heard of such a case, so I did not notice it. Anyway, Silesie kingdom¡¯s general public despises nymph. The aristocrats does not approve the princess¡¯ throne inheritance and also despises her just because she¡¯s a half-elf. ¡¸Takeru should not talk much about other worlds.¡¹ ¡¸I understand.¡¹ It is unusual for Lia to give a decent advice. When I was made into a hero, Lia once talked about the other world. So she was deliberately doing it. ¡¸If the two of us are alone, I don¡¯t mind you talking about it.¡¹ ¡¸Oi¡­¡­¡¹ Lia takes my hand, this atmosphere. She tangled up our fingers. Stop it. I¡¯m anxious about hand sweat. ¡¸While caught in a dusty smelly library in the church and reading out the forbidden books, I have always believed that my hero from another world will come.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s a delusion.¡¹ Was it the influence of founding king Renz that Lia was slightly strange? It is interesting to see what is written on the prohibited books. What is considered bad that time. ¡¸I know. The saint and the sister are subjects to be defiled by an other world person.¡¹ ¡¸No, what a biased knowledge. A true sister will get angry!¡¹ Lia takes off her hood, her burning sigh begun to spout in my ear. Again, stop it, really. ¡¸When I became a saint, my body will be of service for the hero. Erotic manga were created for it Takeru, so it isn¡¯t wrong.¡¹ ¡¸Does erotic manga included in prohibited books?!!!¡¹ What kind of guy is founding king Renz? I don¡¯t want to know much about it. ¡¸Takeru, I¡¯m a girl so I¡¯ll be on top, boys prefer it that way.¡¹ ¡¸Oi, Lia. The talk becomes gradually strange. What are you talking about?¡¹ ***TN: Translation was delayed because I was rushed in the hospital when I facepalmed myself so hard after reading that line*** Don¡¯t open your robe in a place like this! Are you really a sister? Did you read prohibited books without permission that you grow up to be a pervert instead of a pious one? What has become of the education of sisters in Asama church? ¡¸The Asama church is filled with free spirit and equality philosophy. We will definitely accept the culture of other world person.¡¹ ¡¸You must not introduce a culture that conflicts with the religious precepts of the church!¡¹ It was then. A soldier holding a metallic debris entered the seal which is imitating a nuclear reactor. ¡¸Hero-sama is looking for materials. Only wreckage from the outer wall are left at the time of repair.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, thank you.¡¹ Until a little while ago, Lia was sticking and twines around my body. Now, she quietly returns to the sister who is covered with robe and hood that hides her eyes deeply. She¡¯s vivid enough to think that she used some kind of magic. You¡­. that agile movement. Please use it in battle. ¡¸This is truly a building made by founding king Renz. With the current technology it is difficult to restore and repair of a collapsed place ¡­ ¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s an erosion-resistant metal. It¡¯ll be helpful.¡¹ There is nothing else that can be used. Haaa, none at all. Founding King Renz, if you¡¯re an other world person, you have to leave the arms of the legendary hero properly. I¡¯ll follow that ¡°theory¡± in this place. Don¡¯t only leave erotic manga as prohibited books. ***TN: Theory is probably, if there was a hero, he should have left his equipment behind*** ¡ªScene Change¡ª When we came down from the ¡°Miasma Hole of Doom¡±, the mountain hunt of the large force of the volunteer corps was also over. ¡¸How is it, sensei? Louise, was there anything we could use?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I can say there is. Did you feel that there is nothing?¡¹ Monster hunting went well. If you exterminate the monster in the mountain, even if the seal broke, we can solved it without a sudden outbreak. Even if a low-level monster receives miasma, it won¡¯t affect the body to the point of being increase abnormally. Some of the Lord level senior monsters have some blackening effect, their hard skin can be used to repair the ¡°black dragon wyvern scale armor¡±. ¡¸In addition, the medicinal herbs that grow here are totally high quality. If Lia-san cooperates, let alone high quality recovery portion, we can make large quantity of miraculous medicine(Elixir).¡¹ ¡¸It seems to be useful for the dungeon capture. Ah, this is a wreckage of the hole. It is a metal with a strange characteristic¡­.¡¹ Louise interrupted my conversation with sensei and call me out. ¡¸Hey, I¡¯m just wondering. If you can use the medical herb, can¡¯t this be used?¡¹ Louise who strikes the black cedar growing there with pom-pong. ¡¸Commander Louise, I considered that, too. Black cedars are too hard, so no blades of any axes or saws can stand it. It is difficult to process.¡¹ ¡¸Takeru¡¯s sword of light can cut it.¡¹ Lyle-sensei has a very surprised face. Louise is awesome to notice what sensei did not notice. ¡¸I¡¯ll try, Star King Sword!¡¹ I was disappointing. The black cedar was cut off when I made a quick side sweep. A big tree of black cedar falls making an impact sound. ¡¸Can you divide it into blocks Takeru? Like the shape of a big shield.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll try.¡¹ I put a sword of the light like a laser and begin to cut the wood of the black cedar. ¡¸This is amazing. You can make it into a shield or an armor by making the most of its hardness. Why don¡¯t you make a mace or a sword?¡¹ Because the former is wood, it is lighter than metal but the black cedar has a strength that a steel blade can¡¯t penetrate. It was a blind spot that the best material was close. When I became a woodcutter and kept cutting the black cedar, Viola came over. ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Viola?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯d like to plant herb in this vacant lot¡­¡­¡¹ I never heard that you could cultivate medicinal herb. Sensei, please tell me sooner. ¡¸Viola¡¯s intuition may be right. Herbs might absorb miasma on the ground and by chance, have various detoxification and recovery effect.¡¹ Indeed, its constitution is the same as magic gems and magic items. But isn¡¯t it difficult to grow in a place with miasma or strong magic power? ¡¸The Devil¡¯s mountain is a special mountain where miasma overflows and begins to leak. In this case, you may be able to grow an herb species and completely turn them into high quality medicinal herbs.¡¹ With sensei¡¯s seal, I deforest it. Viola decided to try making a medicinal herb garden. Half nymph Viola, who has the divine protection of undine, is good at growing plants. Cultivation of medicinal herb that becomes raw material of various potions and elixir. It¡¯s good. It has the smell of large profit. ¡¸Well, this site is now open. Viola make me a herb garden, please. I ask on a large scale. I¡¯ll order some staff to help you so use them freely. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡­¡­¡¹ Viola nods. Half nymphs tend to evade people they don¡¯t know, so it is difficult for her to use them. I have to tell Sharon to look carefully. She came to suggest it to me directly. I think her shyness is in a better trend. It¡¯s a good thing. ¡¸All right, then, we need to make an medicinal herb garden.¡¹ I¡¯m a woodcutter who diligently open a site. The armor created here is useful in dungeon capture. I may obtain a newer, strong magic item in the dungeon capture. It is likely to go well considerably.***TN:Flag*** I was so happy that I continued to swing my sword of light. I felt like I cut a little too much. If you use the surplus wood for building pillars, would not it be possible to build a pretty durable building? Strong wood, once we found the processing means, will have a lot of use. CH 41 In the City of Ox,we created black cedar equipment series namely; ¡°big shield of black cedar¡±, ¡°armor of black cedar¡±, ¡°black cedar wood sword¡±, ¡°black cedar club¡± etc. With a lot of potion, we set foot in the old Margrave Lauren Territory with plenty of preparation. When I heard a margrave, I imagined a small time lord of the countryside but I¡¯m unexpectedly wrong. The margrave territory is just far from the capital, and the territory is vast and also facing the enemy territory. An important territory that has both size and position. In other words, a margrave is a front commander. It is originally a post where it can only be trusted to an aristocrat with a national leading figure. One time,the land of the margrave territory falls into ruin with a monster outbreak. It was then divided into three by aristocrats and knights who were on the side of the current Kingdom government. First of all, the upper half is facing the enemy country Transylvania Dukedom. A new count lives in the city of Lauren in the center of Lauren territory. It¡¯s said that that a territory is being ruled is a strong distinguished aristocrat family with a lot of knights for a follower, too. Facing the lower half right side is the potential enemy country Germania Empire. It is now governed by Lauren¡¯s knight order. A new organization called Lauren¡¯s Knight order was created in order to give the territory to a lot of knights. The territory cannot be divided finely so the organization governs it. All the knights belonging here are given the appropriate position as general or baron, but only in name. And we set foot on the lower half left side which is Viscount Oracle territory. My Ambazak Barony is a neighbor of this territory. In fact, I feel that the greeting is behind schedule. ¡¸Viscount Oracle territory. The name of its central is City of Spike.¡¹ In general, the central city will take the name of the territory. ¡¸You¡¯re right. But our destination, the big labyrinth ¡°Oracle¡¯s Great Cave¡± is more famous so that has been the name of the territory.¡¹ Oracle¡¯s Great Cave. It is a big dungeon created 300 years ago by the aide of the demon lord who reigned 240 years ago, Immortal King Oracle. Oracle is ¡°Necromancer¡± who controlled departed souls. I¡¯m not sure if the Immortal King is a vampire lord but he was killed by Hero Renz with together with the demon lord. However, the large labyrinth which bears his name remained. It seems that Hero Renz is not interested in dungeon conquest since there was only a little damage from the subjugation. I understand how he feels. I also think that it would be troublesome. Then over a long period of 240 years, the great cave that has not yet been fully conquered. It has become a famouse existence as a stage of the Hero¡¯s tale which pulls the adventurers who have memories in their arms. ¡¸Before the dungeon capture, why don¡¯t we go to the City of Spike and greet the viscount?¡¹ The City of Spike, which was a base to attack the Oracle¡¯s Great Cave, seems to have collapse stone walls in some places. The reconstruction of the city seems not progressing as I expected. Though the castle has an splendid gate, the stop-gap measure seems to have been rushed. I think the rapid recovery of the City of Ox is the one that is unusual. The city seems to be returning lively because the refugees who were living in it returned. The city governance doesn¡¯t seem to be bad. When entering the castle, a young knight wearing a plate mail ran over from the other side. ¡¸I wanted to greet you first. I am the territory Viscount, Ortholet Oracle Spinner!¡¹ He is the viscount? His waist was too low so I thought he is a bodyguard knight. ***TN: Waist is low since he¡¯s performing a bow*** Ortholet was originally from a knight family that doesn¡¯t govern a territory and was the leader of the fourth corps. He¡¯s around 30 years old. He was a dashing niichan who seems to have been well-known in the area of warfare. Gray hair(all back style) which gently sweeps behind, a well-trained and balanced body, and has a mental attitude that does not forget armament even if in the castle. Speaking of Viscount, it should have been a great success for him, but there is absolutely no aristocratic ugliness at all. I have a good impression of him. ¡¸Oh, thank you, your excellency Viscount Spinner. I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m late for greeting though I¡¯m your neighbor.¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m struggling with the territory management since I am not yet accustomed. It is I who lacks courtesy because I originally don¡¯t have a territory so I¡¯m really sorry. Also, please call me Ortholet, hero-sama.¡¹ Ah, so it is because I¡¯m a hero that his waist is low. Speaking of a viscount, a position should be higher than me who¡¯s a baron. ***TN: King > Duke > Marquis/Margrave > Earl/Count > Viscount > Baron > Baronet > Knight/Chevalier.*** ¡¸Hero Takeru-dono has come to the suppression of the ¡°Oracle¡¯s Great Cave¡± which is in his excellency territory. Please raise your head.¡¹ Lyle-sensei comes out and starts checking. No sensei. This person doesn¡¯t look like the politician type. ¡¸Oh, that¡¯s great. The revival of the adventurer guild doesn¡¯t advance and we¡¯ve been in trouble about the monster which wells up from a large cave. Your help, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know!¡¹ The viscount kneeled(in one knee) and lowered his head. ¡¸This is the only heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Silesie, Princess Silhouette, your excellency viscount.¡¹ Sensei pushes Princess Silhouette who¡¯s wearing a white dress with her eyes covered deeply with a hood. No, you don¡¯t have to be so politically intimidating, sensei. ¡¸Here is such a squalid ground. For the princess to go here, this Ortholet is deeply moved!¡¹ The viscount¡¯s head even fell in the ground just as it is. ¡¸Until hero-sama finish subduing the great cave, I will depend on Ortholet for a while.¡¹ ¡¸Hah, ha ha ha. I¡¯ll protect the princess with my full strength even if I have to exchange the body or life of this Ortholet!¡¹ The viscount shrinks his big body to the point that the plate mail bends in an occasion. It¡¯s to the extent that it¡¯s slightly pitiful. Coercion with the cover of a greeting ended that way and we were shown to the parlor. The parlor of Viscount Ortholet can be called simple, or can be simple and sturdy? There are only hard wooden chair and desk. I¡¯m sorry to say but calling this a squalid place is not wrong. I think that Ortholet is probably a good person who does not change due to aristocracy. ¡¸Hey, you¡¯re a viscount!¡¹ Ortholet kneeled to the ground after recommending chairs to the princess and me. Even if I¡¯m grateful, this is an overkill. ¡¸I¡¯m satisfied here.¡¹ ¡¸No no. If the Lord of the castle were to do such a thing, everyone would not be able to sit down.¡¹ ¡¸I haven¡¯t thought of it. Hero-sama, I¡¯m sorry for my impoliteness!¡¹ ¡¸No, it will be unpleasant so sit on a chair, Viscount Ortholet.¡¹ I thought so, Lyle-sensei coerced too much. Bad sensei. ¡¸Ortholet-dono. If our opinion will differ from the government in the capital, to which will you adhere?¡¹ Sensei who¡¯s saying that line has an evil smile. ¡¸Of course, I¡¯ll vow my loyalty to Hero Takeru-sama for life!¡¹ ¡¸No, no, Viscount. I¡¯m a baron and a viscount is superior.¡¹ When I was reserved indeed, the viscount made a wry smile while kneeling. ¡¸Such noble rank is already irrelevant at this time. Hero Takeru-sama is already the regent of the country, I think that he will eventually become a king.¡¹ I do not intend to become a king at all, but Ortholet ¡®s words that noble class does not matter is exhilarating. Knights and aristocrats in the Kingdom of Silesie, amongst many are stolid and hard-headed people. The good viewpoint and flexibility of the viscount are promising. Truly at the time of Gale¡¯s turbulence, he take sides with the provisional government side faster than anyone. It could be said that it was worthwhile that I got to visit the viscount¡¯s territory. He did not even despise me who¡¯s younger either. I should get along with this person. ¡¸Viscount is one of those people who thinks for the country, let¡¯s get along.¡¹ ¡¸Ha ha ha, I will be happy to.¡¹ I made the viscount sit down on a chair for now, and decided to talk slowly. Tea has finally come. However, a soldier brings the drink, is there no maid in this castle? Even if it is a bit hard, I guess it¡¯s overkill. ¡¸As I looked at the city, it seems that the stone walls have not been repaired, and the city seems to be missing a lot.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a shameful story. We suddenly received a big territory but the Spinner family doesn¡¯t have savings for it.¡¹ I see, this is a big business opportunity. I think I probably have the same evil smile as Lyle-sensei. ¡¸Well, we¡¯ll support the things necessary for the rebuilding of the territory, including stone, timber and funds with my commercial firm.¡¹ ¡¸Hero-sama, how can I ever thank you¡­.?¡¹ Oi, a great man don¡¯t cry. ¡¸It is not free, Ortholet. This is proper business. There will be a time when I want you to lend the territory in the future. I would like to set up a branch of my company, and I would like to make only our firm tax free when using highways and towns.¡¹ ¡¸Please do whatever you want. If you like, I may give a territory to you just as it is.¡¹ Hey hey, then the viscount will suffer a loss. Trading does not last long if it does not become a mutual prosperity relation. ¡¸Well, we¡¯re neighbors so let¡¯s get along well.¡¹ ¡¸Ha ha, this Ortholet, even if my life change, will get along!¡¹ Well it has changed a bit, is it okay? Next to my own territory, I am sure that a friendly aristocrat is there. ¡ªScene Change¡ª So, this is the rumored ¡°Oracle¡¯s Great Cave¡±. It appeared like a small hill near the City of Spike. There is a big cave there and it continues all the way to the depths. It originally has an iron door but it blows off and there is no longer a trace of it. A strong monster destroyed it when the territory falls to ruin. The lower floors is the home of the lower monsters, such as the familiar orc and goblin. They occasionally drift to the city and engage combat with the soldiers in the city. ¡¸Aren¡¯t there adventurers who challenges the dungeon?¡¹ ¡¸It seems that there were many in the past, but because of the big outbreak in the miasma hole of doom, there aren¡¯t much now.¡¹ They haven¡¯t even rebuilt the Adventurers guild yet, so there are no adventurers who will go to the great cave to get rid of monsters. It is more convenient that people who has the ability to capture the labyrinth is not here. ¡¸Okay, then we¡¯ll camp at the entrance and start to capture the Great Cave.¡¹ In front of me are my Personal Guard Gun Corps, the 300 general gunman corps led by Louise, and Neneka¡¯s spy troops who¡¯ll check for traps. Supplies of ammunition and potions are sufficient, and there is also the support of the thief guild. There is nothing insufficient for the capture. I brought a bronze cannon just in case, but this might not be easy to use in a dungeon. ¡¸Takeru-dono, I think dividing into six team will be more efficient for dungeon capture.¡¹ ¡¸Then, with that set up, we will continue to attack the great cave in 24hr system!¡¹ Uoooo! Soldiers¡¯ battle cry went up and the slaughter(overkill) with the name called dungeon capture started on the low level. I¡¯m sorry for this pattern each time. The opponent is the great cave in front of us, I intend to launch a swift attack with a number of violence. Vanguard¡¯s soldiers plunge into a hole with arquebus in one hand, and fusillade the orcs and others which lived freely without a foreign enemy. When the vanguard shoots a bullet, the halfback alternates this time and fire a volley. When the back defenders changed with the halfbacks and fired a volley, the herd was annihilated. It is a legendary three-step shooting tactic that the Nobunaga army did in the Battle of Nagashino. Well, this is not a story where I only follow the theory and don¡¯t look at it in our view. The tactic where we take turns(switch) so we can keep shooting continuously at the small location like the dungeon are quite effective. To tell the truth, it seems to be more efficient to have someone shoot and another person loads the gun. This time, it also doubles as a recruit education, so you have to shoot the bullets yourself. ¡¸Even so, the wall is reinforced by stacking up blocks of a beautiful stone, isn¡¯t it luxurious? It¡¯s wonderful.¡¹ ¡¸Because immortality king Oracle had infinite labor power called undead.¡¹ I see, the king who doesn¡¯t die has undying soldiers? The result of the 300 years of undying power made a splendid large cave which did not crumble at all even if this much time passed. I touched a stone wall in the dungeon quietly and am impressed with its chilly feeling. Ah, when you touch a structure that is impossible to find in the modern day, I realize that I really came to a fantasy world. However, a human town becomes like ruins with the collapse of the stone walls. It¡¯s ironic that the old dungeon of monsters is so beautiful. ¡¸Till when does this cave spread out?¡¹ ¡¸Well, Takeru-dono, this is still the 2nd underground floor. The dungeon capture map only has information down to the 9th level but it seems to continue further.¡¹ ¡¸Uwa, how big is it? Looks like an ant nest.¡¹ I¡¯m looking at the ¡°Oracle¡¯s Great Cave¡± Map I borrowed from sensei, and I can¡¯t hide the surprise in that magnitude. It is the broadness which the Shinjuku Dungeon lacks in. ***TN: Not sure if he¡¯s talking about the game or if he¡¯s saying that Shinjuku is like a dungeon.*** ¡¸Can¡¯t we exterminate it if we use deluge magic from the top?¡¹ I thought so cause it¡¯s an ant nest. I haven¡¯t seen the figure at all but there is an advance magician who can use deluge magic. What will happen to the dungeon if it is showered from the top? ¡¸Takeru-dono still thinks flexibly. However, this is a cave that is impregnable for the last three hundred years. There are appropriate countermeasures, I will show you because we arrived at the square.¡¹ If you think that the passage of stone wall continued, there are plazas that spread out periodically. A group of the monster is often there, but they are already dead bodies lined up by soldiers from the front line. ¡¸Flow of raging water, gather in my former, push the enemy, water wave.¡¹ Lyle-sensei casts chuuni-like spell as an example, uses a wand to the wall and produces a great deal of torrents. ¡¸Uwa, the water does not come here?¡¹ The torrent which flowed suddenly from the plaza does not come here though everyone pulled to the passage unintentionally. The flood water which collected on the bottom is also receding directly. ¡¸What¡¯s going on, sensei? Is anything obstructed by the influence of magic?¡¹ ¡¸There is NO magic that can maintain the surroundings for three hundred years. Please take a good look at the wall.¡¹ There was a round hole on the wall, after which the water flowed out. ¡¸Drainage?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, because there are holes in the ground, rainwater will flow in and sometimes it will hit the underground water line. In this way, it is seems to have drained there at regular places in the aisle.¡¹ ¡¸Hee, it is well considered.¡¹ ¡¸I has all the measures we can think about. Not only the drainage but also the ventilation vents are created neatly, and it is difficult to suffocate the monster.¡¹ Indeed, even though they are undead, he take measures to prevent living beings from dying. Though he is said to be a subordinate of the demon king, Oracle was a good guy. Even though he is called immortality king, it is natural that the subordinates are not only undeads, but also lots of living monsters. ¡¸But, there are many undeads on the lower floor of the dungeon.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so?¡¹ ¡¸There are many orcs and kobolds in the lower level. The lower the hierarchy is, the more the sun¡¯s light does not hit. For living things, it will be a tough environment.¡¹ On that day, I went down to the third floor, decided to rest and set a base camp at the square. As the front line just came out, we also have to transport supplies. Human concentration will not last long, in order to prevent accidents such as getting caught in a trap, a frequent break is necessary. Although I aimed for a swift attack, with ensuring safety as the first, we advances through the underground not to cause sacrifice if possible. CH 42 ¡¸Master, praise me.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, well done Laure.¡¹ I stroked the brass hair of Laure while eating a locally sourced orc burger. I don¡¯t want to favor(patronize) a slave girl so much but she¡¯s the cutest for me. I¡¯m sure someday the dwarf girl¡¯s era will come. ¡¸Hammer here and it is possible to take the soil from here.¡¹ ¡¸Uooo!¡¹ I have barked unintentionally. To some point, I noticed what Laure is trying to say! For many years the monsters continued to live here killing and being killed by adventurers. The great cave where feces and urine, flesh and blood, and and so forth sink in and don¡¯t hit by sunlight. This is just a treasure trove of saltpeter! ¡¸This large cave, just as it is, is the production center of saltpeter!¡¹ ¡¸Master, your character changed.¡¹ ¡¸O, I¡¯m sorry, the blood of a miserable merchant is languid.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s amazing, I tried to boil it a little while ago, it¡¯s possible.¡¹ Indeed, she¡¯s born a workaholic. Did you boil down the soil during the break in this state where the surroundings are struggling to capture the dungeon? ¡¸Alright. The dungeon capture is proceeding smoothly, begin making saltpeter promptly, Laure.¡¹ ¡¸Aye aye sir!¡¹ To think that saltpeter can be procured locally, the supply is perfect. Advancing smoothly can¡¯t be help. ¡­..somehow, I can say that it¡¯s not luck. The capture of the third level was completed. We entered the fourth floor and we suddenly stagnated. Unlike the upper level that has orcs, the fourth level has a very large hierarchy of undead mummy called ¡°Mami¡±. It doesn¡¯t have weapons, just a bandage man that attacks by striking. It is not such a threat by itself. It is an undead so the effect of shooting isn¡¯t satisfactory but if Lia purifies it, it will disappear. It is also not difficult to beat it with a sword or a spear. However, it was a bit of a threat when they were enough to fill the passage. Still, I¡¯m confident with our number. It was good until we advanced to the middle of the fourth level by force push. ¡¸Why are monsters spawn from the captured zone, Sensei?¡¹ Even though we came here in a pattern of dividing each block and going forward after completely conquering it. The monster sprang from the already-conquered safety zone, and a little confusion happened and the march stopped. ¡¸Synthesizing the report of the soldiers, and, I think the cause is probably this room.¡¹ ¡¸It certainly became a monster house, but it has already been annihilated.¡¹ It was just what sensei said. The room which had been packed with the bandage man should have been neatly cleared up earlier, and they are spawn out again. ¡¸This may be an infinite spawn room.¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t monster infinite spawn a foul?¡¹ The small room where the bandage man springs infinitely no matter how much we kill them. I don¡¯t understand the logic of creating it either. In other words, all mami that springs out of this small room spreads to the fourth level. Perhaps there are some limitations, but it is certain that Oracle¡¯s labyrinth was infinitely spawn for 300years. Infinity is scary. I thought that I say the underdevelopment of a demon king class undead master. ¡¸In other words, the supply line will be divided in any way here.¡¹ ¡¸Unlike the opponent, we don¡¯t have unlimited physical strength here.¡¹ What is that? He also had measures against the quick hunting of the dungeon by the military. Immortal King Oracle is magnificent. ¡¸Lia, can you purify this small room for papa?¡¹ ¡¸The opponent is a curse of this level, it is impossible for me. I can¡¯t take it off with this feeling of difference of power so I apologize.¡¹ The difference in power is enough to make Lia not to joke around. Well, the opponent is the immortal king. ¡¸Takeru-dono, after capturing the fourth floor, let¡¯s set up a base camp at the exit of the third floor. Let¡¯s attack the fifth floor with only combatants.¡¹ With such arrangements, the dungeon capture proceeds. As for me¡­¡­ while watching the mummy man spawn infinitely, I was beginning to think that I could use this for something. ¡ªScene Change¡ª ¡¸Okay, Suzanne, Claudia please do it.¡¹ The two had been pushing the enemies from the infinite spawn small room using the black cedar big shield. They now switch with me. I equipped the black cedar sword on my right hand and the sword of light on my left. I concentrate. Good! ¡¸Direct heart shadows style (Jikishinkageryu) secret principles eight phase blast!¡¹ Two step piercing, three step piercing and quadruple piercing! Four steps with one hand, eight steps with both hands, I pierce the mummy man with swords on both hand. By the way, I¡¯m shouting the technique¡¯s name proudly. All of my swordplay techniques are self taught by reading an old school swordplay book. I¡¯d like to deny that this might be different from the real thing. Originally it is a mystery that can not be used without accumulating long training and high spirituality. However, even if it is a skill imitated only by reading a book, if the weapon is good, it has a high offensive power. Three Mummies in front of me were blown away at once with my eight phase blast. It is a fragile enemy, and there is no response. However, the number becomes a sufficient threat. As it spawns endlessly, when the room is filled with mummy men, it will go out soon. ¡¸Eight phase blast!¡¡Eight phase blast!¡¡Eight phase blaassstttt!¡¹ 16 step piercing, 32 step piercing and 40 step piercing! As long as I have physical strength, I kept piercing, piercing, and continued crushing them. The more I move, the calmer my heart becomes. ¡¸haa haa ¡­¡­Star king sword!¡¹ My body is reaching the limit of its physical strength and the excitement is turning to fatigue. I leave off last one of them from the lower berth. The dirty bandage of the mummy man whom I cut quickly flew in the air. I feel the limit of physical strength and pull to the entrance of a small room. ¡¸Suzanne, Claudia, please!¡¹ ¡¸Yes, Master!¡¹ They set up black cedar big shield which is larger than the small body and pierce the mummy that spawns again from the gap with a long spear. ¡¸Master, please.¡¹ Sharon covered me who became all of a sweat with a towel, and Viola gave me cold water. ¡¸Fuu ¡­¡­¡¹ I took a break. Looking at the infinite spawn room, the first thing that can be thought about is whether the spawn will stop if you block the entrance to the room with rocks or something. However, the immortal King Oracle is sure to have taken measure. If we make a wall, break the ceiling, and crush every small room, perhaps a different place will be an infinite spawn point. If we do something wrong, the Mami who overflows will sneak up to a different level and it may end up becoming an infinite spawn point. The conclusion I gave was to make this infinite spring room into my ¡°training room¡±. I am going to raise my experience points here while the gun man corps are searching for the lower layers. Of course, because this world is a real fantasy, accumulation of experience is invisible to the eye. However, by repeating the battle, actual battle experience will surely rise. I¡¯ll keep sharpening my skill and strengthening my combat power here until I¡¯m satisfied. Even if I made a mistake in the battle and have my flesh torn,or break some bones,the miraculous medicine (elixir) can recover me in a moment. For an old-fashioned swordsman, this place is an ideal site for practical training. ¡¸Okay, Suzanne, Claudia. Let¡¯s switch.¡¹ When I rested enough, I get fired up again. With swords on both hands, I brought death upon the enemy. ¡¸Direct heart shadows style (Jikishinkageryu) secret principles eight phase blast!¡¹ The speed of my thrust is increasing at an accelerating rate. Faster, more accurately, the performance (speed) of the original light sword should not be such a level. Until I obtain the image of overcoming my nightmare, the ¡°Magical Bullet of Rebellion¡± of the king of thieves Wake. I¡¯ll keep using the limit of my power with the sword. ¡ªScene Change¡ª ¡¸Yow, you look good.¡¹ A young man in green hood stood in front of us, holding a big size synthetic bow(composite bow). King of thieves, Wake. A one-time powerful(cheat) enemy in the battlefield. However, I¡¯ve seen this man in my nightmare. Like many, many, many times every evening. I thought that this was a dream. ¡¸Hah, is it really Wake?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, you¡¯re not hallucinating, hero.¡¹ Upward smooth blond hair, kukku¡­.. smiling and laughing like a bird¡¯s chirp. Until just ago, I continued to slash Mami. If I say that I continues to slash while imagining his image, will he continue to laugh like that? ¡¸I heard from Neneka that you are doing fun things. I collected arrows and shields then make my way to this great cave. Is the group from the thieves guild I sent useful?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, because there are a lot of traps in a dungeon. We¡¯re saved.¡¹ It does not stray as an example of a dungeon, there are traps in Oracle¡¯s Great Cave. However, most of them were reported as simple pitfalls.The forces that accidentally fell to the pit on the fourth floor were rescued by searching the fifth floor. ***TN: If you ask me, rather than a trap, that¡¯s a shortcut.*** Immortal King Oracle is rather fair. He does not take the sample of having sharp tree stakes at the bottom of the pit. I think that human beings are more heinous than monsters, those words are true considering one side though it was a mediocre line. ¡¸Have you done something special?¡¹ ¡¸Eh, no¡­.¡¹ Wake who smiled suddenly narrowed his eyes and glared at me. I don¡¯t know the meaning of those words. ¡¸Why did your swordplay becomes strong suddenly? That is, it grows to the strength of Gale before he died.¡¹ Ah, I thought it¡¯s the training, but he was more concerned about Gale¡¯s strength. ¡¸Had Wake fought against Gale?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, a while ago when that fellow became a baron. We attacked when he ordered to get rid of thieves in Dot Territory. I was curious when I heard that it was a man who rose from position after a long time because you can¡¯t be promoted to the Knight¡¯s Order of Silesie Kingdom if you¡¯re not part of a noble or knight¡¯s family.¡¹ ¡¸So, did you win against Gale?¡¹ ¡¸Unn, it¡¯s a draw. He plays with the first two shot of my magical bullet of rebellion and dodged the third one paper thin. He was quite strong . He was like you but the opposite.¡¹ Then, he¡¯s stronger than me who could only play with two shots. I see Gale as a temporizing man. Did he really have the level and ability equal to Louise? ¡¸Before letting out the second magical bullet, he ran away leaving the front line to his adjutant. He was able to shake the first but I would never know what he¡¯ll do the second time. Many of his men died while withdrawing. No matter how many times I encountered him, he ran away to the back and did not fight.¡¹ I see, he¡¯s a bit like me, but the complete opposite. Fight only when you can win, and escape even where you can¡¯t win, hence you won¡¯t lose. Gale is a gesture of character, but its behavioral principle is rational. I don¡¯t want to imitate him. There are many places to learn. ¡¸My magical bullet can knock down three to five ordinary soldier at once. It is a technique that will be up to that but if it is a battle between large army, it can¡¯t overturn the war situation. ¡¹ ¡¸Even so, if it is a small battle, it seems to be enough to overturn it.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, that¡¯s why I¡¯m the head of the thieves. My power is specialized in long-distance attacks, so I¡¯ll lose if I fight with you at this distance one-on-one.¡¹ ¡¸Eh, is that so?¡¹ Is it so? The magic applied to the green robe of Wake is something which bends the track of firearm bullets. It is a cheat so aren¡¯t you invincible? ¡¸Of course, I don¡¯t fight a swordsman like you one to one.¡¹ ¡¸Indeed.¡¹ On Wake¡¯s side, there are two thieves with a sword that seems to be strong. If I close my eyes, it is so quiet that I don¡¯t feel their presence. Both of them seem to have a moderate skill. ¡¸I¡¯ve been called ¡°Wake the Wake¡±(Bridges Crossing Strike). It¡¯s not like its groundless but I¡¯m really cautious.¡¹ ¡¸I see.¡¹ If I slash Wake at this place, his escorts will move while he earns a distance. Wake is invincible if it¡¯s a long distance fight. ¡¸Naa Wake, did you come to cooperate with the dungeon capture?¡¹ ¡¸Oh yes. It seems like interesting to subjugate the untrodden great cave. I thought that you¡¯d let us mix up.¡¹ That said, Wake smiled a good smile. ¡¸Wake, if you¡¯ll help me, I¡¯ll pay you a reward.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m more interested in the gun you use than money.¡¹ Well, I guess so. I thought firearms will attract the attention of Wake. ¡¸Please use a gun freely. Neneka can also use it so she can provide technical assistance for the thief guild.¡¹ ¡¸Well, a plucky story. I just want to use the new firearm.¡¹ ¡¸Naa Wake, if you are interested in guns, will you look at this?¡¹ I thought for a moment and tried to show the blueprint of the rifle. The blacksmith I¡¯m depending on is having some difficulties. How does a firearms specialist sees it? ¡¸This, this rifle is wonderful. You put a spiral on track, you¡¯re a genius having thought of this yourself.¡¹ ***TN: ¥¹¥Ñ¥¤¥é¥ë ¨C Spiral, he¡¯s talking about the rifling.*** ¡¸Well, there¡¯s a pioneer, but¡­..¡¹ ¡¸My mentor, the Bow Saint Lowe, has a grandfather who only thinks about bow. The ultimate arrow that my master¡¯s grandfather thought of was something that applies this spiral. ¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s amazing. I guess that people can think of it.¡¹ ¡¸The old Grandpa¡¯s Bow Saint Lowe. At the same time shooting out an iron arrow, it made wind magic super-rotation to stabilize the orbit and strengthened the power at the same time. Of course, it is a technique that only the master class can do. I saw the mechanism of this gun trying to do exactly the same thing mechanically.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I guess I just have to rely on magical powers.¡¹ In medieval fantasy metallurgical technology it is difficult to dig a delicate helical groove inside the barrel. Local adaptation is also difficult, as it is different from spherical bullets unlike modern bullet type. As it is impossible to solve these problems, even the prototypes are hard to finish at present. ¡¸You have an interesting talk.¡¹ Lyle-sensei came up from the fifth floor. It seems that the search for the lower floor came to a stop. ¡¸Have you been listening sensei? There seems to be the magic that can hang a spiral to the bullet.¡¹ ¡¸Bow Saint Lowe is famous as a person who developed wind-based magic that has the ability to increase or decrease the hit accuracy of arrow.¡¹ ¡¸What is it? Did sensei knows about it too?¡¹ ¡¸Eh, King of Thieves Wake-shi, we meet for the first time. It is obvious that the green robe has the magic of bow saint that lowers the accuracy.¡¹ Wake immediately added magic to his equipment and glared. ¡¸Hero, this is great. You and this sensei were¡­..¡¹ ¡¸No, I am an intermediate mage so I can only see the magical power a little. It seems that it will be possible to create a rifle as a magic gun if you can tell us the magic of the bow saint.¡¹ ¡¸No way. The secret of magic bow is a top secret that only the disciple of old-mang Lowe knows. Well then, if that magic gun is made, will hand one to me as well?¡¹ In such a way, though it¡¯s the deformity-like structure which uses bow magic for help, I had a feeling that a rifle will be manufactured at last. ¡¸By the way, because we will incorporate magical jewel , it will be usable even if you have no magic power. Please be at ease, Takeru-dono.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s good.¡¹ Even though I can make a rifle, it¡¯s boring if I can¡¯t use it. However, it is a bit disappointing that mass production is difficult. CH 43 Despite the unexpected incident of King of Thieves Wake party joining, the search of Oracle¡¯s great cave advances. When I¡¯m walking the fifth floor where capture has ended already, Wake is surprised to see a large quantity of spider corpse. ¡¸Uwa, these are giant spiders. You¡¯ve done well exterminating this number.¡¹ Long-legged poisonous spider, they spit viscous thread to make weapons useless or to block movement. I hear that it is a troublesome enemy that injects deadly poison as it bites. ¡¸This kind of creature-type monster is a prey for the gunman corps.¡¹ Sensei comments slightly proudly. It¡¯s a much more manageable opponent than an undead or inanimate/non biological creature. ¡¸Aaaah, you can use a gun after all. Oh, may I get the corpse of this spider?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I do not mind. But Wake, what are you going to do with the spider corpse?¡¹ In any case, I can not think of the use of ordinary monsters, even Louise does not eat a poisonous insect. ¡¸Both viscous threads and bags are filled with poison which is also a good tool for thieves.¡¹ ¡¸Indeed, are you going to use it to seal enemies¡¯ movements and assassinate them? ¡¹ After all, in terms of espionage technology, Wake¡¯s Thief Guild is the leader. We advanced to the sixth floor disregarding the thief subordinates of Wake that are dismantling the poisonous spiders with a knife. Oracle¡¯s Great Cave sixth floor is a floor that barely has monsters. In a strange room lined with miscellaneous ornaments, there is a sacred character in front of the door that does not open in any way, and a strange line is written. ¡¸¡¶I¡¯ll catch a cold | Where is the mummy man ¡°Mami¡±? ¡·What is this? ¡¹ ¡¸Takeru-dono, Could you open the coffin there?¡¹ As sensei says, as you open the coffin, the door that did not open opens. ¡¸What is that?¡¹ ¡¸Mystery multiplication riddle. It is embarrassing to explain it because it is a story at the preparatory school level.¡¹ ¡¸Please tell me.¡¹ ¡¸The mummy man who has caught a cold is coffin (kofin) coffin (kofin)¡­.. is a pun.¡¹ ***TN: the words in the parenthesis are written in english.*** I think Immortal King Oracle¡¯s ability is amazing but, the gag sense doesn¡¯t seem to be fatal. I think that it is the material which is worse than mystery credit that the Sphinx in question gives. ***TN: Probably Oedipus rex reference*** ¡¸Look for the pet which is on the floor.¡¹ ¡¸Takeru-dono, Please turn over the carpet there¡­¡­¡¹ It was cold. How could you come up with such a stupid story, Oracle? ¡¸Choose the end of Eternity.¡¹ Oh, this is something philosophical, it seems like a profound mystery. ¡¸Takeru-dono, please press the letter ¡°N¡± there.¡¹ ¡¸Uwah, seriously¡­.¡¹ It is true, the door opened. I won¡¯t choose ¡°N¡± since it is too easy to understand if the is the case. ***TN: Eternity is ¡°eien¡± so N is the end letter*** ¡¸I hope these things are not considered according to the audience in question.¡¹ While saying that, Lyle-sensei has a very disagreeable face. It gradually reduces the spirit of sensei to explain. It was a harsh floor that can be said to be clever if it is a trap of shame play. Sensei, I think. No matter how strong the undead faction is, their brains are rotten. ¡ªScene Change¡ª Oracle¡¯s Great Cave seventh floor. A strong enemy appeared when we came here. Rather, it is a pleasure to have a battle. The sound of footsteps from a group of stone golem can be heard as we proceed smoothly in the square. It is a monster where the gun is almost not effective. It can be said that it is clearly incompatible with the gunman corps. Well, there is no need to take the trouble to bring the cannon. Even if we can¡¯t rely on guns for this type of enemy, we have warriors with combat power too. ¡¸Yosshi, let¡¯s clean this up quickly.¡¹ ¡¸Hey Takeru, don¡¯t go ahead alone!¡¹ Louise is angry and chases in a hurry. The stone golem movements are slow. I was able to visualise how to beat it. ¡¸Hokushin Ito-ryu, Star-King sword!!¡¹ The golem¡¯s arm swings down with a heavy stone club but it was cut off with a return slash from the sword of light. There is nothing which cannot be cut by the sword of light as long as its blade reaches. ¡¸Hoo, my lord has become able to do so much.¡¹ While receiving the admiration of Louise, I picked up the cut off stone club and hurled it at the stone golem with centrifugal force. With a loud noise, the stone golem collapse and rolled upon the surrounding golem like a stampede. Even if I train myself to some extent, I can¡¯t imagine winning against Louise. Wake fires ¡°magical bullet of rebellion¡± taking out the far away stone golem. The Seventh Level became quiet. ¡¸Even though I got an iron gun, it is boring if I have no turn.¡¹ Wake seems to be raring to try the gun. ¡°Oracle¡¯s Great Cave¡± eighth floor. The eighth floor, the zone where the underground water becomes a waterfall thus making a falling sound. What kind of structure is it? The water flowing as a river next to the aisle is beautiful. It is healed by becoming a waterfall according to the height difference. ¡¸I want to bathe.¡¹ ¡¸Takeru-dono, you should stop it.¡¹ There was a huge sea serpent that appeared up to its neck from the river in front of us. Of course, because it is a biological creature, it will be dealt with by the fire of the gunman corps immediately. It seems that the skin is not hard enough to let the bullet pass through. When the turn of the gun came at last, Wake becomes proud and poured bullet on the sea snake. Although he use it for the first time, he loads fast. As expected, he¡¯s a man who¡¯s accustomed in handling projectile. ¡¸Louise, what are you doing?¡¹ ¡¸Do you not know? The meat of sea snake is very delicious.¡¹ It was about time to eat, so everyone helped Louise to raise the corpse of the sea snake, cooked it, and eat it. ¡¸Indeed, this is a delicious dish.¡¹ ¡¸Takeru, I know that I said that it is surely good but don¡¯t eat it raw.¡¹ Because it is fresh, I made sashimi and tried it. Rather than a snake, it has a flavor that is close to a slightly chewy red fish. Even if you eat strange things and soil your stomach, there is a detoxification potion, so you do not need to worry about parasites. It is a good place for fantasy to be able to do various adventures in terms of meals. ¡¸If you can eat it so deliciously, I feel like eating it a little.¡¹ ¡¸Well, please do it at your own risk.¡¹ Louise told me that eating sashimi was not bad. As expected, she has a good mouth. I hope there is soy sauce, I¡¯m lonely because I have to dredge salt. There is no soybean, but there are other beans and wheat, so it may be possible to make about miso paste. Should I try challenging fermented foods next time if I have time? ¡¸Sensei, if you look at it this way, the great cave is a treasure trove of monsters you can eat.¡¹ ¡¸It is. The food problem in the city of Spike might improved if we process it to dried meat and sell it.¡¹ Before that, I¡¯ll use it as military ration. Soldiers shows no resistance in eating monster meat so I appreciate the cheap cost. In addition, a lot of sea came out when advancing ahead. ¡¸I can¡¯t eat this much.¡¹ While Louise makes such lines in the room, I cut off the head of a sea snake. When the Great Squid (Kraken) came out, I could only think of eating too. ¡¸Grilled squid coming!¡¹ When I cut off the squid¡¯s tentacle with the light sword, the big squid was spitting out black ink over here and there. ¡¸Black ink pasta ah!¡¹ ***TN: In a certain illustration, it seems that saint-sama was caught by its tentacles.*** The eighth floor is so wonderful that it is not an exaggeration to say that it is just a food storehouse. Incidentally, as soon as Louise fished, human eating fish (piranha) was caught. Because this fish is not poisonous, it is edible. Because there is no sunlight, it is regrettable that it can¡¯t be sun dried. However, I don¡¯t recommend swimming here even though the water is beautiful. ¡ªScene Change¡ª ¡°Oracle¡¯s Great Cave¡± ninth floor. Generally, all the maps of the great cave that are sold ends here. In other words, it means that there is such big danger here. ¡¸There might be a lethal trap, so please be sure to let the thieves investigate with special care.¡¹ By the instructions of sensei, Neneka examines a wall with a serious look throughout. Sensei also studied the flow of the wind carefully. If it is a trap such as a poison gas, there should be an exhaust device so it can be detected. In such a way, we carefully advanced to the middle of the ninth floor. A cause became clear why the search after this floor did not advance. Zombie, zombie, zombie, zombie and zombie. Zombies as far as you can see that fills the hall. Everyone has armor and swords. They walk around the open space with adventurer¡¯s outfit. ¡¸Sensei, this is¡­¡¹ ¡¸Well, everyone that died here becomes a zombie. Even in case of it proliferates and becoming helpless.¡¹ Guns are ineffective against zombies. It¡¯s going to be quite a bone to break through here. ¡¸I¡¯ll try to purify it.¡¹ Lia steps forward and performed a prayer for A-sama but she only purified one zombie. ¡¸Apparently, it seems to be considerably cursed. My purification is hardly effective.¡¹ ¡¸It is intentionally trying to put a zombie pool here.¡¹ Indeed. This is a labyrinth created by the immortal king. To use the adventurer who is trying to explore the dungeon itself, as a trap. ¡¸In any case, we have no choice but to cut them down a little bit. Please sanctify the armament with the holy water of Lia-san. Let¡¯s cut them down a little bit.¡¹ The battle begins with sensei¡¯s order. Truly, the former adventurer¡¯s zombies are strong. The fact that they are wearing equipments means that they have defensive power as well. Consciousness of their lifetime seems to remain somewhere. Their figure of swinging sword around is close to the feeling of fighting humans. ¡¸But zombies are zombies. There is no altruism.¡¹ The movement is not dull, there is no feint, and the way of the attack is monotonous. ¡¸Hokushin Sword Flow (Kiriotoshi)¡¹ Showing a deliberate gap, I slash its arms as the opponent attacks. By attacking with a sword immediately on the opposite side as well, I cut the zombie and turn it down. In the midst of battle, Wake started to say, ¡°How about sanctifying bullets?¡±, this was effective. The bullets sanctified with holy water will also damage zombies. As expected of the projectile specialist, the efficiency of zombie extermination rose as it became possible to attack using arquebus. Shortly thereafter, the zombies filling the square are expelled. ¡¸It is strange.¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, sensei?¡¹ ¡¸No, I thought that there is a zombie carrier but there didn¡¯t seem to be one.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, are you talking about the source of infection?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, there is a sense of incongruity that there is no zombie carrier.¡¹ Sensei was lost in thought, but the doubt was broken off immediately in the next room. Zombie carriers with sharp tusks and nails are overflowing the room. ¡¸Everyone, absolutely don¡¯t approach. If you get bitten, you will become a zombie, just fight with projectile!¡¹ This is bad. If you step into the room, you¡¯ll meet a crowd of zombie carrier. All adventurers in the previous room might have been put to this. If it were not for the sanctified guns, we would never have proceeded. Because there is a projectile expert here, we are saved. Wake also shot the ¡°magical bullet of rebellion¡± with a sacred arrow. My Louise was equally active with a small bow. I also tried my best and shot an arquebus with sanctified bullet. Ah, I want a rifle soon. Sensei did not utilize the weakness of zombie with flame magic, he was attacking with stone bullet magic instead. Compared with earth, water, and wind, it is said that he is not good with flame magic. Yes, there was such a setting. I completely forgot. Lyle-sensei seems to be a cheat that can do anything, but sometimes he can¡¯t. When we finished searching the ninth floor which had the appearance of the zombie festival, we continued to go down to the tenth level. There was an impression unlike a conventional cave. The passage that was colored by the brightness of the chandelier to welcome us who came to here on the tenth floor. Like a castle of nobility, red carpet is beautifully laid out, luxury colored pottery and expensive-looking furniture are lining up. ¡¸Sensei, if I¡¯ll take this jar back and sell it, I¡¯ll make a profit.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I think it¡¯s okay to do so when we are done ¡­¡¹ No, I understand it. The fact that this kind of luxurious furniture is here is like an evidence that there is an enemy¡¯s boss with intelligence. As we advance to the red carpet, a crimson fiend flew and attacked us. It is a group of gargoyles! It is a formidable enemy, but ends with a salvo of guns. These guys are petrified. The gargoyle who became a stone to protect himself from shooting was also torn by the light sword. It was regrettable, Gargoyle. ¡¸Well, there is a room that is protected by the Gargoyle, this is the boss!¡¹ ¡¸Is that what it is?¡¹ Was there something that sensei did not even know? Well, it is a promise. Is it a boss or a treasury? The gargoyle is a guard. We open the gate, which Gargoyle had protected, inside. There¡­¡­. CH 44 ¡¸Fuhahaha, the foolish hero from the capital came.¡¹ There was a luxurious throne room ahead of the gate, where the gargoyle defends. There, a nostalgic man was standing. ¡¸Baron? Could you possibly be the baron?¡¹ The zombie baron was alive. He¡¯s wearing a black cloak even though he¡¯s in a whole body plate mail. This boy¡¯s brain is rotten to do that kind of stupidity, or rather this ossan! ¡¸Baron? What are you talking about? I am margrave Sox Lauren Spike!¡¹ ¡¸Aren¡¯t you the zombie baron?¡¹ Is this the pattern that the former enemy power-up and came back? However, it is an ossan who has a similar face. ¡¸Margrave Sox is the honorable cousin of Baron Louz. Baron Louz came from the branch family from his excellency Sox lineage. Their age is similar so does their face.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so, sensei?¡¹ Well, since they¡¯re nobles, it is natural to have a blood relative nearby. However, whether the branch family of the head family, are exterminated together by the miasma hole of doom with the population of the fief and reincarnated to a zombie lord. The baron¡¯s family lineage is truly miserable. ¡¸Oh, to have seen Knight Louise and the civil servant from the royal palace.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s been a long time, your Excellency Sox.¡¹ As expected of a former great person although he doesn¡¯t seem to know the name of Lyle-sensei who¡¯s an underling at that time. Margrave knows Louise, as expected of someone with high position. ¡¸I know why you¡¯re here!¡¹ I did not notice because there is no presence at all but there was a magician on black robe in the shadow of the zombie margrave. ¡¸That person is the advance magician in hiding, sensei!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, die!¡¹ Lyle-sensei fired a gun at the advance magician. No matter how you put it, a slight conversation that turns to firing, is a foul, sensei¡­.. ¡¸Chii, what a blatant human being. Sox we will withdraw from this place!¡¹ The advance magician who didn¡¯t die even with the use of a cannon. With a hand which shines palely, she rejected the bullet, turns her back and tried to escape. ¡¸Kaara, why do we have to pull back?¡¹ ¡¸Well, Sox, they¡¯re bad opponent. Withdraw!¡¹ The zombie margrave seems to be perplexed when he was told to runs away suddenly. So, the advance magician¡¯s name is Kaara. As I thought, the zombie margrave is as stupid as the baron. He¡¯s the target. ¡¸Oi, Margrave Sox! I defeated your cousin Louz. You¡¯ll also be a rust to my sword of light!¡¹ I raised the sword of light to provoke him. ¡¸Fuhahahahaha, a brat will defeat me? Don¡¯t say funny things!¡¹ As expected from the relative of the baron, he is easily provoked. It might be because the brain is rotten. ¡¸Then, let me show you some seriousness.¡¹ When the zombie margrave fluttered his black cloak, he sent a signal. A huge green dragon emerges and roars. It is an orthodox type of dragon called Green Dragon or Earth Dragon. ¡¸It¡¯s a dragon!¡¹ I thought he¡¯ll also call his four majo. He¡¯s going to complete earnestly. How can we fight such without a cannon? ¡¸How is it? Isn¡¯t it wonderful?¡¹ No, even if it¡¯s wonderful, you called a 5 meter dragon in a dungeon. Isn¡¯t its head already on the ceiling? The dragon finds it hard to move. ¡¸Hey, Sox. Do not use the trump card dragon without permission!¡¹ Look, the advance magician Kaara-san(probably a woman)is angry. ¡¸Fuhahahahaha, if we put these fellows to the grave, it is not a waste of trump card. Now, hero lad. Entertain me!¡¹ That said, the zombie margrave makes a loud noise and puts out a black sword from the hand. ¡¸Hou, this is a surprise.¡¹ I wonder if receive the power of demon king like my hero power. ¡¸Not only the sword of the darkness, ability release ¡°Freeze Armor¡±!¡¹ When the zombie margrave said so, the plate mail he¡¯s wearing emits blue light and a lot of ice pillar generated from his whole body. The armor froze instantaneously. ¡¸How is it? This armor is a curse tool that if an ordinary man wears it, he¡¯ll receive ice damage but this is nothing to be concerned of with a body of a zombie. This becomes a convenient body.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, it¡¯s cold.¡¹ The cold air that originates from the margrave¡¯s body makes me shudder. Ice that crystallized is drifting around. Just for being near, physical strength is cut down. ¡¸Come, hero lad, it¡¯s good to move forward. You¡¯ll be the first sacrifice to my demon king legend!¡¹ ¡¸Okay, then I¡¯ll do it!¡¹ Surprisingly, Louise is boldly slashing the dragon. King of thief Wake also begun to shoot magical bullet of rebellion too. Sensei begins to offset the advance magician and began shooting rock bullet to each other. Lia began to cast ¡°A-sama¡¯s Protection¡± to me. It will be effective as the opponent is an undead. Even if the other side is a dragon, our war potential here will not lose. I tried to destroy the zombie margrave with the sword of light. Light and darkness intersected, the atmosphere trembled with a smash. ¡¸Not bad lad!¡¹ ¡¸Then, how about this!¡¹ I made a slash to match the opponent¡¯s attack. I was trying to slash the opponent¡¯s hand in accordance with the slash of the margrave. But the Sword of Darkness also played with my Sword of light. The swords of darkness and light, the power is increased by the strength of our will. Even if I think that I saw an opening, it is guarded by the sword reflexively. I cannot defeat the opponent unless I attack with precision and think faster than the enemy. Moreover, the margrave is good with sword and shows no opening. Then, I took out the sanctified ¡°Black cedar wooden sword¡± and took a dual wielding attack. ¡¸Direct heart shadows style (Jikishinkageryu) secret principles eight phase blast!¡¹ ¡¸NUOOO!¡¹ It is an eight-phase blast that can continuously attack 10,000 times. Although he repelled one, 16 step piercing, 32 step piercing, the margrave was not able to endure up to my 40 step piercing as I speed up. His arms and shoulders were damaged and the margrave was staggering. The hard¡±freeze armor¡± that¡¯s defending his rotten body was damaged with the thrust from the sword of light and the sanctified black cedar wooden sword. ¡¸Two heaven first-class secret principle (torafuruutsurugi)!¡¹ It was modeled to Musashi Miyamoto¡¯s dual wielding torashin. When I trained it in my middle school age, I staggered with the weight of the sword. The sword of light weight zero and the wooden sword is light. My body remembers torashin style. The zombie margrave who received damage, threw the sword of darkness in desperation. I struck it back with the sword of light in my left hand. From the thing that¡¯s taking a high-handed attitude, I brought down the wooden sword on its head with all the power I have in my body with my right hand. ¡¸GNUOOO!¡¹ He raised a cry, and the zombie margrave collapsed. I stab the light sword against that body. The sword of darkness vanished abruptly and the ice of the magical tool ¡°freeze armor¡± ,that has been penetrated, breaks and scatters. I seemed to be able to defeat it somehow. Next, Louise was about to break the dragon¡¯s neck with a large sword. The Dragon desperately tried to kill Louise with claws and fangs. However, the dungeon is too narrow for the 5-meter dragon, to rampage. Hitting the head on the ceiling, collapsing debris pours, and received damage. Even if it throws a breath attack, Lia¡¯s Holy Shield will prevent it. It can be said that it was checkmated when the dragon was taken at this small place. Certainly the epidermis of the dragon is so hard that gun bullets do not pass. However, King of thief Wake gives a great service by shooting five turbulence arrow of magical bullet of rebellion. The iron arrow pierces the body of the dragon one after another and weakens it. There, Louise cut the scruff of the neck of the dragon in two with full force by a large sword. On the floor, many of the saber she had been using was broken and bent and rolled. After that much of a slashing attack, at last the big sword severed the neck. The dragon would breathe its last, too. Finally, knight Louise has become a ¡°Dragon Killer¡±. She keeps exceeding humanity steadily. ¡¸Uaaa, my demon king! My dragon! My long-term plan!¡¹ The advance magician Kaara-san gone mad. ¡¸How ¡­ ¡­ Hero, how did you know that I am raising the demon king here?¡¹ I just happened to meet you by chance. I feel a bit sorry. I read the atmosphere and say something like that. ¡¸Kaara, this hero foreseen your evil deed. Surrender yourself!¡¹ ¡¸Me, me, meeeeeeeeee! Who¡¯s going to get caught by you? Oh great blue water!¡¹ Advance magician Kaara, spreads her hands to shake off distracting things, and began to chant the spell aloud. In the back of this battle, sensei and Lia work together. They seem to have tried to hold the magic of Kaara by dispelling it, but it looks like they¡¯re reaching the limit. ¡¸Everyone, please go down, the water is coming!¡¹ Uwa, moreover, its deluge again? While thinking it¡¯s stereotyped, a splashing mountain comes from the back. There is no choice but to flee. ¡¸GUAAAA¡¹ We were swallowed by a great blue torrent, and all was washed away from the audience. Ahh, with this, all the gunpowder again. I was a little sad this time, I lost sympathy. I¡¯ll remember the grudge of gunpowder, Kaara. ¡ªScene Change¡ª ¡¸Is everyone OK?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m fine somehow,¡­..¡¹ Using deluge magic in a dungeon is foul. The throne room and the hall with the gargoyle are soaked. Anyway, it is needless to say that this is Kaara¡¯s method of running away. Well, I went behind the scenes between the throne room and went to the waiting room in the back to try chasing her. Then, a girl with blue skin and a white flag is standing in wait in a small room. ¡¸I surrender, hero-dono!¡¹ ¡¸Who are you? Did a magician in a black robe pass here?¡¹ ¡¸If you¡¯re looking for Kaara she already escaped to the surface.¡¹ Looking at the direction where the girl wearing swimsuit like clothing points, there is a stairway with ¡°Emergency Exit¡± sign. ***TN: I guess strict compliance is observe before getting a permit for building a dungeon in a fantasy world. *** ¡¸An emergency exit is just like that.¡¹ ¡¸It is no use in trying to chase her for now. Kaara is not only fast in escaping but also good in hiding. If you arranged soldiers to guard the exit of the emergency exit it¡¯s good but¡­¡¹ ¡¸No, I did not even know the existence of the emergency exit.¡¹ ¡¸Well, it doesn¡¯t make sense for an emergency exit to exist in a dungeon especially to those who¡¯ll try to capture it.¡¹ ¡¸Who are you?¡¹ ¡¸I was late to tell hero-dono. This eagle is the Immortal Girl Oracle, the dungeon master.¡¹ ***TN: She refers to herself as ¥ï¥·(Washi) ¨C Eagle. I¡¯m not sure if it is a pun of watashi since the kanji and furigana for watashi is too different. Hope someone will help me out with this since she¡¯s one of the heroine and will refer to herself as that till the end of the novel. For now I will translate it as ¡°This eagle¡±*** She¡¯s a girl with blue skin, whitish twin tail hair, and has red eyes. I see, it looks like she¡¯s a demon-kin. For the meantime, I decided to give up on chasing Kaara and listen to the story of this demon-kin. ¡¸I thought Immortal King Oracle was dead.¡¹ ¡¸In order to defend the dungeon that the oracle created, this eagle was created from the time of Oracle¡¯s claw to be the dungeon master. Basically a clone. ¡¹ ¡¸Aren¡¯t you Oracle himself?¡¹ ¡¸Well, this ¡°Oracle¡¯s Great Cave¡± was built 300 years ago. This eagle has been the dungeon master who can be called an artwork all this time.¡¹ ¡¸Fuumu, I understand the theory. Why a girl?¡¹ This world awfully has a lot of girls, I wonder if it¡¯s connected to it. ¡¸If this eagle, the dungeon master, were killed, this ¡°Oracle¡¯s Great Cave¡± will end. In order to not be killed as much as possible, it has to be created in such a harmless and lovely form.¡¹ ¡¸Well, you¡¯re cute and pretty indeed.¡¹ It seems that her blue skin is has nothing to do with being a demon-kin, but this is not bad. Her appearance is enough to call her bishoujou(beautiful girl). The value of the dungeon don¡¯t change, the aesthetic sense 300 years ago also didn¡¯t change. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s good. I feel relieved. If hero-dono don¡¯t think of me as cute, the survival rate will go down.¡¹ ¡¸By the way, why surrender? You should have escaped with Kaara.¡¹ The Immortal girl Oracle who¡¯s swaying the white flag seems to be wrathfully angry with what I said. ¡¸This eagle is not Kaara¡¯s companion! Listen to me hero-dono.¡¹ From there, the immortal girl Oracle¡¯s complaints began¡­¡­. Everything stopped for two hundred and forty years. For a brief moment, miasma was supplied again by the miasma hole of doom. Then, the supply was cut off again. This time Kaara brought the zombie margrave and says she¡¯ll raise him to be a demon king. They seem to occupy the dungeon without permission. ¡¸Naa, it¡¯s awful! Just because we¡¯re both demon-kin she said it¡¯s natural to cooperate with the demon king¡¯s ressurection. Even if all the remaining demon-kin on the surface are deprived, this eagle is unrelated!¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s right.¡¹ Entering a house without permission is already embarrassing itself. ¡¸After the miasma supply from the hole ceased, the miasma of this dungeon is only enough to reach up to the surface. This eagle desperately pumped it up from the ground that is comparable to starting a fire using finger nail just to maintain this dungeon.¡¹ The original size of the ¡°Oracle¡¯s Great Cave¡± is up to the 30th level. It seems to be a terrible dungeon. However, both the demon king and the immortal king were defeated. The miasma hole of doom was also sealed for 240 years. It seems that the miasma supplied to the dungeon became extremely small and it was hard to manage. ¡¸Adventurers also had low levels so maintenance is up to the 10th floor. If anyone clears it by chance, he¡¯ll be given a magic item as conquest commemoration. With that, I thought he would be satisfied and go home.¡¹ Well, the adventurers were only able to go down to the ninth floor and was annihilated by the zombie carriers. That method is correct. ¡¸By the way, the floors after the 10th floor are empty so it is concealed. Ah, however, because miasma is insufficient, operation is impossible. Sorry.¡¹ ¡¸No, the 10th floor is enough already.¡¹ ¡¸I see, hero-dono is not greedy.¡¹ ¡¸No, rather than that, why do you have such spirit at your service?¡¹ I didn¡¯t felt malice in this dungeon. There is a little fatal trap and the riddle was not a big deal. ¡¸Why? A dungeon is the art of perfection only if there are adventurers who challenge it. It can be said that dungeons exist to make adventurers work hard and make a friendly competition together to grow up.¡¹ ¡¸Fuumu¡¹ I see. Oracle has an artistic temperament. It¡¯s not just a monster dwelling, it¡¯s like a museum or an art museum, and wanted someone to clear it. ¡¸When the Demon King and Immortal King were beaten, I thought that the hero will come. I was excited when I was waiting at the 30th floor. At that time, this eagle is even willing to be killed but¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah, the former hero did a bad thing.¡¹ I don¡¯t know how many companions the hero had but they all ignored the ¡°Oracle¡¯s Great Cave¡±. Well, that¡¯s correct. Nobody knows that Immortal girl Oracle has prepared and is waiting at the 30th floor and there is no reason to capture such a big dungeon. It will be a wasteful effort for the heroes party. It is difficult for the world to understand what an artist¡¯s think. ¡¸It¡¯s been neglected for a long time, and the power of the dungeon has just weakened. I don¡¯t know where that genius demon-kin learned human magic but that jerk ransacked my house without permission.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, I see. Kaara is a demon-kin.¡¹ Indeed, Kaara is a demon-kin that studied human magic thoroughly. Therefore, even if the sensei searched at the advanced magician roster, she did not find her. ¡¸The person you saw earlier is Kaara. She released a dragon in the dungeon and caused a deluge. The great cave this eagle love is already battered. If I¡¯ll be killed even though I have nothing to do with that, what¡¯s the point of the 300 years of life of this eagle¡­? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I got it, don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry. I won¡¯t kill you.¡¹ I say there¡¯s no arguing with the lord of a manor or a crying child. Even if you know she¡¯s 300 years old, her appearance is a child. ¡¸Really? You¡¯re going to accept the surrender of this eagle?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I promise. Instead, give me information about Kaara.¡¹ ¡¸Even if you say information on Kaara, she is a woman about twenty years old, a genius with strong magical power from the demon-kin around here. I only know about her racial traits and that she¡¯s good in disguising as a human being.¡¹ After sealing the miasma hole of doom, this area of Silesie changes from demon dwelling to human dwelling. The indigenous demon loses power. They are in a state where they barely survive by changing form or disguising as a human. ¡¸Generally, Kaara is a genius magician. She personally aimed to be a demon king to be able to induced war and rebellion to human countries. She brought the former human zombie to this eagles place to raise it to a demon king but this eagle doesn¡¯t understand what she¡¯s thinking.¡¹ Uh, sensei is just like that. I think a genius wants to push someone from behind rather than doing it himself. ¡¸Who are you speaking with?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, sensei. Have you finished the cleanup?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, Lia purified the corpse of the zombie margrave. The devil king who was just born will not be resurrected again with this. Louise is still dismantling the dragon.¡¹ That means today¡¯s dinner will be dragon¡¯s internal organs soup. Because I ate too much sea snake, I want to eat something that is light, but it¡¯s hopeless now. ¡¸This eagle didn¡¯t like what¡¯s happening. You¡¯ve accepted my surrender, so I¡¯m going to put the Oracle¡¯s great cave under hero-dono¡¯s control.¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean by that?¡¹ ¡¸If it was ruled by hero-dono, the foolish advance magician Kaara will not come here anymore. It will sure be convenient for you. To be able to get saltpeter, I¡¯ll liberate the floors until the third floor. I will also give you sea snake meat anytime you want.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, you heard what we¡¯ve been talking about?¡¹ ¡¸Since this eagle is the dungeon master, I can hear everything in this dungeon.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a nice and convenient ability.¡¹ ¡¸But that also ends today. That¡¯s right, it has been a while but will hero-dono reach the age of 80? It is unknown if you¡¯ll reach 100 and the Oracle¡¯s Great Cave will be close for that.¡¹ ¡¸Are you okay with it?¡¹ Immortal King Oracle entrusted her to manage the dungeon. Does she want to abandon her workplace? ¡¸It¡¯s okay. This eagle has worked hard for 300 years alone so it¡¯s okay to take a short rest. Besides, this is crushed in such a showy way, miasma will not be enough to repair it anymore.¡¹ I see. Whichever the case, it cannot be open for business for a while. ¡¸It is better to close the dungeon than to show the guest a shameful dungeon. ¡¹ Certainly, the dragon and deluge are overdoing it. The beautiful decoration of the huge hall has become messed up too. I sympathize with Oracle since Kaara spoiled my gunpowder every time. That¡¯s how the capture of Oracle¡¯s Great Cave succeeded. Or rather, I seem to have taken the dungeon master, Immortal Girl Oracle, under my wing. CH 45 As I climbed the emergency exit, I got to the first floor of the ¡°Oracle¡¯s Great Cave¡±. Emergency exits can be accessed on each floor. For example, it is possible to return to the surface after taking a sea snake at the eighth floor. It won¡¯t hurt to remember. Still, I was blinded by the sunlight after being in the dungeons for many days. ¡¸Hmm, will Oracle come with me?¡¹ ¡¸Oh yeah, I told you that I will be under hero-dono¡¯s control.¡¹ Though I allowed her to stay in the dungeon. Mmm, she¡¯s a demon-kin girl with white twin tail hair, but is she useful for anything? ¡¸Well, are you evaluating me? I am not too confident in my figure.¡¹ ¡¸That might be so because you¡¯re modeled to a girl.¡¹ Whatever. There seems to be no harm in taking her. That¡¯s right. Speaking of usefulness, I came here to get strong items. ¡¸Wasn¡¯t there a reward for clearing the dungeon?¡¹ ¡¸Oracle¡¯s great cave is big so there are many thing hero-dono can get but¡­ the magic items are probably already rotting so even if you take it..¡¹ The dungeon is deep with many floors so there it is certain to get equipments. Are good items already been given away? For instance, the zombie margrave is equipped with Freeze Armor. It is comparable to a curse item that if a normal person wears it, he¡¯ll die. ¡¸Well, assuming that I¡¯ll receive one afterwards, can I get the most useful armor?¡¹ ¡¸That is?¡¹ ¡¸Hmmm, a mithril whole body armor. Not like the hauberk I¡¯m wearing but a full plate.¡¹ ¡¸Umu, it provides protection and resistant to all type of damage. Resistance to all makes mithril material a super valuable item.¡¹ Indeed. Then give me one. Mithril, more than anything, is as light as silk so someone like me who lacks physical strength will be thankful. ¡¸As for other gears, there are boring items that only gives magical protection. Even the plate mail only has fireproof or cold resistance. You can use them but they are not user-friendly. ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? Those have limited use. Well, it¡¯s better than nothing. I¡¯ll take it all. ¡¹ It might be good for the soldiers. If they have fire resistant equipment, they will be protected when a cannon explodes by accident. When I wore the mithril whole body armor with all resistance, I was wrapped in in bluish pale light. I give the second hand mithril hauberk to Sharon. ¡¸Master, I¡¯m not really a part of the fighting force, is this okay?¡¹ ¡¸How many times do I have to tell you not to decline? If Sharon wears it, I won¡¯t have nightmares.¡¹ Even if I don¡¯t say it, I know that the brilliant Sharon will guess it. ¡¸I understand. I will gratefully wear it.¡¹ ¡¸I know that I don¡¯t need to tell you but that armor gives strong protection.¡¹ Sharon, with a smile, puts on the shining silver mithril hauberk. Mithril matches her orange colored hair than the leather armor. ¡¸Don¡¯t go out in the frontline.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I understand.¡¹ When we were talking like that, the seemingly bored Oracle kicked away a stone with her feet. The stone sank into the wall of the entrance of the dungeon, making a bashing sound. You, don¡¯t you also have a high combat power? Why did you surrender quietly¡­¡­. ¡¸You are in the middle of talking to me in my dungeon, why did you make a good atmosphere with that slave?¡¹ ¡¸Sorry, I¡¯m sorry, let¡¯s continue. How about weapons?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, the weapons are comparatively good adhering additional magic. The treasure of Zack Zak, ¡°Dragon Killer¡¯s Great Sword¡±. ¡¹ ¡¸Umm, rather than a killer, it feels like slayer. I feel that this one has also limited usability. ¡¹ Although taking the original objective of offensive strengthening, having ¡°Orc Slayer Spear¡± or ¡°Ogre Slayer Iron Hammer¡± is very subtle. In this case, ¡°Hit Rate Rise Arrow¡± and ¡°Long Distant Throwing Kife¡± are better. But if we had the Dragon Killer¡¯s Great Sword in the previous battle, the battle with the dragon would have been finished with half the time. Again, this is limited if I give it to Louise. ¡¸It¡¯s not bad for a knight to have this dragon killer. Also, give me the orc slayer and the ogre slayer too.¡¹ ¡¸You may take all the things you want, Louise.¡¹ The thousand swords Louise has a large quantity of weapons in her big rucksack. That skill is possible due to the inexhaustible physical strength of Louise and an ordinary person can¡¯t imitate it. Well, are the main magic items like this? There are cursed tools that I don¡¯t plan on using so I put those magic tools in reservation. Wake said, ¡°No, if you devise a cursed tool, it can be used for assassination,¡± but I do not want to use too much because it is indeed insidious. Well, because Wake also worked hard, I wonder how much compensation should I give them. ¡ªScene Change¡ª We returned to the City of Spike. Viscount Ortholet welcomed us warmly. The dungeon is now under my control. I introduced him Immortal Girl Oracle, the dungeon master. He pulled me out off the welcoming party. ¡¸No way. In addition to conquering the unprecedented ¡°Oracle¡¯s Great Cave¡±, it was put under control in a short time. It¡¯s already beyond my imagination. Only hero-sama can accomplish¡­..¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right.¡¹ I have no choice but to say so. It was scary, and I did not even thought that it would put it under my control. ¡¸Anyway, it¡¯s a good thing for the city. Monsters will not come out from there. How can I even repay hero-sama. Because I¡¯m broke, I cannot give you magnificent accommodation but please take your time in staying.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you, Viscount Ortholet.¡¹ That said, Viscount¡¯s residence is really frugal. I don¡¯t want to stay too long. The bed is small and hard, and this castle doesn¡¯t even have a bath. There is no maid here so the princess might find it hard to live here. Camping and eating sea snake sashimi is better than the meals here. Better yet, we¡¯ll borrow the kitchen and make it. ¡¸Hero-sama, is there something wrong?¡¹ ¡¸No, please lend me the kitchen. I will treat Viscount Ortholet with a dragon cuisine.¡¹ My Louise has a look that looks like she wants to boil the internal organs of the dragon. ¡¸You even exterminated a dragon!¡¹ ¡¸Yes. At that time, I also get rid of the former margrave who became a zombie. Apparently he also became a demon king.¡¹ Ortholet¡¯s opened his eyes wide and was loss for words. I didn¡¯t want to say it, but I can¡¯t. I need to explain the situation to the local lord. ¡¸Uh, please. Kitchen, use, please¡­..¡¹ Ah, the viscount just kneeled and babbles like a baby. ¡ªScene Change¡ª If I need to describe the dragon¡¯s internal organ soup, it is ¡°spicy¡±. ¡¸Coming to the tongue pungently, eating something like this must not become a habit.¡¹ ¡¸Louise, what¡¯s going on here? You didn¡¯t put a spice in it, right? Is it the cause of a breath bag?¡¹ I hope it¡¯s not a poison. It is good but it has an unknown texture. The taste is great but I my spoon don¡¯t stop, this spiciness might cause me to breath fire. ¡¸I hear that dragon¡¯s breath bag soup will strengthen the resistance of that type of attack if proper amount is eaten, but it is said that it will become a fire disease due to excessive magic power if you take too much. It would be safer to eat one serving to avoid injury.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, but, haven¡¯t you already eaten several servings, Louise?¡¹ Lyle-sensei shook his head with a subtle smile. Louise is fine, but as a good child, I must not mimic her. ¡¸Delicious, delicious!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, she¡¯s a demon-kin so it¡¯s probably good¡­?¡¹ If I have to think of something that taste similar, it would be Thai curry. As expected, I want to eat this with rice. Will substituting bread solves it? ¡¸Dragon steak, I(Sessha) ate for the first time since I was born¡­¡­¡¹ Viscount Ortholet, who was stunned when we told him that we exterminated a demon king, was eating politely by cutting it with a knife to pieces. Well, the other knights, Louise and Jill, have no particularly bad method of eating either. Looking as a whole, the viscount seems to be a big eater. He seems to have a large appetite. It is no wonder that the viscount comes to lose his appetite if he heard that a demon king is growing on his own territory. Any Lord will be like that. It¡¯s a great dragon steak. You won¡¯t taste it very often so rest for a while, viscount. ¡ªScene Change¡ª The night has come at the castle of the viscount. The number is enough but there are only hard beds. With that in mind, I was anxious of what Princess Silhouette was doing. Because I¡¯m a man, camping out is okay. I can sleep by using a leather bag as a pillow but it¡¯s tough on women. Because Ortholet is from a Knight family, I wonder if he¡¯s not aware of such thing. When I glanced at the princess¡¯ room to check her for a moment, I was glared at by Jill. No, I just wanted to check her condition¡­. ¡¸Takeru, Jill and I are enough to guard the princess.¡¹ ¡¸Well, if Louise is protecting her, she¡¯s safe.¡¹ Well, I had to think about the safety of the princess. No, I didn¡¯t forget that. Uhm, let¡¯s go to sleep. ¡¸You worked hard, Sharon.¡¹ ¡¸Of course.¡¹ Sharon drags a heavy wooden bed and come to my side. Even if you arranged your bed near, it¡¯s useless since we¡¯re going to sleep together. The advance magician Kaara probably bears a considerable grudge against me so I nead an escort at my bedroom. Kaara escaped at once but there is a possibility that she¡¯ll come back for revenge against the princess or me. Suzanne and Claudia are at the entrance of the room. It is good that the bed is moved by the window to strengthen the defence. ¡¸oops-a-daisy¡¹ ¡¸What is it, Oracle?¡¹ ¡¸Nn, because you specially took care of me I thought of attending you for the night. Allow me to do so.¡¹ ¡¸No, if it¡¯s an escort, Sharon¡­¡¹ What a strange thing to say. No, there might be an archaic meaning from the ¡±attending for the night¡± words. ¡¸I experienced great pains before I went out of the dungeon so I¡¯d like to experience various things.¡¹ ¡¸And what does it have to do with sleeping next to me?¡¹ I have a bad feeling but it can¡¯t be helped to hear it though I already know the result through experience. ¡¸From then, I thought that I do not wish to die a virgin.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ A straight pitch, is it this pattern again? In this world, the sense of ethics has collapsed. Well, the sister who is supposed to have strict precepts is like that. It¡¯s useless to say it to a demon-kin now. ¡¸It¡¯s a good opportunity because I became hero-dono¡¯s possession.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll tell you beforehand, holding a girl is not my hobby. I have no intention of doing it.¡¹ My preference is the onee-san faction. I won¡¯t tell her since I¡¯m scared but Louise is in my strike zone. ¡¸Okay, I look like a girl but I¡¯m 300 years old. And my sex organ is of an adult.¡¹ ¡¸You, a girl don¡¯t say sex organ!¡¹ A woman won¡¯t even say that she¡¯s 300 years old! Even if you were willing to subtract a hundred, that remark make¡¯s me wither. ¡¸Ahh, it becomes noisy. Please be silent since I¡¯m going to sleep. ¡¹ ¡¸Master, shall I drive out this demon-kin? ¡¹ No, you better resign from it, Sharon. She¡¯s quite strong, probably it¡¯s quite a strength when you see that kick. ¡¸Master, that¡¯s not it. I say that it¡¯s dangerous to let a demon-kin with unknown identity in the bedroom.¡¹ ¡¸Fuumu, indeed.¡¹ ¡¸Then, I am not trusted by hero-dono? Well, you can sleep. I just thought that it¡¯ll make you sleepy. ¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you. Actually, you¡¯re showing a dutiful action.¡¹ That¡¯s my impression of Oracle who maintained the dungeon until it is cleared. I think that she¡¯s someone I can trust. That¡¯s a fact. ¡¸Then let me attend you for the night. Like that woman.¡¹ ¡¸I haven¡¯t done it yet!¡¹ Sharon has a bright red face. I saw a rare sight. Well, I¡¯m embarrassed to say it directly. ¡¸You haven¡¯t? Then, could it be that hero-dono is into a different faction?¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m not homo or anything.¡¹ I definitely thought that I¡¯ll be suspected into that kind of doubt, so I denied it first. I will be made fun even if I show interest too much, and there will be a person that will interrupt if I act in way that I am not interested. ¡¸I know you¡¯re not. If I can smell someone, I can easily recognize if that person can be as sexual partner. ¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s convenient, for the demon-kin?¡¹ If you can understand that much with just the smell, picking up someone will certainly go well. ¡¸In other words, you are pure. It¡¯s boring.¡¹ ¡¸Oracle, you¡­ saying it straight. At least be moderate.¡¹ Now, it has done a tremendous damage. I¡¯m still a boy in puberty with perverse nature. Saying pure is a taboo! It is one hundred times better to be called clumsy or cowardly. I thought I¡¯d better push it down now ¡­ I will not ¡­ but. ¡¸Haa, hero-dono, are you going to scatter your virginity even if you can easily do it with someone around?¡¹ ¡¸Stop it!¡¹ ¡¸What? You¡¯re the one who should stop.¡¹ Grinning and laughing, are you Lia? ¡¸You¡¯re a woman with no breast so I shouldn¡¯t view you like that. Okay, I¡¯ll permit you to sleep next to me.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? I¡¯m not particularly in a hurry though. I am immortal so I can wait for 10 or 20 years until you feel like doing it.¡¹ It¡¯s OK, but ¡­ I, isn¡¯t the estimate of me losing my virginity is too long? Will I become an advance magician too? ***TN: There is an urban legend in Japan that you¡¯ll be a wizard if you stay virgin at 30*** It is an ominous prediction. It¡¯s unpleasant because a high-ranking demon-kin says it. ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s go to bed quietly.¡¹ ¡¸Ano, master.¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Sharon?¡¹ ¡¸I have breast though.¡¹ ***TN: Takeru let¡¯s Oracle to sleep with him since she¡¯s flat chested so Sharon is worried if she¡¯ll be kicked out of the room*** ¡¸It¡¯s okay, put the candles out.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ Good night.¡¹ Although I said that we¡¯ll slept together, I caught Oracle on the edge of the bed with both hands and hugged her. ¡¸Naa, what¡¯s this? Are we going to do it?¡¹ ¡¸We won¡¯t. But you¡¯re going to be my hugging pillow.¡¹ ¡¸Then it means you trust me.¡¹ ¡¸Yes yes. Because we have such deep affection, you can sleep in peace.¡¹ After a while, oracle softened her stiffened body. I don¡¯t know how a 300 year old immortal demon-kin lived, but it will change now with her becoming like one of my slave girls. The Oracle is just right size so it is not bad to sleep while stroking her hair. Saying that she¡¯ll attend me for the night is only to deceive. It might be because she¡¯s lonely. A cynical person. Me too, I understand since I¡¯m a man who loves to be aloof. It¡¯s a sad thing to say but it¡¯s impossible for her to die. Her parent is dead, waited for the hero but got ignored, and is at the bottom of the dungeon; 240 years of loneliness. I can¡¯t imagine how lonely it is. If she wants to sleep with someone beside her, even I will be able to do it. However, for an immortal being, it will be only a brief moment. ¡ªScene Change¡ª It is still dawning early morning. Viscount Ortholet jumped into our room. ¡¸Hero-sama, it¡¯s serious!¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong viscount? It¡¯s still early in the morning¡­.¡¹ ¡¸I have received a report from a messenger. An army of the enemy country Transilvania Dukedom crossed the border and is advancing to this city of Spike! ¡¹ The complexion of the viscount surpasses blue and become earthlike color. I understand it well even if it is dusky. CH 46 The army of enemy country Transylvania Dukedom suddenly crosses the border and invaded the Lauren territory. When he heard the report, the face of Oracle¡¯s Viscount, Ortholet, surpassed blue and becomes earthlike color. A knight corps of Transylvania of nearly 1000 knights ignored other towns in Lauren territory and is aiming straight for the City of Spike of Viscount Oracle territory. According to the report of the scouts, the marching force is considerable. ¡¸1000 knights¡­.¡¹ That being said, I still don¡¯t get it. I guess it¡¯s a big unit but I haven¡¯t seen a thousand knights marching in line even at the time of Gale¡¯s coup d¡¯etat. ¡¸It¡¯s almost all of Transylvania¡¯s force. The enemy is a drastic one.¡¹ ¡¸Sensei, are knights so strong?¡¹ ¡¸It is the strongest branch in both the mobility and the assault power. If the battle is in a plain, our 300 gunman corps will receive the knight¡¯s charge and will collapse in an instant. If we shut ourselves inside the City of Spike¡¯s stone wall, we¡¯d only last half a day.¡¹ Is the Legion of Knights on horseback so strong? Well, when I look at Louise and Jill, I can¡¯t say it¡¯s not. ¡¸Sensei, this sudden enemy attacks¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ofcourse, it must be the work of that hateful advance magician demonkin Kaara.¡¹ The genius demonkin Kaara who disguises as a human. The one who studied the highest magic of the human domain. Over the years, she established networks in the kingdom of Silesie. She¡¯s also the one who instigate Gale to stage a coup d¡¯etat. She might be doing the same thing to Silesie¡¯s enemy, the Transylvania Dukedom. It is not impossible for her to go to the upper echelon of the dukedom and turn an army here. ¡¸I¡¯m sure that the hero is in Oracle¡¯s Great Cave to capture it. If you invade now, you might be able to kill the hero, convict, or persuade him.¡¹ ¡¸Indeed, it will be a huge blow to the Kingdom of Silesie. They think highly of me.¡¹ Lyle-sensei smiles and laughs lightly with his nose. ¡¸What are you saying? If Takeru-dono dies, this kingdom is over.¡¹ ¡¸No, that¡¯s an exaggeration.¡¹ ¡¸Either way, we have Princess Silhouette here.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s right. It will certainly be the end¡­¡¹ In shogi, it is over if you take the king. The princess is in a place where there is an invasion. During this time, a thousand cavalry knights force is drawing near. I have to do something. My soldiers at hand; a four-gate bronze cannon, 300 gun man, and 15 spy troops(scout). It¡¯s painful that Wake left when the dungeon capture ends. No, it is unreasonable to ask the king of thieves to intervene in the fight between countries. Speaking of clever scheme, I thought of one on the spur of the moment. How about taking everyone in this City of Spike to ¡°Oracle¡¯s Great Cave¡± to hide? I told that to sensei and he burst into laughter. ¡¸Hahaha, that¡¯s good. Barricading oneself in the dungeon is a first ever strategy. Let¡¯s do so if we ran out of strategy at hand.¡¹ ¡¸It might be better to have only the princess to enter the large cave. It¡¯s ironic that the dungeon is the safest place.¡¹ It is not a funny story at all. Fortunately, the magic items we got from the dungeon will add additional war potential. Wait, this is the best moment for Oracle¡¯s Great Cave¡¯s immortal girl Oracle to be of use. ¡¸Hey, Oracle. There was an infinite Mami spawning room in the fourth floor. Is it possible to use it outside the dungeon?¡¹ Oracle-chan nitted her good shape eyebrows. ¡¸Umm, it can be used, but it¡¯s not going to be like in the dungeon. Straining the remaining miasma will spawn 1000 Mami the most.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, that¡¯s good!¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s good? I know the strength of the knight¡¯s. Even if they have the same number, the most thing the Mami can do is to buy time.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not the case.¡¹ The most important thing on the battlefield is morale. When that falls, no powerful army can fight. ¡¸Sensei, Oracle, just the two of you, come here.¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? Takeru-dono, please, don¡¯t blow my ear.¡¹ Sensei who shuddered is lovely. It¡¯s a light joke, I have to relieve the tension. ¡¸That, do that to me too.¡¹ ¡¸Okay, I¡¯ll do it because I¡¯m going to have Oracle do her best.¡¹ When I blew my breath to Oracle¡¯s ear, her white twin tail shakes. With that, I consulted them about a top secret surprise strategy. ¡ªScene Change¡ª ¡¸Sensei, where is the most suitable place for surprise attack?¡¹ In addition, sensei¡¯s homemade strategy map appeared. Sensei did not create it with magic but it is an accurate strategy map of the old margrave Lauren territory. ¡¸Takeru-dono, if its surprise attack, the only place is here.The enemy force is marching but a knight¡¯s horse cannot run without rest. If we are lucky, the enemy may replenish here.¡¹ Lyle-sensei points out a place in the map. Before going to the City of Spike, there is a valley. If they are advancing to the city of spike from the northern part of the Lauren territory, there is no choice but to go through there. ¡¸There¡¯s a village symbol here.¡¹ ¡¸It is already annihilated due to monster attack, but it seems there was a big village called Moke village. Shall we call it Moke Valley?¡¹ ¡¸Then let¡¯s call it Moke valley. If we¡¯re going to do a surprise attack, it can only be there.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a good name. Then, let¡¯s wait in the Moke valley and set up a surprise attack to the knight corps of Transylvania.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m so excited to have an active part.¡¹ Even if we¡¯re going to face 1000 knights, Lyle-sensei and Oracle are strong and didn¡¯t even flinch. I also thought that my arms are quivering with excitement in anticipation while thinking if it will work out or not. After all, fights between human being is still scary. ¡¸It¡¯s alright Takeru. Even if our surprise attack fails, we can bring it to guerilla warfare and make a pincer attack with the city of Spike. If it still fails, we can escape to Oracle¡¯s Great Cave, the enemy will surely not follow.¡¹ Needless to say, sensei may be thinking of measures if we are to fail. Well, I hope that it will work. ¡ªScene Change¡ª The Moke Valley was blessed with fine weather that day. If it will rain down, I can imagine this will be like the ¡°Battle of Okahazama¡±. It will be easy to successfully go on a surprise attack. ***TN: The Battle of Okehazama took place in June 1560. In this battle, Nobunaga Oda defeated Yoshimoto Imagawa and established himself as one of the front-running warlords in the Sengoku period. Nobunaga and his troops were cloaked with torrential rain as they made a surprise attack.*** But if it will rain, we can no longer use the cannon and the arquebus so I was rather happy. The enemy entered the abandoned village of Moke. The knight corps seem to be replenishing while the horses are resting. This is how knights attack a village in a hostile territory and make it a supply point. Because it is like an appointment in this age, it is so predictable that it¡¯s funny. However, Lyle-sensei was even able to point out the exact time the enemy force will stop marching and make the horses rest. The precision of that prediction feels something closes to ESP(cheat), I shudder. I do not know if heaven is on my side or not but Lyle-sensei¡¯s senjutsu cheat is taking my side here. ***TN: Senjutsu, ask a Naruto fan if you¡¯re not familiar with it. *** ¡¸All right, Oracle!¡¹ This fight, if everything goes according to sensei¡¯s strategy, it is impossible to be defeated. ¡¸Mammies, spawn out.¡¹ Mammies infinite spawn gem, it is an item that Immortal King Oracle created for the dungeon is now spouting fire. A large amount of bandage man monster started walking to the knight corps who¡¯s taking a break in the valley. While the horses were resting in the hedge of the village, the knights had fallen into pandemonium. However, as expected of fully armed knights, even if they are not riding a horse, they¡¯re not a foe for the mammies. My spy unit gets mixed in there and raises a scream. ¡¸A miasma hole has opened!¡¹ ¡¸Monsters will attack again!¡¹ Spreading such rumor. Voices rises in the army but the sources can¡¯t be found. After screaming around for a while, the spies escapes from the camp quietly. The dubious rumor spreads extensively within the knight corps of Transylvania. ¡¸Hero-dono, why are those fellow suddenly begins to get confused during an emergency? ¡¹ ¡¸Though this is secondhand information from sensei, knights are nobles who have their own retainers and territory.¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean? I do not understand.¡¹ ¡¸They are here to attack me but if there is a monster outbreak, monsters will flow to Transylvania Dukedom making severe damage. They are more anxious about their territory rather than the war.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, just with that kind of rumor ¡­ ¡­. human beings are sad creatures¡¹ ¡¸Well, actually, if monsters abnormally spawn out in front of you, it would be impossible to not be confused. ¡¹ After the rumor that spreads plummets, the four gate bronze artillery cannon will spout fire from the top of the mountain. The gun man corps will also shoot down from the mountain as they lie down to ambush. A gun is ineffective against a knight in full plate armor but it has a dramatic effect on soldiers and horses who took off its protective gear. A pincer attack from the large Mammi army and the gunman corps shooting. I hope that they will withdraw quietly with this. While we¡¯re watching the war situation, we heard a voice saying ¡°Oracle!¡±. A magician in black robe shows her figure from the mountain sand comes over here angrily. Even if the face is not seen, an aura of rage has risen from the back. ¡¸Naa, it¡¯s Kaara! I am¡­¡¹ ¡¸You betrayed me! You basssttttaaaaarrrrddddddd!¡¹ ***TN: While Oracle refers to herself as ¡°washi¡±, Kaara refers to herself as ¡°atashi¡± which is generally used by younger girls or women trying to sound more feminine or cute.*** She shouted in a loud voice that echoed on the mountain. Maa, though I cannot hear the knights below going this way, this is a bold tactic for a hiding magician. This is good, should I say a word too? I still had a grudge to Kaara for ruining my gunpowder many times with water. ¡¸Oi Kaara, what do you mean by betrayal?!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, why is it a demonkin supports the hero as an ally?!¡¹ I am angry so as to go down a little but I understand how she feels. However, Kaara¡­ ¡¸You are making human nations fight war against each other, instigating civil war, aren¡¯t you a traitor yourself?! Isn¡¯t it strange for you to get angry when you betray while you have a habit of betraying others?!¡¹ ¡¸Shut up! You¡¯re noisy!¡¹ The noisy one is you, Kaara. If you think calmly, my logic may also be strange. ¡¸You¡¯ve betrayed people but you don¡¯t want to go through the experience of being betrayed!¡¹ ¡¸Aaaahh, foolish humans and excellent demonkins are different!¡¹ They¡¯re the same, idiot. ¡¸Kaara, I surrendered to the hero. Takeru is kind to me!¡¹ ¡¸Haaaaa? Is a demonkin supposed to say that? Idioooooottttttt!¡¹ ¡¸Kaara, the hero is much more respectable than you!¡¹ ¡¸Traitor! Traitor! You have betrayed the entire demonkin!¡¹ I cannot forgive something like this. It is already an exhausting emotional argument but you are shameless, Kaara! ¡¸A person who¡¯s only making dirty scheme is now challenging the faith of another person, aren¡¯t you ashamed?!¡¹ ¡¸Noisy! Die! Hero, Oracle and everyone here should die!¡¹ Kaara did not mind her hidden shape anymore and raises both her hands. She collected magical power of her whole body on both hands. A blue light is visible as the result of gathering. I instinctively embraced Oracle. ¡¸Oh, great, Oooh, Great blue water! Take the traitor, the scum, the crap from this world in the great waterfall!¡¹ ¡¸In this situation, to use the magic of deluge¡­.¡¹ ¡­¡­ Kaara, you are not really a genius demonkin, you are just a fool. A tsunami suddenly generated in the mountain, Oracle and I were swallowed as it was. It is not a case where I go bukubuku. ***TN: bukubuku is a japanese SFX for something boiling, buble buble, or blub blub.*** Because we were swept in the mountain, it hurts all over as I hit against trees. I swallowed a lot of water. It is painful enough to die but it¡¯s strange that I did not die. Oh, is it because of the goddess¡¯s divine protection(magic vs. Physics) or my mithril whole body armor? Even though I hit various things, it¡¯s painful but I survived somehow. The deluge suddenly generated flows like angry waves, the knight corps in the valley of the mountain is¡­ They are wearing heavy plate mail, if they are washed by a deluge, it will be a death trap for a normal human. ¡ªScene Change¡ª The knights corps of 1000 cavalrymen of Transylvania Dukedom was partially destroyed by the hand of the hero in Moke valley near the City of Spike ran away for their life. This is the ¡°War of Moke Valley¡± which was heard around the world. Earl Gottorop, Viscount Frederick, Baron Hendrick, Baron Feltmeijer, General Meno, and General Yang who commanded the knight corps of the dukedom were killed. The others who were killed in action and were injured were not counted. When they fled to the border of the dukedom, they were cut to two hundred cavalrymen. After dropping the city of Spike as their supply line was cut off, the Transylvania infantry and mercenary corps who surrounded the City of Lauren was forced to withdraw. This overwhelming victory was also first in history of warfare of Silesie. ¡¸We¡¯ve won a little too much.¡¹ Oh my, Lyle-sensei says something with a distressed face. As expected, sensei says something different. I, somehow, is very pleased with picking up a large amount of plate mail that remained in the battlefield. There were also things that I could not use, but those are stuff that can be profited with as these are high quality steel. By the way, the wild child(survivor) Louise of Silesie ate horse meat. Even though the guilt of killing people on the battlefield has already faded, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea. ¡¸After winning this far against the Transylvania Dukedom invasion, the hard-liners are going to fuss.¡¹ ¡¸It is serious indeed.¡¹ Because it is Lyle-sensei who¡¯s doing something for internal politics, he has a face of distressed. The war is difficult though it is troublesome even if you win too much. ¡¸The dukedom¡¯s army is certainly weak but the real enemy of the Kingdom of Silesie is Germania. They are the largest power in Eura continent.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that German-style empire.¡¹ Speaking of Germania, there is no other German-type state. Or perhaps it may be around Holy Roman Empire, but it will be similar. I have neither seen nor gone, but I have knowledge (Cheat) on reading lanobe, so I guess that¡¯s about it. ***TN: Lanobe, short for Light Novel*** It is an empire that seems to have a powerful army. ¡¸Even if we drop the Dukedom, if Silesie with reduced war potential will be attacked by Germania Empire, it will be devoured. Especially now with the case of the miasma hole of doom and Gale¡¯s coup d¡¯etat weakens the national power.¡¹ ¡¸Still, are there people who are willing to attack the dukedom?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, there are still people who do not understand reasons at this age of time. They are those who think if you attack, you¡¯ll have more territory even without permission.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m against the attack and perhaps the princess too.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a good statement, isn¡¯t it? ¡°The hero will not participate in the invasion war¡±¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s good, please.¡¹ If you can stop the war, anything is good. Even the knights of the Transylvania dukedom is the same human being. No matter what kind of war it is, it doesn¡¯t feel good to kill. CH 47 To stop the war against Transylvania dukedom. We visited the city of Lauren, the city bordering the dukedom. ¡¸So this is the City of Lauren.¡¹ The zombie margrave originally governed this city but it was annihilated when monsters attack once. Though the scar of the city is indeed deep, Earl Brynie who became the new lord of Lauren comes from a prestigious aristocratic family and is very rich, restored the town but only the surrounding defensive wall and the castle. ***TN: Name of the earl is¥Ö¥ê¥å©`¥Ë¥å. Please let me know if you have any idea how to read it.*** ¡¸The city seems to be bustling.¡¹ The number of citizen who has returned is few, but the number of soldiers is large. If the war resumes in the border city, there will also be active merchants who consider it as a business opportunity. The eyes of the weapon merchants are shining with gold. They are at the square selling potion, weapons, and rations. There is a peculiar, suspicious vigor. As a merchant like them, I wanted to tell my cousins to work hard. ¡¸It seems that Count Lauren will meet you.¡¹ When I went to the castle, an unfriendly maid gave me a response. I also told them that I¡¯m not alone, Princess Silhouette is with me so it is rude for that man to not greet us at the front door. As we proceeded through the red carpet of the beautifully repaired castle, an ossan with neatly braided long black hair who doesn¡¯t use a pin and pointed black moustache is waiting in the back. He¡¯s wearing a jet black armor that is finely decorated with thin metal. It is aesthetically great but that armor is not practical. On his waist is an excessively decorated treasure sword. It¡¯s out of place in a battlefield and is like wearing money itself. I guess he¡¯s really from a prestigious noble family. He also have make-up in his face although he¡¯s a man. Though he¡¯s dressed elegantly, he¡¯s shabby and stinky. Also, though I doesn¡¯t know enough about fashion, why is he wearing a red beret hat indoor? It¡¯s like Osomatsu-kun¡¯s sarcasm. ¡¸Welcome to my castle hero-dono, Princess Silhouette. I am Earl Brynie Lauren Blanc ojaru. To go that fast when travelling to a such a remote region ojarunou. Is it because of the recent border dispute(that is not solved yet) ojaruka?¡¹ ¡¸Thank you, Earl Brynie¡­¡­. I came here to stop the war.¡¹ Is that how you show sarcasm Earl Brynie? What¡¯s with ojaru? Well, he does have that strange appearance that is not suitable for welcoming and his eyebrow certainly looks Maro slightly. ***TN: ¤¿¤·¤«¤Ëüë¤Ï¤Á¤ç¤Ã¤ÈÂé…Τäݤ¤ ¨C Not sure how to describe the eyebrow*** I don¡¯t think someone like you looks like a court noble of this country. Or some noble from a prestigious family. Earl Brynie is the frontline commander of the battle with the Transylvania Dukedom. He is from a distinguished noble family, the commander of the 2nd corps, and had a lot of knights. He is also the first in the list of the hard-liner¡¯s faction. If I want to stop the war with Transylvania, I need to stop this troublesome ojaru first. ¡¸To stop the war? I cannot believe the words of the brave after annihilating the knight order of Transylvania ojaru.¡¹ ***TN: He refers Takeru as eiyu instead of yusha in this line*** ¡¸It is natural to repulse them if the other side attacked. However, it is another story if the attack came from this place.¡¹ ¡¸Nohohoho, certainly, ¡°the hero will not take part of an invasion war¡±. Those are sweet words coming from the hero. In the world of knights, if someone took something from you, you must retort and not just lick your enemies ojaru! ¡¹ ¡¸This is what we do ojaru!¡¹ Knights you say, but you¡¯re an ojaru man. Indeed, even if you have a decent fighting power, I won¡¯t let you treat me as a coward cause I¡¯m a man. Do it if you can, if not, have someone else do it. I know this is what you mean. But this is a real fantasy that if you are cut with a sword, your flesh will split and you¡¯ll spout blood and die. If you attack back because you were attacked, it will continue until the point that one side is extinct. ¡¸Nohahaha, did you bite your tongue hero-dono? I hold military authority as the border commander, so to speak, I am a monarch ojaruyo. If you¡¯re not here to support the war, please go down to a place where I can¡¯t see you because you¡¯ll get in the way ojaru.¡¹ Though I¡¯m telling him to stop, Earl Brynie doesn¡¯t seem to listen. Lyle-sensei stepped forward and speak with the earl. ¡¸Earl, perhaps, you were seduced by the magician in black robe to make that decision to attack?¡¹ ¡¸Nuho? How do you know that ojaru¡­.?¡¹ Lyle-sensei hits a critical spot of the earl. After all, Kaara is the one pulling the string. ¡¸That black magician is a demonkin woman named Kaara who transformed into a human being. Gale, who released the seal of the miasma hole of doom and raised the coup d¡¯etat, was also seduced by that black magician.¡¹ ¡¸Are you saying that I am being manipulated like Gale ojaruka?¡¹ Earl¡¯s complexion has worsened indeed. Well, it is regrettable to be compared to a traitor like Gale. ¡¸Yes, the attack of Transylvania Dukedom is also an evil plot of that demonkin. If you attack the dukedom now, it would be convenient for her. It is impolite to say but, you are being manipulated by that demonkin.¡¹ ¡¸Certainly, such a black magician came here.¡¹ ¡¸Then¡¹ ¡¸No, attacking the dukedom now is my will ojaru. The Transylvania dukedom is now weak ojaru. Now is the best chance to attack and conquer it ojaruyo! ¡¹ Even if you already know that this is a plot of that demonkin you¡¯ll still go for it? You just want to go to war. ¡¸I think that Earl also knows but, the dukedom is being backed up by the germania empire. If you win and invade deep to the dukedom, the empire will hit back. His excellency will also encounter the same fate of the knight corps of Transylvania. ¡¹ ¡¸Gunu¡­..¡¹ You can¡¯t win against Lyle-sensei in a verbal arguement. ¡¸You imprudent commoner! I came from a noble lineage of the founding King Renz! You should keep that in mind ojaru!¡¹ Oh, because you lose an argument you¡¯ll use the noble lineage template? This Earl Brynie, though he came from a prestigious noble family, he is shallow. ¡¸Earl, I am an adviser to his Excellency the Regent. It is a position of Lord of State Affairs. As someone who was entrusted with the kingdom¡¯s administration, I believe my words are the will of the hero and the princess.¡¹ Lyle-sensei, did you become someone great before I was aware? The overwhelmed Earl Brynie was speechless. ¡¸Maa, Prime Minister Nicolas has given me military authority as the border commander ojaru. It is impossible for anyone to complain about how I move my army!¡¹ ¡¸Really? You¡¯re saying that in front of Her Majesty Princess Silhouette and Regent Takeru-sama?¡¹ ¡¸Well ojaru. This is bad ojaru!¡¹ ¡¸It isn¡¯t bad. However, if you move the army without permission and lose, you should prepare for your disposition at that time and be resolute.¡¹ Now that Lyle-sensei dealt with him, we left the castle immediately. Oh, didn¡¯t we came here to stop the war sensei? ¡¸To tell you the truth, Earl Brynie¡¯s complaint is also natural. If your territory was invaded, it is natural to launch a counteroffensive.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it is.¡¹ No, I mustn¡¯t say it like that. Seriously, I¡¯m talking about the anti-war theory to the other party. ¡¸Takeru-dono was good in it. The other side will not be able to retract later. As for Kaara, she¡¯s probably embarrassed suffering a crushing defeat in a full scale war but it is probably in a scale of putting a nail.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so¡­?¡¹ Sensei is in black mode as usual. ¡¸If Earl Brynie wins, to the degree of not being annihilated, it will be good for everyone. If he will be defeated stupidly, it will be a good chance to crush the leading figure of the Prime Minister¡¯s party.¡¹ ¡¸Uwa¡¹ Sensei is much blacker than the black magician demonkin. Well, I did not want to become involved in war between human nations anyway. ¡¸We just found out the relationship of Earl Brynie and Kaara. It was worth coming to the city of Lauren. If we make a list of hard liners and look it up, we might finally follow that advance magician¡¯s footsteps.¡¹ Learning that a demonkin has disguised as a human, we make letters with her description and launch a great search for her in Silesie. If Kaara falls, sensei will caught her tail. Well, she¡¯s someone who would like to wage war selfishly. Because the pitiful Viscount Ortholet was involved, I need only to send goods to the City of Spike to harden its defense. I turned my back on the direction where the war with Transylvania began. It decided to return to my territory. ¡ªScene Change¡ª We came back to the city of Ox. I send woods and building stones as supply for the revival of the neighboring city of Spike. Saltpeter was being sent from Oracle¡¯s Great Cave which has become a large production plant of it. In addition, there is also distribution of consumer goods. The highway bustled with transport shuttle. Sharon and the others are also very busy with work at the company. ¡¸Master, it will be a good move to move the company base to Ox. The Lauren region has a considerable sales of arms and supplies.¡¹ ¡¸I feel like I¡¯m making profit because of war demands. It doesn¡¯t feel very good.¡¹ However, I¡¯m not foolish enough to miss this opportunity because of guilt. Sell what is selling. I am also concerned about the reconstruction of the city of Spike but in a business manner not like what I feel with the city of Ox. The reason why I chose Ox as my residence is because of the large bed and large bath that I inherited from the zombie baron. Not because the miasma hole of doom is near. The demon king¡¯s revival, instigating war between countries, releasing the seal of the miasma hole of doom; these are what Kaara did. Her hands can already be seen. Once again, Kaara will repeat an event like the one with Gale. It will be the final decisive battle with that woman. Besides, before me is a pervert sister who sticks with me. She doesn¡¯t leave the vicinity of the miasma hole so she¡¯s like a safety valve in case of emergency. Lia who made me a hero ranked up and became a saint who specialized in holy alchemy. When it comes to sealing the hole, she is the most talented person who can do it. But why don¡¯t the A-sama church doesn¡¯t let Lia to manage it? I asked that to the saint who reside in the miasma hole. She said that it is a rule of A-sama church that the hero must not separate with his sister. ***TN: Remember that there is a building where the nuclear reactor, I mean the miasma hole is. So it means that the saint reside in that building. Also, sister is written in english, it means nun not imouto or anego*** ¡¸To be honest, most of the saints don¡¯t get a hero, so I envy Lia.¡¹ The white hooded with blue line saintess gets close to me and I suddenly shuddered. I feel the same quality pressure that Lia is emitting. As I thought, all the sisters of A-sama church are dangerous. I will be much troubled if holy stalker increases so I left the miasma hole of doom in a hurry. Lia often invited me to the church but I don¡¯t want to go unless in extreme circumstances. Anyway, after the dungeon capture, I obtained strong equipments. Let¡¯s restore our spirits in preparation for a intense battle with Kaara. ¡¸It¡¯s good! It¡¯s good!¡¹ Oracle who we brought back from the dungeon seems to have not eaten anything decent. She eats a lot of food that our chef cooked. ¡¸It¡¯s good to eat a lot, here¡¯s another serving of crepe!¡¹ ¡¸Haa, another serving please!¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t be shy, eat as much as you can¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes yes¡¹ Well, I¡¯m playing with her as promised. Now, I¡¯ll just wait for Kaara here in the City of Ox. I have received unexpected news from the kingdom¡¯s capital. ¡¸Takeru-dono, the news indicates that Kaara was captured in the capital¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Why is it so anticlimactic?¡¹ This template is far from dramatic. Therefore, I wonder if this is really a real fantasy. Even sensei who¡¯s been competing with that advance magician in hiding for a long time is surprised. When I think about the cunning and evildoing that person made until now, it¡¯s impossible. Kaara can¡¯t be captured by an ordinary human being. No, is it a trap? Pretending to be a prisoner, it¡¯s a trap, right? Does the last battle with us makes her create a sneaky trap? I¡¯m not going to be fooled. If it¡¯s not, this is an unexpected development. The capital and the city of Ox are just a stone¡¯s throw away. We hurried to the capital half in doubt. CH 48 To compensate for the long translation time of the last chapter. Enjoy! ¡¸She certainly became a prisoner.¡¹ ¡¸So I heard¡­¡¹ Kaara is being imprisoned in a room which restricted magic power in the capital. Even magicians, a mid-privilege class, may violate national prohibition. In that case, such a room is set up to detain the magician. Even if the demonkin advance magician Kaara were to resists, she will be held down. In order to completely suppress her, a number of intermediate magician like sensei keeps on chanting dispel without sleeping or resting. If there is a need to, there is also an advance magician like Kaara in the castle. On top of that, knights and soldiers hardened their defenses around the room to prevent escape, so Kaara finally gave up and became quiet. ¡¸Lyle, you did bad things as cursing me in such condition and spreading rumors that I''m an evil person which is causing problems with old-fashioned leadership. That''s useful.¡¹ In a sarcastic tone, Nicolas Laertius laughs pathetically with his long brown beard. He is the current prime minister of the Kingdom of Silesie, Lyle-sensei''s father. ¡¸It looks like it, father.¡¹ Lyle-sensei has a feeling of rivalry towards Kaara. He looks sullen and is squirming because she did not like her enemy was caught by her father. Kaara went to Prime Minister Nicolas and says "Kill the hero and Princess Silhouette to obtain the real power of the country". The Prime Minister pretended to accept that conspiracy and caught Kaara in a trap. As expected of sensei''s father, a schemer with vivid skill. Nicolas was the royal families tutor and he is also an advance magician. It is said that he is the Great Teacher of the Kingdom of Silesie. ¡¸Hero Takeru-sama, I''m certainly an old-fashioned as my incompetent son says. However, I will never forget my feeling towards the country. I am pleased that I was able to prove it by capturing this demonkin.¡¹ ***TN: He refers Lyle as musuko = son*** As Prime Minister Nicolas said so, a sarcastic kukuku laugh floated from him. I will absolutely back up sensei but this man isn''t a bad person either. ¡¸By the way, I wonder what will happen. To her¡­¡¹ Kaara who is sitting in a chair in the middle of the room is wearing her black hood covering her eyes and still not saying anything. Will she beg for her life.."Kuh, kill me" I guess not. ¡¸Ofcourse, you''ll be killed.¡¹ Lyle-sensei says so. However, there might be a reason why Prime Minister Nicolas keeps her alive.. ¡¸No, this demonkin is also quite good at martial arts. If the knights tried to kill her, it will only increase the number of injured person so I waited for hero-sama''s arrival. I would appreciate it if you give divine punishment directly.¡¹ The prime minister says such a thing. Uh, everyone is on the "Kill!" flow. But I don''t want to kill a non resisting woman no matter if she''s a demonkin of how much a sinner she is. This is why I hate real fantasy. ¡¸People who died because of Kaara''s unsealing of the miasma hole of doom, coup d''etat, and war instigation is not less than 10,0000 if you put it together. Of course, we should kill her.¡¹ Lyle-sensei encouraged me to make up my mind. As it was an important thing, he said "kill" twice. By the way, it is better leave it to a specialist. I''ll ask a demonkin, Oracle. ¡¸There is a way for hero-dono to subjugate Kaara without killing her.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, there is such convenient method? ¡¹ As expected of Doraemon, no you''re Oracle! ***TN: As you''ve seen in the illustrations, demonkins have blue skins*** ¡¸Umm, there is something called "Demonking Curse Slave Contract". That old demon king created that spell to make hopeless subordinates listen to him. You should exchange a contract with mutual agreement and put a curse slave crest on her forehead. ¡¹ ¡¸Can I use it even if I''m not a demon king? ¡¹ ¡¸It doesn''t matter whether you''re a demon king or not. What is important is for the curse slave contract have a mutual consent. ¡¹ ¡¸By the way, what happens when you break the contract?¡¹ ¡¸Normally, limbs will be pulverized and you''ll die.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, that''s gross.¡¹ ¡¸How about it Kaara? Do you want to die now? Or will you be my slave?¡¹ To be honest, I think that Kaara would choose to die. In short, I just presented her with choices to ease my sense of guilt. I''m a human who lives in this harsh world of "real fantasy". I''m prepared to execute this mortal sinner woman but I feel strongly that I do not want to do it. I forget how much angry Kaara is to Oracle''s betrayal. She probably thought that it''s impossible for her to be a slave of the hero. ¡¸Takeru, I will be your slave.¡¹ As I thought. What? ¡ªScene Change¡ª ¡¸Takeru-dono, how many times do I have to tell you that you should kill her now? ¡¹ Sensei urges me and I think almost all of the citizen of the Kingdom of Silesie will say so. Anyway, she''s the ring leader who removes the seal of the miasma hole of doom. She''s so hated that I got tired of hearing them saying she''s an enemy. However, in case of the unscrupulous sensei, I''m a little suspicious that he simply doesn¡¯t like her. No, that''s not the case¡­..right? ¡¸Sensei, we can use Kaara if she became a slave. ¡¹ ¡¸Are you insane? You sometimes make choices that are beyond my imagination, Takeru-dono¡­¡¹ No, there are times that I have to draw comparatively from sensei''s choice. ¡¸Kaara can cast superior magic. Moreover, she has personal connections not just on Silesie but also inside Transylvania. Perhaps, she must also have in other countries.¡¹ ¡¸That being said, she certainly is¡­¡¹ Her usage is considerably high. Although the scale is different, it is the same as using criminals for crime prevention. ¡¸Because I''m going to make her Oracle''s subordinate, she can''t kill her because she''s also a demonkin. Rather than killing her here, she''ll hate it more to be a slave. That''s going to be her punishment.¡¹ ¡¸I will never accept it in my heart but I''ll give up if that is Takeru-dono''s judgement.¡¹ With a dissatisfied face, Lyle-sensei reluctantly withdraw. I''m scared borrowing sensei''s favor, he''ll probably force me to marry the princess. ¡¸It seems like the talk has been decided. I''m going to teach the method for the "Demon King''s Curse Slave Contract". Have you decided on the agreement?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I thought of it already.¡¹ There are three articles on Kaara''s Demon King''s Curse Slave Contract. Article 1,Kaara must obey Sawatari Takeru. She must absolutely comply with Sawatari Takeru''s order. Article 2 Kaara, should not directly or indirectly harm human beings. Also, she must not harm humans by overlooking harm to humans. Provided, however, that this shall not apply in cases where it violates Article 1. Article 3, unless there is a risk of contradicting Article 1 and Article 2, she must protect herself. ¡¸I am fine with those conditions, I understand them.¡¹ Kaara was awfully quiet. When I removed her black hood, I saw her real face for the first time. She has the same blue skin of Oracle, is that a characteristic of demonkins? She has thin eyebrows and her eyes are purple. Her hair is pale blond. Here facial features are well-equipped to be considered as a beautiful woman. Her pale pink lips are smiling. She''s a demonkin so I''m not really sure. She looks like a young woman who didn''t even reach 20. ¡¸According to her looks, she''s 19 years old.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? Then Kaara, I will put the curse slave crest.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, ugh¡­¡¹ Is it painful when the crest was put in her head? Kaara knitted her well shaped eyebrows. The curse slave crest is in the form of a cross. There is no Christianity in this world so cross means crucifixion that exactly restricts other party. If Kaara violates the contract, her limbs will be divided into four and die. ¡¸By the way Kaara, why did you quietly become my slave? ¡¹ ¡¸Does the ringleader who made me a slave really asking that? ¡¹ She''ll be supervised by Oracle-chan so it is hard to think that she''s trying to trap us in reverse. Because it is too anticlimactic, I cannot help but worry. ¡¸Didn¡¯t you bear a grudge against me?¡¹ ¡¸You''re hero Takeru, you''re being over conscious.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t say that.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ Am I too self conscious? It¡¯s a subtle damage. I should have include to avoid mental attack in the contract. ¡¸I am angry enough to forget that Oracle betrayed the demonkin. As you are the hero of humans, it is natural for you to stop the demon king¡¯s resurrection that I orchestrated. Even if there is hostility, there is no grudge. I, who lose, is evil.¡¹ ¡¸I''m not sure if it''s really like that.¡¹ I don''t want a slave whose hostile. Truly, you don¡¯t'' have to obey emotionally. If I think about it in a reasonable way, you may be temporarily succumbing to the enemy for a purpose. ¡¸Yes. When I became a prisoner here, I looked back on the measure I had taken so far for the first time in a while. I was foolish.¡¹ ¡¸Well, you were exhausted in the latter half.¡¹ If Kaara, who has genius level magical skills, has Lyle-sensei''s brain, the demon king was revived long ago. At that time, perhaps humans are on the verge of extinction. ¡¸In other words, I reflected. Even though I am your slave, I think this is a situation where I have to live.¡¹ ¡¸Are you still not giving up?¡¹ Really persistent, she''s probably already scheming something. Probably Lyle-sensei too. I feel like they''re rolling up a plan already. ¡¸Fufufu, that¡¯s right. As long as I live, there is a chance that a legendary demon king will be revived and the age of the demonkin''s will rise again. I became too emotional and made a mistake in my choices. Because you give the foolish me a chance to live, I am grateful. ¡¹ The demonkin''s seem to have longer lifespan than humans. I wonder if she can wait until I die. ¡¸Well, I don¡¯t care what happens after I die. Anyway, I''m going to use you so much so you don''t have to thank me.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t be too hard on me please¡­¡­¡¹ Thus, the hidden advance magician, the demonkin Kaara became my slave. The attitude of Kaara is overwhelming that I''m still doubtful whether it is a trap. ¡ªScene Change¡ª We came back to the fortress city of Ox with Kaara. When we went to the capital, Princess Silhouette and Jill came with us without saying anything. Prime Minister Nicolas also didn¡¯t say anything about me taking the princess. He is Lyle-sensei''s father. Meeting him this is may have been good since I was able to know that he was competent and he''s not a bad person. And because he''s sensei''s father, I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s up to. ¡¸What''s wrong Takeru-dono? Do I have something on my face?¡¹ ¡¸No, sensei has a beautiful face as usual.¡¹ ¡¸Takeru-dono, I''m glad that you praise my appearance but I''ll be more delightful if you praise my head.¡¹ His face blushed a little and looked down as if dissatisfied. Lyle-sensei has no dere in me. When we enter the castle of Ox, I am troubled with how to handle Kaara. I can''t let a demonkin in the same room as other people so I have to put her in a private room. ¡¸Kaara will be a maid for the time being so clean the castle.¡¹ ¡¸Yes master, your wish is my command.¡¹ That¡¯s pretty rebellious. Ofcourse she''s not allow to reject orders so she starts cleaning with a rebellious tone. ¡¸Hey, don''t you need cleaning tools?¡¹ ¡¸I can clean using magic.¡¹ Kaara used wind magic and started sweeping. That''s convenient. Moreover, she did not chant, as expected of an advance magician. By the way, if I order her "Clean" without time limit, will she do it forever? The curse slave contract is a terrible curse so I told her "You can rest if you judge that your done.". ¡¸Hmm, that¡¯s pretty.¡¹ When I checked what she''s doing later, although it was a stone castle, the floor was shiny without dust. Even the old and dull carpets are as good as new. Because I leave it to her judgement, even with her rebellious lips, I understand that she''s the serious type. ¡¸Am I more useful than Oracle? If possible, I would like to use my head rather than my body.¡¹ ¡¸Hmmm, your head¡­. I will think about it.¡¹ ¡¸So, what should I do next, wise master?¡¹ ¡¸Sarcastic¡­. You''ll be on your free time for the time being. However, don''t do bad things. You eat the same things as humans, right? Because you''ve done my order properly, go to the dining room if you''re hungry.¡¹ Although it is not possible for her to harm humans, we can''t trust her so much. Also, even if you say that you want to use your head, I feel like your two to three steps behind compared to Lyle-sensei in terms of plotting something. Sensei is enough as the magician strategist this time so I haven''t thought the use of Kaara properly. First, I wanted to make sure that she can really be a subordinate so her free action today is the authentic start. I''ll decide about it tomorrow. That night, when Oracle and Sharon were waiting on the bed, Kaara came. ¡¸What is it? I thought I already told you that you''re free to do anything today.¡¹ ¡¸I was wondering if it is necessary for me to be your partner at night, master.¡¹ With a provocative face, Kaara take off her black robe and drop it. I wouldn¡¯t ask for such thing. Kaara is surely a beautiful woman and her proportion is good. Are her black bikini type undergarment a standard for demonkins? Who''s the manufacturer? Is it popular? ¡¸You, it''s just that ¡­¡¹ ¡¸Er, why are you so amazed? I''m pretty attractive right? At least it¡¯s better than the shorty sleeping there.¡¹ ¡¸Are you picking a fight with me?!¡¹ ¡¸Oh, I''m just saying the truth.¡¹ And so, Kaara said another sense of provocation this time, looking down at Oracle-chan who was lying on the bed. Saying shorty just like that. ¡¸It¡¯s war. When you said something about my chest, it''s already war!¡¹ ¡¸Oh my, I was talking about your back, but I guess a shorty will also mind her chest.¡¹ ***TN: Kaara is calling her ¥Á¥ó¥Á¥¯¥ê¥ó(chinchikurin) - which means a short person or stumpy*** Haa, these guys.This pattern is sloppy so stop it. Was there a slave who comes and interferes his master''s good sleep? Ah, when I think about it, there''s a lot in my place¡­. I really need to reconsider. ¡¸Ah, you two, stop quarrelling. Kaara, I do not trust you, so I can''t let you enter my bed.¡¹ ¡¸Serves you right Kaara. I alone is enough to attend through the night!¡¹ Oracle is standing on the bed, triumphantly sticking out her chest that is almost flat. ¡¸I¡¯m here, too¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Sharon, do not forcibly enter their conversation and be tainted.¡¹ If the respectable Sharon will be tainted by the color of the demonkin, I''ll be troubled. The saintess Lia is strange but these demonkins are strange in the opposite vector. ¡¸Hmm. Oracle doesn''t have a curse slave crest but I trust her very much.¡¹ Kaara, who was fueling provocatively until a while ago, sighed with a slightly anticlimactic face. ¡¸I am trusted by Takeru, so there you have it.¡¹ ¡¸A hero who trusts a demonkin is really strange¡­.¡¹ Her face seems that she''s discourage. Probably because Kaara, who''s working behind the scenes, effort in reviving the demon king till now was useless. Somewhat, it may be unavoidable to persevere. It is good if you grow up. ¡¸Anyway, Kaara, you don''t seem to have your usual energy.¡¹ ¡¸Do you think so? I''m not sure what I should do after my dream of reviving the demon king collapses¡­.¡¹ It¡¯s a burnout syndrome. Is it because you lost sight of the goal that you were actively working for? ¡¸Then, were you depressed by such a thing? Kaara, I will make babies with Takeru sooner or later. One of them may become a demon king soon.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, I have no such plan!¡¹ Stop it, Oracle. Don''t get caught in her when she called you shorty. Besides, if you say such a thing to a depressed person, she will receive it truly. No matter how much you want to torment Kaara, it is a bad hobby to lie. ¡¸Oracle, that¡­. true!?¡¹ ¡¸Well, if you talk about bloodline, the child(hybrid) of Immortal king Oracle and Hero Takeru is good enough to be the demon king of the next generation.¡¹ ¡¸No, Kaara. Don¡¯t take it seriously.¡¹ Kaara kneeled and get the black robe she took off. Ah, I have a bad feeling. ¡¸No, Kaara. Don¡¯t take it seriously.¡¹ ¡¸Oracle, no, your Majesty Immortal Princess Oracle. I didn''t know that you had such noble thought, of my former rude remarks, I humbly ask your forgiveness¡­..¡¹ ¡¸Umu, as long as you understand.¡¹ ¡¸Hey Kaara, don''t mind what she''s saying.¡¹ It is useless, the purple eyes of Kaara are sparkling. Once a man has fallen to the edge of despair, the nectar in the name of hope is too sweet. But, the side story should have not become like this. ¡¸I had enough. Kaara, go back to your room and sleep.¡¹ ¡¸By your will, national father Takeru-sama.¡¹ ***TN: Kaara called Takeru ¹ú¸¸¥¿(kokufu) which means father of the country*** She had a curse slave contract so I should have ordered her from the beginning. There is something in the kneeling Kaara''s purple eyes that is scary. It has a suspicious glow. What is it? What is this? I''m not going to make a half demon half human child. It¡¯s going to have an unfortunate upbringing! Please stop joking¡­¡­. Next chapter preview:Black dragon wyvern strikes again. CH 49 ¡¸Have you called for me National Father Takeru-sama? ¡¹ ¡¸The previous one is good so please stop calling me that unreasonable title right now.¡¹ We¡¯re at a living room in Ox, or better call it a strategy conference room. It is good that Kaara came early when I called for her but is she still dragging last night¡¯s event? ¡¸Haa, I¡¯m sorry Demonkin¡¯s Father Takeru-sama! ¡¹ ¡¸It looks like the curse slave crest is not working¡­. ¡¹ What I¡¯m telling you is to stop calling me father. How can you call me father if I don¡¯t even have a child? Being called General Choro or Merchant Hero is a hundred times much better! ¡¸Umu¡­. Then, Father-sama? ¡¹ ¡¸Annoying!¡¹ Is the Demon King Curse Slave Contract with Kaara too loose? Having doubts about the effect, I looked at Oracle. ¡¸Since Takeru made such a loose contract, it can not be helped, Father.¡¹ ¡¸Oracle is also annoying!¡¹ It seems that the talk is not going forward. ¡¸Excuse me, please order me as you see fit.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯d like to borrow your wisdom in order to stop the war with Transylvania.¡¹ It is Kaara that fueled both Transylvania Dukedom and Kingdom of Shirezie to wage war. I thought that you might be able to stop it since you¡¯re the one who cause it. ¡¸If it can be done, it might be able to stop the war.¡¹ ¡¸Hou, let¡¯s hear it for now.¡¹ Kaara points at the strategy map sensei spreads and explains. ¡¸Well, in the hinterland of the Transylvania Dukedom¡¯s capital city, Bullsale, there is a semi-forgotten miasma pool known as a gate of hell, the ¡°Demon¡¯s Gate¡±.¡¹ ¡¸Indeed, if we unseal it, we¡¯ll stop the war.¡¹ ¡¸Exactly. The Demon¡¯s Gate is comparable to the Miasma Hole of Doom although it¡¯s miasma of that pool is less than a fifth. If monsters were abnormally generated at the back of the capital, even the dukedom who has a deep scar of war will not be able to continue the war.¡¹ ¡¸Indeed¡­.¡¹ That solution is very demon like. Or rather, it will cause another problem. The hero opened the gate of hell and sold his soul to the demons. This is indeed, doing anything you can. After all, I should not say that. ¡¸What do you think sensei? ¡¹ ¡¸I just don¡¯t like that it¡¯s Kaara¡¯s idea but since we have an expert on sealing the miasma hole of doom, it seems like a good idea. If we negotiate with the condition of the hero will seal the Demon¡¯s Gate, the enemy will accept a cease-fire immediately.¡¹ If we go to seal it immediately after the end of the war, the damage will not grow so much. There will be fewer sacrifices if you think about the border dispute that will continue for a long time. As expected of the imprudent Lyle-sensei and demonkin Kaara. They understand practical reasoning. ¡¸Lia, what do you think? Am I such a bad hero?¡¹ ¡¸Well, as for me, I¡¯ll just follow Takeru¡¯s decision. In the A-sama church, it is more problematic that the hero go through the saint and take a demonkin girl to bed.¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯re not talking about that right now!¡¹ Or rather, I¡¯m talking about that there will be surely victims if monster spawns. Do you understand it seriously? ¡¸Should I make it good for Takeru? Are you going to overlook the war where a lot of people will surely die just to not dirty your hands? Or are you prepare to dirty your hands in order to save the soldier and the people from the war? Regardless of your choice, your saint will not leave your side until she dies.¡¹ Lia¡¯s blue eyes reflects my appearance with a depth like the sea. Even if she heard the talk about opening the Demon¡¯s Gate, the saint can still smile. Lia already has resolution when she say her honest feeling. For your support, I wish to express my gratitude. ¡¸I understand. Kaara, we¡¯re going to remove the seal of the Demon¡¯s Gate. Sensei, please prepare for diplomatic negotiations to stop the war. It¡¯s a game of speed.¡¹ ¡¸As your will!¡¹ ¡¸I understand, I¡¯ll do my best.¡¹ Another seal will break again, the Demon¡¯s Gate. My army boast of two major strategist, a grand self-writing and self-playing started. ¡ªScene Change¡ª The covered wagon we¡¯re riding is overcrowded. We head to the border of Transylvania dukedom using it. Kaara entered the dukedom in advance to unseal the Demon¡¯s Gate. The dukedom was frightened with the large amount of monsters that surge to the dukedom¡¯s capital Bullsale. With a ¡°Perfect timing for some reason¡±, the State Secretary of Silesie who was given full diplomatic power, Lord Lyle, came to negotiate. It is the scenario that means the end of the war will come. Leading the second corps knights, Earl Brynie of Lauren keeps on attacking the dukedom without permission. Since they obtain victory, we can¡¯t say anything. Indeed, this is a time to don¡¯t think about the parent and child feud. Prime Minister Nicolas was requested for his cooperation. Lyle-sensei is willing to sacrifice if there is a need to. ¡¸It¡¯s a big responsibility¡­¡¹ I have decided to prepare. For a real fantasy, this ending is disappointing. When our covered wagon approached the border, we were able to join with Kaara who flew in the sky using flight magic. ¡¸Since peace negotiations have already been successful, Takeru-sama will only have to come the the dukedom¡¯s capital Bullsale.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s awfully early. Why does Kaara know the outcome of the negotiation?¡¹ ¡¸I also have an information network in Transylvania Dukedom.¡¹ ¡¸As expected of a demonkin strategist.¡¹ That being said, Kaara has a proud look on her face. ¡¸If the negotiations did not go well and we enter deep on the dukedom¡¯s territory, won¡¯t we be encircled by soldiers and get attacked?¡¹ ¡¸Takeru-sama, even if you¡¯re only in a covered wagon, you are accompanied by a saint and a warrior with significant level. I don¡¯t think half hearted soldiers will put a hand on you.¡¹ I see. If you say so. ¡¸Then let¡¯s go hastily to the Demon¡¯s Gate. Lia will seal it immediately and then let¡¯s go home.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, Kaara, did I say anything funny?¡¹ Somehow, I was worried because she was laughing like she heard something funny. ¡¸No, I just find it funny that the thing I had prepared to defeat a human country would be used to stop the war.¡¹ ¡¸I feel sorry for Kaara.¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s strange that I don¡¯t feel bad. I now know why Takeru-sama took a demonkin like me to be at his side.¡¹ ¡¸I somehow feel heavy.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m looking forward to the future. I¡¯m sure Takeru-sama¡¯s child will have the aptitude of a demon king.¡¹ ¡¸As you say.¡¹ Though it¡¯s a mere misunderstanding, if it will make Kaara obediently work for me, it¡¯s convenient. Although it ended in peace, I do not want to stay long in other countries. Because I feel guilty about making my own self-made performance, I want to proceed as unnoticeable as possible. We pretended to be a free merchant caravan and go straight to the capital city of Bullsale. As for me, I wanted to be like Kaara who can fly. It takes more than three days for one way to go there by a wagon. If we go straight, we¡¯ll enter the battlefield where Earl Brynie¡¯s troops and the dukedom¡¯s army are staring each other. Because we need to take a detour, it¡¯ll take more time. By the way, flying magic seems to be quite difficult, and it is impossible unless you¡¯re an intermediate magician specializing in it or an advance magician. Even Lyle-sensei can¡¯t fly. ¡¸I can also fly. Kaara seems to be using human magic but it is relatively easier to fly using demon magic.¡¹ That said, Oracle-chan really floats from the top of the wagon. It is lovely to see that girl floats softly but I want you to stop because flying in the highway will make us stand out. It seems that demonkin¡¯s magic is some sort of black art which a few flying monsters can use. I¡¯m very interested in flight magic but it¡¯s too conspicuous to fly. ¡¸It¡¯s a territory of another country, so I don¡¯t want you stand out.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. However, human travel has a lot of leisure time.¡¹ Not really. Everyone in the covered wagon is doing something like maintaining weapons, and making paper cartridge. Because Sharon is the head of the company, she reads a bunch of reports and send them back after checking as we travel. She¡¯s like a career woman already. On the other hand, I, as the master of the company, am reading the progress of rifle making from the smiths. The canon already has rifling though it is at an experimental stage. Theoretically, they can make it a rifle by making it smaller. I doubt that it¡¯s slightly strange. (By the way, in the case of a breechloading type, the structure becomes more complicated because it requires a gunpowder container. Mass production is difficult because the gunner¡¯s risk increases. It seems that it will remain as a prototype even at the present.) Lyle-sensei, who¡¯s giving the direction of the development, judge that strengthening the war potential of cannons is the priority. Though the rifle is a man¡¯s romance, it can¡¯t be helped because of sensei¡¯s judgement¡­ Kaara seems to be busy, and flew away again somewhere. Oracle-chan seems to be playing. Well, I lay down as I threw out the documents. It looks like Oracle-chan judged that I also have spare time as she glance at me. ¡¸Naa, Takeru. If you¡¯re free, I¡¯ll grab you and fly.¡¹ ¡¸Eh, really?¡¹ Oracle-chan hold my back and fly away from the covered wagon. It was dangerous. ¡¸Oh, this is amazing!¡¹ ¡¸Naa, it¡¯s nice to fly in the sky! ¡¹ The dry wind feels good as it blows against my cheek! As we rises high in the sky, the wilderness extends all over to the other side. Beyond that you can see the village and the city surrounded by wheat fields. I can¡¯t see the sea, but you can look over the mountain range over there. This floating feeling and a sense of dashing, boils after a long time! ¡¸Hahaha, you¡¯re not conspicuous, aren¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸Naanaa Oracle. Can I cut in the sky? The sky limit!¡¹ Using Oracle-chan as a rocket engine, we dived from the sky. I take out the sword of light and cut off the enemy. Wonderful, this is going to be a new special move! My chunibyo blood is boiling! ¡¸Master! Oracle! Stop it!¡¹ Ah, Sharon who¡¯s in the covered wagon is angry. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, Oracle. We¡¯re done for the day.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right ¡­¡¹ The gentle Sharon does not usually get angry but she¡¯s scary when she gets angry occasionally. Because she comes in a completely reasonable way, I can¡¯t object. The union flight training, let¡¯s do it at night¡­¡­. ¡ªScene Change¡ª Finally, the long wagon travel has reached its last stage. We¡¯re approaching the dukedom¡¯s capital, Bullsale. Somehow, I thought that I saw a person flying from a distant place. It was Lyle-sensei who was being carried by Kaara. ¡¸Thank you, I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Thank you for your hard work.¡¹ Sensei seems to be exhausted and seemed to be feeling sick. Not sure if it¡¯s because he¡¯s not used to flying in the sky or because he dislikes Kaara. The difference in magical power is blatantly shown, and sensei who has a high pride might have taken considerable damage. On the other hand, Kaara has a proud looking face that seems like saying ¡¸I¡¯m more useful.¡¹. ¡¸The negotiations went well. Was it already reported by Kaara¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I have reported it.¡¹ Sensei who usually does not expose her emotions is openly looks terribly sulky. Sensei, recover your mood! ¡¸The walls of Bullsale are surrounded by hordes of monsters from the Demon¡¯s Gate. While besieging it, they are in a state of waiting to be rescued by the hero.¡¹ ¡¸Really? Then, let¡¯s do it.¡¹ Originally, it was a seed that I sowed. Although it stops the useless war, I feel sorry for the people of the dukedom. Transylvania Dukedom, when you see what¡¯s surrounding the wall of its capital Bullsale, I clearly understood how serious it is. The horde of monsters surrounding the capital is a considerable number. Even with just the monsters biting the wall of the capital, they are probably at least 200 or 300. No, there are more than 500. After the troops were dispatched to the front line in the war, it is revealed that this castle is rendered helpless and can only accept the siege. ¡¸Hey Kaara. Is this really about one-fifth of the miasma hole of doom?¡¹ ¡¸It seems that more miasma has accumulated than I thought.¡¹ Come on, please be firm. Anyway, let¡¯s avoid Bullsale, my target is the Demon¡¯s Gate that is at the base of the steep Rocky Mountain. We seemed to have been noticed and a group of monsters came towards our wagon. ¡¸I¡¯ll open the way.¡¹ Lyle-sensei who¡¯s wearing arowbe stood in the wagon and began chanting spell. ¡¸Lyle Laertius orders the heavens and the earth, barking waterfall, crying wind, crumbling earth, destroy your enemies with their power!¡¹ An intermediate-level large-scale magic, spiral hurricane, was casted by Lyle-sensei after a long time! Wind attribute, water attribute, and earth attribute was unleashed all at once. A huge water tornado has systematically swept the herd of orcs and opened a way for our wagon to run. Sensei seems to have a remarkable power today. ¡¸Oh, is that it? ¡¹ Kaara raised both her hands while making such a rude remark towards sensei. ¡¸Kaara Demonia Demonics commands the atmosphere, by the wave of the invisible air, blow off all the harm doing enemies! ¡¹ An earthquake happened and even our wagon shakes. I feel the distortion by which air is shrinking firm. Immediately after that, a tremendous shock wave was released around Kaara. The crowd of monsters around, BUJU! , altogether with a loud flashy sound, was blown off. The shock wave that was shot with the speed of sound, makes our wagon shakes and leaves nothing around it. ¡¸You idiot! You¡¯re overdoing it Kaara! ¡¹ ¡¸That was rude of me¡­¡­¡¹ You don¡¯t think you¡¯re rude as you¡¯re standing with a proud look in your face. I told you not to be conspicuous but that is insanely conspicuous. Ah, sensei looks depressed. ¡¸Sensei, magic is not about power, it¡¯s about usage.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s fine, I understand too¡­¡¹ Cheer up! ¡¸Sensei¡¯s usage is correct. Kaara¡¯s overkill is wasteful.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s fine, I also¡­¡¹ ¡¸In the meantime, sensei, please go back in the wagon because it¡¯s dangerous if you fall.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t think I can say no.¡¹ The rocky wall where the Demon¡¯s Gate is came closer to my eyes but before us. I have even felt nostalgia as a flock of black dragon wyvern blocked the view. CH 50 The flock of black dragon wyvern, they were such a frightening enemy but now, they look like small fry. Anyway, we also have an experience of defeating a real dragon. Rather, the scale of the black dragon wyvern is a good material for armor so I¡¯ll be delighted to hunt them. ¡¸I¡¯m going to take two of them. Takeru is going to take one?¡¹ Louise comes out of the covered wagon with the dragon slayer great sword and laughs. ¡¸No, I¡¯m also going to take two Louise. Oracle-chan, let¡¯s go in flight form!¡¹ ¡¸Oh, the union flight!¡¹ No, it¡¯s not really a union because I can¡¯t fly. Anyway, I can¡¯t be discouraged so I dashed with my full power! Oracle-chan grabs my back from behind and floated as it is. This union technique, in fact, fighting individually will be better but this is also good! ¡¸Sky, UWA¡¹ The black dragon wyvern in front of me opens its big mouth. From its mouth, it spits out a jet black breath. ¡¸It¡¯s a lukewarm black flame.¡¹ ¡¸Really? I only feel slightly warm.¡¹ I have the goddess¡¯ divine protection and mithril armor. I also ate a dragon¡¯s breath bag back so my fire resistance would have been strengthened. ¡¸Sky Sword!¡¹ I¡¯m just letting Oracle fly. Just by swaying the sword of light in front of me, a neck quickly flies. ¡¸It is different ¡­ ¡­. sky star king sword!¡¹ Another one was slayed with the addition of a special move. I slashed it from the back this time. After all, the enemies that reappear are small fries. However, we still haven¡¯t win. We fly at the same speed and slay another three around. There comes an outrageous knight¡­. Louise who have the dragon slayer great sword¡­ She is making dragon¡¯s internal organ soup in all the pots. She¡¯s not affected by flame breath at all. ¡¸Louise, do the dismantling later! ¡¹ Louise who reflexively dismantling the corpse take out the knife. She is already at the ledge of the rock wall so she run at the small cave. The Demon¡¯s gate is located at the end of the cave. ¡¸What the hell¡­..¡¹ ¡¸This is the first time I¡¯ve seen this but it¡¯s a strange door.¡¹ In the dark cave, the Demon¡¯s Gate shines pale white. It looks like an elevator of an old-fashioned apartment. ¡¸What is this out of place artifact? It¡¯s like a creation of Founding King Renz.¡¹ When I complain such thing, Kaara who rediscovered this gate comes and says. ¡¸It was not Hero Renz but a different hero created it. This seal is around 150 years old so the timeline is not suitable.¡¹ ¡¸Fuun, it¡¯s an elevator. If it¡¯s Renz, it will have a more awkward design.¡¹ ¡¸This is an elevator?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. An elevator is a box that moves through levels.¡¹ ¡¸Even if you move level, this gate is not simply connected to the basement. The Demon¡¯s Gate is a plausible name but it is does not lead to hell.¡¹ ¡¸So where does it lead?¡¹ Kaara shakes her head. ¡¸I don¡¯t know. There are still legends of connecting to a different world that are unimaginable. Even if you¡¯re a demonkin, if you get on it, you¡¯ll never come back even if you open the gate¡­.¡¹ ¡¸That legend is scary.¡¹ Why does the hero of this world always makes worthless facility? ¡¸Anyway, I will investigate and I will make the key to resealing.¡¹ Lia who brought her holy alchemy tool examined the device of the door. She began to make a key which fits the gate. At that time, the bellows shuts. It made a noise and the box began to fall. ¡¸Ooi, Lia, what did you do? The elevator has started to move.¡¹ ¡¸No, I haven¡¯t done anything!¡¹ The elevator is descending fast with a rattling sound. This is dangerous. This is, perhaps there is ¡°something¡± below. If I push the ¡°up button¡±, will it go up? ¡¸Hey Lia, hurry up and use the key to seal it.¡¹ ¡¸Please don¡¯t rush me! I¡¯m doing it now!¡¹ A sound echoes from the bottom of the earth. The display indicated that were at the 100th basement level. This is impossible. Even Oracle¡¯s Great Cave is only until the 30th level. The display goes up rapidly. ¡¸Uaa, something¡¯s happening!¡¹ Lia is sweating hard on her forehead as she strikes the key to fit the door. Hurry Lia, this is seriously dangerous. Fifty ¡­ ¡­, thirty ¡­ ¡­, twenty ¡­ ¡­, ten ¡­ ¡­, ooo, open! ¡¸The key is in, the sealing is done!¡¹ The moment the door of the bellows tried to open, Lia turned the key that plugged into the device. At the moment, the shutter shuts off and the elevator stops moving. In the quiet cave, the sound of the descending box echoed. ¡¸I, for a moment, I saw a strange glance¡­¡­¡¹ Did everyone see? Just seeing something crazy makes me feel sick¡­ Argh, I hate talking like this is a kind of ghost story! I¡¯m not scared, but ¡­. ¡¸This elevator is much more dangerous than the miasma hole of doom.¡¹ There is something really dangerous underneath. I was relieved that the seal made it in time. Fighting a last boss is easier. Somehow, I got mentally tired and went out of the cave of the rock shelf. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s go home.¡¹ The monsters who wanted to destroy the capital city of Bullsale was all blown off by Kaara. Let¡¯s go home before we get surrounded by Transylvania soldiers. ¡¸Hey, my lord, the corpses of the black dragon wyvern¡­¡¹ ¡¸Oh, sorry Louise, just dismantle them and bring them back.¡¹ Wyvern¡¯s internal organ doesn¡¯t taste bad although bitter. Although I don¡¯t think that Louise¡¯s fire resistance will increase by eating more meal. Enlightened emperor Takumi, please use your technique to help Louise dismantle the black dragon. ***TN: Someone named Takumi who¡¯s good at dismantling? No idea where he came from. Maybe from a cooking manga/anime/novel?*** After taking the meat and the scales, we returned to the covered wagon. ¡¸Wow.¡¹ We are already surrounded by Transylvania soldiers. Moreover, the king is obviously in front of us. He is standing dignified wearing a red robe, a golden crown(King¡¯s Crown), and a wand decorated with a jewel. I thought that it was going to be troublesome again but the king prostate in front of me. No, he did not mind his luxurious silk robe gets stained with soil. It¡¯s a true dogeza. What¡¯s wrong with you? ¡¸I am Varlam Transylvania Orania, king of Transylvania. I have no words to thank hero-sama for saving our nation.¡¹ ***TN: His title is¹«Íõ. Duke King? Since he is a ruler of a dukedom, it should be duke, right? Since it is a country, I¡¯ll give him the title of king unless anyone gives me a better suggestion/explanation.*** ¡¸No, it is not something for you to do dogeza¡­.¡¹ Because to be honest, this is self writing and self playing. This is awkward, terribly awkward. Why did I only meet such a proper good king this time? ¡¸No, this dogeza is not enough. I originally should present my neck. I was fooled by the flattery of my vassal and have allowed the army to try and kill hero-sama. Yet, hero-sama not only did not return the attack but also saved our country. This favor, how can I ever repay it!¡¹ Ah, so this is the shape of this encounter. Willing to present his neck and rubbing his forehead on the ground, the King¡¯s serious gratitude reaches me. ¡­..Or rather, pull out a little bit. ¡¸Well, the war has safely ended and the hell¡¯s gate ¡°Demon¡¯s Gate¡± was also sealed. I want to go home now that everything is flowing like water.¡¹ ¡¸How generous of you, hero-sama!¡¹ The king named Valram remains in dogeza. I¡¯m going to turn around and slip out. What a vivid dogeza technique! ¡¸I have decided to give this country to hero-sama.¡¹ ¡¸Eh, no, your feeling is enough.¡¹ I don¡¯t know how much king of the masses you are but don¡¯t decide on giving your country alone without permission. Before that, I cheated this time so it¡¯s really underhanded. ¡¸I only have one daughter. Please, please accept her.¡¹ ¡¸No, your feeling is enough.¡¹ This is bad, a princess comes out again. She has a long yellowing-brown hair and is wearing a blue dress. She¡¯s a little younger than me. Looking at the development of her considerably big breast, is she older than Princess Silhouette? She has a cute face with shy atmosphere and she¡¯s also wearing glasses. ***TN: She¡¯s the girl in Volume 4 cover. I only have illustrations until volume 3 so I cannot post any now.*** So, glasses also existed in this world, this is the first time I saw one. Well, she¡¯s a glasses girl¡­. As I think of it, she smiled. No, it¡¯s not regrettable. That¡¯s not the case. Both you and the princess are beautiful girls but I don¡¯t want anymore trouble. ¡¸Hey Sharon¡­ why did you appear?¡¹ ¡¸Master, the carriage is ready.¡¹ Have you finished loading all the loads? Alright. ¡¸King Valram!¡¹ ¡¸Ha ha¡¹ Because the king is in dogeza, all the soldiers are also in dogeza too. Refrain, refrain from it or you can¡¯t see the sword of light of this hero! ¡¸This Hero Takeru bears no grudge on what the Transylvania Dukedom has done. There is no different country in saving people. If there is any trouble, visit my castle any time. So, Farewell!¡¹ Salad bar. ***TN: ¡¡(¥µ¥é¥À¥Ð©`) ¨C that line is really written there.*** In such a case, I shouted loudly to deceive everyone in here. I¡¯m getting used to real fantasy. I manage to deceive them with the atmosphere and breakthrough the enclosure by the soldiers of the dukedom. I drove them into a complete defeat with the use of a self made performance we made. A little bit of guilt remained. Besides, there were various mistakes with the dukedom¡¯s side, but since it was a war it can not be helped. The king, who put his head on the ground for a youngster hero like me, can be frankly favourable. For the first time, ordinary people saw a king lowered his head. To be honest, he is far more splendid than the nobles of the Kingdom of Silesie. If you¡¯re in trouble, I will really help you, king-san. CH 51 Chapter 51 of Kokugensou wo Item Cheat de Ikinuku ¡¸Sharon, a luxurious horse-drawn carriage is chasing us from the rear.¡¹ ¡¸It won¡¯t catch up.¡¹ ¡¸Something strange is falling from the sky.¡¹ ¡¸Master, you think too much¡­¡­¡¹ No, I¡¯m not. Being a hero of this world is always troublesome. Hey, the war is over. Peace is back! Why has it become the most dangerous moment? ¡ªScene Change¡ª After all, my imaginary fears are needless, and we returned safely to the territory of the Kingdom of Silesie. On the way home, we went straight through the battlefield. The territory of Transylvania Dukedom is rough. It is in the state where they can¡¯t do anything because of the war. The Knights calmly plunder the enemy villages as they march. This is a harsh time in a ¡°Real Fantasy¡± so it can¡¯t be helped. I don¡¯t know if they are more atrocious than monsters because they are both brutal. ¡¸Earl Brynie, you did something considerably showy.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve hit the nail, but it¡¯s a pretty reckless attack. If the Demon¡¯s Gate seal was not removed, we should have counterattacked.¡¹ In the end of the war, Transylvania Dukedom¡¯s territory was scraped off to the Lauren territory. Lyle-sensei is wary of the strengthened Brynie who comes from a distinguished aristocrat family. Though he himself signed the end of war treaty that is advantageous to the Kingdom of Silesie. Better yet, sensei says that it would have been better if he lost. As for me, it is regrettable that the delicious place were brought to that noble. It is good that the war ended before any catastrophic collapse, since it is the soldier of the kingdom that will die in the planned counterattack. That guy is certainly growing impudent but I hope that it won¡¯t cause any problems. While thinking so, because I didn¡¯t want to see his face, we passed by the City of Lauren. On the other hand, I dropped by in the city of Spike of Viscount Oracle¡¯s territory. The stone wall that was crumbling was fully repaired with the support of the Sawatari Commercial Firm. The city¡¯s market is also full of vigor. In order to increase the defense capability, small turrets were also built. I told Viscount Ortholet to make the interior clean and beautiful but he only repaired the castle. It seems that the viscount who assumes frugality a golden rule didn¡¯t listen much. ¡¸Oh, Hero Takeru-sama. Welcome to my squalid castle. ¡¹ ¡¸I just happened to pass by so I thought of disturbing you a little. ¡¹ Viscount, if you know that its squalid, at least hire a maid. While thinking if I have to give fund, I listened to the viscount¡¯s story while sipping the bitter tea which a soldier carried. ¡¸Takeru-sama, I heard that you subdued the Demon¡¯s Gate in Transylvania Dukedom this time.¡¹ ¡¸Aa, we were just returning after that. By the way, how is the security of the territory?¡¹ I don¡¯t want to repeat the story of the Hell¡¯s Gate that much. Even if I am looked at with respect, I¡¯m really heartbroken because it¡¯s self-made. ¡¸Thanks to Hero Takeru-sama for subjugating the Oracle¡¯s Great Cave, the territory has peace and tranquility and the reconstruction is proceeding.¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s good¡­¡¹ ¡¸Although my ability is poor, please ask anything of this Ortholet so I can repay your kindness.¡¹ Viscount Ortholet is completely in my faction. Well, it¡¯s natural because I also support him financially. Lyle-sensei gives the viscount an instruction. ¡¸Viscount Ortholet, in order for Earl Brynie, who becomes impudent, not to do excessive things, please be the one who hold him down. Also, it will be helpful if you put the Lauren knights of the neighboring territory on your side as well.¡¹ ¡¸If it¡¯s the Lauren knights, I have a lot of former colleagues there. I will do everything to increase the number of people who will contribute to the will of hero-sama.¡¹ To the viscount who sat up straight, the Lyle-sensei nodded satisfiedly. ¡¸Takeru-dono, I must return to the capital.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Must I part with you again, sensei?¡¹ If Lyle-sensei goes, I would like to follow him to the capital too. ¡¸There is work.¡¹ ¡¸Eh, the war has ended with great pains.¡¹ ¡¸Rather, the end of the war with the dukedom is the start. Diplomacy will be busy so that the Germania empire will not intervene with our kingdom that was exhausted by war.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so?¡¹ Well, I guess we don¡¯t have any other human resources that can move as much as sensei. Moreover, I¡¯m sorry that it will be war again. ¡¸Takeru-dono, please stay in a place close to the capital. If possible, please stay in the city of Ox or any area on your own territory. There may be a Royal envoy coming from another country. If that happens, Takeru-dono and the princess must come.¡¹ ¡¸If there is such courtesy, it¡¯s inevitable.¡¹ As much as possible, I don¡¯t want to stay in the capital. Sensei probably considered my feeling and just let me stay in an area nearby. Well, if sensei is busy with his job, I probably shouldn¡¯t force him to accompany me. Should I just shut myself in my castle? ¡¸There are more bad news. In fact, the Germania Empire reported that there is a confirmed abnormal monster outbreak.¡¹ ¡¸Eh, did you do that Kaara?¡¹ If there is an abnormal monster outbreak, it means that there is a miasma reservoir. Because the Empire¡¯s area is vast, it wouldn¡¯t be strange that there are sealed ruins somewhere. ¡¸No, I¡¯m not involved. I am not sure of the location of the empire¡¯s miasma reservoir ¡ºHotbed of Corruption and Delusion¡»¡¶Den of Fukuma¡¯s Delusion¡·.¡¹ Kaara says it¡¯s not her doing. Well, there are many other demons lurking in human society, so it might be another guy¡¯s conspiracy, but it¡¯s a bit worrisome. ¡¸Hey Kaara. You targeted the Miasma Hole of Doom, and Hell¡¯s Gate but why not also the Hotbed of Corruption and Delusion?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a simple logic. The Hotbed of Corruption and Delusion was sealed by the hero of Germania empire just 50 years ago. It was heavily guarded by the soldiers of the empire and the church so I did not aim for it.¡¹ ¡¸I see, so that is the reason.¡¹ ¡¸I could have aimed for it if I wanted to. Because the Hotbed of Corruption and Delusion is large, it can be said that it is suitable for the demon king¡¯s revival, but the miasma reservoir of the Kingdom of Silesie is already in halfway of being forgotten which was convenient for me.¡¹ ¡¸Then, it is strange that the heavily guarded Hotbed of Corruption and Delusion seal was broken.¡¹ ¡¸It is impossible to for another genius demonkin like me to exist. It is natural to think that the one who released the seal is a human being that is on the managing side. I wonder how that human knew how to undo the seal but he probably heard it from the person I taught.¡¹ Indeed, there are a lot of troublesome stuff everywhere. There will be no dust if you left your plot to another party. ¡¸Sensei, do I have to go seal the miasma reservoir as a hero?¡¹ ¡¸It is favourable for us if the Germania empire is in a mess.¡¹ Having said that, sensei hides a smile that can kill an insect. Black¡­¡­ Or rather, it is unscrupulous to treat the unsealing of a miasma reservoir a good news. Even if I say that to sensei, it¡¯s too late now. I don¡¯t even care about the the empire¡¯s Hotbed of Corruption. The Germania Empire is said to be strong, if so, then they can protect their own country. Their country is big so there might be a hero somewhere to seal it. ¡¸Then, I¡¯ll soon return to the castle of Ox.¡¹ Viscount Ortholet wants me to stay overnight by all means. The bed here is stiff. I would like to tell him to prepare more luxurious bed and bath. Of course, I want him to ask my firm to construct it. ¡¸Then, I will work in the capital so you should take your time to relax, Takeru-dono.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I appreciate it.¡¹ I feel bad for sensei who¡¯ll work again but I¡¯d like to rest for a while too. ¡ªScene Change¡ª ¡¸Welcome home, Hero-sama¡­¡¹ When I came to the entrance of the fortress city of Ox, Princess Silhouette and Jill-san welcomed me. ¡¸Jill-san, I got a lot of black dragon wyvern scales so I¡¯ll make an armor for you later.¡¹ Because she has an important role of being the princess¡¯ escort, strengthening her equipment would be necessary. ¡¸Thank you, hero-dono.¡¹ ¡¸Ara, Jill has a souvenir but there is nothing for this concubine?¡¹ That said, I¡¯m in trouble. I cannot make equipments for Princess Silhouette who is a non-combatant. Speaking of which, I ask the princess to stay in my residence to be safe. It was necessary to buy the girl who looks after the house a souvenir. Well, I guess I¡¯m not considerate. It can¡¯t be helped since I don¡¯t have any experience with girls. ¡¸It isn¡¯t like that, hero-sama. It¡¯s a joke. This concubine can¡¯s say such a luxury.¡¹ No, you¡¯re a princess so you should be luxurious. To say a joke, it seems that the negative princess is getting better. ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll prepare some compensation, princess.¡¹ ¡¸Well, since this concubine turned 16 you could give me something to celebrate my birthday¡­¡¹ Oh, is that so? Seeing that I was a little stunned, the princess might have misunderstood and quickly darkened her expression. ¡¸Is it bad for the concubine to become 16? Perhaps it means that as I grow old, I deviate from the liking of hero-sama.¡¹ ¡¸No, please stop. I like mature women. ¡¹ Because I employed slave girls, I probably have some strange reputations. Please stop spreading that rumor. ¡¸I see, matured¡­¡¹ Princess Silhouette touches the chest part of her pure white dress, which is not very rich, and had a quite subtle face. Speaking of maturity, the princess has a difficult mental management as she was depressed by that. ¡¸Princess, each person has a charm. I think the princess is very beautiful.¡¹ ¡¸Really!? Then this concubine is looking forward to hero-sama¡¯s present. ¡¹ Mmm, a present. I¡¯m not good at choosing that kind of thing. ¡ªScene Change¡ª I was lost in thought while lying slovenly in my room in my castle and healing my fatigue from the trip. When I heard that the princess turned 16 years old. I was shocked that even in this world, people would get old. If you think about it, it is a matter of course. ¡¸I am probably already 18 years old too¡­¡¹ Coming to this world, the season has already cycled. I am not conscious of it since Silesie is dry and warm. It was comparatively easy to spend summer and winter. How old am I now? Maybe I¡¯m old enough to graduate high school already. Time passes without me noticing. ¡¸Master, are you troubled?¡¹ Sharon came with a big box. ¡¸Yeah ¡­ that¡¯s right. I¡¯m a little worried about what present should I give the princess. Even if I tell Sharon about my worries now, she probably won¡¯t understand. I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m so worried about getting old in this world. ¡¸Then, I was gathering them exactly.¡¹ When I thought about what she had gathered, it is a box full of magical ornament. I see. Did you heard about my talk with the princess and prepared it? Sharon is really too good. ¡¸But, isn¡¯t a gift something that you chose as you go around shopping yourself?¡¹ ¡¸Master, you said going around and shopping but the shops in this city¡­¡¹ That¡¯s right, because this town is my territory, ninety ¨C nine percent of the market is dominated by my company. What am I going to shop around my own shop? ¡¸Somehow, my feeling to shop has decreased.¡¹ I never thought that I¡¯ll be having a rich man-like problem. ¡¸I brought accessories for the time being, but we can also prepare various dresses suitable for the princess.¡¹ ¡¸Well, then. Let¡¯s do this.¡¹ What I chose from the box was a blue sapphire ring which I thought would suit the Princess Silhouette. Sharon stares at me while holding her breath. ¡¸Yu, are you going to present a ring to the princess!?¡¹ ¡¸No, Sharon, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡¹ ¡¸Then, what do you mean, master? It¡¯s me who brought it but I can¡¯t overlook the ring.¡¹ ¡¸I also gave Lia the Ring of Prayer so what¡¯s the difference?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s right. That sister persistently boast it every time!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. She made that ring a jiving material whenever possible. Giving the princess a ring will make her think that there is no special meaning behind it.¡¹ When I said that, Sharon folds her hand and started fidgeting. What¡¯s that reaction? I don¡¯t know. ¡¸Well then, if I ask master, will he give me a ring too?¡¹ ¡¸Sharon will be able to procure a ring from the store without asking me.¡¹ Sharon¡¯s amber eyes blazed as she glares. Uwa¡­¡­ ¡¸Master, if you do such cruelty, even I will become angry!¡¹ ¡¸After all, I¡¯ll choose this amber ring for you¡­.¡¹ I can¡¯t really take Sharon¡¯s anger. ¡ªScene Change¡ª Although it is a birthday gift, I¡¯m nervous to give a ring to a woman. I thought about the atmosphere so I invited Princess Silhouette to the balcony of the castle. I presented the ring packed in a beautiful box. ¡¸Oh, a ring, this concubine is fine with a new collar¡­.¡¹ The negative princess¡¯ reply is expected already. She misunderstood that I like collar, please throw it away already. ¡¸Are you not pleased with the ring?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not it! This beautiful ring will be cherished as an heirloom and will be treasured for life!¡¹ No, please wear it. Alright, I¡¯ll put it on her finger. The princess took off her white hood that hides her elf ears. I put the ring on her right hand¡¯s finger. ¡¸Good, I was wondering if the size fits, but it is perfect.¡¹ ¡¸Takeru-sama¡­..that is not the correct finger.¡¹ I remove the blue ring that I put on her right hand. The princess holds out her left hand ring finger and prompt me to put it in there. I was surprised a little. Well, if you want me to put it in then I¡¯ll put it in. Is the left hand¡¯s ring finger also has meaning in this world? ¡¸Even Princess Silhouette makes such an appeal.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m just doing what Takeru-sama told me to do.¡¹ ¡¸No, I don¡¯t want to get married¡­..¡¹ ¡¸Not that! Didn¡¯t you told this concubine before to do what I wanted to do?¡¹ The princess¡¯s pink shining hair shooks with the wind. The blue eyes of the small girl in front of me shines as it was illuminated by the sinking sun. The eyes of the princess are much more beautiful than the sapphire I gave her. The glow of her luscious eyes makes me feel the will of the girl who began to live by oneself. Marriage with a beautiful half elf princess may be a little hard but it will be nothing but a good fortune. Her precious strawberry blonde hair looks a little similar to the Lady-in-Waiting, Valli¨¨re. ***TN:Louise de La Valli¨¨re of Zero no Tsukaima*** ¡¸Certainly, I said so.¡¹ ¡¸This concubine has a cramped life so I cannot follow Takeru-sama forever. Therefore, I thought that it won¡¯t possible to convey it as long as I did not convey it in such a way.¡¹ The princess tells me this far, even I who was ignorant of the subtleties of a woman¡¯s heart can understand that she favors me. If I accept the princess¡¯ favor here, we might get married soon. Lyle-sensei has already become frantic and is preparing for the marriage though it still depends on me¡­. ¡¸Oh, but, of course, I don¡¯t want to be hero-sama¡¯s luggage! ¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s okay. I am very happy.¡¹ If I¡¯m not careful, the negative switch of the princess will turn. The princess panicked and is embarrassed. I am thankful that she¡¯s not upset but it is rather difficult for me to do this. ¡¸That¡¯s not the case. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. This half elf garbage said a cheeky thing. After all, this is not a ring, it¡¯s a collar, no, this concubine is satisfied with this nose ring!¡¹ ¡¸Princess, please calm down for the time being.¡¹ Though I still understand a collar but nose ring? Who¡¯s the pervert who has that kind of taste¡­.. ¡­..oh yeah, there¡¯s Lia! She¡¯s saying funny things like the warning ¡°Don¡¯t play with the princess.¡±¡­. ¡¸Because I heard from saint-sama that Takeru-sama has such a hobby?¡¹ ¡¸As expected! Lia is lying!¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re a man so this concubine understands. There is nothing to be shy about. If master wished me to do so, I will happily kneel down this place and cry BUHIBUHI!¡¹ ***TN: Buhi is japanese pigs saying oink*** ¡¸No, I¡¯m not that kind of terrible hero! I don¡¯t have such a hobby! Princess, you¡¯ve been deceived by Lia!¡¹ Wow, she really got on her knees. The princess is rubbing her strawberry blond hair on my foot. This is lovely¡­.no, this is not the time to say foolish things. This direction is bad and it is necessary to stop it before I learn strange thing. ¡¸Princess, it¡¯s getting a little cold, so let¡¯s stop imitating pigs and go inside.¡¹ ¡¸Buhi-desu, buhin!¡¹ After all, this negative princess is a little troubled. Princess Silhouette is an innocent person that is easy to be deceived which makes her an easy target for Lia. When I took off my coat and put it on the princess¡¯ shoulder, she, who¡¯s been kneeling and crying like an adorable pig, stands up. Please, return on being human, princess. ¡¸Buhi?¡¹ Argh, that Lia¡­.. the good atmosphere was ruined. As soon as I find her, she¡¯ll absolutely get it from me without fail! CH 52 ¡¸Long time no see Takeru.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, Sarah-chan.¡¹ I met her after a really long time. A girl with silky blonde hair. She didn¡¯t grow that much even after not seeing each other after a long time. I¡¯m worried about the future. It was Sarah who took the position of commander of my personal guard corps of my volunteer army after using her connection with me but¡­. The battle is getting more intense so Louise stated her opinion ¡°There is no excuse if you let the daughter of Rod family killed in combat.¡±. I force her to withdraw to her hometown by promoting her as the magistrate of Losgow village. By the way, Losgow village is not a part of my territory but a part of Marquis Donovan territory. I specifically asked them to employ a magistrate in there. If I gave her the management of Losgow village that we were previously doing and even recommended Sarah to take the volunteer corps to display men in uniform in her hometown, I thought that she would listen obediently. ***TN: Remember that Lyle was the one who¡¯s previously managing Losgow village*** Still, ¡°I¡¯m Takeru¡¯s personal guard.¡± is what Sarah complained about while hesitating taking the promotion. It gave me a hard time persuading her and tell her that I¡¯m going to pick her up after she becomes an adult. Frankly speaking, Sarah¡¯s household, the Rod Family, is just a slightly big farmhouse but¡­ In our adventurer era, before I met Lyle-sensei, Louise and I have been genuinely indebted to them. There is such consideration. Though she¡¯s still 13 years old, Sarah-chan reigns as a magistrate of Losgow village leading the volunteer corps(which are also children of Losgow village). It seems that she also developed the village and raised the Rod¡¯s house as the village¡¯s richest farmer but that is another story. ¡¸Natal asked me to bring the new cannon and cannonballs here.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, is it the armstrong cannon?¡¹ It is the breechloading-type cannon which has a rifling. Did they finally complete it? By the way, Natal Dacole is an engineer who took care of me during my merchant days. He, too, has succeeded as the head of the Mine Association Guild of the Ye Mountain Range from a small iron mine governor near the Losgow village. As Natal is also an excellent engineer, I have use him with intermediating with the Blacksmith Guild to make cannon and gun. ¡¸It was hard, because it was so heavy. It cannot be carry by an ordinary wagon so we needed to make a big wagon or the horses won¡¯t even start walking.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry for that. If possible, I want to buy each carriage, I¡¯ll pay the price.¡¹ A large wagon enough to carry a fixed cannon, there will be considerable usage with it. Well, for now, when I went to see the rifling cannon, it was finished in a tremendous long battery. What is the shape of it¡¯s cannonball? Hey, Sarah-chan. This shape is quite different from what I and Lyle-sensei cooperatively designed ¡­. ¡¸As ordered by Takeru, this is the Armstrong cannon.¡¹ ¡¸The shape is entirely different.¡¹ ¡¸But it is written in the specifications properly.¡¹ ¡¸No, the problem is probably my writing. I purposely wrote it in high rank letter so that it won¡¯t be read easily.¡¹ ¡¸If you eagerly combined it with the previous part, someone (I¡¯ll do it) can deliver it in three days.¡¹ ¡¸Uwa, that sounds like a smart thing to do¡­ but have you already learn the letters?¡¹ ¡¸Lyle-sensei was the one who taught me and I¡¯m still receiving homework.¡¹ ¡¸Well, Sarah-chan was also a student of the Cheat Lyle-sensei.¡¹ By the way, using this world¡¯s standard, only a genius child can read and write high rank letters if he comes from a farming village. Whether Sarah-chan was originally smart or sensei¡¯s teaching method is a cheat, it¡¯s a delicate point. However, the Blacksmiths. Though there were specifications, they created this with using my writing mischief. ¡¸What is the magic detonator(Mahou Raikan) on this rear part?¡¹ ¡¸Ah that, because it was impossible to create the detonator that Takeru says, the frustrated Natal-san put a fire iron wand to initiate the explosion.¡¹ I¡¯m sure this is going to be a decent rifling cannon. Even if I¡¯m an amateur, the structure is strange¡­ ¡¸There¡¯s a rifling groove.¡¹ ¡¸That groove is probably not working. But it is all right because it fires bow magic ¡°spiral arrow¡± as a discharge.¡¹ Isn¡¯t that different from the original design? This can be called armstrong cannon anymore, this should be called magic armstrong cannon. ¡¸They said that the exterior cladding has taken reference from the strange metal that Takeru get from the miasma hole of doom.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, that erosion-resistant alloy? I will be thankful if it this would be rust proof.¡¹ Even if I sent the blacksmith of this world a neat design, I never thought they¡¯ll make it without any basis. To make a precision cannon is one thing that I¡¯m not suitable for. ¡¸For now, the risk of accidental discharge seems to have decreased.¡¹ ¡¸That is dangerous¡­¡¹ Sarah gives an ambiguous tongue and says ¡°There¡¯s a little gas leak in breechloading type.¡±. Is that really okay? Oh well, there are a lot of place to put it in the fortress city of Ox anyway. Let¡¯s place it in and test it. I¡¯ll have the gunner to wear fire-resistant armor for life protection just it case it accidentally explodes. In a sense, since real fantasy has magic, it can be said that cannons can be operated safely compared to the real middle ages. It¡¯s a strange feeling to compensate for the lack of science and technology with magic. ¡¸Oh, about the magic gun (rifle), you have to wait a little longer for production.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s right, it can¡¯t be helped.¡¹ It seems to be more difficult to make a precision rifle than a cannon. There¡¯s no way I can make it, so it¡¯s frustrating to leave it to the experts. ¡¸Although I said that, interesting cannonballs were made too.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? What kind?¡¹ ¡¸It was in Takeru¡¯s project document, the net casting bullet.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, the one that shoots net instead of cannonballs.¡¹ It was one of the advanced knowledge that I remembered vaguely. If I¡¯m not mistaken, I got this idea from the japanese police that uses something similar to shoot a net. ¡¸This net is fire proof. It spreads out covering the enemy as it falls.¡¹ ¡¸Eh, amazing. It would be great if it is sticky. Oh, does it have thorns?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, do not touch the thorns absolutely. It has the giant spider¡¯s deadly poison so you¡¯ll die if you were pierced.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, you mean the one that we got in large quantities in Oracle¡¯s Great Cave? Well, I thought Wake has taken them back to the Thieves guild.¡¹ ¡¸Lyle-sensei and the Thieves Guild made it together. Because it has the viscous threads of the giant spider, a large monster such as a wyvern and its dragon knight will fall if they were caught up.¡¹ Indeed, I understand that this will be more effective in fighting a flying enemy than using bullets. Not only that it will seal the enemy¡¯s movements but it also has a deadly poison. I have no intention of designing a heinous weapon but ¡­ ¡­. ¡¸Besides, there are a lot of grapeshot bullets there too.¡¹ ¡¸Eh, this¡­. It is for the shotgun that I asked to be made.¡¹ ¡¸That is for cannon use. It is an experimental cartridge that has six small bullets and nine cartridge were created as prototype.¡¹ ***TN: Basically, they created a shotgun type bullet(grapeshot) for the rifle cannon. One cartridge has six small bullets embedded to it. This is basically a cannon that has rifling and has the ability to fire a shotgun shell.*** ¡¸Are you serious ¡­?¡¹ I am certain that the grapeshot bullets is necessary for the cannon. It has a short effective range but it can be drafter for anti-infantry. Did they take my idea of a shotgun shell to make a bullet for the cannon? Certainly, an old style cannon has the advantage of being able to use it as a bullet since you can stuff it with anything and use it as bullets. You can stuff it with pachinko balls and strike it out. ¡¸Sensei also said, if the fuse gets wet, it will be unusable. To be able to use it, attached a knife at the tip of the muzzle and use it as a spear.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not a bayonet¡­ I forgot about that idea.¡¹ The gunman corps are now equipped with swords for close quarters. In some cases, they are carying spear at the same time, but it is certainly much more efficient to use the gun as it is. But why did Lyle-sensei, who is a man of this age, came up with a bayonet idea. I do not remember saying such a thing to Lyle-sensei ¡­. Well, it¡¯s useless to think about it now. It is all because of Lyle-sensei¡¯s magic modification cheat. Sensei probably rushed the development of the new cannon and cannonballs before the magic gun(a rifle). Perhaps it is about the possibility of war with the Germania Empire. Sensei doesn¡¯t say anything unnecessary so this is just my guess. Perhaps if the empire will attack, the capital and the fortress city of Ox will be the final line of defence to hold the enemy in check. If that is so, the Kingdom of Silesie can fight for 10 years with the food and woolen products of Marquis Est territory and the mineral resources form the Ye mountain range. ¡­. I think that that is the strategy. Although it seems to be peaceful now, Lyle-sensei judged ¡°To prepare in a hurry¡± considering the tight international situation. ¡¸Hey, you okay, Takeru?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, sorry, just thinking a little.¡¹ ¡¸You are a bit tired, you had better take a good rest.¡¹ ¡¸Sarah-chan should also take a rest for a while.¡¹ Traveling on a horse-drawn carriage is quite tiring. Now we don¡¯t have to worry about war so it¡¯s okay for Sarah to stay here. ¡¸I¡¯ll have a bit but as soon as the tests of the cannon¡¯s are over, I will return soon.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, that¡¯s right.¡¹ It¡¯s a little strange. She was reluctant to be promoted that much. I thought that she would stay again. ¡¸Working as the magistrate of the Losgow village has become interesting and I was satisfied when I saw Takeru¡¯s face after a long time. If I don¡¯t study harder, I¡¯ll just get in the way if I were at Takeru¡¯s side.¡¹ ¡¸Fuu, Sarah-chan has become an adult a little.¡¹ Her appearance hasn¡¯t changed that much but her character is growing. There are many more childish people around me than Sarah-chan. I might be one as well. ¡¸Yes, Takeru will come to pick me up as soon as I¡¯m an adult. By that time, I¡¯ll be able to do as much as sensei.¡¹ ¡¸Aiming to be like Lyle-sensei is a bit too ambitious but allow me to use you when you reach a certain point.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I¡¯ll be of use. Don¡¯t forget it.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, please administer Losgow village firmly. When Lyle-sensei and I have left our job there, I have been half anxious so¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes, now I¡¯m going to put it to good use in that respect. Two years is fast. Until then I will also build up my studies and become a good woman, so please wait and look forward to it.¡¹ She¡¯ll be an adult in two years? Ah, in the world, 15 years old is considered an adult. I can only see her as a child now and I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll be a good woman when she turns 15¡­. I will not say such unnecessary things to the girl who seems to be a lady even if she¡¯s still small. I am also growing up. ¡¸Then the next time I¡¯ll see Takeru, you¡¯re also a better man.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, yeah, that¡¯s right.¡¹ The words Sarah said when she left. Strangely remained in my ear. By the time Sarah-chan is 15 years old (adult), I should also be 20 years old (adult). ¡ªScene Change¡ª ¡¸Well, I wonder what to do.¡¹ Somehow recently, every time I meet a person I am told that I should take a good rest. I wonder if I have such a tired face. The castle of Ox is a very comfortable place. It has the best bath and bed. Rather, Oracle-chan who¡¯s in the vicinity is saying ¡°Recently, I¡¯m sleeping all day.¡± (Well, Oracle-chan says that but she¡¯s only sleeping beside me.). I don¡¯t think I don¡¯t have enough rest. Speaking of tiredness, Oracle-chan is directly massaging me (it is so comfortable that I raised some strange voice) so I¡¯m in good condition. At such time, you should do something you want to do rather than rest. I decided to call Louise immediately. ¡¸Have you called my lord?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I think it¡¯s about time for me to formally bestow Suzanne and Claudia as knights.¡¹ Although they are still small, they have come to be able to play an active part well enough after they have obtained a lightweight, high-defense black cedar big shield. At their current level, I think that even if they are formally knighted, they will not be too enthusiastic to be killed in battle. ¡¸Takeru¡­¡­ you, you really grew up.¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s right, I must reward the work of the two.¡¹ Louise came in front of me and gently touched my shoulder. I¡¯m glad to be praised by Louise but aren¡¯t you praising me too much? ¡¸There is that too and before you make them a knight, you wanted to speak with their direct superior first before telling them.¡¹ ¡¸Er, yes.¡¹ ¡¸The two are still young and still do not know the etiquette of a bestowed knight yet. Rather than telling to the two directly, you call for me to teach them.For my lord to have such a consideration ¡­..I am truly proud.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, well.¡¹ No, I was not thinking that far, but somehow. Louise¡¯s red-colored eyes were moist to tears. ¡¸Okay, let¡¯s have a big knight bestowal ceremony. I¡¯ll prepare.¡¹ ¡¸Please.¡¹ Thus, between the audience where the red carpet laid in the castle, two of them, Suzanne and Claudia, officially became my knights. The two of them has a solemn expression. When they state their oath, their voices were trembling in an inspiring way. It was impressive that Louise was crying violently in the back for some reason. She was like a mother with two daughters graduating. Louise who usually looks like a cool knight is very emotional. ¡¸Yossh, Suzanne, Claudia. You may wish for anything you like as a gift for your knighthood. I¡¯ll grant it if I can.¡¹ You can give me half of the world. Well, such a request is nothing but rude as it will halve the world of man. Suzanne and Claudia were consulting each other. Suzanne, as the representative, says. ¡¸We¡¯d like to take bath with master.¡¹ ¡¸Okay, but is it such a good thing?¡¹ To be honest, I have been secretly making long spears of black cedar as gift for the two of them. Apart from that, is taking a bath that good? When I think about it carefully, the two of them have been severely served as my guard, but I did not do that kind of thing. ¡¸And we also want Commander Louise to join!¡¹ As Claudia said so, Louise had rounded her eyes. Well, I have never seen Louise taking a bath in a bathroom, but is it okay? ¡ªScene Change¡ª ¡¸What are you doing, Louise?¡¹ The bath attendant Laure has already gone in a dash. I do not intend to force you. Louise¡¯s naked body, my desire to see it is at the level that it came from another world. It is true that I really want to see it. I also want to celebrate the bestowal of the two but it is much lower than my overwhelming desire. ¡¸I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s good, but I don¡¯t like baths very much.¡¹ When she says so, i somehow feel that she stinks of sweat. The climate in the kingdom of Silesie is quite dry, so it is enough to just wipe it with hot water. Because I¡¯m taking a bath, all of our slave girls have grown to like baths, but Louise is not so fond of it. When you become an adult, there may be resistance to adopting new customs. Louise is one of the few ¡°adult women¡± in the house. ¡¸It¡¯s okay Louise, this might be a good opportunity. Come in with me.¡¹ ¡¸If my lord says so¡­¡¹ That¡¯s, there¡¯s no ulterior motive. I¡¯m sorry, but I really want to refrain from the truth this time. ¡¸Naa, my lord¡­. Although it is a hot water bath, taking off clothes in front of other people is¡­¡¹ ¡¸Louise, you can hide it, you know.¡¹ Surprisingly, Louise is wearing a cute scarlet brassieres. By the way, there are brassiere in this world but it has a slightly unstylish design. Intellectual curiosity, no, I thought it would be a kind of business so I secretly ask Lia about it. It seems that it has been created by the Founding King Renz. He made a practical women¡¯s underwear called brasher and spread it between the sisters of the church and the aristocrats. Until then, ladies were wearing cramped corset like restraint to maintain a beautiful figure so it was a hit and become explosive among wealthy women. On the other hand, there is a social inequality in this real fantasy world that the common people just wore shirt and doesn¡¯t even wear underpants. I have started this commentary suddenly. It was because I do not know how I should express how I felt at the glimpsed of Louise¡¯s gentle bra. Don¡¯t dye your cheeks red with shyness Louise, you¡¯re really moe so stop that kind of gesture. Maybe Louise is much more of an ojou-sama than I thought. If it¡¯s a female knight, I had the image of Jill that will unbashfully go to the bath naked in a cool manner and even saying ¡°gahahaha¡±. Louise has a proper shyness. ¡¸Louise, roll a big towel to conceal it!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yeah, I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ Because Louise is using a small towel and tries to hide only the important part. Her body line looked beautiful. I also unintentionally diverted my eyes. This is embarrassing. Louise¡¯s body, of course, is trained to be a warrior¡¯s body. It is made to feel the elegance of a girl is firm like in the chest or the stomach. Even the fiery red hair is beautiful. Hmm, Louise might be a good lady. No, this is bad, I should try not to think too much deeply. If you are too conscious in the bathroom, you will be in trouble. Because it is important, I¡¯ll say it many times. For my woman¡¯s preference, both appearance and personality, is undoubtedly Louise. In the midst of my memory, Louise it the first person I saw when I was thrown out into a different world. Perhaps my women¡¯s standard may have become her. ¡¸Well, Louise is going to take a bath after a long time, so enjoy the bathtub first. I¡¯ll wash Suzanne and Claudia.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, is that so¡­¡¹ Perhaps this is the first time she¡¯ll bathe in the castle, Louise bashfully head towards the bathtub. When Claudia went into the bathtub, she laughed and says it¡¯s just hot water. Suzanne is also accustomed to it. Oops, it is unwise to see Louise as she takes the towel. ¡¸Okay, I¡¯ll wash Suzanne¡¯s body first.¡¹ Suzanne who came to me abruptly has a hair color that resembles Louise. If Louise is burning deep red, Suzanne is bright red. It¡¯s easy to wash because she has a short hair. Rather, soap easily bubbles with short hair so it is quite good. ¡¸Suzanne might want to have a longer hair.¡¹ ¡¸This is better because it¡¯s easy to move.¡¹ I guess it is good if the person in question says so. Does she looks good in it? The shape of her head is beautiful so it can be said that she suits an active hairstyle. I did not hesitate and washes her back. Suzanne also seems to feel pleasant. Incidentally, it seems that it has been a long time since I wash Suzanne like this. I always ask them for help in combat and it seems that I am not repaying these children that much. She has a reliable back with a relaxed body with no wasted fat and a good practical muscle. ¡¸Then, next is Claudia.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, please.¡¹ When I pour the hot water over the Suzanne, I whipped the soap on Claudia¡¯s hair and wash it. Claudia, hair and pupils are light brown (hazel). I untied her hair and wash it carefully. Claudia always makes her hair stretched around her shoulder blades and tie it with a ponytail. They are knights so they might want to move easily, but maybe they¡¯re imitating Louise. Suzanne was a child of a sentry in the capital and Claudia was a child of a soldier that is assigned in the bow corps. As a girl who fell into slavery, they have a decent background. Without Gale¡¯s conspiracy, their families would not have been separated, and no cause and effect would have come to their house. If you think about it, you can¡¯t help but feel that this is a call of destiny. ¡¸Claudia has become a knight, so you¡¯re going to take a knight apprenticeship.¡¹ ¡¸Yes!¡¹ ¡¸To me?¡¹ ¡¸Suzanne too, we¡¯re both slave girl so please educate us well.¡¹ I made arrangements with Louise like that. An official knight always have to be an officer¡¯s attendant first. After they learn from an officer, they will become knight before long. ¡¸In the future, our company will organize a knight team of slave girls and I want Suzanne and Claudia be the core of it.¡¹ ¡¸¡¸Yes! Master.¡¹¡¹ Both of them made a good answer. So, it is just hypocritical that you do your best not to get killed in battle. The usefulness of the cavalry is high even in the age of guns and cannons. Those who are skillful at horse riding and became a knight will be a valuable force. After I scrub Claudia¡¯s back, we went to the bathtub together. It might be an unpleasant thing to say but I force them to fight as they are my slaves. If possible, I don¡¯t want children younger than me die. That¡¯s why I want to be stronger. ¡¸Louise.¡¹ ¡¸What!?¡­ Takeru.¡¹ No, why are you surprised so much? She didn¡¯t see me looking at her with very erotic eyes. ¡¸No¡­¡­ I thought Louise might have never used soap herself.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I¡¯ve never used it before.¡¹ No, please use it. Everyone took part of making it with great pains. ¡¸Then, shall we wash commander Louise?¡¹ Claudia says such a thing. ¡¸That¡¯s good. Suzanne and Claudia are very good at helping with washing the slave girls. By all means, polish Louise cleanly.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, guys, I¡¯m good.¡¹ ¡¸Louise, resign yourself. It¡¯s a celebration today, so why don¡¯t we just let them do what they want?¡¹ ¡¸To my lord, that said, Argh¡­¡­ I have no choice.¡¹ Louise also wants to experience the things others like to do once in a while. If she thinks that way, she¡¯ll be soft headed too. Ofcourse, I had turned away my eyes when Louise is making a lovely chatter as she was surrounded by Suzzane and Claudia and her body was full of bubbles. Because there was not confidence with my self-control, I floated on the bathtub and looks up at the ceiling. As for today, we had the two of they take a day off in their guard work and let them eat a lot of delicious things. I wonder if we should sleep together slowly¡­. Sometimes relaxation necessary to everyone. CH 53 From the window of Ox ¡®s castle, I just stare at the big white clouds flowing into the mountain over there. It was just when I thought that a peaceful day would start today. ¡¸Master, the Transylvania¡¯s princess is seeking for an audience.¡¹ ¡¸Really? Let her through.¡¹ Suzanne, who just became my knight, brings me a report with an embarrassed face. To get into the trouble of coming here, I prepared myself for an event(trouble). I¡¯m glad I got a lot of rest. I awaited for the Transylvania¡¯s princess on the modest audience of the Ox¡¯s castle. ¡¸Welcome to my castle, Your Highness Princess.¡¹ I stand up and greet the princess. She¡¯s wearing a regal blue dress with long hem under her blue robe. The princess gracefully advance on the red carpet and kneel in front of me. ***TN:Below is the V4 cover. That is Caroline.*** The two young knights who seem to be her escort also follow. ¡¸I am the only child of the duke of Transylvania, Caroline Transylvania Orania. I¡¯ve only seen Hero Takeru-sama¡¯s face once, it is from the time you seal the Demon¡¯s Gate¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I also remember you, Princess Caroline.¡¹ After all, she¡¯s a glasses girl. Well, should I stand up, or should I leave this as it is? ¡¸Today, I have a request for you. It is a very rude request and can be called really shameful but I can only ask for hero-sama¡¯s help.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind, what happened?¡¹ The princess, who has her long yellowish-brown hair tied with a blue ribbon, looks up at me. Her pale brown eyes in the back of her glasses seemed to be strong like her father. ¡¸Our country is now being partly threatened by Earl Brynie Lauren Blanc. He says that they will conquer our country if I will not be sent to him¡­. If I, the only child of the Duke is taken by Brynie, it will not be different from being robbed of the country.¡¹ ¡¸That maro noble¡­.¡¹ ***TN: Maro is a word of endearment for young boy/baby or pet. It can also mean ¡°myself¡±. I changed it a little(I translated it as I, me, myself) in chapter 47 but Earl Brynie usually refers to himself as maro.*** That Brynie guy without even informing the Silesie government. I mean, even without asking sensei, this guy just do anything he wants. ¡¸The Dukedom¡¯s national power was greatly weaken, there is no way to resist the threat of Brynie anymore. My father embarrassingly sent me out to seek asylum(protection) from hero-sama. I understand that I¡¯m doing such a selfish thing¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah, please raise your head. The bad one is Earl Brynie. Of course I will help you.¡¹ Because the princess, who¡¯s the only child of the duke, shifts her kneeling posture to dogeza, I made her stand up. I don¡¯t have the hobby of being pleased when a person dogeza in front of me. ¡¸Thank you.¡¹ ¡¸For the time being, Princess Caroline will take shelter in my castle. I will make a formal protest for Brynie¡¯s selfish act. Is that agreeable to you?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I can be relieved if I am under the protection of Hero-sama. Thank you for your kindness, we wish to express our gratitude repeatedly.¡¹ ¡¸Then we will guide you to your room. Your escort too.¡¹ However, it became a troublesome thing. Marrying the Dukedom¡¯s princess would have been much easier in this case. I need to send a fast horse to Lyle-sensei in the capital¡­ No, that alone is not enough. ¡¸Kaara!¡¹ ¡¸Yes, true ancestor-sama.¡¹ What? True ancestor¡­. Am I a vampire? Don¡¯t joke around. Kaara is really a hidden magician. She can hide in the nearby darkness without even a sign. ¡¸Please investigate Earl Brynie¡¯s surrounding. Kaara originally knows the details for that but can you include the diplomatic relationship in that area?¡¹ ¡¸It means that there is a possibility of being in contact with the Germania empire.¡¹ As expected of the demonkin strategist. I want to know the reason why a regional lord like Brynie is so bullish. ¡¸If so, grab the evidence if you can. It may be useful to sensei.¡¹ ¡¸As your will¡­.¡¹ Kaara vanished into the darkness without a sound. I¡¯m counting on you. ¡ªScene Change¡ª ¡¸Master, Earl Brynie Lauren Blanc is seeking for an audience but¡­.¡¹ ¡¸What!¡¹ I just sent a confirmation letter to my sensei earlier. Why did he suddenly come to my residence? Ah, I see. Perhaps Earl Brynie chased Princess Caroline immediately. Inspite of being a noble, Earl Brynie moves fast. ¡¸All right, let¡¯s go!¡¹ His move is unexpected. Does his soldier have divine protection for speed? We haven¡¯t even done a factual investigation yet. That Brynie bastard can conduct power this much. Perhaps I underestimated him because he¡¯s a maro noble. ¡¸Nohohoho, are you feeling alright, hero-dono?¡¹ The Earl is dressed in an impractical regal black armor and is even wearing a beret indoor today. For a man who chases a woman¡¯s ass, he seems to be in a good mood. Earl Brynie is also being accompanied by a stream of his vassal that are wearing fine clothes. Some would have probably thought that it is a feudal lord¡¯s procession. Is this kind of accompaniment natural because he¡¯s from a rich noble family? ¡¸My mood has gotten worse as soon as I saw your face in my castle.¡¹ I replied his nerve-wracking laugh with sarcasm. ¡¸I wonder if the princess of the defeated country escapes here.¡¹ ¡¸What did you mean by escape? ¡¹ ¡¸Maro¡¯s purpose is Princess Caroline, I would like you to hand her over ojaruyo. ¡¹ ¡¸I refuse. Her Highness Princess Caroline is under my protection so I¡¯m not going to hand her to you. ¡¹ ¡¸Nuu, what right do you have ojaru? To interfere with maro?! ¡¹ ¡¸Using your own logic, what authority do you have to make me hand over the princess to you? ¡¹ What, this extremely dense guy didn¡¯t think that he¡¯ll leave karate in this room. ***TN: Karate means empty handed. Yup, somewhere in that line, there is a joke.*** Did he really think that he will be able to take the princess with just intimidation? If so, this is a bewildering experience. Even I have some noble and royal family member backing me up, don¡¯t think that I¡¯m just a pushover youngster. ¡¸Maro, as the victorious general, has the right to demand the defeated nation.¡¹ ¡¸Have you got permission from the government of the Silesie kingdom?¡¹ ¡¸Maro, as the front line commander, has the full authority over the war with Transylvania Dukedom ojaru.¡¹ ¡¸The war is over! I¡¯m asking you if you¡¯ve got permission from the Silesie Kingdom Government!¡¹ ¡¸Nuu, that is¡­¡¹ ¡¸After all, do you think that a local lord can pressure other countries without going through the diplomatic routes of the country?¡¹ Even I, a different world person, will think it is amusing. ¡¸Silence! Maro is the present head of the Blanc Household who draws the blood of Founding King Renz. Someone with an unknown origin should know his place.¡¹ I¡¯m sick of hearing that kind of intimidation. Nobles or royal family in this world doesn¡¯t mean a thing to me. ¡¸Well then, let me ask you. Which one is greater? You who is of the Blanc family that is a distant relative or Renz, or me, the Silesie Kingdom Regent?¡¹ ¡¸I¡­.¡¹ Brynie puts his hand on the handle of the treasure sword(Grass mowing sword) on his hips. I don¡¯t feel any sword pressure. Even if I¡¯ll take him together with a good knight, I don¡¯t think that I¡¯ll be defeated. ¡¸It will be good if you¡¯re going pull it out. You are a noble and a kingdom¡¯s knight, let¡¯s have a fair match. Although I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll survive¡­¡¹ I worked my mind out to be able to take out the sword of light anytime. I¡¯m not wearing my Mithril Armor now but I¡¯m not dull enough to be hit with Brynie¡¯s sword. ¡¸Hero is a coward ojaru! You want to monopolize the princess of the Kingdom of Silesie and the princess of the Transylvania Dukedom ojaru. At least give the half to maro.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t have that kind of intention.¡¹ I say it again and again, Brynie has no right to say it. You want me to give you the princess of your own country or the princess of the neighboring country? What are you trying to achieve? If I consider that all nobles of the Kingdom of Silesie are like him, I pretty much understood why Princess Silhouette says ¡°I¡¯ve always receive treatment which is equal to a slave.¡±. I understood it clearly now. I hate these nobles. ¡¸Kuh, I¡¯ll remember this¡­. The arrogance and greed that I received ojaru.¡¹ Saying a typical villain dialog, Earl Brynie was taken home. What should I do after this? ¡¸Claudia, call Neneka of the Thieves Guild immediately.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, master!¡¹ I decided to move the spy unit. I will not neglect monitoring Brynie in my territory. ¡ªScene Change¡ª ¡¸I¡¯m sorry Lyle-sensei, I know you¡¯re busy.¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m sorry too. The foolishness of Earl Brynie is beyond the range of expectation.¡¹ After the visit of Earl Brynie and Princess Caroline, Lyle-sensei ride the fast horse from the capital in a panic. For the first time in a while, I saw Lyle-sensei¡¯s impatient face. I guess it was truly unexpected. ¡¸Earl Brynie, what is he planning?¡¹ ¡¸No, he¡¯s not planning anything. He just move on instinct without thinking anything.¡¹ It is the type that he finds hard to deal with¡­of Lyle-sensei with a precocious shaped eyebrow. A true fool is a natural enemy of a strategist. ¡¸Well, it is hard to say¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes, the worst man in the camp is in the most painful place.¡¹ Sensei has been very busy with the diplomatic negotiation with the Germania Empire. When that maro(fool) makes a stupid step, it will be obstructive. It is probably better to attack him in the dark. When we were discussing such a thing, Kaara literally flew back. ¡¸True ancestor Takeru-sama, it seems that Germania Empire seduced Earl Brynie with the Transylvania Dukedom.¡¹ ¡¸Did you get any evidence?¡¹ Kaara shakes her head. ¡¸I found it out with the the Germania government as a source but I cannot haul more than that.¡¹ ¡¸At least now we know that, that maro(fool), is the agent of provocation of the empire. You did well.¡¹ There will be only indirect suggestion coming from the empire. It is difficult to dispose of Earl Brynie because there is no evidence that leads to enemy country. ¡¸The Empire is now looking for a just cause to start a war. If we do it poorly, eliminating Earl Brynie might become their reason for intervention.¡¹ Lyle-sensei explained the international situation in a simple way. The Germania Empire did not immediately attack the weakened Silesie because they are on the lookout with the friendly Roland Kingdom and Britannia Coalition that are keeping a close watch on the Silesie Kingdom. In the savanna world, the most dangerous time is when one is trying to eat its prey. There is a time when a lion, king of beasts, is surrounded by a group of hyenas and has to retreat even though the delicious meat is before him. Even with the most powerful country in the Eura continent, an unscrupulous invasion war is not possible. On the contrary, if they find a just cause, they can persuade foreign countries to prevent intervention in the war. And because of that, Lyle-sensei should hurry the roll out of the rifling gun. ¡¸For that reason, Earl Brynie¡¯s immediate death will just stimulate the empire.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a difficult situation.¡¹ The Blanc family is a prestigious noble house who draws blood from the founding King Renz. If Princess Silhouette, who is the only direct descendant of the royal family, disappears, it is possible for the distant relative Earl Brynie and Princess Caroline to inherit the Silesie Kingdom. That Earl Brynie is a useful piece for the Germania Empire. Even if we say that Brynie is obstructive, if we kill him, the nobles of the Silesie kingdom will be shaken. The border territory of Lauren will also be unstable as it will lose its lord. The key to whether or not we will be a war is in the hands of the maro(fool). A mysterious composition stands out in relief. ¡¸Please give me a little time now. We have been negotiating to avert war.¡¹ ¡¸Of course, because there should be no war.¡¹ I would like to quickly kick off that Brynie. But for now, we have to swim. ¡¸Well, even if the Germania Empire wage war, I will take it in a way that we¡¯ll not be defeated.¡¹ ¡¸Is that true, sensei?¡¹ No, isn¡¯t it rude to ask back? Lyle-sensei is not a liar. ¡¸The other party is an empire, this time, I will not choose the means. I think you already know it, but I¡¯m continuing to prepare for it.¡¹ ¡¸Then, its okay.¡¹ If the sensei has a plan, it¡¯s okay. Kaara says ¡°No, if you¡¯re estimating the national strength of the empire ten times more powerful, you¡¯re taking them lightly. Isn¡¯t that impossible?¡±. Though she says it, I can say that sensei can. Kaara again says ¡°The number of soldiers probably coming out of the empire is at least a million. Do you know the scale?¡±. Though she says it, I can say that sensei can! ¡¸Okay, sensei, in the meantime, that annoying Brynie is in our territory.¡¹ After being refused with the marriage with the princess, his vassal strolled around the neighborhood near my castle. Therefore, I cannot let the princess to get out of the castle. ¡¸Is that so? For the time being, let¡¯s not kill the earl as he leaves the city. Though I already thought of seven ways to kills him while travelling from the capital.¡¹ ¡¸Indeed sensei. Brynie is the most damaging thing, please do it.¡¹ ¡¸Then, let me borrow your ear.¡¹ ¡¸¡­..I see, it¡¯s black.¡¹ If it¡¯s sensei¡¯s strategy, we will be able to punish Brynie without making noise. Kaara says ¡°Brynie is an idiot so you better utilize it well.¡± I¡¯m telling you, be quiet! Kicking the stupid Brynie, an ingenious stratagem clever scheme that even the germania empire can¡¯t break, is being conceived in the head of sensei now. Because, until now, sensei was ¡°choosing the means¡±. I don¡¯t think that the world¡¯s largest imperial army can beat the cheat Lyle-sensei who threw away hesitation. ¡¸I am very thankful for the confidence Takeru-dono has for me but sometimes I feel a lot of pressure.¡¹ ¡¸If it¡¯s sensei, even if you antagonize the whole world, it¡¯s okay.¡¹ Kaara seems to have something to say but eventually he sighed without saying anything. After all, that demonkin still has no faith with sensei. CH 54 Earl Brynie Lauren Blanc is still being stalked near our castle. That guy, we can¡¯t predict his next move. We¡¯re in the castle of Ox and is prepared for an attack. That maro noble(fool) has only been acting with power so he has to take the initiative. ¡¸Brynie, how despicable! ¡¹ I can¡¯t hold back my trembling from anger. Why? According to Neneka¡¯s spy report, it seems that Brynie is spreading unfavourable criticism about me. Moreover,the groundless rumor that he¡¯s spreading is ¡°Hero Takeru made the kingdom¡¯s princess and the dukedom¡¯s princess members of his harem that also has a lot of slave girls.¡±. Terrible! ¡¸I don¡¯t mind the rumor about me but I will not allow that Brynie to insult Princess Silhouette and Princess Caroline! ¡¹ When I thrust up my fist due to anger, I noticed that everyone is watching me with cold eyes. Lyle-sensei, Louise, Lia, Sharon, Oracle, Kaara, Princess Silhouette, Jill, both Suzanne and Claudia standing at escort, are looking at me with an unusual cold eyes. Only Princess Caroline seems to be perplexed but it is not because of my anger. ¡¸What? ¡¹ What is it, everyone? Why did you get angry? ¡¸Takeru-dono, we¡¯re saved if Earl Brynie is a man that will only do that much. ¡¹ ¡¸No, this is a serious thing, isn¡¯t it?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m also busy so after I gave measures for them, I¡¯ll go back to the capital.¡¹ ¡¸No, please wait. Sensei, this is a big problem!¡¹ Sensei makes a disgusted face to me who is angry alone. Why are you so cold, sensei ¡­ ¡­. ¡¸What is the problem?¡¹ ¡¸No, if we don¡¯t do something about the rumor, it will create a serious damage!¡¹ ¡¸Takeru-dono, by chance¡­.you don¡¯t know what the people think of you?¡¹ ¡¸Eh, yes?¡¹ It¡¯s scary. What is it? What do you mean? ¡¸No, Takeru-dono¡­ please look closely at the people gathering here.¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean?¡¹ I don¡¯t know. ¡¸Takeru-dono¡¯s staffs are all attractive and beautiful women.¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I am a man though. Also, many slave girls from Takeru¡¯s commercial firm are cute, aren¡¯t they?¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡­.¡¹ ¡¸I know well that they are not chosen by appearance. It¡¯s such an unusual bias, isn¡¯t it?¡¹ ¡¸If you say so, I feel slightly ¡­¡¹ ¡¸If you look at it at another person¡¯s point of view, what do you think will be the evaluation? Takeru-dono¡¯s intelligent so I¡¯m sure you understand.¡¹ ¡¸But I don¡¯t have anything¡­¡¹ ¡¸Neither does a scarecrow. I am hesitant to say this but, it has been called Hero¡¯s Harem for some time.¡¹ ¡¸Huh?¡¹ No matter how much Lyle-sensei says, that is impossible! ¡¸It is inexplicable that me, a man, is the leader of Takeru-dono¡¯s harem for some reason.¡¹ ¡¸No, I understand why Lyle-sensei is in it.¡¹ Is it good to have that kind of rumor with sensei? ¡¸No, that is impossible.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, you¡­ are you shaken?¡¹ Hearing that, sensei fixed his best chest posture and turned away his face. I coughed(kohon)now, I cheated. ¡¸We are fellow men so I won¡¯t be shaken. Anyway, a rumor like the hero has 100 or 200 beautiful women attending for him is not a big deal. If it is the hero, it will be washed down.¡¹ ¡¸To me it¡¯s a big deal ¡­¡­.¡¹ I never thought that I would have a harem even though I¡¯m a virgin. Even if it¡¯s groundless, the sad thing about real fantasy is that there is no way to prove your innocence. ¡¸Earl Brynie wants to criticize you for having the kingdom¡¯s princess and the dukedom¡¯s princess of marriageable age attend to you while not having a formal matrimonial relationship. To be honest, I also agree. I¡¯m saying this because I want it to be clear to you.¡¹ If I marry both Princess Silhouette and Princess Caroline, I will inherit both the Kingdom of Silesie and Transylvania Dukedom. I cannot say how much easier will sensei¡¯s work be. ¡¸Sensei, that¡¯s ¡­¡­.¡¹ I was attacked by a chill on my spine at that moment. What is this pressure. Somewhere in the darkness, there is a gaze that looks at its prey here¡­. ¡¸What will you do, Takeru-dono?¡¹ Because I have a blue face, sensei is indeed worried. ¡­.My instinct is emitting a danger signal, there! ¡¸Suzanne, Claudia, get Lia outta this room right now!¡¹ ¡¸Takeru, I still haven¡¯t said anything yet! What¡¯s with this unreasonable treatment!¡¹ ¡¸Not yet! Sharon, block her mouth right now!¡¹ ¡¸Takeru¡¯s not going to date¡­ mmm, mmmm, mmm, mmm!¡¹ ¡¸Yes Stelliana-san. Let¡¯s go outside.¡¹ Sharon, who was sitting beside her, blocks Lia¡¯s mouth. She was enclosed by my two knights and was dragged to the exit like an alien caught by the US army. ¡¸Fuu¡­..¡¹ ¡¸Takeru-dono, do you want to continue?¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­ Well, although she says it in that way, Lia is not wrong. I will not get married suddenly without even having a romantic love affair.¡¹ ¡¸Although I¡¯m not very sensitive to the subtleties of men and women, I feel a little frustrated.¡¹ Oh, sensei says such a thing. Hmm. ¡¸You are frustrated?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t think it¡¯s counterproductive to say such a thing, but I would like you to get married so have a love affair quickly.¡¹ ¡¸Then, Lyle-sensei, why don¡¯t you try to go out with me for testing?¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡¹ Sensei is surprised and opened his eyes. Oh, beautiful brown eyes. It looks like a jewel. ¡¸If I had a love experience, I would certainly be more likely to think of marriage. It would be a nice experience if sensei were to accompany me.¡¹ ¡¸N¡­No, I¡¯m a man.¡¹ Sensei¡¯s lips that looks like a cherry blossom petal trembles. ¡¸Isn¡¯t it good? Honestly I am not good at dating a woman. If it¡¯s a neutral type like Lyle-sensei, I won¡¯t get nervous.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re going to date someone with such a reason!¡¹ I don¡¯t want to hear that to someone who¡¯s trying to get other people marry. But well, I¡¯ll forgive you since the reaction is cute. ¡¸Why don¡¯t we try? It¡¯s like your favorite experiment. I love Lyle-sensei so there is no problem.¡¹ ¡¸The problem ¡­.ahh. I see. I¡¯m sorry! I did not think about the other party¡¯s feeling and I just fuel marriage carelessly. Please forgive me.¡¹ Sensei took a deep breath, fixed his chest with his hand, and deeply lowered his head. There is no need to apologize but I feel that my feeling finally reached it. Maybe I didn¡¯t really know what I was going to say. It seems that Lyle-sensei¡¯s almighty cheat has seen it. Although I also wanted to attack more, I don¡¯t want to bother sensei to bend his belly button more than this. However, I seriously don¡¯t want to have an affair with you. Well, when I confessed to sensei, he¡¯s seriously shaken. I can say such a joke. I¡¯m interested in girls like everyone else . I want the other party to be my beloved. As I think of embarrassing things like a maiden in love, I left the room because the meeting is over. Lia, who was outside, began to laugh. ¡¸What is it Lia¡­¡¹ ¡¸If my partner is not the person I love, I¡¯ll hate it.¡¹ I thought my heart would stop. I already told you not to read my heart, you pervert sister! What is it, magic? I wonder if there is a divine magic, like mind reading¡­. ¡¸Even without using magic, Takeru¡¯s thought is something that I can foresee. Because I¡¯m always watching you.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m afraid of you sometimes¡­¡¹ Well, if the opponent is Lia, it is really disadvantageous. ¡¸If you want counseling on love problems, please come to A-sama church by all means.¡¹ ¡¸I respectfully decline.¡¹ Anymore than this, I can grasp that Lia will tease me again. ¡ªScene Change¡ª I say the glasses girl Princess Caroline eating dessert in the dining room so I called her out. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m worried about her but she suddenly stays in a castle of a stranger in another country for a while sho it might be inconvenient for her. As a host, I have to be attentive. ¡¸Did you get used to the castle, Your Highness Princess?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, hamburgers, salads and croissants are very delicious. The crepe previously is also wonderful but this sweets called ice cream overwhelms my tongue as it melts¡­¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m not asking about your impressions on the foods.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m vulgar¡­¡¹ The embarrassed princess is blushing. ¡¸No, since you¡¯re a girl, you obviously love sweets.¡¹ Because the one that made these are the slave girls, they¡¯ll be delighted for their dish being complimented. ¡¸Princess Silhouette-sama and others are also taking good care of me.¡¹ She¡¯s getting along with Princess Silhouette awfully well. This princess seems to be mysteriously got along well with the negative princess. It might be natural because they are about the same age and status. I wonder what the topic of their talk is. Well, since they are both princess, is it about the royal government? ¡¸Excellent, if you have any inconvenience, please let me know.¡¹ ¡¸No, anything more than this¡­I want to thank hero-sama again for sheltering me.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll also apologize for having the princess involve in my strange rumor.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, the rumor about hero-sama¡¯s harem. I also feel comfortable with the despicable rumor that Earl Brynie spreads but it¡¯s just a rumor. Hero-sama is a serious and sincere person.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right. Nobody knows it ¡­¡­.¡¹ I obtain a single person who understands me and I felt tears came out. ¡¸There is no way to shut the mouth of a person. I think it can¡¯t be helped.¡¹ That said, it is bad for the unmarried princess. It think everyone thinks of it too lightly. ¡¸I do not mind the rumor but there is something that is hard to tell hero-sama who I¡¯m indebted with.¡¹ ¡¸It is fine, go ahead.¡¹ If she tell me that she doesn¡¯t see me as a man, I won¡¯t be shocked. In the past, I would have been shocked if a girl tell me that face to face but now it¡¯s easier because it¡¯s like an open goodwill. ¡¸My father wants me to marry hero-sama. It seems that he intend to peacefully abdicate the throne of Transylvania Dukedom but I haven¡¯t thought that far yet.¡¹ ¡¸Of course. You should find your marriage partner yourself.¡¹ ¡¸No, that¡¯s not it ¡­ Marriage of a princess is a government affair so I won¡¯t be able to choose my partner.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so?¡¹ Political marriage in real fantasy is a commonplace so I guess it can¡¯t be helped. ¡¸I personally respect hero-sama from the bottom of my heart to the point I want to marry. But I think the problem is hero-sama is a citizen of another country.¡¹ ¡¸Indeed.¡¹ ¡¸Since I¡¯m the only daughter of the duke, my marriage partner will be the one whom the dukedom is entrusted. When hero-sama said ¡°There is no different country in saving people.¡± I was deeply impressed but still¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, your partner should be a citizen of your country. Your Highness Princess has a noble patriotism. ¡¹ ¡¸What is patriotism? ¡¹ ¡¸It is a heart that loves the country and its people. ¡¹ Is such a concept still not developed in this world? Duke Varlam and Princess Caroline who thought of such a thing for their nation are excellent. ¡¸I have been educated to stand for the people from my childhood. ¡¹ ¡¸I think it is splendid.¡¹ Although Princess Caroline¡¯s ideals look lame to me. If it is the will of the person to choose a marriage partner for the best of the people, others will not view it as such. ¡¸As hero-sama says, for the sake of the country, I think that the Transylvania Dukedom should be governed by the people of Transylvania. I know the fact that we lost a lot of knights in the war and we¡¯re in the situation that I cannot say such a thing but I still think so.¡¹ It was a clever declaration of intention which is quite likable. ¡¸I understand the ideals of the princess. Let¡¯s cooperate as much as possible.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you hero-sama for your repeated kindness and please forgive me for not rewarding anything.¡¹ I already get it so please don¡¯t lower your head in the dining room where everyone is. Is it a father and daughter habit to bow? I am very thankful to you for not being forced to an unreasonable marriage so please don¡¯t mind it. There, Princess Silhouette who was sitting quietly next to her butted in. ¡¸I, ngu¡­¡¹ ¡¸Princess¡­ Please talk after swallowing the croissant properly.¡¹ Jill, you¡¯re the princess¡¯ escort so please take care of her. Help her instead of going for another ice cream. ¡¸It seems that the complicated talk of the two of you is over so this concubine will depart. Let¡¯s take a bath.¡¹ Those are the word that come out from Princess Silhouette who¡¯s been listening to my talk with the dukedom¡¯s princess. The dukedom¡¯s princess says ¡°Yes, princess-sama.¡± as she nods. My idea of royalty is totally different. I don¡¯t know why they are good friends. Also, Jill-san is irresponsible. Stop asking for another helping and do your work as an escort. In addition, it is impossible to make another ice cream soon because we must call Viola who can make ice. More than that, you¡¯re driving our head chef Colette hard. I present you the title ¡°Sweet Tooth Knight¡±. ¡ªScene Change¡ª Well, as the bath flag was up earlier. It will be like the usual flow where the dukedom¡¯s princess will be at the bath but I¡¯m not foolish enough to not avoid it. I helped Laure with the bath instead. I cut firewood for the bath. I feel like playing so it¡¯s fun. ¡¸Master is an interference.¡¹ ¡¸You came to say that ¡­¡¹ Laure seems to hate it if someone takes away her job. Well, thanks to Oracle¡¯s Great Cave our problem with saltpeter was solved so her workload decreased. ¡¸I have a souvenir for Laure.¡¹ I dangle a bottle of fine distilled liquor (whiskey). ¡¸This, you should have said earlier.¡¹ Dwarfs are all drunkard. Laure¡¯s attitude has softened to a point. Easy. ¡¸There¡¯s also snacks, Laure.¡¹ ¡¸Give it to me!¡¹ What I got was smoked dragon meat, a special dish that I got from Louise. Laure opens her mouth a lot as she eats them satisfactorily. In general, monster meat is treated as low grade met but a dragon¡¯s meat is totally different. It is a delicacy that fights for number one or two even in this world. She puts a piece of dragon jerky in her mouth. It is a great dish to eat while drinking. A drunkard poet once said ¡°If you have dried dragon meat while drinking, you don¡¯t need anything else.¡±. Laure is also a drinker so she knows it¡¯s value as well. Being illuminated by the reddish light of the kiln fire and drinking while watching the moon. The location of the feast is very good. As expected, I don¡¯t like strong liquor but I¡¯m fine with a little sweet and palatable honey sake. It¡¯s a little good because I¡¯m on a different world. ¡¸It is quite nice to be with you.¡¹ Laure drank and eat happily. She suddenly clapped her hand and begin to sing a mine song(Tanko bushi). I almost blow out. ***TN: Tanko Bushi is a japanese folk song about coal mine.*** Fantasy is too unbalance too. ¡¸Is there a coal mine song in this world?¡¹ ¡¸Master, there are coal mines so there are songs about coal mine as well.¡¹ That¡¯s right, Laure is a miner¡¯s daughter. I thought about asking her about her life before she became a slave but I stopped it. It is better not to say trivial things. Even me, before coming to a different world, I can only think about the story of another distant stranger. There is a delicious sake here, there is a delicious snack here, and I¡¯m also here now. Dancing under the moonlight, there is a cheerful dwarf girl. Thus, I am good. To tell the truth, I thought about washing Laure who dislikes bath after getting her guard down with sake but such thought disappeared. While I sing together with Laure, Princess Silhouette and Princess Caroline, who are wearing a relaxing robe, came with the escort knight Jill. ¡¸Hi, are you going for a walk?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, after enjoying the long hot bath, we want to enjoy the cool evening.¡¹ Princess Caroline held a lute in her hand for some reason. It is amusing for not keeping a front. The dukedom¡¯s princess sat on the stump and pluck the lute to the tune of the coal mine song. It is pleasant. The small Laure spins around to match the tune, I¡¯m already holding my sides because of laughing. Laughing with tears in my eyes, eating a lot of meat, and tilting a cup. ¡¸There was no need to come¡­¡¹ When I thought that I heard the voice of Lia that was not there, I saw blue eyes from the window of the bath. With a face that seems to be saying something, it creates an intoxication feeling. I want you to please stop sending me pressure with your eyes. ¡¸Lia, what is it?¡¹ ¡¸Why is Takeru not taking a bath? I was waiting here all the time and is like a boiled octopus now. You should have act according to the scenario.¡¹ ¡¸What scenario¡­¡­?¡¹ If I went to the bathroom, am I going to head for Lia¡¯s route? Then, it was a correct answer to not go to the bath. My crisis avoidance skills have also gained experience and have leveled up. If so, it was a pleasant and comfortable night in many ways. ¡¸In addition, Takeru is putting too much firewood. I¡¯m really going to be boiled.¡¹ ¡¸Oops, I¡¯m really sorry about that.¡¹ The crisis avoidance skill has improved, but the bath combustion skill was not satisfied at all. CH 55 The stalking activity that was unfolded in the City of Ox halts as the nuisance in the form of Brynie disappeared. It was refreshing but since I¡¯m already thinking of a strategy to king him out, it¡¯s anti-climatic. Neneka, who was monitoring the Earl, came to report immediately. ¡¸He was surrounded by angry people in the city and fled in a hurry.¡¹ ¡¸How did that happen?¡¹ ¡¸Earl Brynie and his vassals kept spreading bad rumors about Hero Takeru-sama on public places such as bars and squares.¡¹ ¡¸As I have heard¡¹ ¡¸Everyone in this city is grateful to Takeru-sama for the restoration of the city. In addition, the Earl has a conceited character so you can imagine what happened.¡¹ ¡¸Indeed¡­¡­¡¹ The various strategies Lyle-sensei thought of become useless. Spreading bad rumor himself makes that maro noble to self destruct. It¡¯s a bit scary that Brynie¡¯s stupidity sometimes exceeds Lyle-sensei¡¯s expectations. ¡¸Anyway, you had a hard time, Neneka.¡¹ I gave Neneka the reward for this job and let her withdraw. In a sense, it has become a pattern, isn¡¯t it amusing? ¡¸I thought this was going to be the case when that human strategist and Takeru-sama were the one who planned it.¡¹ Kaara appeared from the shadows while laughing triumphantly. ¡¸You have to tell me that kind of stuff earlier, Kaara.¡¹ ¡¸Ja, I¡¯ll do so from now on.¡¹ Kaara and sensei are like, competing with each other. I don¡¯t know how much of a genius demonkin are you but you¡¯d better stop because you¡¯ll never beat sensei. ¡¸Oh well, it¡¯s good that one troublesome thing was settled.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not sure about that¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hnn? What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸Perhaps the miasma pool of Germania Empire, the Hotbed of Corruption and Delusion, was resealed.¡¹ ¡¸If that¡¯s true, it¡¯s too early.¡¹ It was a little hard to believe. Sealing an open miasma pool is pretty tough. If it is true, I think that someone deliberately open it. Just like what we¡¯ve done on the Hell¡¯s Gate of the dukedom. ¡¸What Kaara says is true. I¡¯ve also felt the enormous flow of miasma from the beginning.¡¹ Oracle also came to tell me while sticking out her chest proudly. Well, if Oracle says so. ¡¸Takeru-sama! Why didn¡¯t you believe it when I say so but you believe it when Oracle says so?!¡¹ ¡¸Trust and achievement, immortal girl Oracle has both.¡¹ She¡¯s a former dungeon master. Oracle has been living in a dungeon for 240 years while desperately gathering miasma. Then, suddenly, a young Kaara came and wasted miasma of the dungeon. ¡¸Oracle, you have worked hard to report it. I¡¯ll give you a reward later.¡¹ ¡¸Yay, I¡¯ll have mint ice cream for tonight¡¯s dessert.¡¹ ¡¸I reported it first¡­. So Takeru-sama. It seems that the day when the empire starts to move in earnest is near.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right. I need to consult sensei about it.¡¹ ¡¸If it¡¯s suggestions I¡¯m here!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, you are there Kaara.¡¹ I wrote a letter immediately and decided to report this to Lyle-sensei who was returning to the capital. I know that you¡¯re busy but we need to discuss corrective measures. ¡ªScene Change¡ª According to the letter that came back from sensei, it seems that the prince of Germania Empire personally sealed the Hotbed of Corruption and Delusion himself. By liberating the town and rebuilding the church that the monsters attacked, he have been appointed by the Archbishop of the A-sama church as the new hero. The Crown Prince becomes a hero. The empire seems to be having a feast. It would be a pleasure to have more heroes, but I only feel ominous. He did not meet the last condition to be a hero. He didn¡¯t defeat a demon king. In that short period, it is impossible for someone to evolve to a demon king. He has defeated the monsters? Everything is deployed too quickly. There is no choice but to ask the expert here. There is no other way. I ask for Lia¡¯s room. Lia¡¯s room is always rustling. It seems that the rustling sounds were somehow created by holy alchemy. ¡¸Hey, Lia.¡¹ ¡¸Ara, this is, is this not propriety¡­¡¹ She rested the hand that kneading the holy pots and smiled at me. ¡¸Propriety is it¡­¡¹ ¡¸It is unusual for Takeru to directly visit my room.¡¹ I do not know. Perhaps, this is not the first time? If I don¡¯t have an errand, I won¡¯t approach Lia¡¯s room. ¡¸Don¡¯t start an unnecessary topic. The Germania Empire prince became a hero.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, so about that?¡¹ The face of Lia who always smiles is a little cloudy. ¡¸After all, Lia also think that this is doubtful?¡¹ ¡¸It is the archbishop, Cardinal Nicolas, in the empire¡¯s capital, City of Northmark , who recognized the Golden Lion Prince as the hero.¡¹ ¡¸Golden Lion Prince?¡¹ ¡¸His real name is Prince Freed. He was called ¡°Young Lion of Germania¡± from his looks. As of now, he has kicked all other princes and seized the power of the Empire and became the Crown prince. He is called the Golden Lion Prince because the late emperor was called the Golden Lion Emperor.¡¹ The Crown Prince is the title of the prince who will succeed the throne. Did he plot all of this? I don¡¯t know cause I don¡¯t know the ability of the crown prince. ¡¸Hmm, I did not know that.¡¹ ¡¸Takeru is a different world person so it¡¯s natural. Crown Prince Freed is famous for being the man who holds the greatest power in Eura continent.¡¹ ¡¸In the case of golden lion, is it possible to compete with him?¡¹ ¡¸Though the A-sama church has authority, it doesn¡¯t have enough power to resist the power of the next emperor of the empire. More than that, Archbishop Nicolas is also a saint so he can certify a hero up to a first grade. He is also regarded as one of the candidate to be the next pope. If you think about it, there¡¯s no chance.¡¹ ¡¸Fuumu¡­¡¹ The crown prince who was appointed as a hero and the archbishop that appointed him. Is it possible for them to be helping each other for their ambition? ¡¸The opponent is a certified first grade hero. Though you were promoted to second grade, he is still too mighty to turn to an enemy. Since it has come to this, I propose to perform an update with a new sacrament as soon as possible. ¡¹ ¡¸Eehh..¡¹ Why did the talk changed to that suddenly? Just by hearing the word sacrament, my heart already feels like a whirlpool. I¡¯m traumatized! ¡¸Seriously, the crown prince and the archbishop are men. They might have done the sacrament but they should never done that taboo curse.¡¹ ¡¸So, they have done it?¡¹ Two men doing it is absolutely no good. Or rather, even the opposite sexes! ¡¸We have lost our taboo curse advantage. It is necessity to take off and make a few wet scenes by all means.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re obviously saying some useless erotic scenes!¡¹ ¡¸If there is a way to win against the certified first grade hero Prince Freed without wet scene, I would like you to tell me.¡¹ ¡¸No, at least say sacrament¡­.¡¹ At least decorate your words! Even so, your existence itself is said to be guilty. ¡¸If he really is such a strong person, I¡¯ll avoid fighting and run away if I couldn¡¯t win.¡¹ Yes, the materialistic fellow name Gale was doing such style of fighting. I don¡¯t have chivalry in me so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s shameful to avoid a fight that can¡¯t be won. ¡¸Then, even if the lion prince started a war, kill Takeru¡¯s important companions in front of you, and overrun Princess Silhouette by force, will you still run away?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s¡­ you¡­¡¹ ¡¸Whatever choice you make, your saintess will only believe and stay with you until the very end.¡¹ Lia kneeled in front of me. She raised her white-silver ankh to pray. ¡ªScene Change¡ª At the changing room, Lia gently took off the robe she¡¯s wearing on the floor. ¡¸Really, why did this¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Takeru! The holy sacrament has already begun. A-sama is watching over everything we are doing.¡¹ ¡¸A-sama! If you¡¯re watching, stop the sister who is breaking your commandments now!¡¹ Although he has heard the cry of a philosopher that, God is dead. Did the goddess of this world perished along with ethics? ¡¸Takeru, you can¡¯t¡­. You should read the atmosphere since a brasher is also a fashion statement of ladies. Don¡¯t say something unreasonable like ¡°Guhehe, let me take it off quickly.¡± and say a compliment like, that brasher is cute.¡¹ ¡¸I won¡¯t say it!¡¹ Where the heck did you get that ¡°Guhehe¡± character? Oh shit, I¡¯m completely on Lia¡¯s pace. Generally, your brasher(this world¡¯s brassiere) is always pure white. ¡¸In my case, everyday is my winning brasher in case of Takeru come for me.¡¹ ¡¸I didn¡¯t hear that!¡¹ I can¡¯t take it anymore, I¡¯m at my limit. I quickly took off my clothes and rushed to the bathroom. Lia also becomes naked in a hurry and runs after me. ¡¸Takeru, if you¡¯re impatient, you¡¯ll be disliked by girls.¡¹ ¡¸Ugh, this exhibitionist sister!¡¹ So, why do you always not wrap a bath towel? I know you¡¯ll take it off anyway but at least mess around with it a little! ¡¸So, how are we going to start today¡¯s taboo curse? From the front? Or from the back?¡¹ ¡¸I know that you¡¯re not deceiving me. I really need a power up.¡¹ Lia showed a niya face like smile. ***TN: Below is a sample of niya face.*** After pouring hot water, I sank myself into the bathtub. A part of my body is floating in hot water. ¡¸In fact, both your magical defence and physical defence will be strengthened.¡¹ ¡¸I understand but, is there really no other way? Are you doing this just to keep me silent?¡¹ Lia swam to me and pressed something big and soft on my back. She hugs me from behind and softly whispers to my ear with a sweet voice. ¡¸Of course, there is another way, do you want to hear it?¡¹ ¡¸No, I do not want to hear it after all.¡¹ If one is cornered and struggled poorly, he¡¯ll fall into an unnecessary terrible situation. It is necessary to wait quietly for the storm while being firm like a solid stone. ¡¸Ara, it¡¯s getting hard¡­.po¡¹ ***TN: She said ¥Ý which is a japanese sfx for something dripping or something was plunked. I don¡¯t think that she plunked Takeru¡¯s weewee.*** ¡¸Shut up! Of course that will happen after you said that! Don¡¯t use your mouth to say po. Are you the princess of the first Dragon Quest?¡¹ ***TN: There are a lot of Dragon Quest reference in this WN, should I start playing it to be able to explain it better?*** Even if I try to ignore it, Lia¡¯s words and phrase are very annoying. I think that she¡¯s a genius in rubbing up my feelings the wrong way. ¡¸It looks like it¡¯s already hard, but let¡¯s further strengthen your defense.¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­ please do whatever you like but at least shut your mouth.¡¹ ¡¸Well, don¡¯t a man like you have something than can clearly shut a girl¡¯s mouth?¡¹ ¡¸Please give me a break really, please!¡¹ However, I was not pardoned by Lia. She wants my lips to close hers. The opposite happened¡­. I¡¯m the one who shuts up. She¡¯s pouring saliva with her tongue and I understand that it is necessary to strengthen my throat by a hundred steps. And can you explain what is the meaning of you sucking saliva in my tongue? Even if I want to stumble, my tongue is completely pinned down by Lia. Lia is too intense. Lia¡¯s breathtaking smell and taste chokes my heart and is sending my consciousness away. My self-control, I have to endure it here, I can do it seriously ¡­. For a while, the battlefield, in the name of Sacrament, stupidly continued. And there. Princess Silhouette and Princess Caroline with rolled towel on their bodies came in. I was so surprised that I am stunned. I was solidified for a moment. What is going to happen¡­ ¡¸Hey, Lia, you, you didn¡¯t clear people out of this place?¡¹ ¡¸Ara, how thoughtless of me, my bad.¡¹ Lie! You absolutely did it on purpose! What are you thinking! ¡¸Oya, hero-sama and saintess-sama, you were bathing together?¡¹ ¡¸Princess Silhouette, you¡¯ve unluckily seen an untimely event!¡¹ Lia, don¡¯t laugh. Say something, we¡¯re in a sacred ritual! ¡¸Eh, hero-sama?¡¹ Princess Caroline steps in the bathtub and got her face close to us. Ah, she¡¯s not wearing her glasses. Is she shortsighted? ¡¸Eh, eehhhh? Kyaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!¡¹ The loud scream of Princess Caroline echoed in the bathroom. I was surprised too. The bath towel that was rolled on Princess Caroline¡¯s body who crouched fell down. Uwa, the princess is also splendid¡­¡­ No, this is the the time to say such thing although I feel like scratching this somehow. I feel refreshed on the contrary. Yes, the princess is right. Lia is out of the question and the calm Princess Silhouette is wrong. ¡¸Kyaahhhhh! Iyyaaaaaaahhhhh!¡¹ Princess Caroline is still screaming while panickingly trying to pick up her dropped towel. Her foot slides and rolled grandly. The ribbon that tied her hair was untied and her long brown hair spreads quickly. It is hard to tell the princess but¡­ her most important place is fully exposed. Haa, what should I do now? When I was speechless in the out of control situation, Lia rose from the bath with a splash. She dumps a pail of hot water towards the princess who was fluttering in panic. ¡¸Cool your head by all means, Your Highness Caroline!¡¹ ¡¸A, ah¡­ but saintess-sama.¡¹ Don¡¯t be unreasonable, Lia. How can you ask a person to cool her head when you pour hot water on her head? ¡¸Hero-sama and I are in the midst of a sacred ritual now.¡¹ ¡¸Eh, ah, but the two of you are naked and are intertwined in the bath.¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean by naked and intertwined in the bath? Right now, this is the holy spring of the sacred ritual. There is no doubt about that¡­ Your highness Caroline, were you thinking that Takeru and I are doing something unpleasant?¡¹ ¡¸No, I never thought of anything like that! Ah, just don¡¯t want ah, I, such a vulgar appearance.¡¹ Princess Caroline who collapses finally picked up the towel that falls on the floor in order to desperately cover her naked body. She¡¯s intimidated by the standing saintess in her defenseless state. She¡¯s unable to stand up. However, what Lia means is clearly obvious, she defeated the princess! ¡¸Did you say vulgar just now? Surely, you don¡¯t think that executing the ritual in our form when we were born is vulgar?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s not like that.¡¹ ¡¸Then, why are you hiding your body? This holy spring is being monitored by the magnificent goddess. In front of the shrine of goddess A-sama, concealing yourself is an evidence that you feel guilty!¡¹ Monitored? Is Lia making a mistake? I think even A-sama will be amazed if she looks at this situation¡­. ¡¸That¡¯s¡­ But I am not as respectable as saintess-sama so I am not confident of exposing my body before the goddess.¡¹ ¡¸No, even Your Highness Caroline has quite a thing. Given your age, you¡¯ll still grow.¡¹ Lia, what the hell are you talking about¡­¡­. ¡¸Growth¡­¡­¡¹ Hey Lia! It doesn¡¯t matter anymore, Princess Silhouette has gotten negative again. Pay attention to your surroundings. ¡¸Princess Silhouette, A-sama says ¡°Scarcity has value, be confident¡±.¡¹ ¡¸Is it true? This concubine has worth too¡­ Thank you very much, A-sama.¡¹ Princess Silhouette¡¯s azure eyes are glittering as she smiles. Ah, that¡¯s good. Perhaps this is the power of religion. ¡¸Come now, both of you. Expose your figure you were born with before the goddess.¡¹ ¡¸But hero-sama is also watching!¡¹ Unlike Princess Silhouette who had already tossed off the towel, Princess Caroline desperately resists. Her reaction is natural. She was poisoned by Lia before she knew it. She is in the same dangerous place as Princess Silhouette who is completely brainwashed by Lia. ¡¸I¡¯ll ask you this Your Highness Caroline. Do you Hero Takeru-sama is a little boy who¡¯ll lust over your naked body in this divine ritual?¡¹ ¡¸No, saintess-sama¡­ I¡¯ll never thought of something like that.¡¹ No, I¡¯m already completely holding it down. That¡¯s why if I can¡¯t stop this, I need to escape. ¡¸Then, there is no need to hold back. Drop the towel that hides your body immediately. If those words are the truth, prove it in front of the goddess.¡¹ ¡¸A, ai!¡¹ Princess Caroline, who¡¯s face is red, shakes her trembling hand. While biting her lower lip with shame, with tears floating in her brown eyes, she finally took off the towel she was holding. When the towel fell down into the sacred bathroom, everything that was hidden was revealed under the broad daylight. It seems that her shyness has already passed. She had two line of tears on her cheek and had a somewhat ecstatic expression. ¡¸Your Highness Caroline, put your hands behind you and stick out your chest. There is nothing embarrassing about the naked figure of a person. The only thing that is painful is the first but it gradually change to ecstasy.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, Saintess-sama¡­¡¹ Hey Lia, I noticed it late but we already crossed the line. This is no longer a matter of the sacrament! I¡¯m absolutely sure that humiliating the princess is just Lia¡¯s play. Well, I guess I have to see this through till the end? If you think about it carefully, a gentleman should turn his eyes away. Is this a man¡¯s true character? I¡¯m sorry Princess Caroline, I¡¯m bad too. ¡¸Hero-sama, please rejoice!¡¹ ¡¸What¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Just now, due to the courageous devoutness of Her Highness Caroline, A-sama awarded her divine protection. The sacrament is complete, level up desu!¡¹ ***TN: Level up is written in english.*** Silver wings flew down from the ceiling of the bathroom and gently wrapped the naked body of Princess Caroline. The dukedom¡¯s princess now wore a robe of an angel. She has tears in her eyes as she slowly kneels down while chanting prayers. ¡¸What¡¯s this, a sense of unknown emotion¡­¡­¡¹ Maybe because it was so hot in the bath, I had a headache. ¡¸Hey Lia.¡¹ ¡¸What Takeru?¡¹ ¡¸May I speak with you about the goddess?¡¹ Although I felt lucky this time, Lia is terrible to have a shame play on a princess of a country. I think the one responsible for this is the maker of this playful, cruel, real fantasy¡­ If the goddess is in a distance where she can be reached, I¡¯m going to preach her and release an Imagine Breaker. ***TN: Imagine Breaker is the ability of Kamijou Touma of To Aru series. It is the power to negate magic..*** ¡¸Is that so? Then please come to the A-sama church so we can properly wet talk each other.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not going!¡¹ I really can¡¯t understand her. Should I think that things are better now that the taboo curse has ended with only this? It is far from safety (or, that damage spreads beyond me). This time, I managed to avoid falling into a fatal situation and survived the forbidden sacrament. CH 56 Finally, a diplomatic envoy came to the capital of Silesie from the Germania Empire. It seems that Crown Prince Freed, who is the real ruler of the empire, will come himself. ¡¸Well, I thought I¡¯d be like that.¡¹ It is the remarkable prince that managed to become a hero by subjugating a miasma reservoir by himself. There is no reason for him to go himself as a diplomatic envoy for there is a possibility of war. Because the other party is the crown prince, as the regent, I have to go to the capital, of course, Princess Silhouette too. My body tightens as I think that war will start if negotiations break down. No, I should worry that if the negotiations break down, ¡°battle¡± will start on the spot. When I was walking in the hallway of the castle, the dukedom¡¯s princess, along with her two knights escort, pass by. The dukedom¡¯s princess makes a bright red face as she tries to pass by. We haven¡¯t speak with each other ever since the time of the previous sacrament. I am also very awkward but I must tell her that I am going to the capital. ¡¸Ano, Princess Caroline.¡¹ ¡¸Wahi!¡¹ The princess¡¯ shoulder trembles and her glasses fell from her eyes and slipped on the floor. After it bounce from her big chest, it was good that it fell on the carpet on the floor. The lens almost cracked. I picked up her glasses and hand it over to the princess. She received it with her trembling hands. Well, I¡¯m slightly embarrass too. But I have some business with her. ¡¸I apologize for startling you, your highness princess. As a diplomatic envoy came from the Germania Empire, Princess Silhouette and I will need to go to the capital immediately.¡¹ ¡¸Do you want to¡­ I¡¯d better not go with you.¡¹ That might be so. Unlike the duke, she doesn¡¯t have any diplomatic authority of Transylvania. If the dukedom¡¯s princess met with the crown prince, it will develop into a more troublesome problem than the one with Brynie. ¡¸Well, it would be better for your highness princess to not come out.¡¹ ¡¸Then, I will do so.¡¹ The conversation breaks, the two of us became silent¡­awkward. ¡¸He, hero-sama! What happened before, I don¡¯t really mind it anymore because it was saintess-sama¡¯s ritual.¡¹ Princess Caroline¡¯s cheeks are red like an apple. I also made up my mind and look at her face. ¡¸Well, it¡¯s like pouring water into each other.¡¹ It¡¯s a bath joke¡­ I guess that it does not make sense to this serious glasses girl. ¡¸In addition, after thinking about it slowly and carefully, even a little, I was able to repay hero-sama with my poor body.¡¹ ¡¸U oi!¡¹ What are you saying, princess? Your dialogue just now is misunderstood, the escort knights behind you are terribly dismayed. ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m sorry. Ano, naked.¡¹ ¡¸Stop! Your Highness Princess. Nothing happened. We just ran of each other in the bath by chance in an unfortunate event.¡¹ Please stop, because a new rumor might start. Her cheeks are dyed due to shame as I said that. The atmosphere becomes extra dangerous. ¡¸So,sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I made a fuss like a child. In that respect, Princess Silhouette was dignified.¡¹ ¡¸I think it¡¯s a problem if you¡¯re naked and dignified.¡¹ Somehow, being dragged by Lia will make your common sense crazy, that includes me. It must be a kind of religious brainwashing. Since I¡¯m the only one who noticed, I can use it as a shield for the dukedom¡¯s princess. ¡¸Next time, I¡¯ll be a little more¡­¡¹ ¡¸There is no next time, so please be relieved.¡¹ No, right? I have to strike a nail on Lia to make sure there is nothing. Even if I can no longer suffer damage, Princess Silhouette and Princess Caroline have been toyed with. Okay, let¡¯s go to Lia and scold her later. Either way, Crown Prince Freed became a hero. He¡¯ll probably bring the archbishop so I should counter it and take Lia. ¡¸Oi, Lia.¡¹ ¡¸Takeru, you certainly received it but it is not yet the right time.¡¹ She¡¯s wearing her hood so I can¡¯t see her face. It is quite rare for Lia to mumble in serious tone. She¡¯s scared. ¡¸What happened¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸In the last sacrament, I was able to promote and certify you to a quasi-first class hero. However, there is still a big gap from the first class certification of the archbishop. ¡¹ Does the difference in authority become the difference of power as a hero? I have no magic power, so I can¡¯t use thunder magic. I can¡¯t deny the disadvantage. ¡¸When we performed the sacrament, the level seems to have risen easily, should we do it once again?¡¹ I¡¯m not saying I want to do it but this is serious. ¡¸Just because it seems so doesn¡¯t mean that we need to do the sacrament again. There is nothing like a stage in the sacrament.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so?¡¹ Although Lia is feeling this way, she seems to be only doing whatever she likes. ¡¸Fox example, though this is terrible comparison, what if you¡¯re the goddess Takeru? Are you going to give me power many times without question? Think about it.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I guess there should be a proper margin to some extent.¡¹ That¡¯s exactly what I think of Lia. ¡¸A-sama will not give us special treatment. Though that is certainly not the case¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I understand. I will just do something with my wits and courage.¡¹ There is a limit of what Lia can do. ¡¸You are indeed my hero, Takeru.¡¹ Lia said that in a trembling voice, kneeled on the spot, and raised her silver ankh. She always looks like a decent saintess when she¡¯s in such a serious tone. Lyle-sensei¡¯s wisdom would probably manage to do something. If I go with sensei¡¯s instructions, my mind will have a sense of security and all I will need is courage. ¡ªScene Change¡ª I¡¯m on my way from the City of Ox to the capital. I asked for Oracle-chan, she flew to the castle in an instant but she¡¯s somewhat strange. ¡¸Oracle, you¡­ are strangely dressed.¡¹ ¡¸How can you say to a lady that she¡¯s strange? This is a dress that sensei-sama gave me. It matches my dignified looks.¡¹ There is dignity indeed. A luxurious crimson mantle which is attached in her shoulder with the help of a pad and a precious stone. I¡¯m sorry to say, but it doesn¡¯t suit you at all, Oracle¡­¡­. To the girl-like form of Oracle, that shoulder pad doesn¡¯t looks good. ¡¸Well, if sensei helps you put it, it might mean something¡­¡¹ ¡¸From the stage of Halle, after the end of the immortality king, it can be said that this clothing is suitable for the dungeon master Oracle.¡¹ Somehow, Oracle-chan is pleased with her crimson mantle and twin tails as she floats. If you really want to put parenthesis to it, at least stop putting that childish twin tails. This time, because it¡¯s a diplomatic negotiation, I do not think Oracle-chan¡¯s turn will come anyway. ¡ªScene Change¡ª Although the rebuilding project is proceeding smoothly, the scenery of war damage is still deep in the capital of Silesie. Especially the royal palace, it has been repaired but it¡¯s still remained partially destroyed. Because the Crown Prince of Germania is invited there, it became a big fuss that turned the castle upside down. ¡¸Takeru-dono, you came in the right time. According to the appointment, I think the Imperial envoys will arrive soon. You should also change to formal clothes too.¡¹ ¡¸Sensei, you seem tired.¡¹ Although we¡¯re not separated for a long time, I can see a thick color of tiredness in Lyle-sensei. Instead of the usual black vest, he wears a cloak colored with red and blue that symbolizes the status of the State Secretary on top of a long sleeved tunic, it seems to be heavy. Even if he wears an excessive bunch of clothes, sensei is amazingly cute. I favor him that much? ¡¸Anyway, I have prepared clothes for you so please be ready as soon as possible.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, sorry.¡¹ Since I¡¯m a knight and a hero, I would like to wear my mithril armor instead of bunch of clothes. However, I should wear something that has an emblem of the Kingdom of Silesie. I somehow feel like a knight of the crusade. As expected, Princess Silhouette is also dressed up more than usual. She also has a silver tiara on top of her strawberry blonde hair. As usual, her elven ears are hidden in the hood that makes the princess a little uneasy. It might be necessary for the princess to become accustomed to the duty of the royal family. Because she¡¯s a half elf, she can either accept her succession right of the throne or resign from it. And finally, the Germania Empire¡¯s envoy appeared at the audience of the castle. ¡ªScene Change¡ª Eura continent¡¯s largest empire, Germania¡¯s substantial ruler. Germania Empire¡¯s Crown prince, Freed Germania Germanicus. A young prince who is called with exaggerated names like golden lion emperor. Although the castle is still under renovation, a red carpet decorated with gold damask is placed in the audience. It can be reversed and will appear as royal purple. Even without having someone to tell me, I realized that the young warrior was the golden lion emperor. Shining Golden Lion hair and dignified features. The crown prince is a heterochromia with blue and gold eyes. His beautiful appearance is just like a young lion. He has broad shoulders and firm body, his strong presence makes him a great crown prince. Using the original world¡¯s standard, he has the atmosphere of a ¡°special guy¡± who sits calmly behind the special promotion class. Even without shouting loudly, just a glance from this person will make you naturally bow your head. He possessed that much charisma. Behind the prince is a heavy knight with a big shield that is palely shining, a bewitching advanced court magician onee-sama, and a saint that is dressed in a white and blue clothes of an archbishop. Ah, I think that I¡¯ve seen this atmosphere where there is a party of four with a hero. Obviously, the other side is a hero party¡­,moreover, a crown prone of the empire, is it from Romancing SaGa or from Dragon Quest? By the way, the golden lion emperor Freed is wearing an Orichalcum Armor. ¡¸The armor that he wears is a legendary metal, orichalcum.¡¹ Oracle whispered in my ear but I already just explained it. If you have knowledge in fantasy, you¡¯ll be able to guessed it roughly. If the silver metal that I¡¯m wearing is mithril, orichalcum is generally recognized as a metal that is palely shining. The big shield of that heavy knight might be one. It is probably the most powerful metal in the world, although there are mysterious alloys that were created by Hero Renz so I can¡¯t be too sure. ¡¸It¡¯s okay, you have the strongest armor of the Oracle¡¯s Great Cave. Magical power is applied on the other side of orichalcum. I you take strengthening magic into consideration, your mithril armor with all resistance will not lose. ¡¹ Oracle-chan, who delivered a full commentary, says it with a triumphant face. Even if the armor is not defeated, the one inside is¡­ After the prince¡¯s party of four, knights and civil servants followed. Their court ladies are beautiful. Suddenly, seeing Prince Freed¡¯s shining blonde hair and fine clothing, ladies are screaming ¡°kya kya¡±. Somehow, I feel like I have been defeated even though we haven¡¯t done anything yet. Dammit, I¡¯m not going to let girls go in your country even combat personnel. ¡¸We welcome His Imperial Highness, Crown Prince Freed.¡¹ Lyle-sensei¡¯s father, Prime Minister Nicole, greets Prince Freed on our behalf. ***Lyle¡¯s father¡¯s name is Nicolas Laertius. Nicole is his nickname?*** ¡¸I am the Crown Prince of Germania Empire, Freed.¡¹ ¡¸You must have been tired from your long journey. Please this way.¡¹ The prime minister tried to guide him but the golden lion emperor quickly grabbed his hand. ¡¸I do not like long talks, where is the only heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Silesie, Silhouette Silesie Albert?¡¹ ¡¸Silhouette is here.¡¹ Prince Freed glared at her then laughed. ¡¸Aren¡¯t you a splendid beautiful princess? Do you like to be my bride?¡¹ Ooops, Prince Freed suddenly confess on their first meeting. This development is too fast, is this the confidence of an ikemen? ¡¸I will not marry a man who I just met.¡¹ ¡¸Fuh, interesting. So there is a princess that refuses to marry me.¡¹ What do you mean by being refused of your proposal is interesting¡­? This blonde ikemen prince is overflowing with self confidence. ¡¸I like Princess Silhouette¡¯s beauty and her eyes filled with will. In any case, someone like you will be a good legal wife. If so, the Kingdom of Silesie will be part of the Germania Empire. After all, it is equal to obtaining the half of the world. I will give anything the pricess wants.¡¹ Prince Freed has spread his hand greatly and pleads to the princess. I hate his theatrical exaggerated gestures. Anyway, if it¡¯s this prince majimon, he will not be immediately declined by an ordinary girl. ***TN: ¥Þ¥¸¥â¥ó(Magimon) ¨C no idea of the reference.*** ¡¸All I want is freedom.¡¹ ¡¸Freedom, unlike the country of Silesie that is bounded by tradition, half-elf royalty is not discriminated against in the new empire. Silesie is a cruel country that does not recognize such a beautiful princess as you as the queen.¡¹ Prince Freed tries to embrace Princess Silhouette but he is quickly avoided. He is being rejected by the princess and his gestures has become like a drama play. The prince who seems to be enjoying the narrative part is not doing well with regards to his persuasion attempt. Is this the margin of the ikemen prince? I, and the retainers of Silesie, were dumbfounded at the kabuki performance of the prince. Is this also some kind of diplomacy? The retainers on the other side are not saying anything. Are they looking at this as a prince persuading a girl she met the first time? The court ladies who doesn¡¯t seem to understand what¡¯s happening are still screaming kya kya. ¡¸Even if I will not be recognized as the queen, there is already someone in this country who will become the king.¡¹ Princess Silhouette glanced at me as if she¡¯s relying on me. ¡¸Eh, me?¡¹ ¡¸Ho ho, are you Silesie¡¯s hero, Takeru?¡¹ Prince Freed¡¯s heterochromiac eyes of blue and gold glares at me impudently. No, I do not want to get caught up in this embarrassing little play! ¡¸No, I¡¯m not¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, Princess Silhouette is okay on being not recognized by the conservative nobles, he became the regent of Silesie to seize power. Don¡¯t listen to that very blatant man.¡¹ Even if I¡¯m holding the real power, Lyle-sensei just did it without permission. I¡¯m troubled if I¡¯m suddenly in a villainous position. Wait, I¡¯m the villain¡­? I¡¯m not bad, it¡¯s because sensei said that¡­ Yes, sensei is the one! ¡¸Takeru, you and I are heroes. Better yet, let¡¯s fight seriously with the princess and this kingdom on the line.¡¹ Freed who¡¯s standing before me pulled out a sword of light. Why did it suddenly became a duel? Shouldn¡¯t we have a diplomatic negotiation first? CH 57 My excuse doesn¡¯t seem to work, then, ¡¸Wait, betting the princess is not something a prince should do!¡¹ ¡¸Hou, I might have been rude. What you say is true.¡¹ Fuu, for the ikemen prince to be persuaded with that, is he a feminist? Even though I don¡¯t understand the other party¡¯s ability, suddenly having a duel is no joke. But it doesn¡¯t even matter. The court ladies that are accompanying the prince are saying kya kya no matter what the prince says. ¡¸However, the kingdom of Silesie has just been desolated by the civil war. It will be easy for the empire to conquer it. It would not be a bad idea to say that we will decide it in a duel between heroes without sacrificing soldiers and people.¡¹ ¡¸Well, that might be the case.¡¹ This guy¡¯s reasoning ability is also good. As for me who wants to avoid war, he might be able to persuade me. ¡¸Golden Lion Emperor! Don¡¯t think that you can get Princess Silhouette in a mere duel!¡¹ ¡¸Who the hell are you¡­¡¹ Suddenly, the saintess who¡¯s eyes can¡¯t even be seen with her double hood thrust herself forward. And, the opinion of Prince Freed on her is who the hell is this guy? ¡¸It is nice to meet you, Prince. I am Stelliana, Hero Takeru¡¯s saintess.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, you¡¯re the rumored ¡°Saintess of the Seal¡±.¡¹ Oh, so Lia is famous enough for Prince Freed to listen to rumours about her. Saintess of the Seal huh. Certainly, she was able to seal miasma reservoir three times already. She can already be called a veteran. ¡¸Princess-sama, please show the prince how much you adore Takeru.¡¹ At the signal of Lia, Princess Silhouette kneeled on the spot, rubbing her strawberry blonde hair on my feet and crying lovely ¡°buhi¡±. TN: chapter 51 At that moment, the atmosphere at the audience hall froze to absolute zero. Lia, you, the diplomatic envoys of the empire are also here, why did you let the princess do something like this!? Even the courtiers who accompanied Prince Freed are at loss for words. ¡¸Th-this is¡­¡¹ The face of Prince Freed, who was smiling from the beginning, collapsed. I also understand the prince¡¯s feelings. Lia¡¯s prank finally developed to an international level problem. Why do these kind of things keep happening to me¡­? ¡¸I think that you already understood it by all means. The princess has already been trained by my hero completely. Crown Prince Freed, even if you win in a duel right now, you will never obtain the heart of the princess.¡¹ ¡¸This is stupid. For a princess of the country to play piglet-chan¡­ I can¡¯t believe it. I have never experienced something like this!¡¹ ¡¸Buhi¡¹ ¡¸What are you doing!?¡¹ Prince Freed, who received a heavy shock on the princess¡¯ pig play, crashed down in one knee with his Orichalcum armor making a noise. With the world¡¯s strongest prince on one knee, a roar resounds on the audience hall. ¡¸No, Prince Freed, it¡¯s different. Lia just do whatever she wants.¡¹ ¡¸You bastard! Don¡¯t think that you already won because of this!¡¹ No, don¡¯t look at me with such a mortified eyes, we¡¯re not competing over that. After that, Prince Freed who lost confidence picked up his feelings. It took a considerable amount of time until the frozen atmosphere of the audience hall recovered. ¡ªScene Change¡ª The venue changes from the meeting room to the reception. Diplomacy continued. Of course, even if I say reception, it is not possible to have a friendly feast and chat to a potential enemy country. This time, an intense diplomatic negotiation at bureaucratic level has started. There is a war of words regarding the border issue with the Transylvania dukedom which is a tributary of the empire. However, the discussion was not settled at all. The position of the Kingdom of Silesie, which remains heavily scarred due to the civil war and border disputes, was weak that¡¯s why we are desperate in negotiations. The Germania Empire has expanded it¡¯s territory to the limit of the Eura Continent. It is a fact that a large number of kingdoms and dukedoms that have autonomy are obedient to them due to their overwhelming military power. In internal affairs, there is always the danger of a local rebellion. The weak point of diplomacy is being considerably cautious in other countries. Well, what I want to say is, the Prince and us are free. The prince who is trying to recover his confidence is sitting on a settee at a distance while being attended by beautiful women. Did he get tired of it? The shellfish purple cloak is coming over here. ¡¸Hey, Silesie¡¯s Hero Takeru.¡¹ ¡¸What is it, Prince Freed?¡¹ ¡¸This is just a consultation. Can you trade your saintess, Stelliana, to Archbishop Nicholas?¡¹ ¡¸Are you serious?¡¹ My heart is shaken by the unexpected favorable offer. It seems that the prince is lacking in brains too. If it is possible to exchange saints, you should have told me earlier. ¡¸You can¡¯t Takeru. This is the prince¡¯s trap.¡¹ Lia opposes, well, I probably should listen to what she has to say. ¡¸The Saintess of the Seal, Stelliana, was the first woman to put me on one knee. Cardinal Nicholas is a candidate to be the next pope and I¡¯m sure that it won¡¯t be regrettable to trade him with your saintess.¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s so great about Archbishop Nicholas?¡¹ The prince opened his eyes with a surprised face. ¡¸You don¡¯t know the capabilities of Nicholas, the Archbishop of the empire¡¯s capital Northmark? His ability as a saint is well known for he is a master of the recovery magic ¡°All Light Healing¡±.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s amazing.¡¹ He¡¯s more convenient that Lia who¡¯s needs to create recovery potion or elixir first. This trade is reaching its conclusion. ¡¸Takeru, you must not be deceived. The archbishop¡¯s all light healing is only useful in battle against monsters because it heals both enemy and ally without distinction!¡¹ It¡¯s unusual for Lia to panic. Indeed, it¡¯s not good for human to human battle. ¡¸Even so, the archbishop can certify one as a first class hero. It¡¯s not a bad deal because I heard that Stelliana can only certify up to second grade.¡¹ When the prince glanced, the priest with glasses made a gentle face and bowed to me. Yeah, he seems to be straight. I had a good impression on him. ¡¸I have already become a quasi-first class. I will absolutely be promoted to a first class!¡¹ Lia grabbed my arm. To be honest, this is the first time I saw Lia in a sorry state of panic after being with her for a long time. ¡¸You¡¯ve already became a quasi-first class? I¡¯m liking you more and more. Stelliana, won¡¯t you show me the face you hide under that hood?¡¹ ¡¸Please do not approach by all means! If you touch a saintess without permission, you will be punished by A-sama!¡¹ Lia is desperately trying to escape the approaching prince. Hmm, archbishop Nicholas is quiet and unmoving. His ability is certified so I think he¡¯s a useful man. ¡¸There was only one thing I forgot to say. Nicholas is a man of color so please be careful about that point.¡¹ ¡¸Eh, man of color?¡¹ The always confident Prince Freed unusually turned his face away and his words became murmur ambiguously. ¡¸In other words, I like men. It¡¯s a little embarrassing to say.¡¹ ¡¸Ho-homo¡­?¡¹ Archbishop Nicholas blushed and smiled. Uaaaaaahhh. ¡¸Freed, get your hands off my Saintess!¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¹ I knocked the hand of the prince who tried to reach the hood of Lia. ¡¸Who would hand over his saintess? It is unbecoming of a hero to trade his saint like a thing!¡¹ ¡¸You almost agreed earlier but swing immediately¡­¡¹ Prince Freed, who resentfully glared at me, reluctantly withdrew from Lia. The trade of saints is not possible without the consent of both parties. ¡¸Ah, Takeru. I believe in you. I believe in us!¡¹ Lia wrapped her arms around my neck and clings to me. This time it is my defeat. I had not assumed that there is someone more dangerous than Lia. I think about it from the bottom of my heart everytime. What kind of education does the A-sama church give for it¡¯s members to have this much freedom! ¡ªScene Change¡ª Even after the empire¡¯s envoy travelled, diplomatic negotiations did not make any progress due to mutual difference in argument. At least it has been decided that the diplomatic route of both counties are to be established at another country, the Roland Kingdom. Lyle-sensei is tired from the preparation for welcoming the diplomatic envoys and the negotiations that came after that. He seems like dragging his heavy state secretary outfit. ¡¸Takeru, please remember the face of the advanced magician who accompanied Crown Prince Freed. She¡¯s a suspicious person.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, the oneesan who wears clothes with high exposure?¡¹ With her glamorous body, you can say that she¡¯s wearing a naughty swimsuit. She¡¯s wearing a bonteji fashion type of clothes with high exposure although she¡¯s wearing a cloak. TN: Search for bonteji. Make sure that no one is around when you do. She has a magic wand that has a big gem. Is it a proof of being strong? ¡¸Germania Empire¡¯s court magician, ¡°Space-Time Gate¡± Jenny Walpurgis. While she can only use other magic up to intermediate level, she has two extremely rare ¡°unique magic¡±.¡¹ ¡¸Unique magic?¡¹ A word that I don¡¯t usually hear. Unique or special are usually words which those with chunibyo use. Well, hearing the magicians in this world chanting is like listening to someone with chunibyo. ¡¸She can use ¡°instant movement¡± which can make her instantaneously jump to her line of sight including the one she¡¯s touching.¡¹ TN: Some sort of short range teleportation like the one in FF XV ¡¸That¡¯s really fishy.¡¹ I¡¯ll be rendered helpless with that instant movement. I wonder if there is a limit due to magical power. ¡¸Another one that we should be caution of is her ¡°Metastasis Magic¡±. It is a magic that can transfer a group of people to a place she had set up in advance.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s completely foul!¡¹ If you can send soldiers freely with such magic, the tactics will be useless. ¡¸Please be at ease. She can only send 10 people at once. On top of that, it is an advanced technique that requires some time. However, it can be a magic that can change the tide of war if you effectively transfer warriors who have ability similar to the prince and his aides.¡¹ ¡¸Is it all right?¡¹ ¡¸If you understand the other party¡¯s magic trick, there is a coping method. To use ¡°metastasis magic¡±, she needs to lay a magic formation. I¡¯ll be sure to wash the places they¡¯ll visit in the capital.¡¹ ¡¸Please.¡¹ Already have a strategy, sensei is really dependable. ¡¸Another one we should be careful to is the prince¡¯s guardian knight, Hermann Salzhorn. As you can see, he is capable of rearing the world¡¯s strongest orichalcum shield.¡¹ ¡¸Right.¡¹ His existence itself is like a giant rock with a crew cut. As for the heavy shield, I heard that it is as strong as a weapon. It is a defence specialized cheat. I don¡¯t want to fight against Prince Freed. ¡¸Well, if they became our enemy, can we try pouring him with cannon barrage? I¡¯m looking forward how far can ¡°Hermann of the Impregnable Guard¡± can hold it to.¡¹ ¡¸Er ¡­ ¡­.¡¹ Sensei, don¡¯t laugh while saying such a thing. You somewhat had a villainous atmosphere. Now you¡¯re doing a diplomatic negotiation to avert war, right? ¡¸War is also a means of diplomacy, if you are not prepared to defeat the enemy, you can not avoid war.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so¡­?¡¹ Prince Freed came when I was discussing something with sensei. ¡¸I want to have a duel with the hero of Silesie.¡¹ ¡¸That again¡­¡¹ Even if we fight, there is no benefit. ¡¸Silesie¡¯s Hero Takeru, you have deliberately removed the seal of the ¡°Hell¡¯s gate¡± using your demonkin subordinate.¡¹ ¡¸What are you!¡¹ The golden lion emperor shook his lusty lion hair and laughed a lot. ¡¸Ha ha ha, it is natural that I know it. Because I did the same thing after seeing how you did it.¡¹ ¡¸Freed, you didn¡¯t¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I did. The seal removal of the ¡°hotbed of corruption and delusion¡± was ordered by me in order to obtain the power of a hero.¡¹ ¡¸You completely annihilated your city, the church, and your people just to become a hero!?¡¹ I never thought that he did it deliberately. I thought that it is a result of a race but it is a cruel story. ¡¸It is my empire. What¡¯s wrong in using the hotbed of corruption and delusion to the city and the people of my empire?¡¹ ¡¸You know what? Everything.¡¹ He overdid it. What kind of empire is Freed going to make? ¡¸You also unsealed the miasma hole of doom with your selfish reason. There is no way that you¡¯ll rebuke me as evil, Silesie¡¯s Hero Takeru!¡¹ ¡¸I¡­¡¹ Certainly can¡¯t make an excuse. I did my best to avoid war but even if we did, I would still be the villain for the scoundrel Freed. ¡¸Come on, please take out your sword now. Which hero is correct? Let the the sword of light conclude it in a fair match.¡¹ Boong(sfx), I took out the sword of light. For some reason, I¡¯m amazed by Free who seems to want to duel with me anywhere. Even if his body is bigger than mine, this fellow is just a brat. A brat who¡¯s dying to have and use his new toy. Although I understand this guy. I also suffered chunibyo before too. He wants to show off his power but still haven¡¯t realize that he can deeply hurt someone with that. ¡¸Freed, this might be a good substitute war between the Kingdom of Silesie and the Germania Empire. Let¡¯s do it!¡¹ I can¡¯t lose to a brat whose feature is only his large body! If there will be a sign that I¡¯ll be defeated, I¡¯ll run away with haste. I sent sensei a glance to confirm it. Okay, I¡¯ll probably be okay so let¡¯s do it. CH 58 When the sun is setting, at the main hall of the castle. The duel that will decide the fate of the Kingdom of Silesie, the fight between me and Prince Freed started. With the size of this hall, Oracle and I can even combine and be in flight form. I glanced at her and she normally cheered. ¡¸Do your best, Takeru. Remember what you¡¯re carrying.¡¹ Well, this is a duel between heroes so wearing Oracle-chan as a booster will be a foul. Staring at me are heterochromic eyes of blue and gold. A born ruler. The golden lion emperor Freed¡¯s presence is overwhelming. ¡¸This is a fair duel between heroes so if you don¡¯t come, I¡¯ll go!¡¹ ¡¸Oops!¡¹ With a boong sound, I slashed back with the sword of light. I thought that I should wait and see what happens but he¡¯s too fast! I can¡¯t afford to follow the opponent¡¯s initial move so I just accepted his slash and fights back. Spark scatters as swords of light collide with each other. The weight of the Sword of Light is almost zero. Its power and speed depend purely on willpower and dexterity. Freed¡¯s swordplay is truly masterful as expected of the prince but it seems that he still doesn¡¯t understand the essence of the sword of light. I am far above in terms of actual battle experience using the sword of light. ¡¸You really are capable, Takeru.¡¹ ¡¸Prince Freed is quite good too.¡¹ Against to the right, against to the left, our sword exchange is speeding up. An exchange of shining swords. One mistake will cost us our life but this is getting more fun. Whenever I swing my sword, my heart trembles with the pleasure of hitting each other. Freed grinned. Perhaps I¡¯m also grinning. Freed¡¯s sword pressure swelled up from there. ¡¸It¡¯s time to get serious, Germanicus ryu Sword of the Emperor!¡¹ ¡¸Kuoh!¡¹ Freed put all his power to the sword of light. Drastic attack will begin here. Spirit gushes out from Freed¡¯s whole body and poured it to an intense slash. My arms got numb for receiving it but I desperately endures it. So this is the sword of the emperor? ¡¸Ura! Ura! Ura! Ura!¡¹ His attacks intensified and were so fast as if it¡¯s splitting the air. Afterglow and after image can even be seen from Freed¡¯s attacks. I¡¯m still enduring Freed¡¯s attack and wait for my chance in case he overswing. He made a big swing and I sharply penetrate his defence in this momentary gap. ¡¸Hiratsuki!¡¹ Hiratsuki. It¡¯s a sharp horizontal thrust where the blade is laid sideways with zero pause. Freed¡¯s posture collapse due to his overswing but still has the ability to dodge my stab with his footwork. Even though it¡¯s his first time seeing my technique, it looks like he already anticipated that move. He really has a splendid battle sense. Even if he tries to evade sideways, I can change hiratsuki¡¯s thrust to side mowing. The sword of light made a ching sound as it was resisted by his orichalcum shoulder pad. As expected of the world¡¯s strongest metal, the sword of light only manage to graze it. ¡¸Effective decoration.¡¹ ¡¸Chi!¡¹ My step in was too shallow. If something like that happened again next time, I¡¯ll penetrate more deeply. But he isn¡¯t an enemy that will allow the same attack twice. ¡¸An interesting technique, Silesie¡¯s hero. If its piercing technique, I¡¯ll show you germanicus style.¡¹ Freed who withdrew once adjusted his breath. This time, he took a posture like someone who¡¯s practicing fencing and drive a thrust while running. ¡¸Germanicus-ryu, three-stage thrust!¡¹ thrust thrust thrust Freed skilfully shows of his piercing technique. So, there¡¯s also three-step thrust in this world. It¡¯s a tough match but it¡¯s a good practice. ¡¸Jikishinkageryu, four-phase blast!¡¹ Because it¡¯s a one-handed sword, I was able to perform four thrusts that hit accurately. It¡¯s an exchange of thrusts. I was able to repel Freed¡¯s three step thrust and stab him in an acute angle with my fourth thrust that is loaded with my strong will. ¡¸Nuah!¡¹ Having been struck at his shoulder, Freed swings his sword of light greatly and checks the place he was hit. It seems that even the sword of light can¡¯t pierce an orichalcum armor. However, the one who¡¯s wearing the armor can¡¯t be unhurt. I may have not broke his smile but the amount of sweat Freed is giving off and the way he clench his teeth, he¡¯s obviously damaged. My swordsmanship career is also young but this fellow was still lacking in actual combat. If it¡¯s just a duel between sword of light users, I, who had experience, will win. ¡¸Hey Freed, can¡¯t we just stop this duel already?¡¹ ¡¸What foolishness are you talking about? Do you think you have won already with just hitting me once?¡¹ Even if I win this duel, the fact that the empire still has enough power to threaten the kingdom remains. If that is the case, it is not the body but Freed¡¯s heart should be destroyed. ¡¸Well, then I¡¯ll continue beating you up until you ask me to stop! ¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t get cocky! ¡¹ The sword of light which I have put my strong will surely would have flipped Freed¡¯s sword of light. But, what is this? This feeling. I feel like I¡¯m having a premonition of receiving the enemy¡¯s slash. There is a phantom pain that runs through my body. I feel like my life is in danger and my sense of time is really slow. Freed¡¯s right hand has the sword of light and in his left hand, a jet black sword comes out. Freed, how can you use the sword of darkness that only demon king can use! At the same time I was thinking about it, I received a side strike. My sense of time returns as I violently hit the ground. ¡¸Oya, what the hell is this demon garbage? I cut a worthless person. ¡¹ Freed¡¯s ruthless voice falls on me. Apparently, I was just flipped off and there is no abnormality in my body. I thought that the mithril armor withstood it but I was wrong. My advance magician, Kaara, was the one who was torn down in my place. Her body was greatly torn but there is no bleeding because her wound are burnt black. ¡¸Kaara, this is my duel, why!? ¡¹ She protected me but I¡¯m not grateful instead, I was trembling with extreme anger. My sight is blurry because of tears. I shake it off with the back of my hand in a hurry and rise. ¡¸Takeru, you¡¯re the one who made the condition of her ¡°curse slave contract¡±. ¡¹ I was startled from Oracle-chan¡¯s voice that I jumped out. Article 2 Kaara shall not harm humans directly and indirectly. She also must not harm humans by overlooking harm to humans. Provided, however, that this shall not apply in cases where it is contrary to Article 1. Because of the contract, Kaara jumped and defended me because she cannot overlook ¡°harm to humans¡±. Indeed. If that surprise attack hits me, I certainly would have died. Everything was my fault. If I didn¡¯t want her to help me, I should have commanded Kaara to not save me. ¡¸Silesie¡¯s hero! Though there is an unnecessary distraction, we should settle this immediately. ¡¹ ¡¸Freed, how are you able to use the sword of darkness! ¡¹ Freed showed his extreme joy by shaping his lips. I really wanted to teach this shitty brat a lesson¡­ ¡¸Let me tell you about it. It¡¯s a souvenir from the underworld. ¡¹ When he said that, he removed his orichalcum gloves and showed me his left hand. On the back of Freed¡¯s hand is a comma shaped dark red bead. ¡¸What the hell is that!?¡¹ ¡¸Hahaha, you¡¯re a hero but you didn¡¯t even know a demon king core.¡¹ Freed heterochromic blue and gold eyes looked down on me as if ridiculing me. ¡¸The demon king¡¯s core is embedded in your hand!?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, Silesie¡¯s hero Takeru. Do you think that a man of my caliber will just imitate you?¡¹ ¡¸A hero gaining power from the demon king, absurd¡­¡¹ ¡¸With the power of a hero and the demon king, I am now the strongest in the world!¡¹ Freed, the golden lion emperor, holds the sword of light in his right hand and the sword of darkness in his left. Certainly, I will not be able to win against this cheat¡­ ¡¸Hahaha, this world doesn¡¯t need two heroes. I will destroy anyone who¡¯ll get in my way!¡¹ ¡¸Wait, golden lion emperor!¡¹ ¡¸What? You are¡­¡¹ Oracle who¡¯s wearing a big cloak stood in front of Freed while floating. ¡¸My introduction seems to be late. I am the immortal king, Oracle.¡¹ ¡¸Haa, don¡¯t say stupid things. A demon girl like you the immortal king?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t be deceived by my figure, I¡¯m bluer. Prince, look at this.¡¹ From both of Oracle-chan¡¯s hands, jet black sword like hell¡¯s flame shows up. The wave of darkness that has the opposite polarity of the sword of light has a feeling of pressure. ¡¸This is stupid. The Immortal King Oracle should have been exterminated by Hero Renz!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s according to the legend the humans wrote but as you can see, I¡¯m still alive. I thought that I would have to leave you because it¡¯s a duel between heroes but you hurt a demonkin using the demon king¡¯s core. I will not forgive you!¡¹ Oracle who calmly set a pair of black swords fearlessly laughs. ¡¸Mou¡­¡¹ ¡¸Kukuku¡­ Young prince who didn¡¯t know that I had survived, I will let you taste the legendary black swords of the immortal king, the ¡°Bratty Twin Sword¡±. Your body will taste my ancient class power.¡¹ Freed gradually step back due to the pressure of the old immortal king. As expected of Oracle, if she wears a cloak like this, there is really an intimidating feeling. If you really wanted to preserve your majesty, I think it would be better if you stop that twin tail right away. As for me, I held my sword of light next to her. This cannot be called a duel any longer since it two against one. ¡¸Fuh, I¡¯ve lost my interest¡­. Let¡¯s leave this for today.¡¹ After giving off such a mediocre dialogue, Freed withdrew on the spot. The empire¡¯s delegation also chased the golden lion prince who had walked away. The castle was in panic. ¡¸Fuh, that was dangerous.¡¹ ¡¸Oracle-chan was really awesome.¡¹ When I praised her, she seems to be embarrassed. ¡¸Idiot! It¡¯s just a bluff. I don¡¯t want to do that again.¡¹ Oracle-chan hits her twin black sword to my sword of light. It disappeared instantly like a fireworks. ¡¸Yes, but you saved me.¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s treat Kaara first. It¡¯s troublesome that human recovery magic can¡¯t treat demonkin¡¯s.¡¹ Kaara, who received a slash from the sword of darkness, suffered a terrible laceration that almost torn her in two. She was taken to the castle¡¯s emergency room. Please read at SHMTranslations.com ¡ªScene Change¡ª ¡¸Oracle, how¡¯s Kaara¡¯s condition?¡¹ ¡¸Not good. Even if the sword of darkness is not effective against demonkins, her wound is too deep to be heal with magic.¡¹ Because magic power is necessary for the treatment, I gathered all my magic gems. Nevertheless, it is not enough to close the wound of the dying Kaara. I¡¯m going to visit Kaara who¡¯s sleeping on the bed. ¡¸Takeru-sama, please become a splendid demon king¡­¡¹ Kaara holds my hand with her feeble hand. It appears that the light in her purple eyes are gone. I¡¯m sorry to the point of death but I can¡¯t become one¡­ ¡¸Hey, Oracle. Can¡¯t you help her somehow?¡¹ ¡¸There is another way but can you lower the people in here with just the two of us before we can talk about it?¡¹ I did what she asked and cleared other people out of the room. Oracle-chan and I decided to sit on the bed of the emergency room and talk. ¡¸To help Kaara, it is necessary to increase my magic power. The magic gems are insufficient for me to be able to have a magic power level that can save life.¡¹ ¡¸Then, what can I do?¡¹ I somewhat understand it. Preparing a stage where there are only the two of us. ¡¸I guess the sensitive Takeru may have already known. I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯m going to give Takeru¡¯s life to Kaara.¡¹ Oracle-chan exposed her sharp fang. Yes, I knew that she was a vampire lord as she came from the immortal king¡¯s arm. ¡¸There will be no danger in my life, right?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll just suck a bit so you won¡¯t die. Rather, you¡¯ll feel refreshed and healthy.¡¹ I won¡¯t get healthy if my blood is sucked. ¡¸Well, this time, it¡¯s my fault. I¡¯ll do what I can to save her.¡¹ ¡¸Then, get naked and lie on the bed.¡¹ ¡¸Why do I have to get naked?¡¹ ¡¸If you¡¯re not in the mood, just try to wrap a towel around your hips.¡¹ What mood? Because there is no other way, I take off everything, roll a bath towel in my waist, and lie in the bed. ¡¸I¡¯ll ask you once again. You agree to have your life absorb by me?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t ask me again and again. There is no other way to help Kaara so do it quickly.¡¹ I don¡¯t like blood collection that much. I can¡¯t say that. Kaara is a demonkin and a criminal. Some might say that it is alright to use her until she breaks. However, it¡¯ll be bad for my conscience to let the woman who protected me using her own body die. ¡¸Okay, the contract is established.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve been curious about it before, but are demonkins really obsessed with contract?¡¹ Something like, the demon will grant your three wishes. Even if they deceived humans, these contracts will secure them. ¡¸Well, it¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that the world is made out of contracts. It is also the reason why Takeru and I are together in bed.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s good to be philosophical but hurry up.¡¹ Oracle-chan untied the string on her childish twin tail. She shed her long hair and shook it. She smells of fresh soap. Looking at her like this, she looks like a little adult female. She rides on my chest. Oracle-chan looks at me with her red eyes, she¡¯s a bewitching, blood-sucking monster after all. Her crimson red eyes are wet and seemed to be hungry for blood. ¡¸Why are you not feeling it even though I prepared with this much effort?¡¹ ¡¸Ugh¡­¡¹ At the moment she said that, she buries her fangs on my neck. The pain in my neck was gone in an instant as my body gets numb. Blood comes out of my suffering body and I¡¯m likely to faint if I don¡¯t hold on to my consciousness firmly. It might be good to faint as it is but fainting might have some consequence in the end. ¡¸Hey Takeru, how can you remain conscious after I sucked considerable amount of blood from you?¡¹ ¡¸Haa¡­¡¹ I can¡¯t speak. My limbs are numb and I can¡¯t lift them. This is somewhat a little scary. I¡¯m in a state where I can¡¯t do anything. I have a bad feeling. ¡¸Fufufu, there¡¯s something I have to apologize to Takeru for.¡¹ What are you talking about. Don¡¯t look at me with your red eyes, it¡¯s scary. ¡¸The Immortal King Oracle is not a vampire lord. The original was a succubus.¡¹ Huh ¡­¡­ Succubus, huh! What!? ¡¸A low ranked demon that sips man¡¯s vigor in their dreams. Of course, the immortal king Oracle is a thousand year old ancient succubus. The wife of the old demon king. That makes her a noble demon that can even inhale souls.¡¹ Are you serious¡­. Stop joking. This pattern is something that Lia had already done! ¡¸Why are you comparing me with such a young girl? Although it can be said that she¡¯s a virgin, she¡¯s only about 20 years old. I am 300 years old so the simulation is perfect. It will not hurt for the first time so be relieved.¡¹ If you stop now, I¡¯ll forgive you. ¡¸We already have a contract. If I stop, I¡¯ll have to suck Takeru¡¯s life out.¡¹ ¡¸This is your first time so it can¡¯t be helped if you¡¯re uneasy. Just count the stars in the sky and just feel it until the end.¡¹ Are you telling me to count the number of stains in the ceiling? ¡¸When I simulated it, our first time should have been outdoor.¡¹ You¡¯re a delusioned senior citizen¡­ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s why it¡¯s so nice of you!¡¹ Ugh, Oracle-chan, seriously, please stop, stooppp, stooopppppp! This fellow is really sucking me¡­uaaaaaaaaa I can¡¯t move. I have no way out of this. I can¡¯t count the stains on the ceiling but I somewhat manage to look at the window. Is it because the emergency room is shaking? From the vase placed at the window, I could see the red petals of daisy fell down. Ha, what a day ¡­ ¡­. TN: FYI ¨C Daisy symbolize innocence and purity. CH 59 ¡¸Somehow, I feel like I¡¯m in a better condition than before.¡¹ After the ancient succubus, Oracle-chan, absorbed my energy, she was able to instantly heal Kaara completely. Her deep wound didn¡¯t even leave a scar. ¡¸That¡¯s right and I still have some surplus energy. No matter how you look at it, Takeru accumulates too much. That amount exceeded my 300 years of expectations, I was surprised when it was coming out. It is bad for your body to not ejaculate regularly!¡¹ ¡¸Why am I getting yelled at¡­¡¹ I feel like crying. ¡¸My stomach is bursting with Takeru¡¯s energy. It is now possible for me to use the power of the Immortal King in her heyday.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t say that kind of remark!¡¹ Oracle-chan was laughing ¡°ufufu¡± cheerfully as she picked up the string that had fallen on the floor when she removed them from her twin tails. Though nothing seems to change with Oracle-chan when you looked at her, her gestures became sexy. ¡¸Rest assure, I am different from those young girls so I will not inconvenient Takeru by announcing it.¡¹ ¡¸As for that, I seriously ask of you¡­¡¹ It is frightening to think what will Lia do if she was to find out. There is a possibility that there will be a use of force. It can¡¯t be helped since it has been done. If that will be announced, I¡¯m afraid that something will collapse and there will be a domino effect. ¡¸Then, what are you going to do, Takeru? Are you going to take this chance to be a demon king?¡¹ ¡¸Haa¡­¡¹ Stop saying absurd things. I can¡¯t catch up with you. My hit point is approaching zero. ¡¸Seriously, it¡¯s impossible for one sword of light to fight against a sword of light and sword of darkness at the same time.¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s right. But I don¡¯t want to be embedded with a demon king core in my body.¡¹ Just looking at the dark red comma-shaped bead makes me feel sick. To think that something like that is inside the body of the zombie baron. ¡¸Freed is just a descendant of a human created by A-sama so he won¡¯t be able to use the power of the demon king core to the fullest. Takeru can become a demon king because you are not an existence created by A-sama.¡¹ TN: The goddess name is written in katakana ¥¢©`¥µ¥Þ which can be read as Asama not A-sama. However, there is not even a single instance where the goddess name has the suffix ˜”(sama) next to it. I thought that it might be the author¡¯s way of saying that the goddess is the highest being in this novel so ¡°sama¡± should be written in katakana because for me, not adding sama to the name of the goddess of creation of that world is next to impossible. But seeing that Oracle, a demon, an ancient succubus call her as A-sama,hmmm¡­ I really don¡¯t know. I will continue to name the goddess as A-sama. ¡¸How did you know that I¡¯m an other worlder?¡¹ Lia should have been that only one who knows so how did Oracle-chan knows about it? ¡¸I don¡¯t know that you¡¯re from a different world but I can tell by your smell that you¡¯re not a human created by A-sama. The magical flow in Takeru¡¯s body is also something that is different from the magical flow of those who were created by A-sama.¡¹ ¡¸You can smell it?¡¹ What a convenient nose you have there. ¡¸It is somewhat risky. But in order to obtain a new power, this is our only chance since my body is still filled with energy. ¡¹ ¡¸Wait a minute, even if you tell me to become a demon king suddenly, I¡¯m still a hero. ¡¹ Well, Kaara¡¯s eyes are shining brightly with expectations. If I don¡¯t talk this with Lia, it might look like I¡¯m neglecting the church¡¯s side, that¡¯s bad right? ¡¸I don¡¯t mind if you consult her with this but we¡¯re at the stage where Freed might change into a demon king. This is something that even the A-sama church wants to avoid.¡¹ ¡¸I see.¡¹ That¡¯s right. The A-sama church is too liberal. To the point that it¡¯s suspicious. Although it¡¯s too late to say that now. Translated by Elite4Harmon of SHMTranslations.com ¡ªScene Change¡ª Sure enough, when I consulted Lia, even if I became the demon king, she said that she¡¯ll overlook it. ¡¸No, I wanted to ask you if it is possible for a hero to be a demon king.¡¹ ¡¸I have a bad feeling about the hero Freed. I sure A-sama would want Takeru to stop him.¡¹ Why is A-sama not giving Prince Freed punishment directly? To be honest, rather than me working hard, isn¡¯t it time for the goddess to do something? ¡¸A-sama liked it if her believers are self reliant.¡¹ ¡¸Even so, I¡¯m talking about having a limit.¡¹ Well, perhaps the word ¡°limit¡± can¡¯t be found in the dictionary of A-sama church. I had Oracle-chan carry me to Oracle¡¯s great cave declining everyone who wants to accompany us. It seems that she¡¯s not lying when she said she had extra vigor. It will take four to five days of travel on horse but we arrive there in a moment. We¡¯re like a fighter plane. I want this speed to be used in war. Or, should I proposed Lyle-sensei the use of Oracle-chan bomber? ¡¸Let¡¯s use the emergency stair to reach basement 30.¡¹ ¡¸Finally, will the secret of the lowest floor of the Oracle¡¯s great cave be debunked?¡¹ As a person that only managed to explore up to the 10th level, I¡¯m a little anxious about the hidden dungeon. I¡¯m also saying this as a gamer. ¡¸Well, this will be the first time for the lowest floor to be activated after a while.¡¹ ¡¸Today¡¯s adventurer didn¡¯t even managed to clear up to the 10th floor let alone the 30th floor.¡¹ It¡¯s a time of peace so adventurers adventurers won¡¯t risk an arm just to capture a big dungeon. But nowadays, adventurers might be employed as mercenary is war breaks out. ¡¸Well, I¡¯m going to brief you while we get down the stairs. Have Takeru read the holy scriptures of A-sama?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I read it somewhat.¡¹ ¡¸Then, do you know that A-sama created the human world from chaos?¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ ¡¸Then, have you heard the source of that ¡°chaos¡± ?¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡¹ I did not even think about it. I read the holy scripture so fast to notice it. ¡¸There are lies in A-sama¡¯s scripture because the content was controlled. The origin of the world is chaos but it is written as it was created from chaos. And, the creator who created my kin and other demonic beings, Mother Chaos-sama, is disregarded by the humans who wrote the holy scripture ¡¹ TN: Mother here is similar to the word mother that is used in Mother Earth, Mother nature, etc. Because of this, I almost decided to left it as ¡°Konton¡±( »ìãç ¨C japanese for chaos) but I guess everyone is already familiar to the concept of the world originated from chaos. I also think that it is easier to understand this way. Is that so? It is said that the world was created by A-sama 8000 years ago. So, the world has already existed long before that? I¡¯m sure there are a lot of such myths even in my world. I don¡¯t know much about it but, if A-sama did not create the demons and monsters, where did they come from? ¡¸Our Mother Chaos-sama is a god without certain personality like A-sama. As for that, there is chaos he has no sane consciousness. Sleeping in the center of the planet, spitting out miasma infinitely, and occasionally kneading soil to produce something with indeterminate form, doing things with no meaning.¡¹ Doing things with no meaning? Scary. ¡¸Even so, there is a race called furuki mono from 8000 years ago. The ancient dragons, the race who became the demonkins, are born at the age of gods and they are the same age or older than A-sama.¡¹ TN: ¹Å¤­ Õß(Furuki mono) literally means old person 8000 years ago, I can¡¯t imagine what it was like. Thinking about Japan, is it around Jomon period? TN: Jomon period is from 14,000 ¨C 300 BC ¡¸The place where we¡¯re going now is the hidden floor under the 30th floor of the Oracle¡¯s Great Cave. There is a furuki mono staying there.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? There is a person there from 8,000 years ago?¡¹ Oracle-chan waved her hands left and right intensely in a panick. ¡¸Don¡¯t call it a person. Dare to call it god from the age of gods. Three hundred years ago, when immortal king Oracle dug up the dungeon here, shed discovered the furuki mono.¡¹ ¡¸It sounds like she excavated an earthenware, was that person buried?¡¹ Then, it¡¯s certainly not human. ¡¸Therefore, don¡¯t call it a human. Furuki mono¡¯s are like the incarnation of Mother Chaos-sama. Moreover, the possibility to establish communication exists at a molecular level.¡¹ ¡¸That means it can¡¯t talk.¡¹ ¡¸Well, you can try conversing, you¡¯ll understand it later. The behavior itself is chaotic. If it wants to attack, it will kill you with haste.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s the problem before the conversation itself.¡¹ It¡¯s too scary. It is on a level that it should not be offended. ¡¸Since the immortal king Oracle¡¯s main body was amazing, she used the energy from that furuki mono for the Oracle¡¯s Great Cave system. The Infinite Mami Spawn Device on the fourth floor was a sample of utilizing energy from the furuki mono.¡¹ ¡¸I see, so that¡¯s why it kept spawning even if it¡¯s sealed like the miasma hole of doom.¡¹ ¡¸Well, probably. According to my forecast, Freed, the hero of A-sama, will experience a positive action like a retaliation as an effect of exploiting the Demon King¡¯s core that was created by Mother Chaos-sama.¡¹ TN: positive action is written in english ¡¸So that¡¯s the reason you said that it is possible for me to become a demon king.¡¹ I wonder if chaos is also a balancer. Neither good nor evil but chaotic¡­ it doesn¡¯t make any sense. ¡¸It¡¯s just a waste of time thinking theory. You better stop thinking about Chaos too much or you¡¯ll go crazy. I also have it rough thinking about it.¡¹ ¡¸I understand.¡¹ We got off the stairs and the gate of the 30th floor came in sight. As expected, the lowest layer of the great cave is chilly as it is deprived of sun. Oracle-chan used magic for lighting but it is dim. The bottom of the darkness, the world of the 300 years of loneliness, is spreading here. ¡¸I¡¯ll open the hidden room in the back.¡¹ Oracle-chan put her hand on the wall that seems to have nothing in it. A gatan sound resounded and the stone wall opened like a door. TN: Gatan is a japanese onomatopoeia for something mechanically moving sound We pass through the dusty hidden room that smells like clay. There was a small stone pedestal there and there is something like a goddess¡¯ statue made of clay enshrined there. It is a fairy like woman with long hair but from her waist down are tentacles. The strange tentacles have a smooth luster but it doesn¡¯t look likes an octopus¡¯ nor a squid¡¯s. ¡¸Oracle, is that sculpture made of clay?¡¹ ¡¸No. I has been sitting there for more than 300 years so it becomes like this.¡¹ Such strange creature doesn¡¯t exist in my world and it also doesn¡¯t seem to exist in this real fantasy world. So this is the testament of the god¡¯s race? ¡¸Oh, furukisha-sama¡­ I am the Immortal King Oracle¡¯s alter ego. Please forgive me for waking you up in your sleep.¡¹ The surrounding becomes silent. ¡¸Hey, it¡¯s just a sculpture.¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s not. I wonder if my small voice was not able to reach it.¡¹ I approached the clay sculpture and stared at it intensely. Well, the sculptures upper body is of a naked woman and the texture¡¯s quality is so realistic¡­ ¡¸Uwa!¡¹ The clay cracked and the cracked part collapsed. All of a sudden, the tentacles started moving and approaches me. Because of that surprised attack, I almost was unable to stand up. I retreated instinctively. That was dangerous. ¡¸Oh, it seems that furukisha-sama woke up.¡¹ ¡¸I mean, seriously¡­¡¹ The furuki mono gets off the pedestal with its wiggling tentacles. It shivered to take off the clay stuck on its body. Indeed, it is certainly a biological existence. ¡¸Furukisha-sama, A-sama¡¯s hero Freed used a Demon King¡¯s Core that was created by Mother Chaos-sama and has now become enemies of both demons and humans. Please give Hero Takeru the power to overcome the power of the enemy.¡¹ Oracle-chan kneels and prays to the furuki mono. The furuki mono grabbed a nearby soil with its tentacle and threw it to Oracle-chan. ¡¸Buho!¡¹ One after another, soil was thrown out by the tentacles. Oracle-chan was buried in soil while kneeling. Oh crap, this really does not make any sense, scary¡­ ¡¸Take¡­Takeru cough what are you doing! Quickly cough requests furu cough already cough¡¹ What am I supposed to do? ¡¸Eto, furukisha-sama. Please grant me power!¡¹ The furuki mono stopped throwing soil with its tentacle and turned to me. It has a crisp, beautiful face but expressionless. Scary. ¡¸Useless¡¹ It¡¯s useless¡­? ¡¸Why is it useless?¡¹ ¡¸Because no earth attribute¡¹ I do not understand the meaning. I was told that I should not think about the meaning. Okay, then should I go against this too? ¡¸Then, this is the earth attribute. Front somersault dogeza!¡¹ I stepped back and made a front rolling somersault dogeza. Did you see it? I¡¯m already at dogeza in air! This is earth attribute because I¡¯m full of soil now. ¡¸No earth attribute¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡¹ That was useless? Well then, next is this one. ¡¸Takeru, what are you doing?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m imitating tsuchinoko.¡¹ TN: Tsuchinoko is a snake like yokai. Wikipedia info with image ishere. When I was desperately imitating a short snake, Oracle-chan gave me an amaze look. I almost said ¡°tadah¡± to Oracle-chan. ¡¸I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it. What did she tell you¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Earth attribute¡¹ ¡¸Is that really okay?¡¹ Oracle-chan looked back at the furuki mono. It was shocked and gave it¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t know what kind of reasoning it has or why does it stick to earth attribute but being surreal is my forte. ¡¸You tsuchinoko¡¹ ¡¸Yes!¡¹ It¡¯s not true but I think the right answer now is to ride with it. There is no meaning anyway. ¡¸Then, I¡¯ll grant power¡¹ ¡¸Oooh¡¹ For some reason, I was wrapped by tentacles and was given by a deep, tongue wrestling kiss. It taste like soil but if I think I¡¯m defeated if I worry about it. ¡¸Haa¡­¡¹ ¡¸A sword will appear on your hand¡¹ When I was released from the violent kiss that almost got me suffocated. The furuki mono declared that. Well, because the sword of light is in my right hand, it¡¯s probably on my left hand. When I put out my spirit, a gray sword appeared. ¡¸What¡¯s this? Oracle-chan, what¡¯s this sword?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know. I thought that you will be given by a sword of darkness or a spirit sword. Since this is something new, it will disappear if you don¡¯t name it immediately.¡¹ ¡¸Eh, eto, it¡¯s neither black nor white, so how about Neutral Sword?¡¹ When I named it Neutral Sword, its shine increased and the gray turned to darkish silver. ¡¸Fumu, Neutral Sword is a great name.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s suitable.¡¹ The furuki mono returned to the pedestal while its tentacles wiggle. And screams in a loud voice. ¡¸Neutral! NEUTRAL!¡¹ No, I don¡¯t know what you want to say. Why did the furuki mono scream neutral? ¡¸Ohhh, that¡¯s great. To make the furuki mono remember a new word. ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so or does it matter?¡¹ When Oracle-chan tried to answer something, a tremor from the earth echoed. The tremor comes from below the 30th floor¡­ ¡¸Furukisha-sama is connected with Mother Chaos-sama. Apparently, Chaos-sama liked the word neutral. What a joyous thing¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I don¡¯t know how good it is but since I got a new weapon, I can fight now.¡¹ Until a while ago, tentacles onee-san was screaming ¡°neutral, neutral¡±. It probably got bored. It made a large quantity of grains and threw it at Oracle-chan¡¯s face. ¡¸These are mixtures of wheat and rice grains.¡¹ I am grateful for this, I will pick it up for now. Since it came from the incarnation of chaos, these rice are probably brown rice. Thinking about it, I feel dejected. ¡¸Thank you furukisha-sama. We are about to leave now.¡¹ While Oracle-chan was being showered by various grains on her face, she tried to escape by crouching. I also tried to escape but I was taken by the tentacles again. ¡¸Nnn, why am I being forced to kiss!¡¹ ¡¸So neutral¡¹ That should be chu! TN: Kiss sfx is chu This time, tentacle oneesan¡¯s kiss tastes bittersweet. Theory, reasons, thinking about it, I lose¡­ ¡¸Annnyyyaaaaaaaaaa!¡¹ Oracle-chan screamed as she was dragged by a large number of tentacles and disappeared. Afterwards, even though she desperately tried to resist, she was taken. For some reason, the two of us were slapped on our face, were sprayed with a large quantity of salt water, swayed back and forth by the tentacles, and tickled to death by a large number of tentacles on our whole body. When we finally were able to escape from the hidden room, both our mind and body are battered. I don¡¯t want to see octopus or squid for a while. ¡¸haa, haa, we somehow managed to survive.¡¹ ¡¸O hoo, I, haa, already haa¡­¡¹ We managed to close the hidden room by crawling. Somehow, Oracle-chan collapsed with terrible eyes. She¡¯s twitching her body fearfully. Well, she was swarmed by 5 times more tentacles compared to me. Anyway, I want to leave the haunted hidden dungeon as soon as possible. I carried Oracle-chan, who had fallen unconscious, to the emergency stairs to ran away from the Oracle¡¯s Great Cave. ¡¸Ah, the sun is yellow¡­¡¹ I gained something big this time but I also lost something big. Furuki mono are scary. I don¡¯t want to meet one again. It is better for them to be buried in the ground for the sake of the world. By the way, because I didn¡¯t get a Sword of Darkness, I won¡¯t be a demon king. Chaos gave me a Neutral Sword, what would I be¡­? I thought that I heard a voice from the bottom of the earth while thinking. CH 60 While carrying Oracle-chan, I came to the city of Spike near the Oracle¡¯s Great Cave. I decided to rest for a while at Viscount Ortholet¡¯s castle. ¡¸This is, hero Takeru-sama. I welcome you. Weren¡¯t you supposed to be in the capital for a conference with the Germania Empire delegation?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s over. I just went to the great cave for a moment.¡¹ Ortholet made a strange face. Probably because of time. It will take about four to five days on a horse to travel from the capital to the city of Spike. I think that it is about time for the delegation of the empire to return. They¡¯re probably on their way home at this moment. ¡¸Well, since it¡¯s hero-sama, nothing is impossible. It may be impossible for me to entertain you but I can at least serve you some tea.¡¹ As usual, Viscount has not hired a maid. His subordinate soldier is the one who brought tea but I no longer mind it since I already consider him as family. ¡¸Ah¡­. tentacles¡­..¡¹ I laid down Oracle-chan to bed and sometimes, her body convulsed because of the severe cruelty she experienced. While taking a breather by drinking tea, I talked with the viscount. I am thankful for the viscount who reads the atmosphere. He welcomed us without asking about Oracle-chan¡¯s mysterious condition who is crouching in agony. ¡¸Then, hero-sama, the diplomacy with Gemania¡­¡¹ ¡¸You can say that it did not go well and they might declare war suddenly.¡¹ Even after hearing the bad news, Viscount Ortholet didn¡¯t look too surprised. ¡¸Is that so? As the feudal lord of Oracle, I must prepare.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry for not being able to avoid war.¡¹ If the Germania empire will attack up to the Capital city of Silesie, the City of Lauren and the City of Spike will definitely be on their route. ¡¸No, actually, we are steadily preparing for a defensive battle with the direct guidance of His Excellency, Secretary of State Lyle.¡¹ ¡¸Eh, sensei already made a move here?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, State Secretary Lyle has come to my castle himself.¡¹ ¡¸He managed to come here even though he¡¯s already busy with the government affairs in the capital?¡¹ As expected of sensei but since when did he came here? ¡¸The strategy he plotted is secret!¡¹ ¡¸Indeed, even I didn¡¯t hear any details.¡¹ If it¡¯s necessary, sensei will tell me about it later. ¡¸In addition, there is a sudden increase of wild thieves in my territory.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, aren¡¯t we getting along with the thief¡¯s guild?¡¹ I don¡¯t know about other territories but my territory, Viscount Ortholet, and Marquis Est territory won¡¯t be attacked by thieves because we have talked with Wake. ¡¸They are not from the legitimate thief guild, they are wild thieves.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, maybe they are spies from Germania.¡¹ ¡¸These days, thieves can be hired as mercenaries¡­¡¹ ¡¸Right, they might have already been employed to conduct preliminary investigation of the battlefield.¡¹ It is still uncertain whether there will be a war. But it seems that the enemy has already been preparing behind the scenes. After waiting for Oracle-chan¡¯s recovery in the viscount¡¯s castle, we fly into the sky and return to the castle in the capital. In a highway on the way, I saw the empire¡¯s convoy who are on their way home. A group of knights were carrying a flag with Germania Empire¡¯s symbol which is a purple colored shell. Freed is probably riding that big, four-horse drawn, luxurious carriage. Though it has no suspension, it is a state of the art carriage where the carriage is hung by chains to reduce shaking. By the way, I only know the name ¡°suspension¡± but it is one of those thinks I still can¡¯t reproduce. I can somehow understand the use of spring but I also want to put rubber on tires. Unfortunately, there are no rubber trees here. I thought of dropping bomb at Freed¡¯s carriage to stop the war but I stopped. I can¡¯t imagine a person who¡¯s wearing orichalcum equipments to die because of bombs. That will trigger war oppositely. ¡¸Well, there is an opportunity to fight him next time. I¡¯ll take my revenge there.¡¹ Freed doesn¡¯t know that I¡¯ve got a neutral sword. The surprise attack strategy that he used against me will be used against him in reverse. At that time, I¡¯ll crush that conceited golden lion emperor. ¡ªScene Change¡ª A further surprise report was waiting for me who returned to the capital. ¡¸Hero-sama this is serious! The castle of Ox was attacked by bandits and the dukedom¡¯s princess was abducted!¡¹ ¡¸Haa, one after another¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸We, the spy troops, are in the town but this still happened. I have no excuse.¡¹ Neneka bowed that made her hair curls on the ground. Of course, I¡¯m not blaming Neneka. All the cheat class is in the capital and the castle of Ox was empty. Rather, it¡¯s my mistake. The thieves lurking in the city pretended to be drifters and suddenly attacked various parts of the castle. It seems that even the soldiers guarding the castle received damage. Their number is said to have exceeded 50 people. One of the escort knights of Princess Caroline was killed and the other one was seriously injured. Certainly, I heard a rumor about the growing number of suspicious newcomers in Ortholet¡¯s territory. So they hid in my territory? Recently, because of the alliance with Wake, there was no damage from thieves so I got careless. ¡¸I guess they are not members of the thief guild. Do you know where those wild thieves are?¡¹ ¡¸It seems that they are the remnants of the golden eagle bandit group. We are tracking their footsteps so we¡¯ll find their hideout soon.¡¹ The golden eagle bandit group is the one that I¡¯m confronting when Wake showed up. I should have disposed of them earlier. I regret it from the bottom of my heart. The cause of all of this is my over-optimism. It still feels regrettable even though I¡¯m reflecting now. Though it will be bad for Oracle, I need to cross the devil¡¯s mountain to go back to the castle of Ox. I had Kaara carry Neneka. I intended to fly around more to look for the hideout of the enemy but we found out soon that they are hiding in a deserted village near the castle. ¡¸All right, let¡¯s go!¡¹ The soldiers from the castle and the spy troops head to the hideout. I want to rescue the princess as soon as possible so I flew with my Oracle-chan booster. If it¡¯s the present me, I can kick 50 to 60 thieves alone! Ah, alone was an overstatement, I¡¯ll be assisted by Kaara and Oracle-chan! ¡¸Haa haa, you use your employee way too rough. As expected, flying continuously is tiring.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry for making Oracle work too hard.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s okay. I can still work since there¡¯s still the energy I got from Takeru.¡¹ We¡¯re in an emergency so I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t hear it. We landed on the hideout which is an abandoned village. ¡¸HEY YOU!¡¹Read at SHMTranslations.com The thieves are gathering so I raised the sword of light and shout out loud. ¡¸Oi Kaara, monitor the thieves from above and kill the thieves who¡¯ll run away!¡¹ ¡¸Aahh, suddenly shouting!¡¹ Kaara flow to the sky at the speed of sound. I slashed a thief ossan from the base of his neck. The thief collapses as I cut his neck diagonally. Blood sprays like water from his neck but I can¡¯t choose where his blood will splutter. ¡¸Uaa!¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t run away! You¡¯ll die if you move unskillfully!¡¹ Bashu bashu(SFX), the necks and torso of the thieves who tried to escape were slashed one after another. TN: splashing sound. When these guys attacked my castle, it was certain that I will kill them all. ¡¸I just have one demand, I want you to return the one you kidnapped, Princess Caroline!¡¹ ¡¸Huahahaha, you hero bastard, the princess is no longer here!¡¹ A poor looking bearded man glared at me with bloodshot eyes. He looks insane as he scowls at me. I recognize him, he is the leader of the golden eagle bandit group. ¡¸Where did you take the princess?¡¹ ¡¸I will not say even if I die!¡¹ In this situation, I was surprised that he still manages to pull a sword and tried to stab me. I quickly jump to evade but a long metal needle was shot at my face. ¡¸Chii!¡¹Read at SHMTranslations.com It looks like a poisoned needle. I deflected it with my mithril gloves. Does he really think that he can kill me with that? ¡¸I¡¯ll directly ask your body!¡¹ I cut the fingers of his feet together with his shoes with the sword of light. The leader of the golden eagle bandit group gets down on his knees because of the sudden acute pain. That ruins his play so far. ¡¸Guu¡­ Do whatever you want. There is no use searching at this place.¡¹ ¡¸Where did you hide¡­.No, who asked you to kidnap the princess?¡¹ ¡¸I won¡¯t say anything¡­.haa, haa, hahahaha, you¡¯ll break your skull thinking and you won¡¯t be able to sleep but I¡¯ll never tell you!¡¹ After the fingers of his feet, I cut the fingers of his hands next but he¡¯s still resisting. It was careless of me to look so desperate in front of this guy. It seems that his grudge weights more than his fear of death. ¡¸Oi thieves, you are already surrounded by soldiers. Your death penalty is settled but if someone tells me where the princess is or who asked for her to be kidnapped, I will spare his life.¡¹ The thieves got noisy.Read at SHMTranslations.com If I can¡¯t ask the leader, then I¡¯ll ask the other guys. The leader of the golden eagle bandit group screamed when I cut his dominant hand and rolled to the ground. If you are cut by the sword of light, the wound will be burned black and blood will not come out. In addition to the smell of blood, there is a smell of burning meat around. Better yet, the sharpness of the ¡°neutral sword¡± should also be tested. In order to remove the root of evil, killing is a must. ¡¸Earl Brynie! The earl is the one who asked us to do this! Please spare me!¡¹ A young brown-haired thief finally confessed with a scream. I was sure that this was instigated by the empire but to think it¡¯s that Brynie. Starting with that, the thieves ¡¸The earl brought the princess and fled straight to the highway on the north!¡¹began confessing and beg for forgiveness. How would I know that they are not lying? I need to show them what will happen if they lie here in front of their eyes. ¡¸All right, if that information is true, I¡¯ll pardon you.¡¹ ¡¸Shit! You traitors! I¡¯m going to kill you!¡¹ As the leader of the golden eagle bandit group crawled on the ground, he cried out like a DOS. TN: DOS ¨C sadistic dominatrix He¡¯s still barking at this time? His guts are something that should be looked up to. What can you do this late? ¡¸Oi leader, you seem to have taken in men you can¡¯t trust.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re already too late. At this time, your pretty princess is being fully loved by that pervert Brynie!¡¹ The leader of the golden eagle bandit group said what he wanted to say and spit towards me. I shook the dull silver neutral sword to the laughing head of the golden eagle bandit group and bisects his neck. With a heavy sound, the neck of the leader of the golden eagle bandit group rolled on the ground. ¡¸Takeru-sama, we can still catch up and find Brynie¡¯s carriage if we fly and chase them now.¡¹ ¡¸Kaara, I ask of you.¡¹ There was a time when Kaara is working with Brynie so she¡¯s familiar with Brynie¡¯s carriage. I¡¯m sure she can find it soon enough. Brynie will escape to the easiest route in his carriage, therefore, he¡¯ll run away using the highway. No, perhaps he¡¯s not even thinking of running away. He¡¯s a hardcore fool so decent reasoning won¡¯t work for him. Therefore, the princess¡¯ body is in danger! As soon as the soldiers caught the thieves, we jumped over the highway at once. Soon after, I saw a black coated, big, four-horse carriage. ¡¸Takeru-sama, that is Brynie¡¯s carriage!¡¹ ¡¸Is that so?¡¹Read at SHMTranslations.com I had Oracle-chan drop me down on the carriage. I kicked the coachman first and cut the cord that connects the horse and the carriage. Gakun (SFX), the carriage shakes and slows down until it stops. TN: wobbling or collapsing sound The door of the carriage is locked but I slash it to open it up. ¡¸Shit¡­¡­.¡¹Read at SHMTranslations.com There was a luxurious sofa bed inside the big carriage and a bunch of sinful hobby clothes. To make a heavy-swinging carriage to a bedroom, this Brynie guy really has a screw loose. ¡¸Nanana, what¡¯s going on ojaru!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s my line, asshole!¡¹ I kicked off Earl Brynie who pushed Princess Caroline down from the bed. ¡¸Ru-ruffian!¡¹Read at SHMTranslations.com ¡¸That¡¯s you!¡¹ As for Princess Caroline, her blue dress was torn from her neck and is dead tired. She doesn¡¯t have her glasses, did she dropped them? ¡¸Are you alright, princess?¡¹ That¡¯s all I managed to say even though I knew that she¡¯s not. ¡¸Eh, when Brynie becomes violent, A-sama protected me.¡¹ Inside her torn dress is a large white silver wings with holy light pouring down. Princess Caroline¡¯s body is being protected by a film of light. So, is this the protection granted by the last Sacrament? A-sama, I¡¯m sorry for the curses I said that time. I can¡¯t sleep with my foot pointing in your direction now. Nevertheless, I can¡¯t forgive what Brynie has done so far. ¡¸Brynie!¡¹Read at SHMTranslations.com ¡¸Hii, maro is not bad ojaru! Maro saved her from the bandits! I just tortured her a little because that woman of the defeated country was way too cocky ojaru!¡¹ ¡¸Then I¡¯ll also chastise that cocky mouth of yours now!¡¹ ¡¸Oj, yapa!¡¹ I am punching Brynie¡¯s face. When I noticed it, I¡¯m already riding Brynie and was severely beating him. ¡¸O ja, Oh¡­.¡¹ Now that diplomacy is in a delicate situation, I know what will happen if I kill Brynie. But I couldn¡¯t think of such a thing anymore, my head was white with anger. ¡¸Takeru, you¡¯ll kill him if you continue.¡¹ ¡¸Ah,¡­¡­sorry¡¹Read at SHMTranslations.com I¡¯m likely has done too much for Oracle-chan to stop me. My trembling due to anger has yet to calm down. I never thought that I¡¯ll be this temperamental. I¡¯m just venting my anger to myself to someone else. I actually understand that myself. I was not able to suppress it myself and it won¡¯t do anything even if I have beaten Brynie to death. I gripped Brynie¡¯s neck and lifted him. He already loses consciousness and is exhausted. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s dead. He¡¯s bleeding from his nose and mouth, and his face is swollen but he¡¯s breathing. ¡¸¡­.Your Highness Princess, potion.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you for your help.¡¹ She was protected by A-sama and she has no visible wound but that elixir will calm her mind down. The trembling hand of the princess received the bottle of elixir from me and dropped it. Ah, I got the order wrong. I should have look after the princess before punishing Brynie. The princess is trembling while looking at me. I can see that she¡¯s frightened while trying to scrape up her torn dress with her hand. I wonder if she¡¯s being scared of me too but I guess it can¡¯t be helped. There is Brynie who tried to assault her and me who violently beat Brynie in front of her eyes due to anger. She¡¯s scared of me. ¡¸You can have this.¡¹Read at SHMTranslations.com ¡¸Thank you, hero-sama¡­¡­..¡¹ I took off the surcoat that I wore on top of my armor and put it on the princess. It¡¯s still better than the sinful hobby woman¡¯s clothes in Brynie¡¯s carriage. I asked Kaara to carry the princess to the castle and ordered her to guard her. I tie up Brynie and sit on the broken carriage. I just have to wait for the soldiers of the castle to get here. If I just didn¡¯t let my anger take over, I wouldn¡¯t have break the carriage and use it to carry Brynie. Even though I was in a hurry, I reflected on my action of not thinking too much. ¡¸No, that¡¯s not the case ¡­¡¹ I truly did not think that time. Misreading Brynie¡¯s movement and being induced by the grudge of the leader of the golden eagle bandit group after killing him. I¡¯m entirely responsible for everything. I didn¡¯t even think that there was a line connected and attacked that way. This time, this situation was invited by my over-optimism. I was made to taste this and I even jeopardized the safety of the people surrounding me. ¡¸It¡¯s not Takeru¡¯s fault. Don¡¯t carry everything by yourself.¡¹ Oracle-chan gently hugs me around my shoulder while I¡¯m sitting on the broken carriage quietly. CH 61 Earl Brynie regained consciousness and after that, we interviewed him with the thieves who collaborated with him. He seems to have been convinced that Princess Caroline will fall in love with her if he saves her from the thieves who abducted her. He thinks that this is some sort of an ancient manga. Well, we¡¯re like in the middle ages so is it the standard type of persuasion? Because Princess Caroline did not fall for that plan, he tried to add violence due to anger. This is a diplomatic issue. Even if he is the present head of the Blanc family, he will be punished accordingly. ¡¸Let¡¯s execute Earl Brynie.¡¹ After taking Brynie to the capital, Lyle-sensei came and told me so. ¡¸There is no way we can tolerate more than this. If we kill Brynie, the noble faction of Silesie Kingdom will make a fuss and the northern Lauren territory would destabilize. However, I judge that keeping him alive is far more risky.¡¹ ¡¸¡­right.¡¹Read at SHMTranslations.com Sensei¡¯s voice, that was always calm, is trembling a little. Sensei¡¯s disappointment is unusually intense. ¡¸This case was my fault for being unable to read Brynie¡¯s movement. Rather, we should have not kept him alive this far. I underestimated that man.¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s not sensei¡¯s fault.¡¹ Who would have thought that there is a feudal lord, who even has his own earldom, that will use bandits to attack his ally and abduct a princess of another country? It is too dangerous, reckless, foolish, and incredibly stupid action. He can no longer be called an idiot but an existence that surpasses an idiot. Earl Brynie has a negative cheat that spoils all strategy of a tactician. Even if he¡¯s an ally, his catastrophic effect will affect you. His existence is something that can be called a lump of risk. Brynie is being carried in a wagon with lookout soldiers. His face is fully swollen. Until a while ago, I hated myself for crushing and almost killing him using my own hands but I don¡¯t feel that way now. ¡¸Hero-sama, I have reflected enough so please untie this rope.¡¹ ¡¸¡­.¡¹Read at SHMTranslations.com When my intense anger to Brynie cooled down, I can only see him like a frighteningly ugly youkai with his white make up peeled off in some places. He is saying that seriously. He thinks that we¡¯ll forgive him since he already reflected. It is like I¡¯m looking at the earl who became a fragile and innocent person. His audacious spirit, his monster like inexplicable behavior, and how he sticks to the old custom of the country, he may be the most frightening enemy. ¡ªScene Change¡ª ¡¸Takeru, can I have a moment?¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s up, Lia?¡¹ In the corridor of the castle, I was called by Lia. ¡¸I have nursed Her Highness Princess Caroline. Fortunately, because of A-sama¡¯s protection, the assault ended as an attempt.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I have to express my deepest thanks to A-sama.¡¹ I¡¯m sorry for doubting the effect of Sacrament. I didn¡¯t feel that much effect after that so I doubted it. I have always been benefiting from it but this time, it really helped. ¡¸However, the princess¡¯ knight escort was murdered in front of her when the thieves abducted her to bring her to Brynie. That definitely caused her a lot of mental agony.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right¡­¡­¡¹Read at SHMTranslations.com ¡¸Of course, because the princess had the protection of A-sama, she got off with only that degree.¡¹ ¡¸Why did you say that twice?¡¹ I can¡¯t complain openly because it seems to be really important. ¡¸No, Takeru¡¯s feeling of appreciation for A-sama is insufficient so I had to emphasize it.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? I¡¯m sorry for doubting A-sama¡¯s sacrament.¡¹ She didn¡¯t say anything annoying. Only this time¡­ ¡¸Takeru, if you¡¯re really grateful, ¡°A man should not only talk with his words alone.¡± as A-sama says.¡¹ ¡¸Is that also a teaching of A-sama?¡¹ What kind of megami-sama is she? ¡¸Then nanodesu, could you sleep with us in Princess Caroline¡¯s bed?¡¹ ¡¸Haa?¡¹Read at SHMTranslations.com There is no connection with that to what we have been talking about. Is she joking? Is she serious? ¡¸I¡¯m serious. We have to nurse her together since I¡¯m not enough.¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean?¡¹ The double hooded Lia says something in a small voice. ¡¸Although I¡¯m not that sure, the princess receives a severe shock and if you leave it at is its, it might result in a mild androphobia.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t understand.¡¹ When I tried to pass a potion, her hands were trembling and she was pretty frightened. She is a princess with a public position. If she¡¯s afraid of men, it will hinder her official duties. ¡¸Therefore, I want Takeru to sleep in the same room as her.¡¹ ¡¸Why would I do that?¡¹ Rather, since she¡¯s scared, I shouldn¡¯t approach her, right? ¡¸It is inevitable for her rehabilitation. I think that she can relax if she sleeps while holding Takeru¡¯s hand. If you really want her to be cured, you have to cooperate.¡¹ ¡¸I understand. I¡¯ll help in whatever way I can.¡¹ Though I don¡¯t understand well, Lia is a master healer and she¡¯s a specialist in psychological care. If she judges it that way, it is not wrong. ¡¸Then let¡¯s go.¡¹Read at SHMTranslations.com ¡¸Okay, I understand that you¡¯re not acting playful.¡¹ And do not casually grab other people¡¯s arm and press your breast against it. However, there is something we need to overcome this time so I will not say anything. As I was urged by Lia, I went to Princess Caroline¡¯s bedroom. ¡ªScene Change¡ª It was quite late at night. On the night of the Middle Ages, the only thing that can be depended is the weak light of candle lamps. In a big bed, Princess Caroline in a blue nightgown was sitting. Princess Silhouette, who¡¯s wearing a silk chemise with beautiful embroidery, is sitting next to the dukedom¡¯s princess. ¡¸Princess, are you still awake¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Eh eh, Hero-sama, thanks to you I have calmed down.¡¹ ¡¸Are you alright?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m fine, but my escort Knight was¡­regrettable.¡¹ One of the escort knights of the princess escaped death. He¡¯s already been treated and has recovered. The other young knight seems to have resisted till the end was killed by the bandit group. Upon hearing it, the princess got even more depressed. Illuminated by the candlelight, her beautiful face is dark. She¡¯s wearing the glasses she dropped when she was attacked but one lens is missing. ¡¸Your glasses are inconvenient so let¡¯s order one from the dukedom.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry.¡¹Read at SHMTranslations.com Lenses with high transparency and beautiful glass beads are special products of the Transylvania Dukedom. I know about it because I tried importing lenses when I tried creating a telescope. It was good. I want to encourage the dukedom¡¯s princess somehow but I can¡¯t find a word. Lia passed by and said something to the dukedom¡¯s princess. ¡¸Aren¡¯t you afraid of Takeru?¡¹ ¡¸Of course not, saintess-sama.¡¹ ¡¸Then, please hold Takeru¡¯s hand.¡¹ The dukedom¡¯s princess¡¯ fine hand stretched out to my hand but trembles as it approaches. Phew, Lia sighs. ¡¸The things human beings think with their heads are different from what they feel with their hearts. It can¡¯t be helped with what happened.¡¹ ¡¸Saintess-sama, such a thing¡­¡¹ With that wound she received, the dukedom¡¯s princess was not able to fully control her body. She seemed to be perplexed. ¡¸For the whole night, please do your best to sleep while holding Takeru¡¯s hand. That can make your body understand that it¡¯s okay so you will likely be relaxed. Takeru is fine with it too.¡¹ That is certainly true for me. It is my fault that the dukedom¡¯s princess has become like this. I held Princess Caroline¡¯s hand. At that time, the petite Princess Silhouette suddenly come between us. ¡¸Indeed. If the princess comes between you, Caroline will not be scared.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, this is the only part where I can help.¡¹ Why do I feel like the patient is the princess and not the dukedom¡¯s princess? She¡¯s so close that it looks like I¡¯m embracing her. This time, I will do almost anything. ¡¸Lia¡­.¡¹Read at SHMTranslations.com ¡¸You must not be angry Takeru or else, the dukedom¡¯s princess will be scared without fail.¡¹ Lia¡¯s undergarment appeared when she took off her thick robe. She sticks her lump of soft, fluffy meat on my face. ¡¸I don¡¯t think I can resist¡­¡¹ ¡¸Takeru, do you find your position difficult?¡¹ It feels good but at the same time uncomfortable¡­ ¡¸Right now,it feels physically stifling.¡¹ ¡¸Then Takeru, endure it by all means. The dukedom¡¯s princess is also fighting with her body.¡¹ Why do I feel that what you¡¯re doing has nothing to do with it? I¡¯m holding the hand of the dukedom¡¯s princess and I¡¯m in a state where I¡¯m somewhat hugging the princess. It¡¯s hard for me to do anything. Then, I heard a light peculiar sound on my ear. And a heavy vibration on my face. Lia is removing her bra! ¡¸Don¡¯t make a noise, her highness will be scared.¡¹ ¡¸Gou¡­.¡¹Read at SHMTranslations.com No matter how I think, it¡¯s impossible to sleep in this state. I also thought of shouting and running away but¡­ The slightly cold hand of the dukedom¡¯s princess made me calm. This is inevitable. I immediately thought that this is some sort of punishment. I won¡¯t be able to sleep so I¡¯ll be on vigil tonight. That time, I hardened my decision. ¡¸I¡¯m thinking why master hasn¡¯t come yet, what are you doing?¡¹ Sharon, together with Suzanne and Claudia, they might have come looking for me because I did not come to bed. Behind them is Oracle-chan equipped with a big pillow. ¡¸Sharon-san, Takeru is giving Princess Caroline a palliative care in order to cure her androphobia. She has to certainly receive it tonight so leave him be.¡¹ ¡¸Stelliana-san, what are you doing with master with your bare breast!¡¹ Yes, that¡¯s right, Lia is the one at fault. Though it is thought that it is absolutely impossible because of her everyday speech and behavior, Lia, who is also respected as a saintess, exerts overwhelming persuasive power in most cases. However, Sharon is the chairman of a company and is somewhat sly, she won¡¯t be swept away by that atmosphere easily. ¡¸This is also part of the palliative care for her highness princess, by all means¡­¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s a lie. Anyway, if master is sleeping here, we¡¯ll also stay here as escorts!¡¹ Whoa, you¡¯re not going to stop her? Sharon and the others seem to be carrying a big bed. They¡¯re planning to sleep by my side? ¡¸Princess Caroline, is it alright?¡¹ ¡¸Hero-sama, I can be more relieved if there are a lot of people.¡¹ The room is completely filled with beds but because the dukedom¡¯s princess is fine with it, I guess it¡¯s okay. Since the situation can¡¯t deteriorate any further, I don¡¯t care anymore. Thinking that way was a big mistake. Furthermore, Oracle climbs up my body while saying ¡°heave ho¡±. I want you to stop¡­.I can¡¯t be angry so please get off. I won¡¯t be able to sleep while being stuffed like playing oshikura manju. TN: Oshikura Manju is a children¡¯s game. The players gather in a circle as close to each other as possible. I think that that is all the detail you need but if you want to know more, here is the wikipedia link ¡¸Stelliana-san, I¡¯d like you to stop pressing your chest on master¡¯s face.¡¹ That¡¯s right, tell her Sharon! ¡¸Sharon-san, let¡¯s do it this way by all means. Let¡¯s have a two-shift system.¡¹ ¡¸¡­It can¡¯t be helped since it¡¯s for the palliative care.¡¹ Sharon!Read at SHMTranslations.com I could hardly sleep that night. Afterwards, I apologized many times saying ¡°I¡¯m very sorry.¡± to Princess Caroline who doesn¡¯t seem to mind it for some reason. However, if she didn¡¯t get better soon, I¡¯ll die of anxiety. ¡ªScene Change¡ª After some time, when Princess Caroline¡¯s androphobia eased. There was a report that threatens my sleep again. In the execution ground of the kingdom¡¯s capital, after the verdict was read aloud. It says that the body of Earl Brynie was taken by someone when his neck was about to be cut. There is only one person who can use the magic ¡°instantaneous movement¡± to steal someone from the execution place that was strictly guarded. It is the work of the advanced magician, Jenny Walpurgis of Germania Empire. The empire intends to create a succession war to the kingdom while using Earl Brynie, who inherited the blood of the founding king Renz, as a puppet. The evil hand of the Empire which disturbs peace is slowly approaching here. CH 62 When the Germania Empire declared the succession war by force against the Kingdom of Silesie, they began moving their forces at Lauren territory with the help of Brynie¡¯s faction. As for me, I¡¯m currently working as a lumberjack at the Devil¡¯s Mountain. The great war is finally here with the horses neighing and sword fights echoes around so why am I doing this? That¡¯s what I would like to know too but this is what Lyle-sensei has instructed so it can¡¯t be helped. Certainly, cutting black cedar and processing its woods is something that only I can do but¡­ Well, even if I say that the war has begun, marching will take time so I don¡¯t need to get impatient. Speaking or conspicuous battle, right now, the knight order of Lauren are divided into two groups, Princess Silhouette faction, and Earl Brynie faction. It seems that they are already fighting. Aside from that, the Germania Empire¡¯s army is slowly moving in a straight line towards the City of Lauren. It is somewhat an idyllic development. This medieval fantasy war is a little different from what modern people are imagining. I swung the sword of light to cut down the black cedars. ¡¸The tree will fall ¨C ¡¹ A heavy sound effect from falling echoed. The big tree fell and rolled out while scattering powder of dust. With the laser-like cutting power of the sword of light, I¡¯ve cut the gigantic cedar tree without feeling any resistance. That has made me feel good. Although I am reluctant at doing it first, once I started, I¡¯ll do what I can as a perfectionist. With me cutting and slashing around black cedar trees, the devil¡¯s mountain is now somewhat bald at the top. ¡¸Uoo, hero-sama! Piss down! ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Why? Did I do something wrong? ¡¹ After I cut it down, the old lumberjack ran after it while angrily scolding me. I don¡¯t want to piss yet but I know what you want to say. The one who told me to piss down is an old lumberjack, Yorogi-jiisan. Ox is a city of stone and wood so there is a lumberjack guild¡­.We created it when we were reconstructing the city. We recruited refugees to join. The city of Ox was obliterated by an army of monsters and the returning residents organized and established new associations. Yorogi-jiisan is an experienced lumberjack. He competes in number one or two position of the most talented individuals of the Sawatari Commercial Firm Wood Division. However¡­.I don¡¯t understand what he means sometimes. ¡¸Ah, hero-sama is not a lumberjack so it¡¯s normal that you don¡¯t understand¡­ Piss down means chop it down under the slope of the mountain.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, indeed. The cut off tree will drip down below.¡¹ Never thought that piss down is a technical term. Is there a little more refined way of saying it? ¡¸Hero-sama, if you look closely on how you cut it, when the knocked down tree rolled on the slope, there might be a possibility of it killing someone on the way. If you piss down, you won¡¯t injure your coworker so that¡¯s how one should do it.¡¹ ¡¸I understand, sorry. Then, how should I have cut it?¡¹ ¡¸For this tree, it should be ¡±top chase ¡° and ¡°slope frame¡± for that one!¡¹ ¡¸It doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡¹ I hope he can teach me more politely without using technical terms. It can¡¯t be helped because it¡¯s this obstinate jiisan. I asked him again to explain many times and finally understood what Yorogi-jii wanted to say. ¡¸Cut it diagonally from left to right towards the ridge. Well, since hero-sama is somewhat an amateur, try cutting that way as much as possible.¡¹ ¡¸Yoshi, then I¡¯ll try to do that.¡¹ I cut off a large tree towards the ridge in order for it to not roll as much as possible. I cut it down while considering the direction where it should be knocked down. The black cedar I paid close attention to is slowly falling down towards the mountain ridge. It did not roll. ¡¸Oohh, as expected of hero-sama. You can do it if you try.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah¡¹ There is no other logging technology here aside from this high-performance sword of light. ¡¸By the way hero-sama, let¡¯s divide and distribute them to the lumberjack to speed up work. Thinning and afforestation. I have been working as a lumberjack for fifty years but I only know how to cut trees.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s the difference between knowledge and experience, Yorogi-jii.¡¹ Yorogi-jii looks puzzled. It seems that this jii also doesn¡¯t understand what I say. Well, no wonder. Since the wood department has been established, I alloted a lot of time to teach the lumberjacks, who only has experience, about thinning and afforestation. Whether or not afforestation goes well, it will be up to them. People of this world on knows how to cut trees making mountains bald. Just being conscious will make much difference. On the other hand, I have no real experience so veterans like Yorogi-jii needs to teach me practical skills. Yorogi-jii is a type of person that is not good at speaking with people but I guess I¡¯m one too so we get along strangely well and made him teach me much about the mountain. During lunch break, I talked with Yorogi-jii while eating the bento made by Collete. This is called the devil¡¯s mountain where abundant of black cedar grows. It¡¯s quiet here to the point of being eerie. In this quiet forest, a chirp of a bird is enough to echo. ¡¸Yorogi-jii, why did Lyle-sensei wants a large number of black cedars?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know how great men think. My only guess is that it will be used for war.¡¹ Even those lumberjack who works with us in transporting the black cedar logs received instruction from Lyle-sensei. No one knows what he is working on. Lyle-sensei is secretive. ¡¸Somehow, according to this drawing, it will be cut similar to a cannon but why would one use wood to make a cannon?¡¹ ¡¸If you yourself don¡¯t get it, this old lumberjack won¡¯t have any idea either.¡¹ Jii said that while laughing as he tears his bread, soaks it in water, and eats it. Looking down below the slope of the mountain, the construction workers are digging trenches. Even the mountains of Ox are affected by the upcoming war. It makes me feel impatient but I need to cut down black cedar in the form Lyle-sensei wants to. The black cedar weapons are useful for warfare and the one who taught them about the importance of logistics is me. ¡¸But this is such a plain job. I never requested such a real fantasy.¡¹ ¡¸Haa, what the heck are you saying, hero-sama?¡¹ No, it¡¯s nothing, Yorogi-jii¡­. The chirp of the invisible bird echoed in the mountain of black cedar again. Please support the translator by reading at shmtranslations.com ¡ªScene Change¡ª Read at SHMTranslations dot com After finishing the work with the lumberjack of Ox, I finally arrived at the forefront of the Silesie Kingdom, the city of Spike. Both camps hold their position and the full pledge war starts. From my army, there are 1,000 volunteer soldiers. Viscount Ortholet, on the other hand, has 400 people, a combination of knights and militia. 1,400 troops are gathered in this small town. After checking the state of the front line, I entered the castle of the viscount. As usual, this castle is simple and dull looking. Lyle-sensei greeted me with a smile at a large stone hall. ¡¸Sensei¡­.Why is the number of soldiers in this castle so small?¡¹ ¡¸The battle has already begun. Most of them are doing some construction works for me.¡¹ Well, traps are sensei¡¯s favorite¡­. Lyle-sensei spreads a map on the desk. It¡¯s the strategy map showing a large number of traps. Terrifying. The empire forces and Brynie¡¯s territory force have gathered a total of 16,000 soldiers to subjugate the city of Spike. To protest against the invasion of the empire, the friendly country of Roland Kingdom has arranged their troops on the border and even the Britania Alliance blocks the empire¡¯s sea route. As expected, they are wary of the Yura continent¡¯s largest empire. ¡¸This is not Viscount Oracle¡¯s territory. Is there a danger of being attacked by the Duke of Transylvania?¡¹ The duke of Transylvania is a good person. I¡¯ll feel bad if they attacked. When sensei heard me, Kaara appeared from the dark. ¡¸¡¸No no¡¹¡¹ They are in sync. After saying that, Lyle-sensei and Kaara glared at each other. I can¡¯t tell if they are in good or bad terms. Kaara hides again after interfering with sensei. ¡¸Transylvania Dukedom is still a semi-vassal of the empire. They won¡¯t dare to attack the empire from behind so they don¡¯t post any danger for the empire. With that, they will not be attacked.¡¹ Therefore, it seems that the empire troops will leave the Transylvania Dukedom alone. If you¡¯re not going to be damaged, then it¡¯s good. But this is not the time to worry about another country. 1,400 kingdom army versus 16,000 empire troops. That¡¯s more than 10 times the difference. No, at this stage, I¡¯ve already won against power more than 10 times our size. War potential difference can be overturned by booby traps and strategy. However, with a very good timing, it seems that a strange epidemic has occurred in Lauren territory. Many soldiers and horses are in bad condition. Therefore, their forces would only be about 6,000. ¡¸The epidemic, do you have something to do with it, sensei?¡¹ ¡¸Viola cooperated¡­¡¹ Behind sensei is the blue-haired Viola. The one sensei taught of water magic. ¡¸I explained before why half nymphs are being despised by humans.¡¹ ¡¸Those are mere prejudice.¡¹ Sensei said that most of it are prejudice. ¡¸I also said that some parts are not prejudice. Nymphs has divine protection of water spirits but there is a downside. I made Viola a specialist in magical power plant breeding. If she can grow medicinal herbs, then, wouldn¡¯t it be possible for her to grow poisonous grass?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s¡­¡­¡¹ Sensei¡¯s words caused me to be distressed. I mumbled in a low voice. Water magic, medicine can be created by sanctifying it but you can also make poison through it. ¡¸There is something that is called nymph¡¯s poison. It is a delayed action poison. If it was mixed in water, you won¡¯t feel anything strange first but your condition will gradually deteriorate. Your skin will get rough and your teeth will fall out. If you were not able to drink the detoxifying potion, you will not even be able to stand.¡¹ ¡¸You use that?¡¹ That¡¯s foul. Sensei nodded quietly. ¡¸It is easy for a nymph to raise a poisonous plant in a well to make it poisonous. Of course, since the nymphs are despised, no one has ever used this method before. There has never been a case where nymph¡¯s poison was used in a human-to-human war.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so?¡¹ This plague was caused by the gradual effect of the poison. Even horses eat grass on the road. Since this is a slow-acting poison, it would look like they have fallen ill. ¡¸Although in order to win, I made Viola have a very painful experience. I understand if you hate me.¡¹ ¡¸No, I already said sensei before that I will do anything.¡¹ I embraced the small shoulder of Viola who¡¯s next to sensei. ¡¸I am the one who ordered sensei and Viola to do whatever it takes. Don¡¯t worry. Whoever gets hurt, whoever dies, I am the reason of all of it. You are not bad.¡¹ I understand that it is impossible to not mind it. I don¡¯t know how hard it is for little Viola to use the negative power that caused her race to be hated. Viola said something like ¡°I¡­¡± but her voice was too small so I did not hear it. Instead of words, she strongly returns my embrace. ¡¸You did it for me, thank you, Viola. After winning the war and restoring the territory, let¡¯s dispose of those poisonous plants. I¡¯ll take responsibility to the very end so don¡¯t worry.¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡¹ This is war. ¡­.as sensei said, ¡°do not choose the means¡±. To be honest, not choosing is frightening. Those attacking knights of the empire, will be all killed. CH 63 The allied defense forces army of 1,400 versus the 6,000 strong enemy forces of Germania Empire. Of course, we¡¯ll naturally choose a siege battle¡­not. We took position in Moke valley which is in the middle of the city of Spike and Lauren. This is the narrow valley where we defeated the knight order of Transylvania. I climbed on the top of the mountain and looked at the approaching forces from the other side of the horizon using a telescope. The heavy cavalry forces of the enemy are steadily approaching while raising dust. The heavy cavalry is about 1,000. There are also about 2,000 infantry and about 3,000 militia. Seeing the large enemy army, Lyle-sensei¡¯s cheeks cramped for some reason. He¡¯s obviously angry. ¡¸The commander of the enemy¡¯s army is a Germania Empire¡¯s ¡°fearless¡± Nerdlinger Rain Faltz. I heard that he¡¯s an excellent general that can make resolute decision but not that wise.¡¹ TN: ¥Í¥ë¥È¥ê¥ó¥¬©`?¥é¥¤¥ó?¥Õ¥¡¥ë¥Ä ¨C Nerutoringa Rain Farutsu ¡¸I see. So that¡¯s why he didn¡¯t seem to learn anything from what happened to our battle against the Transylvania¡¯s knight order.¡¹ Apparently, sensei is angry because the other party is someone with that character. ¡¸What is his problem! To be casually moving in a narrow valley while the enemy is waiting for them is the most foolish action. I thought that they¡¯ll take a detour around the mountain. All the plans I¡¯ve prepared were all in vain.¡¹ Sensei seemed to be disappointed as he hit his short rod on the strategic map. Well, I can understand sensei¡¯s anger. Avoiding narrow ground where there is a possibility of enemy ambush is a basic in tactics. Though I was a high school student, I read such tactics in a strategy book for children. The duke of Transylvania risked his shogi piece, knight order, to assault me and Princess Silhouette. In his case, that was strategically unavoidable because his forces need to arrive in the city of Spike as soon as possible. However, in the case of this empire attack, they just want to take the shortest route because making a detour is troublesome. They are probably thinking that the small forces of the kingdom can be annihilated by them anytime. ¡¸We still have a strategy against them even though they used the Moke valley, right?¡¹ ¡¸Of course, I¡¯ll make them regret being born. Oracle! Kaara! Please start the bombardment of the enemy according to the plan.¡¹ Sensei¡¯s gray robe swayed while opening his beautiful brown eyes wide as he shook his short rod. Oracle-chan and Kaara fly while holding baskets full of bombs. They flew in the sky over the enemy¡¯s knight order. The two of them lit the fuse and threw the bomb on the enemy¡¯s knight order. Explosions burst in the enemy¡¯s knight order where they threw bombs. The orderly march of the enemy¡¯s knight order was disturbed by the angry waves. ¡¸Oh, air bombing is amazing, right? The enemy can¡¯t do anything against it.¡¹ ¡¸Takeru-dono, you are mistaken. This is just a mean to lure the enemy¡¯s advance mage.¡¹ While the two of them are bombing from the sky, a man on the enemy¡¯s infantry with yellow robe flown up. ¡¸According to the reports of the spies, there is an advance mage among the enemy¡¯s troops, he is ¡°dusty¡± Damas Cloud. He is a mage specialized in wind magic. He¡¯s a troublesome mage that can fire strong, wide range tornado magic called Perfect Hurricane.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, he fell¡­¡¹ There is no one who could withstand the pincer attack of the genius mage Kaara and the immortal girl Oracle-chan. ¡¸Even though he¡¯s proud of his tornado magic, dusty Damas fell down due to the shock wave he received. ¡¹ ¡¸One task down.¡¹ This real fantasy is really disappointing. ¡¸Okay, this time, let¡¯s ambush the enemies marching in the moke valley and kill everyone.¡¹ ¡¸Sensei, you say it like it was nothing.¡¹ However, the enemy general is one who doesn¡¯t rely on tactics. He has a bad compatibility with sensei. The enemy¡¯s general is the fearlessNerdringer. No matter how I think about it, I don¡¯t know what will happen. Please support the translator by reading at shmtranslations.com ¡ªScene Change¡ª Read at SHMTranslations dot com The exit of moke valley. We set up anti-cavalry fences there using woods and earth. While passing through the valley, they have not received any attack. Because of this, General Nerdlinger thought that there will be no trap and charge along with his knight order proudly. ¡¸Fences made of woods, just turn around them!¡¹ After that, the frontmost knight screamed. The knights who tried to move around the fences fall into pitfalls one after another. ¡¸Sensei is a pitfall enthusiast¡­¡¹ Of course, those are no ordinary pitfalls. Below it is wooden stakes. Those stakes have poisoned nails all over it. We have 1,000 gunman corps and the enemy has a total of 6,000 troops. Those who fell in the pitfalls died, those who tried going over the fence are shot dead by the gunman corps. The enemy force fought bravely. However, the exit is a narrow bottleneck and it is not easy for the enemy to advance and they become stuffed like sushi. They were not able to use their greatest advantage which is their number. We set up a formation where the firing line is concentrated on the enemy¡¯s head. And of course, the enemy has crossbow archers and bow archers as well and they are shooting vigorously. There are also elementary and intermediate mages that are casting magic. Although my troops are guarded by mantlet, injured people are still appearing one after another. It is a good thing that we have a lot of recovery potion. Otherwise, we won¡¯t be able to hold our position. The enemy¡¯s assault eventually intensified. The enemy advanced by stepping on the corpses of their ally that were piled up on the pitfall. While thinking about it, a heroic knight managed to break through the second level of our triple fence. Noticing our position at the other side of the triple fence, he charged head-on. The heavy cavalry knight riding his big warhorse appeared. His plate mail has some enchantment magic. The bullets that hit him just bounce away. Though he¡¯s breathing roughly under his helmet, this fellow is filled with strong aura. ¡¸Fuhahaha, I¡¯m Germania¡¯s Nerdlinger the fearless! I¡¯m here to have a match with the enemy¡¯s general.¡¹ Are? He¡¯s the enemy general Nerdlinger? He indeed has a sense of intimidation that a general has. I don¡¯t know how he managed to get here but he really has the ability to back his title ¡°fearless¡±. He managed to go through our triple fence with just relying on his full plate mail. However, the commander himself charging in a medieval war is absurd. The enemy¡¯s morale has risen tremendously to the point of being berserkers. They are shouting and are desperately moving forward towards Nerdlinger¡¯s side. Is this okay? ¡¸Sensei, is it okay for me to have a duel?¡¹ If the other party has a strong character, I feel like I should go. Because the enemy general came, shouldn¡¯t I, the hero, personally settle it with him? ¡¸I don¡¯t mind but Commander Louise has already gone.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, Louise!¡¹ My chance to show off! ¡¸Enemy General Nerdlinger! This Knight Louise Carlson of the kingdom of Silesie will keep you company!¡¹ ¡¸Oh, so you are the thousand swords Louise? You¡¯ll suffice as my enemy!¡¹ The knights on their horses attacked each other with lance. Though the enemy¡¯s equipments are good, Louise¡¯ black cedar lance is harder than steel. Nerdlinger lost at their exchange and rolled down from his horse. There, Louise jumped out of her horse and changed her equipment from lance to the iron hammer ¡°ogre slayer¡± and smashed the enemy¡¯s general head. I think I sympathize a little with the enemy general that was beaten to death by the ogre slayer. ¡¸General!¡¹ ¡¸Die!¡¹ The knights tried to get back for their general Nerdlinger but their opponent is bad. Louise crushed both horses and knights using the iron hammer like an ogre. Her fighting power is not a knight level anymore. Her burning crimson ponytail hair is shaking while she¡¯s brandishing a huge iron hammer easily. The fierce figure of Louise, who¡¯s smashing both knights and horses, has a hint of happiness. Looking at her, the vigorous attack of the enemy¡¯s knight order stopped for a while. But I¡¯ll just say one thing. Louise using the iron hammer ogre slayer is absolutely wrong. The battle between knights is light a game in a sense. If you¡¯re hurt and injured but you didn¡¯t die, all you need to do is to drink recovery potion and you¡¯ll survive. Suzanne and Claudia, though small, are coordinating to make the enemy knight fall from their horses. They were trained by Louise so they have become stronger. Looking at the participation of my friends on the front line, my blood boils making me want to go there too. Unfortunately, I¡¯m not good at horse riding so I have to practice more. ¡¸Hero Takeru-dono, your opponent is this vice general, Eleonora Lanct Am-main.¡¹ TN: ¥¨¥ì¥ª¥Î¥é?¥é¥ó¥¯¥È?¥¢¥à¥Þ¥¤¥ó TN: Eleonora is the background lady ¡¸Haa, vice general?¡¹ A knight wrapped in armor, with character scarlet flame written in it, came over. Though having your own highlight is good, that pretty voice surely came from a female knight! ¡¸Now, let¡¯s have a fair match!¡¹ Why is my opponent a female knight? Even if we¡¯re at war, I¡¯ll hesitate to kill a woman. Louise, substitution! When I looked at Louise for help, she sent a signal while giving off an awfully good smile saying ¡°kill her¡±. Louise, why do you want me to kill women every single time! ¡¸Shit!¡¹ I used a black cedar large shield to block the horse riding charge of the enemy and use the black cedar long spear to strike her side. The female knight, vice general Eleonora, easily fell down from the horse. What? She¡¯s so weak, oi. However, she¡¯s the vice general of the enemy force so I should not let my guard down. I have to hurt her but to a degree that she won¡¯t die. The heavy infantry party with crest on their equipments indicating scarlet hawk showed up. I arranged the big shield that I used against vice-general Eleonora against them. ¡¸Hero of Silesie Kingdom, we will not let you kill the princess!¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s get him!¡¹ That defensive formation looks impregnable. If you have used it for General Nerdlinger, he wouldn¡¯t have died. The knights of this real fantasy surely know the wrong way to act at war. The enemy, who lost their general Nerdlinger and got their vice general Eleonora injure, started to withdraw. ¡¸Fuu, it¡¯s over, right?¡¹ ¡¸What are you saying Takeru-dono? It¡¯s far from over.¡¹ Sensei said that with a cool face. Ah, we¡¯re going to pursue them? ¡¸This is not pursuit. In order to give them warning, we¡¯ll annihilate this advance troops.¡¹ Sensei said that like it¡¯s already been decided. ¡¸No, sensei. Think about it, if you take away their chance to escape, they¡¯ll be desperate and that will be bad.¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯ll annihilate them.¡¹ Yes, sensei. It is so important that you said it twice. Sensei is very angry¡­ At that moment, I saw a large amount of rock falling down at the enemy army that is withdrawing in the moke valley. On the other side of the valley, I heard a lot of explosions that came from artillery bombardment. Ah, so that is the reason why we didn¡¯t use artillery here¡­. Perhaps Oracle-chan and Kaara who didn¡¯t show up here are also there to hold things down. The mouth of moke valley is close at both sides. The enemies are completely surrounded. ¡¸Now, everyone already has another task. If the enemy escapes on this side, attack them and make sure they are annihilated!¡¹ Uwa, this¡­. This is no longer a battle, a unilateral massacre has started. I sympathize with the enemy force a little. This large army has angered sensei so I guess this much is expected¡­ CH 64 Before being completely annihilated, the enemy army surrendered. Looking at the knights threw their weapons and laid on the ground after being crushed and killed by rock slides, Lyle-sensei¡¯s anger finally subsided and accepted the enemy¡¯s submission. ¡¸Takeru-dono, you can trust the submission declaration of the knights. They value honor. You just have to make them promise to never participate in battles against us again. After paying ransom, you may release them to and let them return to their country.¡¹ Sensei said those things in front of the captured enemy forces. The knights and their subordinates are good but the problem is the mercenaries. Unlike this the cowardly army who are incompetent and unable to do anything against us, these guys are skillful so I have to carefully deal with them. They are the ones who stand out from the collapsed enemy forces. They are bold enough climb to the steep mountain while a rockslide was occurring. One of them looks like a former adventurer. He¡¯s the leader of a large-3000 member mercenary group from Germania Empire. Mercenary leader Garan Dodol was brought to sensei wrapped in a rope. TN: ¥¬¥é¥ó?¥É¥É¥ë ¨C Garan Dodoru, dodol is a kind of sweet ¡¸We wish to express our gratitude for accepting our surrender, Silesie¡¯s Hero-dono¡­¡¹ Garan is a big man with black beard and is wearing black full body chainmail. Even though he is a mercenary leader, this one is comparable to an army leader in terms of politeness. ¡¸Garan-dono, you are mercenaries so why don¡¯t you side with us? If you do so, we will pay enough remuneration for your labor and double-crossing.¡¹ ¡¸A-are you an idiot? Even mercenaries have honor. Being a prisoner can¡¯t be helped but we will never betray our employer.¡¹ That¡¯s right. In mercenary business, ones they lose their credibility, they cannot continue anymore. I¡¯m a merchant so I can understand their pain. ¡¸A mercenary who double-crosses his employer is a disappointing one. We rather die than be employed by the enemy.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so?¡¹ The rope bounded Garan instinctively stood up. ¡¸Oi Garan. Sensei is very angry so you¡¯d better do as he says.¡¹ ¡¸But Silesie¡¯s hero-dono! You alone killed a lot of enemies to the point they threw their weapons and surrendered. You don¡¯t need to hire mercenaries.¡¹ That is true if it¡¯s an ordinary war. However, this time, it¡¯s a war that will decide if the country will perish or not. I can¡¯t choose the means so it can¡¯t be helped. ¡¸We don¡¯t have time which is unfortunate so even though it is regrettable, we¡¯ll execute anyone who won¡¯t cooperate.¡¹ Lyle-sensei points the gun at Garan. It became impossible for Garan to look away as he screamed. ¡¸Wa-wait¡­don¡¯t kill me. Hero-dono, we¡¯ll obey¡­We¡¯ll switch side. Please forgive me¡­¡­¡¹ The leader of the large mercenary group, Garan, hit the ground with his head as he asks for forgiveness. Switching side complete. Thus, leader Garan came to our side. To our regret, some of his mercenary allies don¡¯t want to change side so we executed them one after another. By the way, seeing how we deal with the war aftermath, it disturbs the other party. ¡¸Th-this is a disgrace. I can¡¯t bear it¡­.this massacre!¡¹ It is the young female knight with blonde hair, blue eyes, and fine armor with scarlet flame character. Vice-general Eleonora Lanct Am-Main. We tried binding her with a rope first but her armor flamed and burnt it. We finally were able to capture her by binding her with chains while being surrounded by soldiers. According to Lyle-sensei, the Am-Main family is a distinguished noble family. They are are ruling over the dukedom of Lanct which is a vassal state of the empire. This female knight is the only child of the dukedom with the number one financial power in the empire. Why is it such a princess willingly became a female knight? TN: She¡¯s a princess because she¡¯s similar to Caroline. The dukedom her family ruling is a sovereign dukedom. Well, it¡¯s not really a sovereign state since it is a vassal state of the empire. ¡¸She is the ¡°War Maiden of Lanct¡±. Her name is Eleanora. She is considerably famous.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, a war maiden like Jeanne d¡¯Arc.¡¹ No, Jeanne is a farmer¡¯s daughter. I wonder why she became a princess knight even though she¡¯s weak. ¡¸Though she¡¯s the only princess of Lanct, she¡¯s a famous tomboy. Although she¡¯s from the upper echelon, she wants to be a knight. Even the empire is having trouble handling her.¡¹ ¡¸I see. So that¡¯s why she became the vice- general.¡¹ Looking at her, she doesn¡¯t seem to have any commanding ability. So that¡¯s why the imperial army falls into confusion when General Nerdlinger fell. To be frank, with this your lady in the battlefield, the number of general did not become zero but negative. She¡¯s just a disturbance. If I don¡¯t have Lyle-sensei, I admit that I¡¯m barely capable of being a general. ¡¸You! To call me incompetent! I¡¯ll murder you Silesie¡¯s hero!¡¹ ¡¸No, I didn¡¯t say your incompetent¡­¡¹ I didn¡¯t say it, I only thought of it. ¡¸The way you battle is cowardly! You¡¯re unworthy to fight against knights! How can you call that victory!¡¹ ¡¸Cowardly? I don¡¯t want to hear that for the party who has four times as many as us.¡¹ What am I saying? I have no reason to defend against her. Should I just kill this noisy princess? Aside from her, all the other knights had surrendered and were freed from a while ago. Heavy infantry soldiers who seem to be her subordinates are surrounding her saying ¡¸Princess, please surrender.¡¹. They tried to persuade the female knight Eleonora but she stubbornly refuses to submit. She really should surrender now like the other knights. After submitting, she will be released after her ransom was paid but I guess it¡¯s a disgrace for a knight. Since we captured the enemy¡¯s vice-general with great pain, it will be wasteful to just execute her. When I was thinking of using her as a hostage against the enemy, a slim old knight who introduces himself as a messenger from Lanct Dukedom visited me. When he took off his gray cloak, I saw his silver hair and a neat mustache. The way he bows to me is also dashing. I¡¯m weak to such good adults so I welcomed him. ¡¸I am Kato, butler knight of the Am-Main family. I am here to pay the ransom of our house¡¯s princess.¡¹ ¡¸Hou, I see I see¡­.¡¹ The old gentleman Kato handed me two heavy cloth bag full of gold coins. It¡¯s too delicious that I almost fell down from that swift attack. ¡¸Unbind the Am-Main princess immediately. Also, don¡¯t be impolite to her subordinates!¡¹ Being rescued by the old, silver-haired gentleman Kato, the troublesome princess knight Eleonora finally leaves. ¡¸Silesie¡¯s hero! I did not submit to you. Remember that next time, I will hack that neck of yours with my sword!¡¹ ¡¸Yes yes, do your best.¡¹ There is no need for Eleonora to submit. She¡¯s just someone of high birth and position but incompetent. Moreover, she¡¯s like a bonus character that will give you bags of coins if you luckily catch. Please support the translator by reading at shmtranslations.com Read at SHMTranslations dot com ¡ªScene Change¡ª Please support the translator by reading at shmtranslations.com Read at SHMTranslations dot com Our victory is but a moment. I received a report that the empire has begun organizing to dispatch a new army from their home country. Their current number is 10,000 so they¡¯re likely be an enormous unit. There are about 10,000 surviving imperial armies in Lauren then another great number of empire troops will come over. The City of Spire will encounter a pincer attack. The amateur me will either choose a siege battle or a tactical withdrawal. However, Lyle-sensei has already predicted it and choose the strategy of attacking Lauren City. ¡¸The two thousand Garan mercenary who switch sides will invade Lauren City. The enemy general is a cautious one, Mainz¡±the Anaguma¡± Fullsten. The enemy will choose the besieging strategy.¡¹ TN: ¥Þ¥¤¥ó¥Ä?¥Õ¥ë¥¹¥Æ¥ó ¨C Maintsu Furusuten. His title is anaguma which is some sort of shogi strategy wherein the king is surrounded by other pieces of the same side. By the way, anaguma may also mean ¡°badger¡± which is some sort of animal. As sensei says, if we attack the Lauren City, the empire army will stay inside the rampart of the city with our 3,000 troops. With the ongoing plague, their condition is bad and will surely choose siege battle. ¡¸Things will be easy since the lord of Lauren, Count Brynie, is in the city. If by any chance he is killed, the empire will lose the just cause for their war intervention.¡¹ Indeed, if you use shougi terms, it can be called checkmate. The Anaguma made the wrong choice. Sensei also said ¡¸The empire is probably panicking now and are in a hurry to make the army head here.¡¹ Sensei managed to save the city of Spike from pincer attack and also confuse the empire¡¯s reinforcement. It is unusual for sensei to say that it will end in a draw due to damage and exhaustion on both sides. ¡¸Let¡¯s go to the outskirt of the city and collude with the mercenaries. Though we managed to reduce the war potential of the enemy, it will still be difficult since they¡¯re firmly shutting themselves.¡¹ While saying so, sensei seems to be having fun. ¡¸The enemy general is Mainz Fulsten, a tough old man. Germania empire has few generals that I respect and he¡¯s one of them.¡¹ ¡¸Since sensei respects him, he¡¯s probably an amazing general!¡¹ There has never been a time where sensei praises the enemy general. When I asked if the enemy general is amazing, sensei smiled bashfully. ¡¸It¡¯s somewhat different from what you thought of being amazing. Mainz¡±the Anaguma¡± has fought a lot of war with forty years experience and was defeated 60 percent of the time. ¡¹ ¡¸That, is not so amazing. ¡¹ Sensei shakes his head. ¡¸Though Germania Empire has a lot of brave and brutal generals, he¡¯s the only one who can fight well in a losing battle. In terms of army command ability, he is the best in the empire. Because it is a rare quality and is hardly understood by his colleague, he is called the ¡°defeatist¡±. Mainz the ¡°defeatist¡±. That poor old man is harshly called as that.¡¹ ¡¸Indeed, that¡¯s a plausible story.¡¹ Certainly, the knights and soldiers of Germania Empire demonstrate fearlessness as they charge and becomes fragile when retreating. Even though they are not completely equipped, the guerilla tactics mercenaries are more tenacious. ¡¸In this aspect, if you take off the pretense of number, the Germania Empire¡¯s army in Lauren City is already inferior. Among 10,000 imperial troops in the city, Mainz is the only one who understands it properly. Takeru-dono, do you understand now his amazingness? ¡¹ ¡¸No¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? It is sad being misunderstood. The enemy general Mainz is excellent to the point that I studied his battle history. Let¡¯s pay respect to this amazing precursor by winning heartily.¡¹ When saying so, sensei shook his iron wand indicating the attack on Lauren city. We are currently on a hill overlooking Lauren city. The five bronze cannons, aiming at the city, made a deafening roar as they started the bombardment. CH 65 To begin with, the outer wall of this world is not designed for bombardment. The volunteer troops are firing their five bronze cannons on the base of the hill to the unprotected Lauren city. ¡¸The enemies, are not doing anything¡­¡¹ The color of impatience appeared on Lyle-sensei¡¯s face for the first time. ¡¸Sensei, why don¡¯t we let Oracle-chan and Kaara to bomb them?¡¹ ¡¸I heard from the traitor Garan mercenary group that ¡°the anaguma¡± is accompanied by an advance mage. We cannot attack them carelessly.¡¹ ¡¸So, the famous general is accompanied by a powerful mage.¡¹ ¡¸Though the other party is accompanied by an advance mage, that is only a mediocre mage.¡¹ Are, you¡¯re saying like it¡¯s not a big deal. ¡¸That ¡°Ulrich Three Sisters¡± is an advance mage.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, so there are three of them.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, the three of them cooperates as one advance mage. Even if the genius mage Kaara collaborates with the fast flier Oracle, they will likely be shot down from the ground. Air raid is dangerous.¡¹ TN: They are considered as one so they are treated as a singular entity in previous lines. ¡¸I see¡­.¡¹Please support the translator by reading at shmtranslations.com If you were hit by an attack while flying and lose consciousness, you will fall and die. After all, even if they are strong mages, they are still humans. So this is one of the reasons why aerial battles are not popular even with advance mages. ¡¸Takeru-dono, do you think that a bundle of advanced mage is dangerous?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, of course. I thought that there¡¯s only one.¡¹ ¡¸As an advance mage, they are haughty and arrogant. They thought highly of themselves because they have higher magical power. They are the type of people that can be considered as the lowest pieces of s***.¡¹ ¡¸Sensei, that is a little¡­¡¹ I somewhat feel some personal grudge. ¡¸Therefore, all of them should die¡­.Excuse me. Advance magics have longer and wider range and are flashy too but they interfere with each other. Because of that, they dislike cooperating with others.¡¹ ¡¸I see, I understand.¡¹ ¡¸However, that is not the case for the ¡°Ulrich Three Sisters¡±. As senior mages, they are ordinary but the three of them can cast joint advance magic. That is their greatest threat. Even pulling my personal feelings aside, they are existence that we must absolutely crush here.¡¹ As I thought, there is some self-interest included. However, this has become troublesome. There is the veteran Mainz, which specialized in defense, taking in command and there are three advance mages. Moreover, there are 10,000 soldiers stationed in the city. There might be a way if the other party also attacks but they are not fighting back and are focusing on defending. If this continues, the reinforcement from the empire might come. The rain clouds caught my attention since they are somewhat unnatural. ¡¸It¡¯s the enemy¡¯s magic. Mainz exactly knows that water is a weak point of cannons. Stop shooting! Cover the cannons with waterproofing sheet and put a tent on them.¡¹ Rain cloud is an intermediate level water magic. Lyle-sensei can also use that magic and can act as a magic dispeller. I wonder why he decided to receive it and pretend that we can¡¯t use the cannon. The waterproofing sheet is made from the fur of gray ratman. It is a natural water repellant especially when waterproofing magic is applied to it. It is an impossible task if there is a flood but it can naturally endure rain cloud. Nevertheless, it will not change the fact that rain is a weak point of the gun powder and the fuse. ¡¸Mainz only knew about firearms and cannons with the information he received. It will be fortunate if he misunderstands that those will be useless with this.¡¹ There are only five bronze cannons here but sensei actually have ten more in other places. The famous general Mainz and Lyle-sensei are mutually deceiving each other. This is an intellectual warfare. Compared to the previous medieval fantasy I experienced, you could say that this is the essence of a real fantasy. ¡¸However, we should not continue battling like this. Kaara, meteor strikeplease.¡¹ Sensei tries to find a way to break the stalemate to the point of using the highest tier magic. With the wise general Anaguma shutting himself, even sensei doesn¡¯t have many hands to play either. That is the highest tier magic Kaara is proud of. It will surely overturn the city. If a meteorite suddenly came down from the sky without making a noise, the city is already dead. TN: Hokuto no Ken reference. ¡¸Kaara Demonia Demonicus prostrates herself, to the king of darkness that shines far away from the stars, manifest yourself to the valley of time-space, bring everything to ruin!¡¹ The sky suddenly becomes dark and the starry sky spreads to the sky as meteorites sparks pouring down to the city of Lauren. Cemetery locked on! Zun(sfx) and heavy sounds shook the air as huge meteorites landed on the ground of the city. She¡¯s a really scary enemy but also a reassuring ally. This is simply the strongest and most massive attack of all time. ¡¸There¡¯s still no movement even with this, impossible!¡¹ Sensei cannot hide his surprise. Even I was surprised.Please support the translator by reading at shmtranslations.com How much confusion did that meteor strike cause the city of Ox when it was casted on it previously. Against the highest tier magic, the city where the meteorites fell has been destroyed but the 10,000 troops are still hiding like it was nothing. Mainz actions can¡¯t be read at all. Sensei who¡¯s holding his wand is meditating deeply in silence until a fast horse messenger came. After hearing the report, sensei screamed. ¡¸I see, so I was played with!¡¹ The disappointed sensei threw the short want on the strategy map in vexation. ¡¸What happened?¡¹ ¡¸How did such¡­that explains why even using cannons, even after casting meteor strike, there is no reaction from the enemy. The enemy has already escorted Earl Brynie out of the city before we attacked it.¡¹ Sensei grits his teeth in vexation. ¡¸Of course, I¡¯ve also considered that Mainz will escape with Brynie at the early stage of our attack. Therefore, while we were attacking here, I had a detached group to wait for their escape and strike there.¡¹ If they managed to kill Earl Brynie, this war will end. ¡¸However, Mainz let Earl Brynie retreat while being accompanied by the main force of the city of Lauren. There are about 5000 of them including strong knights are troops. It seems that the ¡°Ulrich Three Sisters¡± are accompanying them too. That is not a scale that can be struck with a detached group.¡¹ In other words, the only ones remaining in the city are those who were weakened by the nymph¡¯s poison and General Mainz. I guess the rain cloud earlier was casted by an intermediate mage. We were riding on the plan of the old general into attacking this paper mache city. ¡¸Even if we run after them now, we will not make it in time. Mainz used himself, his injured troops, the sick, and the city itself as a decoy and had those healthy troops escort Brynie to retreat splendidly. It is a very good decision, worthy of giving merit¡­¡¹ ¡¸Sensei seems to be enjoying it for some reason.¡¹ Though sensei looks bitter, he seems to be in a good mood. Because we¡¯ve been acquainted for a long time, I somehow understand him and can point what he can and can¡¯t bear. ¡¸Why wouldn¡¯t I? An experienced general like Mainz was forced to make a strategy where he himself is the decoy, any strategist will be laughing at that. ¡¹ It is a sad thing that no one understands sensei. For sensei, Mainz the anaguma is someone he can call a mentor he respects. He¡¯s probably glad to have a face-off with that famous old man. Since there were neither advance mages nor robust soldiers, the city is already a paper mache. We attacked all gates with a cannon each and broke through the city walls. Our troops invaded the city like an angry wave. Their detoxification potions were exhausted too so the soldiers in the city of Lauren were not able to stand up straight due to the nymph¡¯s poison. The white flag has been immediately raised. The treatment of the 5,000 injured and sick soldiers who remained in the city of Lauren was the same as we always do so let¡¯s omit it. The old general Mainz the anaguma is in the audience of the Lauren Castle. He¡¯s waiting there alone with a cane. He¡¯s passed 60. He has a long white mustache with short hair, he¡¯s wearing a white cloak over his heavy-looking plate mail, and he looks like a dignified jiisan. Although his face is heavily wrinkled, his blue eyes, that is filled with color of intellect, are shining. ¡¸Hoho, are you Lyle Laertius? You surprised me a little.¡¹ He¡¯s definitely surprised.Please support the translator by reading at shmtranslations.com He insists that he is not but sensei is cuter than a girl. ¡¸It¡¯s a pleasure to meet your excellency, Mainz, the anaguma.¡¹ Lyle-sensei knelt on one knee. Looking at him, he looks like a simple laughing old man but he¡¯s still a famous great general so I also kneeled in a panic. ¡¸I have heard your past activities thoroughly. Lyle-kun will definitely be called the next generation¡¯s great strategist.¡¹ ¡¸Giving me that evaluation, I am thankful for your excellency.¡¹ ¡¸Sooner or later, it will be impossible for everyone to ignore you. It would be nice if my defeat will be attached to you like a flower for your first war.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? But I¡¯m still too young and will be unnoticed by the public. We may have defeated your excellency this time but we had a really hard time.¡¹ Lyle-sensei smiled with self-ridicule. However, it seems like he doesn¡¯t feel bad after being praised by the famous general. ¡¸Hoho, right right, age gives you wisdom. I cannot catch up with the youth¡¯s physical movement but I can still swing the baton.¡¹ ¡¸You could have withdrawn with the main force. General doesn¡¯t necessarily have to remain in this city.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? But I think Lyle-kun will not be deceived if I were to get out of the castle.¡¹ ¡¸Right. I would have noticed if his excellency is not the one giving commands.¡¹ Pretending to have 10,000 soldiers stuffed in the city while what you really have are sick and wounded soldiers. On top of that, only an experienced leader will be able to remain calm despite being bombarded with the highest tier magic. ¡¸You¡¯ll notice it immediately, you¡¯re dangerous.¡¹ ¡¸Do you think so? As soon as I notice it a little, there will still be hands that will clap.¡¹ What¡¯s wrong with these two¡¯s conversation? I don¡¯t get it. ¡¸By the way, it was good to meet a young person like you at my time of death.¡¹ ¡¸Are you not going to declare submission?¡¹ Sensei raises his face for being a little surprised. ¡¸I have already been in the battlefield since I had a rosy face like you. It has been forty years already. I am indebted to the present emperor, His Majesty Conrad. However, ever since the crown prince, the young lion, grips the military authority, he disapproved me for being old-fashioned. I thought that this is a good time.¡¹ The smiling gray mustached general knelt on the spot and presented his neck. Because we said that anyone who will not submit will be killed. ¡¸I¡¯m over sixty and can be considered as half dead due to age. Though this is something you can¡¯t be proud of that much, I¡¯ll be grateful if you pridefully receive it.¡¹ ¡¸Sensei¡­¡¹Please support the translator by reading at shmtranslations.com I like this old general. I think that we should spare his life here. Even sensei doesn¡¯t want to kill him because sensei is a person who understands his talent(cheat). ¡¸That¡¯s why, your excellency Mainz, I must absolutely kill you here ¡­¡¹ Sensei grasps his wand hard and muttered so in a cold voice. The other party is a great general who lost the match but won the game against sensei. How dangerous will it be to let such an enemy live? If you think with reason, you¡¯ll understand. However¡­¡­.Please support the translator by reading at shmtranslations.com ¡¸Sensei, let¡¯s utilize General Mainz.¡¹ ¡¸Again? Takeru-dono, will you tell me your reason?¡¹ Even if you asked me that, I haven¡¯t thought about the reason. ¡¸Let¡¯s give this to Mainz as a loan. He is the type of general who¡¯s willing to die for the old emperor Conrad because he¡¯s indebted to him. If we save his life here as a favor, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll return it in the future.¡¹ When I said so, the white-mustached general raised his face in surprise. He widened his small eyes and stared at me like a horse. ¡¸Indescribable¡­You¡¯ll let go of this senile grandfather who will probably die sooner or later just because you want me to return this grace?¡¹ ¡¸My apologies Your Excellency Mainz. Our hero-dono is such a person.¡¹ Sensei closed his eyes in amazement and pressed his forehead with his fingers. Well, I guess I said something strange. ¡¸Hohoho, that¡¯s funny. I can¡¯t read what this young lord is thinking. Lyle is probably having a hard time.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, just a bit ¡­¡­.¡¹ Is sensei having a hard time because of me? Maa, let it be. ¡¸Sounds good. You are the victor. You are free to utilize the head of this defeated army including the general. Do what you want with me.¡¹ ¡¸I think it would be better to behead him. However, I¡¯m just a strategist and must obey the order of the commander I serve or there is no military rule.¡¹ Sensei quickly lowered the grasp of his wand. ¡¸Sorry sensei.¡¹Please support the translator by reading at shmtranslations.com ¡¸It¡¯s alright. Your military officers are here to only provide the best options under certain conditions. At the end of the day, Takeru-dono will be the one to decide.¡¹ Sensei looks glad so I guess this is good. For a strategist, my decision is inadequate. ¡¸Good good. I thought that this old man would be able to enjoy his last service. It seems like the world has plans on its own.¡¹ The kneeling old general Mainz, who¡¯s wearing a heavy armor with a cane in his hands, stood up as if a ceremony has ended. ¡¸Well well, Silesie¡¯s Hero Takeru-dono, this dying old man will return your kindness. Before I die, I¡¯ll make sure to have an opportunity to return your grace¡­¡¹ The white-mustached general says that as if he feels unpleasant for not returning a favor. He blends with the knights who are returning to their respective territories. The old man left the city of Lauren on unsteady steps with his cane. CH 66 After the vivid withdrawal of the great general Mainz, we now enter another difficult war phase. Though we won on the surface, the City of Lauren is in rubble. There are around 5,000 mercenaries that change side. Do they have detoxification potion? According to my calculation, if we count all the knights, soldiers, and militia of the imperial army, they won¡¯t be more than 7,000. However, we can¡¯t let our guard down. There is a tactical class advanced mage in their ranks. There are probably 5,000 soldiers in good condition that are protecting Brynie¡¯s escape. Lyle-sensei is probably down since he missed an opportunity to struck down the ¡°Ulrich Three Sisters¡±. They are probably the ace of the imperial army. The battles until now can be considered as preliminary skirmishes. The empire has not yet dispatched their treasured Tigercub Knight Order. They are wyvern rider that is said to be the strongest in the continent. They are under the golden lion prince¡¯s command and without a doubt, they will be the victor of this war if they arrive here. ¡¸Let¡¯s discard the City of Lauren.¡¹ ¡¸¡­.eh?¡¹ The City of Lauren is the capital city of the former Margrave Lauren territory. It is an important area that borders the Transilvania Dukedom and the Kingdom of Silesie. However, it was completely destroyed by an army of monsters and became Earl Brynie¡¯s territory. Due to misgovernment and incompetency, it was not revived in any way and not worthy as a defense base. The castle and city walls have already crumbled. Not even a small army can maintain this city. Right now, mobility is the most important thing. Let¡¯s just leave some soldiers after making several traps. When the enemy tried to recapture it, they will receive some damage. While we¡¯re doing a meeting regarding this, an outrageous report came in. ¡¸Brynie attacked this place again?¡¹ Earl Brynie¡¯s group has met and joined with the rescue army that the empire sent for him. It is said that they were provoked by our scouting team and has attacked the northern part of Lauren. ¡¸Though clapping a hand can attract some attention, I never thought that they will be provoked with just that.¡¹ Sensei smiled wryly. They are probably provoked easily since they originally wanted to attack from the start. I understand that Brynie wants to get back his territory but he should have at least waited for the main force to arrive. Mainz risked his life for his retreat but he seems to have not listened to a single word the old military general told him. ¡¸Earl Brynie agreed to flee because he is cowardly but since he joined forces with a huge army, his head grows big.¡¹ ¡¸As stupid as ever¡­.¡¹ The rescue force might have an order of not doing anything until the main army arrives so it means that Brynie moved on his own. ¡¸Does that mean that Mainz haven¡¯t rejoined the enemy¡¯s camp yet?¡¹ ¡¸Even if he¡¯s there, he can¡¯t do anything. Though he won¡¯t be executed, he still has to take responsibility for their defeat. He¡¯s probably already demoted.¡¹ The old general will not die but will simply disappear. Mainz risked his life to save Brynie but it seems that Brynie¡¯s stupidity is beyond his expectations. That fellow is an owner of minus cheat that will spoil all of his allies strategy. Crown Prince Freed will be really furious once he heard Brynie¡¯s selfish act. ¡¸Now, let¡¯s quickly clean them up.¡¹ Sensei took the short wand and look excited about the upcoming battle. Thinking about it, the enemy will be defeated because the use Brynie to wage the succession war. Please support the translator by reading at shmtranslations.com Read at SHMTranslations dot com ¡ªScene Change¡ª Please support the translator by reading at shmtranslations.com Read at SHMTranslations dot com War potential ratio: Kingdom 7,000 vs Empire 15,000. Sensei used the ¡°empty fort strategy¡±. The enemy adheres to recapture the City of Lauren. Needless to say, this city has no longer any defensive capability so they¡¯ll surely think that there will be a trap. As the strong imperial knights advance, along with the 15,000 strong imperial troops, the residents and merchants who are caught in the battle ran away. That moment, we began shooting the imperial troops with our cannons from four sides. The enemy¡¯s main unit(probably the enemy commanders and Brynie) flinched and escaped to the Lauren castle for safety. With that, we bombarded the castle too. Soon after, a massive explosion broke down the castle. In the midst of the debris, the main unit is buried alive. ¡¸Who would have thought that the large amount of explosive we put in the castle caused an explosion like that? This strategy is great.¡¹ ¡¸Brynie died just like that? That¡¯s amazing¡­.¡¹ I said that but I didn¡¯t put my heart in it. Brynie is tough and I am not rest assured unless I cut his neck myself. However, with this, we have at least defeated the elite unit including the enemy general. Their troops are divided now. Losing command, the troops are just running around the city while we bombard them. We¡¯re trimming down their number for sure. Then, a group of soldiers with a protecting general-like formation headed for us. The soldiers are surrounding the greatest threat, the advanced mage group of ¡°Ulrich Three Sisters¡±. Even receiving a storm of cannon balls and bullets, the approximately 500 heavy infantry troops are unwavering. The three female mages in the middle are fighting back with stone bullet magic. That troop is under the flag of General Mainz, they are true elite. ¡¸What should we do sensei? They seem to be considerably tough.¡¹ ¡¸They are troops under Mainz¡¯ tutelage. Their aim is firing water magic towards our guns and cannons.¡¹ The enemy avoids the infantry and moves straight to the cannon. They are moving skillfully so this falls to Lyle-sensei¡¯s clever guidance. Even under the storm of cannon balls and bullets, that mage group is steadily proceeding. Suddenly, the ground exploded and blew them away. Though that can not kill advanced mages, I can¡¯t say the same thing with the heavy infantry. ¡¸Did you think that the castle is the only place with explosives!¡¹ Sensei took this opportunity to put explosives on pitfalls. With that, the wall of heavy infantry that are defending the advanced mages collapsed. However, as expected of the ¡°Ulrich Three Sisters¡±. Even with that devastating explosion, they are not damaged at all. As a desperate resolution, they casted the great flood magic deluge so silence the cannons and the guns, and the fire prison magic inferno to limit the area of movement of our infantry. Meanwhile, the last one is using magic barrier to fend off our bombardment. It will be hard to pinpoint their weak points with their very skillful coordinated magics. If we leave that advanced mage group alone, we will just incur more damage. Half-hearted attacks like that of the bronze cannons and guns will not do anything against the barrier of an advanced mage. So what should we do? It means that our meat bullets, the strong ones from our group, have to step forward. ¡¸Then, Takeru-dono and Commander Louise, my apologies but it is now your turn.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m going, sensei.¡¹ I sortie with Louise and prepared myself. The Ulrich Three Sisters, they are my type, black-haired beautiful oneesan wearing blue robes. Such a shame that I have to kill them. The eldest sister is Nona Ulrich, the second sister is Dekima Ulrich, and the third sister is Morta Ulrich. They are not in anyway exhausted too. Each of them is defending each other in a triangular formation. Kaara and Oracle-chan attacked the eldest sister Nona. Oracle-chan restrained her while Kaara overwhelms her with her enormous magical power. In terms of magical power, the three sisters need to work together to be Kaara¡¯s match. By the way, Louise attacked the second sister Dekima. Dekima used the advance magic of flame prison called inferno. It¡¯s a conflagration similar to throwing one into hell. If it was an ordinary knight, that person would have been burnt to death but Louise just slashed it with her large sword made of black cedar. That¡¯s natural since Louise¡¯ fire resistance was raised to the limit. She can even withstand a dragon breath. Though she facing an advanced mage, that mage is still human. There is no way for her to beat a dragon slayer brave. Without fearing inferno, Louise advanced like it was nothing. She slashed the second sister¡¯s neck and sparks flew out because of a barrier but it was destroyed in an instant. Dekima fell down without even having the privilege to scream. I¡¯m in charge of the third sister Morta. Seeing Louise, she might have thought that using fire magic won¡¯t be of any use. Morta used an advanced earth magic rock press to me. It is similar to the earth magic stone blast that sensei often use. The difference is the size of the rock. A huge rock is now falling to where I am. Since flame won¡¯t work, she used earth magic. Even though it is a huge rock, it is not something comparable to meteor strike so it is not a match to my sword of light. I put some power on my right hand and cut off the huge rock with the sword of light. I ran towards Morta to cut and kill her. She¡¯s a woman with long curvy black hair. I took out the neutral sword on my left hand and swung it. It easily cuts her body. This is too easy. I didn¡¯t feel any resistance. ¡¸Kyaaaaa¡¹ A woman¡¯s scream is heard by my ears. Blood scatters as I slashed that woman. Her long black hair flutters in the air. I see. Unlike the sword of light that brutally burns everything, the dull silver neutral sword is attributed in sharpness. The eldest sister Nona, who lost the support of her second and third sister, was immediately cut by Kaara¡¯s vacuum blade. She was lively earlier and now reduced to a pool of blood and pieces of meat. I don¡¯t even feel looking at her. Though the ¡°Ulrich Three Sisters¡± are exterminated, the battle has yet to end. I plan to join the battle. Louise, who¡¯s holding her big black cedar sword, slowly walks towards me. ¡¸Louise, let¡¯s assist sensei!¡¹ ¡¸My lord, your hands are trembling.¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡¹ Like Louise said, my hands are awfully trembling. It is probably because this is the first time I killed a woman. It can¡¯t be helped cause we¡¯re at war. She¡¯s a black haired woman. Deep inside me, I might have thought of her as a Japanese so when I saw her dying, I might have been affected more than I thought I would. However, this is only a trembling of excitement. I am a warrior so I¡¯m prepared to do it. I mean, how many enemies have I killed up to now? ¡¸Louise, the battle has not ended yet.¡¹ ¡¸Takeru¡­.We have taken care of the advanced mages, you have already done enough. Let Lyle-sensei do the rest.¡¹ Louise let go of her large sword and hold my trembling hands. While I was thinking of what she¡¯s doing, she pulled me to her embrace. Why is she hugging me? I don¡¯t get it at all. Maa, even though she¡¯s strongly hugging me, I don¡¯t feel anything at all since we are both wearing armors. However, the pure aroma of Louise¡¯ hair entered my nose. As I smell it, my heart started beating really fast and the coldness I¡¯m feeling turned into heat that I feel like I¡¯m burning. ¡¸Haa¡­..fuu¡­..¡¹ I don¡¯t know when but before I noticed it, I¡¯m already breathing heavily and awfully sniffing at Louise¡¯ chest. Phew, it feels like I lost all my power. No, I must not relax yet. I still have to fight. ¡¸Takeru, I forced you to kill women enemies in order for you to not hesitate. Because I don¡¯t want you to die.¡¹ Louise says that in a battlefield, a lot of good men have died trying to protect a woman or hesitated to kill a woman enemy. Gentleness in everyday life is a vice on the battlefield. ¡¸Therefore, I made you kill her. However, I did not ask you to act cool and forcibly hide your feelings.¡¹ ¡¸No, you¡¯re wrong. I¡¯m all right.¡¹ ¡¸Lie. I guess it is painful for you to kill a woman. If it¡¯s painful, cry, if you want to lash it out, you can complain to me.¡¹ ¡¸This is war so what I did is something normal!¡¹ Louise kills without hesitation, the other warriors are like that too. I¡¯m prepared to do so as well that¡¯s why I¡¯m standing here. ¡¸Ofcourse I know that but my lord¡¯s current expression is really unpleasant. Ah, maybe it¡¯s a mistake forcing you to kill her after all!¡¹ I am surprised because the usual level-headed Louise is speaking passionately. ¡¸Takeru, you are special to me. If I knew that you would make that face, I should have let you stay behind.¡¹ ¡¸Haa¡­¡­¡¹ Though I have said it many times already, Louise is the one I like the most. I have this really strong feeling inside of me that makes me depend on her. Therefore, with her spoiling me like this during such a time, even if I can¡¯t get rid of my choro tag, even if this will be used against me in the future, I don¡¯t mind. Louise is embracing me firmly. We¡¯re in a posture where it is kind of gradually becoming painful. I tried to think of a way for her to loosen her hug so I looked closely at Louise¡¯ face. Without saying anything, I decided to stay like that for a while. Even if you told me that I can complain to you, I already cried so I basically already calmed down. Wait, why did I cry? Though Louise is always level headed especially during a battle but she suddenly became intimate with me that makes me become emotional. I¡¯m still too young to understand so I don¡¯t know if I truly wanted to entrust my heart to her. I¡¯m grateful that she wants to protect me but regretful that I¡¯m not old enough to protect her yet. However, I still want to thank her for stopping my hands from trembling. Please support the translator by reading at shmtranslations.com Read at SHMTranslations dot com ¡ªScene Change¡ª Please support the translator by reading at shmtranslations.com Read at SHMTranslations dot com The battle afterwards is one-sided. After taking care of the advanced mages, something like a difference in military power is nothing in front of Lyle-sensei. After being trapped in the city while receiving artillery bombardment continuously, the enemy¡¯s large army formation has crumbled. If I were their commander, I would have immediately given the order to withdraw so what are they doing? The remaining infantry and knights are moving badly. Then, I saw a familiar young female knight in crimson flame armor and red mantle charging. ¡¸Vice-general Eleonora Lanct Am-Main does not fear anyone! Follow me and charge!¡¹ So it¡¯s her. You should have limit your overeagerness. If you wanted to be the commander, do it properly! I told Louise that I¡¯ll go. ¡¸No, I¡¯ll go.¡¹ Louise will definitely kill her on the spot. After all, I¡¯m not suitable for killing women and defeating the princess knight will end this war. I proudly held a lance and walked towards the last enemy commander who is raising clouds of dust. It was at that time. ¡¸Ah¡­¡¹ It seems like they were caught up in an explosive trap. The remaining knights and the Vice-general Eleanora were blown away because of an explosion. It was like a gag manga. I can¡¯t help but smile wryly seeing how they were beautifully blown away. After all, I never thought that I will witness something like this in this real fantasy world. Looking their vice general, the captains of the divided army tremble. After being sieged here, they each of them left their ranks and escaped. Thus, the offense and defense around the city of Lauren were settled. CH 67 ¡¸Kuh¡­.to put in such a trap.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, you¡¯re still alive after that explosion?¡¹ The stubborn princess knight Eleonora. When the dust caused by the huge explosion cleared up, most of their knights and horses are lying on their back, unmoving. There are a very few of them that are still barely breathing and can groan. In this situation, among those who were blown away, only the vice general Eleonora has still the power to stand up. It seems like her durability is high. Perhaps her crimson flame armor and mantle are very expensive. They are probably high-performance magic armor. In this world, it is a good magic gap-widening/narrowing item. She didn¡¯t die even after being bombed. Her magic armor resistance is unquestionable. Since she didn¡¯t die, she¡¯ll only need to drink healing potion and she¡¯ll be fine. ¡¸No matter what you do, I will not submit. If you truly are a knight, fight me fair and square, Silesie¡¯s hero!¡¹ ¡¸Yoshi, guys, tie that fellow with an iron chain!¡¹ The other party is troublesome if not dealt with properly so I had my personal guards to surround her. If we tie her with a rope, it will just burn because of her fire armor so it is troublesome to catch her. Therefore, we have no choice but to surround her then roll iron chains around her. The other party is the princess knight so I can fetch a lot of money as ransom for her later. She¡¯s basically a bonus character. ¡¸Kuh¡­using numbers to surround me then tying me with rough chains, you shameless coward! What are you going to do with me? You will definitely not be forgiven if you rape a knight! And even if you use that method to deal with me, I will not yield!¡¹ ¡¸Haa¡­you¡¯re already a prisoner so can¡¯t you be quiet?¡¹ By the way, no matter how great that armor was, since she was blown off by the explosion and hit the ground, it should have been damaged. But why is this girl still energetic¡­? Maa, I should recognize her power to receive beating. I looked at the heavy infantry with large shields with scarlet hawk emblem on them. They are directly under the princess knight¡¯s command. I¡¯m sure they saw Eleonora being tied by iron chains but they still threw their weapons. They did not even think of saving her. All of them, whether knights or soldiers, surrendered immediately. The knights declared their submission, if they pay ransom, they will be released. Even the soldiers did not resist. They might not be willing to put their life on the line for the city they don¡¯t own. It goes without saying but the mercenaries are just hired with money. Even if she¡¯s already bound with an iron chain, Eleonora keeps blabbering. In addition, out of nowhere, the silver-haired butler knight of the Am-Main family, Kato, came. He took her after paying two sacks full of gold coins. Thanks to the mercenary group, we¡¯re running low on funds so this ransom is truly appreciated. For the old knight Kato who brings me gold, I can endure the filthy mouth of the princess knight Eleonora. ¡¸Silesie¡¯s hero! Remember this, next time, my sword will slash that hateful neck of yours!¡¹ ¡¸Yes yes, though I don¡¯t think there will be next time.¡¹ If there is, I¡¯m in trouble. Killing Brynie, the apparent leader of the enemy, will conclude this war. Because of that, we surrounded the city of Lauren. When I opened the entrance of Lauren¡¯s castle, which is buried in rubble, with the sword of light, the enemy knights who survived the collapse of the castle all threw their weapons including their captain. ¡¸I am Captain Rahald van Rottenmeier. We surrender so we would like to ask to be treated as knights.¡¹ ¡¸Of course, anyone who¡¯ll submit will be spared.¡¹ Hearing that, all the knights raised their hands to submit. Except for the commander-in-chief whose still clinging on the throne. ¡¸Ya, yaahh, if it isn¡¯t hero-dono, what took you so long ojaru?¡¹ ¡¸It hasn¡¯t been that long.¡¹ Brynie is looking at me with gritty eyes. Though I already expected him to survive, while there¡¯s a lot of soldiers who accompanied him were crushed, I was surprised that he is completely unscathed. That tenacity, I never thought that I¡¯d felt fear with this idiot. He even didn¡¯t forget to put white makeup even though he¡¯s in the middle of the battlefield. Should I consider this clown a man of preparedness? Looking back at all the things he has done, why is he still alive and kicking here? ¡¸Since it has come to this, I surrender. I am now your captive.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? It is good that you voluntarily surrender. Now, I will let you decide how you will be executed: firing squad, hanging, decapitation, or whatever your favorite execution method is.¡¹ ¡¸I-I¡¯m a descendant of the founding king Renz! I am a royal, you dare to tell me that!¡¹ ¡¸Brynie, you are still saying that!¡¹ I have a bad headache. You were about to be executed in the capital and escaped to the empire. I¡¯m not sure if one can find it funny that this guy still thinks that he can survive after being captured. ¡¸Hiih! I¡¯m sorry hero-sama! I apologize for everything I have done so far! Please forgive me!¡¹ Looking at his eyes, I can see that he¡¯s completely serious. Brynie falls down from the throne while screaming ¡°Hii! Hii!¡±. As he falls on the red carpet, he squeezes it and begs for his life again. It is impossible to plead for mercy now, especially from me. I never really understood how this guy thinks from beginning to end. Although he¡¯s just a figurehead, a lot of soldiers, both enemy and ally, died because of this idiot¡¯s command. When I thought so, I felt frustrated. ¡¸Talk in your sleep after dying!¡¹ ¡¸Hyaaaaahhh! I don¡¯t want to die! Noooooo!¡¹ The sword of light penetrated his black armor. If I don¡¯t kill this guy right away and wait for his execution, there is a possibility that he¡¯ll survive. ¡¸Gyaaaaa!¡¹ I intend to cut down the root of ruination with all I have. I also cut his neck. His neck made a beautiful sound. On the tattered carpet, his heavily make-up severed head rolls. I stand up straight. ¡¸Ah¡­.¡¹ From the severed head, the red beret that he never took off fell. Hidden under that beret is the bald head of Brynie. Brynie¡¯s parietal region has become bald. Now, his freshly severed head looks totally like a criminal. At last, his stupidity will stop. The severed head of the everyone hated Count Brynie is put on display in the city square. I don¡¯t know who started it but the soldiers of the city of Lauren started kicking the freshly-severed head of Brynie. This looks like the beginning of soccer in this world but that is another story. Please support the translator by reading at shmtranslations.com Read at SHMTranslations dot com ¡ªScene Change¡ª Please support the translator by reading at shmtranslations.com Read at SHMTranslations dot com Since the Silesie Kingdom declared Brynie¡¯s death, the Germania Empire lost their just cause for their intervention war. However, the war has yet to end. In the empire¡¯s capital Northmark, it seems like their soldier recruitment for war did not stop. Prince Freed hasn¡¯t given up yet. Even if we¡¯re under a truce, we cannot let our war preparation slow down. ¡¸I hope anyone else who wants to rebel will give up now.¡¹ Sensei said such a thing while we are having our triumphant return from our overwhelming victory. Though being attack by the imperial army in such an unprecedented scale is dangerous enough, if we lost against the empire, we will lose our coercive power as a country and this country will surely collapse. Any more than this is fatal for both country so they shouldn¡¯t do it. Therefore, it can be concluded that the next one is the decisive battle. ¡¸Takeru-dono, you should marry the princess and the dukedom¡¯s princess after all.¡¹ ¡¸Why?¡¹ First of all, Princess Caroline will not marry someone who is not a native of her country. ¡¸Even if Count Brynie dies, he¡¯s still from the branch family of the founding king Renz. He is comparable to the Archduke of Transylvania. In order to not be criticized in that area, though its just for formality, Hero Takeru-dono¡¯s blood should mix with the blood of the current monarchs then ascend to be the king.¡¹ ¡¸Won¡¯t that be opposed by the opposing local lord¡¯s faction?¡¹ ¡¸¡­perhaps it will.¡¹ As expected. Sensei strongly grips the short wand in his hand. ¡¸Silesie kingdom is divided into three factions. The regent¡¯s faction which is us, the prime minister faction which is the princess¡¯, and the local lord¡¯s faction who wants to be independent. Though the current situation is kind of annoying, if we tie up with the prime minister faction, it is possible for Takeru-dono to be the king¡­¡¹ ¡¸Are you saying that we should scare off those disturbing local lords somewhere else?¡¹ Sensei¡¯s brown eyes are full of ambition. But he¡¯s trying to work with his hated father so I guess we¡¯re in a really serious situation. Still, sensei¡¯s chest doesn¡¯t have a bit of the what so-called ¡°happy tactics¡±. ¡¸You still won¡¯t agree?¡¹ ¡¸Jaa, if sensei will marry me too, I will formally marry the princess. I¡¯ll also work hard with the succession war.¡¹ When he heard me, sensei looked like he was dumped with cold water. This method is the best for making sensei return his sanity. ¡¸Ano, there¡¯s no such thing as marriage between men¡­.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re concerned about that? Hey Lia, does A-sama church care about such a thing?¡¹ Lia, whose in the inner part of the horse carriage, nods and smiles. When it comes to my marriage, she will definitely not stay silent. ¡¸Of course not. Even if it is useless, A-sama is benevolent enough to accept same-sex marriage. If you want to, we can perform the marriage ceremony between you and Lyle-san, the princess, the dukedom¡¯s princess, and me now.¡¹ ¡¸Why did you casually add yourself?¡¹ ¡¸Ara, didn¡¯t you just call my name? I just accepted that proposal of yours.¡¹ ¡¸No, that¡¯s not it.¡¹ Even so, the people in questions are not even here¡­..we can¡¯t even ask their opinion. Well, it¡¯s just my excuse for not getting married. ¡¸I¡¯ll give up this time. However, please keep this option in mind since we are still in the middle of civil war and the empire will surely take advantage of it.¡¹ ¡¸Right.¡¹ Of course, I¡¯m only lightly joking but it is still a shock that my proposal was rejected. I pretended to be affected. If sensei will be defiant I¡¯ll just say ¡°Then, marry me¡± and it will solve my problem¡­ Though I already made such a plan, my stomach as a man seems to can¡¯t take it. Sensei wants me to throw my personal feeling so I made him commit himself to me as a counter. I didn¡¯t think that he¡¯ll take it seriously, I apologize. ¡¸By the way, sensei¡¹ ¡¸What do you want¡­¡­¡¹ It is saddening that sensei is so anxious. I wish he is kidding. ¡¸I just incidentally thought, wouldn¡¯t it be better for you to let your hair grow longer?¡¹ ¡¸The shorter it is, the easier to move.¡¹ Sensei¡¯s hair is short but it looks nice. I¡¯m sure he made it that way because he doesn¡¯t want to look that feminine. I want him to get rid of feeling that way against his hair. ¡¸I think it would be easier to let it grow until your shoulders. Won¡¯t you look more of a military strategist if have that hairstyle?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, military strategist look. Uhn, I understand.¡¹ Sensei thinks for a bit while touching his bangs. Sensei is surprisingly easy with regards to this aspect. I just need to flatter him a little and Lyle-sensei is already convinced. With this, our conversation about precautions against the empire who¡¯s trying to use someone to inherit the Silesie¡¯s throne has come to an end. As for me, I must strengthen my position in order to be able to protect both Princess Silhouette and Princess Caroline. Please support the translator by reading at shmtranslations.com Read at SHMTranslations dot com ¡ªScene Change¡ª Please support the translator by reading at shmtranslations.com Read at SHMTranslations dot com ¡¸You have safely returned¡­.¡¹ The sobbing and teary-eyed Princess Silhouette said those words as she embraced me. The princess and the dukedom princess came to greet me in front of the city of Ox. ¡¸Hero-sama, congratulations on your victory.¡¹ The trembling voice of Princess Caroline, who¡¯s wearing her new glasses, is full of emotion. While looking at the crying princesses, I was at lost for a moment then I suddenly remembered that there is a possibility of me being killed in battle. Because I believe too much on Lyle-sensei, I never thought about losing nor prepared for it. For the princesses who saw me off to war, they might have thought that there is a chance that it will be our last time seeing each other. When the princess is crying for me like this, I thought that she¡¯s really pretty. ¡¸By the way¡¹ Aside from meeting the princess, there is something I wanted to do after coming home. After I soothed the forever crying princess, I called Laure and have her heat the bath for me. However, while thinking about how will I slowly immerse in the bath. I realized how luxurious my casual life is compared to my life on the battlefield. In the carriage on the way back, I thought that I wanted to take a bath slowly to my heart¡¯s content. The problem is Lia. She¡¯ll definitely hinder my time to relax in the bath. In the past, I¡¯m searching for gaps and corners where she might hide before entering the bathroom. However, after seeing what Lyle-sensei did during the war, I found out that such defensive way of thinking is a mistake. ¡¸Suzanne, Claudia, enter the bath with me. You¡¯ll be my guards!¡¹ ¡¸Yes!¡¹ The most important thing is offense. I¡¯m satisfied seeing the salute Suzanne and Claudia gave. If they can guard me at my bed, they can surely guard me in bath too. I wonder why I never thought of it until now. Number is power! ¡¸Ano, master, what about me?¡¹ ¡¸Sharon¡­ I want to relax alone in the bath. I don¡¯t want to be disturb.¡¹ Compared to my other slave girls, Sharon is fully grown up so she¡¯s a hindrance. She the only one in my company who¡¯s talented enough to hold Lia back. ¡¸Can I go inside too?¡¹ The one who said that is a silver-haired girl who appeared behind Sharon. Oh, it¡¯s unusual for me to see her here. ¡¸Sherry, what are you doing here? What about the main branch in Est?¡¹ Sherry, a math genius, is the brain that oversees the logistics of Sawatari Trading Company. She¡¯s an indispensable existence at our head office. Because she¡¯s there, I can leave the company to both her and Sharon in peace and go to the front line. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry master, the head office is functioning properly. I took the opportunity to go with the group that transport the goods here since I was called by Lyle-sensei.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re doing something for Lyle-sensei?¡¹ ¡¸The Garan mercenary group has entered our camp so there is a need to rebuild our logistics plan.¡¹ ¡¸If that is the case, Sherry indeed needs to come here.¡¹ It is good that we are able to hire a large mercenary group from the empire but since there are 5,000 of them, it is difficult to cover their salary, food, and drinks. Even if we obtain ransoms from the captured knights, it will not be enough. Moreover, because they betrayed their former employer, the empire, they can only go to this place. Even though the war was interrupted, I cannot arbitrarily dismiss them. ¡¸Master, here is the plan I made up in case the war situation changes. I¡¯ve already included the mercenaries you hired to our present volunteer corps¡­.¡¹ That said, Sherry starts giving me a bundle of documents. Even if I see them, I won¡¯t be able to understand them anymore. ¡¸Consult Lyle-sensei for the details. First of all, Sherry must be tired from her long journey. You can take a bath with us.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I will accompany you!¡¹ I pat Sherry¡¯s silver hair. She looks pleased as I pat her. To think that this girl has a mathematical aptitude surpassing Lyle-sensei. She¡¯s incredible enough to be thought of as a high-performance computer. ¡¸Yoshi, let¡¯s go together.¡¹ I also called Colette, who¡¯s currently cooking, and Viola, who¡¯s making ice cream next to her. After that, we called all other slave girls to join me in the bath. This large bathhouse is a heritage of the zombie baron. It is quite large so it won¡¯t matter even if a lot of children came in. I can take my time soaking in the bath while being with everyone. This is great. ¡¸Woops! You thought I¡¯ll forget you?¡¹ I caught Laure outside and pick her up. ¡¸You¡¯re also going in with me.¡¹ ¡¸No!¡¹ You can¡¯t say no! This girl really hates bath. She occasionally wash herself but she won¡¯t enter the bath. ¡¸Laure, you have to go in for the sake of the dignity of dwarves. Do you want others to say that dwarf girls are dirty?¡¹ ¡¸Master, even if Laure won¡¯t take bath, I will not get dirty.¡¹ What kind of constitution is that? There is no such cheat. ¡¸Wait! I still have something to do! I need to work!¡¹ ¡¸I want to take a long bath so it would be good if the temperature last longer than usual.¡¹ Even though I¡¯m already lifting Laure¡¯s small body, she can still throw firewoods. She¡¯s really workaholic. Her passion for work is something above average. ¡¸¡­she arrived.¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong master?¡¹ ¡ªthis sensation. This chill on my back. On the other side of the darkness, she¡¯s watching this place from there. I can feel her gaze and her pressure. That Lia, she¡¯s trying to hinder my bathing time again. Even so, I¡¯ll fight her with number. I¡¯m betting my relaxing bath time. This is a battle I can¡¯t afford to lose. ¡¸I¡¯ll show you what a true public bath means.¡¹ ¡¸Master, Laure is cold, I want to warm up now.¡¹ Laure¡¯s body is trembling because I used her as a shield. I didn¡¯t notice, I¡¯m sorry. CH 68 ¡¸First of all, before you enter the bath, you must remove all the dust stuck on your body.¡¹ Though she¡¯s always wiping herself with hot water every day, it¡¯s still not enough to remove all the dirt from soil, dust, and smoke that painted my body because of the war. I was thinking of washing my body first but Roll would have escaped if I don¡¯t take care of her first. ¡¸You guys should also clean up your body first before entering the bath.¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡¹ My slave girls are already used to bathing so I think they already know what to do even without me saying anything. Even so, the slave girls I brought with me made the wash area full. Then I thought about it, these girls also worked hard and fought with me so every one of them deserves to relax and feel comfort like me. I wash Roll¡¯s brass-colored hair with the animal oil soap. The dark color of her hair was washed away. Roll is a beautiful girl and would pass as a black fairy dwarf. ¡¸Awawa!¡¹ ¡¸Fufufu, give up and be clean, Roll.¡¹ Only white fairies(elves) have the tendency to go with the flow so she revolted firmly. If the small stature, brown-skinned Roll would be cleaned, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be beautiful. If an elf girl is comparable to pure gold, a dwarf girl is comparable to shiny copper. It will only depend on your taste or hobby since both dwarves and elves have the same pointy ears because they are both fairy races. Someday, the era of dwarf girls will come. ¡¸Master, mou mou, that¡¯s enough!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, probably¡­..¡¹ I pour a pail of hot water from the tub onto the foamy Roll. The other slave girls want to be washed by me but Roll dislikes it from the bottom of her heart. Therefore, perhaps me doing this special service to Roll, even though she really dislikes it, is awakening my sadistic heart. In other words, I might have been an S. I also love to wash cats and dogs who don¡¯t like to take baths and I also love to cut their nails. ¡¸Maa, I¡¯m having fun and Roll becomes cute so it¡¯s a win-win.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not a win-win!¡¹ She has completely gotten angry. ¡¸Maa maa, that¡¯s just the preparatory reward. Colette, get the Roll¡¯s sake.¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡¹ I even assigned a bath attendant for Roll. Since she really hates baths, I feel slightly sorry for her. The tray with sake floated on the hot bath. ¡¸Master, if you have this, you should have told me earlier.¡¹ ¡¸You like it that much huh¡­..In my hometown, there is a custom of enjoying the bath slowly while drinking. Roll should try that too.¡¹ Although she dislikes taking a bath, when I pour sake in a bowl, her eyes begin to sparkle. This dwarf is easy. ¡¸If it¡¯s like this, will you take a bath every day?¡¹ ¡¸Today is special so I¡¯ll only do this today.¡¹ I thought that if I introduced the ¡°sake drinking while bathing¡± custom to Roll, she¡¯ll have a habit of taking a bath. I guess I¡¯m wrong. A hot bath with sake, unfortunately, there is no sake in this world so wine is the substitute. I heard that in this world, there seems to be a method to drink warm wine called vansho. Originally, they only drink warm wine by pouring it into a teacup to warm themselves up in winter and they even add sugar or honey to make it sweeter. I changed it a lot. You can even smell herbs and spices on it. I made it a little spicy so that this hot wine can be suitable for drinking in the bath. I even tried making something like a sake cup by using primitive earthenware manufacturing methods in order to relive the atmosphere from my hometown. ¡¸How is it, Roll?¡¹ ¡¸Mmm, I¡¯m sorry. Master, can you do it as fast as possible?¡¹ I definitely want that too. I still have to wash the other slave girls and I can¡¯t just treat Roll as someone special. ¡¸Master, shall I wash your body?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, please.¡¹ While I was washing Viola¡¯s blue hair and Collete¡¯s brown hair alternately, Sherry washed my back from behind. It seems like the girls already have someone they are close to. They are already washing each other. There won¡¯t be a problem even if I don¡¯t wash everything. If Sharon is here, I have no time to look after these girls. Now, I can see them properly and I am relieved. When I was thinking about that, Sharon came over. ¡¸Master, I don¡¯t have a partner to wash my body with.¡¹ ¡¸Then it can¡¯t be helped, but your hair only¡­..hey, don¡¯t take off your towel!¡¹ Sharon started to take off the bath towel wrapped around her body so I stopped her in a hurry. ¡¸But I have to wash my body.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll only wash your hair so turn your back to me.¡¹ Sharon¡¯s unreasonableness is worsening at times like this. I can only sigh. Standing next to me, Sherry called out to me in a hurry. ¡¸Ma-master, this¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ It seems like the towel around my waist had fallen because I panicked. Sherry¡¯s thin white cheeks became red as she bashfully hands over my towel back. I quickly rewrap the towel that was handed to me to my waist. The blushing Sherry looked at me with an absentminded face. Excuse me but what¡¯s up with you? Well, Sherry will indeed be shy since she¡¯s a proper lady. No, she doesn¡¯t even try to hide her naked body. What¡¯s the point of being shy? That¡¯s strange, I bent over and looked at Sherry¡¯s face. Sherry¡¯s skin has a very thin skin pigment so if she¡¯s feeling emotional, the skin on her cheeks and even her shoulder will quickly turn pink. ¡¸Ah, master is amazi¡­.I¡¯m sorry for seeing it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­you don¡¯t have to. I should also wash Sherry¡¯s hair.¡¹ Though I was worried about her little strange reaction, it seems to be not related to the bath being too hot for her so I do not think she¡¯s amusing. She should be okay. I had Sherry wash my back earlier so I would feel bad if I don¡¯t wash her back so I told her that I¡¯ll wash her. ¡¸N-no, Sharon-anesama washed my hair and body a while ago.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? Okay.¡¹ Every thread of Sherry¡¯s silver hair is clear and shiny so that might have been the case. When I was speaking with Sherry, Sharon¡¯s sulky voice told me to hurry. ¡¸Ano, master, what about me!¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I know.¡¹ I lather some soap and wash Sharon¡¯s pale orange hair. As long as she doesn¡¯t take off her bath towel, I find it fun washing the beastkin blooded Sharon¡¯s hair. Upon pouring hot water, it changes color from pale orange to amber. I have to carefully wash it or either foam or water will get into her dog ears. Only the hair around her dog ears feels like an animal¡¯s hair so it¡¯s quite interesting. If it is not wrong in any way, I would like to wash her small tail near her buttocks. ¡¸Master, my back too¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Sharon, don¡¯t take off your bath towel!¡¹ Don¡¯t be naughty. Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m already troubled? I had Sherry wash Sharon¡¯s back to calm her down. As expected, Sharon doesn¡¯t want to be seen by her subordinates as someone selfish. ¡¸Then, it can¡¯t be helped. Sherry, please.¡¹ I have to give Sherry a reward later. She¡¯s a very smart girl to begin with and she¡¯s also good at reading atmosphere. ¡¸She¡¯s really useful¡­.¡¹ Finally, after finishing the work of washing my slave girls, I muttered those words. This person is useful, this person is useless. I think only looking at people that way is saddening but it¡¯s an occupational disease. ¡¸Master, relax more and don¡¯t think about work all the time.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m the one who brought that sake¡­.¡¹ Roll offered me sake. Maa, as Roll says, this bath is great so I should take the unnecessary burden off my shoulders. Seeing the hot wine in the floating tray, I finally did what she recommended and started relaxing by stretching my hands and feet in the warm water. I had a cup, Roll had one too. It is true that soaking in warm water while drinking sake will make you feel better. ¡¸I don¡¯t like baths but I like sake.¡¹ ¡¸Fuh, this is life.¡¹ When I was having a good time, I tend to let my guard down. I¡¯m sure Ria is coming¡­.. I heard a clutter and a noisy voice from the dressing room. The woman who doesn¡¯t know how to use a bath towel came while grandly shaking her two huge chunks of meat. For the time being, let¡¯s just let her do what she wants since she didn¡¯t disturb us when I was washing my slave girls. ¡¸Now, I¡¯ll join in too.¡¹ ¡¸Steriana-san, please hide your front with a towel!¡¹ I don¡¯t have to worry because I¡¯ve already informed Sharon beforehand. She¡¯ll be able to suppress Ria. No matter how much Ria shakes her huge milkers, she won¡¯t be able to attack me given the number of slave girls present. I thought seeing Sharon and Ria¡¯s catfight is quite annoying so I turned my eyes away. From the small window of the bath, I can enjoy looking at the first quarter moon while bathing. ¡¸Kukuku, Asama¡¯s little girl seems to be struggling.¡¹ White twin tails suddenly came out from the bathtub which surprised me. Where did she come from? ¡¸Oracle, you were in the bath too?¡¹ ¡¸What are you talking about? I came in from the entrance.¡¹ Is that so? I didn¡¯t notice anything. ¡¸Did you come with Ria?¡¹ ¡¸Well, that little girl invited me to attack Takeru together.¡¹ ¡¸Shouldn¡¯t a sister and a demon be fighting each other?¡¹ The Asama Church and the demons have been hostile with each other for the last 8,000 years. You guys should value the world setting more. ¡¸Of course I¡¯m planning to knock her down but it¡¯s boring to beat her in this place.¡¹ ¡¸What kind of development is that? Rivals cooperating with each other in front of the biggest enemy¡­..¡¹ Am I actually the last boss? ¡¸It is our strategy. While the little girl is acting as a decoy, I¡¯m going to attack the castle.¡¹ I¡¯m at the deepest part of the bathtub and Suzanne and Claudia are patrolling around. The other slave girls also formed a meat shield around me. Did she dive to breach this enclosure? ¡¸However, I¡¯ve never experienced this bath since coming here so I¡¯m not going to waste this opportunity.¡¹ ¡¸I see.¡¹ Not attacking and chatting casually, it is Oracle-chan¡¯s strategy to get my guard down. After all, she only appeared and she¡¯s not doing anything strange. She can even mix with the slave girls so it is natural that my guards won¡¯t say anything. ¡¸I wonder if I should make a big bath like this in my dungeon someday.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that would be great. When an adventurer found a bath in your dungeon, he¡¯ll be pleased.¡¹ Maa, he¡¯ll be wary thinking it¡¯s a trap first. In dungeon games, there will be an amazing but deep bath. You¡¯ll feel good first but when you dive too deep, you¡¯ll fall into the trap and drown. ¡¸I¡¯ll think about it first. By the way, what do you think of this?¡¹ Oracle-chan made a sign underwater then, uttered a chant in a low voice. Hot bath water begins to bubble up. ¡¸Oh, a jet bath. Feels great.¡¹ ¡¸Well, it¡¯s a magic to send oxygen in the dungeon. I thought it could also be used like this.¡¹ So there¡¯s aeration magic huh. This is the first time I heard about its existence, is it rare magic? Oracle¡¯ Great Cave, in its 8th level, there are no aquatic plants but it is inhabited by sea snakes and giant squids. I was impressed with such simple water quality management and the magical technology of air circulation that supports it. ¡¸You¡¯re amazing, Oracle. If we use this kind of magic, we might even improve our food problem.¡¹ Inland Silisie Kingdom, fresh fish is rarely eaten. I would be very happy if we could create a fish tank for aquaculture where we can catch delicious fish. ¡¸Fufu, maa, there are a number of ways to use it.¡¹ Oracle-chan pulls the ribbon off her twin tails while laughing. Oracle¡¯s white hair spreads on the surface of the bubbly water. While I was watching what¡¯s happening, I felt her motivation intensify. Then, my body suddenly becomes stiff. ¡¸Hey, Takeru.¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¹ Oracle-chan¡¯s voice somehow became similar to a cat who clicked its tongue and her gesture feels lustrous. Oracle swam next to me. She puts her hands on my chest then wraps them around me. ¡¸O-oi¡­.¡¹ ¡¸No one knows what¡¯s going on underwater when it is bubbling so hard¡­.oww, don¡¯t struggle.¡¹ Oracle¡¯s long hair softly envelops my stiff body. At that moment, an intense impact happened in my lower body that even ran from the tip of my toes to my brain. ¡¸Y-you¡­.in a place like this.¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t want the girls to notice, don¡¯ you? Even if you are Takeru, you have to consider your dignity as a master¡­.You just need to sit back and leave your body to me.¡¹ ¡¸D-don¡¯t joke around Oracle.¡¹ Hearing my urgent voice, Suzanne and Claudia, who are nearby, came running. ¡¸Are you okay, master?¡¹ ¡¸Anything happened?¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­.no.¡¹ I¡¯m not sure what I should say since I¡¯m suffocating. I can¡¯t even move because I¡¯m firmly hugged by Oracle. ¡¸Ufufu. We¡¯re just playing intimately with each other, right Takeru?¡¹ ¡¸T-that¡¯s right. There¡¯s no need to worry.¡¹ Oracle-chan bounces on me in high spirit. The truth is, I¡¯m not okay. ¡¸But your complexion doesn¡¯t seem to be good¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Both of you, don¡¯t approach them! Master is okay so you better go and hold back Ria-san.¡¹ The crimson faced Sherry appeared from the water. She looks like she has dived. Given that, she managed to persuade Suzanne and Claudia and push them away. Sherry managed to save me. I really felt relieved then, my power was suddenly released. Ahhhh¡­.. ¡¸Oya, maa¡­.less than three minutes. Takeru is too young.¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, Oracle, go away!¡¹ TN: Thus Takeru failed NNN Oracle-chan erotically laughs and gives me a torrid kiss then separates from my body. She swam and quickly grabbed her ribbons flowing in the water. After that, she tied her white hair into twin tails. At that moment, she came back to her usual innocent Oracle-chan mode. ¡¸Oh yeah, Takeru, I forgot to say something important.¡¹ ¡¸What is it?¡¹ Oracle whispers to me while biting my earlobe with her lips. ¡¸Thanks for the meal¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Shut up!¡¹ Oracle-chan laughed saying ¡°ahaha¡± and then dived to go somewhere. She left me who¡¯s now trying to cool down. I don¡¯t care about it anymore but in the meantime, I think it¡¯s pointless for the battle in the bathroom to continue. Though entangled with so many slave girls, Ria aggressively attacks getting deeper in the bath. ¡¸If you obstruct me, You will be punished by Asama!¡¹ ¡¸We are also devout believers!¡¹ Aside from the other girls, Sharon, who has the same physique and spirit as Ria, managed to suppress Ria who¡¯s now unable to proceed any further. ¡¸Wait a moment, where has Oracle-san gone to? I think it¡¯s my turn now!¡¹ ¡¸Right. We have a contract so I¡¯ll help you.¡¹ Before I knew it, when Ria calls out her name, she pops out beside Ria. She chanted magic while making a sign with her finger. ¡¸Ah, what¡¯s this!¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t move.¡¹ My slave girls, including Sharon, suddenly got entangled in hot water and seemed to be unable to move. A water control spell is indeed powerful in a bathroom. ¡¸Great! I won¡¯t waste this breakthrough!¡¹ Ria grandly comes to me with joy while her top are making loud splashing sounds while bouncing. I can¡¯t believe it can create such a loud noise. ¡¸What do you intend to do, Ria?¡¹ ¡¸This¡¹ Ria hugged me as it was and pressed her soft meat to my face. One pattern. ¡¸Areh? Takeru¡¯s reaction seems to be weak this day.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve been thinking for a while. When Ria is doing this, do you feel great?¡¹ ¡¸I think Takeru feels great so I¡¯m doing it with all I have.¡¹ ¡¸You feel great when you press your chest against my face¡­.?¡¹ This gives me trouble even if Ria feels great with this. ¡¸Takeru feels great, I feel great-desu!¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? If you really felt great then I¡¯ll gladly be of your service.¡¹ ¡¸Your reaction today is really strange. Hmmm, could it be that you¡¯re on sage mode?¡¹ ¡¸No¡­.¡¹ Ria¡¯s intuition in things like this is really sharp which is a problem. She then pressed her chest against my chest and stared at me using her blue eyes. When she did that, I felt suffocated. ¡¸Maa, could it be that men have those days too?¡¹ ¡¸You can say that¡­.how about stop doing stupid things and enjoy the bath normally once in a while?¡¹ It seems like she doesn¡¯t understand the true meaning of ¡°sage mode¡±. Well, Ria only knows modern japanese knowledge from a suspicious old book by founding king Renz so her understanding of some things is incoherent. ¡¸If Takeru washes my body clean, I can truly enjoy it.¡¹ ¡¸Ria is beautiful enough.¡¹ ¡¸W-w-w-what are you saying!¡¹ Ria¡¯s face turns red. She buried her body in the bathtub blowing bubbles in the process. What¡¯s this reaction¡­.ah, so that¡¯s how it is. I simply meant that she already had washed her body but she probably thought the adult meaning. TN: ¾_û� Clean or beautiful or pure or lovely or pretty. So this part is basically lost in translation. I used clean for Ria¡¯s line since that¡¯s what she means and beautiful in Takeru¡¯s line since that¡¯s Ria¡¯s misunderstanding. ¡¸Mou mou! A surprise attack like that is unfair. At least say that when there¡¯s only the two of us.¡¹ Ria sits next to me with a full smile and holds my hand under the hot bathwater. Maa, I hope what¡¯s happening won¡¯t cause trouble. Now that she¡¯s silent, I can really appreciate her beautiful, wet golden hair. As for her body, just seeing it at the edge of my eyes already makes me restless. However, soon after, Oracle¡¯s water restraint magic loses its effect. Ria was dragged by Sharon and the others to the other corner of the bathroom. ¡°Wa¡± ¡°Kya¡±, I heard those from a distance. Once again, I relaxed my body in the bathtub and enjoyed the warm water. ¡¸Haa¡­.¡¹ Because of the remnants of the aeration magic, the hot wine tray drifts smoothly. I decided to pick it and get another drink. In the corner of the bathroom, Roll is sitting on the edge while drinking hot wine. What¡¯s interesting is that Collete pours hot wine on her cup. It¡¯s like a tavern. Those two, it¡¯s like they have their own role which makes the atmosphere between them unique. ¡¸I also want that but I can¡¯t damage my reputation.¡¹ A person¡¯s nature won¡¯t change and will neither grow immediately. After all, given what happened, it was far from the atmosphere of taking bath. Huh, is it okay? Well, I got warm and was able to rest. I gaze at the moon floating in the sky from the bathroom¡¯s window. I squeeze the spicy sake dry¡­. ¡ªScene Change¡ª It would have been nice if it ended like that but real fantasy is like a wholesale store who only sells wholesale. In front of me, who¡¯s relaxing in the bath, is the dukedom¡¯s princess Caroline who suddenly appeared. After looking at me up close, Princess Caroline finally noticed something and screams. She¡¯s nearsighted if she doesn¡¯t wear her glasses so she didn¡¯t know who she approached. ¡¸Eeeeeeehhhhhh! Kyaaaaaaaaa!¡¹ The arguing Ria and Sharon¡¯s group froze when they heard the princess¡¯ scream. Like last time, she was so surprised that she dropped her towel though she didn¡¯t expose her body now. The dukedom¡¯s princess has grown too. But, isn¡¯t this the same pattern? Before I knew it, Princess Caroline, Princess Silhouette, and Jill came in together. The bathroom is crowded with my slave girls whom I called. They didn¡¯t notice that I¡¯m in the deepest part of the tub. I didn¡¯t notice them either. This might be the side effect of the slave girls. They have a camouflaged effect. I caused this to happen. ¡¸Why is hero-sama taking bath with everyone!¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ Though Princess Silhouette and Jill, who are already used to this kind of situation, are calm, Princess Caroline is really angry. I didn¡¯t mean to offend you but I think that I could be saved by responding decently. ¡¸Your highness, it is a custom for master and us, his slave girls, to take a bath together. Of course, you shouldn¡¯t count Steriana-san who came here without permission.¡¹ ¡¸Your highness, the dukedom¡¯s princess, a hero and a sister entering bath together is not strange by all means. What¡¯s strange is this big slave girl.¡¹ Ria and Sharon verbally persuaded her but it looks like the dukedom¡¯s princess is not convinced. That¡¯s normal. If you want to persuade the dukedom¡¯s princess, you both should put your towel first. ¡¸It¡¯s strange, absolutely strange!¡¹ The voice of Princess Caroline echoed in the bathroom. It even hurts my ears. The dukedom¡¯s princess aside, Princess Silhouette with her flat towel calmly enters the bath and sits next to me. And for some reason that I don¡¯t understand, she sticks her body to mine. I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on but I took a lot more damage when Jill entered the bath compared to Princess Silhouette sticking her body to me. The tanned skin and ponytailed Jill looks like a japanese oneesan with good figure given her jet black hair. With only that, she made me feel a sensual reality. ¡¸Takeru-sama¡¹ ¡¸What is it hime-sama?¡¹ ¡¸Takeru-sama¡¯s reaction, forgive this princess¡¯ rudeness but, could it be that you didn¡¯t feel any?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯m not thrilled.¡¹ ¡¸Really¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, princess is the prettiest!¡¹ The princess entered negative mode again and sank into the water. I don¡¯t know what kind of reaction I should make in order to satisfy the negative hime-sama. Also, I¡¯ve already said this a lot of times, Jill, you should work like the guard you are. Why are you ignoring the sinking princess in the bathtub while you are relaxing in the bathroom? Meanwhile, Princess Caroline is shouting ¡¸Everyone¡¯s strange!¡¹but she¡¯s at a numerical disadvantage. Ria and Sharon dragged her as they disappeared into the dressing room. But what she¡¯s saying is entirely correct. Somehow, I feel sorry for the dukedom¡¯s princess. Anyway, let¡¯s enjoy the bath now. When I feel warm enough, it is probably time to rise¡­. CH 69 ¡¸My lord, why don¡¯t we go get orichalcum weapons?¡¹ Louise came to me, who¡¯s working in the office, and proposed something. To be exact, she¡¯s inviting me to capture the legendary ¡°White Tower of Trials¡±. It is rumored that adventurers who have cleared the harsh trials were given with orichalcum equipments. ¡¸That¡¯s too sudden, Louise. Why did you suddenly decide to challenge the White Tower of trials?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not sudden, I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a long time. If I have an orichalcum sword, Takeru would no longer have to fight.¡¹ Mou, I feel like Louise has become strangely overprotective since the last battle. I wouldn¡¯t say that an orichalcum sword equipped Louise could beat Crowned Prince Freed. If it is the present me, I think I can win against Freed by using my hidden ace ¡°neutral sword¡± as a surprise attack. I don¡¯t want Louise to take my place. However, I¡¯m also certain that she had always wanted a strong weapon for a long time. Since the war was interrupted, it won¡¯t be bad to strengthen the equipment we¡¯ll be using. If Louise gets a weapon made of the world¡¯s strongest metal, orichalcum, she will become even more reliable. I think that¡¯s a nice suggestion but not now. In front of me are Lyle-sensei and Sherry. They are in the middle of an endless discussion regarding the logistics plan so we¡¯re stuck. On the desk, there are scattered documents, maps, parchments, and so on. All of them have incomprehensible figures written. I can summarize the two¡¯s arguments after listening. There is no problem even if the volunteer corps is promoted as a regular force, we can even increase their number if we want to. The problem is what to do with the mercenaries who are more than 5000 people. The atmosphere in the room stagnated because of that problem then, Louise suddenly proposed to go and capture a dungeon. I don¡¯t mind talking to Louise about it but we don¡¯t have the time to talk about something else now¡­. ¡¸No, captain Louise¡¯s proposal is not bad. The ¡°White Tower of Trials¡± is near the trade city of Lanct Dukedom. Umu, that might be a good idea.¡¹ Lyle-sensei gracefully put his hand on his cheek and think. The slightly smiling face when he thinks of something bad shows up. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s good about that proposal but Sherry seems to have figured something immediately. Sherry rakes up a bunch of paper with her little hand and smiles at me. ¡¸Master, food prices are stable in big cities. I think you can even procure food for 5000 people there. Considering mass transportation, having them to go through Marquis Est¡¯s territory will be quick too.¡¹ No, what are you even talking about? Is it about logistics or is it about capturing a dungeon? To me who don¡¯t get what they are saying, sensei points his short stick on the map and says ¡°here-desu¡±. ¡¸The White Tower of Trials, which Captain Louise proposed to go to, is located in the duchy of Lanct, a territorial state of the Germania Empire.¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t that a territory of our enemy country?¡¹ According to the map, Lanct duchy is just next to our country¡¯s Lauren Knights¡¯ territory. It is a territorial state that borders the kingdom and the empire. It¡¯s close so the trip won¡¯t be long but I think it is a problem to step into an enemy¡¯s territory. ¡¸Rather than that, we can simply call the power of diplomacy. Our purpose is to capture the White Tower of Trials and not war. While advertising it like that, we¡¯ll take along 5000 mercenaries near the border and break in Lanct duchy.¡¹ ¡¸Sounds like a crazy plan.¡¹ I don¡¯t care if we capture another dungeon through military force again. However, since it is the territory of an enemy country, I wouldn¡¯t find it strange if there will be an immediate war. ¡¸The Lanct duchy is a trade territory. It would definitely avoid war between the empire and the kingdom in their territory so they will reluctantly accept the passage of our army. You can get plenty of supply from the enemy city while putting pressure on the empire.¡¹ ¡¸Fumu¡­.¡¹ Lyle-sensei nods after winning my approval. We can use the mercenaries while there is a truce, we can get supplies on the enemy¡¯s territory, and we can get orichalcum equipments from the White Tower of Trials. Three birds in one stone. The size of our army when we captured Oracle¡¯s Great cave was about 1000 people. This time we¡¯ll attack another dungeon with 5000 people. We¡¯re going to go big this time. We¡¯re going to use a war level force to capture a dungeon. Many of the mercenaries are ex thieves, ex adventurers, and ex dungeon explorers. It is a good idea but above all, I don¡¯t want to waste Louise¡¯s suggestion. ¡¸All right. I understand. Let¡¯s go to the White Tower of Trials.¡¹ ¡¸It is decided then. Issue an official notice to the Garan Mercenaries at once, we¡¯re going to battle!¡¹ Lyle-sensei and Louise left the room to have the military move. By the way ¡­ ¡¸Sherry, do you want a souvenir?¡¹ The great city of Lanct seems to be quite rich. There should be a lot of unusual things there. Sherry has been working hard for a long time so I think it¡¯s better to give her some reward. She¡¯s stoic and doesn¡¯t even have any eating habits. I¡¯m troubled because she only asked for quality paper and books. ¡¸Master, please drink and eat as much as you want in the City of Lanct. You should also buy a huge amount of preserved foods, their price will surely soar soon. That¡¯s the biggest souvenir you can give me.¡¹ That said, Sherry smiled evilly not inferior to sensei. As expected, maybe having a child near sensei is not very good for emotional education¡­ ¡ªScene Change¡ª With my personal guard corps in front, I¡¯m traveling with over 5000 knights. From the Ox Castle, via the City of Spike in Oracle¡¯s territory, we move to Lauren Knights¡¯ territory. This is the first time I¡¯ve come to Lauren Knights¡¯ territory. When I crossed the Mona mountains and entered the territory, there was really nothing there. It was a lean land with wide wilderness and a small swamp. Strategically speaking, Lauren City is only a road that connects the empire and the City of Spike. In the last war, the Lauren Knights were divided into two factions; the empire faction, and the kingdom faction. It seems to be okay now since the kingdom faction won. About 50 knights came over to greet us. One of them is wearing a pointy helmet and he claims to be the commander of the Lauren Knights. Everyone is wearing old plate armor. They are damaged and it made them look like they are wearing antiques. ¡¸Hero-sama, I am Bagamon do Culturedeia. I am entrusted with the position of baron and is governing this territory.¡¹ ¡¸I-I see.¡¹ Commander Bagamon, who¡¯s riding a lean horse, dismounts and bowed deeply before me. His pointy helmet is so long that I thought it would hit my head. ¡¸In the previous battle, we were betrayed by our deputy commander, Baronet do Marshe. I was not able to be of your help, I am useless.¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s fine, Baron.¡¹ Originally, I didn¡¯t expect anything from the Lauren Knights. The Lauren Chivalry seems to have been dysfunctional because of the battle between the commander and the deputy commander. It seems like he was seriously fighting as an honorable knight himself but his battle has no strategic value so they are completely neglected by both the kingdom and the empire. Depending on your point of view, they are poor people. Since he asked me to visit the castle of the Lauren Knights, I stopped by but what awaits me is a half wooden shack surrounded by a shabby wooden fence. I can only feel sorry for them since their castle looks almost the same as the slightly rich farming family residence of the Rod from Losgow Village. ¡¸Ehto¡­.¡¹ ¡¸This is called Lauren Knights¡¯ Castle do Culturedeia do Marshe.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it is the Lauren Knights¡¯ Castle do Culturedeia do Marshe.¡¹ Baron Bagamon only repeats what he said. In the shack with an honorable name, thirty or so knights are living in a quite difficult life. It seems like they managed to get by by getting food from farming families nearby. The food served in the feast is hard bread soaked in water. Looking at their reaction, it looks like it is really a treat for them. ¡¸¡­¡­¡­.Baron Bagamon, if you like, we can eat the food we brought.¡¹ Considering the possibility of battle, we prepared more than enough provisions. They are only not so good wine, ham, and sausages but they rushed and ate them greedily. These knights, they are knights with peerage or ranks like baronet and general but they are acting like fasting children¡­.. ¡¸Hero-sama, shank yu vury much, tank yo bery mush gozaru.¡¹ When I see Baron Bagamon, who¡¯s savoring a piece of ham while shedding tears, I feel uncomfortable. After hearing his story, I found out that Commander Bagamon also came from a poor samurai family and his career is similar to Viscount Ortholet. He is already originally from a poor samurai family so he has no prior capital. Then, the villages collapsed and they were not able to do anything to rebuild them. The former castle was also destroyed and all they can do is to gather the left-over materials and build a hut. He obviously fails in territorial management. Given that, I feel like I should not only financially support Viscount Ortholet but them too. When I was already feeling really sorry for them, Lyle-sensei whispered to my ear. ¡¸They are fine like this. If they don¡¯t have anything, nobody will try to kill them.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true¡­.¡¹ I think what sensei said is justifiable but they are men who have been sacrificing for the kingdom. I would at least leave them some food. ¡ªScene Change¡ª From the Lauren Knights¡¯ territory, we head for the Lanct Duchy which is under the Germania Empire. After traveling for four days on land, the road gradually became wider until we arrived at a splendid stone-paved road. The villages along the highway gradually became richer and richer too. A beautifully stone-paved road can only be seen in the royal capital of Silesie Kingdom. Many merchant carriages and adventurers go on using the splendid stone-paved road. Just looking at them, I already knew that this place is lively. ¡¸Takeru-dono, that is the city touted as the treasure of Germania, the trade City of Lanct.¡¹ ¡¸Amazing-desu.¡¹ Snuggling up to the big Tsurube river are white walls. Those walls are walls of the stone buildings lining up along the river. The center of the city is a gorgeous castle and it even looks like a square stone castle. Compared to the trade City of Lanct, the royal capital of Silesie looks like a countryside. Even from the viewpoint of modern people like me, I can say that this city can be classified as a big city. ¡¸It is sometimes called city of 100,000 but the citizens of this city alone are already 100,000. If you want to know the number of non-citizens, slaves, and drifters, they are about 12 to 30 thousand.¡¹ ¡¸How did they built such a rich city?¡¹ Sensei pointed his hand and said ¡°water transport-desu¡± while looking at the white plaster and red brick city. Rather than using horse-drawn carriage, the cost and amount of goods that can be transported by ship are a whole lot better. In this era where sea travel is still dangerous, the tsurube river, which runs through the Eura continent, is the best trade route. ¡¸The tsurube river, it runs to the north, which is Transilvania Dukedom, and to the south, which is the Rolland Dukedom. Moreover, even using land, the great city of Lanct connects the Germania Empire and the Silesie Kingdom. Even in the whole Eura continent, you can never find such a strategic location better than this¡­..I want this.¡¹ ¡¸I see.¡¹ Now, what did you say in the end? ¡¸No, well, I wish I could get this¡­..The trade city of Lanct is like a jewel where the wealth of Eura continent is concentrated. It is normal to covet it.¡¹ Sensei unusually sighed as he looked at the beautiful city and murmured greedily. Maa, let¡¯s remember this. I¡¯ll conquer this jewel of the Eura continent, this great city of Lanct, and give it to sensei as a proposal gift. Of course, that¡¯s a joke. I don¡¯t have any intention of waging a war of invasion. ¡­.if sensei pleads seriously, I might consider it. When I was contemplating in silence while watching the lively highway, a commotion broke out in the front row of the mercenaries. Maa, there¡¯s a large number of mercenaries coming from the enemy territory. It is normal for a big city like this to react. When I walked towards the front row, I heard a familiar lovely voice. ¡¸You have come to invade my country. Am I a joke to you!¡¹ A female knight in blazing fiery armor. Her luxurious mantle with the scarlet hawk emblem of Lanct Duchy is fluttering with the wind. She¡¯s angry and her fist is already raised towards heaven. Right, if you think about it, the Lanct Duchy is the territory of the father of the princess knight Eleonora. The leader of the Garan Mercenaries is leading the crowd. He¡¯s troubled since the blonde, blue-eyed princess knight is picking a fight. The strong looking Garan Dodol takes off his black chainmail helmet and shows off his skinhead. His dark face has countless old wounds that he got from the wars he participated in. With their commander Garan leading them, the five thousand members of the Garan Mercenaries did not step back. He put his hand on the saber on his waist getting ready to slash anyone at any moment. The arrogant princess knight Eleonora was not bothered at all. She¡¯s really a mantis ax. TN: a mantis ax is a weak person that confronts a strong person without thinking of his own ability. Instead of Garan, who¡¯s at loss on how to deal with the princess knight, Lyle-sensei steps forward to Princess Eleonora. ¡¸Greeting, Duke Lanct daughter, Eleonora Lanct Am-main-dono. Will you tell us why you are interfering with our travel?¡¹ Sensei¡¯s tone is awfully gentle and polite. He¡¯s also wearing the state secretary¡¯s formal clothes before we enter the Lanct Duchy¡¯s territory. It can be said that he¡¯s well prepared in terms of diplomacy. However, Lady Eleonora, along with her heavy shield infantry, seems to don¡¯t know anything about diplomacy. ¡¸The hero of Silesie brought you scoundrels here to invade my country. You often attack my city but with me here, you won¡¯t succeed in a hundred years!¡¹ ¡¸However, your highness princess Eleonora, we did not come to attack your country but to clear the ¡°white tower of trials¡±. Given our purpose, I have already reached out to your father Duke Lanct formally and obtained permission to go through your territory.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s just an excuse! You came here to invade my country and you won¡¯t deceive me!¡¹ I wonder if this reckless her highness the princess knight knows that if she¡¯ll do anything aggressive here, the war will resume. Even if you have a heavy infantry with you, they are only around 30 so you¡¯ll be annihilated in no time. Behind her, the heavy infantry holding heavy shields are trembling with tense expressions. If you¡¯re a normal person, you¡¯ll know when it is good to fight and when not. However, I¡¯m sure no one can defy this skipjack princess. I can already feel the pain of serving in their court. Butler knight Kato-san, ¡°come early!¡±. Did everyone¡¯s wish come true? An old silver-haired gentleman is rushing his horse towards us. The old blackmailed butler jumped off the horse and dashed towards Princess Knight Eleonora. ¡¸Princess Eleonora, what are you doing!¡¹ ¡¸Old man, I¡¯m trying to protect my country¡­¡¹ As expected, the princess knight seems to be a little weak against the silver-haired old gentleman. Her voice toned down a lot. ¡¸What and how do you protect it with this number of soldiers?¡¹ ¡¸Since the Silesie¡¯s hero attacked, you¡¯ll inform the imperial capital¡­.¡¹ Upon hearing that, Kato-san was so angry that his frown made his eyebrows become one. ¡¸Princess, do you even understand what it means to start a war here? The daughter of the lord is right to protect this beautiful city and its citizens but remember to not jeopardize their safety by exposing them to the danger of war!¡¹ ¡¸Ugh¡­..¡¹ As expected of sensual Kato! Someone finally able to scold this tyrannical daredevil princess knight. You have my admiration! The smiles both returned to the mercenaries on our side and the heavy infantry on their side. Kato-san is wonderful. ¡¸Any further than this will go against the will of our lord, Duke Lanct, so even if you are the princess, this Kato will not stay silent!¡¹ ¡¸Understand, I understand. I¡¯ll pull back¡­..¡¹ The princess knight Eleonora went away with a very dejected face. The heavy infantry bowed happily and left with the angry princess. ¡¸Silesie¡¯s hero-sama, the princess of our country, I apologize for the inconvenience she caused. Please forgive her with these.¡¹ As expected of the old knight Kato. He brought a bag of gold coins on his horse¡¯s saddle. Solving trouble with money. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea but since I¡¯m in the role of receiving it, it¡¯s a completely different story. ¡¸Now, apologies for being presumptuous but let me guide you to the city. Of course, it is okay to replenish your supply in the city but please don¡¯t cause any trouble.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, of course, thank you.¡¹ Normally, a group of mercenaries, especially this many, is prohibited to approach the city for security reasons. It is a good thing that we¡¯re with Kato-san. He talked to the guards and even arranged accommodations for everyone to stay. He considered everything perfectly. We follow him to the red brick highway until we reach a magnificent semi-circular gate. We use that to enter the great city of Lanct. It feels like a different world jammed with people and full of a variety of things as if there¡¯s a festival. ¡¸So this is the trade city of Lanct¡­..¡¹ While Kato-san is guiding us through the city, I can see the resentful gaze of the princess knight Eleonora. She¡¯s been following us from a distance. The princess knight, as long as we¡¯re with the butler knight, she can¡¯t do anything. By the way, this great city competes to be either the number one or number two top city in the continent. Though capturing the ¡°white tower of trials¡± is important, it is also good to sightsee in this city. This trading city is a hub of product circulation so there surely be rare commodities. CH 70 Chapter 70 ¨C Trade City of Lanct A city with white plastered walls and red bricks, the great city of Lanct. It is the center of Germania Empire¡¯s commerce which networks the whole Eura continent. For a city in this world, the streets are very clean and beautiful. It is probably because the city is where the Tsurube river curves so it is fully equipped with water and sewage system. The water system of the great city of Lanct supplies 100,000 citizens with clean water every day. There are a lot of fountains, public baths, and public toilets throughout the city and beneath it is a sewage system. On the Piperatica Boulevard, the road you¡¯ll pass through upon entering the city gate, is a straight road that runs to the center of the city. Along with it is diversified shops and markets that are full of richness. In the center of the city, there is a luxurious castle which is the symbol of the royalty of Duke Lanct. There are also multi-story buildings where various guilds and trading companies¡¯ headquarters are located. ¡¸Silesie¡¯s hero-sama, Duke Lanct seems to want to greet you.¡¹ ¡¸I see, show me the way.¡¹ While being guided by the silver-haired butler knight, I feel like I¡¯ve become a millionaire. Well Kato-san, how much is your salary? Can I hire you?. A lot of amazing artworks are lined up on the way to the castle. Even one casual painting decoration on the passageway is obviously a masterpiece. Even someone like me who doesn¡¯t understand painting wants to stop and look at them to appreciate. The painting depicts a cute blonde girl with an innocent smile. The captured heartwarming scene was her casual everyday life with her gentle father. ¡¸Perhaps this pretty girl is the princess knight in her childhood.¡¹ If so, time is cruel. Oh, this is not the time to appreciate artwork. I was brought to a gorgeous marble throne room while waking to an outlandishly luxurious carpet. There, the princess knight¡¯s father, Duke Emeheart, who¡¯s the ruler of Lanct Duchy, was waiting. He has the same soft blonde hair as her daughter and clear blue eyes. He is a handsome middle-aged man with a well-balanced face and rich beard. He¡¯s wearing high-quality silk clothes but he¡¯s not like those who wear that kind of clothes just to look elegant. He has a natural elegance himself and he looks like someone who¡¯s born a millionaire. Sensei, who¡¯s next to me, whispered to my ear. ¡¸He is called Duke Emeheart Lanct Am-main also known as Duke Millionaire. He is also the leader of the feudal lords of Germania empire and is a good-natured man who¡¯s making efforts in promoting arts. Though he¡¯s on the enemy¡¯s side, please keep an amicable relationship with him for now.¡¹ ¡¸Affirmative-desu.¡¹ Duke Millionaire, he is called as such and he¡¯s really one. Duke Emeheart is one of the richest men in the world. Given the duke¡¯s enormous wealth, wearing a silk robe with the emblem of the Am-main family, the scarlet hawk, is rather a simple hobby. If Duke Millionaire wants to, he can wear even more luxurious clothes. Something like embroidered with gold threads and decorated with precious stones. ¡¸Ooohhh, welcome, Silesie Kingdom¡¯s Hero Takeru-sama. I¡¯m glad to meet you. I¡¯m Emeheart, lord of Lanct.¡¹ ¡¸Same here. I¡¯m astonished by your hospitality Your Highness Duke Emeheart.¡¹ ¡¸Please call me Emeheart. Sawatari Takeru-sama is the regent of Silesie Kingdom and above all, you are a hero like Crown Prince Freed whom I serve.¡¹ ¡¸My apologies, Duke Emeheart.¡¹ Though he has a nice smile on his face, he is tough enough to casually mention the crown prince¡¯s name. Though he receives us hospitably, there is a large group of mercenaries in the city. Though they are here with the use of the power of diplomacy, he doesn¡¯t intend to make more concessions. Talking to a clever nobleman with sensitive mercantile spirit made me feel good. I don¡¯t know what sensei is thinking but it looks like he doesn¡¯t mean to threaten the Am-main family. ¡¸As the lord, I will give you as much as hospitality as possible so you can finish your business with the ¡°White Tower of Trials¡± with peace of mind.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s what I wish from the very beginning. I have no intention of causing trouble to Duke Emeheart.¡¹ Louise herself said that she wants an orichalcum sword so I really want to get one. In addition, if we can replenish the supply for the mercenary we hired using the empire¡¯s resources, that would be great. When I look at this handsome middle-aged duke, I can¡¯t help but think if she¡¯s really the father of that bouncing lady. ¡¸That¡¯s great. I think my unworthy daughter has caused hero-sama trouble so I¡¯ll apologize for her.¡¹ ¡¸No, the empire and the kingdom are still enemies so I think the hostility of Princess Eleonora is natural.¡¹ Duke Emeheart sighed with a slightly gloomy face. ¡¸My unsatisfactory daughter, to think that she¡¯ll cause trouble to Crown Prince Freed by making a futile expedition just before the prince¡¯s important coronation.¡¹ ¡¸Fumu¡¹ ¡¸As you can see, my Duchy is built up and made by trade. As long as this war continues, the circulation of goods with Silesie Kingdom and Roland Kingdom will be cut off. Our house has already taken a great deal of damage. Market prices are already starting to rise.¡¹ ¡¸In the event of war, that will indeed happen.¡¹ Everyone knows that. Even my economic staff Sherry asked me to buy food before the market price in this city soars even higher. The City of Lanct lies halfway between the imperial capital and royal capital. The imperial army has downplayed logistics so they are sure to try to procure supply locally. It would be best if a large group from the imperial army forcibly try to replenish here and cause an economic blow by making the market price soar. ¡¸I hope that the day will come when the kingdom and the empire can form a bond again. As a small lord sandwiched between the two countries, that¡¯s my only wish.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I wish for that too.¡¹ Criticizing the war freak crown prince in front of me might not only be a lip service but also part of what the duke real intent. When you enter an enemy¡¯s bosom, it is better to mix your real intention a little than to completely lie. Duke Emeheart was a person with good understanding so he left a good impression on me. With just that, he was able to gauge how formidable the other party is. ¡ªScene Change¡ª After the audience with the duke, we decided to go to the hotel. A short distance from the center of the city, there are areas with taverns and restaurants. We are going to stay in the most luxurious hotel in that area. The royal suite of a large, white-walled hotel, that the butler knight Kato-san prepared for us, is clean and has complete facilities. There¡¯s a soft, fluffy bed and there¡¯s even a luxurious bath. What a comfortable city. The Ox¡¯s castle¡¯s living environment is similar but it can only be called inferior if compared to the great city of Lanct. It even makes me wonder if I have returned to the present. ¡¸I¡¯m thinking of going around the bookstores. What about you, Takeru-dono?¡¹ When Lyle-sensei said that, I thought I should try strolling around the city too. Louise seems to be going to the weapon shop and the slave girls whom I brought said that they¡¯ll bring their money to go and see the bazaar. ¡¸I will, prepare first.¡¹ I unpacked at the hotel and went out to the city to take a stroll. However, when I got down to the lobby of the hotel, Kato-san, who¡¯s waiting like an attendant, called out to me. ¡¸Hero-sama, if you¡¯ll go to the city, I¡¯ll guide you to the recommended spots.¡¹ ¡¸Then, I¡¯ll trouble you.¡¹ ¡¸Right, I want to see rare products.¡¹ ¡¸Then, there¡¯s this good place.¡¹ That said, Kato-san guided me to a semi-circular, multi-story shopping mall. It¡¯s amazingly luxurious. I wondered if I¡¯m still in a fantasy world or some modern city. There are various stores inside. There¡¯s a shop that sells exotic carpets and silk fabrics for high-end customers, there¡¯s a jewelry shop where various precious metal ornaments, such as gold and silver, are lined up, rock salt from various places, stores that dealing with expensive myrrh and spices, stores with the finest alcohol and there¡¯s even a professional taster or the so-called wine appraiser(wine master) in that store to serve the customers, and there are also popular coffee shops. It¡¯s really a treasure trove of rare products. Lanct, one of the world¡¯s leading trading hubs, really brings the riches of the world together. What I¡¯m interested in was food. I thought that I might be able to make curry if I mix rare spices here. Ehto, what kind of spices should I mix to make curry? For the time being, let¡¯s buy a set and try it later. Though I don¡¯t know if cinnamon is used as a spice for curry, I know that it can be used for coffee or for making sweets so I naturally bought it. As for rice, Viola is trying to cultivate brown rice that an old man brought us once in a swamp. Sooner or later, the day when I can eat curry rice might come. In addition, I found something even more interesting. It¡¯s a black-brown seasoning in a pot. ¡¸Hou, this one¡¯s rare.¡¹ ¡¸This is a fish sauce(garum), hero-sama. Though it¡¯s slightly stinky, it is said to be the queen of sauce.¡¹ For a moment, I thought I was dreaming and finally found soy sauce but I guess I¡¯m wrong. This garum is made by mashing fish¡¯s internal organs and blood until it becomes a paste. It will be seasoned with salt and spices there then fermenting and finally slowly boiling it for a month. ¡¸Please try.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, the smell is certainly strong but it is similar to Worcestershire sauce.¡¹ When I taste the black sauce poured into a small plate from the large pot, the taste of seafood spreads in my mouth. Though there is a strong fishy smell entering my nose, there is also this kind of delicious taste that can make you addicted to it. ¡¸Hero-sama, forgive my poor knowledge for not knowing this Worcestershire sauce but garum is a rare seasoning from the people of the south sea.¡¹ ¡¸I want this too.¡¹ One large pot is expensive, one gold coin. However, it is said that the real value of this rare seasoning is expanding the dishes you can eat. According to Kato-san, since there are river fishes that can be caught in Lanct, they are also trying to produce their own fish sauce by imitating the southern region. Duke Emeheart is an able person after all. Since they can get fresh fish, they¡¯ll try making fish sauce. ¡¸As expected of a great city.¡¹ ¡¸I am honored to receive your praise.¡¹ At the coffee shop, drinking the finest cup of coffee while eating a soft, honey-coated bread for dessert made me feel really good. The shopping mall is full of happy shoppers and just looking at them makes me feel happy. This is certainly a wonderful city. I bought a mouth-watering noble rot wine for me to drink and a bottle of distilled liquor with very high transparency like water as a souvenir for Roll. When I was dreaming of trying each wine like a wine appraiser, I finally understood why Lyle-sensei said that this is a city to ¡°covet¡±. If they can really show off their richness like this to everyone, many ambitious people will surely want to obtain this city. ¡¸Hero-sama, do you feel tempted?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s a rich city after all.¡¹ Looking at my complexion, Kato-san immediately understood what I¡¯m thinking about. This person is not my tourist guide because of good intentions but he is here to keep an eye on me. ¡¸If possible, I would like to request you not to expose this rich city to the ravages of war.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll absolutely avoid that. As soon as we reach our goal, we will pull out at once.¡¹ I don¡¯t want to trouble Kato-san who has taken care of me. ¡¸If hero-sama wants to obtain Lanct intact, how about marrying Princess Eleonora?¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡¹ I¡¯m in a good mood so why would Kato-san say that? And why would everyone I met want me to marry their princess? Moreover, the princess in question is that Princess Knight Eleonora, that¡¯s simply impossible. ¡¸Duke Lanct allowed the princess to become a knight because he wants her to become Crown Prince Freed¡¯s woman.¡¹ According to Kato-san, Crown Prince Freed¡¯s mother is not a princess knight like Eleonora. She is the ¡°Germania¡¯s War Maiden¡± who often stood on the battlefield and is truly a dignified queen. ¡¸However, the crown prince did not even lay his finger on her when the princess exposed her disgraceful exploits as an incompetent general.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­..¡¹ Even if I¡¯m the crown prince, I wouldn¡¯t like that useless princess knight. ¡¸I have been serving the Am-main family as a butler knight for a long time and the title ¡°Lanct¡¯s War Maiden¡± but it has a notorious meaning. Because of that, the house can¡¯t find a son-in-law so the existence of the house itself is now in crisis. I¡¯m already old and might only live for a few more years and given the situation, I might even die because of worry.¡¹ ¡¸Kato-san has it hard too.¡¹ Why was ¡°Lanct¡¯s War Maiden¡± notorious? Well, there aren¡¯t many high-rank nobles that can match with the tomboy princess so even if they want her to be their bride, there aren¡¯t any praiseworthy enough to be the son-in-law. She¡¯s also the only daughter so the princess¡¯ knight¡¯s position is incredibly high. I think that makes things harder. ¡¸If it is hero-sama, you are a perfect marriage partner. In that case, as long as you had a descendant that can inherit the duchy, you can have as many concubines as you want so please consider it.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll think about it.¡¹ When Kato-san bowed like that, I couldn¡¯t just refuse. Though it¡¯s just a lip service, I decided to reply in a positive way. Anyway, I¡¯m quite hated by that princess knight so she¡¯ll definitely refuse. After taking a break at the coffee shop, I went shopping again. There are a lot of items I bought that time too. Lanct really overflows with rich products but I can¡¯t buy them all so I¡¯ll just buy only this much. All kinds of rare books and magic tools are available too so sensei will surely be overjoyed. CH 71 Chapter 71 ¨C To the White Tower of Trials From the trade city of Lanct, it will take half a day ride on a carriage. I thought it was a joke but a huge, white, cylindrical building shows its majesty before me. The upper part of the huge tower is so high that the cloud is already blocking it. On a hill, its ivory-like structure is piercing the sky. Who and how did someone build a tower like this? ¡¸Takeru-dono, that is the ¡°White Tower of Trials¡± desuyo.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s really big¡­.Also, the area here looks like a tourist spot.¡¹ There¡¯s a fence surrounding the white tower and within it is a green park. The soldiers of Lanct Duchy are patrolling all over. They managed this place well. Aside from us, there were a lot of people. They are not adventurers but tourists. The white tower part, which is in a safe position away from the ¡°White Tower of Trials¡±, is one of the most popular tourist spots in the duchy to enjoy. I heard that this was a dungeon that no one has captured but apparently, this is a tourist spot for children. I lost it when a child said ¡°Alright papa, I¡¯ll capture the ¡°White Tower of Trials¡±¡±. White tower cookies, white tower cake, white tower-shaped porcelain figurines, marble handicrafts, strange wooden masks that have nothing to do with white tower, there are a lot of souvenir shops selling white tower goods and their businesses are doing great. ¡¸Master, if you run a stall here, crepes will surely sell.¡¹ The one who said that is Eliza who¡¯s with Melissa. They are both slave girls who are former beggars. They fought as gunners in the last war but their main profession is running a crepe stall. I also think that it would be interesting to open our business in Lanct Duchy and deal with Duke Emeheart with an economic war. That might be more fun than killing each other. ¡¸I hope we can do that when the war is over¡­.. For the time being, do the two of you want to eat anything?¡¹ It¡¯s a great tourist spot. I decided to let the slave girls take a break here. As for me, I¡¯m not going to buy because I¡¯m hungry but I want to buy to survey our future enemies. Like this shop that sells ¡°white tower juice¡±. It was a mouth-watering fruit juice squeezed from white peaches. ¡¸That¡¯s a poor joke¡­.something like that is normally delicious.¡¹ Squeezed fruit juice is a luxury item in this world. That means Lanct Duchy is richer than expected. Though it is said that there is no way a delicious food can be considered as a specialty product, upon tasting the cookies and cakes, I found that the sweetness level is high. No wonder they sell like hotcakes. Not only are they managing a dangerous dungeon properly, they are also making money from tourism. I think the lords of this world have great power of imagination. ¡¸Maa, I have to admit that Duke Emeheart is also a good businessman.¡¹ Seeing the flourishing White Tower Park, I¡¯m impressed with the administration capability of the duke. From behind, my stalker commented. ¡¸Now you see how amazing our ¡°white tower of trials¡± is!¡¹ The blonde-haired, blue-eyed princess knight in blazing armor and cloak with scarlet hawk emblem is standing there. Maybe because she heard me praise the duke. ¡¸Why are you so proud?¡¹ ¡¸The amazing white tower is managed by our territory. Of course, I¡¯ll boast about it.¡¹ The princess said that with a clear face. There is no trace of joking around or sarcasm. I¡¯m a little scared of how this girl thinks so I think it is better not to get involved with her. ¡¸Hey, Eleonora, I want you to humor me with this question, how long are you planning to follow us?¡¹ ¡¸Huh, what are you talking about¡­..huh? I came to the white tower because I wanted to! I¡¯m not following you!¡¹ This¡­.She¡¯s not a tsundere but she¡¯s talking like a tsundere which makes her more annoying. Since she can¡¯t attack us directly, she¡¯s changed her tactics to mental attack. It can be said that she¡¯s skillful in that aspect. She¡¯s been following us all this time so the damage has gradually entered my mind especially when she opens her mouth. Of course, there¡¯s no way the straightforward princess knight can think of such an advance technique. In short, her existence itself is plain annoying. A natural like her, in a sense, can be said to be the most troublesome enemy. I wish her to leave as soon as possible. This is not a battlefield so I can¡¯t just beat her up and ask for ransom. Now, the value of her existence goes beyond zero, negative. I don¡¯t mind her stalking us in the City of Lanct but I don¡¯t want her to do the same when we¡¯re capturing the ¡°White Tower of Trials¡±. What kind of punishment game is this? ¡¸Hey, aren¡¯t you prohibited by Kato-san from interacting with me?¡¹ ¡¸Kato said that as long as I don¡¯t get in the way of the Silesie¡¯s hero, I could both approach and interact with you.¡¹ Oi, Kato-san. She¡¯s getting in my way in a present progressive form so can you please come here and take this princess knight. ¡¸Ah, sh*t. Just tell me what you want already.¡¹ ¡¸This is the territory of my house so I won¡¯t allow you to complain.¡¹ She keeps a certain distance as she follows. Ignore her, ignore. If I can¡¯t see her, it will feel like she¡¯s not really here. ¡ªScene Change¡ª ¡¸Takeru-dono. We¡¯re finally here. Though the outside is safe, inside this walled area is a real dungeon. Don¡¯t let your guard down.¡¹ The defensive gate was opened and the mercenaries advanced to the bottom of the tower. Inside the walled area is a danger zone where monsters overflow from the basement of the tower. According to the gatekeeper, the number of adventurers who come here from various places has decreased because of the war of the empire. Because of that, the area surrounding the white tower has become dangerous too. However, there¡¯s no danger for them because they have more than five thousand mercenaries. With surprising swiftness, the mercenaries ran around the white tower and completed the conquest. Many carriages entered the entrance and the base camp was built. No one knows how long it will take us to capture this dungeon but this base camp will be our supply base and command post for the time being. Of course, the monsters that the mercenaries have defeated won¡¯t be wasted and the staff will cook them later. The area around the white tower, the roads are made of red bricks and they are already crumbling. It is very different from the smooth, polished marble floor at the entrance of the white tower. The surrounding area looks like a crumbling ancient site. On the other hand, the gigantic ¡°White Tower of Trials¡± itself is made of unblemished polished marble even after hundreds of years. I wonder what kind of magical protection it has. It is shiny and when you touch it with your fingers, you¡¯ll feel how luxurious it is. The pinkish floor around the main gate with beautiful marble pattern is a material that nobles would be glad to have. I¡¯ll calculate it (I meant the price if I cut some out and sell it.). The Sawatari Company also deals with stone materials. A marble this beautiful is a luxury among stone materials. If I use my light sword, I might be able to break through the protective magic and cut some out. If I cut some and sell it in the City of Lanct, I might be able to profit more than capturing the dungeon itself. ¡¸Takeru-dono, those outrageous people who tried to cut off marble from the tower will be eliminated by a strong guardian.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, that¡¯s scary. So it has an anti-robbery measure.¡¹ According to sensei¡¯s explanation, the ¡°White Tower of Trials¡± seems to be a heritage of an ancient civilization superpower called ¡°Holy Queendom of Liliella¡±. This gigantic white tower that is said to be either 100 floors or 99 floors is said to be built by Queen Liliella, Asama¡¯s saintess who received absolute power, to let the people know the majesty of the creation goddess. At the entrance of the tower stands a huge statue of Goddess Asama with silver wings. Somehow, I feel like she¡¯s staring at me and it is eerie. I wonder if Asama really has a surly face. ¡¸Sensei, this goddess statue has a chubby face¡­.what I mean is, its design is not modern.¡¹ It is not ugly but it gives off an eerie atmosphere and the eyes are sharp. I think the statue of a goddess should be more beautiful and benevolent. The body shape is stout and the face is swollen and looks like a turtle. I did not speak since the moment I said a bad word, I¡¯ll be at risk of being attacked by a powerful guardian. ¡¸No one knows how Asama, the goddess of creation, looks like so this statue is said to be modeled after Queen Liliella, Asama¡¯s saintess. ¡¹ ¡¸I see. ¡¹ I don¡¯t intend to badmouth an ancient queen so I guess this is a carving error. Let the sleeping dog lie. Anyway, I avoid directly criticizing it. I heard those who criticize it will receive merciless punishment. There was this hero who overcame the tower¡¯s trial and even received orichalcum armor only to be punished in the end. ¡¸Takeru-dono, the orichalcum armor and the large shield that Crown Prince Freed and his party used came from here. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, you mean they also tried to capture this place? ¡¹ I heard that no one has explored the top floors so did they manage to climb up to the middle? ¡¸No, it was his father, the golden lion emperor, his majesty Conrad of Germania Empire. ¡¹ 50 years ago, Freed¡¯s father, the old Emperor Conrad Germania Germanicus, sunk the ¡°hotbed of corruption and delusion¡± dungeon and became a hero. When the old senile emperor was still young, he challenged the ¡°White Tower of Trials¡± and managed to get to the 54th floor where they got the orichalcum armor and shield. ¡¸I see, Free is just using his father¡¯s equipments.¡¹ ¡¸Maa, that¡¯s what it is desu. As the heir to the throne, it is normal for him to inherit the legendary armor.¡¹ He is using the orichalcum equipment he inherited from his father. He dares to laugh ¡°Fuhahahaha¡± even though he did not gain them using his own power. I think Freed is acting like a young master he is. ¡¸Since someone managed to reach the 54th floor, do you intend to go further?¡¹ Looking up at the gigantic tower up close, the 100th floor at the top seems to be too far away. Even in the Oracle¡¯s Great Cave, the bottom is the 10th floor. Even if we are using an army to capture this, I don¡¯t know how much time it will take. ¡¸In this mercenary group, there are a lot of veteran adventurers and there are also those who already tried capturing this tower. We don¡¯t lack guides. Let¡¯s start by exterminating the small fry monsters that live from the basement to the third floor.¡¹ ¡¸Alright. Let¡¯s start preparing then.¡¹ In our case, rather than saying we¡¯ll exterminate monsters, it is more correct to say we¡¯ll cook. If we want to capture the tower using 5000 people, we must also feed them. The preserved food we prepared in the carriages are not enough. Let¡¯s start the war of food procurement. Near the entrance of the dungeon, there are many monsters. They are food source. We have become experts in monster meat cooking because of the Silesie born chef, the great Louise-sensei. She¡¯s someone who can dismantle and eat every monster meat. Inhabiting the basement of this ¡°White Tower of Trials¡± are the basic monsters; goblins, ogres, and orcs. There were few goblins but there were a lot of ogres and orcs. They¡¯re a good food source. Of the small fry monsters, the ones with the worst meat are the little green goblins. I often hear voices of concern about green meat being poisonous but it doesn¡¯t seem to be the case. If goblins can produce poison in its body, they wouldn¡¯t be considered as small fries. There are higher kinds of monsters that use poisons but the goblins can¡¯t. However, no matter how much one says about the edibility of goblin meat, it is stinky, hard, and bad. Looking at them, I think it is because they are small and weak so they have less fats and more muscle fibers. The similar monster, ogre, is the same but it is less stinky. Though it is hard too, it is better in terms of cooking for food. The best way to eat ogre meat is to turn them into minced meat and make them into hamburgers, or you can slowly stew them like Louise. If there are other monsters available, it will be better for the bad tasting goblins to be squeezed for fat for soap and turn its meat into compost or feed. Among the small fry monsters here, the most delicious one is the orc. They can be boiled, grilled, and mixed with flour, eggs, breadcrumbs, and fried it into tonkatsu. They taste like pork. The meat is soft, the umami is overflowing, and the aroma is so fragrant that it penetrates into the nasal cavity. For parts that seem greasy, you just have to grill them and the greasy part will be removed resulting to a refreshing texture. Though I might be considered as a maniac, I think the purple gelatinous part around the orc ankle bone is the best part. It should be treated like pork trotters and should be boiled softly in spices. It is rich in collagen so it will be good for beauty. The smell of orc barbeque, which is grilled after being spiced by salt and pepper, is irresistibly appetizing. This is the enjoyment after fighting with monsters. Duke Emeheart, who turned the white tower into a tourist attraction, is still too sweet to leave this abundant food resource behind. Under the command of the Garan Mercenary commander, the corpses of the hunted monsters are brought to the outdoor base camp one after another. The monster corpses are dismantled into meat and skin by Louise¡¯s team. The meat is distributed by Collete¡¯s team after cooking them while the skins were tanned into leather and sold as they are or processed into leather goods. Great, nothing¡¯s wasted. After making sure that the work will progress, I left the camp. Lyle-sensei is in charge of commanding the camp so there won¡¯t be any problem. As for me, I have something else to do. CH 72 ¡¸Hnn, hnnn¡­..? Takeru, have we finally arrived?¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean by have we finally arrived? Everyone has already started capturing the ¡°White Tower of Trials¡±. Get up.¡¹ I went to a covered wagon to wake up Oracle-chan who was sleeping wrapped in a blanket. She¡¯s hugging a large pillow while rubbing her eyes wistfully. She¡¯s still sleeping even though it is already afternoon. Yesterday, my slave girls were a bit noisy until late at night so they also lacked sleep. For Oracle, she¡¯s been living underground for a very long time so I can¡¯t help but wonder if this is normal for her. ¡¸Hnn, Takeru, give me more. I¡¯m still sleepy.¡¹ ¡¸Get up already.¡¹ Oracle hugged me and tried to pull me into the blanket so I pushed her away. Don¡¯t hug me, OFF! ¡¸If you give me a good morning kiss I¡¯ll get up.¡¹ ¡¸Stop playing around. If you don¡¯t go, we can¡¯t start capturing the dungeon. Get dressed.¡¹ My main objective is speed. To capture the 100 story white tower, I won¡¯t mind using 5000 adventurers. To cheat more, the power of Oracle, who used to be a dungeon master, is necessary. In addition to the professionals in capturing a dungeon, using a professional in making a dungeon will surely speed up the capture speed. ¡¸Come here, dress me up.¡¹ ¡¸Good grief¡­¡¹ Oracle, who¡¯s only wearing underwear, raises her hands and asks me to dress her up. How spoiled can she get? But, it can¡¯t be helped¡­. Oracle will only act this time if we provide her comfortable service. I brought her usual clothes with one big shoulder sleeve. ¡¸Umu, dungeon master Oracle, how do you feel?¡¹ ¡¸How do I feel¡­.well, I feel refreshed.¡¹ When we left the covered wagon, the first place I took Oracle-chan to is the entrance of the ¡°White Tower of Trials¡±. 5000 adventurers are going in and out of the tower¡¯s entrance. Everyone seems to be busy carrying monster corpses, dismantling them, and cooking food. ¡¸Oracle, what can you say? I mean as a dungeon master.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I¡¯m hungry.¡¹ I hurriedly brought the best piece of fat meat of an orc from the kitchen and threw it in Oracle¡¯s mouth. Chew and eat well. If you want another one, I¡¯ll get it for you. All for the sake of you starting to work as soon as possible. ¡¸Nmu, maa, ngu¡­.cough. The guardian of this white tower, it is this thing.¡¹ After eating with satisfaction, Oracle-chan goes and hits the pedestal of the 3-meter statue of Asama in the entrance of the tower. ¡¸Yeah. According to sensei, this is a strong guardian.¡¹ When I heard that it can move, I figured out that the holy wand on the hand of Asama¡¯s statue is some sort of blunt weapon. In short, this eerie looking goddess statue is really a golem. ¡¸This is just a stone statue, to be more specific, a gargoyle that can suddenly attack. This golem is made from that kind of technology. It is programmed to move based on certain conditions and attack those who will touch the bottom line rule of this place.¡¹ Oracle-chan fiddled up with the pedestal, spotted something, and opened it. Who would have thought that there is a console there? It looks like it¡¯s just a piece of marble. I can also read the ancient language written on the console. My language cheat became useful for the first time in a while. The console on the pedestal seems to serve as an input/output device for the white tower system. ¡¸There is a command limit on this floor.¡¹ Oracle-chan, who played with the console, freely manipulated the goddess statue. With just a little touch, the goddess statue/golem fell to her control. As expected of a dungeon master. ¡¸You¡¯re amazing.¡¹ ¡¸By the way, if you want to control the whole tower system, we have to get in the main command. The closest place we can get into it is the 27th floor.¡¹ Since Oracle-chan says so, our present target is the 27th floor. For an experiment, Oracle-chan remotely controlled the goddess statue and had it fight against a group of ogre lords. A raging Princess Knight Eleonora yells at her. ¡¸Eleonora, we¡¯re currently busy so go away.¡¹ The three-meter eerie goddess statue is quite strong. The goddess statue waved down the holy wand several times to the group led by an ogre lord. The ogre lord¡¯s group made a sound similar to tomatoes being squished with each swing until they turn into nothing but stains on the floor. The guardian is a scary enemy but as an ally, it¡¯s reliable. If there is no need to consider the Lanct Duchy, and if the noisy princess knight is not here, I would have used the power of this statue to capture this dungeon. ¡¸You bastards, what are you doing to the sacred ¡°White Tower of Trials¡±?¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean what? We are obviously trying to capture it, right Oracle?¡¹ Oracle and I both nod. Oracle even makes the goddess statue nod. ¡¸How can you try to capture it with such a cowardly strategy! This ¡°White Tower of Trials¡± has a long history and tradition. It has an important role of making a hero grow by overcoming the trials given by the goddess. You can¡¯t clear it by cheating!¡¹ When she said that, I must admit that I felt a little guilty. Having a cheat is cheating, she¡¯s wrong. ¡¸Oi, lass, just now, you said we¡¯re cheating. What¡¯s wrong with our strategy?¡¹ ¡¸Attacking using 5000 mercenaries and rewriting the guardian¡¯s program without permission, everything you do is messed up in the first place!¡¹ Well, I¡¯m not sure what the princess knight is trying to say but we are trying to capture this place seriously. However, Oracle-chan won¡¯t sweet talk a lass with too much idealism. ¡¸Those are not prohibited if you want to talk about the rules of this dungeon. We are not cheating at all.¡¹ ¡¸Even if you say that, you certainly are if you use common sense.¡¹ Does she even know who she¡¯s speaking with? She¡¯s the proved and tested great teacher Oracle-chan. Even if she looks like a little demon girl, she¡¯s a dungeon master maestro with three hundred years of experience. ¡¸Okay, lass, I am having a serious match as a dungeon master against the old queen Liliella who already died. The lord of this ¡°White Tower of Trials¡± tried to protect the tower with only rigid rules and inorganic objects without leaving a living master like me who can respond to any situation flexibly.¡¹ ¡¸What are you saying?¡¹ ¡¸I mean that¡¯s her weakness. The lord of this tower already lost when she was not able to assume that someone like me would come. Dungeon creation is a high-level intellectual game where you¡¯ll commit all of your intelligence, physical strength, and imagination to the limit. It is a comprehensive art. It can be said that not using everything you have in hand to capture a dungeon is blasphemy. Lass who doesn¡¯t understand anything, stop being presumptuous and get out of the way!¡¹ ¡¸u-ugh¡­..¡¹ The princess knight, who was completely defeated, said incomprehensible words. If you understand, get back, Princess Eleonora. ¡¸Silesie¡¯s Herooo!¡¹ ¡¸Yes?¡¹ Eleonora unsheathed a straight sword and charged at me. Why me? Just because you were beaten in an argument you would suddenly use force against me! ¡¸B-bastard, I can¡¯t stop!¡¹ ¡¸What are you even doing?¡¹ If I use the sword of light, her sword will be cut smoothly and it will go straight at her which might kill her so I took out the neutral sword from my left hand. The neutral sword is shining in dull silver and it is more delicate compared to the sword of light or sword of darkness. Maa, I can also adjust the power to some extent. It only cut the Princess Knight Eleonora slowly and it is also shallow. But the other party is the princess knight. It will be possible to fatally wound her even if I sloppily match her. ¡¸You, are you crying¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Dish ish four da wyte tower of trial!¡¹ What the. She¡¯s really crying. Is that enough for someone to cry? Eleonora still looks young but in this world, a fifteen year old person is already an adult so she¡¯s expected to act like one. Even if she walks another hundred steps, she¡¯s still a smelly brat. She¡¯s trained as a female knight and her body was able to catch up to that. However, her mentality is still of a child. ¡¸What? You don¡¯t like it? Then talk first and don¡¯t just go slashing someone!¡¹ ¡¸Weeeerrroooooo!¡¹ Even though the difference in ability is clear, I tried to find out why Eleonora suddenly got angry. Too angry that she even tried to slash me. Dealing with this girl is really troublesome. To sum up what she said, the ¡°White Tower of Trials¡± is a memorable place for Eleonora. She has trained here many times ever since she was a knight apprentice. She admires the legend of Queen Liliella, longed for a great hero who¡¯ll challenge this white tower. As a knight, she can¡¯t permit us to defile this place. Who cares about your selfish thoughts! Since this princess knight has come to this, let¡¯s just use swords against her. ¡¸Then, let¡¯s duel. Let¡¯s settle this using sword.¡¹ ¡¸Eh?¡¹ Eleonora looks at me with a slightly surprised face as she wipes her tearing blue eyes with her hands. Why are you so surprised? We already started cutting each other and we are originally at war. ¡¸Eleonora, I know you¡¯re not convinced. Let¡¯s make a black and white knight duel.¡¹ ¡¸Fu-fuh¡­.great. If it is a knight duel without any cowardly cheats, I will not lose!¡¹ Why do you even think that you won¡¯t lose? Didn¡¯t you already experience our difference in power? It might sound like she has an unyielding spirit but the Princess Knight Eleonora is just a stubborn girl. ¡¸Since it has come to this, I will fight you thoroughly and beat you up until you give up.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s what I want. Against a coward who doesn¡¯t deserve to be called a hero, I won¡¯t lose!¡¹ Someone had to break the high bridge of the nose of this princess. Given her irresponsible and unbearable behavior, I feel sorry for the heavy knight corps who are under this selfish girl. That includes the butler knight Kato too. ¡¸My apologies, Oracle. Please continue checking out the dungeon.¡¹ ¡¸Okay. I¡¯ll do that while Takeru is playing with the ridiculously cocky lass. It will be great if you beat her ass.¡¹ Oracle-chan rode on the shoulder of the huge goddess statue and headed to the depths of the white tower. The Garan Mercenaries are also divided into teams so they are advancing non stop in capturing areas of the tower. I won¡¯t have my turn for some time. However, that doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m useless here. I still have the role of making sure that we are effectively using resources, I¡¯m a merchant after all. Seeing the strength of Princess Knight Eleonora from her previous strike, I thought of using her as a punching bag for my training against Freed. There are also times where I can no longer endure my irritation given how selfish this princess knight is. It might be more fun to beat a punching bag rather than being a spectator general. From the entrance of the tower, there is a certain building that is very suitable for that. As expected of the ¡°White Tower of Trials¡±, it is surrounded by ruined buildings and there¡¯s a small arena for duels among it. I decided to start a duel with Eleonora while the mercenaries and my slave girls who are members of my personal guard corps are eating so they can spectate. Then, Ria, who looked worried, ran up to me. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong Ria? Are you worried about how similar you are to the princess knight?¡¹ Well, it¡¯s not like they look alike. But they both have blonde hair and blue eyes. ¡¸My hero-sama, that¡¯s not it. You¡¯re finally going to have a duel with knight Eleonora.¡¹ No, my opponent is just the princess knight, do you really have to be that serious? I couldn¡¯t read her intention but I have a bad premonition. Before I knew it, she¡¯s already so close to me. ¡¸Y-yeah¡­.maa, Ria should prepare a healing potion since she¡¯s going to get hurt.¡¹ ¡¸Then, I¡¯ll buff you with Asama¡¯s blessing.¡¹ While saying so, she slowly walks towards me with open arms. Then, turned into a beast. She suddenly grabbed my face and gave me a passionate kiss. ¡¸MMM!¡¹ I was dazzled because of the surprise attack. Her breathing, timing, speed, power, and accuracy are in perfect sync. If she slashed me then, I would have died. She¡¯s definitely stronger than my duel opponent. Also, don¡¯t force your tongue in! ¡¸Chooo¡­.the kiss of blessing is complete.¡¹ ¡¸Y-you¡­.¡¹ I should have expected this outcome but I completely let my guard down. I just rub my lips as she laughs with satisfaction. It looks like she has always wanted to do this. ¡¸To flirt and kiss deeply a woman just before a duel¡­.¡¹ After seeing Ria¡¯s bold move, the princess knight Eleonora seems to be burning like her armor. Her fighting spirit rises like flame. She looks seriously angry. Isn¡¯t it advantageous for me to have an enemy like this? ¡¸Ehto¡­.Eleonora. You can choose whatever weapon you like. I¡¯ll use two swords.¡¹ I picked up a black cedar sword as my second sword. I feel like Eleonora glanced at my black wooden sword and gave off a ¡°this would be easy¡± attitude. What a bad girl. She¡¯s acting like that even though this black cedar sword is stronger than steel. ¡¸Then, I¡¯ll also use two swords. I will use two of my favorite sabers. This is a match but I¡¯ll apologize first. I¡¯m sorry if I killed you.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, come on and stop talking nonsense.¡¹ What do you mean by killing me? This girl, she really doesn¡¯t understand the difference in our abilities. Maa, it is convenient that the other party is dual-wielding too. Freed is like that so this will be a good mock battle. ¡¸Germanicus sword art, Eleonora Lanct Am-main, here I go!¡¹ ¡¸Hou!¡¹ She made two consecutive attacks that are almost a strong move but I parry them with my wooden sword without any difficulty. However, is this really the Germanicus style? I wonder if Eleonora can use the emperor sword art that Freed uses. She¡¯s an upper rank noble so she might know. ¡¸Germanicus style, relentless sword!¡¹ This type of fierce slashing that drops defense is something I¡¯m familiar with. In preparation for my battle against Freed, I had Louise teach me sword techniques. The Germanicus style is a type of western sword art that the founder of Germania Empire mastered himself. The main point of this type of technique is to mow down the opponent using big swings or to target a weak spot. Given those objectives, the user will need to drop defense especially when dual wielding. This is also logical since the imperial family and the royal family will be worn out by their magic armors. By the way, I trained like that too so let¡¯s start with the basics. ¡¸Hokushin Itto ryuu, circle style¡­.¡¹ I moved my sword in a circular motion and smoothly parried the opponent¡¯s sword. This is a basic defense technique that can be used even when dual wielding. ¡¸That¡¯s, fast!¡¹ ¡¸Hey hey, what¡¯s wrong¡¹ However, the Princess Knight Eleonora got caught in a feint too soon. She¡¯s too easy to play with. I don¡¯t even need to train my advance techniques with her. Let me just calm my mind and increase the precision of my basic techniques. I continue to parry Eleonora¡¯s large swing, defenseless attacks. Even though she¡¯s exhausted to the point that her shoulders move as she breathes, she did not stop attacking. When you clash swords with someone, you can truly understand the character of that person. She¡¯s direct and straightforward. Like a child, she believes that absolute justice exists in this world. That innocence may be a virtue even though she¡¯s just a soldier who¡¯s following orders. However, as a knight who leads others, she¡¯s immature and can be said to be the worst commander of an army. ¡¸Ha¡­..ha, you, YOU! You¡¯re making a fool out of me!¡¹ ¡¸Fumu, do you want to take a break?¡¹ Eleonora, who has reached the extremity of fatigue, is moving too monotonously. As for me, this is just a parry training so I can continue even for the next 100 years. ¡¸Stop making fun of meeeeeeeeee! Germanicus style, three step thrust!¡¹ Oh, she has changed her style a little. She really has a good spirit. However, Eleonora, if you use that technique like that, the sword emperor will cry. ¡¸Hokushin Itto ryuu, two step thrust!¡¹ I lightly dodge the first thrust of the princess knight and block the other two. If you¡¯ll ever use a thrusting technique, you should use a feint first in order to break the opponent¡¯s stance or it will be pointless. That¡¯s the reason why I easily blocked her other two strikes. ¡¸Uuaaaa, three step thrust! Three step thrust!¡¹ ¡¸Jikishin kare ryuu, eight phase blast!¡¹ Eleonora finally went berserk so rained her with attacks using both of my hands. She was not able to defend against my eight phase blast so I struck her fiery armor with all my might. ¡¸Kyaaaaaaaaaaaa¡¹ Eleonora was blown away when she was hit three times by me on her belly. As she was flying in the air right now, I smiled a little. ¡¸Oi, are you okay?¡¹ ¡¸I can¡­¡­.not overrrrrr!¡¹ She¡¯s good at taking a beating. All right, let¡¯s see how far you can endure. ¡¸Hokushin Itto ryuu, meteor!¡¹ I stepped with my right foot, bent down my left leg, pretended to target my opponent¡¯s hand with an attack from below, jumped up, and slashed my opponent from above. Though Eleonora reacted and defended herself in a moment, I can still easily target her head. Bashin, the sound of being hit on the shoulder with a big move was heard. Anyway, I¡¯m here to train so no splitting of head will happen. ¡¸Coward!¡¹ ¡¸Feints aren¡¯t cowardly. If this is a battlefield, how many times have you already died if you¡¯re not wearing your armor?¡¹ On the battlefield, surprise attacks are the best method of attacking. Eleonora is someone with no common sense. Both as a female knight and as a vice general, she already experienced it. Even if she doesn¡¯t, she should have been educated in her knight¡¯s training, right? Did she use the backdoor by throwing money? ¡¸I will never lose to a cowardly hero like you!¡¹ She¡¯s so irritating that she¡¯s already stimulating my sadistic mind. Alright, I¡¯ll do what I can to tolerate her. ¡¸Hokushin Itto ryuu, star king sword!¡¹ Due to extreme concentration, Eleonora¡¯s already slow movement seems to have stopped. I put enough energy to my two swords and hammered them to Eleonora¡¯s body with all my might. Eleonora could not even scream. She was blown away to the edge of the arena, sunk into the wall, and got buried a little by the ruined wall. Even though it is not bladed, black cedar is harder than iron. It can kill an ordinary person with a simple slash but if it is a tough one, that person should be fine. ¡¸How is it? Still want to continue?¡¹ ¡¸I can still¡­.I will not lose!¡¹ Even if I already showed the difference in power, her blue eyes are still burning with fighting spirit. Even though she¡¯s tattered, she still managed to stand up. She picked up her straight sword that fell earlier. ¡¸Heeeerrrrrrooooooo!¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s sad that your skill doesn¡¯t match your fighting spirit.¡¹ When Eleonora continued her semicircular attack, I just deflected it using the strength of my upper body to trim all the power behind it. Eleonora falls face down and crawls on the ground. ¡¸You should train a little more before challenging someone to a duel.¡¹ ¡¸I can stillllllll!¡¹ The princess knight¡¯s heart is not broken yet. While covered with dirt, she picks up her straight sword again and rises like a zombie. She moves forward like that and slashes like an evil spirit. She¡¯s just wasting energy. I wonder if I can use her to generate power instead. Princess knight electric generator¡­¡­impossible. ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped, star king sword! Star king sword! Star king sword!¡¹ I casually parried the princess knight¡¯s straight sword and continuously slash her accurately on her shoulder, torso, gauntlet. This is a training to improve the accuracy of my technique using a moving target in order to kill my opponent. ¡¸Gyaaaa, my sword!¡¹ I forgot how many clashes it has met with my sword but finally, it could no longer stand it. The princess knight¡¯s sword broke. Her flame armor is a durable magic item but her straight sword is a normal steel sword. It will eventually break after clashing continuously with my black cedar sword. ¡¸Your sword broke before your heart, you¡¯re a stubborn one.¡¹ ¡¸I can stilllll!¡¹ Even though I recognized it as a good battle and it made my mood good in the end. It would have gone longer if the sword did not break. Unyielding will, you are like Charles de Gaulle. If you can learn a little more, you¡¯ll probably become a good general. After the blade broke into pieces, she threw the handle at me. Uwa, now, how should I deal with her? ¡¸Stay put. Don¡¯t mess with me.¡¹ ¡¸Uwaaaaaaa!¡¹ As expected, I can¡¯t swing a sword against an unarmed woman so I threw my sword and fought her with my fist. This girl¡¯s punches are heavy and strong. I never thought she could hit me. It would have been dangerous if I¡¯m not wearing my mithril armor. That was an amazing discovery. Perhaps the gauntlets of her flame armor are better than her sword. It would be better if you¡¯ve been a boxer. ¡¸But this is just an annoyance because it will not be training if I¡¯m not using a sword.¡¹ ¡¸Take thisssss¡¹ This is no longer a knight¡¯s duel but a boxing match. ¡¸Damn it, it can¡¯t be helped.¡¹ ¡¸Uuaaaaaaa!¡¹ Even if it is now a fist fight, there¡¯s no difference. Her attack is monotonous so I used feint and foot work. I take her arm and twist it up. I don¡¯t know much about grappling techniques but I have enough knowledge to know where the joints are. ¡¸Eleonora, if you don¡¯t give up, I¡¯ll break your arm!¡¹ ¡¸Break it!¡¹ Is that so? She probably thought that I wouldn¡¯t do it so I did it. I put more strength into it and a heavy sound resounded. Her arm is now bent in an impossible direction. ¡¸Gyaaaaaa, it hurrrrttttsssssss, it¡¯s broookkkkeeeennnn!¡¹ ¡¸I broke it.¡¹ I showed her I¡¯m serious. I¡¯m not sure whether her bone broke or is it just her joint but I¡¯m sure it hurts like hell. ¡¸It huuurrrtttsssss¡¹ ¡¸Of course, since it hurts enough to make you cry, give up now!¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m not hurt at all.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, please¡­.¡¹ Even with her sword¡¯s broken, her arm¡¯s broken, her heart¡¯s still not broken. After thinking about what to do, I pressed down Princess Knight Eleonora¡¯s body and stripped off her magical cloak and also began removing the metal fittings of her flame armor. What am I doing? I¡¯m stripping her! CH 73 I think the reason for her overconfidence is because she¡¯s wearing a powerful flame armor. Once I strip off her magical cloak and take off her flame armor, only the girl and not the princess knight will be left. If it is a normal human, they can never take off her flame armor but my flame resistance is also off the roof. I noticed that when I removed the burning metal fittings of her armor. ¡¸Why is it you¡¯re only wearing underwear under your armor?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s hot in the armor, it hurrttssss!¡¹ Ah, right. If I forcibly remove a fiery hot armor from her, she will get burnt because unlike me, she has normal flesh and blood. I hurriedly took off all of her armor. Under the armor, she¡¯s only wearing a silk bra and shorts. ¡¸Mo-molester! Pervert! Pervert hero!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, no, it¡¯s because your¡­.¡¹ Normally, she should be wearing clothes under her armor so this situation can¡¯t be helped. If I did not take it off, she would have gotten burnt, or maybe worse. ¡¸Stop! Don¡¯t be so rough!¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t say it like that.¡¹ Her arm is broken, her body is burnt, but her will is still unbended. Though I don¡¯t care about her being a princess knight, seeing a girl who has just got her skin burnt is so pitiful. I took out an elixir from the pouch of my belt and decided to give it to the princess knight. ¡¸Hey, let¡¯s talk about winning or losing later. Cure yourself first by drinking this elixir.¡¹ ¡¸No, I will not receive any alms from the enemy!¡¹ Kaching, I forcefully mount Eleonora, who¡¯s still rampaging, to press her down. After fixing her broken arm to the best of my ability, I forcibly thrust the bottle of elixir into her mouth and pour it. ¡¸Now, drink!¡¹ ¡¸Glug, no¡­..¡¹ I¡¯m not going to be gentle. It¡¯s my choice to cure her even if it means I have to force her to drink. Still resisting! Eleonora is still trying to spit out the elixir so I gripped her cheeks to forcefully make her swallow. ¡¸Hey, don¡¯t resist, swallow everything!¡¹ ¡¸Ugh¡­.¡¹ Since I¡¯m holding her like this, she won¡¯t be able to breathe unless she swallows it all. I can finally see Eleonora¡¯s throat moving. Her arm is now cured and even her skin burns are getting better. Fuh, that took some effort. Perhaps because she was forced to drink, Eleonora is coughing painfully with tears in her eyes. I was a little forceful but it¡¯s your fault for resisting like that. I think it would be a waste if I spilled the elixir. I haven¡¯t even asked the stores here on how much it would sell. ¡¸No, give up. No need to say anything, it¡¯s over.¡¹ ¡¸Kuh¡­.not to a man like you!¡¹ Are you still not going to admit defeat even after mounted on? You can¡¯t even move. Was I wrong to make her recover this early? Also, it¡¯s a bit picturesque to mount a girl in her underwear. I¡¯m already resistant to things like this because of Ria but we¡¯re not the only ones here. The others are¡­. The mercenaries around us are so excited that they are even whistling. ¡¸Take off more!¡¹¡¸Hero, do more!¡¹screams are all over. Don¡¯t scream ¡°take it off¡±, this is not that kind of show. On the other hand, the eyes of my slave girls are getting colder. This is bad. I have to finish this quickly. ¡¸Oooohh?¡¹ ¡¸Herrooo!¡¹ When I was distracted with the surroundings, my ankle was grabbed and twisted. I inadvertently lose my balance and fall off from my horse mounting position. This woman, it looks like she can use martial arts. She¡¯s trying to shake me off. ¡¸Do you think I¡¯ll let you!¡¹ ¡¸Not yet, I can still do it!¡¹ I don¡¯t have any martial arts techniques. I¡¯m only relying on my hero adjustment in terms of barehanded battles. While we were fighting with each other in an unfamiliar fighting style, it became more of a mess. ¡¸Admit defeat!¡¹ ¡¸No, never!¡¹ Even if I rub her head on the ground making her blond hair dirty with soil, the princess knight¡¯s will is still unbending. While we were getting tangled up, Eleonora¡¯s ass was sticking out in front of me. ¡¸Eleonora, you, have a big ass¡­¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll kill you!!¡¹ She¡¯s now completely enraged. How can I even end this! ¡¸Eleonora, look around, aren¡¯t you ashamed being dressed like that in front of everyone?¡¹ ¡¸Uuuwwaaa, I-I¡¯ll bite my tongue and die!¡¹ I tried to humiliate her to admit defeat but she immediately declared suicide. It will be bad if she dies so I stuffed my handkerchief into her mouth to prevent her from biting her tongue. ¡¸Hmmm! Hmmm!¡¹ ¡¸If you want to surrender, tap the ground.¡¹ Her beautiful face is now covered with dirt and she¡¯s even shedding tears however, she still shook her head. ¡¸I see¡­.then, I¡¯ll do this¡¹ ¡¸!¡¹ I held down Eleonora with one hand while my other hand tickled her flank. Eleonora¡¯s body trembles and becomes wiggly. She can endure pain but can she endure tickling? ¡¸Now now, it¡¯s time to surrender!¡¹ ¡¸Ugh! Ugh!¡¹ Eleonora, who has a handkerchief in her mouth, is uttering a rumbling voice like fa fa but I ignore it and tickle her more. The trembling of her body is being transmitted to me so I can say that she¡¯s desperately enduring this. I won¡¯t stop tickling her until she gives up! ¡¸Fan! Fa! Faa!¡¹ I continue tickling Eleonora with all my might while she¡¯s making a muffled scream BGM. Not only on her flank but also in parts with little resistance. I check her reaction while I¡¯m tickling her arms, her flank, her thigh, and even the sole of her feet. ¡¸Fa¡­..fa¡­.¡¹ Even if Eleonora¡¯s movement gradually weakens, she¡¯s still trying to escape while her body is shaking. After finding out that her weak point is on the upper side of her flank, I concentrated on tickling it. Her body scarily convulsed but eventually, the tremor stopped and she became quiet. ¡¸Oi, it¡¯s about time for you to surrender¡­oi?¡¹ Until a while ago, Eleonora has been screaming like there¡¯s no tomorrow but now, she¡¯s completely silent. Did I go too far? I hurriedly removed the handkerchief I stuffed in her mouth and her pink tongue jumped out of her half-open lips. A large amount of something also went out of her mouth but she¡¯s not reacting like she¡¯s no longer alive. ¡¸This, is bad¡­.¡¹ Eleonora¡¯s face was completely stupefied after passing through intense agony. Not only her face but her shoulder, mouth, and even her blue eyes already lose their color and it looks like they are staring at the void. ¡¸This¡­Her eyes are open so Eleonora-san isn¡¯t dead, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­.¡¹ There¡¯s no reply. Is this a corpse already? I¡¯m sorry,¡­. I look around as if looking for salvation but the mercenaries are still enthusiastically screaming ¡°take off¡±. When I stare at them, they suddenly turn awkward. Suddenly, someone said ¡°Oh, it looks like break is over, let¡¯s go.¡± and they continued capturing the dungeon again. Yeah. Ah, it feels like this is my fault after all? Sharon came out of the flock of slave girls and spread a white sheet she¡¯s holding to cover Eleonora¡¯s body. ¡¸My apologies, Sharon. Can you take care of her?¡¹ ¡¸Master, no matter how much you think about this, you have gone overboard.¡¹ Yeah, I know. Even if the other party is irritating and acting like crazy, I was also childish. I should have stopped from the beginning. ¡¸Ah!¡¹ I was also surprised when Sharon, who was taking care of the fainted Eleonora, screamed. ¡¸Eh, what happened? What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸Ano, master¡­.¡¹ Sharon looked around and whispered something to me. ¡¸Eleonora-san lost control of her bladder.¡¹ ¡¸Sorry¡­.¡¹ ¡¸If you want to apologize to someone, apologize to her.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I will.¡¹ I feel sorry for Sharon who has to deal with the rough phase of the princess knight. Even if it is a punishment, I must admit that I overdid it. I will make use of this as a reflection point in the future, thank you for making me obtain enlightenment, Eleonora. ¡ªScene Change¡ª A familiar blonde elder brother type of guy with a green robe and composite bow on his back slowly approach me while waving. Were you watching what¡¯s happening with the mercenaries, Wake? ¡¸Hero, you look as energetic as ever and above all, you¡¯re always doing really interesting things. I look forward to meeting you every time.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s been a while Wake. I¡¯ve shown you something embarrassing.¡¹ The king of the thieves guild, Wake the Wake, gently touches my shoulder and shakes my hand while laughing with his unique bird calling ¡°kukkuk¡± laugh. Next to him is the long-purple haired Neneka. She bowed to me. The Garan mercenaries also have former thieves so Neneka and her spies(scouts) were not recruited to capture the tower. Because of that, she¡¯s going around to various places of the Germania Empire to scout whether the imperial army is moving or not while we are capturing the tower. ¡¸Hero-sama, presently, there¡¯s no change in movement in the headquarters of the empire. Other tasks are progressing without fail too.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? I¡¯ll continue to trouble you, Neneka.¡¹ Since Neneka¡¯s group is monitoring the movement of the enemy, we can work on capturing the tower with confidence. ¡¸I was shown an interesting duel with an awesome girl. I like it, that stubborn female knight.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? I think it would be great if you could hit on her.¡¹ Princess Knight Eleonora seems to be in a state where there¡¯s no way for her to have a husband. Since he is the king of thieves, he¡¯ll be able to match that duke¡¯s daughter. Wake laughed again when I told him that. It looks like the duel earlier really picked his interest. ¡¸Maa, stop that. Even if I look like this, I¡¯m timid and I¡¯ll never touch a friend¡¯s woman. It¡¯s a source of trouble.¡¹ ¡¸No, Wake, don¡¯t misunderstand. We¡¯re not like that. I¡¯d rather have her as my enemy!¡¹ No, Wake. Don¡¯t ¡° Yeah yeah¡± me. Listen to me, okay? ¡¸As expected of a hero, I envy your greatness in women. Neneka is also a compassionate woman so I thought of persuading her slowly but she¡¯s already taken.¡¹ ¡¸No, Wake, listen to me. Neneka and I are not like that.¡¹ Wake laughed and untied the scarf wrapped around Neneka¡¯s neck with his finger. As expected of the king of thieves. ¡¸Kyaa!¡¹ ¡¸See, I thought of seducing her but I was disappointed when I was that.¡¹ Under Neneka¡¯s scarf is a slave collar with the inscription ¡°Sawatari Takeru¡¯s slave¡±. Ah, I gave that to her a long time ago but that doesn¡¯t mean anything. If it meant what you think it is, it would be bad because all slave girls or our company has one. ¡¸Naa, wouldn¡¯t it be interesting if you put your slave collar on the neck of that blonde female knight?¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Yeah¡¹ No, what are we even talking about? Wake¡­.he really doesn¡¯t listen to others. He only gets involved in things he finds interesting but it can¡¯t be helped since he¡¯s a free guy. ¡¸Hero, don¡¯t you want to fold the pride of that confused noble lady? Then, while she¡¯s fainted, you should put a slave collar on her. I have a ¡°curse lock¡± here that can be removed unless you have the key.¡¹ ¡¸Wake, that¡¯s so evil of you¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Are you really telling me that, the king of thieves?¡¹ That said, Wake shows his white teeth and that¡¯s certainly an evil smile. ¡¸No but I¡¯ve gone overboard myself and I regret it.¡¹ To be honest, I think Wake¡¯s proposal is interesting. But I just overdid things earlier and Sharon even got angry. ¡¸Imagine this, the proud knight wakes up and can¡¯t remove a collar¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Puh¡­.¡¹ When she wakes up with a slave collar that doesn¡¯t come off, maybe Eleonora will go crazy but that¡¯s pretty interesting. If you think about it, it¡¯s not bad to have Eleonora admit defeat in exchange for the key of the collar¡¯s lock and make her promise that she will no longer challenge me. Wake loves to collect strange cursed tools that have negative effects. Is it because he wants to use it at times like this? No, he probably needs cursed items for their negative effects. ¡¸For that reason, Sharon.¡¹ ¡¸Master¡­.I think you already overdid it. If you do anything else, I don¡¯t know what will happen!¡¹ So so, Sharon tried to persuade me. I put the slave collar on the fainted Eleonora and locked it. It now can¡¯t be removed without the key. If I do this, I¡¯m sure even the unbending will of the princess knight will break. The slave collar has a large and prominent design. If the high-spirited princess knight wears this collar, she would be embarrassed and won¡¯t be able to walk in the city. When I was imagining the princess knight in dogeza and begging me to remove the collar, I can¡¯t help but look forward to it. CH 74 For some reason, whenever I start my dungeon exploration, the king of thieves Wake will come and play and my exploration will proceed smoothly. I took Wake and climbed the stairs up to the 20th floor of the white tower. It seems to be the current front line and Lyle-sensei is leading it. ¡¸Ah, Wake-dono. We are very grateful for your support.¡¹ As soon as Lyle-sensei saw Wake¡¯s face, he fixed his collar and bowed. Wake waved his hand as if saying ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡±. Areh? What did Wake do? ¡¸Takeru-dono, during the war, he led the thieves guild to attack the territory of the empire. Their cover attack was quite helpful.¡¹ ¡¸Heh, is that so? Thank you very much.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t do that! It¡¯s just a misunderstanding, hero. The thieves guild doesn¡¯t intervene in conflicts between countries. We did not help you during the war.¡¹ ¡¸Fuhn¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m telling the truth. There were many stupid lords who emptied their territory during the war so it was convenient to attack them.¡¹ Wake waved his hands as if saying stop talking about it and went ahead to climb up the stairs. Upon reaching the 21st floor, I saw Wake continuously shooting the head of a stone golem with his ¡°magic bullet of rebellion¡±. What a tsundere¡­. The thief guild aside, I¡¯m thankful of him. On the front line, Oracle-chan is controlling the eerie goddess statue of ¡°Asama¡± (I feel like Asama will be offended by calling this statue of female deva her statue though) to smash three golems. A sweaty Oracle-chan came to me saying ¡°phew¡±. I know you¡¯re working hard but you¡¯re only using a remote control. ¡¸Takeru, are you done playing with that little knight girl?¡¹ ¡¸It was a duel in form of training and not me playing.¡¹ ¡¸You have come at the right time. Given our pace, we¡¯ll be able to reach the 27th floor in an hour.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s fast.¡¹ Speaking of which, when I was playing with the princess knight, they managed to conquer up to the 21st floor. ¡¸Compared to Oracle¡¯s Great Cave, the size of each floor is small. Also, after getting and drawing the map I pulled out from the console on the lower floor, we are taking the shortest route possible from floor to floor.¡¹ ¡¸It is all thanks to Oracle.¡¹ Is she being modest? Oracle shook her white twin tails. ¡¸No, the power of five thousand adventurers is great. They are totally unstoppable once they know the correct room!¡¹ They are divided into ten-person platoons. In short, there are 500 groups that will spearhead in turns. Compared to ordinary soldiers, adventurers are stronger individually. Narrow places like a dungeon where small-scale battles are endless can be called the best battlefield for mercenaries. My army is focused on logistics which made a large number of camps and relay points. They are well prepared and can deploy easily as backups so we can advance with little sacrifice. ¡¸Even so, this dungeon has a lot of golems.¡¹ ¡¸It is as you said.¡¹ When Oracle-chan took the lead, an abnormal number of golem monsters had come out. Flesh golem, bone golem, stone golem, iron golem¡­. ¡¸If you want to run a dungeon for a super long time, golem is the best choice. You can easily make flesh golem and bone golems from the fallen adventurers and even if stones and irons are smashed, it is possible to turn them in to golems as long as there¡¯s magical power.¡¹ ¡¸Ue, are you saying that those flesh golems are made of human flesh from adventurers?¡¹ I even thought of eating it earlier. I made a mistake. It is a good thing that it looks like rotten meat so we did not eat it. I find using the corpse of adventurers to create monsters disgusting. ¡¸That¡¯s normal. Even in my dungeon, my zombie carrier kills adventurers and turns them into zombies to make new monsters. It can be said that it¡¯s the dungeon¡¯s way to locally procure supply. However, I feel like the maker of this place is a golem maniac.¡¹ ¡¸I guess the dungeon reflects the personality of the person who created it.¡¹ This ¡°white tower of trials¡±, though a trial, has no traps. The creator might have been a golem lover and I find that a little scary. ¡¸Rather than liking golem, I feel an intense hatred and dislike for living beings. Loving cleanliness too much that you¡¯ll try to eliminate all dirty things. At a glance, such a person is easy to get along with, however, when he shows his fangs, that¡¯s where the scary things begin so you should be careful.¡¹ ¡¸Queen Liliella might not be the good-natured person everyone knows of.¡¹ I¡¯m only saying my usual bad words and I have nothing against the Asama Church officials. The saints and saintesses of the Asama Church are sometimes selfish but they have free will and understanding. Their frankness is the embodiment of humans. However, this ¡°white tower of trials¡± is created by Queen Liliella, a saintess of Asama. According to the Princess Knight Eleonora¡¯s fairy tale-like story, this was created to give people trials. However, giving others a trial and giving you strength after overcoming it seems disgusting. Why? Because that means that you are being looked at from above. If you are the goddess of creation, Asama, herself, that will be acceptable however, the one who created this ¡°white tower of trial¡± is not a goddess but a person. It is absolutely disgusting to think that this white tower dungeon was created by a human as if she¡¯s an absolute existence like a goddess. ¡¸Maa, let¡¯s just take what we¡¯re here for and leave immediately after.¡¹ Swords can easily penetrate an iron golem so the adventurers are struggling so I had no choice but to cut them off with 1 slash with my sword of light. Even if a little stronger golem would come out, we¡¯ll surely be able to reach the 27th floor. ¡¸It looks like a normal floor.¡¹ Though it still looks very luxurious since there are beautiful marble sculptures and the floor is marble too but this 27th floor doesn¡¯t look like it has anything special. ¡¸The best place to hide a tree is in the forest.¡¹ After saying that, Oracle-chan touched a very normal-looking wall. Her hand shines. ¡¸What¡¯s there, Oracle?¡¹ ¡¸Behind this is one of the many control rooms of this white tower.¡¹ When the concealed, thick marble door was open, there was a large room with glossy black walls. It is very slippery when touched. The wall has a good design and it looks like it is made of obsidian. In the center of the room stands a large stone pillar that shines with rainbow light. ¡¸This is one of the central control room(Main Console).¡¹ Oracle-chan explains it while she taps the stone pillar. ¡¸Then, Oracle-chan, please.¡¹ ¡¸If I do well, reward me later.¡¹ Oracle-chan began investigating the stone pillar. She¡¯s stroking it for some reason then say ¡°Oh, I guess it was well protected as expected but it¡¯s okay.¡± And ¡°Okay, just stay like that.¡±. I feel like this scene is familiar but, is she okay? Those who usually use those lines will get caught by a trap or an alarm will go off. I ordered my personal guard corps to prepare to make a move. ¡¸clutter clutter clutter, it¡¯s not that different¡­.good, bingo!¡¹ The stone pillar began glowing more which made me surprised. After that, ¡­..Oracle-chan found a keyboard and typed on it. ¡¸I assume that you are doing well for now.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. This ¡°White Tower of Trials¡± is already naked before me.¡¹ On the surface of the rainbow stone pillar, an incomprehensible number of numerical characters are flowing. There should have been no computer or advanced programming language this time so, what¡¯s this? Hey, Oracle, numbers aside, I can read ancient characters written. I know of them because of my language cheat. ¡¸Oracle, is there anything significant on what¡¯s displayed in this stone pillar?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, ahh, yeah. Maa, that can also be called style¡­.¡¹ Just a little while ago, Oracle-chan is still saying ¡°Yei¡± and now she looks grim. Was she just bluffing earlier? She¡¯s currently lost in thought. Maa, is a dungeon master only someone who gives orders? ¡¸So, Oracle, what happened?¡¹ ¡¸I logged in to the main account so I can do anything. For example, this.¡¹ When Oracle fiddled with the control panel, a large magic circle showed up in the central control room. Given my experience with RPG, I can guess that this is a warp device that enables you to access each floor. ¡¸Can that take me to the 100th floor?¡¹ ¡¸It can but I¡¯ll stop you. Even if I¡¯ve logged in to the main account, there are things that are independent of the control room, for example, a powerful guardian of a warehouse. I think it is better for you to not touch the upper floors.¡¹ That means we can¡¯t clear this white tower. ¡¸Takeru, think about it carefully. I feel bottomless eeriness from the queen that created this tower. According to the legend, the ¡°white tower of trials¡± has been here for nearly a thousand years but it is suspicious that no one has ever cleared it. That¡¯s simply impossible!¡¹ ¡¸Maa, if you say so¡­.¡¹ ¡¸When I checked the other side of the system, I had a bad feeling. It is an implicit taboo for dungeon masters to create traps that are impossible to clear. If you do that, even the dungeon master won¡¯t be able to do something about it. However, I feel like the dungeon master of this place is crazy and will not hesitate to do something like that.¡¹ I see. The fact that there are fogs around the top floor of the tower is suspicious enough. If you are a fanatic, you¡¯ll say that it can¡¯t be touched by mere humans since it is already the realm of gods. Not having traps until now doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that there¡¯s no trap at all. F*uck! Making a game that¡¯s impossible to clear is simply the lowest thing one can do. And then, someone actually created a dungeon like that as if saying ¡°this is the harsh reality¡±. ¡¸Then, for the time being, do you want to go to the 54th floor?¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Isn¡¯t that already cleared by the old emperor Conrad?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s the highest floor that was reached 50 years ago. Even if the treasure storage was cleared back then, there will be some items on it again. There might not be good treasures like orichalcum shield but there might still be other treasures.¡¹ ¡¸I see. It can¡¯t be helped. We can¡¯t get anything without risking something.¡¹ We decided to go to the 54th floor. There¡¯s no way we can send out 5000 mercenaries at once so we send them one by one. This kind of teleportation movement is something I¡¯ve already heard about before. It was the unique magic ¡°Space-time gate¡± of the greater mage Jenny Walpurgis, one of Freed¡¯s entourage. Jenny might be somewhat related to ancient magic civilization. ¡¸The enemy is a greater mage so she¡¯s destined to be killed by sensei even if she has such a complicated background¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸What did you say about me? ¡¹ Sensei heard my muttering and asked me about it with a smile. ¡¸No, I just thought that this teleportation magic is similar to that greater mage. ¡¹ ¡¸Certainly but I¡¯ll be watching behind you so you can rest assured. ¡¹ What do you mean? Well, since sensei said that I should rest assured, I guess it¡¯s okay. The grand gate of the 54th floor looks like it is made of gold. Is it gold plated? Even if it is only gold plated, given its size, it is a valuable asset. There is also ¡°Treasure Vault¡± written in ancient language but whether it is true or not no longer matters. I want to take this gold gate back with me! ¡¸Oracle, can I cut it down? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, upon checking the system, I found a scary self-destruct system of the whole tower. The queen who created this place is certainly crazy so it would be better to not upset her¡­.¡¹ Damn it! That¡¯s a perfect anti-theft measure! This gold gate, I can touch it but I can¡¯t take it! Let¡¯s give up cutting it down. I still have to see the ability of the boss that¡¯s guarding the treasure vault of the 54th floor. I opened the golden gate and entered the treasure vault. CH 75.1 Chapter 75.1 ¨C Reaching a New Record The highest floor that was reached until now was the 54th floor of the White Tower. The golden gates of the treasury are now open. ¡¸It¡¯s a big room but nothing¡¯s unusual.¡¹ There¡¯s no sign of a demon king or a giant dragon appearing so it was a bit of a letdown. At the front, a steel golem wearing a very lumpy armor comes. There¡¯s no need to say that it¡¯s a powerful boss. ¡¸No way, are you saying that this golem is the enemy?¡¹ Oracle-chan shouted from behind as I approached the golem to get rid of it. ¡¸Takeru, that¡¯s dangerous. Be careful!¡¹ ¡¸Ehh¡¹ The moment I thought so, the steel golem, who slowly raised its big sword with a creaking sound, slashed me at a high speed! ¡¸Uwa!¡¹ It almost got me but it¡¯s a good thing that I managed to catch it with my neutral sword. Without Oracle-chan¡¯s warning, that would have caught me by surprise¡­.this golem¡¯s habit is not a laughing matter. ¡¸Takeru, that¡¯s an autonomous magic weapon, a swift steel golem. Be careful because it can move fast!¡¹ A fast golem? This is cheating! It''s as powerful as a slow steel golem, it is a golem but it¡¯s wearing magic armor, and it is three-meter high with a big sword. Also, unlike inorganic golems, its movement is accurate. This is already a robot with its own will. Darn, don¡¯t underestimate humans! ¡¸Niten Ichiryuu, tiger sword!¡¹ I hit the big sword back using the neutral sword on my left hand and I hit its upper part using the light sword on my right hand. It was hard but still, I managed to cut off the body of the golem, and its movement stopped. This golem forced me to use my tiger sword which was supposed to be my secret technique¡­ Then, swift golems show up one after another. Oracle-chan manipulated the goddess statue and hit them but the swift golems fend off the attack of the holy staff and destroy the marble statue of Asama by slashing their swords without difficulty. ¡¸This is pretty bad.¡¹ Kaara, Ria, and Lyle-sense are casting magic but they won¡¯t fall down. The mercenaries are not very powerful and only me and Louis can cut up such monsters. The shooters seem to be effective but only the level of containment. They were able to retrain the enemies¡¯ reaction but guns can¡¯t do much against the sturdy steel golems. ¡¸Kukkukkuk, it seems like I¡¯m needed.¡¹ ¡¸Wake, can you do something?¡¹ Wake stood up in front and opened his palm. His thief aides, who are always following him, gave him a matchlock. ¡¸You and your sensei made a rifle but I came up with something that can make me use the magical bullet of rebellion suing a matchlock.¡¹ When the golems were hit with Wake¡¯s magical bullet of rebellion, the swift golem stopped moving one after another. I see, so his aides were there so that they can reload the matchlocks for him so he can fire in succession? When Wake shoots, he casts his magical bullet of rebellion on the bullet so even using a matchlock, it has a rifle-like accuracy. Many of the golems stopped moving because of Wake¡¯s barrage. However, how can a sniper stop a golem from working when it¡¯s not damaged by rifles that much? ¡¸Hero, take a good look. There¡¯s a little red magic jewel on their chests. Since that girl over there said that they were autonomous magic weapons, I thought they were their magical energy source so I tried to shoot them.¡¹ ¡¸I see. As expected of Wake. You are truly impressive.¡¹ Wake fixes his blonde bangs while shyly muttering ¡°not really¡±. In addition to his keen eye that had seen through the weakness of the enemy immediately, only someone of his caliber can shoot those small targets with a single shot. As expected, it can be said that the king of thieves is a specialized cheat when it comes to range weapons. Well, we managed to take care of the situation for now. Conrad, the old emperor, who broke through this treasury, must have been quite strong. ¡¸Now, let¡¯s see what treasure is waiting for us.¡¹ When I went into the room, I found three bags filled with silver, gold, and platinum coins in a very haphazard manner. ¡¸I¡¯ve never seen such a design on a gold coin before.¡¹ ¡¸This is an ancient coin of the Holy Liliella Kingdom. We can just melt and cast them but they also have value as antiques.¡¹ Indeed. You can make more profit if you sell an old coin to a wealthy collector. Of course, we shared the loot with Wake but it¡¯s still profitable enough. ¡¸What about that treasure chest over there?¡¹ The thieves following Wake checked for traps but they weren¡¯t able to find anything. Queen Liliella doesn¡¯t use those kinds of traps. CH 75.2 Chapter 75.2 ¨C Reaching a New Record Inside the magnificent, jeweled box was a thin robe shining in seven colors. Hnn, what¡¯s this? Compared to the big orichalcum shield, this seems to be insignificant. ¡¸I think that¡¯s the ¡°Goddess¡¯ Robe¡±. Though not as good as orichalcum, it¡¯s also a legendary equipment.¡¹ When sensei explains so, I certainly felt like it had a little foil. It is neither silk nor gold thread but a thin garment that shines. I don¡¯t even consider it as some kind of advance material. When I shook it a bit, I could even see the shiny scaly effect of the cloth. Probably due to its strong defensive magic. ¡¸But I don¡¯t like its design. Sharon won¡¯t wear something like this too so how about you wear it, Ria?¡¹ ¡¸How can you trash talk it then give it to me!¡¹ She said that but as soon as I handed the robe to her, she quickly took off her sister''s robe and changed immediately. It''s not like it will lose its worth if you don¡¯t wear it on the spot¡­idiot. Sharon¡¯s party immediately spread out a white sheet of cloth so that no one could see the stripping Ria. Ria only has one pattern so far. Even if she did that, no one even thought it was weird. From the white sheets, Ria, who¡¯s now wearing the ¡°goddess¡¯ robe¡±, came out. I hate to say this but she definitely looks good on it. ¡¸Maa, this is Takeru¡¯s gift of love so I have to wear it on the spot.¡¹ ¡¸I would have believed you if you put on your hood.¡¹ She said before that sisters like her are strictly forbidden to show her their faces. Ria forcibly tied a white cloth to the ¡°goddess¡¯ robe¡± and wore it like a hood. She said that she would sew the hood properly later but before that, I would prefer if she does something to her habit of stripping immediately first. Well, there¡¯s no point in reminding Ria so let¡¯s not say it. ---Scene Change--- ¡¸The next treasury is on the 88th floor, what is your plan?¡¹ ¡¸Of course, we¡¯ll go. Perhaps the orichalcum weapon we are looking for is there.¡¹ Then, Oracle-chan speaks anxiously. ¡¸Takeru, autonomous magic weapons are monsters that even I, the Immortal King Orcale-sama, covey but never get a hand on. This ¡°White Tower of Trials¡± is at a level where there are tons of them everywhere. I¡¯m not discouraging you to not go but I¡¯m advising you to be careful.¡¹ ¡¸I know. However, we can only go to where we seek.¡¹ When I stood on the magic circle and teleported to the 88th floor, a dragon suddenly came out. At that moment, Louise already charged and cut it off with her ¡°Dragon Slayer Great Sword¡±. And it¡¯s not a green dragon but a red dragon. Its blaze breath didn¡¯t work for Louise. Could this dragon be a small fry? ¡¸Louise, let¡¯s dismantle that later.¡¹ ¡¸My apologies, my lord.¡¹ I¡¯m amazed that Louise wasn¡¯t even fazed after opening the door up front and suddenly finding a dragon. How much warrior experience has she gained to get this steadfastness? However, let¡¯s dismantle that after we¡¯re done exploring. ¡¸We¡¯re already walking through the shortest route possible so we can¡¯t help but deal with the small fries on the way. ¡¹ ¡¸You call them small fries now¡­. ¡¹ Red dragon, earth dragon, green dragon. There was a large room where a large group of lesser dragons led by a hound dragon were waiting. It was terrible. Although they were all killed with only one blow each, I don¡¯t know how long it will take us to break through without Louise. This is already the shortest route and we still have no choice but to profit a lot. Dragon meat and dragon leather are luxury items after all. ¡¸Of course, our staff will dismantle them later and cook them. ¡¹ ¡¸Who are you talking to, Takeru? ¡¹ No, well, I¡¯m just being considerate to the readers. I¡¯m sure everyone¡¯s thinking that we are wasting too much valuable resources. ¡¸This is the treasury of the 88th floor. ¡¹ ¡¸Pff¡­platinum gate! ¡¹ I know that I shouldn¡¯t scrape it off but, I wonder how much money I¡¯ll make if I cut it out and take it home? Damn it! You¡¯re fighting with me psychologically, Queen Liliella¡­. ¡¸Are you ready? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, we¡¯re ready, let¡¯s go. ¡¹ I glanced behind me and saw that sensei gave the ¡°okay¡± sign. That means we¡¯re good to go. CH 76.1 Chapter 76.1 ¨C Leaf Holy Relic I opened the door to the treasury on the 88th floor and slammed it shut again. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, Takeru?¡¹ ¡¸No, impossible¡­this is absolutely impossible!¡¹ What I just saw is a base of autonomous magic weapons, swift steel golems. There are more than a hundred of them. And I think I saw a red version too. ¡¸The red one is chrome. The swift chrome golem is fairly made of rare materials and is harder and faster than those made of steel.¡¹ That¡¯s basically the boss machine. I hope she¡¯s not going to say that it moves three times as fast because it¡¯s red. Maa, they are already banging from behind the door. ¡¸Look, Takeru. This is bad. The moment you opened the door, they started moving.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I already know.¡¹ I opened the door and pierced my sword of light as hard as I could into the red magic jewel, that was the weak point of the swift golem. The golem had fallen forward. The golem made a ¡°poof¡± sound and stopped moving. However, there are tons of swift golems behind it. ¡¸Takeru-dono, let¡¯s fight them by the door.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ There are a lot of enemies. Rather than fighting them in the big room, we opened the door halfway and defended this place so that we¡¯ll only fight those who managed to get through the bottleneck. The frontline is me and Louise. If we can get the magic team and projectile team to support us from behind, we might be able to hold them off. ¡¸¡­.or so I thought.¡¹ ¡¸Takeru, what are you doing? Let¡¯s withdraw.¡¹ The swift chrome golem was too fast and too strong. What¡¯s with this red one! ¡¸Damn! If it¡¯s alone I won¡¯t lose!¡¹ It¡¯s already too fast and when two or three more swift golems fight with it, there¡¯s nothing else we can do. However, if you say that we are cowardly, you probably have to go and get together with the princess knight. This is overwhelming. This is simply cheating, that Queen Liliella! Fine, we¡¯re cheating too but when the other side is cheating like us, I feel more unpleasant. The Garan Mercenaries already put their lives on the line to hold the door but the red sword managed to stick out from it. That¡¯s scary. ¡¸Fuh, you seem to be struggling, Silesie¡¯s hero-sama.¡¹ Hah, what¡¯s this¡­.that¡¯s Freed¡¯s homo high priest. What was his name again? ¡¸It seems like you can¡¯t remember my name. Then, let me introduce myself again, I¡¯m Nicholas Cardinal desu. And I¡¯m not a high priest but an archbishop.¡¹ ¡¸Is Freed coming? I think our situation is already obvious. We don¡¯t have time to deal with you right now.¡¹ It''s a shame that we¡¯re struggling at something but that swift golem will indiscriminately attack anyone and that includes you. ¡¸Ohohoho. Please don¡¯t misunderstand. I came to help Silesie¡¯s hero-sama.¡¹ Nicholas, dressed in an archbishop robe, prayed with his hands wide open. ¡¸Oh Goddess Asama, your pious servant begs you, please heal everyone, All Right Healing!¡¹ White silver light pours down on our wounded members. Ah, is this the area healing magic that I heard about? He¡¯s certainly someone that can use it. If only he¡¯s not like that. ¡¸By the way, let me show you how competent I am.¡¹ He took off his archbishop clothes and stood naked in front of the swift golem, who ripped through the door and jumped in. Has he gone mad¡­. No, looking at him closely, he¡¯s not naked. There is some kind of bright green leaf attached to his crotch. In short, there¡¯s an old man with nothing but a leaf covering his crotch standing there. ¡¸Areh? Isn¡¯t that the holy relic ¡°Adamo Leaf¡±? No way, to think it still exists!¡¹ Ria screams in a voice filled with tension. No, I don¡¯t know anything! ¡¸Now, behold, the great goddess Asama, your pious servant, iyahoooouuuu, adamo leeeaaaaaffffff! ¡¹ When archbishop homo twerk his crotch, a silver ray of light was released from the big leaf and it pierced through all directions. The movement of the swift golems, who have ripped through the door one after another, is getting slower and slower. ¡¸Now, get rid of them desu yo! ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yeah but, what happened¡­. ¡¹ Since the swift golems have become slow, they are no different from your usual golems. In no time, we slashed them to the last one. There were still a lot of golems but every time archbishop homo yelled ¡°iyahoooouuu¡±, his crotch would glow and the golems would slow down. Seriously, what¡¯s this¡­. CH 76.2 Chapter 76.2 ¨C Leaf Holy Relic ¡¸Takeru, homo¡­.I mean, Archbishop Nicholas is wearing a relic called ¡°Leaf of Adamo¡±. It¡¯s a fig leaf that is said to have been naturally attached to Adamo¡¯s crotch, the first man created by Asama eight thousand years ago.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so¡­.¡¹ No, Asama, you created the wrong man. Adamo is probably Adam and he didn¡¯t get this leaf until after he ate the forbidden fruit so it is odd that he was created with a leaf on his crotch. ¡¸I can definitely understand that suspicious look on your face. There¡¯s probably no way for a leaf to exist for 8000 years. It is an elaborately made replica.¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s not about the leaf replica¡­.ah, forget it!¡¹ I feel like if it is anything related to the Asama Church, I can¡¯t help but admit defeat! Perhaps the identity of the goddess of creation, Asama, is one of the old ones. ¡¸That ancient holy relic, the Leaf of Adamo, has the ability to disrupt the holy magic of the priestess of Asama. Because of that, the swift golem¡¯s movement slowed down.¡¹ ¡¸Explain the theory to me first.¡¹ Then, she told me to a level where I can understand. To summarize it, archbishop homo won in a holy magic item match. Since the golems have been annihilated, archbishop homo who screamed ¡°Iyahhhooooouuuuu¡± a number of times is severely sweaty. His raw skin is wet with sweat and he is roughing heavily when he comes to me. Please put on your clothes. It¡¯s hurting me visually. ¡¸Ah, by the way, I¡¯m alone. Crown Prince Freed is not here.¡¹ ¡¸No, if you¡¯re alone, there¡¯s no way you can get here.¡¹ Archbishop homo pointed at the magic circle while saying ¡°Iyey¡± with a refreshed smile. Right, if he used that magic circle which has similar quality to the magic circles of the ¡°White Tower of Trials¡±, he¡¯ll be able to come here alone and in an instant. The space time mage Jenny got his back. ¡¸The Crown Prince is busy with errands so I came to Silesie¡¯s Hero-sama in the name of scouting.¡¹ ¡¸Why do you have to do that? What is your purpose?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯ll tell you. I only cooperate with the Crown Prince because of common interest and depending on what is Silesie¡¯s Hero-sama belief, I don¡¯t mind changing sides.¡¹ ¡¸Then, I¡¯ll listen to what you have to say.¡¹ ¡¸Then, hear me out. I have a dream!¡¹ Archbishop homo, who has nothing but a leaf to cover his body, suddenly pointed his fingers up to the heavens and began a speech. No, he¡¯s an archbishop so this is a sermon. However, I would prefer if he put on some clothes first before he starts his sermon. ¡¸The Church of Asama, which officially proclaims gender equality, has clear discrimination against men from the inside desu. The current pope is a woman and the six archbishops, aside from me, are all women. It''s terrible, isn¡¯t it? Yeah, please, wait. I know, I can¡¯t help but feel discriminated because of my abilities desu yo.¡¹ Ria looked like she wanted to say something but she chose to be silent for the time being. He helped us so we have to at least hear what he wants to say first. ¡¸However, reality is different desu. There are many male clergy who are as good as me but very few men are promoted to higher positions in the church. The best example of discrimination is that heroes have to be with a saintess desu yo.¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong with that?¡¹ Ah, no, I¡¯ve interrupted. Archbishop homo seems to be very happy. ¡¸It¡¯s not right to make sisters the partners of heroes. I¡¯m the only man who¡¯s with a hero in the world right now desu! Do you know that more than 90% of heroes in history choses women as their partners? Why is it like that even though there were many excellent saints who can certify a hero, isn¡¯t it terrible!?¡¹ Uhm, I can¡¯t say anything. That¡¯s it. When I look at Ria, she looks like she wants to say something too. ¡¸So, I have a dream! Now is the time to correct the wrong of this female dominated church! Prince Freed chose me because of my high ability but he¡¯s a filthy womanizer desu. He doesn¡¯t understand my principles at all!¡¹ Actually, I don¡¯t get it either. Ehto. ¡¸On that note, you are a promising one, Silesie¡¯s Hero-sama. I feel that you¡¯re a clean person who rejects the lascivious temptations of that filthy saintess over there. I thought you were the hero I¡¯ve been looking for. You are my fated one.¡¹ Uwaaa, so that¡¯s the reason why he did it with him. Freed is amazing. I respect the fact that he was able to use this archbishop because of his outstanding capability to make someone a stronger hero. In order to become the strongest, he didn¡¯t even choose the mean. ¡¸Hey, homo, I mean, Archbishop Nicholas.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, what is it, Silesie¡¯s Hero-sama?¡¹ ¡¸You said there were almost no saint chosen by heroes but doesn¡¯t that mean that women rarely become heroes?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, that¡¯s¡­.¡¹ CH 76.3 Chapter 76.3 ¨C Leaf Holy Relic It just came into me that it is really discriminatory if a man chooses a beautiful sister just because of her face. However, if you¡¯re a female hero, it¡¯s not strange to choose a saint. ¡¸So, I¡¯ve never seen a female hero and I¡¯ve hardly even heard of one. Perhaps saints not being chosen balances the heroes.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s¡­.¡¹ I¡¯ve thought about it for a long time. The teaching of race and gender equality of the Asama Church is wonderful as a principle but they don¡¯t work in the real world at all. Princess Silhouette can¡¯t become a queen because she¡¯s a half elf and a woman. Nymphs are being discriminated against. Even in slavery, female slaves are below male slaves. ¡¸In that respect, what do you think, archbishop? I think the basis is not equal in the first place.¡¹ ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped. Let¡¯s not argue about the basis.¡¹ But, wasn¡¯t the big speech you gave earlier with all your power came from that? You¡¯re being too unreasonable, archbishop homo. I¡¯m sure you understood what I mean¡­. ¡¸Anyway, the saints are the ones who are worthy to be with the heroes desu. Saint X Hero is the ideal combination. My dream is that one day, the world will be full of Saint X Hero combination.¡¹ There, Ria can no longer bear it and intervenes. ¡¸Don¡¯t be stupid, archbishop! Hero X Saintess is the supreme couple. History and tradition prove it.¡¹ ¡¸Filthy saintess, don¡¯t be stupid! I made a direct visit to Asama and when I asked her about saint X hero, she said OKAY. There was also an oracle saying ¡°It is likely to happen.¡±.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s because Asama is generous. Also, it is only said ¡°likely¡± but it can¡¯t replace the standard which is hero X saintess, idiot!¡¹ ¡¸Only an idiot calls someone an idiot desu. I can confirm here that any hero who¡¯ll get involved with the debauchery saintess will fall without fail. Sister Steriana, I know you were secretly fishing for dirty books in the library. Do you want me to tell that to everyone!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, then, do it by all means, archbishop homo. You also often went into the library and to read forbidden books of debauchery.¡¹ ¡¸No, that¡¯s not true. You can¡¯t compare what I was reading to yours. I¡¯m reading the future bible which depicts the passionate friendship between men!¡¹ I¡¯m having a headache with what I¡¯m hearing¡­.. Why did I even try to listen to these guys? They are only endlessly arguing about hero X saint and saintess x hero. Louise came to me asking if it was time to dismantle the dragon¡¯s body so I gave her permission. I don¡¯t think I can deal with this. If we wait any longer, the precious dragon¡¯s internal organs will be damaged. ¡¸Archbishop Nicholas, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t help you with your principles.¡¹ Ria looked at me with a bright smile. Archbishop homo, who¡¯s almost naked, looked at me with a fearless smile. ¡¸Such a pity. It seems like you were only a mediocre person who doesn¡¯t understand my dream. I¡¯m sure you will regret this.¡¹ Archbishop Nicholas picked up his archbishop robe and quickly ran down the stairs, disappearing before I could warn him to put on his clothes first. ¡¸Eh? Wait a minute, isn¡¯t he going to go home using teleportation magic?¡¹ ¡¸Jenny¡¯s not here so he can¡¯t teleport.¡¹ Sensei came to me and pointed out what I was surprised about. However, I wonder how he plans to go down the stairs from the 88th floor and go straight back to the imperial capital. ¡¸No, perhaps he¡¯s going to join Jenny on another floor. If she has showed up here, I¡¯d have the chance of erasing a nasty advance mage.¡¹ ¡¸Can¡¯t we just follow him?¡¹ Sensei said that we shouldn¡¯t because they might have set a trap on a lower level. Well, he said Freed was busy but if he was bluffing and I rushed after him, I might run into Freed and his elite entourage. However, sensei is indeed sensei. In the midst of that inexcusable farce, she¡¯ll immediately move to kill Jenny if she sees her for a moment. She¡¯s too calm and scary. However, why isn¡¯t she targeting the archbishop Nicholas and only the advance mage? There¡¯s no point in targeting a homo archbishop since Lyle-sensei always targets arrogant and foolish advance mages. Until the last advance mage perishes in this world, Lyle-sensei¡¯s battle will continue. CH 77.1 Chapter 77.1 ¨C Tower Capture and Covered Wagon¡¯s End In the treasure chest at the treasury of the 88th floor, we found the orichalcum great sword that Louise wanted. With this, we had achieved our goal in this White Tower of Trials. As expected, unlike the treasury on the 54th floor, that has already been explored once, cloth bags of gold and platinum coins were piled up like a mountain. Since we were at war, we needed all the funds we could get and we were grateful for it. The prices have already skyrocketed so it¡¯s going to be expensive but on our way back, I¡¯ll use this to buy some food and wagons to transport them. With that, I can fully harass the empire¡¯s logistic corps. The corpses of the dragons that appeared on the upper floors of the White Tower of Trials were also valuable resources and impressive loot. Dragon corpses are high quality materials and we have whole corpses of them. If he didn¡¯t leave, I would have shared at least some of the spoils with Archbishop Nicholas since he helped us. Maa, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll just say he doesn¡¯t want any. If he wanted my chastity, I would treat him as a snake so I¡¯d better not say too much. The enemies have their own beliefs but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that this homo archbishop is an enemy to be defeated. ¡¸Takeru, it¡¯s the end of the road, isn¡¯t it?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I think it is best for us to leave.¡¹ Seeing a mountain of gold, silver, and treasures, humans will tend to get greedy and climb higher and higher. Even great people in history who are called heroes or braves are greedy people. All wise men of the past have said that it is best to end things when you reach your goal. I¡¯m going to follow their wisdom. I wonder if I¡¯ll ever come back here. While watching over the activities of the mercenaries who had begun to clear out, we descended to the 1st floor using the magic circle. I looked back at the entrance of the White Tower of Trials with a slightly dusky feeling. ¡¸Pervert hero, stop right there!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, right, I still have to deal with her.¡¹ The Princess Knight Eleonora has come. Since our tower capture of the White Tower of Trials ended, she¡¯s essential to finish our business here. Even if I saw we¡¯ll withdraw, it will take some time before a group with over 5 thousand can move. ¡¸Why, you bastard, you big bastard!¡¹ ¡¸What are you even shouting about?¡¹ I don¡¯t even understand what she¡¯s saying anymore. ¡¸You put this collar on me, didn¡¯t you? Are you planning to make me your slave!¡¹ ¡¸But it looks good on you, right?¡¹ I had completely forgotten that I had put a slave collar on Eleonora. It was a gift of sarcasm. She should be able to dress up nicely and just stay in her castle in Lanct with that. She wouldn¡¯t be able to rampage in public if she had that but I guess she didn¡¯t like it. ¡¸So, it looks good on me¡­who are you kidding! I can¡¯t get this off! What did you do!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, there¡¯s a ¡°curse lock¡± on that collar so you can¡¯t take it off in a normal way.¡¹ ¡¸Uwaaaaa, I can no longer go home!¡¹ ¡¸If you have this key, that lock in your collar will come off.¡¹ I waved the key in front of Eleonora¡¯s eyes and had her chase it. The king of thieves, Wake, who¡¯s watching us, cracked down while holding his stomach and saying¡¸Aahhh, my stomach¡¹. Wake really seems to like to play with the princess knight, doesn¡¯t he? However, seeing the peanut gallery happy, I can¡¯t help but get a little carried away. Eleonora, who¡¯s desperately trying to get the key from me, is certainly funny, so I toss and turn and tease her more. I might look a little mean but this is a proper retaliation with everything she had done. ¡¸Come on, this way, this way.¡¹ ¡¸Give me that!¡¹ Wake seemed to be taken aback by the princess knight¡¯s struggle and finally burst out laughing while pointing at us. Aren¡¯t you laughing a bit too much? Ah, me standing around with the princess knight is like watching a slapstick comedy. CH 77.2 Chapter 77.2 ¨C Tower Capture and Covered Wagon¡¯s End ¡¸Argh, meanie! Hurry, and, give it to me!¡¹ ¡¸I would as soon as you put your head on the ground and promise you won¡¯t ever challenge me again.¡¹ ¡¸I will never do that!¡¹ ¡¸Then, let¡¯s think of another one. How about making the Lanct Duchy not participate with any wars of the empire?¡¹ Although the Lanct Duchy doesn¡¯t seem to have many soldiers, it is one of the richest countries. If they would no longer participate with the war, the strength of the enemy would be cut off even a little. ¡¸That¡¯s my father to decide. There¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡¹ ¡¸Then, let them join the war if that¡¯s what they want. However, I want you to swear with your honor as a knight on the line.¡¹ The knights in this world seriously value honor over their lives. Once a knight swears something like ¡°I will never comply with the war call of the empire anymore¡±, even if it is the order of the emperor himself, he will not break his promise. If you force a knight to obey by breaking his oath, the knight will choose to die on the spot. In that case, the knight will be praised for keeping his integrity by holding onto his oath to death and the emperor will be slandered as an intolerant monarch who doesn¡¯t have any chivalrous spirit. ¡¸No! I¡¯d rather slit my throat with this collar if I have to obey you.¡¹ ¡¸Oh¡­then, it can¡¯t be helped¡­.¡¹ I grabbed Princess Knight Eleonora¡¯s collar and made the curse key make a sound. She closed her eyelids and turned away. I inserted the key into the keyhole and turned it. Then, the spell was quickly broken and the collar came off easily. Looking at it this way, this is a very good spell. ¡¸There, I¡¯ve taken it off. That should do it, right?¡¹ Eleonora¡¯s blue eyes widened and looked at me with disbelief. Everyone around too. ¡¸Hey, hero, why did you remove it without doing anything in the end?¡¹ ¡¸Sorry, Wake, I can¡¯t live up to your expectations.¡¹ I threw the curse lock back at Wake. Wake, who caught it, smiled in a different way. ¡¸It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s interesting to see that sweet side of yours.¡¹ ¡¸Please.¡¹ I guess this is where I¡¯ll have to part with the cheerful Wake, who finds everything amusing. The war will probably continue and the world he and I live in is still different. ¡¸Ah, but don¡¯t forget your promise. I want my own magic rifle!¡¹ ¡¸Of course. It will take time but I¡¯ll have it deliver to you as soon as possible.¡¹ Wake fluttered his blonde hair and left like a wind just like when he came. Now, shall we go too? ¡¸Wait, hero¡­¡¹ ¡¸What do you want? We¡¯re done, right?¡¹ I¡¯m not in the mood so I¡¯ll just see you again on the battlefield. Thinking about it, I shouldn¡¯t stop the Lanct Duchy from supporting the empire. Eleonora must join the imperial army as a high officer and pull their feet the worst way possible. Thinking about what will happen if she¡¯s in our camp, I already have a headache. However, since she¡¯s an enemy, she¡¯s the princess knight I can count on. Her negative cheat is the best. ¡¸We¡¯re not done yet! Why did you take the lock off without my permission!¡¹ ¡¸No, why are you even getting angry?¡¹ I don¡¯t get it. ¡¸Don¡¯t smile at me, you idiot!¡¹ ¡¸Ugh¡¹ I was punched in the belly and jerked back involuntarily because of the heavy impact. Her punching skill is better than her sword skill. I wish she would just fight using her fist rather than swinging her sword. ¡¸I¡¯m definitely not defeated by you! I certainly did not lose!¡¹ ¡¸Okay okay, see you later.¡¹ I don¡¯t want to fight the princess knight so I dodge her who jumped to me. I jumped on my wagon to get out of here. ¡¸I¡¯m not done with you yet!¡¹ The princess knight rode my carriage. Hey, no outsider is welcome in my carriage! ¡¸Seriously, can you get off?¡¹ ¡¸No, I haven¡¯t lost yet!¡¹ ¡¸No, well, mou¡­.I got it. I lost. Now, get off.¡¹ ¡¸You! What are you saying!¡¹ CH 77.3 Chapter 77.3 ¨C Tower Capture and Covered Wagon¡¯s End The moment the princess knight became enraged, her flaming armor flared up along with her fighting spirit which easily ignited the hood. ¡¸Uwaaaa, it¡¯s burning!¡¹ ¡¸Kyaaaa!¡¹ The princess knight¡¯s scream was cute but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that she¡¯s annoying. The wagon is already on fire which is dangerous so I escaped but took the princess knight with me too. It didn¡¯t take long for a wooden and cloth covered wagon to burn all over. By the time Lyle-sensei rushed to cast water magic, it was already too late. By the way, the horse¡¯s reins snapped and the horse managed to run away from the wagon but it did not come back. Only the charred wreckage of the wagon was all that remained. Oh no¡­. ¡¸What? Do you think my fault?¡¹ ¡¸No¡­.¡¹ Why am I even asking? Who¡¯s fault is it other than you! Me? Is it my fault? Well, certainly, I feel like I made a mistake for even entertaining this troublemaker. ¡¸Are you going to compensate for the wagon?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ I wonder if this is a crime. This is obviously arson, right? ¡¸You¡¯ll only pay? After scaring me like that?¡¹ ¡¸No, I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡¹ No, I know you didn¡¯t intentionally do it but, you look cute when you cry. It''s not anyone¡¯s fault but the existence of that flaming armor which flares up when you¡¯re getting emotional is not good. Maybe it¡¯s not a magic item but a cursed armor. The princess knight seems to have a weird sense of ethics. She doesn¡¯t want to be treated as an arsonist. She looked guilty and even the tone of her voice gradually dropped down. ¡¸Ah¡­.this wagon is full of memories¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to compensate you¡­.¡¹ ¡¸No, you don¡¯t have to. I originally bought it second hand and it¡¯s already on the edge of its service life.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll buy you a new one¡­.¡¹ I bought it a year ago with the first money I earned at the village of Lowgow and it has been my partner for all of my journey. I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t give it a name. No matter how much you love something, the durability of goods won¡¯t last forever. While I was saying this sarcastically to the princess knight, I¡¯m really seriously depressed. ¡¸Master, the wheel can still be used as spares.¡¹ The slave girls removed the burnt out hood, took the luggage inside, and remove the usable wheels. Sharon, who carries a wheel on her arm said, ¡°That¡¯s why I told you not to get too attached to it¡­¡±. I should have listened to Sharon¡¯s advice. I was wrong. I¡¯m sorry. ¡¸I wanted to use the rest as firewood, is it alright, my lord?¡¹ I nodded reluctantly to Louise, who seemingly doesn¡¯t care about anything in the world. She smashed the charred body of the wagon with her oricalcum sword. She brought out a cauldron and set the wreckage on fire and began to cook the dragon¡¯s guts. That¡¯s just right for drying the wet cargo. I sigh as I look at the burning remnants of my memories. ¡¸Hey, you¡¯re Eleonora, right? Don¡¯t be too depressed and eat too.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much!¡¹ As a female knight, Louise is someone who¡¯s famous even in other countries which this princess knight might be idolizing. Ah, Louise, you gave Eleonora the dragon breath bag¡­. Ah, the flame endurance of the princess knight goes up. Even though I¡¯m reluctant for her to level up, the existence of the princess knight is bad for the enemies. There¡¯s no point in building up my flame resistance any further but I also got some dragon guts stew from Louise. I don¡¯t know which part of the body this came from but it¡¯s delicious with every bite. The spiciness is still intense though. My tongue is numb. Maybe this is a good thing since Eleonora finally became a little more relaxed. One of the wagons went up in flames which I think is a high price to pay. CH 77.4 Chapter 77.4 ¨C Tower Capture and Covered Wagon¡¯s End On the way back from our successful capture of the White Tower of Trials, we stopped by the Trade City of Lanct. I want to sell off the leather, old coins, and treasures we¡¯ve acquired and this metropolis certainly has the greatest demand. We started to slowly sell them to secure funds. And we also kept an eye on the market as we bought up all the preserved food and certain potions that could be used as rations. I was prepared to pay premium but my merchant¡¯s blood was boiling. I buy as cheap as possible and sell as high as possible. In the dungeon, I suppressed my desire to get more treasures but I won¡¯t suppress my desire to not lose money. Perhaps this is a dangerous monster that nests in human¡¯s mind. After I finished buying up all the items we needed, I checked the rising prices and found out that I made a serious problem. Even in Lanct, where supplies are plentiful, the prices of those items had nearly tripled and other food items had also risen. I apologize to the citizens of Lanct who would be screaming in pain. I hate that I have to do this but this is war, an economic one. Once the war resumes, the citizen¡¯s antipathy will turn to the imperial army as a huge number of imperial forces will force this city to replenish their supply. What a convenient way to go but I¡¯m not sure if that will really happen. I desperately suppressed my desire to make profit by selling off at a high price. Making money is not our purpose this time. In the first place, taking mercenaries here to damage the empire¡¯s logistics is not our original purpose too. What Sherry really wants is short term data on the rising price of commodities. Maybe she wants to study the fluctuating market, which is fine since it¡¯s my souvenir for a hard worker like her. While I was enjoying my trading game in the Trade City of Lanct, Kaara, quietly appeared behind a nearby tree. ¡¸Takeru-sama, it seems like the ¡°Hotbed of Corruption and Delusion¡± was opened again.¡¹ Kaara knelt down and said that solemnly as if announcing an ominous prophecy. Since Kaara has been with us long enough, I¡¯ve known that her goal is to be a cadre of the demon king. We are in the middle of the city so a demoness like here suddenly saying something like that would definitely stand out. Where is your initial setting of a behind the scene mage? Anyway, that news is something I can¡¯t just shrug off. I made an eye contact with Oracle-chan who¡¯s sucking dried red dragon meat nearby. ¡¸Takeru, what Kaara was saying is true given the torrent of magical power flowing around. That playful boy Freed is using the power of chaos at will.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Archbishop Nicholas said ¡°Freed is busy¡± and it seems like he opened a miasma hole again.¡¹ ¡¸I said it first but why did you only believe it when Oracle was the one who told you!¡¹ If Kaara really wants to, I¡¯ll explain it to her why as much as she wants. However, I don¡¯t want to waste my time now. What is Freed¡¯s purpose? ¡¸Oracle, what is the demon king¡¯s core? And how many pieces it can a person embed on his body?¡¹ ¡¸One should be enough but if you really want more, you can use two, one for each hand. However, if you embed the demon king¡¯s core on both of your hands, you¡¯ll lose the sword of light and can only use two swords of darkness. If you¡¯re a hero, that¡¯s nothing but self destruction.¡¹ If he embeds two demon king¡¯s cores in his right hand, he will get twice the power! Is that his goal? If not, then, what? ¡¸I don¡¯t know. The demon king¡¯s core is evil that should be repelled by humans of this world and it¡¯s even dangerous enough for even demons to keep away from it. Freed is crazy enough to have the crazy idea of messing with the power of chaos which is difficult to control.¡¹ According to the report of a spy that we received later, 50000 troops assembled in the imperial capital of Northmark to clear up the chaos caused by opening the ¡°Hotbed of Corruption and Delusion¡± again. Given the timing when it opened, there¡¯s no way that other demons opened it so Freed is just repeating his own performance. ¡¸What the hell is he thinking?¡¹ Not long after another city in the empire was destroyed, I heard rumors that it was sealed again. What does he want to do by ravaging his own country¡­.? CH 78.1 Chapter 78.1 ¨C Cultural Disparity ¡¸I apologize that our princess has caused you trouble again. This is your new carriage.¡¹ When it was time for us to leave Lanct, Kato-san acted as our escort and brought the new carriage in front of our hotel. I would have refused if it had been the kind of carriage that nobles often rode in. However, it was a four horse, wooden carriage with a chic design. ¡¸Kato-san, what is that wonderful design?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s called marquetry, hero-sama. The woodworkers of the City of Lanct specialize in this kind of design.¡¹ This marquetry is a design where embedded pieces of wood create a geometric pattern. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen it but it¡¯s somehow nostalgic. It¡¯s not overly glamorous yet it looks luxurious. It had a deep taste similar to Japanese folk art. I¡¯ll take it¡­. This is not an expensive carriage because it was crafted from pieces of wood and it¡¯s also a form of apology. ¡¸This carriage is made of wood so it¡¯s not expensive and it is also our way of apologizing so please, receive it.¡¹ ¡¸I understand. I¡¯ll take it.¡¹ There¡¯s no point in being stubborn or arguing with him. There is a timber division in the City of Ox. I¡¯d love to take this craft home and show it to the craftsmen. I¡¯m sure this will inspire them. I thought I¡¯d overwhelm them with my military might but instead, I¡¯ve been crushed by the power of money and culture. So this is the way of Lanct Duchy. I¡¯ll keep it in mind. In addition, the four horse marquetry carriage has the latest carriage suspension technology of the empire where the seats are suspended by chains. Riding it is incomparable to my previous covered wagon. ¡¸So, this is the level of technology of the empire. They even have suspension technology.¡¹ This expedition to Lanct Duchy had given us a lot to gain. I found a lot of things and even learned more from this expedition. Silesie Kingdom is inferior and looks like the countryside in comparison. ---Scene Change--- After a long journey, I returned to the Ox¡¯s castle along with many people and wagons. We were greeted by Princess Silhouette and Princess Caroline. That¡¯s normal but for some reason, Lyle-sense¡¯s father, Prime Minister Nicola, showed up with them. TN: Yeah, that¡¯s really his name. Let¡¯s give the name Nicholas to the archbishop. He was rubbing his long brown beard as he greeted me. I wonder why the prime minister is here. ¡¸Father, no¡­.Prime Minister Nicola, aren¡¯t you supposed to be working in the capital?¡¹ ¡¸Long time no see, my unworthy son. No matter how much I work at the capital, the national government is dominated by a bunch of reformists who are working under some insolent state lord. I¡¯ve been playing the role of villain.¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t playing the role of an abominable villain a fine job for the prime minister? Thanks to you, the officials have become easy to decipher. Even though there¡¯s no king in the castle, there is an old fashioned and ostentatious figure.¡¹ ¡¸You impudent halfwit bitch!¡¹ As usual, the relationship of this parent and child is still as bad as ever. Princess Silhouette had to step in since I myself don¡¯t even know what to do. ¡¸The prime minister was called by this princess.¡¹ Prime Minister Nicola fixed his collar and stopped his parent-child quarrel and turned to me. ¡¸My apologies for showing you something unsightly, Hero Takeru-sama. Though I¡¯m the prime minister, I¡¯m still a servant of the royal family and my original role is to teach the princess the secrets of the land. I¡¯m currently teaching the princess manners befitting a queen of the kingdom.¡¹ ¡¸So, the princess has finally made her mind and decided to be the queen.¡¹ I gave the princesses perfumes as souvenirs. They were luxury products packed in a snowflake plaster containers and the store claimed that they were made by the best perfumer in Lanct. That city even has perfumery. ¡¸Oh, what a lovely fragrance!¡¹ ¡¸I hope you like it, princess.¡¹ When she opened the lid, the fragrant aroma of crocus, roses, and lilies drifted to the air. It can be said that these are suitable gifts for beautiful princesses. I think it is a more thoughtful gift than jewelry. I felt proud that I could give such a gift to a woman. ¡¸Takeru-sama doesn¡¯t hate this princess, doesn¡¯t he?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, of course, I like you.¡¹ If I hesitate even for a moment, the princess¡¯ negativity will be triggered. What man wouldn¡¯t like this princess with a perfect look. On top of her strawberry blonde hair, she¡¯s a half elf, and small chests, I don¡¯t think a man who wouldn¡¯t like her doesn¡¯t exist. CH 78.2 Chapter 78.2 ¨C Cultural Disparity Speaking of which, the princess in silk dress is no longer hiding her glossy strawberry blonde hair under a hood. This is a sign that she has decided not to hide her pointed ears, which are a sign of being an elf. ¡¸Takeru-sama doesn¡¯t like too much formality and is reluctant to be a king. That¡¯s the reason why you don¡¯t want to get married.¡¹ ¡¸Y-you can say that.¡¹ I can¡¯t really put it into words. I don¡¯t exactly know how I feel and why I¡¯m reluctant to marry the princess. In addition to the fact that managing Ambazac territory alone is already quite a challenge. Managing the vast royal domain in addition to the Ambazac Barony seems to be too much of a burden. And I¡¯m not the type who¡¯s suited for wearing glamorous crown while warming my ass on a magnificent throne. ¡¸If that is the case, this princess will be the queen. I decided to prepare while you were away. I¡¯ve always thought that Takeru-sama will be the ruler while this princess will just be there under the shade. However, if this princess can be used as a decoration for the castle, this princess will do it.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you for that. ¡¹ I don¡¯t think I have any right to interfere with Princess Silhouette¡¯s determination. It''s a bold move but the princess considered doing it because of my reluctance. I was hoping that she would regain her confidence. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll make a fine queen. ¡¸The way I look doesn¡¯t matter anymore. If we can stay together forever, this princess will do what she can. That¡¯s all that matters to me. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, of course, that¡¯s¡­. ¡¹ The princess wrapped me with her small hands as she hugged me. I¡¯m sure she doesn¡¯t have to say more even in public. The relationship between me and the princess has already become public knowledge. In fact, it¡¯s gotten to the point where I can no longer escape. However, that doesn¡¯t mean that we should get married immediately. ¡¸And even if this princess is not fit to be queen, we can just let our children to take over, right, Takeru-sama? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah¡­. ¡¹ I was too scared to ask her when did she decide to have a child with me. The moat is being filled slowly but surely. ¡¸Everything else will be up to Takeru-sama. Either way, even if this princess becomes the queen, it is impossible for me to do anything without the hero¡¯s backing. ¡¹ I think that it¡¯s very good that Princess Silhouette decided to become the queen on her own volition. Princess Caroline on the side said ¡°As expected of Princess Silhouette.¡± while being impressed. You better not imitate Princess Silhouette. ---Scene Change--- ¡¸At last, you seem to have made up your mind. ¡¹ Lyle-sensei seemed to be very happy as she heard about my conversation with the princess a little while ago. It¡¯s not me who has made up his mind though, it¡¯s Princess Silhouette. ¡¸Right, about the perfume I gave them, sensei has her share too. ¡¹ ¡¸What mine¡­.no, I¡¯ll take it. ¡¹ Even sensei likes to stay clean so she wouldn¡¯t hate perfume. She¡¯s the type of person who¡¯ll use what you¡¯ve gifted her till the last drop. Come to think of it, sensei¡¯s brown hair is also a little longer. ¡¸But I haven¡¯t decided to get married yet. ¡¹ ¡¸The first thing you must do is to repel the empire¡¯s intervention with your strength. After that, we will be able to silence the local nobles who have been nagging us about your marriage and accession to the throne. ¡¹ Are you even listening, sensei? Ah, it can¡¯t be helped. ¡¸Then, are you going to fulfill your promise, sensei? ¡¹ ¡¸Eh? What are you talking about? ¡¹ Sensei¡¯s complexion changed and even her voice turned muddy. She hasn¡¯t forgotten. At the end of Gale¡¯s coup d¡¯etat, I talked with sensei while riding a carriage to the royal capital. The reason why his father, Prime Minister Nicola, scorned her as ¡°half breed¡± and her strong hatred for advance mages. Everything is due to Lyle-sensei¡¯s past. ¡¸You promised to marry me if I give you Silesie Kingdom. ¡¹ ¡¸No, that¡¯s not what I¡­.maa, either way, it¡¯s the same thing. Fine. This is a terribly boring topic but when the time comes, I¡¯ll teach you shame. ¡¹ We are talking about Lyle-sensei. For me, even if I exchange Silesie Kingdom for her, it¡¯s worth it. For that reason, you can say I¡¯m motivated or at least thinking of doing my best. CH 78.3 Chapter 78.3 ¨C Cultural Disparity Fortunately, Sherry was still at Ox Castle. She¡¯s a pretty busy girl and I can¡¯t be bothered to go to the City of Est for her. ¡¸Sherry, this is the souvenir you asked, right?¡¹ ¡¸Master, this is it. This is exactly what I wanted!¡¹ I gave her the price fluctuation data before and after I bought some supplies in the City of Lanct. I also instructed our spies to look into the market prices of the empire¡¯s territories so I ended up giving her quite a lot of paper. ¡¸What are you going to use this for? Market prices change every second so past information is not going to be much of use to your business.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true. If you know how much money needs to be used to cause inflation, you can use it as a guide when deflation occurs due to a shortage of money even if the scale is different.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, etho, deflation is something troublesome, isn¡¯t it?¡¹ ¡¸Prices will go down after the war is over. We¡¯ll use it to defeat the empire.¡¹ Did you just say ¡°defeat¡±? I also don¡¯t understand what you are planning to do ¡°when the war is over¡±. ¡¸So, what are you planning?¡¹ ¡¸Ehto, that is¡­after the war has sent prices soaring to the extreme, we¡¯re going to make the economy collapse by making them run out of currency.¡¹ Hmmm. I don¡¯t get it. All the economic knowledge Sherry is talking about must be based on what I¡¯ve told her. I have a language cheat so even if I say something I don¡¯t understand, it will be translated in a way that it could be understood in the local language. Because of that, before I knew it, there was already a reverse phenomenon where Sherry knows them all and I only knew a few. Sherry spreads her small hands slowly while saying ¡°The empire will expand like a bread and poof, crushed.¡± as she claps in the end. ¡¸Very well, you may do as you please. However, don¡¯t forget to consult Lyle-sensei before you do anything.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, master.¡¹ As if they were the greatest treasure of all, Sherry gathered all the pieces of papers on which the market prices were written and began to calculate with excitement. She already reached the point where I already have no idea what she¡¯s doing anymore. Looking at Sherry, who seems to be enjoying herself for doing what she loves, I thought I should leave her alone. Howver, I like her to enjoy her childhood too. There are things that shouldn¡¯t be rushed. ¡¸Sherry, I bouth some ¡°White Tower Cookies¡± as souvenirs. Why don¡¯t you eat them?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll have them later.¡¹ While saying so, Sherry started nibbling on her desk. She was just served with tea but when she¡¯s like that, she¡¯ll probably won¡¯t drink it until it cools down. ¡¸By the way, do you want to take a bath?¡¹ ¡¸Please.¡¹ She poured some water in the hot tea to make it cooler and drank it in one go. Perhaps Sherry¡¯s the type that doesn¡¯t have the idea of enjoying the aroma and taste of tea. How could she have grown up like this? I wondered how much she wanted to go to the bathroom. She¡¯s pulling my hand while saying ¡°Let¡¯s go¡±. Maa, it¡¯s good that she has something she likes to do aside from working. I decided to take a bath with Sherry. Whenever I take a bath, I put a tag on the door in front of the bathroom so that women won¡¯t accidently enter while I¡¯m in. I was about to do it again today but Sherry stopped me. ¡¸Master, you¡­.shouldn¡¯t do that.¡¹ ¡¸No, it will be bad if Princess Caroline enters again.¡¹ If the bath has someone else other than women, Princess Caroline will be seriously upset. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, I know when the princess takes a bath and she won¡¯t go in any time now. The tag will just summon Steriana-san so you better not put a tag there desu.¡¹ ¡¸Sherry¡¯s right.¡¹ I didn¡¯t notice. Perhaps because I didn¡¯t bother pay attention. However, it will be a big problem if I don¡¯t put a tag then Princess Caroline and Princess Silhouette come in again. ¡¸Then, shall we go in?¡¹ ¡¸yeah.¡¹ This is strange. When I go to bathe with Sherry, we are often undisturbed. She¡¯s a gambler¡¯s daughter so maybe that¡¯s her luck. I thought of that while looking around at the empty changing room. CH 79.1 Chapter 79.1 ¨C Sherry¡¯s Life Sherry quickly undressed in the changing room and told me to hurry up too. ¡¸Master, let¡¯s go now.¡¹ ¡¸Eh, yeah, sorry.¡¹ I took my armor and the clothes inside and went to the bathroom. Of course, I didn¡¯t forget to put a towel around my waist because even though I was dealing with a little girl, I have manners. Sherry, on the other hand, doesn¡¯t cover her body at all. I think her breasts are a little puffy but I¡¯m not sure. ¡¸How old are you now, Sherry?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m twelve years old. Is there a problem?¡¹ No problems yet. It¡¯s embarrassing to ask a child to wrap herself with a towel as if I¡¯m the one who¡¯s getting conscious of it. I just waved my hand while saying ¡°No problem¡± in response to Sherry who¡¯s looking up at me curiously. ¡¸Master, I¡¯m sorry. You must be tired¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s okay.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you.¡¹ I lather up the soap and wash Sherry¡¯s hair. After Sharon popularized it, it has become a slave girl¡¯s honor to be washed by me, their master. I¡¯m grateful on how Sharon disciplines the slave girls though. I¡¯m afraid that if I teach her too much it will be viewed as if I¡¯m giving her special treatment and it will be seen as favoritism. However, Sherry¡¯s work is remarkable so she deserves some special treatment. ¡¸Fumu¡­.¡¹ Her silver hair can be said to be rare even in this world. It¡¯s fun to touch and polish its radiance with soap bubbles. Her silver thread-like hair can be said to be a kind of platinum blonde. It looks different compared to Oracle-chan¡¯s pure white soft hair. The White Tower of Trials, where we had been holed up until recently, was a gorgeous dungeon where we saw a lot of marble, jewels, gold, and silver treasures but there¡¯s no silver comparable to Sherry¡¯s hair and eyes. It''s like taking in a rare breed of cat but I think touching beautiful hair is one of the best pleasures of a fantasy world. ¡¸Master, I think you washed my hair enough.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, sorry.¡¹ If I wash it too much, the cuticles will fall off. I don¡¯t know much about beauty but I think monster soap is a natural material so it shouldn¡¯t be so bad. I poured warm water over her head. ¡¸Thank you very much. I¡¯ll wash master¡¯s back this time.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, please.¡¹ Sherry was too attentive. It feels great to have your back washed. My company has a few brain cheats and this little girl¡¯s head should be heavily loaded. I¡¯m a little worried that she¡¯s overworking herself. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t want her to act too mature. ¡¸Hnn, thinking about it, why aren¡¯t you using a towel?¡¹ ¡¸I saw Sharon-oneesama washing master this way the other day and since you washed my hair by hand, I thought this would be more polite.¡¹ Sherry seemed to be scrubbing my back while frantically lathering soap with her little hands. I don¡¯t really care if it is because of this girl¡¯s soft skin or my rough back since it doesn¡¯t matter anyway. The feeling of someone rubbing my back directly using their hands was a little ticklish but it felt good. It should have been unbearable to have someone scrub your side but Sherry¡¯s adjusting her strength so it just felt good. I appreciate that but aren¡¯t you slowly going in front of me. I¡¯m already facing her so she¡¯s definitely in front of me. ¡¸I don¡¯t think that¡¯s my back.¡¹ ¡¸Should I stop?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll wash my front myself.¡¹ ¡¸Understood. It looks like I¡¯m not good enough.¡¹ Sherry said that with an innocent smile on her mouth as she looked at my chest which is covered with bubbles. Well, if you want to, you can do so but it would be bad if you get distracted and scrub lower. ¡¸It¡¯s fine, Sherry. Let me wash your back.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, wash me all over please.¡¹ What was this girl saying? She immediately apologized after seeing my reaction. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. When I was still a little girl, my father used to wash me like this.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so¡­.no, it¡¯s nothing bad. I¡¯ll wash you as you want.¡¹ I panicked a little when I saw Sherry¡¯s bluish silver eyes clouded. I lathered up and washed Sherry¡¯s body. I thought it would be visually disturbing for Sherry to be washed by her father but then, thinking about it, she probably meant when she was an infant. CH 79.2 Chapter 79.2 ¨C Sherry¡¯s Life ¡¸I¡¯m not old enough to be your father so at least call me oniichan.¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t mind if I call you oniichan?¡¹ ¡¸¡­..that¡¯s¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, master. I got carried away.¡¹ No, Sherry did nothing wrong. I don¡¯t really care about being called master since it doesn¡¯t sound very real to me. However, the thought of being called oniichan by a pretty girl sends shivers down my spine. The evil one inside of me was about to wake up so I chanted ¡°serene heart¡± quietly. ¡­.or rather, I didn¡¯t even say anything. Why are you reaching out to my lower body? No, this is Sherry we¡¯re talking about so she should only be trying to wash me without thinking anything else. ¡¸Hey, Sherry.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, what is it, master?¡¹ She looked up at me with her innocent sparkling eyes. Indeed, no hidden intent at all. She¡¯s still a little girl so she doesn¡¯t know the difference between sexes yet. She might have tried to wash me down without thinking anything. ¡¸That¡¯s enough, let me wash your back.¡¹ ¡¸Oh¡­¡­.¡¹ Even if Sherry hadn¡¯t meant to do that, it would still be an unbearable torture for me so I went around to the back and washed her small back with my hands. ¡¸Master, you haven¡¯t wash my front yet.¡¹ ¡¸No, I have done enough.¡¹ When Sherry tried to turn around, I held her slender shoulders with my hands. She had soft, slippery skin of a child. It was white and had no muscles. She better exercise a little more rather than locking herself up in her room all the time. ¡¸But master, you have to wash filth properly.¡¹ ¡¸Did you learn that from Sharon?¡¹ She nodded. What the hell is she teaching her? No, wait. Certainly, when I was still a child, I feel like my parents taught me that I have to wash every part of my body. Sharon is not wrong. Then, it shouldn¡¯t be strange, isn¡¯t it? It''s just that I don¡¯t know anything about parenting so I¡¯m overthinking things. I should be embarrassed. ¡¸Sharon didn¡¯t tell you to have other people wash you until you¡¯re clean, did she? You have to learn to clean yourself. You shouldn¡¯t let people touch you.¡¹ I felt myself wondering what the hell I was saying. However, if I don¡¯t tell her directly, she might misunderstand since she¡¯s still a child. ¡¸Right. Sharon-oneesama said that if you didn¡¯t wash it, I have to wash it myself.¡¹ Sherry looked a little disappointed. Fuh¡­.a narrow escape. ¡¸You are clean enough.¡¹ ¡¸Master, no. You won¡¯t be clean enough if you don¡¯t scrub everything. Please be neat even if you have to do it yourself.¡¹ Sherry is very particular about dirt. I¡¯m not going to disobey her so I turn around and quickly wash my crotch. Well, if you ask me, this way of washing is pretty lax, isn¡¯t it? ¡¸Master, I don¡¯t really know how to wash my own filth.¡¹ ¡¸How am I supposed to know that! Ah, sorry for yelling. Well, just whip it up and scrub it the way you want.¡¹ Sherry tried to show me her foamy filth so I took a pail of hot water and poured it over her head. She should ask Sharon about that. ¡¸Alright, I¡¯m going to the bath.¡¹ I also poured hot water on myself and entered the bathtub. Today is a precious time where no one¡¯s bothering me. Sherry quickly went to the bath too and for some reason, sat on my lap but let¡¯s let her do this. Alone in a big bathtub¡­.not really. There¡¯s also a slave girl. This is such a precious moment and I feel very pleasant. ¡¸Though I¡¯m only saying this after sitting on master¡¯s lap but, am I allowed to do so?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t mind spoiling Sherry today.¡¹ If there are others here, I wouldn¡¯t be able to give her this treatment but that¡¯s okay since we¡¯re the only people here. A child shouldn¡¯t be concerned with things like that. The other slave girls too. I hope they find time to relax. As long as they do their assigned work properly, some things can be tolerated. Sherry should be more selfish given her enormous workload. ¡¸When I was born, I lost my mother.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, old story?¡¹ Well, I didn¡¯t hear much about Sherry¡¯s situation. Unlike the first group of slave girls, Sherry was s second batch slave so I didn¡¯t have much direct contact with her. ¡¸I was very fond of my gambler father. My father was very good at it but one day, he kept losing until he reached the bottom. I think we still have mother, she would have been able to convince him to quit.¡¹ ¡¸Do you still want to see your father?¡¹ CH 79.3 Chapter 79.3 ¨C Sherry¡¯s Life If Sherry fell into slavery, it means she was probably sold by her father. Even if there were unavoidable circumstances, it would still be hard since that¡¯s basically her parent abandoning her. Even so, if she wants to see her father, I can help her find him. ¡¸If I want to see him, I can find him. However, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s still alive. The capital wasn¡¯t sweet enough to let a bankrupt and debt ridden philanthropist live.¡¹ ¡¸Right¡­.¡¹ She speaks indifferently as if he was a stranger. She sounds ruthless too. It¡¯s not that they are unsympathetic but the slaves girls have seen their fair share of hell and have to kill their hearts to endure it. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry for suddenly telling you a dark story. It just came back to me.¡¹ ¡¸No, I think it will be better for you to talk about it. I want to ask you but I don¡¯t know how much I can ask.¡¹ There are many things in the past that I should never touch. If you touch a person¡¯s past that they don¡¯t want to remember, it might make your distance with each other fall. ¡¸I¡¯m currently happy desu. I have oneesan in Sharon-oneesama and I have master who¡¯s like my father¡­.or not? Can I think of you as my oniisan?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll be glad if Sherry thinks of me that way.¡¹ I never liked slavery. In this social environment, I understand that without slavery, there would be more beggars and criminals so I¡¯m not actually saying to remove it. This is just my selfish wish but I want the slaves to live freely and not the slaves they are. At least within the reach of my eyes. I¡¯m frank with the slave girls but I think less than half of them have really been friends with me as a fellow human being. ¡¸Then, will you spoil me from now on?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, as long as no one¡¯s around.¡¹ I¡¯m glad that Sherry, who tends to think that there¡¯s a wall between master and slaves, is trying to break down that wall. I embraced her who¡¯s acting like a baby and stroked her hair. She¡¯s still a kid after all. I can¡¯t help but think how cute she is. I¡¯m still young but I guess if I had a little sister, I would spoil her like this. ¡¸Oniisan, oniisama, oniichan, aniki, anisama¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, what is it?¡¹ She said those in my ears and appealed like a little sister with rich vocabulary. In the west, all of those words are equivalent to brother. What¡¯s going on with my language translation cheat? ¡¸I was wondering what would make master react most and it should be oniichan?¡¹ ¡¸Just call me as you wish.¡¹ I think it¡¯s not good that she¡¯s not being childish. However, it seems like imposing childishness on a child is not the right thing to do. ¡¸Master is kind of complicated.¡¹ ¡¸Adults are complicated. Sherry just needs to loosen out and act like the girl you are.¡¹ I think it is tiring to be treated like an adult just because she¡¯s a mathematical genius and an economic cheat. However, how do you spoil a child? A cat would be satisfied as you pet its neck. ¡¸Okay okay, Sherry¡¯s a good girl.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, master, I mean oniichan. That feels good!¡¹ I stroke her hair while praising her and she likes it. Right. No one dislikes being praised and now she¡¯s acting like a cute cat. ¡¸Good good good, Sherry¡¯s cute.¡¹ ¡¸Please praise me more, ah, oniisama. It feels great¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Okay. You¡¯re cute cute.¡¹ ¡¸Please praise and pet me more. Ah, this is life!¡¹ Somehow, her request is getting more and more troublesome. It can¡¯t be helped since I started it. Sherry is so happy she¡¯s wagging her tail so I can¡¯t stop. She¡¯s rubbing her soft paws all over me. She¡¯s not different from the cat I used to have. Should I put a bell on her slave collar? ¡¸Sherry has beautiful hair.¡¹ ¡¸Haa, hahaa, oniisama, praise me more!¡¹ Are you alright? You¡¯re starting to feel faint. Her breathing got a little rougher and she¡¯s literally feeling hotter. ¡¸Hey Sherry, you¡¯re burning up. Are you alright?¡¹ ¡¸Of course¡­.oniisama, I¡¯m in my second life. Just praise me a little more!¡¹ Her voice sounds fine but I¡¯m really worried because she¡¯s kind of shaking. I peeled Sherry off my embrace and picked her small body up. I took a good look at her face and beads of sweat are on her forehead making her hair stick on it. Her cheeks are tinged with pink but Sherry has always had light skin pigmentation so I can¡¯t judge what¡¯s happening with that alone. CH 79.4 Chapter 79.4 ¨C Sherry¡¯s Life ¡¸Are you not going to leave? You¡¯re breathing hard.¡¹ ¡¸Haa¡­.master, you can¡¯t just stop now after all you¡¯ve done. That¡¯s just too cruel.¡¹ Her voice of accusation is firm and her bluish silver eyes still retain the color of reason. Apparently, I seemed to have only worried too much. Let¡¯s resume then. ¡¸Okay okay. Sherry¡¯s smart. You¡¯re a good girl.¡¹ ¡¸Uwaaaa, thank you, oniichan.¡¹ She hugged me tightly and I stroked her head back and forth. She trembled horribly. I guess she was expressing joy because she was rubbing against me which Sherry does when she is praised. ¡¸Good, Sherry¡¯s cute alright.¡¹ ¡¸Waaaah, oniisshaan, hiyaaaa!¡¹ Once you get past being annoyed, it starts getting interesting. Sherry¡¯s light hair feels good in my hands and her smooth skin is comfortable to touch. It¡¯s worth spoiling her if she¡¯s this pleased. ¡¸Yeah yeah, Sherry¡¯s so cute, very cute.¡¹ ¡¸Ahhhh, please, continue¡­.¡¹ Sherry¡¯s hands loosened their hug on my neck and her small body lightly floated in the bathtub. She felt so comfortable in the bath that she may have lost it. I also like baths so I understand where she¡¯s coming from. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s it. Sherry has always been a great help to me so thank you.¡¹ ¡¸Ahhhh¡­..you¡¯re still praising me. I can¡¯t get enough.¡¹ ¡¸Hnn? I¡¯m always serious when I¡¯m praising you. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here. Just the thought of you not being here makes me shudder.¡¹ ¡¸I, too, was so happy to serve you, master¡­.¡¹ Why past tense? Sherry exhaled so much that her breathing calmed down. She pressed her head against my shoulder. Perhaps because our bodies are touching, I can hear her heart beating. ¡¸Are you alright? You¡¯re acting weird. Shouldn¡¯t you go up?¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m just ruminating¡­.just ruminating. ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah¡­ ¡¹ I don¡¯t really get it but if she¡¯s so happy that she¡¯s trembling, I guess that¡¯s fine. I felt like I owed Sherry so much and I never gave her anything back. ¡¸Hmm, did you like how I spoiled you? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it was very good. Ah! But if you want to ask me how I would like it more, I would prefer if you lowered your tone more from the beginning, starting with a whisper in ear, gradually heating up, and then coming strong in the end. In any case, it was pretty good too so I hope you spoil me again.¡¹ Instead of being satisfied, I¡¯m a little taken back by the number of orders. It¡¯s Sherry¡¯s bad habit to be logical. It¡¯s hard to spoil her. I can¡¯t help but feel that she¡¯s a little off but that¡¯s okay since she has always been like this. ¡¸Well, okay, in time. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll continue to work hard so that master will spoil me again. ¡¹ Finally, I ruffled her silver hair and urged her to get out of the bath which she was reluctant to do. She slumped down as she put a towel on her body in the changing room. Probably from exhaustion. I quickly wiped myself off and put my clothes on. I opened the door to the bathroom from the inside to get her something cold to drink. Then, something fell. It seems like there was something that has been propped up against the door. When I checked it out, it was a sign saying ¡°Bathroom is being cleaned¡±. If you¡¯ve come up with something like this, you should have told me earlier. ---Scene Change--- After that, I received a report that the second opening of the ¡°hotbed of corruption and delusion¡± had been completed and that it had been opened again. This is the third time¡­. It is often said that what happens twice will happen thrice. Open and close, the miasma hole is not a tulip, Freed. Given what he¡¯s been doing, he¡¯s probably thinking ¡°If you can embed two demon king cores, your power will be doubled and if you embed three, it will be tripled!¡±. Though according to Oracle-chan, the possibility is low. ¡¸It won¡¯t work¡­.at least that¡¯s what I think. Even with a hero¡¯s body, no one can withstand two demon king¡¯s cores in his body. Let alone three or more. That¡¯s nothing but suicide. He should already be struggling to suppress one so if he¡¯s going to embed another one in his body, he will die on the spot and will be reborn as a demon king. ¡¹ ¡¸That sounds more dangerous. He¡¯s not planning of dragging it until he has too much demon king¡¯s core and be reborn as the 6th Heavenly Demon King because he self destructed, right?¡¹ But we are talking about Freed here so I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t say that it¡¯s not a possibility. If the crown prince dies and is reborn as the demon king, the Germania Empire will not be able to make an external expedition and wars between humans will likely be over but things will be more troublesome. I can¡¯t read the intention of the golden lion but I could feel that this is a signal announcing the beginning of a new round. CH 80.1 Chapter 80.1 ¨C Character Introduction(End of Volume 10) TN: This is basically both a character list and a summary. Main Character: Sawatari Takeru Occupation: Second year high school student(with language comprehension cheat), 17 years old(currently 18) Normal height and build with a rather short stature. Ordinary looking with no special features. At school, he is a shy and inconspicuous go-home club member but at home, hundreds of volumes of novels aside, he has been reading books on military arts and ancient swordsmanship while wielding a wooden sword. He once made a handmade flintlock rifle by using gunpowder from fireworks(it was a failure). He is an ¡°ordinary high school student¡± who had a hidden disease called ¡°chuunibyou¡± and only accumulating useless knowledge. On the perfect occasion of being teleported to another world, he immediately tried to realize his dream of becoming a hero with a magic sword but he faces the harsh reality that he has no such thing as a player cheat in this new world and it¡¯s not the fantasy world he¡¯s been dreaming of. As he struggles to survive, he somehow ends up becoming a big company merchant with a lot of slaves, a knight, a lord, eventually the regent of a kingdom. He has a troublesome character who depends on others and is easily drowned in power. He¡¯s a slow learner but once he gets going, he won¡¯t stop. He will forget and overdo things as long as nothing¡¯s on his way. He also has a manic depressive temperament and is capable of making outrageous decisions and actions that surprise others. However, because of this manic depressive temperament is his true nature, he was bestowed with a ¡°neutral sword¡± that was neither light nor darkness. ¡°An episode during his summer vacation on his junior high school days¡± He made gunpowder from taking out gunpowder from firecrackers from their containers. However, the oxidizer for fireworks is perchloric acid based and burns slowly. When he tried firing pachinko balls in an iron pipe, the balls just rolled out of the barrel and could not be called a gun. At that time, Takeru had studied the structure of a flintlock gun diligently and it remained somewhere in his mind that helped him to recreate a musket. Louise Carlson. Occupation: Female warrior(with knight skills), 24 years old(currently 25) A female warrior oneesan with fiery red eyes and red hairs tied on a pony tail. She is taciturn to new acquaintances but once you get to know her, she talks a lot. She looks a bit scary because of her big stature and well developed body but she¡¯s incredibly polite and kind for an adventurer who is usually rough around the edges. Although she has only been in the village for a short time, she seems to be respected for her character. She¡¯s an all rounder who can fight using any kind of weapon. She¡¯s also highly skilled in camping and is the strongest adventurer in Losgow Village(though there are few adventurers in the village since it¡¯s a rural area¡­.). She¡¯s an excellent warrior and a beautiful woman even when she¡¯s covered with dust but unfortunately, she has a bad habit of reflexively trying to eat what she hunts. As she takes care of the unreliable Takeru, she ends up being a pillar of his reliance. At the time Takeru¡¯s volunteer corps was established, she became the commander of the volunteer corps. After the coup d¡¯etat, Louise despaired over the corruption of the kingdom and the decline of chivalry and turned down an offer of an important position and chose to be Takeru¡¯s knight. Louise¡¯s Story(Ten Thousand Sword Louise) Louise was a former vice commander of the Silesie¡¯s Royal Knight Order. The Carlson family is a prestigious military family that has been producing outstanding knights and generals for generations since the founding of Silesie Kingdom 240 years ago. However, she was ostracized by the conservative nobles and male knights, who were not pleased with the rise of a female knight, and fell into the trap of the current commander of the royal knights, Gale Dot Zeus(who was also a vice commander that time). And so, Louise, who has fallen to a mere adventurer, flees and ends up in Losgow Village, where no one knows who she is¡­. Sara Rod Occupation: Farmer¡¯s daughter, 12 years old(now 13) According to Takeru, she has blonde hair so she¡¯s Sara-chan. She¡¯s a daughter of a big farm owner and her family is wealthy enough to get basic education from Lyle. Her family¡¯s farm was where Takeru first worked. Thanks to her noticing Takeru¡¯s ¡°language comprehension¡± cheat, Takeru no longer has to spend the rest of his life as a farm helper. She was supposed to be a mob character who would play a small role and disappear soon but she gradually becomes a cheat given the setting that she¡¯s being taught by Lyle-sensei. At the time of the recruitment in Count Est¡¯s territory, she led the second and third sons and daughters of Losgow Village to form the Losgow Village Volunteer Corps. Making the most of her connections to the entire upper echelons of the Volunteer Army, she made herself a captain of the newly formed volunteer army defense corps and took control of all personnel rights. The commander of the corps, Louise, thought she had too much power and forcibly demoted her to the position of vice captain of the defense corps of the Losgow Village Volunteer Corps and was sent to the rear. At the moment, she seems to be ¡°in training¡± and is acting as a deputy of her own. She does appear from time to time as she¡¯s acting as an intermediary with the Blacksmith Guild of the Ye Mountain Range and is in charge of logistics. CH 80.2 Chapter 80.2 ¨C Character Introduction(End of Volume 10) Lyle Laertius Occupation: Secretary(Intermediate mage(not good with fire magic) and has elementary alchemy skills), 22 years old(currently 23) Lyle Laertius is a beautiful man with short brown hair and a slender body who always wears tight-fitting secretary uniform. She always says she¡¯s a man but her beautiful face and white skin make her look obviously a woman. Her growth period is already over so no matter how much she tries to look like a man, she seriously looks like a woman. She¡¯s a woman who did her best to act like a man for family reasons or she could have had a sex change due to magic gone wrong, or maybe she was a normal man. She looks like a beautiful man so she draws a lot of attention for dressing up as a man. Takeru thinks that she wouldn¡¯t get that much attention if only she would have dressed and acted as a woman. Perhaps the reason why people around her don¡¯t give a sh*t about her attitude is because it¡¯s a fantasy world. However, Takeru doesn¡¯t really care about Lyle¡¯s gender or appearance. What is important to him is her knowledge which is a bit of a cheat so he doesn¡¯t ask too many questions because he doesn¡¯t want to poke a snake in the bush. After the coup d¡¯¨¦tat, he was appointed as the lord of state along with Takeru¡¯s appointment as Regent. Maa, she¡¯s sensei so anything is possible. The story of Lyle-sensei ¡°The Unfortunate Genius(Cheat)¡± Lyle-sensei has a wide range of knowledge including military tactics, diplomacy, natural history, pedagogy, pharmacology, and many other subjects. She¡¯s an all-rounder genius who possesses all kinds of knowledge cheats. Originally, due to her educational environment as a member of a scholar family and the trauma of being treated as a waste because she was the only one in her family with inferior magical power(and also due to her physical condition), she began absorbing all the knowledge she could master. Even though she showed such excellence, her father did not approve of him and she became even more neglected. She has a strong love and hatred for his father, a great doctor*, and pure hatred for her two older brothers, both are advance mages. She has a quiet personality but deep inside, she has a thirst for power and great ambition that boils like magma. TN: Doctor here is not a doctor of medicine but a doctor of knowledge like a PhD holder. Natal Dacole Occupation: Governor of the Losgow mines(an engineer), 48 years old(currently 49) A mature, austere, balding old man. He seems to be concentrating on the management of the Losgow iron mine as the governor but as a mining engineer by nature, he has a very strong physique. He got muscles like meatballs which are different from Louise, a female warrior, and even the same sex can¡¯t help but admire his muscles. After Takeru took control of the mining rights, he rose to be the head of the Ye Mountain Range Mining Association through that connection. Taking over, he acts as an intermediary with the blacksmith guild in the Ye Mountain Range and oversees the design and production line for the manufacture of firearms and cannons. Even though his position has risen, he is still annoyed when he goes out as a field engineer to give orders to the blacksmiths who can¡¯t build the new cannon¡¯s specification. Danavan Est Almark TN: Changed from Donovan Occupation: Feudal Lord of Est(Count, then became a Marquis), 34 years old(currently 35) He¡¯s a big, fat man, fatty at worst, broad at best. He obviously looks like a noble. However, he¡¯s not a black hearted noble but a gentle one. He doesn¡¯t use his title to take advantage of anyone and even talks to Takeru, a young commoner, in a friendly manner. He bestows Takeru a piece of land in the City of Est as a gift but it¡¯s actually an advance investment in recognition of his talent for creating new products. He is a capable lord who understands what commerce is all about. He is a pragmatist in spite of his ordinary appearance and is bold and curious enough to take in more and more useful people and things. Against the backdrop of the Ye Mountain Range, Count Est has few foreign enemies and the indirect income from the mines has made his territory rich. His ability to rule is also a major part of it. He¡¯s also a red maniac. He loves the color red from coat to arms of the Almark family to the furniture and spires of the castle. He can¡¯t help but dye them with red. Unusual for a rural lord, he has a strong sense of loyalty and patriotism towards the royal family. This is probably because the Est territory is in a position of mutual dependence with the royal territory. It can be said that the stability of the royal territory is due to the hinterland of the Est territory and the economic development of the Est territory is due to the royal territory. He is usually just flirting with maids in red apron dress but during Gale¡¯s coup d¡¯etat, he became the head of the provisional government and fought. He didn¡¯t really fight or rather, he didn¡¯t even go to battle. He did his best in providing support though. CH 80.3 Chapter 80.3 ¨C Character Introduction(End of Volume 10) Slave Girls(first batch, 13) Merchant¡¯s Daughter: Sharon (race: quarter canine beastkin) Soldier¡¯s Daughter: Suzanne and Claudia Florist¡¯s Daughter: Viola (half nymph) Miner¡¯s Daughter: Roll (race: dwarf) Baker¡¯s Daughter: Colette Prostitute¡¯s Daughter: Flora Beggar¡¯s Daughter: Eliza, Melisa, Ginny, Lou, Liddy, and Paula All of them are from the royal capital of the Silesie Kingdom. The slave caravan was supposed to come from the other side of Silesie and was just taking the slaves they were unable to see to the mines in Ye Mountain Range. Sharon(18 years old), rapidly grown and was in charge of the company. Roll(12 years old), she¡¯s in charge of making niter. Viola, barely has screen time. The rest are just named characters. The number of slaves rises rapidly so it is a question how many of them will be able to make a proper screen time. By the way, nymphs are water fairies, elves are white fairies, and dwarves are black fairies. Sharon has orange hair, amber eyes, and canine beastkin blood so she¡¯s basically obedient and has a habit of putting stability of the pack first. She¡¯s the leader of the slave girls. Viola has blue hair and blue eyes, taciturn and reclusive and is often discriminated against because she¡¯s a half nymph. She has the blessing of water spirit and was given elementary water magic and herbal knowledge by Lyle-sensei. Roll has auburn hair, brown skin, short stature, and is patient. She is a dwarf girl so she is a workaholic. (she refers to herself with ¡°atashi¡±). Colette has brown hair, brown eyes, and a former baker¡¯s daughter but looks more of a tavern girl. She is the head chef and is close to Roll, probably because she manages the brewery. Eliza and Melisa are beggar¡¯s daughters and they are helping with cooking. They also want to run a crepe stall. Suzanne has short, bright red hair and red eyes. Claudia has light brown(hazel) hair and eyes. She has shoulder hair length but she ties it in a bun. Perhaps she¡¯s imitating Louise. Both of them are following Louise¡¯s lead to become knights with great characters. Both of them are supposed to be slave girls but now, they are apprentice knights but it hasn¡¯t been mentioned yet. Slave girls(2nd batch, 13) Sherry(12 years old). A girl with silver hair. Her eyes are also silver with a slight blue tint. She is the daughter of a bankrupt gambler and was sold for a trifling sum along with their family belongings to pay off their debts. She¡¯s a mathematical genius that surpasses even Lyle-sensei. Based on the half-understood economic knowledge that she heard from Takeru, Lyle¡¯s medieval level history, and her observational skill cultivated through running the company, she assembled data to build a decent economic knowledge in her mind and emerged as an economic cheat. Because of this ability, she was useful to Sharon and became the brain of the company. She¡¯s the only one in the 2nd batch who stood out as a character. Since it¡¯s a real fantasy world, the treatment of the slave girls is terrible¡­. Ona Village Self Defense Troop 20 youngsters. They are mobs that don¡¯t even have names but all of them can use guns and some of them can even use cannons. In the later half of the story, they became the top veterans of the Volunteer Army. The leader of the group is Mars, who is good natured and has a loud voice. He is the son of the village chief. Occupation: Missionary Nun, Sister Steriana(Ria), age unknown(looks young) A sister with long, slightly wavy, pale blonde hair with big boobs. Initially, she was a nun in the church in Est but the basic job of a missionary nun is to wander around the parish to ask for donations. Ria¡¯s outlandish personality made her quite unpopular with the church¡¯s upper echelons, and she was not the type to stay in one church. She has some skills as a healing mage but she seems to be good at holy alchemy. She wears a white robe with blue lines on it. She¡¯s a bit money hungry and is always parading around the city to ask for donations but she¡¯s amazing at creating holy water and spirit water. Also, it is strange that she¡¯s a bit distant from Takeru from the start. Perhaps she has to be like that because she¡¯s asking for donations. Though Takeru knows that it costs money to run the church, he also thought that the church is quite profitable for her to be able to wear a silver ankh on her fairly big chest. After obtaining the 3rd level hero certification, she certified Takeru as a hero with the ¡°forbidden sacrament¡±. She became a saintess after elevating him to 2nd level and semi 1st level. She¡¯s originally good at holy alchemy and after helping with the sealing of the miasma holes, she obtained a title called ¡°Saintess of Sealing¡±. She has a habit of saying by all means or by no means. Perhaps it¡¯s because she¡¯s a religious fatalist. Her world is driven by the goddess¡¯ scenario. CH 80.4 Chapter 80.4 ¨C Character Introduction(End of Volume 10) ¡°Story of Ria¡¯s Master¡± Ria was born as an orphan and was taken in by a saintess who ran an orphanage in the church. Because of this, she has been long immersed in the church archives and was exposed to a lot of forbidden books during her adolescence which caused her to grow up in that unfortunate way. Ria¡¯s adoptive parent was also a saintess skilled in holy alchemy and she was the one who went with Louise to seal the ¡°miasma hole of doom¡± and met her untimely end when Gale switched out her holy rod. Occupation: Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Silesie, Rogue Solitaire, 58 years old An old man with white bear. He looks older than he actually is probably because he¡¯s been struggling a lot to make himself the regent of the kingdom that¡¯s on the verge of collapse. He became the prime minister of the kingdom at a young age(although he looks like an old man to Takeru). Although he is conservative and respectful of tradition, he is basically a fairly decent patriot. He was capable but too much of a politician. In order to protect the dwindling royal power, he repeatedly made compromises to balance power in various fields, and as a result, a lion¡¯s share of power was lost. Gale Dot Zeus, 32 years old. Occupation: Commander of the Kingdom¡¯s Knight Order, General of the Miasma Hole of Doom, Bearded Baron He used to be Louise¡¯s colleague in the knight order competing with her for the position of commander. The political battle ended in Gale¡¯s victory due to the failure of the sealing of the miasma hole of doom led by Louise. He is a sharp man who has risen as a commoner soldier to a general by obeying his superiors and crushing anyone who gets in his way. When his superiors aren¡¯t around, he¡¯s a jerk. He seems to have special feelings for Louise, the woman he once fought with for the position of knight commander. He later staged a coup d¡¯etat, eradicating the royal family and the nobles of the royal capital, declaring himself the crowned king of the Kingdom of Silesie. Although Gale¡¯s actions were based on his personal greed, he may have been appreciated in some aspects like opening a hole in the rigid structure of the Kingdom of Silesie where only those who came from prestigious noble families were promoted. Until Gale¡¯s defeat by the Provisional Government forces, there were certainly people who supported his actions. Zombie Baron Louz Amabazac Ox, 35 years old(age died) A baron who ruled the Ambazak territory. He was a man of tragic fate who, along with the people of the fortress city of Ox, fought against the monsters of the miasma hole of doom that destroyed the whole city. When he came to his senses, he found himself reincarnated as a zombie master under the influence of miasma. He has a grudge against the Kingdom of Silesie for not helping in their time of need and plans to get back at them by turning their people into zombies. If he had steadily accumulated power and became a zombie lord, he might have even had the power to influence monsters and become a demon king given time. Being a misfortunate as he is, he was destroyed by Takeru to the last part of his body. He was on his way to being an undead legend but became Takeru¡¯s stepping stone to become a hero. Mirko Rossa, a boy soldier from Losgow Village, 13 years old A boy soldier who joined the Losgow Volunteer Corps led by Sarah. He is the second son of a poor farmer and Sarah¡¯s childhood friend. As Takeru uses him as a messenger, he discovers that he is a good and caring boy so he treats him as a valuable asset. Takeru wanted to raise Mirko-kun as a secretary as he was a valuable ¡°man¡±power since everyone around him were slave girls but when Sarah-chan returned to Losgow Village, he went back with her despite of his repeated recruitment attempt. It seems like Mirko-kun went along because he likes Sarah-chan but since the other party has a strong personality and ambition, Takeru feels like his secret love will not come true. Occupation: Servant of the Royal Family, Education Officer, New Prime Minister, Nicola Laertius Lyle-sensei¡¯s father. The Laertius family has been a family of advance mages for generations and Nicola himself is a great doctor. He is also an advance mage with a long, brown beard who is very handsome even in his prime. He has three children and his two elder sons were killed in Gale¡¯s coup d¡¯etat because they were working in the royal capital. Only one of his children, an intermediate mage and not even a son that he despised as a half breed, survived. Even now, the father-child relationship with Lyle-sensei is at its lowest and Nicola¡¯s faction, the prime minister¡¯s faction, and Lyle-sensei¡¯s faction, the regent¡¯s faction, are forces that divide the royal castle in two. Occupation: Princess(half elf), Silhouette Silesie Albert, 15 years old(currently 16) A little princess(both front and back) with strawberry blonde hair. Perhaps because she¡¯s a half elf, she is quite well dressed and beautiful. She is the bastard daughter of Gaius Silesie Albert, the 17th king of Silesie Kingdom and was called a whore¡¯s daughter. She was raised to be like her name, Silhouette. After Gale¡¯s coup d¡¯etat, she became the last survivor with the founding king¡¯s blood. Because of the large number of humanist nobles, she is not recognized as the heir to the throne even though she¡¯s already an adult. CH 80.5 Chapter 80.5 ¨C Character Introduction(End of Volume 10) Occupation: 3rd Battalion Commander, Zawaharuto Mox, 40 years old An old man with dull silver hair who is a knight commander. When he was in the knight order, he was a member of Gale¡¯s faction but as soon as he realized that he was in the position of holding the casting die between the Gale army and the soldiers of the provisional government of the Kingdom of Silesie, he holed up in the Golden Eagle Fort and declared neutrality. His jealousy of Gale, who used to be his peer but has risen ahead of him, is also a factor but it doesn¡¯t matter because it has nothing to do with the main story. Because of his greed, he got bombarded by Takeru. After the coup, he took over Barn Dot¡¯s territory and became Baron Zawaharuto. Since it was originally Gale¡¯s territory, he seems to be having a hard time governing it. Incidentally, the first and the second battalion are made up of noblemen and the third through the fifth battalion are made up of new noblemen and warriors who are under Gale¡¯s control. Even after Gale was removed after his failed coup, the situation has not changed much. Occupation: Knight of the Royal Knight Order(Vice Commander Class), Princess Silhouette¡¯s Guard Knight, Jill Rootbeer, 24 years old She has an unkempt black hair that she ties in a ponytail just like Louise. She¡¯s muscular but has a good figure and has wheat colored skin. She has a body of an athlete. Has a super sweet tooth. Since the founding of Silesie Kingdom, her family has been working with Louise¡¯s family. She used to be Louise¡¯s right hand woman in the royal knights. After the coup d¡¯etat, she returned to the order and was recommended by Louise to serve as Princess Silhouette¡¯s personal bodyguard. She is a capable guard but not so good as a caretaker of the princess. Golden Eagle Bandit Group, Boss(leader of the Golden Eagle Bandits) A large bandit group of over 300 members. They have even built up a three story stone fortress called Golden Eagle Fort and have been active as bandits on the road leading to the royal capital. However, the bandits were strongly affected by the release of miasma and the fort was attacked by monsters and collapsed. After the miasma incident was over, they tried to revive their group and make a base in the mountains of the City of Ox but met Takeru there and were attacked again and driven out. The fatal confrontation is carried over to the City of Spike and the result was shown in the main story. There¡¯s a negotiator who refers to himself as ¡°the golden eagle¡¯s beak¡± and other characters with nicknames like fang, jaw, eyes, claw, and whatever else. Since banditry is an illegal activity, they are not supposed to call each other with their real names. They were a reasonably structured organization with many detailed characters but they were destroyed before any character development happened. Female Cat Thieves The leader is Neneka. She is a strange oneesan with dark purple curly hair that extends down to her feet. She¡¯s very sexy. Although she was a bit taken aback by Takeru¡¯s vicious plot against the Golden Eagle Bandits, she was grateful and believed in him and even defended him to Wake. She and Wake seemed to be old acquaintances. Later, she would use her experience as a former spy to form a secret scouting unit for the Volunteer Army. Occupation: Treasonous King of Thieves, Rare Righteous Thief, Leader of the Great Bandit Guild of the Three Kingdoms, Wake the Wake, 24 years old An oniisan with soft blonde hair. He uses a composite bow to shoot three iron arrows at once using the magic ¡°Magical Bullet of Rebellion¡±. (He can shoot up to five arrows at a time but if he does that, accuracy would fall.) He wears a green robe blessed by the wind spirits that has the effect of shifting any range object from going towards the robe. Even a straight projectile from a gun will miss. Therefore, the only way to attack and defeat Wake was to doges his arrows and defeat him in close combat. However, there are always two skilled thieves hiding around Wake so he is well protected in close combat. He laughs ¡°kukkukkuk¡± which sounds like a bird. He likes to bully the princess knight but he is a cautious man so he lets the hero do it for him. He is also a collector of cursed items called ¡°cursed tools¡±. He is the type of person who takes pleasure in making good use of items that are supposed to be useless such as items with poisons and curses. Adventurers treat cursed items as trash but for the king of thieves, they are quite useful for everything, from pranks to assassinations. In the three kingdoms of Transylvania, Silesie, and Rolland, are where the thieves guild are active behind the scenes. They have cooperative relationships and their basic job is to raid territories of the lords with whom they are hostile. The guild¡¯s basic business is to only intervene on a personal level and never get in the way of wars between countries. This is because it would be fatal to the guild if they were seen as a complete enemy of the country. There is an unwritten tacit understanding that there must be a balance between the power up front and behind the scenes. However, the powerful Germania Empire has broke that unwritten rule and has branched out into the livelihood of the thieves guild making all members of the thieves guild hostile to the empire. CH 80.6 Chapter 80.6 ¨C Character Introduction(End of Volume 10) Occupation: 4th Battalion Commander, Viscount Oracle, Ortholet Oracle Spinner, 29 years old Full gray hair, well proportioned body. Exhilarating words and actions. He was originally an impoverished knight from a warrior family without territory and one of those who rose through the ranks under Gale¡¯s leadership but he gave up on Gale when he staged a coup d¡¯etat. He immediately joined the provisional government side, taking the knights under his command with him. He commanded the 4th battalion and was rewarded with Viscountcy after the coup. It can be said that he¡¯s someone with an open and flexible mind in contrast to his appearance. Although he disliked Gale, he followed him until the coup d¡¯etat. However, his frugality is so ingrained in him that he doesn¡¯t decorate his castle at all even after becoming a lord which is a bit excessive. Ortholet uses ¡°sessha de gozaru¡± for some reason but not all people from warrior families speak like that. Perhaps you can call him an old fashioned person. Kaara Demonia Demonicus, 19 years old, behind the scene advance mage A genius mage born in Silesie region where power has weakened to the point where there are only low-ranking mages left. She¡¯s a rare reincarnation or mutation of her ancestors. At just 19 years old, she has mastered the highest level of magic in the human world, meteor strike. She uses wars and internal conflicts between human nations to achieve her goal of opening the miasma holes and reviving the demon king. She can also transform into a human. Her dream is to become a cadre of the demon king¡¯s army. Though she acts like a strategist, she¡¯s influenced by her emotions too much which made her make mistakes. She thinks of using others but often ends up being used. She developed the method of opening the miasma hole but because she gave the information to Gale, it was leaked to the Empire, which was in contact with Gale, and ended up being used by Freed. She refers to herself as ¡°atashi¡±, ¡°jibun¡±, and even ¡°watakushi¡±. Zombie Margrave Sox Lauren Spike, 35 years old(age died) A margrave who ruled the territory of Margrave Lauren. He was a man of tragic fate who fought against the monsters of the ¡°miasma hole of doom¡± together with his people but his entire city perished. When he came to his senses, he was already reincarnated as a zombie lord under the influence of miasma. He had a grudge against the Kingdom of Silesie for not helping him in his time of need and was planning to take revenge by hiding the Oracle¡¯s Great Cave, accumulating power to become a demon king. With the patronage and education of the genius mage Kaara, he was steadily building up his power to become the demon king. If continued to be affected by miasma as it is, he would have ended up becoming a demon king but was defeated by Takeru who just became a hero. Even in his death, his luck is bad. By the way, when a demon king candidate reincarnates as a monster, a ¡°demon king¡¯s core'''' is generated in his body. This is the source of the imagination sword ¡°sword of darkness¡±. It would be crazy to embed it into the body of a living person but it seems that some hero was able to do it. Occupation: Dungeon Master, Immortal Girl, Oracle, 300 years old Whitish hair tied to twin tails, red yes, and blue skin. She has a short stature. She looks like 13 years old at most and looks barely tall enough to be the slave girls oneesan. She¡¯s actually 300 years old so her girlish, adorable appearance is just a mimicry to assure her safety. Inside that body of her is a matured, horny mess. She may look like a vampire lord(she can also suck blood) but she is really an ancient succubus. She can gain great power by absorbing the psychic energy of the opposite sex called ¡°semen¡±. When she sucks semen, she becomes somewhat naughty but to make things clear, she won¡¯t do anything that would fall under the R18 regulations. The succubus in this world is an extremely safe creature and any member of the family can read this novel without worry. However, even given her specifications and her need for the union of psychic energy, as it is the process of getting it, rare instances of procreation will occur. However, even though it is possible for demons and humans to interbreed, it is difficult given they are different species. Inside a dungeon, she has high ability which can be considered as a cheat class but outside the dungeon, she can only use limited power but that limited power of her is also quite strong. For example, the infinite mummy respawn can be a thousand mummy instant respawn. Occupation: 2nd Battalion commander vs Duchy of Transylvania, Front Line Commander, Brynie Lauren Blanc, 34 years old An old man with long, neatly braided black hair and a thin, pointed black beard. He wears a black, finely crafted, aesthetically pleasing but impractical armor with an overly decorated, jeweled sword at his waist. He is from the prestigious noble family of Blanc and has royal blood in his veins. The coup d¡¯etat in the royal capital eradicated most of the Blanc family. Brynie became the patriarch of the Blanc family and did whatever he wanted with his vassals in tow. His hostility towards the upstart Gale led him to join the provisional government army with the 2nd battalion and his knights under his banner. He was given the right to rule the Margrave Lauren territory and the command to the front line against the Duchy of Transylvania by Prime Minister Nicola. The territory of Margrave Lauren was originally the border between the Duchy of Transylvania and the Germania Empire and has a strong unique spirit. However, all areas were devastated by the monsters from the miasma hole. He is the leader of the noble faction and the representative of the rural nobles. He is also the owner of a negative cheat who is a fool on top of being a fool, ruining the schemes of a strategist. He is also getting in touch with the Germania Empire behind the scenes and a war of succession in the Kingdom of Silesie broke out under the banner of Brynie, the patriarch of the Blanc Family. In the midst of this, Brynie was killed in a battle due to his own foolish leadership¡­¡­ CH 80.7 Chapter 80.7 ¨C Character Introduction(End of Volume 10) Transylvania Princess, only daughter of the duke, Caroline Transylvania Orania, 16 years old Long flaxen hair. Big breasts. Wears glasses. She likes to wear blue dresses. She¡¯s also a patriot, serious, and a woman with strong mental power. She¡¯s very close to Princess Silhouette probably because they are both royalty which made them feel as if they are relatives. Unlike her father, the duke, she came under the protection of the hero. For her, a ¡°good marriage partner¡± is someone that can make her maintain the independence of their duchy. After hearing about Princess Silhouette¡¯s decision to stand as queen, she seems to be reconsidering to do the same if the situation allows her to. Incidentally, Transylvania has a thriving glass processing industry, specializing in glass beads, glass bottles for potions, lenses, and glasses. Crown Prince of Germania Empire, Freed Germania Germanicus, True Hero, Demon King of Shadow, Golden Lion Emperor, 20 years old Shiny golden lion hair, heroic face. The crown prince¡¯s eyes are heterochromiac, blue and gold. He is a strong man with the look of a young lion. His broad shoulders and elbows as well as his well toned body make his presence look big. In the original world, he gave off the atmosphere of a ¡°special guy¡± who sat at the back of the class. Even if he doesn¡¯t shout loudly, people will follow him just by looking at him. He possesses that much charisma. He is the first prince of Germania and now, he holds the real power like the emperor. He doesn¡¯t hesitate when it comes to gaining power. He only wants power and power alone. ¡°Sword of light, orichalcum armor, sword of darkness¡± The combination of light and dark makes him look the strongest. Occupation: Northmark Archbishop, Saint Nicholas Cardinal, age unknown(age can¡¯t be determined with his looks) A genius who revived a replica of the holy relic ¡°Leaf of Adamo¡± to the present age and a user of all light healing, and all range healing. He is one of the candidates for the next pope and his ability is not undeserved. He is a taciturn looking young man who wears silver rim glasses and has his black hair parted into 7-3. In reality, he is a homo archbishop who advocates gender equality at the Asama Church. He only cooperates with Freed because their interests coincide but seems to be dissatisfied with Freed¡¯s refusal to accept his ¡°Saint X Hero¡± dream. As an archbishop, he is obviously doing something wrong but according to Asama, it is acceptable. Occupation: Court Mage of Germania Empire. Gate of Time and Space, Jenny Walpurgis, 22 years old She can only use an intermediate magic which is instantaneous movement to instantly move anywhere within her light of sight. However, she can also use teleportation magic, an extremely rare and unique form of magic. Although teleportation magic can only send up to ten people to a prearranged location, it is a cheat level magic that can change the tide of war. She has a glamorous body and wears a black cloak with a black bondage fashion that shows a large part of her skin as if she¡¯s wearing a naughty swimsuit. She has bewitching looks and her staff has a very big jewel that makes it look very powerful. The magic circle she uses is of the same quality as the magic circles used to move around the White Tower of Trials, an ancient magic heritage. She¡¯s probably a descendant of the ancient Holy Queen Liliella or something but Takeru is sure that she¡¯ll be killed by sensei before she can say anything about it. She¡¯s considered an advance mage after all. Though she can use unique magic, she can only use intermediate level magics. Because of that, she was treated as a failure until Freed found her and made her a court mage immediately. For this reason, she seems to have sworn unwavering loyalty to Prince Freed. Occupation: Guardian Knight, Iron Wall Herman, Herman Salzhorn, 30 years old A big man with a trimmed rock-like face with an orichalcum shield. He can defend against any attack. His shield can also be a powerful weapon by being the enemy with it. He is also the pinnacle of the 10000 Immortal Imperial Guards. His weakness is simultaneous attack from multiple directions and being stabbed in the back. He makes up for it with his agile movements but if he is attacked from all directions, he will lose. For this reason, he often uses the immortal imperial guards as his assistants on the battlefield. They are the shield that protects the crown prince. Germania¡¯s Immortal Imperial Guards 10000 guards serving as the shield of the Imperial family of the Germania Empire. They have been brainwashed from an early age to protect the crown prince with their bodies without fear of flying spears or cannonballs. When they die, their replacement will appear without a sound which made them called Immortal Army. In addition, there are a lot of them making them a rather unpleasant enemy. CH 80.8 Chapter 80.8 ¨C Character Introduction(End of Volume 10) Furukisha, Incarnation of Chaos, 12000 years old(estimate) Something in the shape of a beautiful woman that has been sitting in a hidden doorway on the 30th floor of the Oracle Great Cave for 300 years and looks like a clay sculpture. According to the immortal King Oracle¡¯s main body, she is estimated to be 12000 years old making her the youngest member of the furuki mono. Incidentally, the founding of the world by Asama was 8000 years ago which shows how old she is. Her action is chaos itself. She is the mother of blessings for the demons and she¡¯s also a fearsome mad god who brings disaster to anyone she touches. After playing around with Takeru and Oracle, she did not give him the ¡°sword of darkness¡± but a ¡°spirit sword¡± that he named ¡°neutral sword¡±. There¡¯s no point in asking why she did that. There¡¯s no reason because their actions are ¡°somewhat¡± and are on a god level. If you really dare reason, the closest answer you can get is that it¡¯s their ¡°reflexes¡±. Advance mage of dust storm, ¡°Dusty¡± Damas Cloud, 26 years old Can use the highest level wind magic, perfect hurricane. Since he is a wind mage, it could be said that he¡¯s an easy opponent for Takeru since he neither uses water nor fire. He¡¯s good at flying magic but he¡¯s not a lucky guy. He was overconfident that there¡¯s no mage who could fight in the air better than him and was shot by the Kaara-Oracle-chan tandem making him fall to his death. General of the Germania Empire Spearhead Army, Nordlinger ¡°the brave¡± Rhine Falz, 34 years old The Pfalz family is one of the most prestigious families in Germania and has been producing outstanding generals for generations. He is also a noble with small but rich barony at the banks of Zurbe river. If you want someone to lead an army in a frontal assault, you can never find a better person other than the ¡°Brave General¡± to lead your troops. He was able to break through the triple defense that Lyle-sensei had devised. His offensive power is nothing but impressive. He challenged Louise to a one on one battle in full plate armor, which is imbued with powerful magic. However, he was crushed in the head and died before even being able to do anything. If he had been up against a human warrior, he would never have lost even if it is a 10 against one. However, he was up against a dragon slaying female knight who was more of a dragon than a human. Always vice-commander, a princess knight that will make you lose once she¡¯s in command, Eleonora Lanct Am-maine, 18 years old She has blonde hair, blue eyes, and flaming crimson armor. She is known as the ¡°War Maiden of Lanct¡±. She¡¯s famous for being a bouncy. She¡¯s the only daughter of Duke Lanct. The Am-maine family is a prestigious noble family with a rich territory in the empire and needless to say, they are wealthy. Duke Lanct controls the center of the Empire¡¯s economy and is also an ally of the Germania princes making him a very high ranking person. Since he can openly express his opinion to the princes, he was able to put his daughter in the army. Unfortunately, she is openly treated as a pain in the *ss by the upper echelon of the imperial army saying ¡°Why is the princess playing a knight?¡±. Being popular with commoner soldiers and knights made things worse for her. Eleonora is a beautiful princess knight who is strong physically and mentally. She also has no problem in being the vice commander of an army. However, if something happens to the commander and she has to take the command, everything will fall. She always says nothing but ¡°charge¡¯ but she doesn¡¯t seem to understand the characteristics or differences of arms. If only someone would pay attention to her but since she¡¯s always surrounded by her bodyguards, the heavy infantry(also known as Great Shield Guards), no high ranking commander has taught her. She grew up to be a trouble girl. She wears a cloak with a scarlet eagle emblem on it. Because of the effect of the legendary magic equipment ¡°Flame Armor¡±, which is as expensive as a castle, she doesn¡¯t realize that she¡¯s stronger if she just fights barehanded instead of using weapons. Well, none have noticed it. It can be said that she is a cursed princess knight since everything will backfire if she¡¯s on your side. If you get involved with her, she might even burn your carriage or something so it is better to avoid her if you see her on the battlefield. CH 80.9 Chapter 80.9 ¨C Character Introduction(End of Volume 10) Occupation: Leader of the Garan Mercenaries, Garan Dodol, 32 years old Leader of a big mercenary group in Germania Empire. He commands a rogue army of 3000 including those from the adventurers guild. After switching sides to the Kingdom of Silesie, he now commands 5000 men. He has scars from his past battles that he did not erase in order to remind him of his own mistakes. Even trouble maker mercenaries follow his fearless command. He wears black chainmail that covers his body and when he takes off his hood, you can see his skinhead. He¡¯s a big man with black beard. Occupation: General Mainz ¡°the badger¡± Fursten, 60 years old An experienced general with 60 years of age. He¡¯s an elderly man with deep wrinkles and white hair that looks silver. He has thin, small eyes, a good natured smile, and a cane that makes him look like a strolling old man if he were not wearing his iron armor as he scurries about the battlefield. He is a cautious man but despised by young officials as a ¡°coward¡± or an ¡°mediocre¡±, but in reality, he¡¯s a great general who specializes in defensive battles. He has lost 60% of his life(40 years) in military service but that is because he¡¯s the only general who can fight a losing battle. He¡¯s basically the cleaner of the Germania Empire. He is also one of the few great generals that Lyle-sensei respects and his leadership is firm and his ability to lead his troops is outstanding. He places high priority on information warfare, which is unusual for a general of this era, and his judgment of the situation is accurate. Aside from the fact that he lacks aggressiveness in his command due to his experience as a rearguard, he is an excellent general without weakness. The fact that he was able to outperform Lyle-sensei¡¯s tactics was probably due to his 40 years of experience. From a mere patrol officer(a soldier in the role of military police in the empire), Mainz was promoted to a general by the current emperor Conrad who discovered his talent. Ulrich Three Sisters, Ordinary Advance Mages The eldest, Nona Ulrich, the second, Dekima Ulrich, and the third, Morta Ulrich: from the top, 26, 24, 23 years old. There¡¯s nothing particularly remarkable about them. They¡¯re advance mages that coordinate. That made them the strongest group of advance mages of the Imperial Army. They were three beautiful, black haired sisters and like other Imperial advance mages, they were killed as soon as they appeared. It can only be described as a birth of misfortune of the advance mages of the empire to stand before Lyle-sensei in the battlefield. Occupation: General, Lahart van Letmoliere, 23 years old He was unable to restrain Count Boulogne, the young commander when Lauren was attacked, making the count die. He was held responsible for the defeat after his unilateral action and was later demoted. Occupation: Commander of Lauren Knights, Baron Bagamon do Culturedeia, 39 years old A poor knight commander who wears a helmet with a very long horn and an antique sheet of metal armor. Because of an infighting, their knight order split between him, the leader of the kingdom faction, and the vice commander, the leader of the imperial faction. The prime minister grouped together the knights who sided with the provisional government, promoted them, and gave them this territory. It is basically an arid wilderness where there are hardly any people where there is constant battle that even the kingdom and the empire both ignore. Duke Emehart Lanct Am-maine, 36 years old One of the richest men in the world and lord of the City of Lanct. Father of the Princess Knight Eleonora. He has the same soft blonde hair and clear blue eyes as his daughter. He is a handsome, mature man with a beautiful, well proportioned face, and a rich beard. The Am-maine family, with its huge trading interest through the Turbe River, reigns as the ally of the Germania princes, and their power is only second to the Germania Royal Family. He has the elegance of a man who has been rich for generations and he is also a good man who devotes himself to the promotion of arts. As the Empire¡¯s War of aggression against Silesie has become a little suspicious, he seems to be trying to flexibly cross over to the kingdom¡¯s side. He seems to be a cunning man who uses the power of money and culture to ensnare people¡¯s minds but somehow, he has miserably failed in educating his only daughter. Germania Empire Emperor, Conrad Germania Germanicus, 72 years old An old emperor who is over 70 years old. He is the hero who sealed the ¡°Hotbed of Corruption and Delusion¡± fifty years ago. He is also the one who climbed to the 54th floor of the White Tower of Trials and obtained the orichalcum armor and great shield. When he was young, he was a heroic emperor who ate up three western kingdoms and made them part of the empire expanding the empire¡¯s territory. However, he grew old and now lacks finesse. Unable to settle the issue of succession, he has been taken advantage of by the young lion Freed, who has taken control of the empire by kicking his siblings, who are now half hiding, out by force. CH 81 Chapter 81 ¨C World Situation(end of volume 10) AN: This information is unnecessary to enjoy the main story so please read it as an afterthought if you have time. --Transylvania Dukedom Capital City Brussel TN: I just realized it was Brussel and not Bullsale. There¡¯s a forgotten miasma hole here called ¡°Demon World¡¯s Gate¡±. It¡¯s a small country but is the leading source of glass products such as glasses, glass beads, and others, which made people¡¯s life rather rich. The country itself is related to the royal family of Silesie and has had a long history of border disputes due to succession issues. Their knight order suffered a devastating blow and its diplomatic power declined. It¡¯s now a subordinate state of the Germania Empire. --Silesie Kingdom North part Territory of the former Margrave Lauren. It was divided into three due to reorganization after the miasma hole of doom incident and Gale¡¯s coup. Upper half is Lauren County with the Lauren City(reconstruction is barely undergoing) bordering the Duchy of Transylvania. Lower right is the Lauren Knight¡¯s territory(mostly wilderness) bordering the Germania Empire. Lower left is Viscount Oracle¡¯s territory with the City of Spikes(Oracle¡¯s Great Cave) and other regions. West part Ambazac Barony The MC¡¯s territory, the City of Ox. Fortified by the surrounding forest and mountains. There are lumber, woodworking and stone guilds there. Est Marquisate The territory of Marquis Danavan has a lot of mines where you can get gold, silver, magical gems, copper, and iron in the Ye Mountain Range to the north. The black smith guild is also there. It is also a transit point for trade, connecting the friendly country of Roland to the west and the royal capital to the north. Cattle breeding, agriculture, and textile industries are also thriving here. Although it is a rural area, it is the center of trade of the Kingdom of Silesie. Central Part, Royal Capital of Silesie The capital is the political center and a city on plains with thriving agricultural industry. It was half destroyed because of the liberation of the Demon Mountain, which caused the northern villages to disappear and refugees to flow in and was totally destroyed by the coup. The walls are being rebuilt but the royal castle is still under construction and cannons are being placed on the walls as they are being rebuilt. In the south, beyond the Ye Mountain Range, there are many territories of rural nobles who don¡¯t want the royal power to strengthen. --Germania Empire There are three major kingdoms in the west: the Kingdom of Rastoir, the Kingdom of Trania, and the Kingdom of Gartland. The three western kingdoms are bordered by demons and barbarian and have strong ethnic autonomy. The three western kingdoms were defeated by Germania Empire in a war around 20 to 30 years ago and were forced to submit to them one after another. There have been several rebellions by the former royal families and nobles since them but they have been suppressed. East side: Duchy Federation centered on the Duchy of Lanct. It has a strong economy backed by the fortune of the shipping industry around the Turbe River. It may have a different intention from the empire. As the Empire is a state made up of small territories with autonomy, the territories within the Empire often have their own agendas. --Britanian Union A union of two islands centered on one monarch. It is a northern maritime nation that feels threatened by the Germania Empire¡¯s expansion into the open sea and is currently supporting the Kingdom of Silesie from the sea. --Kingdom of Roland A kingdom in the center of the continent. The Germania Empire ripped off the eastern part of its territory in a war 30 years ago. They often coordinate with the Kingdom of Silesie to resist their common enemy, the Germania Empire. Notes about the settings of the Oracle¡¯s Great Cave. In chapter 41, it was pointed out the fact that it has never been completely conquered for 240 years which doesn¡¯t match the chronology of ¡°for 300 years¡± in chapter 44. The completion and opening of the Oracle¡¯s Great Cave(the birth of Oracle-chan) was 300 years ago. What is said in chapter 41 is that even after the Immortal King Oracle was defeated by the Hero Renz in the Demon Mountain along with the Demon King, the dungeon was not conquered by Renz, who became a hero, and was left unattended. The way it was written was not so good so I had to clarify it. Oracle-chan, whose creator has been killed by the hero 60 years after her birth along with the Great Cave, was left underground for 240 years since it was unconquered. That¡¯s why it was called ¡°240 years of loneliness¡±. Furthermore, as a side note, the Immortal King Oracle himself was 1000 years old when he was killed by the Hero Renz. In other worlds, if he were alive today, he would be 1240 years old. 1200 years ago, it was just around the time when the superpower, Holy Liliella Queendom, was established. Two hundred years after that, human civilization in the Eurasian continent almost died out. It is estimated that at that time, the Immortal King Oracle, who was around 240 years old, gained power and came to rule the Silesie region together with the old Demon King. CH 82.1 Chapter 82.1 ¨C Conversation with Asama ¡¸At last, we¡¯ve got permission from Asama to perform the last sacrament. After this, you¡¯ll be promoted from quasi first class to first class and you¡¯ll be able to fight evenly with archbishop Nicholas.¡¹ Ria tells with that with a clear face. I know this pattern. You¡¯re going to take it to a strange story again anyway. It¡¯s painful that I¡¯m in no position to refuse. ¡¸Sacrament¡­.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s a terrible response. You should be a little pleased. The last sacrament a serious one and is different from the rituals that Takeru is thinking.¡¹ Ria sighs. I¡¯m the one who wants to sigh. ¡¸You just admitted that the previous rituals were not authentic¡­¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s just a figure of speech. The last sacrament is not a forbidden curse and Takeru will be able to directly speak with Asama. No matter how many times I have invited you to the church, you have never come but you must accompany me this time.¡¹ Well, whatever, I¡¯m in no position to refuse. The difference in rank could be fatal if we were to confront Freed. Also, even if that archbishop homo has jokes as attacks, the holy magic ability he has shown during that swift golem onslaught is the real deal. ¡¸Great, I have a lot of things I want to ask and say to Asama.¡¹ ¡¸She¡¯s the goddess of creation! I¡¯m sure you understand what that means but I still want to ask you a favor. Please, no matter what happens, don¡¯t be rude to the goddess.¡¹ Ria¡¯s response was unusually firm. Indeed, she¡¯s a living goddess after all. However, for me, that doesn¡¯t mean much. I feel like she¡¯s a mysterious entity on par with that tentacle creature of chaos, furukisha. Either way, it¡¯s kind of sobering to think that I¡¯m going to deal with a deity level being. Ria took me into the church in the City of Ox. The building was as small as the city but it was a beautiful spire church decorated with beautiful stained glass. This is the first time I¡¯ve ever been inside it though I¡¯m the lord and I funded the rebuilding because of my relationship with Ria. The stained glass windows depicting a winged Asama are roughly constructed but even so, colored glass is a luxury item in this world. The church is a money eater. ¡¸This is the confession box. This is the proper place to talk with Asama who¡¯ll descend on my body.¡¹ ¡¸Uhuh¡­..¡¹ It was nerve wracking to enter a small box, which could be described as a small sanctuary separated from the outsider world. It was a little damp there and it was dim when passing through the narrow entrance of the box as I entered. ¡¸This is awfully dark.¡¹ ¡¸Please wait, I¡¯ll turn the lights on.¡¹ The space inside what looked like a small black box, that could be filled by two, turned out two be a large space around 8 tatami mats in size. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s a distortion of space or some kind of hidden room but, when I saw the room the moment the light illuminated it, I was blown away. ¡¸What do you think? Beeswax candle creates an unmistakably moody atmosphere, right?¡¹ ¡¸What the hell is this¡­.?¡¹ The confession room had a large round bed that took up most of the room that was covered with red carpet. The room is illuminated by beeswax candle lights creating a suspicious atmosphere. The sweet scent of beeswax, perhaps it was scented, drifts through the air¡­. I¡¯ve never had experience and I¡¯ve never been there. However, the shady atmosphere of this windowless room looks somewhat familiar. ¡¸You¡¯re about to meet Asama so I understand that you¡¯re nervous.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not nervous because of that. Hey, what is this atmosphere?¡¹ ¡¸By the way, this round bed rotates¡¹ ¡¸Oi!¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not the obscene loveho that Takeru is thinking. This bed has sacred scriptures engraved around it and by rotating it, it becomes a holy circle which is necessary for Asama¡¯s descent.¡¹ ¡¸You just said loveho!¡¹ I was wrong to expect something decent from the Asama Church. The way they reproduced this loveho really feels disgusting especially to me, who¡¯s still in his puberty. Perhaps this room being windowless makes it feel stuffy. ¡¸Loveho stands for Loveand Holy Room. By the way, this is the first time this church¡¯s loveho will be used.¡¹ ¡¸Did you make this useless facility from the money I donated?¡¹ What are you guys doing? What do you think the blood tax of my territory is? CH 82.2 Chapter 82.2 ¨C Conversation with Asama ¡¸I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a waste because it¡¯s already useful this way but if Takeru, the lord, says so, I¡¯ll have the believers use it too.¡¹ ¡¸Stop! Please, I was wrong.¡¹ I don¡¯t think I can stand it if she runs a love hotel in my territory. The church power is independent even of royal authority so a lord like me can¡¯t interfere. ¡¸The design is just outlandish but it¡¯s a holy circle necessary for the rite to descent. Stop your prejudice and don¡¯t interpret it that way.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, this time it¡¯s really decent.¡¹ Calm down. The sooner this rite to descent is done, the better. Ria took off her clothes including the seven colored goddess¡¯ robe and sat on the round bed with pink sheets with nothing but her white underwear. I didn¡¯t ask her why she stripped. I don¡¯t want to spend a long time with Ria in this room. We have to finish this ritual as soon as possible. ¡¸Then, I¡¯m going to start the ritual of Asama¡¯s descent.¡¹ There¡¯s no wind but the beeswax candle¡¯s flames shook hard which means the holy magic has begun. The bed with holy words of Asama engraved on the side begins to move. I have a language comprehension cheat so I can read the holy words but I catch a glimpse of something written in holy words saying ¡°Woman is Courage, Man is Charming¡±. I ignore it. Out of nowhere, I hear music that sounds like coming from a pipe organ and I can also hear church bells ringing from a distance. Along with that music, Ria, who¡¯s sitting crossed legs with nothing but her underwear, slowly rotated along with the round pink bed. It was surreal. Suddenly, a large silver white wings appeared on Ria¡¯s back. It was so sudden that I could no longer say anything and just stared silently at the glowing Ria. ¡¸¡­..ah, mayday mayday, I¡¯m, talking through Sister Steriana¡¯s body now. Was it a sonata that called me? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­..ehto, Asama? ¡¹ What do mean by mayday mayday? That¡¯s supposed to be a distressed signal or something. Is something wrong with Asama? ¡¸Hmm, it¡¯s good that we connected but, don¡¯t you have anything to ask? I have deadline. ¡¹ ¡¸A deadline. But we¡¯re alive¡­. ¡¹ I¡¯ll take that as a sign that something¡¯s wrong with my language translation. Also, why did I tsukomi with the goddess? There would be some serious consequences if I offend her. ¡¸Don¡¯t tell me you called me for nothing, Hero Takeru. ¡¹ ¡¸My apologies. ¡¹ I¡¯m not sure why I¡¯m feeling angry, ah, probably because it¡¯s the nonchalant Ria¡¯s face. She just called me here saying we have to do the final sacrament to rank up as a hero. ¡¸Then, it looks like you have nothing to say. Should I interpret that as your wish to end the sacrament? ¡¹ ¡¸No, no, wait a minute. ¡¹ This is a valuable opportunity. There are a lot of things I want to ask to this real fantasy creator and having tsukomi with the Asama Church is not something I should think about this time. She¡¯s an omniscient and omnipotence goddess and only she can answer my questions. What I want to ask is¡­. ¡¸Why was I teleported in this world? ¡¹ That¡¯s the most fundamental question. I don¡¯t have any memories of the time I teleported in this world. I vaguely remember being a high school student but even so, it feels like the me from those memories is nothing but a stranger. In addition, I¡¯m not suffering any homesickness and I could say that it was so convenient for me in order to be able to adapt to this world. Even so, I wanted to find out what has caused my transmigrations that I have forgotten all this time. I¡¯m not standing at the crossroads in my life where I might marry a princess from this world. As a man, if I make such a choice and then have to go back to my original world, I¡¯ll never be able to move on. Finally, here I am, standing in front of Asama. The reason why I¡¯m confused became clear to me. If I don¡¯t know my past, I can never choose the future. ¡¸Should I tell you about your life in your original world, Takeru? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, if you can include my life, that would be great¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸You came to this world in despair of your original world. The reason why you have no memory of your transmigration is because you wished to forget everything that caused you to transmigrate. ¡¹ ¡¸What happened to me to wish for that? ¡¹ What are the things I wanted to forget? If you say it like that, I can¡¯t help but be curious. CH 82.3 Chapter 82.3 ¨C Conversation with Asama ¡¸Do you really want me to tell you? If you forcibly dig up the memories you wanted to forget, you will suffer.¡¹ ¡¸What if I still want to know?¡¹ ¡¸If you recovered those episodic memories accurately, you¡¯re going to be mentally impo. ¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­.? ¡¹ Impo is it? What kind of goddess would say impotent? However, I¡¯ll be mentally damaged if I remember, that¡¯s scary! ¡¸Maa, do you think I¡¯m lying when I said that about your memory?¡¹ ¡¸You are a goddess-sama, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll lie.¡¹ ¡¸¡­.I mean, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s weird?¡¹ ¡¸What is?¡¹ ¡¸No normal high school student can sleep in the arms of a cute quarter beast girl, or a loli demon, or the thick Ria, while being wrapped in the scent of ladies who were swooning him. Resisting aside, you are even irritated as if you can¡¯t stand it anymore! ¡¹ ¡¸Now that you mention it¡­..¡¹ I understand but why do you have to say it in a vulgar way? Somehow, your character is gradually breaking. ¡¸You¡¯re not impotent because you¡¯ve forgotten your memories but because you¡¯re defense mechanism making you not get into a relationship with them. You¡¯re afraid to get involved deeply with the opposite sex. In the end, all of your problems can be traced back to that. It¡¯s like a fishbone stuck in your throat that won¡¯t let go. That¡¯s is what exactly what¡¯s happening to you.¡¹ ¡¸¡­..I see.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sure you¡¯re wondering so I¡¯ll tell you objectively about how you are before you transmigrated. In your original world, you were estranged from your family, though you were not on bad terms, and you had no girlfriend nor close friends at school. I¡¯m sure you know this.¡¹ ¡¸Nothing¡¯s clear though.¡¹ Thinking about the past is like looking at someone else¡¯s life. I was lonely and not involved with anyone. I didn¡¯t particularly want to be like that but that¡¯s what happened. ¡¸You were estranged and had no place anywhere but you were absolutely strong. Your soul is in solitude but you are strong. If it continues that way, you wouldn¡¯t even consider going to another world and will just continue to live alone and eventually, die alone.¡¹ ¡¸If I didn¡¯t mind being alone, why did I chose to go to another world?¡¹ ¡¸Well, it wasn¡¯t until a particular event happened to you in your original world. You made your first close friend. It was a girl but she¡¯s not your lover. Even so, she¡¯s someone who connected with you on a deep level.¡¹ ¡¸If that is the case, wouldn¡¯t I want to stay in my previous world more?¡¹ Even if it¡¯s not a lover, I have someone I care about. Thinking about it now, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll do anything to protect her. ¡¸What if the moment each of you fully understands and fully connected with each other, that girl disappeared from the world without a trace?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s¡­.¡¹ I don¡¯t know. Is that what really happened to me? The most important person in my life disappeared, does that mean that she died? ¡¸To say it frankly, the shock of losing the first person you ever cared about was too much for you to bear. That time, your family, schoolmates, and all the people in your area died so nothing is holding you back.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s sublime¡­.¡¹ I can¡¯t imagine it, not the present me. However, given the tingle on my chest, it must have happened. ¡¸Even if your memory was sealed with an unabashed face and you tried to continue living, you still suffered a deep wound that your heart that you can no longer get it up.¡¹ ¡¸Please, don¡¯t say I can¡¯t get it up¡¹ ¡¸For a boy at your age to not be able to get it up, that¡¯s quite something!¡¹ ¡¸I know it already so please stop saying I can¡¯t get it up.¡¹ If the goddess is like this, the saints and saintesses won¡¯t be different. As for my tragic past, I felt something in my chest but that means it¡¯s not broken. I mean, there¡¯s more to it. I¡¯m shocked that I¡¯m an impo in my former world too. How should I take it? ¡¸With the power given to you by your one and only soul friend, who no longer exists anywhere, you chose to erase all your painful memories and came to this world. It was a coincidence that this world was chosen but looking at it now, you have already found a lot of people you care for in this world.¡¹ ¡¸If that is the case, should I live in this world permanently?¡¹ The goddess thought a little and then answered. CH 82.4 Chapter 82.4 ¨C Conversation with Asama ¡¸That¡¯s not for me to decide. However, I can tell you that there¡¯s no place left for you on Earth. You made that choice when you transmigrated to this world and I accepted you. Though you may not remember.¡¹ ¡¸Fumu¡­.¡¹ I think I¡¯ve heard what I need to hear about my past. As expected of a goddess, she gave me enough material and gave proper answers. The hesitation that blocked my view like a fog cleared up and I feel very refreshed. ¡¸Now, is there anything else?¡¹ ¡¸Then, my next question, why is this world(real fantasy) so harsh?¡¹ I thought about not saying anything but since she was speaking frankly, I decided to take this opportunity. I¡¯ll ask her everything I thought of. ¡¸You complain about that every time, don¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸The teachings of Asama Church themselves are wonderful, whether it is about eliminating racial and gender discrimination, freedom, or philanthropic spirit.¡¹ There¡¯s something wrong inside the church. There are sisters who are not following the doctrine at all. ¡¸And why is this world full of discrimination, crippling, cruel, and so unloving?¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s basically it. Since you are the goddess that created everything, you should have done something about it.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s a good question. There have been many believers in the past who wished that.¡¹ ¡¸They wished the goddess for a better world?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, for example, there was a slave girl in this harsh world. She was tortured unreasonably, forcibly humiliated, abused for selfish reasons, and was about to die. One day, I could no longer stand to see such misery anymore so I granted the girl¡¯s wish on a whim.¡¹ ¡¸And what happened to her?¡¹ I feel like I¡¯ve heard that story somewhere. I have a bad feeling about this. ¡¸I made that poor girl my shrine maiden. As my shrine maiden, she was endowed with high-level holy magic, became a queen, and in the blink of an eye, she unified the human world and created a holy queendom. She enforced the people to follow the doctrine. She punished all evil and never allowed even a small one to exist. She wanted to create a perfect world of kindness.¡¹ ¡¸ That sounds pretty harsh.¡¹ ¡¸That was around 1200 years ago. What was the result? In only 200 years, the civilization that the human world had cultivated until then collapsed without a trace.¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­.so that¡¯s her story.¡¹ That¡¯s the story of Queen Liliella, the one who made the White Tower of Trials. Given how self-righteous she was, that¡¯s already something expected. ¡¸You¡¯re not surprised.¡¹ ¡¸In my original world, there¡¯s an ideology similar to that. It¡¯s called communism.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, the Soviet Union?¡¹ ¡¸Eh? How do you know about the Soviet Union?¡¹ Why does she have detailed history knowledge about Earth¡¯s history? That¡¯s, strange¡­. ¡¸Cough, there are heroes who came from Earth so it¡¯s not strange to know about the fall of the Berlin Wall.¡¹ ¡¸If you knew about it, please avoid extreme idealism.¡¹ I heard that the Soviet Union ¨C a socialist country that aimed to be communist ¨C tried to create a world where everyone was equal. However, in communism, you are still equal no matter how hard you work or slack off so people cheat and lose the will to work. Or at least that¡¯s how I understand it. ¡¸Well, I was young too.¡¹ ¡¸No, aren¡¯t you 6800 years old at that time?¡¹ ¡¸Hnn¡­Excuse me, I seemed to have missed what you said. The radio wave is bad.¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯re communicating through radio waves?¡¹ ¡¸Well, every world has a similar history. The world of kindness laid by my shrine maiden has declined in commerce and industry and encouraged everyone to work on agriculture but everyone has lost their motivation and became robots or whatever you call it in your previous world.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s what happens when you push equality too hard.¡¹ Perhaps the reason why Queen Liliella was so obsessed with golems was because she wanted to deny human imperfection. ¡¸The world that my shrine maiden created was terrible, everyone has lost their will, and yet she continued to suppress and punish ingenious people who tried to have free will in such a world¡­¡¹ ¡¸Maa, I apologize for asking something that made you remember something bad.¡¹ Removing all sides of cruelty is only another form of cruelty. Even if she¡¯s the goddess of creation, it¡¯s crazy to ask her to do something about this real fantasy world. A world bleached by good intent, ruled by Queen Liliella, who denies evil. Was 200 years before mankind collapsed too long? Or too short? CH 82.5 Chapter 82.5 ¨C Conversation with Asama ¡¸So, human civilization destroyed itself once and was driven out of my influence by the demons. However, the descendants of those who had not lost their free will eventually begin to build a new order.¡¹ ¡¸Fumu¡¹ After the age of perfect goodness, the survivors of those who tried to live the way they wanted to created the world we live in today. So that¡¯s why the people in this world are so free-spirited. In both good and bad ways. ¡¸I made the new Asama Church cherish free will more than equality. Of course, there are doctrines but I taught them that even clergies can go beyond the doctrines and do what they think is right.¡¹ ¡¸I think that alone is a wonderful thing.¡¹ If only they could do something about the perverted saintess and the homo saint. ¡¸Man does evil. But evil is part of man and if he denies it completely, he will lose himself. I pray that man, with his free will and choice, will still choose the path of good. It is strange that I, the goddess of creation, pray to people.¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s not.¡¹ ¡¸Then, I have a favor to ask you.¡¹ ¡¸What is it? As long as it is something I can do.¡¹ I didn¡¯t think that the goddess would ask me anything. ¡¸Be nicer to Ria.¡¹ ¡¸Ehto¡­.are you someone gone from being a goddess to being Ria again?¡¹ ¡¸No, you know what? Ria is being reserved just for you.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so?¡¹ If she¡¯s already being reserved, then, what kind of Ria is not being reserved. I¡¯m already scared. ¡¸It¡¯s not uncommon for saintess and heroes to get entangled with each other. If a saintess marries a hero after they had a child, I would not punish her. However, Ria wouldn¡¯t want something like that to happen.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­.¡¹ So that¡¯s the reservedness you are talking about. So, her reservedness is like taking a hundred steps back. No, wait a minute, goddess-sama. From what you said, the order of child-making and marriage seems to be off. ¡¸She¡¯s just taking the sister¡¯s commandments as an excuse. Ria doesn¡¯t want to take the last step because she knows how the present Takeru feels. She knows that you don¡¯t want to get into a deep relationship with women¡­.Hey, don¡¯t you think a woman doing something like that for you is lovable?¡¹ ¡¸Maa, the way you are convincing me, somehow I feel like it¡¯s not working that much.¡¹ I don¡¯t think I can be convinced since I¡¯m seeing Ria¡¯s face. I might think that she¡¯s playing herself. ¡¸You¡¯re not very honest either, you know. This girl is your saintess, Takeru. By becoming the sister in charge of the hero, aren¡¯t the two of you already a step on doing that? I¡¯m also being asked by her dead parents, she said she wants it to come true if possible.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s a very touching thing to say.¡¹ The saintess who died as a result of Gale¡¯s scheme, Ria¡¯s foster parent. I¡¯m not sure what kind of person she was but I¡¯m sure any parents will pray for the well-being of their children. ¡¸I want you and Ria to live freely in this world I¡¯ve created just like everyone else. Of course, I¡¯m not forcing you but I do request you to be more kind to her. Consider that as the replacement of the last sacrament.¡¹ ¡¸As you wish¡­.I¡¯ll try to be positive to her as much as possible.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t want something simple as that, I¡¯m really requesting you. I¡¯ll give you a bonus other than being certified as a first-class hero. I¡¯ll give you a blessing or something. There will be more battles in the future and you¡¯ll need the power of the goddess.¡¹ ¡¸Is that a deal?¡¹ It¡¯s not normal for the goddess of creation to offer a deal to a human. It¡¯s not a lie that she wants to make this world a world of free will. What¡¯s happening to the world might have influenced her to do that. Perhaps it would be better to call this world a free will fantasy instead of real fantasy. ¡¸I hope we can talk again but I¡¯m the only one here so I have a lot of deadlines.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much for giving us some of your time despite your busy schedule.¡¹ That¡¯s a showbiz term. TN: Yeah, she used a showbiz term. ¡¸Ah, I forgot to mention that I¡¯ve removed your trauma and psychological resistance to women.¡¹ ¡¸Heh¡­.¡¹ ¡¸The door of this room won¡¯t open after a certain amount of time. Use that to get along with Ria. Enjoy yourself!¡¹ Asama said that and left. Ria, who had empty eyes, fell and the communication with Asama ended. What does she mean about removing psychological resistance? What should I do now¡­. CH 83.1 Chapter 83.1 ¨C The Last Sacrament ¡¸Hmm, hmmmm¡­..¡¹ Drained as if her batteries had run out. Lying on the round pink bed, Ria¡¯s eyes gradually regain light. It looks like she has woken up. ¡¸So, Asama¡¯s descent is over?¡¹ ¡¸Looks like it.¡¹ The round bed with pink sheets was no longer rotating. I¡¯m sure I¡¯m already familiar with Ria¡¯s underwear but, why does it look strangely lustrous? ¡¸Haa, so this is what it means to break the psychological resistance to women.¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s the matter with you?¡¹ I started to feel erotic! ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing. Are you feeling okay?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I feel better than ever. You have completed the sacrament and now, you are a certified first-class hero. You can even compete with Archbishop Nicholas. Takeru will also feel the overflowing power.¡¹ Yeah, I can already feel that overflowing power you are talking about but my lower body is kind of congested. This isn¡¯t good. Ria, who¡¯s only wearing underwear, has reached out to me while those are swaying. ¡¸Can you pull me up?¡¹ ¡¸No, get up yourself.¡¹ Ria¡¯s teary eyes intertwine with my gaze. I can see the pattern. If I try to pull her hand up, she¡¯ll just pull me down. And yet, I can¡¯t help but touch Ria¡¯s hands, which are as smooth as white porcelain. My heart, which was always cool, is acting like a man in puberty. My heart starts to race. The more I try not to let her know what¡¯s happening to me, the more my breathing becomes ragged, and I¡¯m even sweating cold. Even with her bra on, Ria¡¯s chest is overflowing and I can¡¯t help but stare at it. I wonder what her cup size is. I know how Ria feels, how pleasant will it be if I touch those soft flesh with my fingers sinking on them? ¡¸Damn it, devil inside me, go away!¡¹ ¡¸W-what¡¯s wrong? Takeru¡­.¡¹ Ria held my forehead with her hand and seemed to be a little taken back with my battle with lust. It¡¯s your goddess¡¯ fault! No, it¡¯s not Asama¡¯s fault. Perhaps I¡¯ve always been a helpless erotic guy. The faint scent of a woman rises from Ria¡¯s skin, mingling with the scent of beeswax. That made me can¡¯t get the naughty pink fantasy out of my head. I sigh. I guess I¡¯ve been taking it easy so far. Anyway, if Ria finds out about my current state of mind, it could be fatal. I have to get out of this danger zone as soon as possible. ¡¸I can¡¯t open it¡­.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t think it was locked.¡¹ Maybe it took quite a lot of physical strength to let Asama use her body. When she got up from the bed, her voice was a little cozy. I push and pull the door but I won¡¯t even budge. She said she¡¯s going to lock me in for a certain amount of time but, how long exactly? If Ria found out about my situation, there is a high possibility that I would be attacked. And if she does, I¡¯m not sure if I can resist anymore. ¡¸Help me think how to open it. Don¡¯t you want to get out?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, Takeru is kind of aggressive today.¡¹ No, I just can¡¯t get out. It¡¯s important to pretend that I can still afford to stay here so I sat down on the bed, pretending to be as calm as possible. Ria sat down next to me. ¡¸It¡¯s a shame that this room is only used for ceremonies.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I can say that this is the perfect room for lovers to whisper love with each other in peace. The bed is nice and fluffy too.¡¹ As usual, what Ria is saying sounds inexplicable. Where did the pretense of a holy room go? It¡¯s my evil heart that makes Ria¡¯s tone sound so lovely and seductive. ¡¸Takeru, actually, I¡¯m not sure if I should point it out but it has been ongoing for a while.¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¹ ¡¸Should I really say it?¡¹ ¡¸Just say it.¡¹ ¡¸Well, the front of your pants is¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Whoah!¡¹ The front of my pants, which I usually wear, is in ¡°hard¡± trouble. I thought that she was going to attack me but Ria¡¯s cheeks flush red, and she even played with her fingers. ¡¸I guess it was good that I set out the mood. The sacrament is over but if Takeru says otherwise, I¡¯m ready.¡¹ ¡¸Ahh¡­.kill me¡¹ I¡¯m disappointed with myself to react this much to Ria¡¯s underwear. My heart could endure but I¡¯m not sure about my body. ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m fine so get dressed.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, the wings haven¡¯t disappeared yet so I can¡¯t wear them.¡¹ There are still white silver wings that Asama had sprouted on Ria¡¯s back. It¡¯s true that she won¡¯t be able to wear clothes with those wings. I wonder how angels live. ¡¸However, they are beautiful wings. It¡¯s an honor for me to be able to wear the holy wings of Asama.¡¹ Ria came in front of me, asking me to look at her wings. They are beautiful wings. They have a mystical tint on them and if an ordinary woman were to wear them, they would look like they are cosplaying. They look great on Ria, who has the innocent beauty of an angel when she¡¯s not talking. CH 83.2 Chapter 83.2 ¨C The Last Sacrament ¡¸Ria, what are you doing?¡¹ ¡¸It was written in the forbidden book that men would be pleased when you do this.¡¹ With a big smile on her face, Ria began to shake her gigantic, ripped mass of flesh before my eyes. I think she can make any gravure idol lose her job. Along with Ria¡¯s boobies, her white silver wings are jumping up and down. For some reason, she had a big smile while doing a double peace. Which manga did you learn that from? I¡¯d like to withdraw my previous statement. It was blasphemy to compare Ria to an angel even if she keeps her mouth shut. There¡¯s no angel in any world that will do a double peace. I really think this girl is a helpless idiot. But I think I¡¯m more idiotic since I¡¯m getting excited with what this idiot is doing. ¡¸Kyaa, I fell for some reason.¡¹ ¡¸Uwaa.¡¹ Pretending to stagger, Ria pounced on me and pushed me down on the bed. I felt something soft against my face. Ria¡¯s big boobies are amazing. They are firm to the point of bursting yet so soft and warm that my fingers sink into them when I touch them. It feels like no other. Thus, my face is enveloped by her large chest and I can even hear her heartbeat. These mere lumps of soft flesh bewilder my mind so madly. How good would it feel if I could tear off the disturbing cloth that covers Ria¡¯s chest right now and play with them to my heart¡¯s content? It¡¯s okay to do that, that¡¯s what my desire screams. Inside my boiling head, I can still hear a distant voice shouting that I shouldn¡¯t. It¡¯s not the voice of reason. I¡¯m also sure it¡¯s not the trashy reason that has been holding me back until now, it¡¯s the fear of losing. Now that I had people I cared about, would I be able to bear the thought of losing them again? The piercing pain in my chest, the regret of losing the people I care about, was barely holding me together like a chain, and then, Asama removed it. Ria is indeed an irresistible woman. She¡¯s as mean as a little devil and as innocent as an angel. The way she talks and the way she acts, she¡¯s clearly tempting me. Such a good woman is seducing me. I want her so bad that it hurts. Even if it¡¯s just lust, what¡¯s wrong with wanting each other? And it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t have feelings for Ria. I¡¯m trying to justify myself in a way that makes me feel better, in a way that it¡¯s okay to be overwhelmed by lust. But I¡¯m a heavenly evil, I know the reason why I can¡¯t be swept away by lust. Just look at this situation. Asama has let me off my leash and set me up like a starving wild dog with food in front. Given our location, this scenario is all according to Ria¡¯s plan! If I lose to lust and push Ria down, that would be too uncool. Maybe one day, I will but at least not here. Until a while ago, I was seriously thinking about my future life, about marrying Princess Silhouette. If I were with Princess Silhouette, Lyle-sensei, or Louise, I would have gracefully raised a white flag. I will not be defeated by Asama¡¯s arrangement nor Ria¡¯s foolish temptation! ¡¸You are all healthy today, is that a blessing from Asama?¡¹ ¡¸Get away from me, Ria.¡¹ I couldn¡¯t help but hug her back even though I knew I shouldn¡¯t. Ria¡¯s body was so soft and she smelled so good that I couldn¡¯t resist. ¡¸You¡¯re hugging me so tight, how do you expect me to leave you? You don¡¯t have to do that, I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡¹ ¡¸No, Ria, this¡­¡¹ As expected, I knew I couldn¡¯t beat tits¡­. ¡¸Ahhh, I wonder if I will finally go to the end today. Forgive this sinful me, Asama. The final round is just around the corner.¡¹ ¡¸Shut up, aahhh¡­.¡¹ The impact of the winged Ria pressing her heinous weapon against my body, I finally reached my limit. This is ridiculous, an outburst!? I¡¯m not a junior high schooler. In the midst of my explosive excitement and struggle, my body somehow liberated it against my will. Thanks to this, my mind shifted to the sage mode but I was stunned at how pathetic the situation was. Ah, I¡¯ve done it. At least I don¡¯t want Ria to notice it. I shuddered at the feeling of releasing and disgust of getting wet but I tried to keep my cool. ¡¸Ara ara, could it be that you soiled your pants?¡¹ ¡¸¡­.kuh¡¹ CH 83.3 Chapter 83.3 ¨C The Last Sacrament How could I have been noticed? What a humiliation. I won¡¯t be surprised if Ria looked down or despised me. Ria¡¯s deep blue eyes were looking at me with gentleness and they even had a hint of concern for a younger man who had gotten ahead of himself. Don¡¯t be so merciful, Ria. My flimsy pride will be hurt. Just kill me. ¡¸It¡¯s okay, Takeru. It¡¯s a natural physiological phenomenon for boys in puberty. It may be because you love me. Besides, it¡¯s very good that you are healthy. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not in puberty! ¡¹ Ria looked as if she wanted to say something and said, ¡°You¡¯re just getting too excited because you¡¯re a virgin.¡±. I might have been too excited but I¡¯m not a virgin! ¡¸Look, here¡¯s your replacement pants. ¡¹ ¡¸Why do you have men¡¯s underwear? ¡¹ ¡¸Asama told me to have it ready because I might need it today. ¡¹ That damn goddess! She knew all of this would happen! ¡¸Ah, don¡¯t be so resentful. I¡¯m sure Takeru wouldn¡¯t like to be in wet pants. Please accept Asama¡¯s kind consideration. ¡¹ ¡¸Alright, give it to me. ¡¹ I took them from Ria and went to a corner of the room to change. I was beginning to feel like I wanted to cry. ¡¸They¡¯re dirty so I¡¯ll wash them for you. ¡¹ ¡¸Who said I¡¯m going to give them to you? ¡¹ I¡¯ll take this home and wash it myself. I¡¯ve been humiliated since earlier so this much is nothing. I bet my hand that I can open that black door of the confession room. ¡¸Ah, Takeru, that¡¯s impossible. I have just received an oracle from Asama saying that this is ¡°accommodation and not a break¡±. This room will be completely closed for 24 hrs to prevent any disturbance. ¡¹ ¡¸What the hell! ¡¹ ¡¸Fortunately, the loveho room has its own toilet and water supply so you don¡¯t have to worry about getting dirty again. I¡¯ve prepared plenty of food and drinks so I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be comfortable. By the way, I¡¯ve prepared five pairs of replacement pants so you don¡¯t have to worry about it even if it takes a few days. ¡¹ I¡¯ve reached my limit. I can no longer take this humiliation! ¡¸Star emperor sword, wild slash! ¡¹ I swung the sword of light at the black door. A silver barrier appeared and resisted it. It is indeed Asama¡¯s barrier. The sword of light alone can¡¯t cut it. ¡¸Kuh ¡¹ I threw my dirty pants down and summoned the neutral sword and smashed the barrier with both hands. Since it is a double attack, there should be damage, right? ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, goddess of creation-sama but I¡¯m a neutral hero!¡¹ With the support of the mother goddess of chaos, a breaking sound similar to the sound of breaking glass resounded and the black door was cut off along with the goddess¡¯ barrier. I took my fallen pants and went through the gap I opened at the door. ¡¸Ah, Takeru, please wait! ¡¹ I heard a high-pitched cry behind me but continued to escape the danger zone(loveho). Ria is dressed as if naked and can¡¯t go through the narrow gap of the door given her wings so she can¡¯t follow me. I¡¯m a neutral hero who dares rebel against the goddess¡¯ scenario. Mission complete! ---Scene Change--- ¡¸Ah¡­.mou, what have I done? ¡¹ That wasn¡¯t cool at all and I can¡¯t even blame Ria. I was able to hide my intense tension and get away from the church but that didn¡¯t solve any of my problems. I never thought life would be too hard when my libido returned. Just when I thought I had gotten rid of my problems by learning about my past, I was thrown with a new trouble. What does Asama want from me? Why torment young people? Is this a god¡¯s way of dealing with humans? But I¡¯m not a believer so I don¡¯t think she needs to test me. Ah, yeah¡­.my head is hot, my body¡¯s burning. My helpless imagination about something pink is popping up in my head, one after another. I shouldn''t be called a hero but a pervert. ¡¸Am I really this kind of guy?¡¹ Anyway, let¡¯s go back to the castle and stay in my room. This isn¡¯t a good time to meet anyone. I¡¯m sure my mind will calm down after a little rest. ¡¸Haa, haaa¡­.¡¹ My body¡¯s on fire and I can¡¯t do anything about it. Somehow, I¡¯m staggering as I reach the castle. ¡¸Master, are you alright?¡¹ ¡¸Sharon, it¡¯s nothing¡­.stay a little bit away from me.¡¹ Sharon came running up to me but just smelling her, which normally doesn¡¯t bother me, was enough to drive me crazy. And Oracle¡¯s here too. ¡¸Hey, Takeru. I smell it. Show me what you have in your hand.¡¹ I couldn¡¯t stop Oracle from taking my dirty underwear from my hand. Smelling it, Oracle¡¯s eyes widened. ¡¸This is¡­.a big problem. Hey Sharon, Takeru is sick and he needs to be treated right away.¡¹ ¡¸He¡¯s sick?! Is there anything I can do!? ¡¹ CH 83.4 Chapter 83.4 ¨C The Last Sacrament Sharon¡¯s amber eyes widened in surprise but she quickly regained her composure and asked Oracle for instructions. I thought for sure I was feeling strange but I guess I¡¯m sick. ¡¸By the way Sharon, you take these dirty pants and have them washed. Also, I¡¯m going to put Takeru in my room for treatment so make sure no one comes near him. Especially women.¡¹ ¡¸I understand but, what is master¡¯s disease?¡¹ ¡¸Ehto, it¡¯s a male-only disease that once you contacted, you¡¯ll get sick when there are women around. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m an expert on this. I will take care of him and make sure to cure him the soonest time possible.¡¹ ¡¸I will do as you say. Oracle-san, please take care of master.¡¹ Sharon took my soiled underwear and anxiously looked after me as Oracle took me with her. Ah, that underwear. I really don¡¯t want it to be seen by Sharon¡­.. I lay down on the bed in Oracle¡¯s room. She pulled down my underwear and pants in one fell swoop. I don¡¯t really have the energy to resist anymore but I¡¯m still embarrassed. ¡¸Oracle, what are you doing¡­.¡¹ ¡¸What else aside from treating your medical condition? I already know what¡¯s happening with your body once I smelled it but, how did this happen?¡¹ Oracle rubbed my belly with concern but I can see that she was angry too. Oracle said that my body is currently in a state of overheating as the gates of my energy that have been damned for more than a year have been released all at once. That¡¯s the reason why I am in heat. ¡¸It must have been painful for you to be like that¡­.who would have done such a terrible thing to my Takeru?¡¹ ¡¸Asama said she had removed all of my psychological resistance.¡¹ ¡¸What? The goddess of creation did this? I was trying to heal Takeru by gradually draining your semen slowly in order for your body to adjust but the goddess herself doesn¡¯t understand how the body of a man in puberty works. She¡¯s been alive for 8000 years and she¡¯s still dumb!¡¹ Oracle¡¯s eyes are bloodshot. Her white twin tails are even standing on her head while growing ¡°grrrrr¡± with her fangs out. She seems to be seriously angry. ¡¸I¡¯m sure Asama didn¡¯t mean any harm¡­..¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s something that a young boy like Takeru has kept accumulating in his reservoir for years. Only someone stupid would open it up in one go. If I catch that woman, I¡¯ll beat her up!¡¹ In Oracle¡¯s point of view, the goddess of creation is nothing but a fool. Well, she¡¯s not the object of faith of demons after all. ¡¸What am I supposed to do now?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s completely overflowing so we have to do it the hard way. But the first thing I have to do is drain your energy.¡¹ I¡¯m suffering a lot and I want something to be done. I¡¯m convinced about that point. Also, it¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve been straddled by Oracle but it still makes me quite uncomfortable. ¡¸W-wait a minute.¡¹ Oracle-chan, no¡­.Oracle-san? Isn¡¯t that impossible? ¡¸I¡¯m prepared to put my life on the line but it is impossible to receive this amount of semen normally. I¡¯m sure my little womb can barely handle it.¡¹ ¡¸I know, I know but, I don¡¯t even know how to do it!¡¹ Oracle-chan gave me a thumbs up but she has a tragic smile. Yeah, this is an impossible task. ¡¸I¡¯m small but I¡¯m a semen-absorbing professional. Just lie there. Rest assured, you¡¯ll be fine. Control your energy and don¡¯t run away.¡¹ ¡¸I appreciate it but I¡¯m scared.¡¹ Is there no other way? ¡¸Beginners should leave everything to the professionals. The one who believes will be saved, the one who rushes will fail. Alright, I¡¯m going to start.¡¹ ¡¸But this is¡­.ahhhhh¡¹ Oracle¡¯s mysterious movement took a long time and was endless. At some point, I seemed to have fallen asleep. When Oracle-chan, who was exhausted and fainted, wakes up gently beside me with a smile like a warrior who died fighting. I quickly wiped my sweaty skin with a towel, put my clothes on, and went outside. It was bright outside the room. ¡¸Areh? Is it noon already?¡¹ ¡¸Master, are you feeling better?¡¹ Sharon was waiting anxiously outside the room. I smelled her scent and touched her skin and I didn¡¯t lose composure. I guess I¡¯m okay now. As expected of a pro. ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m fine now. I was surprised that it was not even dark yet.¡¹ ¡¸Master, it¡¯s morning already.¡¹ Is that so? So, it has been a whole day. My sense of time has already gone wrong and I also have a feeling that I¡¯m not who I was before. I¡¯m not in a bad mood though. ¡¸Oracle is tired and sleeping. Can you take care of her later?¡¹ ¡¸I understand. It seems like master has been fully healed. I¡¯m relieved.¡¹ I feel refreshed as if I¡¯ve been reborn. I went to the bathroom to clean my body. The big sun was visible from the corridor of the castle and it was shining brightly. As I stopped and stared at it, I felt as if my heart was being completely swallowed by the yellow sun. CH 84.1 Chapter 84.1 ¨C Resumption of War Due to the effect of the opened ¡°Hotbed of Corruption and Delusion¡±, another imperial city was destroyed. Freed¡¯s mysterious actions are no longer harmful after that. ¡¸If things went according to his plan, Freed should have gotten two new demon king¡¯s core.¡¹ I wonder if he¡¯s three times more powerful. However, Oracle-chan said that if he really did that, he would only die by being swallowed up by the power of the demon king¡¯s core. Finally, I heard the news about the resumption of war. From the imperial capital of Northmark, the Silesie subjugation army, led by Crown Prince Freed himself, began to march. However, what was puzzling was that the empire now claimed that Count Brynie was not dead and announced that they would continue the war of intervention. We had thought that they were going to use other noble families as their banner and we had taken measures against them but to use a dead count as their banner was beyond our expectations. The count is dead. I killed him myself. I beheaded him and displayed his head for the City of Lauren to see. Why did the empire invade using such inexplicable insistence? Was it because of the failure of Brynie? Or did they learn their lesson that local nobles of Silesie tend to do whatever they want and are a bad banner? It is true that a silent dead man might be better to use as a banner. It is also possible that the cause no longer matters when it comes to this decisive battle. There was one more thing that surprised us. The empire spearheaded 50000 troops from the imperial capital and had another 20000 troops at the rear. 70000 troops passed through the City of Lanct, crossed the border, and attacked the territory of the Lauren Knights. A war using an army as big as 70000 at once was unprecedented even in the history of Eurasia continent. It could be said that this was the very limit of the Germania Empire¡¯s mobilization power. At the main camp in the City of Spike, Lyle-sensei is staring at the strategic map and is astonished. ¡¸This is impossible¡­.¡¹ If the army of 70000, the combined strength of the empire, attacks, it will certainly hit us hard. However, emptying the imperial capital and attacking another country with all your might is a strategy far outside the norm. No, it¡¯s no longer a strategy at all. The Germania Empire¡¯s territories have been destabilized by successive wars and its diplomatic situation is at its worst. What would they do if someone attacked their defenseless capital? In particular, the Roland Kingdom, which has troops stationed along its borders, has a long holding desire to recover its former territory that was occupied by the empire 30 years ago. The empire¡¯s in a situation where it could be invaded any time. The imperial capital Northmark aside, even their territories are in danger of being occupied by neighboring countries. Kaara, who was staring at the strategic map, made a rare remark. ¡¸This formation¡­.Freed intends to use the ¡°hotbed of corruption and delusion¡± as defensive measures. If the enemies invade the imperial capital, the army will be hit by monsters from behind and even be surrounded.¡¹ ¡¸Is that even possible?¡¹ However, at the end of Silesie¡¯s coup, Gale used the miasma hole of doom when he was in a desperate situation after being cornered. I¡¯m not certain but it is possible that using the miasma hole of doom was part of his strategy from the start. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s something humans should do. ¡¸It¡¯s not a normal strategy but if you are willing to sacrifice your own people, you can make good use of the miasma holes. It certainly can protect the imperial capital from a small army. Though it is hard to believe that humans would have such a terrible idea. I don¡¯t think they made the imperial capital¡¯s defenses that thin without any measure.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true¡­.¡¹ Even Kaara, who is hostile to humans, is slightly taken back. However, Freed is a man who even thought of using demon king¡¯s core for war. The golden lion prince pulls off the impossible. ¡¸Well, if you are going to attack with all your might, you might as well do as much as you can.¡¹ ¡¸Takeru-dono, you seem quite calm.¡¹ Indeed, even sensei doesn¡¯t hide his impatience and confusion this time. However, I already thought that Freed would do this much so I¡¯m not surprised. Though I never imagined that he would gather an army of 70000. ¡¸Can¡¯t sensei think of something to win against this army of 70000?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯ve been planning and preparing for this day for a long time. The enemy is about 30000 more than expected. However, thinking about it, the enemy has no choice but to attack swiftly with large numbers.¡¹ Sensei began to rework the plan after unfolding the strategy map. ¡¸What do you think? Do you think we should use this?¡¹ ¡¸That is something¡­.I guess we should try anything.¡¹ Sensei smiled thinly but with a sad expression. If sensei says it¡¯s okay, then I have nothing to worry about. ¡¸Then, let¡¯s go with this. Freed will be coming like this so I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll try to use the ¡°miasma hole of doom¡±.¡¹ ¡¸Takeru-dono¡¯s point is correct. I have a countermeasure for that so I¡¯ll have you do it when the time comes.¡¹ I think sensei had figured it all out. Looking at sensei¡¯s eyes, it looks like everything is still under control. There¡¯s no need to panic yet. ¡¸Then, let¡¯s get it on!¡¹ ¡¸Takeru-dono¡­.¡¹ When I was about to go to the front line with Oracle, sensei stopped me. ¡¸What is it, sensei?¡¹ ¡¸No¡­.it¡¯s nothing much. Since you¡¯re going to the front line, I¡¯ll give you this.¡¹ Sensei handed me a gun. The gun was larger and heavier than a flintlock. Given its shake, it looks like a sophisticated enfield rifle(with an awkward auxiliary magic tool and a retrofit magazine). ¡¸It has been finally completed, this magic rifle. There are twelve bullets in the magazine and if you pull the lever, they will load one after another.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, amazing. This totally looks like a rifle.¡¹ CH 84.2 Chapter 84.2 ¨C Resumption of War I look at the muzzle, it has grooves. ¡¸The grooves probably won¡¯t work but it is powered by a magic gem so it should rotate. The range will be much longer and the trajectory will be more stable.¡¹ ¡¸As expected. Even so, it¡¯s amazing that you were able to make a magazine for it.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I understood the basic structure so I could build it using combined magic tools but only three prototypes were able to shoot. Also, even one magazine costs a lot of money so please don¡¯t shoot in vain.¡¹ I took a test shot out the window at the tree in the distance and heard a crackling sound. A branch fell so I probably hit the target. When I pulled the lever, the bullet slid in and I could fire immediately again. The recoil was milder than that of a flintlock, probably due to the use of a magic detonator for ignition. Bullets can be loaded quickly and the accuracy and range increased. ¡¸Can¡¯t we mass produce this? I think we can overwhelm anyone if we line up soldiers armed with magic rifles.¡¹ ¡¸No, not at this time. There have been too many manufacturing failures and it can¡¯t be considered as a stable weapon. It also uses expensive magic tools so building a cannon would be better. Magic rifles are made for self-defense of those who absolutely must not die.¡¹ ¡¸I see.¡¹ ¡¸Three guns should be enough for now. Takeru-dono, since you promised Wake-dono, you probably need to contact him now.¡¹ It looks like this magic rifle has yet to go beyond the range of roman weapons. ¡¸I want to try the rifle against the imperial army as soon as possible.¡¹ ¡¸Takeru-dono is my important general so please don¡¯t go in deeply. Make sure you¡¯ll be able to come back.¡¹ I think I¡¯m cautious enough. However, since sensei warned me, it might really be dangerous. Well, we¡¯re going to take on 70000 enemies after all. If I run out of options, I¡¯ll run into the Oracle¡¯s Great Cave and throw the furukisha at the enemy. It¡¯s a double-edged sword but it should work as the last resort. When I told my plan to use the Oracle¡¯s Great Cave against the enemy siege to sensei, sensei asked me if I was insane. With the dungeon master as our ally, the cave, which now spans ten floors before the ground, is a great stone factory in times of peace. In war, it is an impregnable fortress that no human castle can compare to. It should be a perfect base to torment the incoming imperial forces. And just like that, the war against the empire begins. ---Scene Change--- The Lauren Knights territory has been attacked. In the territory of the Lauren Knights, it seems like Count Brynie faction of the Lauren Knights has risen again so knights are having duels against each other. The imperial army ignores the futile struggle and passes through them. This time, they tried to advance their troops directly to the city of Spike without going through the City of Lauren. However, the narrow mountain roads of the Moke Mountains stood in the way. I asked Oracle-chan to carry me and we flew through the air to scout out the approaching enemy hordes. ¡¸Amazing, it¡¯s like a scene from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. ¡¹ I¡¯ve already seen the battle of 10000 troops. However, seeing the 70000 enemy forces from above, all I could see were crowds, crowds, and more crowds. The sight of 50000 men trying to cross the mountain road in the Moke Mountains was breathtaking. It was like a huge army of ants gathering on a pile of sugar. On the mountain road, the volunteer corps and Viscount Oracle¡¯s troops were desperately trying to reduce the number of approaching enemies by trapping them, dropping rocks and logs, but they were outnumbered, they¡¯re only less than a thousand. They were outnumbered and overpowered. If we didn¡¯t give the order to retreat at the right moment, they might have been swallowed up by the enemies crossing the mountain. On the other side of the 50000 imperial troops, a little further away, an army of 20000 strong rear guards is slowly approaching. That¡¯s also a big army but they are slow since they have the supplies and siege weapons. The troops that surround them are not from the empire but from the territorial army so they will not actively participate in battle. That¡¯s according to sensei¡¯s assessment. ¡¸Hey, do you want to try and attack from above?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, let¡¯s sprinkle these burning stones.¡¹ Oracle-chan hit the enemy¡¯s spearhead with a shockwave. Though we were supposed to only scout, we can¡¯t leave the volunteer corps alone. I also aimed at the only knight with a luxurious helmet who seems to be the frontline commander using the magic rifle. The enemies are eager to shoot up using their crossbow and longbows but they will never hit me given the altitude. We quickly left that place though since there are intermediate mages who shoot us with fireballs. Even if that hits me, I won¡¯t get hurt since I have high fire resistance but this is how far our one-sided attack will go. ¡¸Takeru, let¡¯s escape as fast as we can.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah¡­.¡¹ The trump card of the imperial army, 500 flying dragon knights. Their flock is moving towards us. The flying dragon knights who are using wyverns as mounts are standard air fighters of a fantasy world. If we were surrounded by them, things would be bad. The common sense of the art of war ¡°Battles are fought with numbers¡± doesn¡¯t change even if I¡¯m in another world. But that¡¯s true. Facing 50000 or 70000 with the power of one is insufficient. ¡¸With that, it¡¯s impossible to launch an aerial battle against the empire.¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯ll have to drag them to the ground in order to fight against them.¡¹ Well, how to do that will be sensei¡¯s job. The flying dragon knights came too. I sent a signal bullet to my allies to make them withdraw before the enemies caught up to them. CH 85.1 Chapter 85.1 ¨C Spike Castle Siege The spearhead of the volunteer army and the knights and soldiers under Ortholet¡¯s banner, a total of 1000 heads, fled to ¡°Oracle¡¯s Great Cave¡± at the foot of Moke Mountains as planned. The imperial army finally crossed the mountain road and attacked Viscount Oracle¡¯s territory. When I returned to the castle in the City of Spike, preparations for the retreat were already ongoing. ¡¸Sensei, are we going to retreat?¡¹ ¡¸Of course we will retreat.¡¹ It¡¯s true that the City of Spike has been rebuilt to a certain extent. The walls have been repaired but only one turret has been installed. Even so, an army of 70000 can easily surround and besiege this city. Supposed we were going for a siege battle, the first thing I thought of was to supply food and ammunition via the sky. The empire has the flying dragon knights so aerial transport routes would be blocked and they won¡¯t be able to withstand an aerial attack. Even if that¡¯s not the case, the empire also has siege weapons. Even if they could get into a simple siege battle, it would end once a part of the wall was brought down by a storm of stone projectiles. The old-fashioned city lord of the City of Spike couldn¡¯t accept that logic. ¡¸If I give up the city to the enemy, I will lose the spirit of our family. I will stay here even if I¡¯m alone.¡¹ ¡¸Ortholet¡­.I understand how you feel but there¡¯s no point in staying here and dying when the people have already retreated.¡¹ Gray hair, full plate armor, and imposing physique, it was no one else but the lord of Spike. Ortholet Oracle Spinner won¡¯t move in the castle. He¡¯s standing like a statue in the castle with arms crossed. Even Viscount Ortholet himself knows that it is impossible to protect the city. Therefore, we had the people of the territory evacuate first. This stubborn knight will not bend even against rationality. ¡¸Hey Ortholet, if you no longer live, I¡¯ll be in trouble.¡¹ ¡¸Hero-sama, this is the spirit of chivalry of our family de gozaru. Please, please understand!¡¹ Ah, what should I do with this? I don¡¯t want Ortholet to die, sensei? ¡¸Viscount Ortholet will remain alone in this city.¡¹ ¡¸Eehhhh!!!!¡¹ Sensei, have you gone mad? ¡¸I¡¯m not saying he¡¯s going to die. I¡¯m sure the viscount can¡¯t stand the thought of surrendering the city without giving the enemy a single shot.¡¹ ¡¸So be it.¡¹ Lyle-sensei told the plan and the viscount agreed while laughing. ¡¸Then, I hope the viscount can help me with the plan. We will leave the viscount and an experienced gunner here. Just the two of you. After you¡¯re done, make sure to retreat as soon as possible.¡¹ ¡¸Ortholet, are you willing to do it?¡¹ ¡¸Hero-sama, if there is anything I can do to help you defeat the enemy, please give me the order.¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t have to kneel every time. Just promise me you¡¯ll retreat once you¡¯re done with your task. I will not allow you to die.¡¹ I wonder what sensei¡¯s plan was. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything that can be done with just 2 fighters left in the city. ---Scene Change--- We withdrew from the City of Spike so we can only hear some hearsay about what¡¯s happening there. In front of the imperial army surrounding the city, Viscount Ortholet declared in a high-pitched voice from the top of the closed outer wall. ¡¸Dogs of the empire, as long as this Ortholet is here, this city will not fall!¡¹ At the same time, the viscount gently pulled a string, and crossbow arrows shot out at the imperial troops. ¡¸You are outnumbered, Viscount Ortholet. Surrender your city obediently!¡¹ This time, someone from the imperial army shouted but he¡¯s not the overall commander since it is Crown Prince Freed who leads this army. A commander of the army in front, Volkas Domos Dylan, stood in front and ordered Ortholet to surrender. Ortholet¡¯s response was pulling another string, in short, another rain of crossbow arrows. This made the imperial army think that they were being held in a siege by a small force. It¡¯s normal for them to think that way since the outer wall of the city is closed and they can¡¯t see that only Viscount Ortholet was there. On the other hand, Crown Prince Freed, who was in the main camp, ordered an advance mage of the army to start the siege even without waiting for the arrival of the trebuchet carried by the forces at the rear. Lyle-sensei¡¯s objective was to draw out the advance mages to the front line where they could be easily targeted. I mean, how much does he hate advance mages? The imperial army became impatient and attacked like Lyle-sensei had predicted. Among the advance mages of the empire who were defeated one after another, ¡°Scorching Iron¡± Doryuken Gund survived until now. The giant, armed with full plate armor despite being a mage, Doryuken is wearing a gray cloak. He thrusts his arms out wide toward the city walls that protect the city. He is casting an advance earth magic but it was not rock drop. ¡¸Guahahahaha! The king of the sky, the king of dawn! I summon with my name Doryuken, throw stardust, iron meteor!¡¹ Along with Doryuken¡¯s loud chant, though inferior to the highest-level magic meteor strike, a deadly attack was released. A huge scorching meteorite with tremendous attack power was casted. CH 85.2 Chapter 85.2 ¨C Spike Castle Siege The walls of the castle, which would have been able to withstand rock drop, weren¡¯t able to hold on. Because of his power, he is called a walking castle wall hammer. The power of iron meteor is not as much as an actual meteor fall. It did destroy that wall so it can be considered as a siege weapon in this medieval fantasy world. It¡¯s an intense blow of steel. It was at that moment that the lone gunner on the wall of the City of Spike, held her breath and concentrated on her target. Giney, a red-hair gunner, glared at the target when he was chanting loudly. Giney was a former vigilante of Ona Village and one of the veteran gunners who had studied sniping from the very start with Lyle-sensei. She was the only one left in the turret and she aimed at the advance mage who was using flashy magic. Using the old-style turret might not really be accurate but she has experience and perhaps luck is on her side too. Giney took the shot and an iron ball came out. Boom! The aim was just right. It was a direct hit and the impact alone sent the soldiers around Doryuken into a mist of blood. However, that¡¯s all the iron ball did. Doryuken himself was protected by a magic barrier. ¡¸Fuh, so that¡¯s the new weapon of Silesie. That surprised me¡­¡¹ Of course, Doryuken is an advance mage who had fought in many battles so he was prepared for the enemy¡¯s attack. He survived the bombardment. He probably thought that his large-scale siege magic could easily beat the enemy¡¯s new weapon. Thus, he let his guard down. His magic crushed the enemy¡¯s stronghold and as he cheered and watched his soldiers rush into the city, he was caught off guard. Doryuken wasn¡¯t able to utter a single word when Kaara, who disguised herself as a Germania soldier, attacked his neck from behind. No one paid attention to Doryuken as he slumped forward amidst the shouts and cheers of the imperial hordes as they stormed the city. Kaara had gone straight into the city, blending in with the imperial soldiers, and met up with the gunner Giney to get her out of there. It was the first time in a long time that her disguise and covert skills had come in handy. ---Scene Change--- In front of me, Viscount Ortholet, who had been picked up by Oracle-chan, came to me. He looks resentful. ¡¸Viscount Ortholet, you worked hard.¡¹ ¡¸I was able to be of help to hero-sama, I have no regret¡­¡¹ ¡¸Are you dissatisfied with something?¡¹ ¡¸No, I was ordered to return alive.¡¹ I put my hand on the resentful-looking Ortholet. In the end, we gave up the city in vain. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s not happy with that battle so I have to soothe him. ¡¸I¡¯m glad you did what you could to come back alive. Viscount, you are now going to have the role of commander in chief of the main army of Silesie Kingdom.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? I¡¯ll be the commander in chief?¡¹ Ortholet might have never expected that position. Local nobles are useless and there is a shortage of people I can trust that the imperial army might even laugh at me. ¡¸Yes, originally, it should have been Marquis Danavan, however, his specialty is logistical support. I would like to leave the real command of this army to the vice general, that¡¯s you, Viscount Ortholet.¡¹ ¡¸¡­.hero-sama, to think you bought me that far¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ortholet, be the man you are. You¡¯re the only one who can do it.¡¹ ¡¸Hero-sama, I respectfully accept that role, I will do my best!¡¹ ¡¸If we win this war, you will be known as the great general of salvation. If that happens, forget about recapturing the City of Spike, you will be the great lord of the north part of the kingdom. That includes the City of Lauren.¡¹ ¡¸I-I¡¯m unaware of the great will of hero-sama. I¡¯m ashamed of complaining about something trivial¡­.I¡¯m like a spoiled brat¡­.¡¹ Ortholet is not in tears. He¡¯s a simple man after all. I hope he won¡¯t be used by evildoers in the future. As a matter of fact, we don¡¯t know how much leadership ability he has. However, as long as he can command the army and continue to be trustworthy, he¡¯ll reach the level of barely passable. Though I dislike something about him ¨C he¡¯s too clean. Even so, he put the people first and rebuilt the City of Spike. He can be categorized as an excellent lord. He¡¯s a talent that I absolutely won¡¯t allow to die here. ¡¸Ortholet, when I saw you before, I knew that you have what it takes to be a great general. Fight with me to the end and survive.¡¹ ¡¸He-hero-sama¡­.I will put my life in your hand¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Use that life well, do your best and don¡¯t die.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, gozaru¡­.¡¹ Ortholet is having a manly cry. I don¡¯t mind how much you want to cry but can you please spare my waist? You¡¯re hugging my waist too tight. Starting now, his struggle will start. Now, the preparation of the main army is complete. I hope that the castle army in the Oracle¡¯s Great cave is doing well. I can only pray for them. When it comes to major strategy, it¡¯s impossible to do anything by yourself. I¡¯m sure Prince Freed is someone who wants to do everything himself. He¡¯s probably not satisfied with just commanding an army of 70000 and is probably itching to get to business. You should wash your neck and wait because I¡¯ll cut it soon. CH 86.1 Chapter 86.1 ¨C The Great Cave Siege Of course, the half-nymph Viola and Lyle-sensei traps that produce poisoned grass on wells are also being utilized in this war. From the territory of the Lauren Knights to the City of Spike, the soldiers and horses must have drunk a lot of poison but no one fell. ¡¸It seems like the empire has switched its focus in supplying antidote potions.¡¹ ¡¸Does that mean that there are people in the empire that know about it?¡¹ The cause of the mysterious plague has not yet been discovered to be ¡°nymph poison¡±. They still don¡¯t know what kind of poison it is until now because no one had thought it to be the curse peculiar to nymphs. However, even if the cause is unknown, they knew from the previous battles that it can be treated with antidote potions. There are logistics officers in the empire who know what they are doing. ¡¸In addition to the 70000 troops, there are also horses. They will never be able to procure enough recovery potions for them so it makes sense.¡¹ However, not being able to stop them hurts a lot. The empire is also in a total attack mode to bring forces that you would normally leave behind to control your country. They are desperately advancing their troops to end this as soon as possible. So, as the imperial troops made their way to the City of Spike, they were stopped by a large number of monsters from the Oracle¡¯s Great Cave. It wasn¡¯t enough to hurt them but it wasn¡¯t something they could ignore either. The imperial army in the vicinity of the cave was a mixed battalion of 5000 men composed of knights and mercenaries gathered from one of the three state kingdoms of the empire, the one on the northeast, the Kingdom of Rastoir. The Rastoir General Rai Rakan was reluctant to accept the order from the empire¡¯s headquarters to go down the Oracle¡¯s Great Cave. Going westward to the Silesie Kingdom, the honorable knights of Rastoir were made to do trivial tasks such as guarding the siege weapons. This time, they were ordered to imitate adventurers. However, an order is an order and they had no choice but to do it. ¡¸Brave warriors of Rastoir! Let¡¯s get rid of the monsters in our way.¡¹ General Rai is wearing an iron helmet and a lamellar breastplate on top of his chainmail. He is also wielding a big sword and riding a horse as he orders the battalion under his banner to attack the cave. The Rastoirians, who live on the border of the human world, are accustomed to fighting demons and in peacetime, they are doing things similar to what adventurers and mercenaries would do. They probably thought that conquering the basement level of a dungeon would be a piece of cake. ---Scene Change--- The Oracle Great Cave, which has been closed for a while, is now fully mobilizing miasma from the ground to spawn monsters. Instead of using them to protect the dungeon, they are being used to attack outside. If Oracle-chan, the dungeon master, were here, she would probably lament that this is an evil way but this place is currently in automatic management. As the avalanche of ogres and goblins made their way out of the dungeon, the volunteer corps and the knights of Viscount Oracle¡¯s domain lurked in a hidden room, watching. ¡¸Oi, quack captain. Are the imperial troops really coming this far?¡¹ A female knight, Dross Tocord, wearing full plate armor in the service of Viscount Ortholet, asks a niichan, a brown-haired man in leather armor, who is scouting the outside of the dungeon using the viewing window next to him. ¡¸Dross-oneechan, stop calling me a quack and let me remind you that my name is Mars!¡¹ The brown-haired niichan, who looks like a punk, is the general of the Oracle¡¯s Great Cave Siege Army of less than a thousand men. He is the son of the village chief of Ona Village, where the base camp of the volunteer army is located. He has been given the title of first captain of the volunteer corps. However, for the odd reason that he is cheerful and has a loud voice, he has become the leader of the ex-local troops of the Ona Village, and every one of them is now a veteran. He is the son of the village chief, and even though he is their captain, he has an open and honest personality which makes him a surprisingly capable general. ¡¸You are the one who should stop being a sissy. This sister is a proud knight.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m a proud captain too. And let me remind you, I was personally appointed by Hero Takeru-sama.¡¹ The black-haired female knight signs when she sees the brown haired punk laughing proudly. From a knight¡¯s point of view, the battle of the young volunteer army looks like peasant children playing. CH 86.2 Chapter 86.2 ¨C The Great Cave Siege And yet, they are stronger than the knights who trained for a long time because they use guns and cannons which she found discouraging. This is probably what his excellency Viscount Ortholet meant to Knight Dross when he said ¡°Times have changed¡±. ¡¸Ah, yeah, I get it. I don¡¯t really care about that, quack. I¡¯m asking whether the imperial army is coming or not.¡¹ ¡¸Of course they are coming. The undefeated warlord said so.¡¹ ¡¸State Secretary Lyle is indeed capable but there¡¯s something about that man that I don¡¯t like¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, the enemies are here, oneechan!¡¹ The knights of Rastoir are wearing matching helmets. They entered the entrance of the cave, destroying ogres and goblins on their way. Behind the horse-riding knights with big barbarian swords, spear-wielding mercenaries on foot follow. Those troops are already on their way to rush into the great cave. The army in the cave¡¯s hidden room are preparing to intercept them. ¡¸I already told you I¡¯m not your older sister!¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not the time for that, neechan. Come on guys, get ready!¡¹ At Mars¡¯ command, the volunteer army scattered to their own positions. The Oracle¡¯s Great Cave has0 hidden rooms for maintenance and a hidden passageway connecting them. If you surprise them from there, you can also unilaterally intercept enemies entering the dungeon. In normal dungeon management, this is one of those forbidden moves that should never be done but since it¡¯s war, it can¡¯t be helped. Oracle¡¯s lament that ¡°It¡¯s the end of the world¡± is likely to be heard. Incidentally, according to Oracle, the reason why hidden maintenance rooms and passageways can¡¯t be used for offense is because if their existence is discovered by adventurers and are blocked, it would be a fatal blow to dungeon management. Hidden rooms are meaningful only because they are hidden. Therefore, this strategy is only an emergency measure. Now, the question was whether the enemy would be lured into the dungeon but that problem seemed to have been cleared up. The knights dismounted from their horses and the spear-wielding mercenaries entered the cave without care. They are already familiar with fighting monsters so for them, this is a daily occurrence. They never thought that the enemy, whom they had underestimated as a small army, would be using the dungeon for a siege. Therefore, the knights of Rastoir, who were lured to the big room at the back of the underground floor of the Oracle¡¯s great cave, could hardly resist the volunteer army who suddenly appeared from what they thought was a wall and was shot. ¡¸Well, if we¡¯re talking about close combat, we¡¯re talking about shotgun!¡¹ Captain Mars smiled proudly as he stroked his gun. The first squad had been given a new weapon, the shotgun, because they were expected to fight a hard battle. As the captain, that made him proud. Normally, they can only shoot once per reload but the shotgun can load up to six to nine shells per reload. Although the effective distance is reduced, the ability to kill in close combat is greatly improved. ¡¸Captain¡¯s bullets hardly hit anything.¡¹ When a subordinate said that, Mars shouted ¡°shut up!¡± with a red face. The volunteer army started laughing with their hands on their stomachs. It was a usual scene for them, looking like they were having a good time even on the battlefield. ¡¸The honorable knights are the pitiful ones.¡¹ Knight Dross did not join their fun. With a sorrowful look on her face, she slits the neck of an enemy knight who was barely alive. Rather than being bathed with iron balls without even knowing how they died, they would at least prefer to die with a sword like a true knight. ¡¸Quack, stop playing around, the next batch is here!¡¹ ¡¸Neesan is horrible.¡¹ A platoon of enemy knights and mercenaries came into the large room. Mars and the others quickly go behind the enemies through a hidden door that looks like a wall. As the imperial knights curiously rubbed the wall where the volunteer army had disappeared, another squad appeared from a different hidden door that shot and killed them. In a narrow cave, a large army had to be divided into small groups, and the siege army who knew all the hidden passages had an overwhelming geographical advantage. It was no longer a battle but a one-sided shooting and killing that would continue until the imperial forces gave up. CH 86.3 Chapter 86.3 ¨C The Great Cave Siege ¡¸What¡¯s this¡­.what¡¯s going on there?¡¹ One after another, knights and mercenaries under their banners are sent in and one after another, they disappear. No report came back. It seems as if all of their precious soldiers are being dragged into the depths of darkness. Even the Rastoir General Rai Rakan suppressed his impatience and waited for the good news with arms folded and a solemn expression on his face. Finally, when the number of missing exceeded 1000, he grew impatient. ¡¸Alright, I¡¯ll go in.¡¹ ¡¸General Rai, we¡¯ll face the danger with you!¡¹ At this point, instead of stopping the general from facing the danger, the spirit of the valiant Rastoir warriors decided to move forward and become the general¡¯s meat shield. To protect General Rai, the proud knights under his banner stormed into the dungeon. ¡¸That¡¯s a lot!¡¹ Captain Mars shouted in impatience. It was all well and good until a group of knights armed with barbaric swords and lamellar armor plunged into the big room. They rained them with bullets but there were too many of them to kill. The weakness of firearms is that once all the bullets are fired, it will take time to reload them. In panic, they tried to escape to a hidden room but Mars, who was last in the row, was caught in a hidden door. ¡¸Captain, what are you doing?¡¹ ¡¸Nooo! Help me!¡¹ The volunteer corps hurriedly dragged Mars, who was jittery, from the hidden door into the hidden room. A Rastoir knight jumps at him with a shimmering, rugged barbarian sword, ready to slash Mars¡¯ lower body. Good thing that they managed to drag him in and hold the hidden door. ¡¸You¡¯re really!!! Captain quack is safe! Turn around and go to another squadron!¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t call me quack¡­.¡¹ Since Captain Mars is unreliable, he is no longer in command and other soldiers started giving commands on their own. When the knights were trying to open the hidden door, another group of shooters appeared from another hidden door, and corpses piled up. ¡¸Bastardddd!¡¹ General Rai slashed at the shooters while shouting loudly. ¡¸Hiii!¡¹ The volunteer corps rushed to fire shotgun shells but General Rai¡¯s air-shaking rage deflected the bullets and slashed them down. Knight Dross, feeling that it was now her turn, drew her saber in defense of the slashed volunteer soldier. ¡¸Idiot, is this how a knight fight?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t like what I¡¯m doing either!¡¹ Her hands are already numb with just one slash from the general but even so, Dross managed to block two or three heavy slashes. She has no plan of beating him. She¡¯s only buying time. The volunteer soldier, who had regained his composure, pointed his loaded shotgun at General Rai, who was angrily slashing. ¡¸General, look out!¡¹ His Rastoir Knight guard, who was wielding a barbarian sword next to him, used his own body as a shield and took the shell in his body. After catching the body of his companion, who was blown away by the shot, General Rai held the body of the brave knight in his arms and gave the order to retreat. ¡¸Pull back!¡¹ His guard knights retreated to the dungeon corridor, protecting General Rai. The volunteer corps fired a volley of bullets in hope of defeating the enemy general but they were unable to do so because of the enemy¡¯s desperate defenses. ¡¸Are you alright? Here¡¯s a potion. Drink it.¡¹ Knight Dross is taking care of the young volunteer soldier who has been slashed and has him drink a recovery potion. Captain Mars also came to see how he is. ¡¸Hey, Dross-neesan. Is that big guy the general? Will he come back again?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know. However, we must remain vigilant. He seemed to be a general who could make a surprisingly calm decision so he will no longer attack without a plan.¡¹ As predicted by Knight Dross. Now that it has become known that the Oracle¡¯s Great Cave had become a fortress of Silesie Kingdom, the imperial army would no longer make any brash moves. ---Scene Change--- General Rai, who crawled out of the cave, realized that the proud Rastoir warrior he had been carrying was no longer breathing. ¡°OOHHHH¡± he cried like a beast. General Rai could do no more and began to gather his soldiers and horses and prepare to start a camp. If he is forced to fight more unreasonable battles, he¡¯ll just return to his homeland. Then, a messenger came in. ¡¸General, we have received a demand from Crown Prince Feed from the main camp saying ¡°Sink The Oracle¡¯s Great Cave immediately¡±.¡¹ ¡¸Tell him that unless the Golden Lion Emperor comes here in person, I won¡¯t have any more of my precious soldiers killed in this absurd battle! ¡¹ In the end, the siege forces of the Kingdom of Silesie in the Oracle¡¯s Great Cave fought well even with their small number. They will hold out there until the war is over. If the imperial forces pulled back, they would launch an offensive or spit out monsters. That threatens the imperial army a lot so they have no choice but to have a fraction of the imperial forces stay there. CH 87.1 Chapter 87.1 ¨C Coronation of the Queen The Germania Empire¡¯s Army, which has made the City of Spike fall, is advancing toward the royal capital along the highway, looting the villages of Viscount Oracle¡¯s domain. After the villagers have evacuated along with their food and fodder, ¡°nymph poison¡± has been casually planted in the villages¡¯ wells. It would be nice if we could reduce the strength of the enemy even a little but that is only a comforting thought. Meanwhile, we were having our final strategy meeting for the decisive battle in the brand new royal castle as the repairs had finally been completed. ¡¸With that, Marquis Danavan will be the commander in chief while Viscount Ortholet will be the front line commander and the second in command.¡¹ Lyle-sensei is explaining the lineup for the campaign against the Germania Empire in a brisk voice. Marquis Danavan¡¯s face was pale with nervousness while Viscount Oracle was listening calmly. You wouldn¡¯t notice who¡¯s the real commander in chief and second in command. Garan, the mercenary leader, who is in charge of the front line, will be the first to hit the enemy, is also given simple instructions by sensei and he only replies with ¡°oh¡±. He is quite a powerful and dynamic man. In the back of the operation¡¯s room, outside the mosquito net is Marquis Pipin Nant Burgund, who is attending on behalf of the local nobles in the south. He doesn¡¯t hide his discontent as he rubs his long black beard on his long chin. Pipin is a very unusual-looking old man. His chin looks like the tip of a French bread and I can¡¯t help but stare at him in amazement. Even with such a weird face, he must be a prestigious noble since he is the one representing all local nobles in the south. He¡¯s also wearing a splendid armor. Still, that¡¯s one hell of a chin. It¡¯s so sharp that if he suddenly flew away, he''d be mistaken for a missile. ¡¸Hero-dono, is there something on my face?¡¹ I must have looked at his chin too much. Of course, I wouldn¡¯t say something like ¡°your chin¡± or the nobles in the south might have revolted on the spot. ¡¸Chin¡­I mean, I¡¯m delighted that Marquis Pipin has come to support us.¡¹ ¡¸Well, our Burgund Family is a family of the former chief vassal of Founding King Renz. It is only natural for us to come to your aid if the kingdom is in crisis.¡¹ His face looks funny and his mouth is saying good things but he is not someone that can be trusted. Sensei said that 500 cavalry knights of the local nobles led by Marquis Pipin and his first and second corps, with a total of 2500, can¡¯t be counted as allies. They will probably surrender or flee if the situation turns bad so we can only have them stay quiet in the royal capital at best. We should already be thankful that they did not turn against us seeing the Empire¡¯s huge army. At the end of the strategy meeting, Lyle-sensei called Princess Silhouette. Princess Silhouette, dressed in a pure white silk dress and crimson cape decorated with gold thread, stood before everyone. Next to the princess is Lyle-sensei¡¯s father, the prime minister. Given the situation, they threw away their father and child discord. ¡¸Then, let¡¯s evaluate the coronation of Princess Silhouette as the queen of Silesie.¡¹ ¡¸What did you say?!¡¹ Marquis Pipin, who had been listening silently in the last row and looked dissatisfied with that arrangement, stood up in surprise. ¡¸What is it, Marquis Pipin? Do you have any objections?¡¹ ¡¸We won¡¯t let that happen! We, the local lords, will never agree to the princess¡¯ coronation! I will not permit that selfishness.¡¹ ¡¸The biggest crisis of the country is happening. A powerful army is marching towards the capital as we speak. This is the best time to crown the princess to a queen in order to unite the people. Marquis Pipin, are you sure with what you are saying?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­that, ugh.¡¹ Marquis Pipin breaks out in a cold sweat and busily rubs his beard. He realized that if he said anything bad here, they would be considered as traitors immediately. Marquis Pipin and his 500 knights, all of whom are members of famous local noble families, are in the royal castle. If they were deemed treacherous here, the walls of the royal capital would immediately become a wall around them. I¡¯m sure even Germania wouldn¡¯t expect that we would bring up the queen¡¯s coronation at this point of time. If the local nobles turned against us, it would trouble the royal army. Therefore, no one would expect that both the regent and the prime minister¡¯s factions would force the coronation of the queen now. ¡¸I, the prime minister, and Hero Takeru-dono, as well as all military people of Silesie, are demanding the coronation of her highness Princess Silhouette as queen. Does Marquis Pipin have a just cause to oppose this?¡¹ ¡¸I, don¡¯t¡­.¡¹ Even though we are asking for a just cause, the two great families, Burgund and Aquitaine, who were vassals of the founding King Renz, find it more convenient if the royal family¡¯s power is not yet decided. For example, if the empire appoints someone from the Blanc family, a branch of the royal family where Brynie was, to be the new king, it would not be advantageous for them. The weird-looking Marquis Pipin is a shrewd man or else he won¡¯t be the representative of the south nobles. He thinks that it would be better if the kingdom wins but he also thinks we will lose. CH 87.2 Chapter 87.2 ¨C Coronation of the Queen If that happened, the local nobles would sway to the Empire¡¯s side and the queen would be only in name. We thought, let them do as they please. ¡¸Then, you will recognize Princess Silhouette as the queen as the representative of the local nobles, won¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸I am a member of the Burgund family, a chief vassal of Founding King Renz. I do not oppose the coronation of the princess as the queen. She is a ¡°legitimate¡± descendant of Renz-sama.¡¹ He put so much emphasis on the word ¡°legitimate¡± as sarcasm as he was thinking ¡°How can a half-elf be the queen?¡±. For a prestigious noble who values tradition and customs, he probably wants to spit the words he just said. For them, it was the downfall of the nation. Unmoved by the hostile gaze of Marquis Pipin, Princess Silhouette stood before the panel of the kingdom¡¯s most important ministers. Her blue eyes are fixed on the table. Perhaps she was trained by Prime Minister Nicola to behave like a queen. The negative princess has become a strong woman. Prince Silhouette declared loudly in a voice that echoed in the large room, where even Marquis Pipin had fallen silent. ¡¸Everyone! This one is Silhouette Silesie Alber. This one is the daughter of Gauis Silesie Alber, the 17th king of the Kingdom of Silesie and the only heir. I hereby declare that I will be the 18th queen of the Kingdom of Silesie!¡¹ Although it was still, it was a brilliant declaration as a queen. As I was thinking that this should be done in the throne room, Lyle-sensei handed me a gold crown decorated with jewels. ¡¸Eh? Me?¡¹ ¡¸Takeru-dono, you are a hero. Only you have the right to crown the princess as the queen.¡¹ I¡¯m not even a citizen of the kingdom. I¡¯m an outsider. However, I have to show everyone that I¡¯m backing her. I placed the crown on the strawberry blonde hair of the princess, who bowed down with grace. Lyle-sensei led the ministers and shouted, ¡°Long live the Queen!¡±. Applause and cheers spread throughout the hall. Even Marquis Pipin clapped his hands reluctantly. From this moment on, she is no longer a princess, but her majesty Queen Silhouette. The prince in a crown smiled. She''s a pretty queen. ¡¸Then, your majesty Queen Silhouette and Takeru-dono, you will take your oath from the balcony of the castle, in front of the people.¡¹ There, I whispered something to Lyle-sensei as we made our way to the balcony. ¡¸Sensei, I have s suggestion, let¡¯s take this opportunity to distribute all the gold and silver in the warehouse of the royal castle to the soldiers and civilians.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s one drastic measure.¡¹ Sensei looked at me dazzled. It seems like even sensei, who had forced the crowning of the queen behind the local noble¡¯s back, had not thought of this. I just casually thought of it when I remember Toyotomi Hideyoshi (or was it Hideyoshi Hashiba at that time) had done so during the Great Return from China. It should work. ¡¸Since they will be taken by the enemy once the royal capital falls, we should just distribute them all to celebrate the queen¡¯s accession to the throne and to reward the soldiers and civilians who will be at war.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s a wonderful idea and it will lift up morale even higher. I¡¯m can proudly say that Takeru-sama, who understands the hearts of his people, is a king of kings.¡¹ ¡¸Well, it¡¯s just a copy of Hideyoshi¡¯s Great Return from China.¡¹ ¡¸Chi-what? Hmm¡­.then, let¡¯s open up the food warehouse and distribute all the food too.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, sensei has taken the plunger. However, can we do that?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s okay. There will never be a siege war since everything will end here.¡¹ If sensei says so, that should be the case. ¡¸Sensei is a great military strategist.¡¹ ¡¸To be praised by the king of kings, I¡¯m very happy. Then, I will ask you to give the people a firm greeting.¡¹ Ah, yeah. I¡¯m going to make another speech like I did when I was recruiting for the volunteer army. The existence of Princess Silhouette is not well known to the people while my name as the hero permeates to the people so this is something that can¡¯t be helped. I pulled out ¡°Napoleon¡¯s Words and Deeds¡± from my repertoire in my head. Since Silesie is a French-like kingdom, referring to Napoleon¡¯s speech for the sudden coronation of the queen will receive the people¡¯s approval. Queen Silhouette stands before the people as she receives the royal scepter that symbolizes her royal authority. The 40000 citizens of Silesie are already gathered in front of the balcony of the newly renovated royal castle. Although her earlier greetings to the ministers went well, the little Queen Silhouette is like a pea in front of the 40000 people. Although the people may not notice it, Silhouette¡¯s legs are trembling. I quietly walked behind her and held her hand. ¡¸Citizens of the royal capital of Silesia. This one is Silhouette Silesie Albert, the sole heir of Gaius, the 17th king of the Kingdom of Silesie. Just now, this one was enthroned as the 18th queen of the Kingdom of Silesie.¡¹ CH 87.3 Chapter 87.3 ¨C Coronation of the Queen With the help of the loudspeaker magic, her voice echoes throughout the royal capital of Silesie. From the other side of the balcony, the murmurs of the citizens can be heard. It must have been a shock to them since they were suddenly gathered together and were told that a new queen had just acceded to the throne. Moreover, it is Silhouette, who has never appeared in public before. However, Queen Silhouette has already said what she has to say. It will be my turn next. Standing next to the princess, I shouted as loudly as I could. ¡¸ Soldiers, volunteer soldiers, and the citizens who protect Silesie. I am Sawatari Takeru, the hero of Silesie!¡¹ I stood in front of the crowd, folded my arms, and stopped talking. I waited patiently for the murmurs of the people to quiet down at the sudden proclamation of the queen¡¯s coronation. Shining mithril armor. I guess even at a distance, they can tell that I¡¯m a hero given my outfit. I started hearing voices in the crowd saying ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s hero-sama¡± but I let it pass. I will not say anything until the children stop talking. This is a speech technique that school principals often do. After the people finally quieted down, I finally took a deep breath and spoke slowly in a quiet voice. ¡¸As you all know, a large army from Germania Empire is now moving toward the capital. I and you, my brave soldiers, will be there to intercept them before they reach the capital.¡¹ It was still quiet so I continued. ¡¸Soldiers, volunteer soldiers, citizens. You are all my friends who have fought and lived with me since Gale¡¯s coup. The empire is powerful and this battle will be unprecedented in history but we have new weapons that our enemies don¡¯t have, guns and cannons. And if we combine that with your courage, I am confident that we can win.¡¹ I¡¯m getting a little confused with what I¡¯m saying myself but let¡¯s continue to talk passionately. ¡¸240 years ago, the legendary hero Renz stood on this land you are stepping on and proclaimed the founding of the Kingdom of Silesie. This battle was not merely to protect the country from imperial invasion. It¡¯s a battle to overthrow the depressive rule of the past and to obtain a new kingdom of you, by you, and for you!¡¹ I don¡¯t understand the meaning of what I¡¯m saying but I¡¯ll make it sound like I do. The crowd started cheering due to excitement so I put all my strength into my diaphragm and raised my voice once more. ¡¸Brave soldiers, volunteer soldiers, and citizens of Silesie! A new queen stands before you and a new county is being born for you. For the sake of your country, for the sake of your own, I¡¯ll you once again to lend me your strength!¡¹ Whooooaaaahhhhhhhhh! The cheers of 40000. I could have ended it right there but I decided to hug Queen Silhouette and add a few more words. ¡¸I decided to marry Queen Silhouette after winning this battle so I¡¯ll definitely win!¡¹ Along with the cheers of the people, loud laughter and cheers of applause echoed. I had just raised a death flag with all my might. However, only I will find it hilarious. The great hall overlooking the balcony is filled with the cheers ¡°Long live the queen¡± and ¡°long live the hero¡±. Perhaps Lyle-sensei, who was waiting at the side, smiling evilly, had sent people in the crowd to lead the cheers. I look at Queen Silhouette. She¡¯s smiling with tears in her eyes. She opens her tiny lips to say something but the cheers of the people are too loud for me to hear anything. Even if I can¡¯t hear her, I know what she was saying. From Silhouette¡¯s blue eyes, sparkling tears like the stars spilled out. I hugged her tightly and shouted as loud as I could. ¡¸Today is the prelude to tomorrow¡¯s victory and marriage. The castle¡¯s gold storehouse and food storage will be open for everyone to enjoy!¡¹ I was overwhelmed by the cheers of the people and my heart was racing. Queen Silhouette is saying something again so I brought my ears closer to her and she kissed me. ¡¸You promised to marry me so please win.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, of course.¡¹ I finally heard the queen¡¯s voice as I brought my face closer to her. I¡¯m happy to be kissed but I feel like it should be the other way around. Oh well, we can kiss as much as we want at the wedding. However, the first step I should take is to win the war against the empire. I, the hero, and Silhouette, the queen, continued to lean with each other while waving at the cheering crowd at the city¡¯s grand hall. The banquet has already started. CH 88.1 Chapter 88.1 ¨C Duel Again The Germania Empire Army, which had dropped the City of Spike, moved forward, leaving the ¡°Oracle¡¯s Great Cave¡± in its rear which is a cause for concern. The army left was 10000 less. There are those who had fallen sick due to the effect of nymph poison which also affected the horses. There are also territorial troops that had stopped following orders out of wariness. In addition, there are also the logistic corps that were left in the city to prepare. With a total force of 60000 men, they marched into the royal capital of Silesie and they were already within sighting distance. The composition of the imperial army was: On the left-wing, 500 flying dragon knights, 20000 mercenaries(including 1000 cavalrymen), and in their rear were large weapons such as ballista and trebuchet. In the center is the main army led by Freed himself. It has the 10000 immortal imperial guards, 4000 heavy infantry, and 5000 royal knights. On the right-wing are a total of 20000 knights and infantry recruited from various territorial states and cities. The overwhelmingly big Germania Empire Army formed a crane wing formation in order to surround and annihilate the enemy. The Silesie royal army, which intercepted them, numbered 17700 in total. They are in a goose formation diagonally. The composition of the kingdom¡¯s army was: On the left-wing, 5000 mercenaries were in the front line, and 1000 modernized volunteer army with guns and cannons in the rear. The center has 3000 men, mainly the 3rd, 4th, and 5th battalion. On the right-wing are 500 royal knights. And behind the center, hiding in the Devil¡¯s Mountain, there are 1000 volunteer corps. Behind the left flank, in the royal capital, there are 2000 men from the 1st and 2nd corps in addition to the 500 knights of the local nobles. However, they are noble forces which aren¡¯t something that can be relied on. The real defense of the capital is said to be 500 volunteer corps with cannons, 300 castle soldiers, and 3000 citizens who responded to the emergency call. In the fortified City of Ox, behind the right-wing are 3 magic Armstrong cannons with long-range and explosive power and six more cannons which are manned by veteran cannoneers. There are also 500 gunners and 400 civilian soldiers who are waiting for their turn to fire. As I have said, this was a battle between the 70000 expeditionary forces, most are elite of the Germania Empire, and the 17700 defensive forces, including recruited civilians, of the Kingdom of Silesie. Looking at the numbers alone, the Silesie side was at an overwhelming disadvantage. The ¡°Battle of Silesie¡±, as it would be called in later times, began. ---Scene Change--- I flew with the help of my Oracle-chan booster and shouted loudly in the air in front of the 60000 Germania troops who were deploying their crane-wing formation. ¡¸Freeddddd! This is the decisive battle. Let¡¯s fight one on one as heroes.¡¹ The enemy army, which seems to be about to rush to me, heard my shout and became noisy. Now, where is Prince Freed in this formation? ¡¸Fuhahahaha, you are here at last, Silesie¡¯s hero!¡¹ I heard a scream from below. Fluttering his purple cloak that has the emblem of the Germania imperial family, the golden lion prince breaks through the center of the line while riding a white horse! Alright, we can win this. It would be a shame if Freed just crushes us with numbers since he has 60000 men behind him. He has pestered us for so long but now, I can only hope that he has enough pride to keep his promise. ¡¸Then, golden lion! Now is the time to decide who is right and who is wrong.¡¹ ¡¸Selesie¡¯s hero, let me show you my power so that you will know your place!¡¹ Riding his white horse like a rampaging general, Freed¡¯s face shows a bit of madness as if his voltage were turned to the max. I don¡¯t know how much power he broke through but if he relaxes his guard, I might be able to get him. Freed is not alone as he advances in front of the 60000 strong imperial army. He is accompanied by a man in big black armor. He is wearing a black helmet and an iron mask so it¡¯s hard to tell who he is but he is certainly not the one with an orichalcum shield. This is my first time seeing him. Who is that? ¡¸Freed, this is a one on one battle.¡¹ ¡¸Of course. I am only going to show you this guy since you probably miss him.¡¹ Freed then took off the iron mask of the man next to him. His swollen, pale, and ugly face looks like Frankenstein given he was full of stitches all over. ¡¸Hmm, who¡¯s that?¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t know? Well, it is reasonable since he has become a monster. He is Count Brynie, the king of Silesie.¡¹ ¡¸Haa?¡¹ Brynie is supposed to be dead. Ah, could this guy possibly have used the demon king¡¯s core on Brynie¡¯s corpse? ¡¸Hahaha, you seemed surprised! Of course, you would. I had to destroy two cities to make this.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re unbelievable, do you know that? To think you¡¯ll use the demon king¡¯s core just to create such an ugly creature.¡¹ Freed laughed more and brushed back his shiny blonde lion hair. He gave out the most smug-looking expression anyone could find in this world. ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s all to go up against the immortal king Oracle over there! Show them your twin black sword Brynie, the super demon king!¡¹ When Freed Said that, Brynie, who moved awkwardly like a mechanical robot, generated swords of darkness on each hand. So, if you embed the demon king¡¯s core in two places, you can produce two swords? It looks like Freed still believed the bluff of the immortal king¡¯s twin black sword that Oracle-chan previously did. So, he opened up the miasma hole twice as a countermeasure¡­.even I forgot about that. I wonder why. ¡¸Hahahaha, now, you have three swords but we have four! There is no doubt that I¡¯m currently the strongest in the world in every aspect!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah yeah, but only the two of us will fight in this decisive battle.¡¹ I waved my hands in a theatrical tone and shouted some more. I tried to stimulate his self-esteem and lure him into a fair duel. ¡¸Look, Freed! A total of 80000 soldiers on both sides, will be watching this duel. We are standing on the summit of history. There is no better stage to decide which hero is better.¡¹ ¡¸Silesie¡¯s hero, I wish you do your best. Now is the time to show the world that I¡¯m the strongest!¡¹ A very proud Freed shouted to those around him. ¡°This is a one-on-one duel, don¡¯t interfere!¡±. And then, as if in a show of force, he produced a sword of darkness and a sword of light in his hands. I generated only one sword, which is the sword of light, and held it in before my eyes. I faced him silently and adjusted my breath. ¡¸Bow down to the strongest man in the world, Germanicus-style, sword of the furious emperor!¡¹ CH 88.2 Chapter 88.2 ¨C Duel Again Without a moment of hesitation, I slashed back with all my might. The absolute confidence of the golden lion prince, who believes that nothing in this world can hinder his path to supremacy, is the source of power in a battle of imagination sword. However, I, too, have always imagined it. The more solid the imagination is, the more power the imagination sword has. That is why it is very effective to shout out the name of the technique as if you are using magic. However, what I¡¯m about to do now is a surprise attack and I can¡¯t let my voice leak out. I remain silent and concentrate on my movements. I go through Freed¡¯s first all-out blow and deflect it with a full-on swing with my sword of light. Freed¡¯s attacks are basically large swings so it¡¯s not hard to evade them. It is natural for him to let his guard down since he is being protected by the world¡¯s hardest armor, an orichalcum armor. And then, I stabbed it at one point. ¡¸Tremble before¡­.what the heck!¡¹ ¡¸Droplets¡­¡¹ I cut through his violent slash and tackled Freed. I then pushed my left hand against the chest of Freed¡¯s armor. Only when I hug him that Freed will be defenseless. I only have one chance to launch my surprise attack. I am not so na?ve to aim for the joints of his armor and the only way to take advantage of this situation is to stab him at zero distance with something that can penetrate an orichalcum. I imagine dripping water that eventually shatters rocks. Even if it is deflected by a thick orichalcum wall, the neutral sword can pierce a hole in it! ¡¸Uwaaaa!?¡¹ Freed, who felt severe pain in his chest, began to slash in a hurry. A violent slash hits my back and shoulder. Even though I¡¯m wearing mithril armor, I felt a shuddering shock but I won¡¯t let him go. I will kill you before I die! ¡¸Die here, Freed.¡¹ ¡¸Guoooooooo!¡¹ My neutral sword finally pierced Freed¡¯s chest. At that moment, my left arm that should be holding Freed was suddenly freed. Freed¡¯s body, which had flown backward, is being held by an S&M mage oneesan in a black cloak. The court mage ¡°Time-Space Gate¡± Jenny Walpurgis¡¯ instantaneous movement magic! ¡¸Oi, wait!¡¹ She kept casting instantaneous movement magic so I won¡¯t be able to catch her no matter how fast I run. Perhaps I have killed Freed but there¡¯s no way for me to confirm it now. Originally, we were going to end this futile battle by showing that I had defeated Freed in front of his entire army. Unfortunately, the plan is not perfect. Just as I was regretting it, a shock hit me. It was Brynie, who had been standing there like a toy whose batteries had run out. He slashed me with his twin black sword. I received a decent heavy blow to the torso. Somehow, I managed to deflect the next slash with my sword of light but I was shocked by something else. ¡¸Brynie is this strong¡­.?¡¹ I can¡¯t believe it. However, since it is a strong enemy, I have no choice but to defeat it here in order to avoid any disaster. With all my might, I wield the sword of light and neutral sword to defeat Brynie, who is now in a frenzied state. Brynie was able to take all my slashes. Ridiculous, is this guy really that count? It¡¯s strange that he doesn¡¯t even say a word even though he is Brynie. No, no, he¡¯s saying something. He¡¯s no longer alive so he¡¯s not even breathing but he¡¯s muttering something as he opens his mouth. I listened carefully to what Brynie was muttering. ¡¸¡­..oja oja oja oja oja¡¹ Scary! I even had goosebumps. It is similar to when I met the furukisha. Brynie¡¯s brains would be far from rotting away after his head was used as a soccer ball. Sewn and connected together with his corps, Brynie was implanted with two demon king¡¯s cores and was completely swallowed by chaos. He is not even considered as an undead but a mysterious beast of chaos. ¡¸Damn, what kind of monster have you made for us, Freed! ¡¹ ¡¸ooouuu, oja oja oja oja oja¡­..¡¹ Raising another strange voice, Brynie continued to slash me with his twin black sword. What a heavy slash. I¡¯m already struggling parrying them. In addition, he doesn¡¯t even move like a human. His arms and legs were twitching in a strange way. His sword reach is long so if I use a normal sword technique, I¡¯ll be whittled down. ¡¸So this is the super demon king Brynie¡¹ ¡¸ooouuu, oja oja oja oja oja oja oja¡¹ Strong but can¡¯t even understand human language! I couldn¡¯t even do my usual attack routine of getting my opponent to talk and then, take advantage of any opportunity. While I was thinking of that, Brynie, the super demon king, was making irregular slashes that were difficult to read. They are not even attacks that regular creatures can make. Brynie¡¯s rotten and swollen hands are wrinkled and although he seemed to be full of openings, I can¡¯t even find the opportunity to attack. ¡¸Takeru, that thing is really dangerous, you¡¯d better run for your life!¡¹ Oracle repeatedly released shockwaves but Brynie, the super demon king, didn¡¯t even seem to feel them. It is comparable to a mosquito bite. He just stood there as his body shook, catching all the shockwaves. Damn it, why am I fighting against this mysterious beast when I¡¯m supposed to be having my decisive battle with Freed? It''s still acceptable though since it¡¯s an enemy that¡¯s trying to kill us with all its might. Brynie¡¯s attack had no killing intent, not even a clear intention. His sewn-together face is expressionless and we can¡¯t even tell what he¡¯s thinking. And yet, none of our attacks work while his random swing has the power of a demon king. ¡¸Damn it! Alright, we¡¯re pulling out, Oracle!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, let¡¯s get out of here, Takeru.¡¹ ¡¸oja oja oja oja oja oja oja¡­¡­..¡¹ Oracle-chan carried me and we retreated through the air. I heard a soldier¡¯s scream from behind me so I turned my gaze there to see the super demon king Brynie swinging his twin black sword while plunging straight into the center of the imperial army which was supposed to be his ally. There is nothing more terrifying than bottomless madness. CH 89.1 Chapter 89.1 ¨C The Battle on the Left Started The Battle of Silesie¡¯s first battle started at the left flank. Diagonally to the left of the royal army¡¯s goose line, a clash between the 20000 mercenaries from the Germania Empire against the 5000 Garan Mercenaries of Silesie Kingdom started. Against the 20000 imperial mercenaries that were almost encircling them, the Garan mercenaries were resisting boldly, skillfully coordinating with each other. Their fighting spirit was strong and their bodies were light, not the fighting style of mercenaries who only work for money. ¡¸Leader Garan, you are working very hard today.¡¹ ¡¸Nokon?¡¹ Garan turned to see Nokon Geek, a mercenary in light leather armor, equipped with a short bow. ¡¸Leader, out of the way.¡¹ ¡¸Oh¡¹ Nokot hit the mercenary, who was about to slash Leader Garan, in the head with his bow. Seeing the dumb enemy mercenary rollover, Nokon¡¯s laughs. Nokon, who used to be a thief specializing in dungeons, has been helping Leader Garan to organize mercenaries as a staff member, even though no one has asked him to do so. He probably thought it was time to retreat now as well and came to check if he could help around. He was an unusually hard working man among mercenaries, many of whom are lazy except for fighting. ¡¸You¡¯ve been instructed by the employer to fight against 20000 while we were only 5000. You don¡¯t have to be stubborn.¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m not being stubborn.¡¹ Leader Garan swings his large hammer and smashes the enemy¡¯s head including the helmet. ¡¸Ho!¡¹ Nokon¡¯s smile deepened in amusement as he fired his short bow at the oncoming enemy mercenaries. ¡¸You don¡¯t know how incredible the skill of Silesie¡¯s hero-sama is. He has stepped onto the 88th floor of the ¡°White Tower of Trials¡± in one day.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s true.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sure hero-sama is looking at us while fighting. If we can make a name for ourselves here, we can clear out our name of being traitors and the Garan Mercenaries will be able to re-establish our prestige.¡¹ ¡¸Leader Garan is still holding onto that¡­.since you¡¯re doing what you can here, don¡¯t you think it will be better to be a knight?¡¹ ¡¸Haha, I don¡¯t want to work in a castle. That¡¯s your thing, right, Nokon?¡¹ ¡¸Of course, not. I don¡¯t want to have anything to do with the soldiers of a castle. I guess we have to do this!¡¹ While Leader Garan slaughtered two more men with the battle-axe he had taken from the enemy, Nokon switched weapons since he had run out of arrows. He used throwing knives and accurately shot enemies in the eyeball. The raging shouts of their allies, the wailing of the enemies, the spray of blood as well as the ripping flesh. There are people who don¡¯t feel alive unless they are constantly covered in the dust of war. They are the mercenaries. They want money. They want women. But more than anything else, they want the feeling of being alive in the midst of battle. They talk a lot of nonsense but never say what they really think and the mercenaries led by Leader Garan kill with all their might. The iron they strike with all their might and the blood and flesh they spread are their own art as professionals of the battlefield. ---Scene Change--- The Garan Mercenaries, the spearhead of the left flank, persisted until the enemy, who was not attacking them that much, had their large ballistas arranged at the back. They finally pulled back after that. Rejoicing that they had finally won, the 20000 mercenaries surrounded them with siege weapons behind and attacked. Indeed, from the point of view of ordinary soldiers, the power of ballistas and trebuchets is overwhelming. There is nothing more dependable than being covered fire by those siege weapons. However, these siege weapons were planned to be used against the royal capital of Silesie and not to destroy the left-wing of the Silesie royal army. The fact that they had deployed it so early was a sign that their tactics had already begun to go awry. Against the ballistas, which were firing in front of them, and the trebuchets, which were throwing projectiles on them, the cannons of the volunteer army opened fire. Sixteen bronze cannons roared. The imperial mercenaries on the left wing were violently shaken. Many of the mercenaries had never seen a cannon before. Above all, they were scared by the roar of the new weapon that spewed fire. They were scared when they saw their allies being blown away by exploding shells. Then, the gunners fired a volley of shots at them. Another series of violent roars and iron bullets came flying. The mercenaries started dying one after another without knowing what hit them. The mercenaries numbering as many as 20000 begin to crumble before the power of Silesie¡¯s new weapon. Of course, the empire¡¯s side has its own strategists. The imperial strategist with a young age of 25, the ¡°Almighty¡± General Forcas Domos Dylan, had the mid-level mages on the left flank to bombard the other side with rain. Cannons and guns are vulnerable to water. Of course, General Forcas knew this information. However, even as rain clouds covered the left flank of Silesie army, even if the dry land of Silesie was moistened by rain, the sound of firing cannons and guns did not cease. Of course, this was because the volunteer army had taken measures against rain. Water-resistant tents and fortifications lined up with ratman fur. It would have been different if they had continued the water assault for a longer period of time but it already rained and guns and cannons never stopped. The imperial army made the mistake of attacking deep into the volunteer army¡¯s lines and even taking along large and slow siege weapons. ¡¸Good! It¡¯s our time to shine!¡¹ The Garan Mercenaries, who had pulled back to join the volunteer army, struck back at the enemies who they had lured in. When the offensive suddenly turned defensive, the army could no longer maintain its control. The mercenaries were a rogue army. No matter how much the knights shout at them, they run away instead of regrouping. Everyone ran for their lives leaving only large ballistas and trebuchets in their wake. Without soldiers to protect the perimeter, not a single siege weapon was left. The Germania mercenaries retreated and the siege weapons were all destroyed. The left-wing of the imperial army, which was supposed to attack the royal capital of Silesie, collapsed. CH 89.2 Chapter 89.2 ¨C The Battle on the Left Started That didn¡¯t end the imperial army¡¯s left-wing. The imperial army has a final decisive weapon, the 500 flying dragon knights. In this medieval fantasy world, how formidable is the airborne flying dragon knight order? No one will be able to measure their effectiveness. Even a lone flying dragon knight who runs through the sky can be called a brave. And there are 500 of them. Even if the other party is protected by strong walls, that will mean nothing against an airborne force. No matter how big a castle or a city is, it would fall without fail if they face flying enemies. ¡¸Everyone, starting now, the flying dragon knights will conquer Silesie Kingdom! It seems like our mercenary allies are not that great but if we make the royal capital fall, the empire will be the one who¡¯ll emerge victoriously! Now is the time to show the power of the flying dragon knights to his royal highness the golden lion! ¡¹ The commander of the flying dragon knight order, Rothbacher von Leifenzbel, was analyzing the war situation from a bird¡¯s eye view while issuing a proclamation to the knights he was leading. Cannons spewed fire from the left-wing of the volunteer army as they tried to shoot down the flying dragon knights from the sky. Several knights were hit by cannonballs and fell. ¡¸The enemy¡¯s cannons are certainly very powerful.¡¹ However, iron balls launched high into the sky will encounter a decrease in speed. Unless you are very unlucky, a good flying dragon knight can evade them. Even the enemy¡¯s new weapon is only this good against the flying dragon knight. With this, the royal capital can be conquered. If overwhelmed by a large group of flying dragons(wyvern), the castle soldiers and citizens would have no choice but to flee. What Rothbacher is currently thinking is now to make their allies enter the capital after they had taken care of the city¡¯s defenses. He must think hard and fast while there is still time. In fact, even the flying dragon knights are not as invincible as they are rumored to be. If you keep a wild flying dragon, there is a disadvantage where the second generation of wyvern won¡¯t be that powerful. The only terrifying thing about their flying dragons is that they can fly. When one sees that there¡¯s a large group of dragons coming for them, they¡¯ll immediately instinctively think that ¡°we can¡¯t win against that¡±. Rothbacher, a veteran flying dragon knight, knows it all. Once demoralized, even the best soldier will be nothing more than a bunch of fleeing crows. It is precisely because of human¡¯s instinctive fear that their flying dragon knights remain the strongest in the world. ¡¸Let¡¯s go, flying dragon knights of Germania, remember who you are!¡¹ Commander Rothbacher, who was flying in the lead, as usual, signals the descent assault. Behind him, the flying dragon knights shouted out loud. ¡¸The empire¡¯s pride! The empire¡¯s glory! We are the undefeated flying dragon knight order!¡¹ The descent attack from the sky can cause panic on the side that will be attacked but it can also cause the attacker to be afraid. The attacker must have the courage to fly while thinking that they are the strongest in the world. Commander Rothbacher flew in the lead and swooped down on the royal capital of Silesie. A gleam flashed from the enemy¡¯s cannons as they are all pointed towards the sky. ¡¸Cannons, dodge!¡¹ Iron balls can be dodged and Rothbacher, who dashed with his flying dragon, had the confidence to do so. Those with poor reinsmanship or those who were not so lucky would be hit by cannonballs. But that would only happen once. After that one time, all of the unprotected cannoneers would die and their bodies would be ripped apart by wyverns. ¡¸Huh?¡¹ Rothbacher, who had been unabashedly staring at the cannons as they spewed balls, was taken aback. He was stunned because what he saw was not iron balls but large nets. Rothbacher was caught in a net along with his flying dragon and fell onto the cobblestone pavement. ¡¸W-what¡¯s this?¡¹ The impact of the fall as he slammed onto the cobblestones, left him breathless but he still got up given his indomitable fighting spirit. He must cut through the net so tried to get back on his feet. What struck him was that there were needle-like things that pushed through the gaps of his armor. He was pricked but he didn''t care about that until¡­ ¡¸This is, poisoned¡­.¡¹ As a skilled dragon knight, Rothbacher knew immediately from his past experience that he had been exposed to a deadly poison. Even if he¡¯s unscathed, the poison would affect him even more so now. If he can¡¯t detoxify immediately, he will die. Rothbacher took an antidote potion from his pouch using his trembling hands and drank it down. However, that was a surprise! What was shot out from the cannons in the capital were not iron balls but big, sticky nets. Moreover, they even had poison on them. The enemy had taken countermeasures against the flying dragon knights in advance. While thinking how careless they stormed there and looking at how the flying dragon knights fell one after another, Rothbacher trembled at the thought that it would be his fault if the empire was to perish. ¡¸But it¡¯s not over yet. I won¡¯t let it all end here!¡¹ The empire¡¯s pride, the empire¡¯s glory, and its symbol, the undefeated flying dragon knight order! Rothbacher has only been the commander for five years. The legend of the undefeated flying dragon knight order must not end here. With his unyielding fighting spirit, he drew his sword and cut through the tenacious net. However, when a young girl, who looked so out of place on the battlefield, arrived in front of Rothbacher¡¯s eyes, he involuntarily stopped what he was doing. ¡¸Nonsense, why would a little girl¡­¡­.¡¹ Amidst the gusts of wind because of the flapping dragons, a young girl with slick blonde hair, who still looked like a child, comes running toward him. Her adorable appearance was like an innocent girl playing in the field and for a moment, the proud dragon knight forgot that he was in the middle of a war. Even though he could see a gun in that girl¡¯s hand. ¡¸As soon as I find a dragon knight, I¡¯ll kill him!¡¹ The victorious face of the girl, who pointed the gun to Rothbacher¡¯s head while smiling fearlessly, has become the last thing Rothbacher saw in this world. CH 90.1 Chapter 90.1 ¨C Battle of Silesie¡¯s Royal Capital ¡¸Commander, Commander Rothbacherrrrr!¡¹ Sara-chan looked at the dragon knight she just shot dead on the head and the dragon knights who were struggling to get out of the net. ¡¸What do we have here? I thought he was wearing some sort of pompous armor but it turns out he¡¯s the commander of the dragon knights.¡¹ Sara-chan quickly reloaded her flintlock rifle and shot the young dragon knight, who was shouting ¡°commander commander¡±, in the head. She then shouted at the gunners, who were killing the struggling dragon knights under the net one after another with their guns, and at the soldiers and civilian soldiers, who were stabbing them with spears. ¡¸Everyone! I, Sara Rod, captain of the volunteer army have killed the enemy commanderrrr!¡¹ ¡¸You did it, Captain Sara!¡¹ Miruko, the boy soldier that was casually protecting Sara-chan, also laughed. The Losgow Volunteer Corps proudly announced to their allies that their Captain Sara had defeated the enemy commander. The report of the defeat of the enemy commander raised the morale of the soldiers and volunteers in the city even more and even the civilian soldiers performed brilliantly with their spears in their hands. Gil Heron, chief officer of the soldiers in the royal capital, was watching with a sense of dismay as Sara-chan and the rest of the Losgow Volunteer Corps fought their way through the battle. He called out to Alan Mortar, a young volunteer army captain who was fighting nearby. ¡¸Hey, Captain Alan, I don¡¯t know if this is a good time to ask you this, but¡­.why is your whole volunteer army being commanded by a little girl?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s Captain Sara so it can¡¯t be helped.¡¹ Alan Mortar, second captain of the Volunteer Army, chuckled. Well, the soldiers in the castle, who did not know what was going on, were understandably puzzled. Captain Sara and the Losgow Village Volunteer Corps, which Sara leads, are a group of children. As soon as they arrived, they took command of 500 volunteer soldiers, 300 soldiers from the royal capital, and 3000 citizen soldiers who had responded to the emergency call. ¡¸No, captain-san. If we are all under your command, I¡¯ll understand it but no matter how much I think of it, that girl is a little too young.¡¹ ¡¸Sara-chan is also a captain.¡¹ ¡¸However, you two are both captains. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if you, the elder, took the command? Our soldiers are also puzzled when a little girl suddenly took command.¡¹ ¡¸Captain Sara is very special. She¡¯s a member of hero-sama¡¯s personal guard or in other words, she is¡­.this.¡¹ Alan gave a rueful laugh and raised his pinky finger. The serious old man, Chief Officer Gil, was surprised and became incredulous after seeing that. ¡¸She¡¯s a little girl, how can she be a mistress¡­..Ah, I see. I heard it from the rumor that hero-sama is a lolic¡­..¡¹ ¡¸Hold it right there! This is a top-secret info of the volunteer army. If you value your life, don¡¯t say one more word¡­.¡¹ Alan pressed his raised pinky finger directly to his lips as if saying, ¡°keep it a secret¡±. Chief Officer Gil nodded deeply with a sullen expression on his face. If they win this war, the hero will become the husband of the new queen of the kingdom. Half of the dragon knights feel as they raid the royal capital from the sky. The surviving dragon knights could no longer approach the city for fear of the nets. The victor in the battle of the capital is the Kingdom of Silesie. If war continues at this rate, there¡¯s a possibility of the hero becoming the monarch of Silesie. He would refrain from making any comments that could be construed as disrespectful to the royal family. Besides, it is a common practice in this world for heroes in history to take random women as mistresses. ---Scene Change--- Meanwhile, at the imperial army headquarters, at the operational command center tent, the imperial general, Forcas Domos Dylan, was looking at the operations map with a sullen expression on his face. Now that the Golden Lion Emperor Freed was receiving treatment from Archbishop Nicholas for a severe, life-threatening wound, General Forcas is the commander in chief of the 60000 troops. Born into the prestigious Marquis Domos family of the empire, Forcas has been on the elite military path. He is a noble, an outstanding strategist, and a mid-level mage. As an added bonus, he has flaxen hair, handsome features, and is perfect, earning him the nickname ¡°Almighty¡± Forcas. At the age of 25, he finally appeared on the stage of history. If he wins the Battle of Silesie, his name will be inscribed in history books, not Prince Freed who¡¯s sleeping in the tent behind him. It will be him, the ¡°almighty¡± general. As much as he felt that way, he was irritated by the disappointing left-wing mercenaries, who collapsed even after he gave them the siege weapons. Of course, he¡¯s not a shallow man who would lose his cool over it. He knew that the 6000 men on the left-wing of the kingdom were a formidable force. There were 3000 soldiers in the kingdom¡¯s center and only 500 royal knights on the right-wing. After quickly defeating them, all they had to do was surround and annihilate the remaining left-wing of the kingdom¡¯s army with their entire force. ¡¸But even so, the right-wing is not moving well¡­.¡¹ ¡¸What are the 20000 troops doing against a mere 500 royal knights of Silesie!¡¹ Beside Forcas, a big man, around 2m tall, was in rage. He was Barbarossa von Berlant, the fiercest general in Germania. Barbarossa, the fierce red beard general. On the battlefield, he rides his horse and swings his big ax to send enemy soldiers into panic. He is said to have led 5000 cavalrymen of the royal knights in battle nine times and he had beheaded a hundred enemy generals. He is a legend that truly lives up to his name as the fiercest general in Germania. CH 90.2 Chapter 90.2 ¨C Battle of Silesie¡¯s Royal Capital ¡¸Even though it¡¯s only 500 knights, it¡¯s a little tricky when you¡¯re being attacked from the side.¡¹ ¡¸Alright, I¡¯ll take the royal knights and go smash the enemy¡¯s right flank!¡¹ After thinking a little, Forcas nodded. ¡¸General Barbossa, please reinforce the right flank.¡¹ ¡¸All right! I¡¯ll take care of those 500 knights in no time!¡¹ The 10000 immortal troops in the main camp is the strongest infantry corps in the empire. In addition, 14000 troops, 4000 are heavy infantry, are crushing the 3000 enemy corps. Even if the royal knights leave to reinforce the left flank, there won¡¯t be any problem. ¡¸General Barbossa, just in case, please don¡¯t go too deep.¡¹ ¡¸Haa! I¡¯m going to smash everyone in my way with one slash.¡¹ He reminded the red-bearded giant as much as he could as he exited the main camp in high spirits. However, he thought that he didn¡¯t get it at all. If there is a trap, he thought that since it is Barbossa, he would just blow that trap away with raw power so he¡¯s not worried. He thought, ¡°I¡¯m still too young to control a rampaging warrior.¡±. He sighed, feeling his lack of strength as a strategist. He noticed that his second in command, Eleonora Lanct Am-main, was still in the tent. She had been scolded by the crown prince and had her ¡°sit there quietly¡± because she kept losing every time she played the general but it was too surprising that she was really just sitting there. It is eerie that Princess Eleonora, the princess knight, who is a victim of misfortune for both friend and foe alike when she gets involved, and who is even called the ¡°War Maiden of Lanct¡±, is really just sitting there quietly. Normally, she would have said she was going to charge before Barbossa, the fierce general, and became enraged. ¡¸You are awfully quiet, Princess Eleonora.¡¹ Although he called her out, General Forcas did not address her as princess knight or vice general but ¡°princess¡± which means she has no right to command. Eleonora is the only daughter of Duke Lanct, the richest man in the empire and the leader of the imperial lords. ¡¸You are underestimating Silesie¡¯s hero, aren¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸What are you saying out of the blue¡­.I¡¯m not underestimating the enemy. I¡¯m just judging the forces accurately and taking the usual measures.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s exactly underestimating him. I don¡¯t know about you being almighty or something but, you can¡¯t beat him with the ¡°usual measures¡±.¡¹ ¡¸I understand where you are coming from. You want me to overestimate the enemy that defeated you.¡¹ General Forcas snickers at Princess Knight Eleonora¡¯s concern. He¡¯s basically saying ¡°The defeated general has no right to talk here¡±. ¡¸That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying. I just want to remind you that I know the enemy better than you after engaging with many battle¡­.¡¹ ¡¸So, what?¡¹ Forcas gently touched Eleonora¡¯s shoulder as she continued to argue. Eleonora¡¯s flaming armor is always on fire and even the chair she¡¯s sitting on is always burning. To touch her shoulder, Forcas can be said to be a very bold man. Forcas¡¯ white armor(Anor Blanc) is also strengthened with magic so it can withstand the flame armor for a little while. ¡¸Hey, don¡¯t touch me!¡¹ Forcas'' flaxen hair, which was hanging down toward Eleonora, who was sitting down, hits her gauntlet as she brushes him away and burns. The distinctive smell of burning hair spreads but Forcas, the calm and cool-headed strategist, is not dismayed. ¡¸I¡¯m glad you are concerned about me, Princess Eleonora. However, I¡¯ll show you that the 14000 central army could win.¡¹ ¡¸You are being overconfident, Forcas.¡¹ ¡¸It is not even confidence. I see victory as the result of an accurate assessment of the situation. Any man who looks at this layout and says the empire will lose is nothing but a fool.¡¹ ¡¸So, you are telling me in a roundabout way that I¡¯m a fool?¡¹ ¡¸I said ¡°man¡±. I¡¯m sure there are better places for a beautiful lady like you than on a battlefield.¡¹ ¡¸If you speak ill of me more, I will consider that as an insult and slay you here.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, I¡¯m in trouble. Fufufu. If the strategist is killed before the end of the war, we won¡¯t be able to win the battle.¡¹ ¡¸If you don¡¯t want to die, stop your theatrical play. If you are testing the limit of my patience, I¡¯ll tell you now, you¡¯re about to cross it.¡¹ Forcas backs off at the last second just before Eleonora snaps. It can be considered as a good judgment as a strategist. He looked at the strategy map at the table again and declared loudly. ¡¸Princess Eleonora, let¡¯s make a bet. If I win this battle, stop being a knight for me.¡¹ ¡¸You are the first person to ever make such a ludicrous challenge to me.¡¹ Forcas, who said that like a theater actor, shows off his flaxen hair in a theatrical gesture too. Eleonora was more stunned seeing that play than angry. If he had calculated all of that, it can be said to be quite a feat. ¡¸Oh Princess Eleonora, as beautiful as a rose in full bloom, you shouldn¡¯t be a knight anymore. Stay by my side as a woman.¡¹ ¡¸Haa¡­you are a popular playboy in the imperial capital. Do you think I don¡¯t know that?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, are you jealous?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m just saying I don¡¯t understand why tampons like you are popular with ladies!¡¹ It was a completely carefree conversation at the operations command center. At this stage, the commander in chief of the empire, Forcas, was convinced that he was going to win. He even had enough time to play with the Princess Knight Eleonora. It was not until the report of the defeat of the flying dragon knights, who had attacked the royal capital of Silesie, had been destroyed and their commander, Rothbacher, had been killed in action, arrived at the operations command center that he became truly impatient as the empire¡¯s commander in chief. CH 91.1 Chapter 91.1 ¨C When a Giant Cannon Fires The right-wing of the imperial army has 20000 imperial troops. This army is made up of many knights and soldiers from Trakia and Gartland, two of the three great kingdoms at the east end of the empire. Although large in number, the army was made up of the subordinate states that were called from the far east and soldiers recruited from the cities of the empire so their morale was the lowest. Even so, they were only up against 500 royal knights. If they put their mind to it, they could crush them all in one go. However, the commanders of the army, Trakia General Da Jeshka and Gartland General Sandor Nefskie, were not motivated. ¡¸General Sandor, are you not going to attack?¡¹ ¡¸No, given the chaotic situation, I think the chariot tactics of the renowned Trakian Knights would be a better strategy.¡¹ In that way, they checked each other and never made any progress. With both generals in command, there was no way the soldiers who were forcibly recruited from their distant homeland could mount a proper offensive. ¡¸I heard that General Rai of Rastor had a terrible time in the Oracle¡¯s Great Cave in the rear.¡¹ ¡¸So, General Da thinks so too. They¡¯ve obviously laid out a trap for us here.¡¹ The royal knights of Silesie are a heavy knight battalion like the royal knights of Germania. However, these 500 royal knights before them are wearing light armor instead of full plate armor. It was natural to assume that there was a reason behind that. Although the light cavalry was less defensive, they were more agile. Given their orderly maneuvers, it is obvious that they are luring them into a trap. If a bunch of imperial conscripts approach with their long spears in an unmotivated manner, they would be outmaneuvered and scattered by the mobility of the light cavalry. And skirmishes like this are being repetitively done by the kingdom. Even so, the empire has no intention to advance. They don¡¯t think they would lose since they are 20000 strong but no territorial army would want to go to the trouble of running into the enemy¡¯s traps and reducing their precious troops. At the beginning of the battle, when they learned that the Golden Lion Emperor Freed was defeated in a duel against Hero Takeru, the territorial army began to think that the Germania Empire was nearing its end. There is no need to flatter a weak crown prince. It would be foolish to take a battle like this seriously. ¡¸Oh, General Da, it looks like the imperial knights are coming this way.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m blind so I don¡¯t know. However, it should be that guy Barbarossa. Well, let¡¯s just have the empire fight its own war.¡¹ Da Jeshka, the famed general of Trakia, is blind and wears a black eye patch. This old general, who is famous for having devised unusual tactics called chariot tactics, lost his sight in a former war but even though he¡¯s blind, he is still respected as a general and a hero of the Trakian people. ¡¸Oi, you bunch of cowards! My knights will clean this place up so straighten up your pants and follow us!¡¹ Barbossa von Barant, the fiercest general of Germania, shouted in a loud voice that even the two generals of the territorial army could hear while launching a furious assault. He has a big body and so was his voice. It was an incredibly loud voice that made the air tremble in fear. The kingdom was not happy to be attacked by the 5000 cavalries led by Barbossa. The royal knight of the Kingdom of Silesie scattered and fled as soon as they collided. ¡¸Fuhahaha! The Silesien knights are a bunch of cowards too! You dare call yourselves royal knights! Don¡¯t run away and fight!¡¹ Barbarossa, the red beard general is chasing after the light cavalry knights of Silesie while swinging his execution axe in full glee. He is a war fanatic who finds joy in slaying his enemies on the battlefield. But still, it was an unusual battlefield. The grassy field was lined with many anti-horse fences of various sizes. Some fences were so low that horses could jump over them and the light cavalry of the kingdom just leaped over them. The imperial knights were heavily armed and many of them tried to imitate jumping over the fences but failed, breaking their horses¡¯ legs, or jumping over a pit, and many of them fell off their horses. Barbarossa resented the territorial troops at the rear, who were not moving well too because the battlefield was full of obstacles. He thought the long spearmen should have accompanied the knights. ¡¸This is just a small trick!¡¹ Even Barbarossa¡¯s prized red horse is stuck as its feet were caught in the mud. Then, a petite female knight from Silesie, equipped with a notched shield and throwing spear arrived. Her long chestnut-colored hair is swinging. ¡¸Hmm, you¡¯re a famous knight!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­.¡¹ She is Marina Hose, the current commander of the Silesie¡¯s royal knights but she did not speak. Instead of words, she threw the spear on her hand at Barbossa with all her might. ¡¸Fuh, bold!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­.¡¹ If it was someone else, that could have been quite a blow but it was easily repelled by Barbarossa¡¯s execution ax, which had already sucked the blood of a hundred generals. When Maria saw that her spear throw failed, she grabbed her light bow and fired again. ¡¸Fuhahaha, that¡¯s nothing but a mosquito bite.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­.¡¹ The arrows aimed at Barbarossa bounced off his thick armor. However, his red horse did not get away unscathed. The red horse, which had been caught in the mud, was unable to support Barbarossa¡¯s massive body due to the arrows that struck it and fell on the spot. ¡¸Mou, so the horse was your target?¡¹ Barbarossa had no choice but to jump off the red horse. He chased after the knight in front of him, swinging his execution ax in anger for shooting his beloved horse. CH 91.2 Chapter 91.2 ¨C When a Giant Cannon Fires ¡¸Wait, you coward!¡¹ However, there¡¯s no way Barbarossa in heavy armor could catch up to the fleeing light armored knight on a horse. Before he knew it, he was already lured deep into the enemy camp. The Silesie royal knights, who fled in all directions, had fled to the foot of Mount Ishiriki and the foot of the Devil¡¯s Mountain. The 5000 imperial knights led by Barbarossa, who had pursued them blindly, were also dispersed. In mountainous terrain, the heavy knights couldn¡¯t move as they wished. The same was true around the anti-horse fences where they were caught in pitfalls and muddy traps. ¡¸What the hell is that thing¡­.¡¹ Barbarossa could not hide his surprise as he continued his pursuit of the enemy and crawled to the front of the enemy¡¯s fortified City of Ox. It was obvious since he finally saw the artillery batteries set up in the City of Ox as they spewed fire on the left flank. The barrel of the cannon that stretched high into the sky of the City of Ox was too big and too long to be called a cannon. What would happen if such a thing spewed fire? Just as Barbarossa was thinking of that, he felt the air burst. It was no longer a roar. The wind pressure even made his body stagger and his eardrum ache. Even with his big body, Barbarossa, the fierce general, was shaken by the sound of the explosion. ¡¸Is that the cannon of the kingdom? Or a monster¡­.¡¹ There are three magic Armstrong cannons in the City of Ox. The big iron ball rotating like a tornado with the help of wind magic, spewed from the big barrels. They flew in the air and fell at the dense 20000 territorial troops of the empire. The impact caused a big hole in the 20000 strong army. The soldiers, whose morale was already low, were further shaken. ¡¸Ah, you idiots! Don¡¯t retreat without order!¡¹ Barbarossa¡¯s shouting did not mean a thing. The 20000 territorial troops, who had been hit by the long-range fire from big masses of irons one after another, began to retreat in panic. If those gigantic cannons were left unattended, the right flank would be totally destroyed. ¡¸Oi, imperial knight order, assemble! We must bring down the City of Ox!¡¹ They no longer have the time to chase the fleeing knights of Silesie. Barbarossa ordered the attack on the fortified city to stop the three gigantic cannons that kept firing at a long-range. The 5000 imperial knights order that had been tossed around and scattered by the fleeing enemies, gathered and began their assault toward the fortified City of Ox. However, six regular cannons and countless of flintlock rifles thrust from gunsights of the fortress open fired at the unified imperial knight order. Without being able to fight the enemy directly, knights died from gunfire or turned to pieces by bombardments. Knights kept falling from their horses one after another as they were caught in some stupid traps around the fortified city. ¡¸What the hell is this? What the hell is this dishonorable battle!¡¹ Even if they managed to crawl forward to the fortified city, there is a large moat waiting for them. The heavy knights, who had lost their horses, still held the honor of being the imperial knights of the Germania Empire in their hearts and followed Barbarossa¡¯s reckless orders, valiantly attempting to cross the moat and break through the gates of the fortress. However, the pride and fortitude of the imperial knights alone were no match for Silesie¡¯s latest weaponry. Even selected braves who finally managed to cross the moat and scaled the walls do not seem to have enough strength left to break through the fortified city of Ox which had been turned into a fortress. Still, exerting their superhuman power, the proud knights charged repeatedly in an attempt to break through the solid gates. Either they were shot to death at close range by gunners or swarmed by the citizens equipped with spears. The highly respected knights of the empire were being defeated by peasants and punks of the city. ¡¸Fuha, fuhahahahah, this is ridiculous!¡¹ Red beard Barbarossa advanced like a fiend and entered the City of Ox through the gates that his allies had breached. Neither the great moat, nor the walls, nor the mob of miscreants could stop Barbarossa, who was as strong in battle like a frenzied fiend. With a single swing of his execution ax, he kills five or six citizen-soldiers who crowded at him with their spears. Even under the bullets of the gunners, Barbarossa did not fall down but blew off the heads of the volunteer soldiers who were reloading bullets. ¡¸You bastards! I will not allow you to do this, I will not allow you to do it your way!¡¹ He must smash those monstrous cannons. Then, the territorial army will be able to move forward again. They will not lose. He will not allow those cowards to wage this kind of war, he will not allow chivalry to perish. Every time he was about to die from a bullet to his body, he would take a healing potion from his waist, drink it up, and fight to the death again. In that way, Barbarossa, covered with the bright red blood of his enemies and his own, wielded his execution ax and continued to move forward. No matter how many times he was pierced by spears, no matter how many times he was shot, he stood up again and again. And then, he spotted a female knight ahead of him. She was not the same knight he met earlier, the one with the spear. This time, it was a female knight with fiery red hair. She was holding a big sword that was as long as her height. If Barbarossa had not been wounded to the bone, he would have realized that it was the same kind of weapon that the golden lion emperor has, an orichalcum greatsword. At this time, his healing potion has already been exhausted. ¡¸Commander of the Imperial Knight Order of Germania Empire, Barbarossa! If you¡¯re a knight, introduce yourself¡­.¡¹ Red beard Barbarossa introduced himself as a true knight while vomiting blood. ¡¸Silesie Kingdom¡¯s army, ¡°Ten Thousand Swords¡± Louise. Barbarossa-dono, let¡¯s have a fair duel!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll give you what you¡­.want!¡¹ Barbarossa¡¯s execution ax was smashed by Louise into pieces. That same execution ax that slaughtered a hundred generals¡­ ¡¸so, this is ¡°ten thousand swords¡±.¡¹ Barbarossa saw Louise¡¯s brilliant swordsmanship and thought it was beautiful. He greeted her next slash, which sent his head flying, with joy. Barbarossa was still lucky to have met Louise in the end. Thinking about being blown away by a lump of iron, or being skewered at the bottom of a pit, or being pierced to death by the spears of small fries. He was sent to Valhalla like the splendid knight he was in his death. Of all the knights who attacked the fortified City of Ox, Barbarossa was the only one who met such an honorable end. CH 92.3 Chapter 92.3 ¨C Forcas¡¯ Mistake The battle is basically the higher ground you are, the more you win. Occupying the high ground becomes even more important if you¡¯re going to use guns or artillery. It would be extremely difficult to run up the mountain road, over the trenches with many traps set from below, and attack down the numerous defenses protected by sandbags and waterproof canopies. At the moment, the royal army was firing unilaterally. One wonders how foolish the imperial army would be to not retreat after being hit so hard. ¡¸I hope so. General Forcas is desperately trying to attack. Perhaps he already sensed that this is where the real headquarters is.¡¹ ¡¸No way¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Almighty Forcas is a strategist and is the chief general of the empire. If the headquarters and the queen fell, it doesn¡¯t matter how much we won. We must not let them go up until the very end.¡¹ ¡¸Why don¡¯t we just bring Queen Silhouette to the summit with us?¡¹ As I predicted, the last place that Freed, who survived(or possibly died and reincarnated as the demon king), would aim for would be the ¡°Miasma Hole of Doom¡±. If that will be the place of the decisive battle, it would be better to have Silhouette stay there. Given there¡¯s battle everywhere, she will be safest if she¡¯s with us and I think she has the right to watch the final battle. The queen will be protected by Prime Minister Nicola, who is an advance mage. However, it can¡¯t be said to be a perfect protection. I handed my magic rifle to Queen Silhouette for additional protection. ¡¸This lady requests to be able to fight with you. This lady will go to the place where Takeru-sama will go and will serve him as his wife to the end.¡¹ As expected, in order for her not to be noticed by the enemies, Queen Silhouette is wearing a plain white robe with a hood and a plain cape. However, even if she¡¯s not wearing a luxurious dress or holding a glittering scepter but a magic rifle, she¡¯s wearing a queenly dress. ¡¸Areh? Sensei, aren¡¯t you going to bring two magic rifles?¡¹ ¡¸The other one is Wake-dono¡¯s.¡¹ The Thieves¡¯ guild is not supposed to intervene in wars between nations. As one would expect, the King of Thieves Wake would not come to the middle of the battlefield but sensei thinks he¡¯ll come. ¡¸General Ortholet will be in charge of the camp from this point forward. It is about time for the last advance mage, Jenny Walpurgis, to arrive with her ¡°teleportation magic¡±.¡¹ While sensei was saying that, a scout, Neneka, arrived. ¡¸Report! We have confirmed an explosion at the exact location indicated by the strategist.¡¹ ¡¸Explosion?¡¹ I was puzzled but sensei explained. ¡¸I intentionally left some of the magic circle of ¡°teleportation magic¡± in place and set a bomb trap there. Of course, it won¡¯t work on the hated advance mage¡­.or even on Prince Freed¡¯s entourage but it would at least reduce their strength a little.¡¹ Sensei, you¡¯re still so ghastly in what you do. We left the headquarters to intercept Freed¡¯s entourage who were coming towards the ¡°Miasma Hole of Doom¡±. ¡¸W-what should I do, Takeru-dono?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, Marquis Danavan¡­..¡¹ I managed to swallow my words and did not say ¡°stay put¡±. At the end of the headquarters¡¯ room, Marquis Danavan was shivering with a blue face. He¡¯s a big, fat guy but he¡¯s wearing a full plate armor. Though looking at him, it looks like it is too heavy for him to move. You could say that at times like this, he can¡¯t help but it is still pitiful that everyone just passes by Marquis Danavan. He¡¯s the commander in chief of the whole army. I mean, I thought he was hiding in the rear but he¡¯s right here in the front line. Yeah, Marquis Danavan is patriotic and motivated. That¡¯s what I think when I look at his face. He looks blue but he¡¯s still here without any sign of running away. It¡¯s a little terrible for sensei to directly ignore Marquis Danavan, the commander in chief, and ask Ortholet to command directly. ¡¸Well, oi! Someone give the marquis, I mean the general a gun.¡¹ I had a squire bring a gun to him. Using his trembling hands, Marquis Danavan took the flintlock. It¡¯s dangerous but still better than giving him a sword. ¡¸D-do you want me to shoot enemies with this?¡¹ ¡¸Leave the command to Ortholet. Your excellency Danavan should stay at the very back of the headquarters as the commander in chief. If you survive, it means we won. That gun is for your protection.¡¹ If the command center is attacked and Marquis Danavan has to fight himself, I really think that it means we lost. If he is willing to fight, just give him a gun. It doesn¡¯t matter if it suits him or not. This is the battle of Silesie where all forces are fighting together. CH 93.1 Chapter 93.1 ¨C Devil¡¯s Mountain Battle The mountain from which the 3000 men of Silesie Kingdom¡¯s army had retreated to was a fortress. There is a mesh of intricate trenches and fortifications with stone cannons at various points. General Forcas, commander of the imperial central army, rolled into the shadows while gritting his teeth to fight a disadvantageous battle. Boom boom, cannonballs flew to the place where Forcas was. What a horrible battlefield and he¡¯s supposed to gather all of their attention. ¡¸General Forcas, his highness Prince Freed wants us to charge. Please give us the order to charge.¡¹ ¡¸Ahaha, idiot. You¡¯re going to be shot from above.¡¹ Forcas is a proud noble. He was angered at being accused of cowardice but quickly sighed. There immortal soldiers(robots) can¡¯t possibly have such feelings. The immortal soldier messenger looks unconcerned as they parry the enemy¡¯s bullets with their big shields. He stands upright even if he¡¯s shot from above. He asks his commander, Forcas, to give them an order to charge. The imperial immortal troops led by Forcas are indeed strong. They don¡¯t mind dying and even if there is a pit with pointed wooden stakes in front of them, they will jump into it without hesitation. The next soldier that will step over the body of his dead comrade impaled with stakes can proceed with a nonchalant look on his face. In that way, they force their way through the lethal traps set up by the Silesie Kingdom¡¯s army in the midst of the rain of bullets and cannonballs. They are quite brave but there is too much sacrifice. At this rate, by the time they completely conquered the Devil¡¯s Mountain, not a single immortal soldier will survive. The Golden Lion said that they only need to fight to attract the enemy¡¯s attention and not fight to the death. However, Forcas, the commander in chief, had not given up on winning. If they hit the enemy¡¯s command post, they would not be able to fire and shell in a coordinated manner. Strong force is meaningless if its weak point is controlled by the enemy. If he can¡¯t even do that, what¡¯s the point of Forcas being the commander? This ¡°almighty¡± Forcas is crawling on the ground and rolling around in a hail of bullets to find it! Think, think. A place where you can see the whole area. The enemy general should be hiding there. They should be watching this battle. ¡¸Right, in the middle! The area where the black cedars are covering the most should be the enemy¡¯s command post.¡¹ When he heard no response, he looked at the immortal soldier beside him. He¡¯s already slouched down while holding his big shield. The immortal soldier messenger died standing while waiting for Forcas¡¯ order as he was hit in the head by a bullet. Forcas jumped out to the safety of the shadows since there was another incoming hail of bullets. Then, he commanded the remaining immortal soldiers to strike the heart of the enemy! ---Scene Change--- ¡¸General Ortholet, the enemy¡¯s movement has changed!¡¹ Giney Rust, a female cannoneer with dull red hair, rushed into the headquarters. She was a village girl and formerly a member of the Ona Village¡¯s local guards and a veteran cannoneer who had studied artillery from Lyle-sensei from the beginning. In the Volunteer Army of the Kingdom of Silesie, if you are recognized for your abilities, you will rise quickly in ranks. Giney had risen from the rank of artillery captain after assisting in the assassination of the advance mage in the siege of the City of Spike. And now, she¡¯s currently an artillery commander(Artillery Battalion Commander) of the Devil¡¯s Mountain, which holds countless of artillery. Although Ortholet is the overall commander, he has no choice but to leave the artillery command to her. Giney is blunt and doesn¡¯t know how to talk with nobles but then again, Ortholet came from a poor military family. The two of them fought in the siege of the City of Spike together so Ortholet is already familiar with her honest and unreserved personality. ¡¸What do you mean, Giney-dono?¡¹ ¡¸The enemy is concentrating its forces straight at us. They are moving as if they know that the general is here.¡¹ Giney herself lit the fuse of the headquarters¡¯ projectile cannon. She didn¡¯t want to use it because it might show the position of the headquarters but there¡¯s no point in being cautious of it now. The enemy is just below them. ¡¸That only means that the time for me to use my sword has come.¡¹ He pulled out his long sword and started walking towards the enemies. ¡¸Don¡¯t, general! We should pull back. Hero-sama has asked me to protect you. I should be your shield. I¡¯ll hold off the enemy. Of course, I don¡¯t intend to die here.¡¹ ¡¸Ano, I¡¯m¡­..¡¹ ¡¸Ahh! Marquis Danavan, why are you still here? You¡¯re the commander in chief so escape now!¡¹ Ortholet became impatient when he found that Marquis Danavan was still there, trembling while holding his flintlock. Even if he¡¯s only a figurehead, it would be a blow to the morale of the kingdom¡¯s army if the commander in chief had been killed. That seems to be a lie seeing how he is lightly treated. Marquis Danavan, the lord of Est, the heart of the Kingdom of Silesie, is an indispensable figure in the current Kingdom¡¯s government. From the outside, they started to hear the clamor of the immortal soldiers of the enemy fighting with their allies who were trying to hold them off. It seems like Marquis Danavan can no longer escape. ¡¸General Ortholet, the enemy is already here!¡¹ ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped. Maquis Danavan, please hide behind the desk until I have slain all the enemies!¡¹ It is time for Ortholet¡¯s long sword to work. His sword¡¯s name is ¡°Bocca Arou¡± which means ¡°wolf¡¯s mouth¡±. Otholet¡¯s bluish sword is a sword that is passed down from generation to generation of their family. Every time it is wielded, the famous sword echoed like a wolf¡¯s howl. The voices in the corridor of the headquarters have already quieted down. Swinging it in the air, Ortholet waited for the enemy. ¡¸I wonder if this is the headquarters.¡¹ A man with sooty flaxen hair enters the headquarters while carrying an estoc. It was a light greeting as if he had just wandered into a neighbor¡¯s house. CH 93.2 Chapter 93.2 ¨C Devil¡¯s Mountain Battle ¡¸State your name.¡¹ Ortholet responds to him by swinging his sword from above. ¡¸I beg your pardon. I am General Forcas Domos Dylan of the imperial army. Don¡¯t you remember me? We met once in the City of Spike, Viscount Ortholet.¡¹ It¡¯s not unreasonable for him to not recognize Forcas because the Forcas back then was too different from the man standing before him now. His flaxen hair is burnt and ragged and his face is dirty and smeared with mud. His white armor, which he boasts for being shinily polished, is dirty and is only a shadow of its former self. He had appeared before him literally covered in dirt and mud. His wounds are healed each time he drinks healing potion but his strength was not restored. He dared look relaxed but he was already exhausted. Not a single immortal soldier who had been fighting with him remained. It was probably a good thing that they had done their job of clearing out the obstacles on the way to the headquarters. ¡¸I see. Then, let me introduce myself to you once more. I am Ortholet Oracle Spinner, Commander in Chief of the Silesie Kingdom¡¯s Army!¡¹ The fact that Ortholet introduced himself as the commander in chief doesn¡¯t mean that he neglects Marquis Danavan. He wanted him to escape while he was creating a gap for him. ¡¸That¡¯s good¡­.swept away the enemy, tsunami.¡¹ Beside Ortholet is Giney. She was about to point her flintlock gun at Forcas but she was swept away by his water magic. Yes, Forcas is also an intermediate mage. Moreover, he uses surprise attacks by whispering chants. ¡¸Aaaahhhhh!¡¹ ¡¸Giney!¡¹ Giney fell through the peephole of the command tower as she was swept away by the torrent of water. The slope of the mountain won¡¯t kill her but she won¡¯t be able to return anytime soon. ¡¸Fuh, I¡¯ve done something inelegant. I¡¯m in a desperate situation too after all.¡¹ There is no lie in those words. Forcas no longer has any magic power. He had run out of magic gems and even recovery potions. If he can¡¯t defeat Ortholet, the commander in chief, here and bring the Devil¡¯s Mountain down, it will be him who¡¯ll fall. ¡¸Then, let¡¯s settle this now!¡¹ ---grrrrrrr! Ortholet swings his magic sword down at the enemy general and the blade of his sword growls like a wolf. ¡¸Gugugu, that¡¯s the plan.¡¹ ¡¸To think you can receive that blow with an estoc.¡¹ His long sword is reinforced with magic but it was received by the upper part of a slender sword. Even if he is a noble, Ortholet has never slacked off his training and is always swinging his sword down on a training pillar. He was amazed that his powerful blow was received by a graceful man that is also a mage. ¡¸This sword is also a magic sword!¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? That¡¯s only means I have no advantage over the enemy.¡¹ Ortholet turned his slashed to an overhead thrust. It is disguised as a brute force attack. Ortholet is also someone who excels at technical attacks. However, the enemy dodged his transformed thrust with a single paper-thin movement. It is only by lowering his right leg and leaning his body. Forcas is also a tricky swordsman. Once again, Ortholet swung his word down from the top and Forcas parried it and fed him with his signature thrusting technique. Ortholet¡¯s shoulder plate shattered as it was thrust. Ortholet quickly backed away and moved out of the way. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸Nothing. I just thought you¡¯ll be at a disadvantage if you take your time.¡¹ Is he expecting some reinforcement at this time? Forcas can¡¯t help but smile after seeing his timid enemy. Ortholet glances at the door for a moment and then grabs his long sword again and confronts the enemy. ¡¸There is a possibility that reinforcements will come, why don¡¯t you stall time?¡¹ ¡¸No, this is a great opportunity. Let¡¯s settle things as it is.¡¹ The next swing of Ortholet split Forcas¡¯ white armor on the shoulder part. While taking his slash, Forcas stabbed Ortholet in his thigh with his estoc. ¡¸What is¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Let me tell you the second name of this magic sword. It¡¯s called ¡°Killer Bee¡±. It¡¯s not poisonous but your body will be paralyzed and you won¡¯t be able to move. The end result will be the same though.¡¹ Ortholet¡¯s massive body fell. Forcas, although slashed on his shoulder, was prepared for it. Even in the midst of intense pain, he did not move an eyebrow and smiled coldly. ¡¸Kuh¡­.¡¹ ¡¸So this is the last of my secrets. Everyone who has heard the name of this magic sword has died. I will let you pass away without suffering!¡¹ It was the moment when Forcas raised his killer bee to stab the fallen Ortholet in the heart. A ¡°bang¡± resounded. ¡¸Eh?¡¹ Forcas turned to see a fat, blue-faced knight standing there, holding a flintlock. Smoke was rising from the muzzle of his gun. He had been shot from behind. He was sure there was no one there¡­. With that thought in his mind, the consciousness of Forcas was cut off, and it will never return. While the two of them were trying to kill each other, Marquis Danavan had been trembling in the shadow of his desk for a long time. However, while he was wondering what to do, he thought he was in trouble when he heard Forcas say ¡°Everyone who has heard the name of this magic sword has died.¡± And fired a shot with all the courage he has in his lifetime. Sometimes, hiding in the shadows can be useful. ¡¸A-are you okay, Ortholet-dono?¡¹ ¡¸¡­.thank you very much for your help, Commander in Chief Danavan.¡¹ The killer bee¡¯s numbness seemed to be something that could be cured with an antidote potion and with Marquis Danavan¡¯s care, Ortholet recovered quickly. Thus, the final battle between the two armies at the Devil¡¯s Mountain ended in an overwhelming victory for the kingdom. According to the ¡°Almark Family Book of Achievements¡±, a history book of the Almark Family, it is all thanks to the high commanding skills and lion-like prowess of Danavan Est Almark, a brave and devoted commander in chief. CH 94.1 Chapter 94.1 ¨C Decisive Battle at the Summit At last, it¡¯s finally the final decisive battle. No matter what route Freed would take, he would come to the Miasma Hole of Doom. So, we waited for Freed in front of the square in front of the reinforced concrete building that houses the miasma hole. Queen Silhouette, with a squad of slave girl gunners and Prime Minister Nicola as escorts, are inside the building while we were guarding the entrance. If they break through us and open the miasma hole, Freed wins, and if we can stop them, I win. To be honest, it¡¯s hard to gauge the strength of the two sides. We have advance mages which are Prime Minister Nicola and Kaara. For this decisive battle, I dare to keep these two which are capable of casting large-scale magic. However, the enemy also has an advance mage and above all, they have Brynie, a super demon king with unknown power. I never thought I would be threatened by Brynie until the very end. There¡¯s Freed too. He probably had to break off his control of Brynie in this final battle. The death struggle between the imperial army and the kingdom army must still be ongoing in the Devil¡¯s Mountain but the summit of the mountain is very quiet. The long day of battle is over and the sun is about to set. Freed and his men are probably planning to take advantage of the shadows of the night¡­.. ¡¸Iyaahhooooooooooo!¡¹ I heard an outrageous roar that disturbed the tranquility of the mountain. Even if I don¡¯t want to hear it, it¡¯s kind of loud as if shouting directly into your brain. With the setting sun as the background, a man with a shining leaf on his crotch is flying with big white silver wings on his back. Is he flying? Or is he dancing? With his arms outstretched wide and the leaf between his legs shaking, he¡¯s moving as if he¡¯s floating in the air using magic. What principle are you using to fly? What¡¯s the point of having wings! ¡¸Homo, I mean, Archbishop Nicholas is their vanguard?¡¹ ¡¸Iyaahhooooooooooo!¡¹ The atmosphere of the final battle was ruined. Archbishop Nicholas suddenly appeared completely naked and in a sense, might have been his strongest form. ¡¸Hey hey hey, Silesie¡¯s Hero-sama, how are youuuu!¡¹ ¡¸Shut up!¡¹ I¡¯m getting annoyed by the flying ray of light coming this way. The light coming from his crotch is scattered in all directions. It¡¯s flashy but it doesn¡¯t have any physical effect even if it hits you. However, I hear a ringing in my ears like a hymn so there¡¯s a possibility that I¡¯m gradually being mentally contaminated. In that respect, it is terrifying and I want to defeat him as soon as possible. Speaking of which, there¡¯s only someone who can directly oppose Archbishop Nicolas in our camp. ¡¸Ria, please!¡¹ ¡¸Finally, it¡¯s my turn desu ne!¡¹ We can¡¯t take on something like that. Perhaps Archbishop Homo is only a decoy given his eye-catching appearance. Thinking about it, that means we should be more cautious in guarding the miasma hole of doom. We should hit Archbishop Homo with a perverted sister. ¡¸Asama winggggg!¡¹ White silver wings came out of Ria¡¯s seven-colored shining robe called ¡°robe of the goddess¡±. She flew to Archbishop Nicolas, who¡¯s also floating in the air. What a convenient religion. Giving you wings which make you fly. ¡¸Hnn, nhaa, hnhahahahahahaaaa! So you¡¯ve come, filthy saintess. You¡¯re the one who dragged the na?ve hero down to the path of debauchery!¡¹ ¡¸Hnn, nhaa, hnhahahahahahaaaa! Now that we are here, let¡¯s end it once and for all. I¡¯ll vanquish your evil ambitions, Archbishop Homo!¡¹ Archbishop Nicholas is shouting ¡°Nyahaha¡± while the leaf on his crotch glows. Ria spreads her arms while floating in the air while screaming ¡°Nha nha¡± and performs a kick. She fell in the air and opened her legs vigorously. Her legs are in the ¡°M¡± shape for some reason. I knew the moment she lay down in the air that she¡¯ll do something stupid but you don¡¯t have to compete with his perverseness! Both of you, respect the white silver wings on your backs. You are clearly using the white silver the wrong way! I¡¯m sure Asama is watching and she¡¯s mad. This is how the decisive battle at the summit started. I wanted to run away but I had to check because this is a serious battle. As we watch them while feeling nasty, it looks like Archbishop Homo and the perverted sister are communicating with each other. As they passed each other slowly in the air, they said ¡°Yeah yeah yeah!¡± and smiled at each other. CH 94.2 Chapter 94.2 ¨C Decisive Battle at the Summit ¡¸It seems like you can also do the rite of eucharist even if you¡¯re an enemy!¡¹ ¡¸As expected of an archbishop of the church. Even if you have fallen into the wrong path, the abilities given by Asama to us are evenly matched. Then, let¡¯s settle this by our holy power!¡¹ Did they get tired? Or were they already satisfied with their posing game? This time, they started a normal exchange of holy magic. ¡¸Holy lance! Holy shield! Holy lance!¡¹ ¡¸Holy shield! Holy lance! Holy shield!¡¹ The aerial battle of holy magic began as they shot and defended against each other¡¯s holy lance and holy shield while their white silver wings flapped. It looks awesome but it is so ordinary¡­. No, I think it¡¯s great that they are fighting normally. In that case, why did they have that weird posing battle earlier? I was looking at them in dismay and then I heard a ¡°kyaahh¡±. Ria suddenly lost her balance and fell to the ground. She must have been hurt by that fall because she was lying with her face on the ground and shaking like a newborn fawn. Eh, what¡¯s happening? Ria¡¯s not the only one who fell. At about the same time she fell, Archbishop Nicholas also screamed ¡°Noooooooo¡± and fell violently on the ground. His body even bounced a few times as he rolled with a cloud of dust. The archbishop¡¯s 7:3 hairstyle became a mess and his silver-rimmed glasses were bent and the lenses shattered. His face, which had been plump and comical when he was shining while flying, is contorting with pain. Probably because of the shock from the fall. What¡¯s this¡­.. The two battered clergies stood up at the same time, shaking off the damage from the fall. They pointed out each other and shouted ¡°Holy lance¡± but nothing happened. ¡¸Areh? Why can¡¯t I use holy magic!¡¹ ¡¸What did you do, filthy sister? The power of the relic ¡°leaf of Adamo¡± was lost. With this, my dream can¡¯t come true!¡¹ ¡¸Asama, what¡¯s happening, please, I need an answer!¡¹ ¡¸Asama, please help this pious servant of your once more!¡¹ While servants of the goddess mourn toward heaven, the white silver wings on their backs also withered and fell. This is it. Perhaps their repeated blasphemies finally touched Asama¡¯s bottom line. As if to answer their prayers. A white silver light shines through the clouds and two holy clubs appear. As if thrown carelessly, the clubs rolled on the ground and made a clang clang sound. ¡¸This can¡¯t be! Asama, this is the final battle! How can it be this unscrupulous!¡¹ ¡¸A-Asama! How can you set such stage for your pious servant!¡¹ ¡¸What the heck is wrong with the two of you?¡¹ Well, what am I even asking? ¡¸Takeru, Asama is terrible!¡¹ ¡¸The oracle told us to settle things by beating each other with those clubs since there¡¯s no point for a first-class saint and first-class saintess, both who certified heroes, to fight each other using holy magic.¡¹ I knew it. Asama has had enough. Don¡¯t you know the proverb ¡°Even with a buddha¡¯s face¡­only three times¡±? I am impressed since Asama endured you for so long. At last, the benevolent goddess has also lost her patience. You clergies did too much of what you wanted without thinking about Asama. Now, do as the oracle says and beat each other with those clubs. I¡¯ll watch you. ¡¸This is terrible. That homo was using ¡°leaf of Adamo¡± so he has an advantage over me. Because of that, I prepared a pair of holy relics ¡°leaf of Eva¡± as my trump card but I can no longer use it!¡¹ After saying that, Ria took off her ¡°goddess robe¡± and showed me her naked body with only fig leaves covering her huge breasts and crotch. ¡¸Oi, Ria, are you an idiot! Why are you not wearing any underwear! And don¡¯t strip on this place!¡¹ ¡¸I was planning to use them at the climax of our showdown so that we could see which one of us was worthy of being the true servant of Asama!¡¹ I panicked and tried to dress Ria but the sight of Ria¡¯s naked body caused Archbishop Nicholas to suffer. ¡¸Guaaahhhh, how can you show such an ugly thing to me! It will stain my eyes, stain my eyes!¡¹ ¡¸Y-you rude homo bastard! I made a special effort to show you my miraculous body because it was absolutely necessary for me to undress. How dare you call my miraculous body ugly!¡¹ The perverted sister, who was only wearing fig leaves, approached the homo archbishop, while her huge breasts shook. ¡¸Gyaaaaa, stooooooppppp! Don¡¯t show me those devil fruits! My eyesssss ¨C rotting, my eyes are rottinggggggggg!¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean by that? Look at this beauty, full of motherly love that makes you think it is blessed by the goddess!¡¹ CH 95.1 Chapter 95.1 ¨C Final Battle ¡¸Let me help you, hero.¡¹ While fighting the super demon king Brynie, a blond man in a green robe appeared from the shadows of a building along with two entourages. It was the king of thieves, Wake. He¡¯s holding a magic rifle which means Lyle-sensei has given it to him. There were many things I wanted to ask him like, why is he here and when did he get the magic rifle from sensei. But this is not the time for that. However, there is still something that I must ask. ¡¸Wake, you¡¯ve waited for me to be cornered first before appearing to appear cooler, right?¡¹ ¡¸O-of course not! I¡¯m only here because the other party is the Germania Empire. This is war cooperation!¡¹ ¡¸Well, I don¡¯t really care. If you can do something about this, please do so!¡¹ ¡¸Leave it to me. I¡¯ll slay that monster using my magical bullet of rebellion!¡¹ Holding the magic rifle, Wake used his magical bullet of rebellion that pierced through Brynie¡¯s brain. Oh, amazing. ¡¸It seems like your sensei has bestowed holy magic to my magazine using holy water in advance. It¡¯s super effective against the evil demon king. On top of that, my magical bullet of rebellion has added a punch to this magic rifle making it the ¡°true magical bullet of rebellion¡±!¡¹ I don¡¯t care what kind of naming sense he has as long as he defeats Brynie. However, as expected of Lyle-sensei. He already thought of a countermeasure against Brynie, the super demon king, and made a move. While Wake shot several more times through Brynie¡¯s body, one of the dark swords disappeared. It seems like the shot hit the demon king¡¯s core and damaged it. Even in a pinch like this, Brynie, who continued to follow Freed¡¯s order, managed to hold us back longer than expected. ¡¸Leave this to me. Go and finish the war.¡¹ ¡¸Sorry, Wake!¡¹ While Wake is shooting and holding Brynie down, I had Oracle-chan hold me up and rush into the building. In the room behind the entrance, Lyle-sensei and Prime Minister Nicola, who had just won in a magical battle, are surrounding and are about to kill the Germania¡¯s court mage Jenny Walpurgis. Jenny is just a woman if her instantaneous movement magic is blocked by the dispel magic of Prime Minister Nicola, who is as strong as her. ¡°Bang¡±, Lyle-sensei¡¯s magic rifle fired. Jenny was shot on her body and fell down. ¡¸That shouldn¡¯t be enough!¡¹ Another series of ¡°bangs¡± echoed through the building. The fallen Jenny¡¯s body shook with each shot. Sensei, she¡¯s already dead. I don¡¯t think you should be doing that sensei since we still have to deal with Freed. There¡¯s no point in shooting the corpse of Jenny. ¡¸Ahahaha! All the advance mages of the empire are dead! DEAD!¡¹ Nope, totally trigger happy. Sensei only returns to sanity when he¡¯s out of bullets. ¡¸Kyaaa!¡¹ A scream came from the inner room. I rush to the room to find the slave girl gunners, who resisted Freed and shoot him, were about to be attacked with the sword of light. To protect the other slave girls, Suzanne and Claudia both set up their black cedar shields. However, in front of Freed, who wielded a sword of light and a sword of darkness, the shield, which was harder than steel, was useless. Freed, without hesitation, slashes Sharon, who stands in front of him to protect the girls. Sharon was slashed! ¡¸Freed, you son of a bitch!¡¹ ¡¸Fufu, you really care a lot with your slave girls.¡¹ Freed kicked the slave girls away, and held the neck of the white-robed, cape-clad Queen Silhouette, who was at the deepest part of the room. He placed his sword of darkness against her neck. ¡¸Then, how about this, Takeru?¡¹ Freed, who was cornered, took the queen hostage. He¡¯s no longer a hero nor a demon king. He¡¯s just a lowly villain. ¡¸Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being too cowardly to use a woman as a shield!¡¹ ¡¸Cowardly? I could cut off the queen¡¯s head right now. I¡¯m very merciful for not doing so.¡¹ ¡¸This is not something a hero would do. You¡¯ve fallen that far, Freed.¡¹ ¡¸It looks like Brynie has been crushed by you. It¡¯s not a bad idea to make the queen my puppet instead.¡¹ He¡¯s no longer listening. Freed can only speak of his own desires. I wanted to cool his head and speak with him rationally but he already had lost his mind. Suddenly, I notice that Silhouette, who is quietly being held hostage, is signaling me with her eyes. I guess it¡¯s a signal to get attention. I swung my sword of light in a grand gesture toward Freed and approached him. Freed, who seemed to have been intimidated by that, pointed the sword of darkness toward me while holding down Silhouette. ¡¸There is no point in doing anything more, Freed, you lose and you know it!¡¹ ¡¸You nagging small fry!¡¹ Freed increases the power of his sword of darkness. The murky glow of the black flame that¡¯s wrapping it seemed to reflect Freed¡¯s raging heart. ¡¸Now, let my Silhouette go and surrender!¡¹ ¡¸Fuhahaha. After defeating you, it¡¯s my win. I¡¯ll take Queen Silhouette as my wife. She¡¯ll be the wife of the most powerful emperor in the wor¡­ Ugh!¡¹ Freed wasn¡¯t able to complete what he was saying. A loud gunshot rang out and Freed was hit by a bullet making him stagger back. Queen Silhouette, with her cape wrapped around her, fired her hidden magic rifle at Freed¡¯s leg from point-blank. That takes a lot of courage given that Freed is holding her. The hard orichalcum armor protected Freed so even if he was shot by a magic rifle at point-blank, he won¡¯t be killed. Queen Silhouette points the muzzle to Freed, who frowns in pain and falls to his knees. CH 95.2 Chapter 95.2 ¨C Final Battle ¡¸Who¡¯s going to be your wife! I already have a husband!¡¹ Queen Silhouette fired her magic rifle at Freed in rapid succession while desperately enduring the recoil of the gun with her small body. Freed, who was blasted to the wall by the shower of shots the queen unleashed, was laughing for some reason. ¡¸Silhouette, that¡¯s enough. I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡¹ I stood in front of Silhouette to protect her. I confronted Free and took out my shining white sword of light and dull silver neutral sword. ¡¸Silesie¡¯s hero¡­.you know that my goal is justice!¡¹ ¡¸Why would I care about your goal!¡¹ Freed slashed me with his sword of light and sword of darkness. His bloodshot red eyes showed he was no longer sane. As we continued our exchange several times, Freed¡¯s sword of light gradually turned dark brown. On his other hand, his sword of darkness becomes even darker. Is Freed about to completely fall into darkness? ¡¸I am going to follow the footsteps of my heroic father and bring order to the world. As the son of an emperor, it was my destiny to do so!¡¹ ¡¸I already told you I don¡¯t give a damn about your goal!¡¹ We attacked each other more and when I backed away, a shower of bullets was fired into Freed¡¯s body. The slave girl gunners, who had repositioned themselves, shot freed from the side. Mixed in with them is Oracle-chan¡¯s shockwave. Freed no longer had a single ally here. Sharon, who had been slashed by Freed, managed to stand with the help of other slave girls. It¡¯s a good thing that I made her wear my previous mithril hauberk. ¡¸I will be the only hero in the world, the most powerful emperor in the world, and the light that will bring peace and stability to this world. Thus, I will not be defeated by anyone!¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t drag the world into your selfish obsession!¡¹ ¡¸Takeru, I can still do it. As long as I defeat you, my victory will be unassailable!¡¹ ¡¸Damn¡­.enough, just die already!¡¹ Even after that, Freed is still formidable. His skin is already tinged with blue showing signs of becoming a demon king. There is only one demon king¡¯s core in Freed¡¯s body. By that logic, he shouldn¡¯t be as powerful as the super demon king Brynie. He shouldn¡¯t even be able to use imagination swords with both hands. In that case, why can he still use two swords? Why does he still have this much power? Wielding the sword of light, which has turned dark brown, and the sword of darkness, which has become darker and darker, Freed still manages to repel my attacks despite being hit by a storm of magic and bullets. With the imperial army defeated, his entourage fell, and Freed fully wounded, it can already be considered as the end of the war. And yet, at this last moment, Freed¡¯s unbreaking willpower is overflowing, setting his imagination swords ablaze. ¡¸Come on, let¡¯s settle this, Takeru.¡¹ ¡¸Freed¡­.¡¹ This is no longer just the power of a hero who has fallen into darkness. This is no longer just being reincarnated as a demon king. Freed is trying to become a new existence, both hero and demon king. He will be the strongest because he will be a being of both dark and light. Oddly enough, this was the extreme point reached by the man who aimed to be the strongest in the world. You are indeed strong, Free. You have sought power in every possible way and at this moment, you stand at the top of the world. However, I will never recognize your power. ¡¸I am the absolute justice. I am the strongest man in the world.¡¹ ¡¸You are¡­.¡¹ Chaos, the birth mother of this world, doesn¡¯t have any will that can be called human-like or even Asama-like. However, Mother Chaos will never forgive Freed for trying to rule this world as he pleases by acquiring not just the power of light but also the power of darkness. That is why the ¡°furukisha¡± gave me this sword. The neutral sword is charged with divine power and is roaring at me to overthrow Freed, who has tampered with the power of Mother Chaos. I feel bad for Asama, who believes in the goodness of mankind and continues to strive to bring light to the world, but the essence of the world is chaos. This world must not be ruled by the justice of one emperor. And what¡¯s more, no one can have both darkness and light. ¡¸Power!¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re too greedy!¡¹ Taking the chance of Freed brushing off bullets, I thrust the neutral sword deep into Freed¡¯s chest. I used the sword of light to block Freed¡¯s attempt to stop me using the sword of darkness and I continued to pierce him as deeply as I could. The orichalcum armor that should have protected Freed, wasn¡¯t able to do anything with the neutral sword. It¡¯s no wonder because I pierced the part that was once penetrated by the neutral sword. Through his right hand, the power of chaos overflows, destroying his body from the inside. Freed¡¯s red-dyed eyes eventually lost light, his hands hung down, and his body slowly fell to the ground. It was neither the defeat of the demon king nor the killing of a hero. The very existence of Freed, who had pursued the power of both darkness and light, was crushed by the will of the world. All that remained was his broken orichalcum armor and Freed¡¯s empty shell. The battle is over. CH 96.1 Chapter 96.1 ¨C Bonfire of Victory When I went outside with Freed¡¯s body in my arms, I found the super demon king Brynie that was covered in holes all over his body. Both of his swords of darkness are gone which means the demon king¡¯s cores have been destroyed. ¡¸O¡­¡­.ja¡­¡­..¡¹ Ria poured holy water over him to purify him and after a puff of purple smoke, Brynie¡¯s body melted away. I put my hands together and said go to the afterlife, Brynie. ¡¸You¡¯re amazing, Wake. You took care of the super demon king alone.¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s amazing is this magic rifle. You and your sensei have made a terrible weapon.¡¹ Wake, who looks happier than ever, strokes the barrel of the gun as if he was his lover. Has the magic rifle amplified his shooting cheat? ¡¸However, since Wake defeated the super demon king, you can be a hero too.¡¹ The king of thieves Wake, who unites the thieves guild of the three kingdoms, is the most righteous thief under heaven. Since he has defeated a demon king, all he has to do is to restore a city and a church and he¡¯ll meet the condition to be a hero. ¡¸Hero? Stop joking. I don¡¯t want to be stalked by an interesting woman like that for the rest of my life.¡¹ For a moment, Wake made a discouraged face while looking at Ria who¡¯s purifying Brynie. After that, he chuckled. Ria, I already told you earlier to get dressed¡­.. ¡¸In any case, you really saved us, Wake.¡¹ ¡¸I just did the work equivalent to what I received. If you really want to thank me, you can thank your sensei for making me a good weapon.¡¹ That said, Wake held up his magic rifle as if a child would do given a new toy. Certainly, this weapon must be irresistible for someone like him who has a projectile cheat. For wake, it is a must. Now, it¡¯s time to settle things. There¡¯s still an ongoing battle. The battle between Herman Salzhorn, who¡¯s holding a big orichalcum shield, and Louise, who¡¯s wielding an orichalcum greatsword. The battle between the strongest sword and strongest shield has already been expected to be difficult to settle. ¡¸Hey, you two, the battle is over. Iron wall Herman, your general is dead.¡¹ Hearing that, Herman quietly lowered his great shield. Louise also lowered her great sword. The two stopped fighting. I let Freed¡¯s corpse go in front of Herman. The big man, not lamenting nor crying, checked Freed¡¯s corpse as if to make sure he was dead. ¡¸Now, what are you going to do, Herman?¡¹ ¡¸Silesie¡¯s Hero-dono, if you permit me, I would like you to let me go. It seems like I¡¯m the only one who can carry his highness¡¯ remains.¡¹ This is the first time I¡¯ve heard Herman speak. His voice is cool, unlike his rocky physique. I could have taken him as a prisoner but if I did, this honest-looking man would fight till his last breath. I don¡¯t want to risk any more sacrifices just to get the broken orichalcum armor and orichalcum shield. ¡¸Alright, I¡¯ll permit you to do so. You may deliver Freed¡¯s body to the empire.¡¹ ¡¸Thanks for your grace.¡¹ Herman wrapped Freed¡¯s corpse with Freed¡¯s own purple cloak and carried him and his big shield down the Devil¡¯s Mountain. I wonder if he really intends to walk back to the empire. I thought of writing him a road pass so he wouldn¡¯t get caught along the way but there¡¯s no time for that. Well, there should be no one who can intercept that man aside from Louise. Ria¡¯s holy magic power seemed to have recovered so I had everyone¡¯s wounds healed and rested. There was a soldier who came to check on us and when I told him about our victory, he went down with great joy. The Golden Lion has fallen! Silesie won! The news was immediately circulated throughout the headquarters at the Devil¡¯s Mountain. The surviving Silesie knights and volunteer soldiers gathered their strength and built a bonfire. TN: The bonfire here is not a campfire but a fire built on an iron basket(not a torch). There¡¯s no direct English translation so I¡¯ll just bonfire. Soldiers with torches ran around the Devil¡¯s Mountain in the dark night while shouting with joy. The bonfire of victory was lit in the darkness of the mountain. Those who don¡¯t have bonfires gathered wood chips and dead branches to light them and there are even those who lit the straw they had used as bedding to celebrate victory. Reports of victory, along with dozens and hundred flickering bonfires, reached the royal capital of Silesie and the fortified City of Ox, illuminating the cities. From the summit, I watched the light of victory spread out into the darkness of the night and gasped at its beauty. Queen Silhouette came and took my hand. Without uttering a word, she gazed at the thousands of lights spreading out with a pensive gaze. More beautiful than those lights are Silhouette¡¯s strawberry blonde hair, shimmering with the light from the bonfires. I thought of such a racy line but I decided not to say it. It would sound cheesy if I put it into words. Instead, I put my hand on her soft shoulders. She leaned against me and I stroked her hair. ¡¸Today is the best day in this lady¡¯s life.¡¹ As I gently stroked her hair, Silhouette said that in a voice full of emotion. A historic day of victory. Perhaps the words this queen has uttered and the words I¡¯m about to utter will also go down in history. Thinking that I shouldn¡¯t say something bad, I looked into Silhouette¡¯s blue eyes and replied. ¡¸Today is just the beginning, Silhouette. Let¡¯s spend better days together from now on.¡¹ ¡¸Takeru-sama¡­¡­¡¹ Silhouette looks up at me and closes her blue eyes. Yeah? As I was thinking about what she was doing, Silhouette twisted around a bit. Oh, I see, so that¡¯s how it is. I slowly brought my face close to hers and kissed her lips, which were small and lovely like cherry petals. It was an awkward kiss because I¡¯m not used to it but I managed. If I failed to kiss her in the last scene, everything will be ruined. I wanted to praise myself for getting it right on the spur of the moment. To be honest, I will not tell anyone that I find this moment the most nerve-wracking one compared to any other battle. All the people of Silesie who participated in this war were so exhausted yet so happy and excited about winning that they could hardly sleep. CH 96.2 Chapter 96.2 ¨C Bonfire of Victory The next day, I attacked the City of Spike with an army of 11000; 3000 volunteer corps, 4000 mercenaries, 2000 soldiers, and 2000 citizen soldiers. The citizen soldiers should have already been paid and disbanded but many of them wanted to fight to the end and watch our victory so I decided to take them with me. The knights of the Oracle territory and the 1st volunteer battalion, who were holed up in the Oracle¡¯s Great Cave threatened the enemy from behind. The less than a thousand of them surrounded the City of Spike. The small City of Spike is garrisoned by 10000 imperial troops who have escaped. As if there were overflowing from the city, there is a formation in front of the outer wall. There are only 10000 of them from the should have been 70000 remaining imperial army but that can still be considered as a big army. According to the report from a spy, the 10000 reserve soldiers in the rear and the 20000 territory soldiers have returned to their own countries. Many of the soldiers and mercenaries have also scattered and fled and may have not reported back. The 10000 imperial troops who fled to the City of Spike were a defeated army. Morale must be at its lowest but even so, they are still standing in formation with spears ready, waiting to charge at the army of Silesie. ¡¸Silesie¡¯s Hero Sawatari Takeru, I wish to see you!¡¹ A familiar blonde-haired, blue-eyed princess knight galloped towards us alone on her splendid white horse so I pushed my way forward to meet her. Well, Eleonora is probably the only princess knight in this world. ¡¸Yow, it¡¯s been a while.¡¹ ¡¸It hasn¡¯t been that long. Let me tell you this now, I¡¯m the general of this 10000 imperial army.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I guess so.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m the general because you have defeated all his highness¡¯ most trusted generals and his highness himself. Frankly speaking, I¡¯d say we already lost.¡¹ ¡¸Eh?¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s with the surprised look on your face?¡¹ Oh, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s no word like ¡°defeat¡± in the dictionary of the stubborn princess knight even if she is in a ¡°situation where it is impossible to win¡­.¡±. Is she really the Princess Knight Eleonora? ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing. So, are you here to admit defeat and surrender?¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t do that¡­.¡¹ Good, it looks like she¡¯s the real Eleonora. No, not good. After all, that means we have to take out the remaining imperial troops too. Well, there is no way we¡¯ll lose to the 10000 troops commanded by Eleonora so our victory is guaranteed. ¡¸That means we can only settle things with who will win on the battlefield.¡¹ ¡¸Wait a minute, that¡¯s not the reason why I¡¯m here!¡¹ ¡¸Oh, you still have something to say?¡¹ ¡¸We can¡¯t just accept defeat so I¡¯ve come to tell you to settle this with a one-on-one duel between generals!¡¹ Eleonora dismounted from her horse. From the saddle of her horse, she pulled out two wooden swords. ¡¸Ah, black cedar swords.¡¹ The wooden swords I have were gone before I knew it when we went to the ¡°White Tower of Trials¡±. I was wondering when I had put them but it looks like she has them. ¡¸There are still a few who are still clinging to their pride as knights saying that this is a battle in honor for his highness. However, we need to get our men back home as soon as possible so let¡¯s end it this way.¡¹ ¡¸All right, come at me if you mean it.¡¹ I received a wooden sword from Eleonora and faced her as both armies watched. Eleonora was in a high stance while I¡¯m in a straight one. ¡¸Of course, I¡¯m serious so here I go!¡¹ ¡¸Oh¡¹ As soon as she said so, Eleonora swung down the sword with all her might. If we¡¯re only going to talk about power, it¡¯s a good, heavy slash but it¡¯s too straightforward. I just parried it casually and thrust my wooden sword at Eleonora. Eleonora panicked and swung her sword from below, trying to leap away from my sword. I swung my sword at Eleonora to ward off her attack. Eleonora¡¯s moves are too straightforward so she can be caught with a simple feint. I quickly withdrew my swing and slashed the sword as hard as I could at Eleonora¡¯s sword. Eleonora let the sword go because of the impact. ¡¸Do you still want to continue?¡¹ ¡¸No, I lost. You are strong, Takeru¡­.¡¹ Eleonora conceded defeat and sent out a signal to her army, declaring her surrender and allegiance. The imperial army, which had opened the City of Spike, followed Eleonora¡¯s instructions, and began preparing to return home without further ado. What happened to Eleonora? She doesn¡¯t have her usual high spirits and she¡¯s acting like a totally different person. I was expecting to be pestered again but I feel weird as if I¡¯ve been feinted at. ¡¸Terms and negotiations for peace will be done by the high-ranking officials through diplomatic routes. For now, believe in our declaration of allegiance. I want to take the soldiers and return home immediately. It will be a big problem if something happened to our territory if we can¡¯t return immediately.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind but¡­..¡¹ This is so straightforward that I¡¯m already wondering if this is some kind of trap. ¡¸What¡¯s the matter? I¡¯m truly in a hurry. Tell me if there¡¯s a problem. If you want money, I¡¯ll personally pay the ransom at the price you ask.¡¹ ¡¸No¡­.¡¹ I don¡¯t know what to say. What Eleonora says is the best choice for both the Kingdom of Silesie and the Germania Empire. We have no intention to invade Germania Empire. Even if we continue this futile struggle and stall the remaining imperial forces, the Kingdom of Roland or the Britanian Union will simply take over the territory of the empire and there is nothing for us to gain. There is nothing for me to say about that reasonable proposal except for the fierce discomfort that the Princess Knight Eleonora is giving me. ¡¸¡­..understood. I accept the surrender of the imperial army and allow them to return home.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m glad you understand. May I say one last thing with you?¡¹ Eleonora smiled and brought her lips close to my ear and whispered. ¡¸I only said all of that due to my responsibility as the last general of Germania. I personally never admit that I was defeated by you. As soon as I get my soldiers back home and stabilize the Duchy of Lanct, I¡¯ll come back and compete with you again so wash your neck and wait for me.¡¹ Eleonora said that much and, perhaps already satisfied, mounted her horse, flipped her red cape, and galloped off. As I watched her back, I wondered if the saddle of the horse was imbued with fireproofing magic or else the horse would be burning because of her flaming armor or some other nonsense. CH 97.1 Chapter 97.1 ¨C Clean Up After the War At some point, I took the entire army to the border of the Lauren Knight¡¯s territory to see off the imperial army¡¯s withdrawal. Incidentally, I was told at that time by Baron Bagamon, Commander of the Lauren Knights, that the two factions, which had continued to have a small dispute in the territory, were finally united as one after the coronation of Queen Silhouette (in truth, probably after hearing that the kingdom had won the war) and all returned to the kingdom¡¯s side. It¡¯s a pretty unimportant story but it¡¯s never a bad story if the territory along the border finally stabilized. I took the whole army and flew back to the royal capital of Silesie. From there, I was busy with many other things. I had to clean up after the war but I was also exhausted from all the things I had to do as a triumphant general in the capital such as consoling soldiers who had fought bravely and even doing things I wasn¡¯t used to, like going to a victory parade. Lyle-sensei and the prime minister were also busy concluding a peace treaty with Germania Empire. Diplomatic negotiations after the war are another war. The Kingdom of Silesie, which had won the great war, will not ask for the cession of any territory. Instead, it demanded an unprecedented reparation payment from the Germania Empire equivalent to 50000 platinum coins in platinum, gold, silver, and copper coins. This was an extremely unusual demand considering the common sense of this world that war is a struggle for territory. The empire, unwilling to give up its territory at any cost, emptied its treasury and scraped together platinum, gold, silver, and copper coins from all over the empire, and managed to complete the reparation payment. Since the Kingdom of Silesie, which had been at the center of the great war, decided to make peace alone, the Kingdom of Roland and Britanian Union, who had been on a joint front, lost their grip and can only demand for the return of a part of their old territories that had been taken by the empire. The Britanian Union settled the contradiction by being ceded with several small towns by the sea. Well, I don¡¯t think the two countries can complain because they didn¡¯t even fight and got a fisherman¡¯s benefit. It was not long before the military and bureaucrats of the imperial government were relieved that the futile war started by Prince Freed had been brought to an end with minimum damage. Soon after, the imperial economy, depleted of money for the settlements, was hit by a raging deflation. The market, which had fallen from extreme inflation during the war to a sudden and intense deflation, was choked by the paralysis of the circulation of goods. In no time, the empire ran out of money and goods. The abundance of goods that had been overflowing in the imperial capital was lost in the war and the lack of money made it impossible to buy from foreign countries. The rest was hidden deep in the warehouses owned by large merchants. The credit crunch and distribution paralysis resulting from the war led to the bankruptcy of merchant associations one after another, which led to the collapse of the lives of the civilians. Resentment swept across the empire. However, there was nothing that could be done with the depleted imperial finances. Rather than helping the impoverished people, the imperial government pushed for higher taxes and monopolization of daily necessities in order to manage the lack of tax revenue. As a result, the empire¡¯s merchants and citizens became even more impoverished and the collapse of the economy sped up more. The empire fell into an endless loop of deflation just as if it was rolling down a hill. By imposing reparations payments as the empire wants to pay as little as possible, the empire collapses economically. How many people realized that this was the Kingdom of Silesie¡¯s strategy against the Germania Empire? Of course, Germania, a great power, has its own set of great people. Freed¡¯s brain, Interior Secretary Biden, realized that the cause of the frenzied prices was the lack of currency and launched a bold reform to adopt convertible paper money as practiced in the empires at the far west. It was an extremely progressive and correct response but it was already too late. Having lost the great war, the empire had already lost enough credibility to guarantee the value of convertible banknotes. No foreign country would accept Germania bills and the territorial states, forced by the imperial government to accept the completely worthless paper bundles, finally rebelled against the empire. The civil war began with the rebellion in the western part of the empire, the Kingdoms of Rastoir, the Kingdom of Trania, and the Kingdom of Gartland. The war spread to the eastern part of the empire where the coalition of duchy, led by the Duchy of Lanct, defected from their home country and peasant uprising broke out in various parts of the empire. The empire¡¯s adversaries, the Kingdom of Roland, and the Britanian Union took advantage of this opportunity to resume their territorial incursions one after another. Subsequently, an anti-empire coup d¡¯etat led by the military made the imperial capital of Northmark. The largest empire on the Eura continent was quartered and completely wiped off the map but well, that is a story for the future. CH 97.2 Chapter 97.2 ¨C Clean Up After the War I¡¯m in my office at Ox¡¯s castle, pondering Sherry¡¯s report on the procedure. Even after hearing the detailed explanation and predictions for the future, I still don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on. Anyway, it seems like the Kingdom of Silesie has economically overthrown the empire without using a single soldier. That caused more damage than the war that I and Lyle-sensei had desperately won. I even feel a sense of empty horror. Sherry, the brain of the Sawatari Company and the shadow lord of the finance of the Kingdom of Silesie, was sensei¡¯s assistant. She was able to conceive a plan and execute the economic collapse of the Germania empire single-handedly. I patted Sherry¡¯s head and wondered where in this little silver head was all that terrible calculating power came from. ¡¸Well done, Sherry.¡¹ ¡¸Ehehe, thank you for the compliment. But master, it is still halfway there.¡¹ ¡¸Halfway?¡¹ ¡¸After this, there are a number of options but after we have seen the empire¡¯s fall by both the coup d¡¯etat because of the impoverished imperial nobles or a popular uprising of the poor, we can use the reparations to purchase assets within Germania and Gradually return the money to the market.¡¹ ¡¸Fumu¡¹ ¡¸If I were to decide, I think it would be nice to thoroughly buy up the weakened Germania companies, interests, and assets. It would be a very good deal. If we hold the purse strings, I believe that even the fallen territories will beg to be part of the Kingdom of Silesie.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Well, I¡¯ll allow you to do what you want, Sherry. As far as diplomacy is concerned, you¡¯ll have to talk with sensei first.¡¹ ¡¸Affirmative¡¹ ¡¸Now then, let¡¯s talk about the reward¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah¡¹ Sherry rubs herself to me with eyes full of anticipation. I don¡¯t need to ask her what she would like so I get up and head to the bathroom with Sherry. As I undress and get to the bath, Sherry looks sideways before lowering the ¡°Bath Cleaning in Progress¡± sign. It¡¯s easy enough to wash a little girl¡¯s hair. ¡¸Sherry¡¯s silver hair is so beautiful it feels so nice to touch. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, you¡¯ve started loving them, haven¡¯t you? ¡¹ You¡¯re a cute sumo wrestler. Maa, after doing it a couple of times, I already know how to please Sherry. I only need to whisper in her ears. ¡¸You don¡¯t smell. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll be going to the bath with master so I made sure to clean myself. ¡¹ That¡¯s funny. Cleaning first before taking a bath. Well, I understand her concern a little. Since she wants to get clean, should I send Sherry a hand mirror or perfume? If Roll, who still chops and burns firewood outside, is a manual laborer, Sherry is a brainy workaholic so if she¡¯s interested in girly things, that¡¯s a good thing. I dislike favoritism but I want them to stay pretty so I would prefer them to pay a little more attention to girly fashion. ¡¸Ah, yeah. I need to give Roll a bath too. ¡¹ ¡¸Master, it¡¯s my turn now so don¡¯t think about other girls. ¡¹ ¡¸Hahaha, you don¡¯t need to say it. ¡¹ I laugh and fetch some hot water to rinse Sherry¡¯s hair. She¡¯s talking in a very feminine way and it includes a shy smile that made me a little nervous. ¡¸I just called you master now. Or would you like oniichan better? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, whichever Sherry prefers. ¡¹ Sherry¡¯s smart enough to imitate how the adults around her talk. She pretends to be an adult even though she doesn¡¯t understand and that kind of thing is normal for an innocent child and is rather likable. No matter how smart she is, intellectual development and emotional growth are two different things. Sherry doesn¡¯t understand the subtleties of sexes. Well, I¡¯m not as mature as she says and I don¡¯t understand the subtleties of sexes either. I wash Sherry¡¯s body with my hands covered with soap and bubbles. She washes me and I wash her. It¡¯s a strange thing to do but I don¡¯t resist much anymore. As I have said many times before, I¡¯m not a lolicon so I¡¯m not conscious of it. I don¡¯t really care if I¡¯m touched by a child or not. I do get a thrill when I feel femininity even if it¡¯s a child but the trick is to block that circuit. Just think that you are washing a cat and it wouldn¡¯t matter. CH 97.3 Chapter 97.3 ¨C Clean Up After the War ¡¸Oniichan, please wash my chest more.¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t have enough to wash.¡¹ ¡¸Mou! I already have it! Try touching it.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, barely.¡¹ She¡¯s only a little girl but if I had a little sister, this might have been how I felt. With that kind of ease, I teased her but now, my goal is to please Sherry. ¡¸Do you like big breasts like Sharon-oneesama, master?¡¹ ¡¸No, that really doesn¡¯t matter. I like it even if it¡¯s small.¡¹ I hold her small breasts in my hand and hurriedly follow up with Sherry, who seems a little depressed. After all, Sharon is an older sister to Sherry. It¡¯s quite moe to see a little sister who is depressed because she is compared to her older sister. However, it¡¯s not the time to be thinking about moe. In fact, my wife Silhouette is no different from Sherry in terms of cup size. Therefore, small chest doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s not good. ¡¸Really? You¡¯ll still like it even if it¡¯s small?¡¹ ¡¸Of course, the size of chest doesn¡¯t determine the value of a woman.¡¹ I got up and took hot water from the bathtub and rinsed the bubbles off Sherry¡¯s body then rinsed myself off. ¡¸Then, I don¡¯t mind being small!¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯ve got back on your feet pretty fast.¡¹ Confidence is an important thing. Well, in Sherry¡¯s case, she¡¯s still a child so unlike Silhouette, she¡¯s expected to grow. There¡¯s no need to be discouraged. When I got into the bathtub, Sherry naturally sat on my lap. I put my hand on her shoulder and squeezed it. I don¡¯t reject Sherry¡¯s strong desire for skinship, but only her. These slave girls all came from unfortunate backgrounds. Most of them have been separated from their families. I think they are a little too spoiled for their age but I think Sherry deserves special treatment and pampering. Sherry is treated like a child prodigy and has to let off steam somewhere because she is usually so uptight with adults. The only people who can spoil her as a child she is are Sharon and me. ¡¸Can I ask you to give me more cuddles?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, sure, come here little sister.¡¹ Sherry stood in the bathtub and turned to me so I gave her a hug. She was still small so it¡¯s not a burden even if she leans on me. I hugged her slender back. ¡¸Little sister, that¡¯s all of us, aren¡¯t we?¡¹ ¡¸I think of all my slaves as family but you¡¯re my only little sister.¡¹ I whispered in her ear because I remembered that I¡¯m supposed to be pleasing her. It is only my shallow idea that girls will be pleased if there¡¯s something about her that is unique for me. ¡¸I¡¯m so happy. I love you, oniichan.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah yeah¡¹ Sherry¡¯s little arms were full of strength as she clings to me. Apparently, I was right. Well, I¡¯m happy to be called oniichan and it¡¯s nice to have at least one little sister in this world. By the way, both Sherry and I are only child. Maybe because we never had any siblings that we long for them. ¡¸Fuwaaa, oniichan, I like being touched on my neck.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? Do you mind if I do?¡¹ Sherry¡¯s silver hair reminds me of an American shorthair I used to have. When I touch her neck, she rumbles and throbs with delight so I end up doing what I used to do, remembering my old habits. Of course, I won¡¯t say that I¡¯m treating her like a cat. ¡¸No, I don¡¯t. I feel good since oniichan is touching my precious place. Ah, but it isn¡¯t allowed for a brother and sister to feel this good together, right?¡¹ ¡¸And where did you even learn that?¡¹ Sherry started saying some strange things that are mixed with some kind of modern erotic knowledge. I already have an idea who she learned it from. ¡¸Sister-sama told me that a forbidden love between a brother and a sister must burn.¡¹ ¡¸As expected. Don¡¯t listen to that pervert sister.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, we¡¯re not really brother and sister so it¡¯s okay to love each other.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the issue but, well, there are contraindications.¡¹ This is also the kind of cuteness that can be achieved because Sherry¡¯s still a kid. When she grows a little older, Sherry will really become a woman and I will need to gradually move away from her. She has Sharon so she won¡¯t run out of places where she can be spoiled. I feel like I¡¯m going to miss my little sister who¡¯ll grow apart from her big brother. While I was thinking about that, Sherry¡¯s hand on my back exerted more force. CH 97.4 Chapter 97.4 ¨C Clean Up After the War ¡¸Waaaa¡¹ ¡¸Oh, sorry. Was it too strong?¡¹ ¡¸No, the stronger the better. Rather, may you reward me with a tighter hug, rub my back, and do the things I asked you before?¡¹ I only remember her requesting small things before. That is, lowering my voice and whispering in her ears, right? ¡¸Sherry is a pretty little sister.¡¹ ¡¸Higuuu¡¹ Sherry¡¯s small body trembled. Well, maybe it was because I stroked her back. ¡¸The pretty Sherry is my one and only little sister.¡¹ ¡¸Oniichan, feels good, Please be rougher and more intense.¡¹ This is getting stupider. Well, this is what Sherry likes and she seems to be happy about it. ¡¸The smart Sherry is the best little sister, she¡¯s so cute I want to eat her.¡¹ ¡¸Fuwaaa, please eat me, eat all of me oniichan.¡¹ She¡¯s making sweet noises. Her body¡¯s trembling as she desperately intertwines her slender limbs to rub herself to me. When she reacts like this, things get a little interesting so I put some strength on my embrace and tickle the parts that I think Sherry would enjoy. ¡¸Then, let me eat you up.¡¹ ¡¸Aaahhh, hiii, I¡¯m going to get eatennnnn¡¹ I playfully gave her little earlobe a sweet bite. At that moment, Sherry¡¯s body convulsed with a frightening intensity. ¡¸Hey, are you okay?¡¹ ¡¸Aaaaaaaa, no, you can¡¯t stop! Please hold me tighter and push your tongue inside my ear. Eat all of me!¡¹ You¡¯re starting to make outrageous demands. If this were any other woman, I¡¯d be all over her. However, it¡¯s Sherry. I did as I was told and pushed my tongue inside her ears. ¡¸Hnn¡­¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Ahhhhhh, you¡¯re eating me. Oniichan is eating me! Ahhhhhh!¡¹ I licked her like a dog until she was satisfied. She told me not to stop halfway so I Iicked clean both of her ears until they were all blistered and she finally gave me an okay. ¡¸Haa haa¡­.how about it?¡¹ ¡¸Whoah, my ears were almost debauched. Thank you, oniichan. That felt great.¡¹ Sherry is floating in the bathtub, pouting. I guess she¡¯s in a state of enjoying the afterglow or whatever you want to call it. I have to reward Sherry for her work. I wonder if this is going to have a very negative impact on Sherry¡¯s development or rather, give her a nasty habit. As I held her in my arms while she was floating in hot water, I began to worry more and more. No matter how much I praise her as a reward, I feel like she¡¯s overdoing things. Maybe we should change the way we do things. ¡¸Now that you are satisfied, I would like to discuss something with you, Sherry.¡¹ ¡¸Almost¡­.¡¹ ¡¸What the heck¡­.you¡¯re not going to tell me that you¡¯re not yet satisfied, are you?¡¹ I tried pretty hard. What more do you want me to do to say that ¡°almost¡±? ¡¸No, oniichan¡¯s reward was perfect. I¡¯m not talking about that, I¡¯m talking about work.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, seriously.¡¹ Sherry witches her mind so quickly that sometimes, it¡¯s hard to keep up with her. After all that debauchery, her mind is already in work mode. ¡¸The kingdom¡¯s merchants, I can almost give them all to oniichan. We are one step closer to realizing your dream.¡¹ ¡¸Come to think of it, I told you about it when you started to work at the company.¡¹ That was just when we took a bath together like this and washed ourselves. I remember it correctly. Sherry had promised me that. ¡¸That promise is what¡¯s keeping me alive.¡¹ Her silver eyes, which had been so debauched a moment ago, have already regained their life and innate sharpness. Sherry boldly told me, ¡°I¡¯ll take over the businesses of the merchants of the kingdom for you.¡±. That time, I thought, ¡°Impossible¡± but in such a short period of time, we arrived at the point where it was feasible. Sherry is truly an economic cheat born of Silesie. I was half proud and half disappointed that my little sister was too good to be true. ¡¸Well, I¡¯m the cause of everything so Sherry should just do whatever you want to do.¡¹ ¡¸If I succeed, I¡¯d like an even better reward.¡¹ I feel like Sherry¡¯s becoming less and less reserved toward me. I was starting to get scared of what she would make me do in exchange for a kingdom. She¡¯s cute and snobbish and usually reserved but sometimes, she makes me feel embarrassed by saying something selfish. I don¡¯t know because I¡¯m an only child but I wonder if my real sister is like this. CH 98.1 Chapter 98.1 ¨C Lyle-Sensei¡¯s Confession One day, when my wedding with Queen Silhouette, which had been postponed until the postwar turmoil settled down, was finally about to take place, I was summoned by Lyle-sensei. Whenever he called me by name, it was always when something serious had happened. I shuddered when I thought that the moment I had been waiting for had finally arrived. After I¡¯ve completed my preparations, I visit sensei¡¯s room in his Ambazac residence. He is sitting on the bed, waiting for me. He was wearing neither the formal attire of a state official nor his usual tight-fitting, buttoned-up secretary uniform but a loose-fitting robe worn by mages. Despite what he was wearing, his expression was firm, his hands were on his knees and he sighed as soon as he saw me. Even on the battlefield, sensei has a smile on his face but now, he looks more nervous than ever. Something must have happened. ¡¸You wanted to see me, sensei.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I called you here today because of an appointment.¡¹ Sensei¡¯s voice is trembling a little. This feels out of place and I don¡¯t know what to do. Sensei¡¯s room is filled with stacks of papers, magic tools, and books. There¡¯s no room for me to go so I thought I¡¯ll just sit right next to him. ¡¸Takeru-dono, you are very close¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Can¡¯t I sit next to you?¡¹ ¡¸Ehto, maa, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m just troubled about how to start since a while ago.¡¹ ¡¸Tell me everything.¡¹ ¡¸Perhaps it would be easier to talk about it if we take a bath together.¡¹ ¡¸Okay, let¡¯s go!¡¹ Sensei laughs ¡°ahahaha¡± as I stood up with exaggerated delight. Hopefully, that will make his nervousness ease up a little. ¡¸Come to think of it, Takeru-dono has been asking me to take a bath with you ever since we met. I just passed it off as a joke but there was a reason why we couldn¡¯t go in together.¡¹ ¡¸So, the best way to talk about it now is to get there together!¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m afraid cause it¡¯s not a pleasant subject but soaking in hot water might soothe you somewhat.¡¹ ¡¸Sensei, I¡¯ve already asked Roll to fire up the bath so if you¡¯d like, we can get in right away.¡¹ The tub is still filled with water and will be slightly warm at the beginning of warming. However, it should reach the right temperature after a while. Sensei was a little surprised to hear that the water is already being warmed. ¡¸Why is it being warmed already? Did Takeru-dono anticipate that things will go like this?¡¹ ¡¸I thought that if sensei was going to show the secrets of your body, it would be easier to take a bath than to simply undress.¡¹ Lyle-sensei placed the palm of his hand on his slender chin and smiled in amusement. I¡¯ll keep quiet about the fact that I ran to Roll thinking that today would be the day where I would climb to adulthood with Lyle-sensei and I have cleaned myself earlier as preparations. ¡¸I didn¡¯t expect Takeru-dono to anticipate my actions which means it should already be warm. Very well, I have made up my mind.¡¹ Sensei gets up from the bed and quickly brushes the knees of his robe before leaving the room. I hurriedly followed him behind. Finally, we¡¯re going to take a bath together. ¡¸I¡¯ll put a sign on the door saying ¡°Cleaning in progress¡± so that no one would barge in.¡¹ Even though I already did that, Lyle-sensei still locked the door using magic. I guess he really doesn¡¯t want others to see his skin. And the thought that he would only show it to me made my heart flutter. ¡¸Takeru-do, please go ahead and take a bath. I¡¯ll be right behind you.¡¹ ¡¸I understand.¡¹ In the bathroom, I poured hot water over myself and slowly soaked in the bathtub, and waited. It was slightly warm but it would get warmer in time and I might stay rather long so this was just fine. Sensei opens the door to the bath and comes in. Finally¡­.. ¡¸¡­..why are you wearing clothes in the bathroom?¡¹ ¡¸This is my bathing suit.¡¹ I almost fell over. I guess sensei will take it off after some time. But why can¡¯t he just take it off now? I¡¯ve been trained so much by the real fantasy world that I¡¯m prepared to accept any tragedy. Sensei was wearing a thin yukata-like white robe. I couldn¡¯t see his skin through it and it was more amorous than being naked. And as expected, sensei has boobs and a soft female body. And it looks like her short brown hair has grown a little longer recently which makes her look more girly. Now, what¡¯s the secret sensei is hiding? ¡¸Sensei, you¡¯re not going to go straight into the bath in your bathing suit, are you?¡¹ ¡¸My apologies. I¡¯ve come this far but I can¡¯t just do it.¡¹ Sensei sighed. Normally, I would be inclined to forgive him but not today. I¡¯ve come prepared so sensei should be the same. ¡¸Lyle Laertius, you¡¯ve come this far just to renege on your promise.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen Takeru-dono this serious. I understand. Please take a look.¡¹ CH 98.2 Chapter 98.2 ¨C Lyle-Sensei¡¯s Confession So, sensei nodded with a sigh and took off his bathing suit, and stripped naked. Hmm, smooth and beautiful skin. It¡¯s so clear and white that I think it has never been exposed to the sun since birth. Though slender, her breasts are moderately developed and her waist is slender. She has the body of a healthy 23-year-old woman. I thought she might have been badly burned but apparently, she¡¯s not. The lower half of her body is also feminine and fleshy¡­..hnnn. Looking closely, you can see a little boy, about the size of a baby¡¯s, growing between sensei¡¯s legs. ¡¸I see. Sensei was an otokonoko.¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s that?¡¹ TN: Otokonoko is a Japanese term for men who have a culturally feminine gender expression. This includes amongst others males with feminine appearances, or those cross-dressing. Sensei, who had been meditating and trembling with nervousness, opened his eyes in surprise. No, he¡¯s an otokonoko in a tolerable range. You know, those super cute girls but not really girls. ¡¸Totally acceptable.¡¹ ¡¸Wait a minute. I don¡¯t know what an otokonoko or whatever word you are saying but I feel like I¡¯m being misunderstood¡­¡¹ Okay, well, excuse me and let me observe a little more. Looking closely, the little boy seems to be too high up and there¡¯s a girl under the wisp of hair. ¡¸Ehot, that¡­.is that what it is?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t stare too close!¡¹ Sensei covered her crotch with her hand. No, you¡¯re the one who told me to check it out, sensei. I¡¯m not the one who suggested it. I couldn¡¯t observe well but I think sensei is 20% guy and 80% girl. I see. Perhaps she¡¯s one of those who are called biologically bisexual or hermaphroditic. So that¡¯s why Lyle-sensei calls her half-man. ¡¸How can you be so calm after seeing my body, Takeru-dono?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I prepared myself for every case¡­.¡¹ It will be surprising if I¡¯m in the real world but this is real fantasy so anything is possible. I understand that it is hard for the people involved. However, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s something exaggerated for me to be surprised about. ¡¸Haa¡­.somehow, that is, Takeru-dono!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah?¡¹ Lyle-sensei gave out a long sigh and came into the bathtub after pouring water over her. She¡¯s kind of pitiful thinking that it¡¯s not easy for her to take a bath. She must make sure that she won¡¯t be seen by anyone first. She should be having a hard time. ¡¸Your reaction was completely different from what I expected so I couldn¡¯t figure out the right thing to say but as you can see, my body is like this.¡¹ ¡¸I see. May I ask for more details?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I will tell you as much as I can. You know that the Laertius family is a family of scholars and advance mages for generations, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ ¡¸They died in Gale¡¯s coup¡­no, it¡¯s not like I left them to die on purpose. My two older brothers were advance mages. Normally speaking, no matter how many mages are in a family, it¡¯s not possible for so many advance mages to be born in a row.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so?¡¹ ¡¸In a small country, there may or may not even be one advance mage. If many advance mages are born because they are from a mage¡¯s family, this world would be full of advance mages.¡¹ Sensei shudders, horrified at the thought. She really hates advance mages. ¡¸The Laertius family can give birth to a lot of high-level mages because we used a horrifying forbidden magic that manipulates the factors of their children.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, you mean something like genetic engineering.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not sure what Takeru-dono is saying but I think that you fairly understand it. My two older brothers are successes and I¡¯m a failure because I was born with such an awkward body.¡¹ ¡¸I see what you mean.¡¹ If Lyle-sensei¡¯s existence were to come to light, the Laertius family would be exposed for using abominable, forbidden magic, and their social standing would plummet. We can even say that we were lucky that he was not killed and was allowed to live. Lyle-sensei, who is not that good at magic and has a secret in her body, has always been mistreated by her own parents as a disgrace to her family lineage. Perhaps this is the reason why she was left behind as a rural secretary while her two older brothers were working in the royal capital. This is a terrible thing to say to sensei but I can somehow understand her deep hatred against advance mages. It¡¯s not a simple envy because she¡¯s just an intermediate mage but more of a sincere resentment. It was her misfortune that she was not born a proper advance mage. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right to say that hating advance mages is merely taking it out on them. The Laertius family¡¯s excessive demand for strong mages had originally caused her to suffer so it¡¯s no wonder she wished them all dead. Listening to sensei¡¯s personal story, I remained silent for a while and thought about her life. If there¡¯s any saving grace, it is that her distorted and unfortunate upbringing became a strong motivation for sensei to become a knowledge cheat. As if seeking to replace her lack of magic power, she greedily absorbed all kinds of knowledge and became an alchemist, military strategist, and specialist in pharmacology and natural history. I believe that the pain and suffering that she endures were the food that nurtured her. CH 98.3 Chapter 98.3 ¨C Lyle-Sensei¡¯s Confession ¡¸That¡¯s all I have to say.¡¹ After she was done talking, she gave out a long sigh and smiled a little using her pale red lips. It must have been a painful story to recall but perhaps there is satisfaction in finally being able to tell a secret that you can¡¯t tell anyone. ¡¸Okay, so, can you listen to me next?¡¹ ¡¸Of course, what is it?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll ask you once again, will you marry me?¡¹ ¡¸Were you even listening, Takeru-dono!¡¹ Sensei is seriously agitated for the first time in a long time. I don¡¯t want her to get angry. ¡¸Then, let me ask you something, do you actually consider yourself as a man?¡¹ ¡¸No, I don¡¯t think that I¡¯m a man given my body.¡¹ ¡¸Then, why don¡¯t we get married?¡¹ ¡¸No no no no! That¡¯s not what I mean!¡¹ ¡¸Even I will get hurt if you reject me like that.¡¹ ¡¸No, I mean, I didn¡¯t reject you¡­..before talking about that, Takeru-dono, have you ever heard of the ¡°furukisha¡± called androgynous?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I have.¡¹ I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the same as my world or not but it¡¯s a creature with two heads, four arms, and four legs. It is basically a man and a woman attached to each other back to back. ¡¸Supposed someone were to see my body, I would be treated as a demon. I say I¡¯m a man even though my body looks like a woman¡¯s because I don¡¯t want to be courted. However, my gender can¡¯t be said to be a man or a woman. I can¡¯t even be categorized as a human. What am I even saying¡­..ugh ¡¹ Sensei wiped away the tears in her eyes with her tender hands. You¡¯ve been sighing a lot since a while ago. Well, this is probably the first time she has shown me so much honest emotion so this is also precious. ¡¸Then, sensei, let¡¯s me ask you another thing, when you pee, do you do it while standing up, or sitting down?¡¹ ¡¸Peeing?....sitting down.¡¹ ¡¸Then, there¡¯s no problem.¡¹ ¡¸No no no no no no no! You don¡¯t understand!¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t care if Lyle-sensei is a man, a woman, a demon or something else. I¡¯ll court you, that¡¯s it.¡¹ ¡¸I am often surprised by what Takeru-dono says but this time, I don¡¯t even know what to say!¡¹ Sensei is pouting repeatedly. She doesn¡¯t even know if she¡¯s going to be angry or sad. What should I say? ¡¸Sensei, I¡¯ve already done it¡­.with a demon. I¡¯m also familiar with a furukisha whose lower body is a number of tentacles. You said you¡¯re a monster because you have both but that won¡¯t stop me from courting you.¡¹ ¡¸Takeru-dono, even if you say that, you will never know how much I suffered because of this body of mine.¡¹ ¡¸I won¡¯t know that until you tell me. I¡¯m willing to spend my lifetime trying to figure it out.¡¹ I was somewhat satisfied because I saw something very unusual. Sensei wasn¡¯t able to come up with a response. Sensei is a knowledge cheat when it comes to public matters but when it comes to private matters, she can be very weak. I firmly looked into sensei¡¯s brown eyes and never removed my gaze from her. Finally, I was able to deeply touch sensei. I held her hand and I don¡¯t plan on letting it go. ¡¸Even so, you shouldn¡¯t like me.¡¹ ¡¸So, I shouldn¡¯t like you? Isn¡¯t your body the only problem? Maybe we can do something about it using magic or something.¡¹ ¡¸Do you think I never thought of that!? You can cut it or remove it but if you use a healing potion, it will be restored. There¡¯s also forbidden magic that recombines the factors themselves but that¡¯s too dangerous. I was born broken from the start so I don¡¯t want to break my body anymore!¡¹ Sensei said that in a single breath as if she was letting out something that had built up and then, she turned her face down. I thought for a moment then, carefully chose my words, and replied. ¡¸In other words, you hate yourself but you also accept yourself.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m just giving up. There are some things we have to accept in order to survive. There will be more or less of that in all humanity and I¡¯m not the only one suffering. It¡¯s just that I have to bear the karma even if it¡¯s unreasonable.¡¹ ¡¸Then, let me accept it too. Let me embrace all of you.¡¹ ¡¸Takeru-dono, you¡¯re taking it too lightly. Not only my body but my mind is also distorted so you shouldn¡¯t embrace it.¡¹ I¡¯m not straightforward myself so I¡¯ll use any means necessary. Then, let¡¯s use my trump card. CH 98.4 Chapter 98.4 ¨C Lyle-Sensei¡¯s Confession ¡¸It¡¯s not like you to not accept my proposal.¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean it¡¯s not like me?¡¹ ¡¸Think about it, if you marry me, who will be the monarch of Silesie, Lyle-sensei will be part of the royal family too. That way, you would have true power to rule over the county which sensei has always wanted.¡¹ ¡¸Oh¡­..I haven¡¯t thought of that. You¡¯re not wrong but¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Given your situation, your answer could only be either yes or yes.¡¹ ¡¸Takeru-dono sometimes gets very forceful.¡¹ I judged that it was okay to be forceful and hugged Lyle-sensei. The water is already warm but Lyle-sensei¡¯s body felt warmer and softer than the hot water probably because of the emotional intensity of our conversation. If she doesn¡¯t jump away from my embrace, should I assume that she¡¯s okay with it? ¡¸I think I¡¯m being pushy. I know we should probably take more time but my wedding with Queen Silhouette is coming up and I want Lyle-sensei to be married with me at that time too.¡¹ ¡¸Even if I say I want us to be together, given the ranks, it is certain that Queen Silhouette is the rightful wife.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a matter of feelings, don¡¯t you get it?¡¹ I wonder if my feelings will be conveyed through skinship. I hope so. ¡¸Got it got it! Then, I¡¯ll be like me and make it difficult for you.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, sensei¡¯s getting aggressive.¡¹ This is getting interesting. I would do anything for you. I¡¯d even conquer the world. ¡¸Please add Princess Caroline to the wedding. I want the Duchy of Transylvania too.¡¹ ¡¸Sensei, I won¡¯t do anything against someone¡¯s will.¡¹ I didn¡¯t see that coming. Seeing my troubled face, sensei smiled provocatively. ¡¸Ah, I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re that weak. That¡¯s okay. That only means this marriage proposal is off the table.¡¹ ¡¸Wait a minute, I didn¡¯t say I wouldn¡¯t do it.¡¹ I guess this is sensei¡¯s way of rejecting me. I won¡¯t let that happen though. ¡¸Duke Varlam is already planning to marry off the princess. Diplomatic arrangements have already been made. However, given Takeru-dono¡¯s achievement, you can easily persuade her. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll fall for you.¡¹ I think for a minute. Hmmm, Princess Caroline. I like her but not that like. I¡¯ve never seen her as a marriage partner. I was only thinking about Queen Silhouette and Lyle-sense. I guess my field of view is still narrow. However, I can¡¯t say no since I¡¯ve already told her this much. Since you¡¯re already laid the groundwork, I¡¯ll take the shot. ¡¸¡­¡­.I understand. I¡¯ll give it a try!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s the spirit. Let¡¯s see how serious you are, Takeru-dono.¡¹ I¡¯m relieved seeing sensei smile. That¡¯s the typical sensei. After all, this is how the ambitious sensei is and not the gloomy one. I¡¯m going to seduce Princess Caroline. I made sensei talk about a lot but I¡¯m sure she¡¯s full of worries inside. However, for now, let¡¯s go with the flow. Since I have her in my arms, I can do anything I want. ¡¸I¡¯ll do as you say but I¡¯ll take a little advance payment before the wedding.¡¹ ¡¸Wait a minute. Takeru-dono, I¡¯m not ready for that yet.¡¹ ¡¸You said you were ready.¡¹ ¡¸This is not what I meant!¡¹ I held the worrywart sensei for a while until she calmed down then, gently kissed her light red lips. Looking at the slightly flushed cheeks of sensei, whose attractiveness increases by 20% in the bathtub, I was almost convinced that I could do it. ¡¸I¡¯d like to ¡­.can I stick in my tongue more?¡¹ ¡¸I never thought I would be doing this.¡¹ ¡¸Me too. What a surprise.¡¹ ¡¸Takeru-dono, I¡¯m talking about something else¡­.¡¹ I cut her line and kept going for a little bit more but I think I¡¯ve overdone it since sensei is already annoyed. I was a little too aggressive because I thought that since we were getting married, I didn¡¯t have to restrain myself any longer. It will be hard to make her forget me later now that she¡¯s in a bad mood. It looks like I took too much advance payment. I can¡¯t just do what I want. There¡¯s an order to everything and I shouldn¡¯t be impatient. I should take my time more in looking at the other party carefully. CH 99.1 Chapter 99.1 ¨C Courting the Duchy¡¯s Princess I came in front of Princess Caroline¡¯s room with the vigor Lyle-sensei gave me. ¡¸Hero-sama, are you here to see the princess?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. It would be great if you could report my arrival to her.¡¹ The old knight from the duchy, who was guarding the door, responded. After the young knight was slain during the Brynie kidnapping incident, the Duchy of Transylvania has increased the number of knights. There are now 5 knights guarding her. That made me feel terrible but it can¡¯t be helped since it was our fault that she was put in danger. It is even rather touching since they never said a single word of condemnation. By the way, during the war with Germania Empire, we had her evacuated to the City of Est in order to avoid the risk of her getting involved in the war. Since the princess was a guest of honor, that was a natural arrangement. However, Brynie, who was targeting the princess, is dead so there¡¯s no longer any need to keep her under my protection. However, I can still see her every time I return home. It must be true that Duke Varlam wants to marry off the princess to me. When I entered her room, I found Princess Caroline sitting on a chair by the window, wearing a blue dress decorated with lace flowers, and wearing glasses which is rare in this world. She was writing something on her desk. Though smaller compared to Silesie, she is a princess of a country. Even if she¡¯s in a neighboring country, she probably has official duties. ¡¸It is unusual for hero-sama to visit my room desu ne.¡¹ ¡¸Sorry for suddenly intruding.¡¹ The girl with long, neatly combed flaxen hair says, ¡°No, not at all.¡±, stops writing, and stands up. She then offers me to sit on a chair before making me a cup of tea with her own hands. This kind of chore is not something a princess would normally do but Caroline seems to be rather enjoying her current environment where she can do everything by herself. ¡¸Here¡¯s some tea leaves sent from my country desu. Or does hero-sama prefer coffee?¡¹ ¡¸No, I like tea too. It has a nice aroma of strawberries.¡¹ ¡¸You see, this tea is a blend of strawberry leaf, a specialty of Transylvania. It¡¯s good for your health too. I hope it suits your taste.¡¹ Caroline smiles happily when she talks about her homeland. This girl is quite the patriot. She probably feels that way because she is a duchess from a small country. That is also why she said she would prefer a man from her own country to be her husband since they would be ruling their country. It was a bit awkward for me, a stranger, to propose marriage to a girl like that. I listened to her story of Transylvania over tea for a while. Transylvania is a lowland country and not a very rich land but it has ports and rivers suitable for trade. The country grows flowers like roses, carnations, lilies, tulips, and gerberas, which are used to make jams and perfumes as well as this strawberry leaf tea. Their dairy farm is also thriving and Transylvania¡¯s cheese is internationally famous. In recent years, Transylvania has also been focusing on the glass industry. The lenses for the glasses that Caroline wears are made in Transylvania. It can be said that the polishing technology of Transylvania is the best in the world. The Duchy of Transylvania is lined with windmills and all kinds of flowers. I only went there for a short time and came back but Caroline¡¯s story makes me want to visit there. ¡¸Please visit our duchy again. I¡¯m sure my father will be pleased.¡¹ ¡¸I will.¡¹ If we were to get married, I have to greet the duke too. No, it hasn¡¯t been decided yet. ¡¸By the way, what can I do for you today?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s kind of hard for me to say.¡¹ ¡¸Well¡­.if you are here to propose marriage, I would respectfully accept it.¡¹ ¡¸Eh?¡¹ No, why are you expecting it? Could she have been informed by sensei in advance? ¡¸No, when you got engaged to her majesty Queen Silhouette, I thought maybe I should too. I¡¯ve been waiting for you since then.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so?.....no, wait, didn¡¯t Princess Caroline tell me before that you wanted to get married to a citizen of your duchy?¡¹ ¡¸I was wondering if I should do that when I think about my country but, when I saw her majesty Queen Silhouette stand up, I changed my mind.¡¹ ¡¸I see.¡¹ Caroline says in a clear voice and her brown eyes are shining with strong will. ¡¸If hero-sama wants to marry me, I would like to maintain the independence of the Duchy of Transylvania as a condition. And I would like to eventually inherit the duchy from my father.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, so plan on being Duchess Caroline?¡¹ Caroline nodded. CH 99.2 Chapter 99.2 ¨C Courting the Duchy¡¯s Princess ¡¸And eventually, if my and hero-sama¡¯s son would succeed, the Duchy of Transylvania will be able to survive. We have thought it would be the best course of action. ¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­..¡¹ It¡¯s a great idea but when a marriage proposal is accepted so readily, it will make you think twice. Caroline peeks at me and asks me. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? Did I say something strange?¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m familiar with the diplomatic part and I also agree that it¡¯s the best course of action. However, I want to ask Caroline as an individual and not as a princess.¡¹ I don¡¯t want a political marriage. Even if it is a task asked by sensei, I would not agree to it. ¡¸As a woman, I adore you, hero-sama.¡¹ ¡¸Really?¡¹ Caroline is seemingly quiet but in reality, she¡¯s quite intuitive. If you stare into her big eyes, you¡¯ll feel as if you are being sucked in. When I look into her eyes, I sense that she¡¯s not lying. ¡¸Hero-sama saved me from the hands of Count Brynie. You held the trembling me and stayed with me until I calmed down. This is more than enough for me to entrust myself to you desu.¡¹ ¡¸I wonder.¡¹ That¡¯s not a very good memory. It was my fault that she was kidnapped to begin with because of my lack of security awareness. When I held her hand back then, there were a lot of other women around. When I asked Ria, she told me that what I did was absolutely not romantic at all. ¡¸On the contrary, I¡¯ll ask you this, am I enough to receive hero-sama¡¯s favor?¡¹ As she leaned forward from her chair to look at me closer, Caroline waited for my answer. I wish I could come up with something witty to say at a time like this. Princess Caroline is quite busty, isn¡¯t she? I have the desire to take a peek at her modestly concealed bosom. She¡¯s very lovely and a girl with glasses has a kind of charm. If you ask me if I want her as my wife, of course, I do. ¡¸Yes, I think you are very attractive.¡¹ I guess that includes sexual attraction. I think that¡¯s one of the factors in choosing a partner. She is fun to talk to, honest, kind, quiet, serious, and has the willpower to make decisions if she has to. I¡¯m sure I like this kind of noble lady. ¡¸Well, if you can, I would be happy if you could propose to me again in your own words, hero-sama. I, too, am a maiden.¡¹ Caroline quickly gets up from her chair. I stood up too and expressed my feelings. ¡¸Ehto, Caroline. I love you so please marry me.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I would love to¡­.according to hierarchy, I¡¯m fine being below her majesty Queen Silhouette desu.¡¹ Caroline smiled. Her cheeks faintly blushed like a blooming flower. She¡¯s beautiful and lovely but when she said hierarchy, it brought me back to reality. ¡¸Well, I know that it¡¯s already too late to ask but, is Caroline okay with me having several wives?¡¹ I¡¯m also courting Lyle-sensei. It¡¯s already too late for that but I feel a little scared if she¡¯s not okay with it. ¡¸It is normal for nobles to have concubines and the hero who saved Transylvania 150 years ago is said to be a very modest man but even so, I heard that he officially married 16 wives. ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so?¡¹ Modest but with sixteen wives? What¡¯s with the heroes in this world? Caroline told me to not worry about it because it¡¯s so common. Caroline is a serious type with common sense so it should be true. I was relieved that she accepted my proposal but somehow, I feel a little awkward staying on my feet. ¡¸Ehto, what¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m just wondering if we should be that for the time being.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, we can¡¯t get married without dating first, right?¡¹ ¡¸Right, there¡¯s that too.¡¹ Ria brought that up before and I¡¯ve already forgotten about it. At this point, I no longer care about that. However, since we¡¯re here, I think we should do something lovers do before we get married. ¡¸Well, may I hug you?¡¹ ¡¸With pleasure.¡¹ I dove into Caroline¡¯s busty chest with my hands outstretched. Ah, her clothes are on the way and it¡¯s firmer than expected but Caroline¡¯s flesh is so soft and nice. I thought this should be the time when I should kiss her but when I tried to do so, she blocked my lips with her fingertips. ¡¸Hero-sama, please after we get married.¡¹ ¡¸Sorry.¡¹ She¡¯s the serious type after all. Well, anyway, I now have three partners. CH 99.3 Chapter 99.3 ¨C Courting the Duchy''s Princess My courtship of Caroline went well so I went to bed relieved. As usual, I use Oracle-chan as a hug pillow and Sharon is behind me. The wedding is really coming up. I¡¯m thinking in a daze, wondering if I¡¯m forgetting anything and something doesn¡¯t feel right. Something¡¯s stuck. ¡¸Hey, Oracle, aren¡¯t you getting a little bigger?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, that¡¯s because I¡¯m a big eater.¡¹ No, you¡¯re not. I mean, you are certainly eating a lot more than usual these days. Oracle has a small build but she was supposed to be a 300-year-old ancient succubus who never grew up. I think she¡¯s getting a little taller and I also think she¡¯s getting busty. I notice such minor changes because I always sleep with her in my arms. ¡¸I am somewhat disturbed.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m going to be honest with you. Given my child-like body, it would be a lot of trouble bearing a child.¡¹ This conversation is the trouble. Ah, wait a minute. I¡¯ve done baby-making things with Oracle. I curl up like a cat and lift Oracle-chan who¡¯s in my arms. ¡¸Oracle, will you marry me?¡¹ Sharon¡¯s hand, which is at my back, trembled. Well, marrying a demoness is a surprise. Honestly speaking, it won¡¯t do me any good. ¡¸I¡¯m not particular about formality. Even if you don¡¯t marry me, I don¡¯t mind bearing your children.¡¹ ¡¸No, I don¡¯t want my children to be born like that. Also, it¡¯s a matter of feeling.¡¹ If I¡¯m still resistant to marriage, I would be troubled in the next ten years. However, given that I¡¯ve already promised to marry multiple wives, I no longer have any right to resist. ¡¸If Takeru cries and asks me to marry you, I¡¯ll do it.¡¹ Oracle said this with her bright red thin lips grinning. For Oracle-chan, who can live in an infinite amount of time, the time she¡¯ll spend with me is only a momentary event. I understand why she doesn¡¯t really care about it. It¡¯s only my ego. I want to take responsibility for the things I¡¯ve done. ¡¸I won¡¯t cry but I will hold you with my two arms.¡¹ ¡¸Your two arms are made to hold me. Fufufu, I don¡¯t really care about things like that but being proposed to by the man I like is much better than I thought.¡¹ Oracle buried her little face in my chest while flapping her legs. I gently untied her twin tails and finger-combed her hair. I guess she¡¯s going to grow up so I think it would be better if she has straight hair. ¡¸By the way, Sharon, are you still awake?¡¹ ¡¸Yes!¡¹ I lift my body from the bed. You¡¯re still in good spirits even though it¡¯s already night. ¡¸I just remembered something about my wedding.¡¹ ¡¸Fuuai!¡¹ What¡¯s the matter, Sharon? The furs on her ears on her head are standing up and it looks amazing. ¡¸Actually, it¡¯s about the dress we¡¯re going to wear during the ceremony. The bureaucrats of the royal capital don¡¯t seem to have good taste. I¡¯m wondering if our company could prepare it for us. There was a clothing guild in the City of Est that we bought so I was wondering if you could prepare it with Sharon¡¯s taste.¡¹ ¡¸I-is that all you want to say¡­.¡¹ Somehow, her dog ears drooped. Is she okay? ¡¸And you should help Oracle find a dress for her.¡¹ While hugging my shoulder, Oracle grinned and said ¡°Please¡±. Sharon gave out a really long sigh but nodded in the end. ¡¸I¡¯ll be happy to prepare a hundred or two hundred wedding dresses if you ask me.¡¹ ¡¸No, one each is enough¡­.¡¹ Sharon looks like she¡¯s in a bad mood or is she not feeling well? I decided that it was best to leave her alone tonight. ¡¸Master, is there anything that you have forgotten to tell me?¡¹ ¡¸No, that¡¯s all. Sorry if I woke you up in your sleep.¡¹ When I was sleeping, Sharon¡¯s limbs kept bumping into me so hard that I woke up several times in the middle of the night. Well, everyone has bad moods sometimes, I think. CH 100.1 Chapter 100.1 ¨C Epilogue ¡¸It suits you well. You are cute, Silhouette.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you, Takeru-sama.¡¹ Queen Silhouette in her wedding dress turns around to show me her sunny attire. Her strawberry blonde hair is adorned with a jeweled crown, the sign of a queen. Silhouette¡¯s beauty is enough to take my breath away, as does the gorgeousness of her dress. The wedding dress Sharon has prepared for me is, of course, pure white. When I told her that wedding dresses should be pure white, she looked at me strangely at first. In this world, there are blue, red, green, and dark-colored dresses but white wedding dresses are not popular. This is because it is difficult to maintain it pure white and colored dresses can be worn outside the wedding ceremony. However, this is where luxury comes in. I had a beautiful dress made using the finest silk and velvet available. By the way, where did Sharon go? Lyle-sense, who had spent a long time changing in the back room, came out. I thought she might be reluctant but she had put it on properly. It is white with silver threads to match sensei¡¯s image. The tiara she wears in her long brown hair is also mainly silver. ¡¸It looks good on you sensei. You look beautiful.¡¹ ¡¸This is the first time in my life that I¡¯ve worn a woman¡¯s dress and I never thought it would be a wedding dress¡­..¡¹ Sensei gasps as if saying she never expected any of this. I guess she never thought about it. She has to be prepared now since she¡¯s going to do a lot of first times. ¡¸How about me, hero-sama?¡¹ ¡¸You look beautiful, Caroline.¡¹ Normally, Princess Caroline wears blue dresses but today, she¡¯s wearing a pure white dress decorated with gold threads. Her flaxen hair is adorned with a gold tiara. ¡¸What about me, Takeru?¡¹ ¡¸You look good as long as you remove that helmet. Put your tiara properly.¡¹ Oracle-chan came over to us, rocking her long wedding dress. At first, I thought her skirt was too long but it was designed to float. It was quite interesting but the flashy helmet was indeed too out of place so I had her change to a gold tiara. Okay, everyone¡¯s here now. ¡¸What about me, master?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, it looks good on you¡­.¡¹ Sharon came in in a wedding dress while her pale orange hair is covered with a veil. Did you have that one made for you? Her amber eyes are moist as if she¡¯s about to cry. ¡¸Master, marry me!¡¹ ¡¸Y-yeah¡­.?¡¹ What can I say? Never in my life have I thought that a woman would propose to me. And I¡¯m sure she¡¯s not wearing that because there were leftover clothes. ¡¸Ano, can I take that as a yes?¡¹ I held the nervous Sharon in my arms and quickly pulled the slave collar around her neck off. ¡¸This is no longer necessary since from now on, you are no longer my slave but my wife.¡¹ ¡¸Master¡­..¡¹ Sharon¡¯s amber eyes are filled with tears as she begins to cry. I held her body tight since she looks like she has lost all her strength and is about to collapse. ¡¸However, when did Sharon start thinking of marrying me?¡¹ Of course, I already noticed that she was favoring me but I never expected her to make this move. I took a handkerchief from the breast pocket of my tuxedo and wiped away Sharon¡¯s tears. ¡¸From the start¡¹ ¡¸What start¡­..can you elaborate?¡¹ ¡¸When I first met master, I was impaled with a short sword by a goblin. I was in too much pain at that time and thinking how not a single good thing happened my whole life, I already want to die. Then, master poured a healing potion down my throat and saved me.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s the start alright.¡¹ However, that¡¯s too early! What I¡¯m asking is when did you start thinking of proposing to me not when you started favoring me. ¡¸I asked master back then, why did you help me? You looked at me with your gentle eyes and said ¡°Because I can¡±. That time, I thought I want to live for you. When you became my master, I knew that it was fate and at that time, I thought I should never let you go¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, I see.¡¹ I don¡¯t even remember all the details but that¡¯s a little scary. I guess what someone does or says at random can be a turning point for some people. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. Even though I¡¯m only a slave, I did this without permission.¡¹ ¡¸No, you¡¯re not a slave anymore so you can do what you want, Sharon.¡¹ ¡¸By the way, dana-sama(husband) is no different from master so I¡¯ll always call you master!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, well, if that¡¯s what you want.¡¹ I can¡¯t help but notice her dog ears flopping around under her white veil. Sharon, who had been crying earlier, has a relieved expression. Yes, I thought again how cute Sharon was. If it weren¡¯t for the wedding, I would kiss her right now. Perhaps wedding dresses make people look more beautiful. CH 100.2 Chapter 100.2 ¨C Epilogue ¡¸Well, then, now that all the brides are here, let¡¯s go to the wedding!¡¹ I made sure all the preparations were done and opened the door to the waiting room in the royal castle. The wedding ceremony was scheduled to take place in the cathedral through the main avenue of the royal capital, which was now strewn with flowers and covered with red velvet. I opened the door and walked out into the great hall of the castle. I thought of closing the door again but even if I did, nothing will change. I managed to regain my composure and shouted. ¡¸Sharon!¡¹ ¡¸Yes, well, I can explain.¡¹ All the slave girls from our company were waiting for me in their wedding dresses. How many dresses did you prepare¡­.? ¡¸Sharon, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to say all of their clothes are made from leftover fabrics?¡¹ ¡¸Ehto, that¡¯s right desu. We have a surplus of fabric so I had everyone wear them. Don¡¯t you think they¡¯re cute!¡¹ Sherry tugged the hem of Sharon¡¯s dress and said, ¡°This isn¡¯t what we talked about. Oneesama is cunning!¡± or something but I decided to let it pass. I have five brides and my capacity is already full. ¡¸Alright, let¡¯s get back on schedule and head for the cathedral!¡¹ With Queen Silhouette and me in the lead, we paraded through the city in a festive mood with my bright, pure white brides in tow. The people are not even this excited during our triumphant return earlier. ¡¸Takeru-dono, people and goods are flowing in from the chaotic empire and our population is gradually increasing.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so, sensei?¡¹ Both the Lauren region, which is in the process of reconstruction, and the royal capital, which is celebrating its triumphant war, have plenty of room for newcomers. As I waved my hands in response to the cheers of the happy and excited crowd. I was convinced that the Kingdom of Silesie will be getting richer after the long winter period. When we arrived at the opulent cathedral with tall spires and stained glass, I was nearly knocked out when I saw Ria standing on the platform, wearing a wedding dress. However, we are being watched by the kingdom¡¯s nobles, knights, bureaucrats, religious officials, foreign dignitaries, and other attendees. When she saw me, she waved her hand and ran toward me while her busty chests bounced up and down. Don¡¯t come this way! ¡¸Asama says that the heroine will appear in the nick of time!¡¹ ¡¸Hey, this place is full of high ranking clerics. If you break Asama¡¯s commandments here, you¡¯ll be taken by inquisitors!¡¹ Ignoring Ria, I pointed at Bishop Rosa, the one in charge of the defense of the ¡°Miasma Hole of Doom¡±. Bishop Rosa, dressed in pure white with blue design sister outfit, knelt down on the spot and prayed ¡°By Asama¡¯s will¡±. What convenient words. Total abandonment huh. Damn you, Ria. You know that the country¡¯s top officials and foreign dignitaries will be attending this wedding but you did it anyway. ¡¸Ria, stop joking around. You¡¯ll be officiating the ceremony, aren¡¯t you? Why are you going to do that while wearing a wedding dress?¡¹ ¡¸Of course, I¡¯m doing this in accordance to Asama¡¯s will. Also, didn¡¯t I tell you that time that you¡¯ll have to marry me too?¡¹ I remember asking her before if I could marry her or sensei. Sensei is a man and Ria is a church official. That time, she said that regardless of gender or affiliation, Asama Church will welcome it in open arms. ¡¸Wasn¡¯t that just a joke¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, no, there is no such thing as a joke in Asama Church. This is a hard-won gacha desu.¡¹ I underestimated them. The flexibility of Asama Church is off the roof¡­. ¡¸Of course not. Please think about it carefully. Takeru is trying to marry a demon. Since you are so water headed that you even do that, I have to level down and represent Asama for your entourage.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re the water head! Haa, does Ria wants to marry me that much?¡¹ ¡¸Of course. It is inevitable for the hero and his sister to be united in the last scene.¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m not talking about that but, aren¡¯t sisters prohibited to get married.¡¹ ¡¸The commandment used to be that way but after a couple of heroes and sisters got married after a long and difficult journey, it became an exception.¡¹ ¡¸Your commandments are so flexible.¡¹ ¡¸No no no, that¡¯s not true. If I tell you the side story, that would be very long, around five thin books worth of trouble. It is thanks to them that we were finally allowed to get married without question.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t use thin books as a unit. That¡¯s enough.¡¹ I¡¯ve already given up. If I keep speaking with her, this wedding will never end. Since she wants to get married, then just get married. I¡¯ve already lost my patience. ¡¸Takeru?¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¹ Ria put her hands on her chest and inhaled. ¡¸I love you.¡¹ ¡¸I love you too!¡¹ I can¡¯t wish for a decent wedding anymore. I took my brides and when I went up to the platform, we were bathed in dazzling light from the large stained glass windows that depicted the goddess of creation, Asama. ¡¸I take Silhouette, Caroline, Lyle, Oracle, Sharon, and incidentally, Steriana to be my wives!¡¹ I can¡¯t help but feel it¡¯s too polygamous and inappropriate but I pledge my love that will last till I die. Please watch over me. CH 100.3 Chapter 100.3 ¨C Epilogue ¡¸The benevolent Asama says it¡¯s okay.¡¹ Ria said so. I wonder if the warm white silver light poured from the ceiling is Asama¡¯s reply. ¡¸Now, ladies and gentlemen, let us move on to the kiss of vows, which all of you had been waiting for. Let us skip all the troublesome ceremonies and go directly to the happy ending.¡¹ I pushed Ria away from me as she was about to kiss me and hugged Silhouette¡¯s slender shoulders and kissed her. I¡¯ve gotten better at kissing compared to what I¡¯ve been doing in the past. ¡¸Takeru-sama, I pledge my undying love to you.¡¹ ¡¸Me too.¡¹ Now, it¡¯s Caroline. I hugged her shoulder and she shook a little. Hearing Ria chanting the standard phrases like, ¡°In sickness and in health¡±, I quietly wait for Caroline¡¯s trembling to stop. ¡¸Caroline, may I?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, please take it.¡¹ I gently kissed Caroline¡¯s rosy lips as if I was handling a very fragile object. Her lips were soft. I walked up to Lyle-sensei, who was at the far end of the room, hugged her tender body tightly, and sucked on her light red lips. We¡¯ve already done a lot of rehearsals if you want to ask. ¡¸Oh, sensei will not pledge your love to me?¡¹ ¡¸Fuu, I¡¯ve come this far and I have no choice. Of course, I swear my lifelong love. We are destined to be together.¡¹ I can only smile wryly with sensei¡¯s line. There¡¯s still resistance but I look forward to slowly breaking it down in the future. I walk next to Oracle-chan, who is looking up at the stained glass windows with a curious look on her face. She¡¯s a genuine ancient demoness. It must be her first time entering a church even though she has lived for 300 years. ¡¸What are you thinking, Oracle?¡¹ ¡¸That glass is quite beautiful and I was wondering if I could use it to decorate the dungeon.¡¹ I would be surprised if I went deep into the dungeon and found the boss room decorated with stained glass. I smiled and kissed Oracle. Oracle¡¯s tongue even enters as if to taste me but I don¡¯t mind. We are already in a relationship where I don¡¯t have to worry about things like that anymore. After all, Oracle was my first partner. While I was basking in the afterglow, Sharon came over from the other side. ¡¸I swear! I swear!¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes, I love you too, Sharon.¡¹ I gave her a hug and kiss just like that. This was my first kiss with Sharon. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I still had memories of Sharon from when she was still a little girl. I realized that it must be the reason why I¡¯m reluctant to return her favor. What I see in front of me now is an attractive oneechan type. I guess you also add the charm of her dog ears and little tail. Sharon was so moved that she started crying again. She¡¯s usually stout-hearted but today, she¡¯s very whiny. It was as if she was a child again. I thought Sharon was adorable and held her in my arms until she stopped crying and wiped the tears from her eyes. I think I have never seen such a cute Sharon before. ¡¸Okay, we made it through the whole wedding ceremony without a hitch. It¡¯s time for a good final turn!¡¹ I looked at my beautiful wives who are like shining jewels and thanked the goddess for giving me the best day of my life. Now, I can honestly thank Asama and this world. ¡¸Hey, wait a minute!¡¹ ¡¸Hnn?¡¹ What, Ria? We¡¯ve taken a lot of time so it should be time for the end roll to play. The audience, who were watching our weird wedding, were indeed dignitaries as they all read the air and shouted ¡°Long live the queen! Long live the hero king!¡±. ¡¸Why is Takeru only being mean to me? You¡¯re like a schoolboy who¡¯s only being mean to the girl he likes. That¡¯s how I interpret it!¡¹ ¡¸Looking back at your usual behavior, you¡¯re just getting what you deserve¡­.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s okay, the meaner Takeru is, the more I¡¯ll be sticking with you and the more scenes I¡¯ll appear!¡¹ ¡¸What are you even talking about?¡¹ I really can¡¯t do anything against this girl. My harsh fantasy(real fantasy) will really end without her shutting up. I gently entangled my finger with Ria¡¯s slightly wavy pale blonde hair as she tried to continue talking, held her close, and silence her using my lips. At first, Ria was wriggling around as if she wanted to say something but in time, her lips naturally opened and our tongues intertwined. It¡¯s like she¡¯s meekly doing as she was told. Thinking back, I had been beaten up by Ria all these times so it felt so good to finally get back at her. I had finally learned one brilliant way to shut a woman up. And so, after a long adventure in the real fantasy world, I ended up with six unique wives. This story won¡¯t story won¡¯t stop even if I shout ¡°Time Stop¡± at the best moment of my life. Because this is real, this is my story, my real fantasy. TN: And thus, book 1 ends. Next chapter will be your favorite, the Character introduction chapter. By the way, if you ask what to expect about the next 200 chapters, it will be like this: There¡¯s some trouble in some random place? Let me go there and use my firearms and title of hero to fix it. Of course, I¡¯ll take the one with the lady of the highest position as my wife to protect that place¡¯s independence and have my child with the lady of the highest position to inherit the leadership later. Repeat. CH 101.1 Chapter 101.1 ¨C Character Introduction (End of Book 1) ¡ùThis is only an addition to chapter 80. TN: Last part of this chapter is good. Ona Village Vigilante, Cannoneer, Giney Rust, 23 years old. She looks like a village girl with dull red hair but she¡¯s one of the best veteran cannoneers in the volunteer army. She was one of the first to study cannons with Lyle-sensei in the Ona Village Vigilante corps. The youngest daughter of a poor dairy farmer. She is honest and doesn¡¯t talk much. She doesn¡¯t know how to speak well and is often said to be blunt but she¡¯s a woman with a kind heart and is actually very good-natured. She is a very particular person. If she likes something, she¡¯s passionate about it. She was successful in assisting in the assassination of an advance mage and later rose to the rank of chief artillerymen. Doryuken Gund, Advance Mage, Scorching Iron He is a mage and a big man wearing full plate armor. He uses ¡°Iron Meteor¡±, an improved version of Rock Drop, an advance earth magic. Although it is one step inferior to Meteor Strike, it is specialized for siege battles. He is also called the walking castle wall hammer. In fact, its power is far greater than just breaking a castle wall but that¡¯s how people of medieval fantasy world describe it. Except for the court mage Jeny, he was the last remaining advance mage in the empire and was naturally killed by the schemes of Lyle-sensei. ¡°Almighty¡± Forcas Domos Dylan, 25 years old, son of a marquis He was also the commander in chief of the pro-conquest forces at the Battle of Silesie. His cool-headed and outstanding leadership is worthy of the title ¡°Almighty¡±. He is a cheat-like person with high command ability as a general of an army and also an intermediate mage. He also has negotiation skills and personal combat abilities. In addition, he is a beautiful man with flaxen hair, and the ladies of the imperial capital cheer on him whenever he passes by. The reason why he can¡¯t be considered a cheat is because he has the ability to do everything and it prevented him from specializing, making him not skillful enough. His jack of all trades high ability is a sharp blade but as a born imperial noble and high ranking soldier, he is a pearl that has never experienced defeat, never tasted bitterness, and never been polished. He wears white armor with a polished surface. He has mastered the art of secret chant while speaking. He is a master of estoc, which has a secret name of ¡°Killer Bee¡¯ and is enchanted with a paralyzing spell. Rai Rakan, Rastoir general, 43 years old. A general with a mixed battalion of 5000 men from Rastoir, one of the three great territorial kingdoms in the northeast. He is a member of the Rastoir Clan and has a strong fighting power and solid command ability. General Rai wears an iron helmet and a lamellar breastplate on top of his chainmail which is the standard equipment of Rastoir Knights. In remote areas, he prefers to use a big barbarian sword because it is easier to use than a spear. Mars Ona, 20 years old, Volunteer Army 1st Battalion Commander, chief of the Ona Village Vigilante. He is the son of the village chief of Ona village. He is a good-natured man with a loud voice. He is a punk-looking, brown-haired niichan who¡¯s not good with weapons whether it was a gun or a spear. However, he is honest and listens to anything other people say, and a loud, tenor voice that can be heard by everyone no matter what happens in a melee. Just that point alone, this niichan can be said to be a general in the making. As the son of the village chief, the former Ona Village Vigilante group, which has already become a veteran group, is somehow united by what Mars says so naturally, he was pushed up to a commander of the volunteer army. He is ranked first in the list of people who you don¡¯t want to be captain of the volunteer army but on the contrary, he is pretty popular. Although his incompetence is incurable, his cheerful and carefree personality makes him a favorite as a boss you can say anything to without holding back. Ortholet Knight, Oracle Territory, Vice Commander of the Knight Order, Dross Tocord, 28 years old. A black-haired female knight who has followed Ortholet since he was still a poor warrior. Since she was a knight apprentice, she has been under the tutelage of Ortholet who was the commander of the 4th knight order back then. Her loyalty to him is solid. Currently, she¡¯s the vice commander of the Oracle Knight Order and often takes command of the territorial army in the absence of the viscount. She is skilled but a stubborn and old-fashioned knight. She seems to have a hard time forming a joint front with the volunteer army who are all commoners. Nokon Geek, 30 years old, Garan Mercenary Clerk He is an expert in dungeon exploration which is very unusual for a thief. He is a high-level adventurer and a skillful one. Although he is only a lowly soldier, he can fight using a short bow and hidden weapons like throwing knives, making use of his dexterous hands. He is capable of rising in ranks no matter where he goes but he seems to be suited to being a drifter and does not stay in one place. When he stumbles into a group of mercenaries, he finds Garan¡¯s earnest temperament, which is unusual for a leader of a mercenary group, interesting and approaches him and helps him manage the group. CH 101.2 Chapter 101.2 ¨C Character Introduction (End of Book 1) Commander of the Flying Dragon Knights, Rothbacher von Leifenzbel, 32 years old The flying dragon knights, the secret weapon of Germania Empire, have earned the name as the most powerful in the world. He is a general who is well aware that the flying dragon knights are the source of power of Germania Empire. He is decisive when he fights but above all, he is calm when he makes his move. Thinking that the war potential of the Germania Empire must not be wasted. If the flying dragon knights move, that means the Germania Empire will win. If the flying dragon knights were defeated, the empire is doomed. And Rothbacher was right. Alan Mortar, 24 years old, captain of the 2nd battalion of the volunteer army A young man from Mortar Village. He is the son of the village chief. He had always had a talent for inciting and motivating people and he called on the Mortar Village and the neighboring villages to join him in leading a volunteer corps of 300 people, including young men from poor farmer families. Because of his achievements, he became the captain of the 2nd battalion. With his reasonably good looks and eloquence, he is also active as the head of the volunteer army public relations department. He is good at getting along with superiors and is gentle with subordinates. Alan¡¯s best achievement was during the joint operation with the royal army. He is the number one in ¡°the person you would like to have as their captain¡± in the volunteer army. However, he has a bad habit of talking about things that are not necessary. He is also known to be very loose-tongued and it is said that he should not be consulted on important matters. Gil heron, Chief Officer of the Soldiers of the Royal Capital, 50 years old. A serious old man. For many years, he has been in charge of the defense of the City of Silesie, overseeing 300 soldiers as the chief officer. His motto in life is to not stand out, not defy, and not to be involved. He has skillfully survived the period when the city was ravaged by the ¡°miasma hole of doom¡± and the purge after Gale¡¯s coup and has fulfilled his duty as the chief officer of the capital. Barbarossa von Berlant, Imperial Knight Order Commander, Germania¡¯s Fiercest General, 35 years old A fierce general with red beard. He stands 2 meters tall and rides a red horse. His weapon is a big execution ax that strikes fear into the hearts of enemy soldiers. He is said to have led the knight order nine times and beheaded a hundred enemy generals in the process earning him the title Germania¡¯s Fiercest General. He wields a huge execution ax three meters in length which can slaughter five or six soldiers at once. When the enemy soldiers hear his ferocious screams, they tremble and lose their will to fight. He is worthy of being called ¡°Fierce General¡±. He doesn¡¯t place tricks and if there¡¯s a trap, he¡¯ll just double his strength to break through it. He is the fiercest general in Germania, no more, no less. He is strong enough to go toe to toe with Louise, in other words, Barbarossa is also a monster beyond a monster. Da Jeshka, General of Trakia, Blind Hero, 57 years old An old general who wears black eye patches that hides both eyes. He wears a light and sturdy suit of bone armor. It is said that the general is wearing a valuable piece of armor made of dragon bones. In the harsh environment of Trakia, there is a strong tendency of putting practicality first in order to survive. He is the inventor of a new war tactic called chariot tactics in which chariots are used as shields and crossbows are used to defeat the enemy. He is also a national hero who defended Trakia until he lost his sight in a great battle. Even now that he is blind, he still walks around the battlefield with a cane and is the most famous general in Trakia. Sandor Nefskie, Gartland General, Yellow General, 48 years old. Dark hair, dark eyes, dark skin. He is of medium height and medium build and his appearance won¡¯t stand out in comparison with other knights but even if he is a quiet guy, he is a powerful general. He has a mysterious eye power that intimidates others just by being in his sight. He is called ¡°Yellow General Sandor¡± perhaps because he wears yellow clothes. He is a wise general who rides a black horse and is good at shooting a large bow while riding. He has a lot of experience in actual battle as a general and it is enough to make him fat. Like the general, the knights of Gartland are equipped with full plate armor which is almost the same as the knights of Germania Empire. However, they are wrapped in yellow cloth in order to identify them from the empire knights. Hence, they were called yellow knights. Also, even though General Sandor was defeated and subjugated by the empire, he was bold in offense and firm in defense, and his changeable tactics caused the imperial army a great deal of trouble. He is also a scheming patriot who secretly hides the knights of the Kingdom of Gartland who are not affiliated with the Empire and actively engages in secret diplomacy, aiming for the timing of independence of the Kingdom of Gartland. Marina Horse, Silesie Kingdom¡¯s Royal Knight Order Commander, 23 years old ¡°Rolling Stone¡± Marina. Marina, who was given the nickname ¡°rolling stone'''', is a female knight who was once the vice commander of the knight order led by Louise. She has chestnut-colored hair and eyes. She is petite and so taciturn that she is called a stone and a person not suited to be the commander of the royal knight order. The only thing she¡¯s good at is controlling cavalry and running around as she wants. Her family name, ¡°Horse¡±, is not a mere name. She¡¯s not very good at controlling people but there¡¯s no one better than her in terms of controlling horses. In a short period of time, she reduced the number of royal knights, which is now only 500 knights, to light cavalrymen who can do as they are commanded. She also chipped away their knightly conceit. Unusual for knights who prefer heavy armor, she is usually lightly armed and fights with light bows, spear, and notched shield. (The notched shield is to be able to see while protecting herself from flying arrows.) After she has used up all of her weapons, she¡¯ll use a stabbing sword but since she believes in one hit kill combat, she usually escapes before she draws it. CH 101.3 Chapter 101.3 ¨C Character Introduction (End of Book 1) Marquis Pipin Nant Burgund, 45 years old A man of unusual appearance. His chin is like the tip of a French bread with black beard. He is the head of the Burgund Family, a lineage of the chief vassal of the Founding King Renz, and one of the representatives of the local nobles. He is quite a talented person compared to the incompetent prestigious nobles. He is capable of commanding an army in his own way, is highly intelligent and scheming, and has demonstrated his competence in domestic affairs. The problem with him, however, is that he uses his abilities to maintain his own power and not for the good of the kingdom. The great nobles of the south, who have a strong independent spirit against the Silesie royal family, are led by two great families, the Burgund and Aquitaine, who were both vassals of Founding King Renz. The original representative of the Confederation of South Nobles was the Blanc Family, a branch of the royal family where Brynie was the previous head. However, the Blanc family already lost its power. Marquis Pipin of Burgund Family and Countess Ajine of Aquitaine Family hold the real power. Incidentally, it is an open secret that Marquis Pipin is having an affair with Countess Ajine. Conrad Germania Germanicus, Germania Emperor Weak and aged emperor over seventy. He is the one who sealed the ¡°Hotbed of Corruption and Delusion¡± 50 years ago. He is also the hero who climbed up to the 54th floor of the ¡°White Tower of Trials¡± and obtained the orichalcum armor and orichalcum great shield. In his younger days, he was a heroic emperor who, expedition after expedition, ate up the three kingdoms in the western part of the empire to expand the empire¡¯s territory but in his old age, he became lackluster. Unable to settle the question of succession, he is now half in hiding at the mercy of the young lion Free, who has seized power after kicking out his siblings by force. After the fall of the empire, he is captured by the coup d¡¯etat forces and is imprisoned in the imperial castle. Biden Sorel Cool, Domestic Affairs Minister of Germania Empire, 44 years old Tall and thin, with pale skin, gray hair, and has a bad appearance. His eyes are glazed with ambition and he is an energetic financier and an excellent minister. Originally, the dynamic and ambitious Biden emerged as a fur merchant. He marries the daughter of the mayor of Northmark and as a dowry, he receives an enormous fortune and a route to the central government. While running his company, he became the director of the Bureau of Coin and Minting where he gained enormous wealth by diverting a large amount of precious metals for coinage, used bribes to hold a key position in the Finance Office and climbed out of the commoner ladder. He was conferred the title of Count Sorel. He became close to Prince Freed, who was also on his way to prosperity and was appointed to the great post of Domestic Affairs Minister, where he flourished under the prince¡¯s new regime. It was thanks to Biden¡¯s skill in managing domestic affairs that he was able to procure a force of 70000 troops for the Silesie¡¯s War of Aggression. In order to save the empire¡¯s finances, which had run short of coins due to the defeat in the Silesie War of Aggression and a large amount of reparations to be paid, he introduced convertible banknotes but it failed. This led to a revolt among the imperial subjects and Biden himself was captured and executed by the coup d¡¯etat forces. Saintess Rosa, Bishop, age unknown(looks young) A saintess sent by the Asama Church to the Kingdom of Silesie to reside in the ¡°Miasma Hole of Doom¡± and be in charge of its defense. Formally, she is also the bishop of the cathedral in the royal capital. In case of emergency, she is capable of sealing the ¡°Miasma Hole of Doom¡± if it was opened. Incidentally, the reason she was not present when Fried attacked was that she had gone to the royal capital for treatment. Don¡¯t say that Bishop Rosa is always missing when she¡¯s needed or Asama¡¯s punishment will fall upon you. ¡¾Appendix¡¿Settings of the Knights of the Three Great Vassal Kingdoms of the Empire ¡ù Located on the border of the human world, many knights wear unusual attires because of battles with the northern demons and eastern barbarians. Rastoir Knights. It is a knight federation of many clans in the country. They don¡¯t have standard equipment and the barbarian¡¯s influence on their equipment is obvious. Some knights even wear animal pelts. Their only unified equipment is their iron helmet with a brim around it. The elite wear western-style chain mail and eastern-style lamellar chest armor. Even if it is ruled as a vassal kingdom of the Germania Empire, it is still a self-governed kingdom where the king is elected from among the many clans. Trakia Knights. They have a unique style of fighting as they often fight against monsters. Many of the knights wore bone armor called scale mail. They move around in wagons pulled by horses and use an unusual tactic called ¡°chariot tactic¡± in which they shoot crossbows from the shadow of the wagons. In close combat, they fight with long axes and daggers. They are led by a caned, blind old general named Da Jeshka. Gartland Knights. Their equipment is modernized and almost the same as that of the Germania imperial knights. To distinguish themselves from Germania, they wear knotted yellow cloths around their upper arms. They are also called yellow knights. Unlike the Germania knights, some knights use long spears and bows, depending on the situation, as well as javelins. They are led by General Sandor Nefskie who is known as the Yellow General. CH 101.4 Chapter 101.4 ¨C Character Introduction (End of Book 1) ¡¾Further Appendix¡¿The Great Brave of Silesie: The Trail of Marquis Danavan Count Est(later became Marquis) Prime Minister of the Provisional Government of the Kingdom of Silesie and Commander in Chief of the Royal Army, Danavan Est Almark The history of the Almark family, a prestigious noble family in the kingdom, is long, and according to one source, their ancestors were leaders of the colonists of the land of Est, even before the founding of Silesie Kingdom by the Hero King Renz. Danavan, the 18th generation head of the Almark family, was a child prodigy who was so brilliant from an early age that he had tutors in various fields. However, they all left immediately after saying the same thing, ¡°There is nothing more to teach him.¡±. Despite his talent, the humble Danavan did not go to work in the royal capital, but instead, took over the family as a count after his father¡¯s death and devoted himself to the management of his territory. He was called the ¡°Wealthy Count¡± by the people because of his gentle, dignified, and well-dressed appearance as he traveled his territory on his own to check the lives of his people. It is said that various products such as monster soap and Est¡¯s goat fabrics were born in the City of Est because the enterprising Danavan personally sponsored promising companies. The fact that the head office of the long-established Sawatari Company, which still supports the economy of the Kingdom of Silesie, is located in Est is a testament to the gratitude of the Hero Takeru for Danavan¡¯s generous support and assistance in its development when he was starting up. By nature, he was a mild-mannered, sociable, and above all, peace-loving man who cared for the people of his territory. However, a great national crisis that hit Silesie did not allow Danavan to lead such a peaceful life. The seal of the ¡°Miasma Hole of Doom¡±, a pool of miasma near the capital, was broken. The ¡°Miasma Hole of Doom¡± incident plunged the royal capital and the northwestern part of the Kingdom of Silesie into a crisis of collapse. Danavan, who was also a brave and diligent general of the army, immediately fought the hordes of monsters approaching the north as a lord and it is said that the territory was unaffected by the war and remained peaceful. While the royal army simply sat idly by and watched the devastation of the kingdom, Danavan discovered the talent of Sawatari Takeru, who was only a merchant at that time, and appointed him a knight of the Almark House. To overcome the national crisis, he then recruited volunteer soldiers from all over Est. Although it was Sawatari Takeru who resealed the miasma hole of doom and climbed up from being a merchant to a knight, to a general, to the hero of Silesie, and eventually, the Re-founding King of Silesie kingdom, the emergence of this hero of salvation would not have been possible without the brave Danavan, who supported him both militarily and economically. Just as the ¡°Miasma Hole of Doom¡± incident was finally coming to an end, thanks to the efforts of General Danavan, the volunteer army of Est, and the Hero Takeru, a coup d¡¯etat by the Knight Order Commander Gale occurred in the royal capital. The royals and nobles of the city were all killed and finally, Gale murdered the 18th King of Silesie Kingdom, Gaius Silesie Albert. In this crisis of survival of the kingdom, the brave Danavan stood up again. After rescuing the last surviving heir to the throne, Princess Silhouette(later became the 18th Queen), from the capital, Danavan personally led the army as the head of the provisional government to confront the coup d¡¯etat forces. He said to the local nobles, who were indecisive about which side to take, ¡°The favor we have received from her majesty is higher than the mountains and deeper than the sea.¡±. It is said that his famous speech in which he called out to the audience, decided the fate of the battle. The Silesie army was victorious thanks to Danavan¡¯s voice that shook the history of the kingdom. Despite his success, Danavan resigned as head of the government after the war and returned to his territory without seeing any position. The royal government hurriedly presented Count Danavan with the title of marquis and offered him position and territory to match it but, while the knights and nobles who sided with the royal army received positions and territories one after another, he received nothing except the title of honor bestowed upon him by the princess. The most loyal and brave lord of the Kingdom of Silesie was truly a man of selflessness. He returned to his own domain and returned to a quiet life of managing his territory and caring for the lives of his people. However, history, once again, had a white wing over the helmet of brave Danavan. The Germania Empire, the great power of that time, sent a huge army of 70000 men against the royal capital of Silesie. Danavan led the royal army of only 17000 men and fought as the commander in chief. This was the famous ¡°Battle of Silesie¡±. Contrary to the expectations of the empire, which had a large army, the kingdom continued to gain the upper hand thanks to the high commanding ability and heroic performance of its brave and intrepid general, Danavan Est Almark. In the final decisive battle, the ¡°Battle of the Devil¡¯s Mountain Fortress¡±, Danavan defeated the ¡°Imperial Immortals¡±, the main force of the imperial army, and killed the commander in chief of the empire, General Forcas Domos Dylan, with his own hands to win this unprecedented war. Danavan, who saved Silesie from national disasters three times, is truly a great hero of salvation and is regarded as the most courageous and daring general in the history of the Kingdom of Silesie. Without him, the kingdom would have perished without a trace. His achievements, which are rare in history, are so far removed by the critical historians of later generations and have called them ¡°fabricated accounts that can¡¯t be trusted¡±. Historians who appreciate Danavan claim that he is one shining star that fell to earth, the very ¡°miracle of heaven¡± itself. Sources: Excerpts from the ¡°Almark Family History Book: The Almark Family Book of Achievements¡±, ¡°The Brave Who Supported the Hero¡±, ¡°History of Sawatari Company¡±, and ¡°The Miracle of Heaven: A Biography of Danavan Almark¡±. TN: The hidden main characte CH 102.1 Chapter 102.1 ¨C Surviving the Harsh Reality, Origin ¡ùThis prequel describes the incident that was the direct cause of Takeru¡¯s transmigration to the harsh fantasy world. This is four chapters long. I spent a few moments in a daze, looking out the classroom window. It¡¯s another beautiful day with a few clouds. At the podium, a mature Japanese teacher is talking about Soseki Natsume with a knowing look on his face. How can I know what the author was thinking at that time when I¡¯m just reading what he wrote? I cursed to myself ¡°I don¡¯t care¡±. I glance sideways at the prettiest girl in the class and when our eyes almost meet, I put my face down and read my book. Or course, it¡¯s not the textbook for the class. I¡¯ve already read the Japanese textbook when I got it so it¡¯s boring to read it again. Well, it¡¯s not only in the Japanese class that I don¡¯t listen. Since I entered high school, I haven¡¯t been listening to school lessons properly and have been reading novels(light novels) all the time. I really got into a boring high school just because it happened to have the highest deviation score among all the schools I could get into. As a complete dropout, I have already given up on the idea of having a decent high school life. One good thing is that I can spend all day long reading books like this and get lost in my fantasy. When my brain no longer accepts the ¡°Theory of War¡± by Clausewitz, I¡¯ll read a slightly naughty novel in order to revitalize my tired brain. No one interrupts me when I¡¯m doing this nonsense in Japanese class. That¡¯s what happened when I read Hermann Hesse¡¯s ¡°Demian¡± the other day. If I¡¯m seriously doing something else, the teachers won¡¯t pay attention to me. Maybe the teachers don¡¯t care about me because I¡¯m not the type to stand out and I¡¯m also a dropout. I¡¯m not interested in other people either and it would be convenient if we were both submitting to each other¡¯s interference. But his ¡°Theory of War¡± is boring compared to Sun Tzu¡¯s ¡°Theory or Monarchs¡± that I read last time. I understand that idea is important but I can¡¯t get into it. But if I am summoned into another world, I will need this knowledge. ¡¸Even if you¡¯re an ¡°ordinary high school student¡± like me, you will be able to play an active role as a hero with a magic sword no matter where you are if you are summoned to another world.¡¹ Even I know very well that transmigration is not real. Well, I¡¯m not being serious. This knowledge is of no use in the real world. At best, it might be useful if you become a novelist but even that is as unlikely as going to another world. But wait, transmigration is good but it¡¯s hard to throw away the idea of being reincarnated and starting over from the beginning. This is the point that I¡¯m thinking about. Both of them have their charms. My fantasy imagination stopped when a scream echoed. ¡¸Kyaaaaaa!¡¹ A suspicious person wandered through the door at the back of the classroom and attacked a female student near the entrance. He¡¯s sexually harassing and hugging that girl. How can a pervert like that do something like that in broad daylight? Just when I thought things were getting interesting, I saw blood splatter and realized this was no time to be amused. A female student who was in the same class as me but whose name I didn¡¯t even know said, ¡°KYaaaa!¡± was soon followed by ¡°gyaaaa¡±. Soon, it became a deadly sight. The pervert seemed not to be attacking her sexually but biting her so hard that blood splattered from her neck. No, this must mean that he bit the flesh of her entire carotid artery. She was bitten so hard repeatedly on the neck that blood sprayed all over the area. Even though the schoolgirl was flailing around, the prowler, who was holding and biting her did not move away and eventually, her body ran out of strength and she lost her power. No one could do anything in front of that flamboyant assault, which was like a scene from a movie. ¡¸What did you just¡­.¡¹ The mature Japanese teacher, who had been standing there for some time in a daze, belatedly intervened to stop the suspicious person and became the next victim. The bitten student was lying on her back in a pool of blood from her own neck, not moving. Looking at the motionless student, I wondered if a human could bleed that much just from a deep neck bite. I wondered if she was dead and looked at her while feeling chilly. ¡¸Gyaaa! Oi stop, stoppppp! No no no!¡¹ The language teacher¡¯s wild and angry shouts quickly turn into high-pitched screams. Amidst the ruckus, screams, and yells, there was a distinctly unpleasant sound, as if a joint had been snapped or a bone had been broken, resounded. Then, I heard the sound of flesh being torn off. I guessed that the teacher had gone berserk with such force that the prowler, who has an eerily pale face, had restrained him with even more force, causing his arm to be ripped off as it was. The teacher¡¯s screams soon stopped and only the sound of flesh being chewed can be heard. The classroom was instantly covered with loud shouts and screams as the teacher was killed and the air became thick with foul odor. I think I just hear the switch that flips my daily routine into extraordinary. My brain, which had been used to this kind of fantasy for a long time and specialized for the unusual, is flooded with adrenaline as I start to think lucidly and rationally. My sleepiness has been cleared so much that I felt super refreshed. I look at the suspicious man¡¯s pale face. It looked like he was suffering from a vicious disease and the crusty skin on his chapped cheeks looked like it was about to fall off. After devouring the male teacher, he staggered to get up on his feet as if drunk, unresponsive to all the noise around him. My nose was smelling the stench of a rotting corpse, along with the thick scent of blood, and I think it is safe to conclude that this guy was a zombie. I was lucky I happened to be sitting by the window. After all, in a death game like this, initial placement is everything. And the next thing that makes the difference between life and death is quick action. I bypassed the center of the commotion and quickly and quietly escaped alone from the front exit of the classroom. I quickly grab my bag, but I¡¯m sure this won¡¯t be a weapon. There were no zombies in the hallway so I made my way to the shoe closet. I toss my bag down and pick up my umbrella. This one is easier to use given its longer reach. CH 102.2 Chapter 102.2 ¨C Surviving the Harsh Reality, Origin ¡¸But, this is so boring.¡¹ I was the first one to walk from the school hallway to the shoe box. No student would run shoulder to shoulder with me. I guess I won¡¯t get squeezed by escaping students like in the movies. Listening carefully, I can hear the buzzing of a lot of people from a distance and even vibrations so maybe there are similar commotions going on in other classes. If there are a few more victims and the panic spreads, this place will probably be full of students running for cover too. In a moment of panic, people might not be able to think that it would be safer to run outside. However, not even an evacuation announcement has been made yet. Did it mean that there were no students like me who had prepared for situations like terrorists attack or zombies attack during class? That makes me a little sad and I wonder if I¡¯m really a ¡°normal high school student¡±. ¡¸Oh well, that¡¯s convenient.¡¹ It is dangerous to be blocked by a panicked crowd. I quickened my pace, trying to be both stunned and proud of my victory after I had fled to a safe distance. Zombies bite people and people who are bitten become zombies and the damage will spread in no time. A school, a densely populated place, will quickly become a danger zone. It is often said in zombie stories that the students must stay in school and group together but I think that¡¯s insane We should get out of the school the soonest time possible even if it is only for a minute or a second faster. I ran out of the shoebox and ran to the back gate of the school but there are already zombies there. It was as if the entire school was surrounded, giving the impression that the escape route was blocked. ¡¸Tsk, here too!¡¹ A balding, thin-haired physical education teacher, whom I recognized, was bitten by a zombie while wearing a red jersey. Perhaps a zombie had also been at the back gate and got him there. I jumped straight up onto the school wall, using my umbrella as a probe. I thought I could just climb over the wall and run outside but¡­.I guess I¡¯m unlucky. There were zombies Roaming the streets on the other side of the wall as well. There were only a few of them so I thought I might be able to get through but I doubt it so I looked around. ¡¸Stop! Don¡¯t come any closer!¡¹ I heard a man¡¯s voice. Is he talking about me? Then, bang! A sound of firearms being shot resounded. At the other side of the back gate of the school, a police on a bicycle was repeatedly firing at the zombies approaching before him. He shoots them easily. Perhaps it was only in fictional stories that policemen never shoot until they are all dead because if they do, they¡¯ll never be able to advance in their careers. Of course, the zombies wouldn¡¯t care about the pistol-equipped officer. The officer was pushed down and bitten as it was. Since they were zombies, he should have shot them in the head. However, he shoots their legs which is pointless. ¡¸Ah, this route can¡¯t be used.¡¹ More shots rang out and all bullets were probably consumed. It¡¯s too risky to go to a place where strong zombies that are former police officers and former physical education teachers are. And it¡¯s even riskier to do it for a gun which I don¡¯t even know if there¡¯s even a bullet left. This is not a game. ¡¸But wait.¡¹ Thinking about it, that police has a gun so he¡¯s definitely not just passing by. He probably came from the nearby police station after a report of a suspicious person was seen at the school. That would mean that there were no zombies from the nearby police station to here. Then, the source of that outbreak must have been the area around the school. I¡¯m curious about the cause of the zombie outbreak but I am neither a police officer nor a detective. I¡¯m just a high school student who wants to survive. I should get out of this danger zone before I start trying to figure out what caused it. If the zombie outbreak is in the vicinity of the school, there is a good chance that I will survive as long as I can get out of that enclosure. ¡¸Hey, Sawatari-kun!¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, shut up¡­..¡¹ Don¡¯t talk to people when they are thinking. ¡¸I¡¯ve been trying to talk to you for a while now!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yeah¡­..¡¹ Two girls came from within the premises of the wall. It was Sentani, the class president, a girl with glasses, long braided hair, and big boobs, who was talking to me. Sentani is a true class president type which is very rare nowadays. A glasses girl with long black hair tied to braids. I naturally learned her name as I admired her distinctive appearance and her big boobs that are aggressively pushing out of her school uniform. However, I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ve never spoken with her before. And yet, I was surprised that Sentani remembered my last name. I should have at least remembered her name, not just her surname. Following silently behind Sentani, the class president, was Shijima Kagee*, an unusual and quiet beautiful girl who stood out in the class. TN: Her name is ¡°shadow painting¡± in Japanese, in short Silhouette. You already know what will happen to her as the goddess said it already. After reading this arc, I thought she should have been the only FMC. She¡¯s the only girl in the whole class whose full name I remember. The reason why I remember her full name is because she¡¯s a petite girl with glossy black hair(flat chest!). Her presence is a bit misty and she¡¯s thin. She¡¯s picturesque even if she¡¯s just sitting somewhere. That¡¯s because she looked just like the heroine of my favorite novels. I would like to say that 3D is crap but because of Kagee, I think 3D is also quite good. However, that¡¯s all. I have never talked with Shijima Kagee nor do I think I have to talk to her. To me, all real women are objects of appreciation. I¡¯m not an interloper nor do I think I can be. ¡¸Sawatari-kun, which place should we run!¡¹ After Sentani, the class president, came along the men and women of my class. Apparently, these guys were chasing after me for taking the initiative. This is a very troublesome situation. I¡¯m usually a loner, I don¡¯t have any friends in my class, and I have never talked to any of them. I don¡¯t think they should rely on me at times like this. No, wait. In this situation, it would be better to be with a certain number of people. The risk of being attacked by zombies, which will be exploding in the school, is increasing over time, and if I can guide them well, I can use them as meat shields. ¡¸Sentani-san, we can¡¯t go out of the back gate or even over the wall because there were zombies.¡¹ ¡¸Then, which way should we escape?¡¹ The big-breasted Sentani asked in an annoyed, high-pitched voice, as her big boobs jiggled and swayed. I thought to myself, ¡°How would I know the safe way out?¡± but I remembered the policeman earlier. The call probably came from the staff room. If so, there was a good chance that the staff room was still functional. There are items there that can be used for escape. ¡¸Let¡¯s head for the staff room!¡¹ TN: If you haven''t seen my survey post, please take time to check it out. You have the power to choose what I will translate next. The link is below if you haven''t noticed it yet. CH 103.1 Chapter 103.1 ¨C Surviving the Harsh Reality, Acquiesce Yes, the staff room. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to rely on the teachers at a time like this. I just thought that there might be an adult with a car. When it comes to safe escape, a car is the best way. Even if there¡¯s no adult, there should be at least a car key in the staff room. If it¡¯s an automatic car, we should be able to drive even without a driver¡¯s license. There are many racing games where you can learn it. People are overflowing around the exit of the shoebox area. As expected, zombies also came out in pursuit. It¡¯s complete chaos, a tag game of death. I¡¯m heading for the staff room with my classmates accompanying me. I don¡¯t know what the zombies see and how they find their targets. However, whether it was sight or hearing, if I run in front of the flow of people, the crowd will naturally become a breakwater. A classmate I don¡¯t know the name of is screaming about being bitten but I don¡¯t care. Anyone who tries to help a bitten student will die soon. Then, I saw a guy equipped with a cleaning mop knocking down the zombie and saving the bitten student. He was a big guy that is at least 20 cm taller than me with buff physique. ¡¸Sasaki-kun!¡¹ Sentani shouted in excitement while her boobs bounced. I see, he is Sasaki, I remember. He is on the soccer team, right? He was the one who stood out in the active group of our class. ¡¸Oraaaaaaaaaa!¡¹ Sasaki kicked the zombie with his spiked shoes as hard as he could. Then, using his powerful arm, he swung down the mop repeatedly on the zombie¡¯s head, crushing it. That is indeed a great move but it is dangerous to touch zombies¡¯ body fluids. Also, the bitten student is probably no more so it was a wasted effort. ¡¸Dead!¡¹ Sasaki, who killed the zombie, made a smug face. Yeah yeah, you¡¯re awesome. Sasaki¡¯s eyes are very aggressive. I guess he wants to show off his good side to Sentani, Shijima, and other pretty school girls. Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. Whoever wants to fight should just fight. ¡¸Kijima, get a grip, Kijima!¡¹ It seems that the girl Sasaki saved still died and Sasaki and Sentani are having a grief-stricken moment but that doesn¡¯t matter. Kijima, a girl with no particular prominence, had exchanged a word or two with me, which was very unusual for a high school girl who was basically a pain in the ass. I didn¡¯t have any bad impression of her but what else can I do now that she¡¯s dead? I avoided getting involved with the guys doing the tragedy scene and ran straight to the staff room. You guys weren¡¯t that close with that plain girl Kijima, so don¡¯t get carried away by the atmosphere of the scene and rand about the death of just one person. How many students do you think are dying in the same way in the school building right now? Are you going to grieve for each and every one of them in the same way? No, they don¡¯t even notice it. ¡¸¡­.because their field of view is too narrow!¡¹ I don¡¯t know how good our high school soccer team is but I don¡¯t think Sasaki would be a good player if he could only deal with what is in front of him. No matter how strong a player is physically, if he doesn¡¯t have a bird¡¯s eye view, he can only be a third-rate player. Going further, the baseball player, a shaved head swinging a baseball bat, was also surrounded and bitten by zombies, but he¡¯s also a third-rate player. Instead of fighting in vain, he should be making a run for it. The more they rampage, the more zombies they will attract. Besides, big guys with big frames from sports clubs should be running around while making themselves zombie baits. Their bodies are tough so the zombies will take time eating them and that should make my route safer. That aside, I ran and managed to get to the staff room. However, there is an unusual increase in the number of zombies. If I¡¯d gone from inside the classroom, I¡¯d have been stuck with so few places to escape. At the moment, I¡¯m following the right route. With my growing confidence, I entered the staff room through the outer door and found that inside was still a safe zone. To be honest, I was relieved. We approach the nearest female teacher, who is crouched down, trembling. She¡¯s a young female teacher in white blouse and tight black skirt. Because she¡¯s crouching, we could almost see her panties, or rather, I can see a little bit. Thank goodness. No, I¡¯m not thanking because I caught a glimpse of sensei¡¯s white panties but because I knew her. She was a young, new female teacher that seemed to be soft both on boobs and head. No, I don¡¯t have a habit of fantasizing about new female teachers. I just knew her because I, someone who doesn¡¯t stand out, find her annoying. She was a first-year math teacher who repeatedly gave me remedial classes and assignments because of my poor grades. CH 103.2 Item Cheat 103.2 Chapter 103.2 ¨C Surviving the Harsh Reality, Acquiesce I told her I didn¡¯t need it because I was going to take an exam where I wouldn¡¯t be using math but she didn¡¯t listen to me at all so I had no choice but to go along with her assignments. My grades in math got better thanks to that but it was creepy because I didn¡¯t understand why she would go that far for one student. I even thought she liked me because she kept following me around so much. I feel sorry for this teacher because she¡¯s dedicated to her job. To tell the truth, I used her as masturbation material several times when I thought she liked me and up to now, I still feel sorry for it. I¡¯m not the popular type and I know it¡¯s not possible for me to be liked by a young female teacher but I¡¯m young so it¡¯s normal for me to think that way. It was just an innocent misunderstanding. I¡¯m not a bad communicator but I¡¯m not very good at talking to women close to my age so I had some trouble at the time but the connection I had made with her should be useful here. I think her last name was Mizuki. I shook Mizuki-sensei¡¯s shoulder and she screamed with all she got. It¡¯s an emergency so even though I¡¯m not this type of person, I¡¯ll forcefully approach this young woman. ¡¸Mizuki-sensei, can you drive? Do you have a car?¡¹ ¡¸Fuhh, Sawatari-kun¡­.you have to stay here.¡¹ Perhaps that¡¯s what the school disaster manual says. At times like this, adults, as stupid creatures as they are, will still try to comply with the rules even though they are about to die. And if you rebuke them, they¡¯ll say, ¡°You think you won¡¯t die by doing that?¡± I¡¯m not a na?ve child, of course, I know the risk. I¡¯m sure that even Mizuki-sensei thinks that she¡¯s going to die if she does something else but staying here won¡¯t help. I think it must be hard to be a civil servant. They can¡¯t run away even if they think it¡¯s dangerous and they have to devote their lives to their official duties. It is easier to be a child than an adult. Well, we are currently in a phase where we are relying on the strength of these hard-headed adults. ¡¸We have no time to argue, sensei. If we don¡¯t leave the school with a car, everyone here will die.¡¹ ¡¸Right¡­..¡¹ This female teacher, who probably really wanted to run away, quickly agreed. I, who looked like a simple and timid student, gave the teacher a reason to escape. Of course, there was no reason to believe that we would be able to escape safely in a car. However, we were in a situation where we must not hesitate to choose a route that would give us the best chance of survival. ¡¸Everyone, let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll leave using the minibus.¡¹ ¡¸Sensei, do you have a license for big cars?¡¹ She nodded confidently. She is a young female teacher but she can be counted on to drive a big car. However, I didn¡¯t know this school had a bus. That was a blind spot. That is something that could be used if there was a terrorist invasion. I could continue thinking of such stupid fantasy because there were still a few zombies in the direction of the parking lot. Some adults in suits were trying to escape using their cars, though I couldn¡¯t tell if they were teachers or school admin since this school is pretty big. ¡¸Hiya hyahyahya!¡¹ There¡¯s a skinny student with glasses fighting zombies with a bow and arrow. I¡¯m wondering where he got it. It¡¯s a bow for competition but it certainly is an effective weapon. However, I didn¡¯t know that this school had an archery club. I don¡¯t think he carries it with him all the time and I wonder if that skinny, nerdy-looking bow went all the way to the clubroom to get it in this short period of time in the midst of a zombie infestation. All I think is ¡°are you an idiot?¡±. How many dangerous bridges did he cross? And it¡¯s a surprise that he managed to getaway. It¡¯s stupid and awesome at the same time. I was so surprised that I stopped in my tracks. It¡¯s hard to believe that there¡¯s someone out there who¡¯s better than me at dealing with zombies. And he had blended in with my party to escape from the school in the shortest possible distance after acquiring an effective weapon. I pride myself on being a good speculative type but only in emergencies. However, this guy, in addition to being someone like me, has the ability to take action. This school has more than 1000 students so it¡¯s not surprising that some of them are like this. Though I can¡¯t believe that someone would surpass me. I thought he was an idiot but my jealousy was mixed in with that conclusion. I knew this guy was amazing. ¡¸Ehto, what is your name?¡¹ ¡¸What the heck are you saying, Sawatari-kun? I¡¯m Machida, we¡¯re in the same class.¡¹ Machida is being awfully familiar. And we were in the same class? I don¡¯t recognize him at all. Well, the otaku group often got involved with me, a loner, so I had to erase it from my memory. If I ignore them, they would give up and I wouldn¡¯t get in trouble. However, I was careless to think that such a ball was hiding among such a group. I could have been an equal friend with this guy. ¡¸This zombie seems to stop moving when the brain stem is crushed. It¡¯s surprisingly weak.¡¹ CH 103.3 Item Cheat 103.3 Chapter 103.3 ¨C Surviving the Harsh Reality, Acquiesce The calm observation and analysis of glasses Machida took my breath away. Behind those lenses, however, I saw that he was glistening in excitement of having defeated an enemy. I still think that his nature is different from mine. I don¡¯t have the audacity to actively defeat my enemies especially if there are risks involved. ¡¸Machida-kun, are you in the western style archery club?¡¹ ¡¸Hnn? No, I¡¯m not. Why?¡¹ ¡¸No, nothing¡­.¡¹ How can you be so good at it if you¡¯re not even doing it as club activity! This guy named Machida would have been someone whose existence will never get involved with my life if not for what is happening. We arrived at the minibus. I paid careful attention and checked to see if there was anyone bitten by a zombie in our party. Luckily, that girl that Sasaki from the soccer team had tried to save was already dead. She¡¯s probably a zombie now but I could only imagine what would happen to her if she was still alive and I had to take her with me. If her humanity swept us away and had the person that was bitten come with us, that will be the end of the story. Machida seemed to understand the situation pretty well and assisted me. In fact, I had secretly snatched the keys of another public vehicle so that I could escape alone but I¡¯m glad I don¡¯t have to use it. After all, I don¡¯t even know if I can drive. Just as everyone was getting into the minibus, the zombies began to close in on the school building and the parking lot. A zombie of a former student was coming from outside the window of the bus, walking wobbly. Seeing what was happening, I got worried that the minibus had yet to move. I was sitting comfortably in my seat, thinking that I was finally in a safe zone, but I had to go to the driver¡¯s seat to complain. ¡¸Sensei, why are we not moving yet!¡¹ ¡¸But, if I drive, I¡¯ll run over them.¡¹ Damn it, you¡¯re afraid of running over them? You¡¯re not a kid, you¡¯re an adult. Don¡¯t make a cute voice while acting like that. Zombies are no longer humans. Damn, even though I told her that, she wouldn¡¯t listen to me. What should I say to her to get her to drive¡­.. ¡¸Listen to me sensei, they are zombies. You¡¯ve seen them in the movies. They are already dead and they are spreading death. If we don¡¯t crush them here, more people will die. Next could be me or even you. You have to do it!¡¹ ¡¸Butttt, they can¡¯t be zombies!¡¹ While we are talking, we are slowly being surrounded. ¡¸If you¡¯re going to be like that, get out of the way!¡¹ ¡¸Wait, I¡¯ll do it¡­.ah, I must do it!¡¹ When I tried to push her away and step on the accelerator, Mizuki-sensei finally meditated and stepped on the gas pedal. The dead flesh of the crushed zombies sticks on the ground. Sensei screamed as she saw it. Just concentrate on driving. However, even though they are dead, the zombie flesh stuck to the windows is surely disgusting that it¡¯s even moving for a while. I wonder what the logic behind it is. When we reached the main gate of the school, another challenge awaited me. A car trying to get away had an accident in its haste or perhaps several cars had piled up and were blocking the entrance. Trying to slip through the gap would be impossible. And with the size of the bus, our only way out was through the main gate. Even a stopped bus would be swarmed by zombies. Or maybe there are even living people in the mix, looking for help. That¡¯s what I thought but I must never speak of it. If I do, we will all die. ¡¸Sawatari-kun.¡¹ The female teacher looks up at me with a sullen look in her eyes. After sighing, I took a deep breath in, put all my strength into my stomach, and yelled at sensei. ¡¸We have no choice but to drive through, just step on the accelerator and bump everything out.¡¹ ¡¸But there could still be people in the car and it might explode on impact.¡¹ ¡¸If we stay still, every one of us will die.¡¹ ¡¸Right¡­¡­¡¹ I yelled to everyone to get down as I got down and held onto the pole while bracing myself for the impact. CH 104.1 Item Cheat 104.1 Chapter 104.1 ¨C Surviving the Harsh Reality, Change ¡¸Fueeee, noooo!¡¹ With a scream from Mizuki-sensei at the wheel, metal slammed against metal with a crash. There¡¯s also the sickening sound of shattering glass and the car jumped and then, hit the ground as if the body of the car was going to roll over as it was. At the same time, after a brief moment of levitation, I too was slammed repeatedly to the floor and bone creaking pain hit me. I scraped my knee as I hit the ground. ¡¸Arghhhh¡­..¡¹ It hurts but that means I¡¯m still alive. I¡¯m relieved when I look out at the view from the bus, which is running on the public road. That means that we managed to break through the danger. We were fortunate that there was no explosion from the collision. Apart from a big bus, this minibus can withstand any other cars. Once I knew that the bus was okay, I could afford to be disappointed that I could not see the sense of the car flying away at the moment of collision. ¡¸Sawatari-kun, you know everything, don¡¯t you?¡¹ A dignified and clear voice echoed from behind and it even made me a little surprised. It was Kagee who walked over here and called out to me. This beautiful girl, who always has a vacant look on her face, responds with a melancholic expression when people talk to her but she rarely communicates with others on her own. It was the first time I had seen her talk to someone first and of course, it was the first time she spoke with me. I have all that information because I¡¯ve been observing her from my seat. I guess even this super low profile, beautiful girl, got excited by the situation and that¡¯s why she spoke with me. ¡¸No, I don¡¯t know everything¡­.¡¹ I swallowed the later words ¡°I only know what is obvious¡± which is a classic line from a well-known novel. Only Machida, the otaku who was listening nearby, understood and smiled with glee. Haa, I said something boring, didn¡¯t I? Apparently, the streets aren¡¯t as crowded with fleeing cars as they are in a zombie movie. I still told Mizuki-sensei to escape to wider roads as much as possible and sat down on a seat as far away from everyone as possible. Kagee follows me to my seat and sits down. Why are you being so aggressive today? You¡¯re so close. I felt Sasaki, the member of the soccer club, glaring at me. Their group obviously likes to be with Kagee so they often tend to invite her. I guess they are uncomfortable when someone like me gets close to her. Normally, I would want to avoid her because she would get me in trouble and not because I care about the atmosphere at school. This girl Kagee is presently ignoring everyone. She snuggles up to me and puts her little lips close to my ear and whispers on it. ¡¸Then, do you know who the culprit is?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not a detective so I don¡¯t know that much.¡¹ With a fleeting sense of camaraderie and the ease of having escaped into a safe zone, I couldn¡¯t help but respond. Frankly speaking, I was thrilled. Just talking to a classmate up close like this is bad enough. Who knows if I¡¯ll fall in love? Wait a minute, there¡¯s no time to be happy. Given this turn of events. Won¡¯t everyone suspect that I¡¯m the culprit? I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a culprit in this case to begin with since there¡¯s no suspicious pharmaceutical company around. Is that the reason why Kagee thought I¡¯m the culprit? If that¡¯s the case, Machida, who is not a member of the archery club, but excels in handling bow, is much more suspicious. He¡¯s clearly one of the suspects. ¡¸Then, let me tell you who the culprit is.¡¹ ¡¸Since you know, please tell me.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m the culprit.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so?¡¹ That unexpected answer made me exclaim and look at her beautiful eyes. Although her small face is well-formed, her eyes are dark. This kind of beauty is scary. It is as if they¡¯ll drag you down to the bottom of the well. I realized that I had not looked closely at her eyes even though I¡¯m always looking at her. It may sound strange but her beauty is horrifying. It has the scent of death. ¡¸Even though I told you that, you don¡¯t believe me.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not the case though.¡¹ ¡¸Really?¡¹she blinks and there¡¯s a small glow in the back of her eyes. I feel like I¡¯m being dragged into something really bad. Still, I couldn¡¯t help but reply¡¸Really.¡¹. ¡¸It¡¯s because of this.¡¹ ¡¸Marble?¡¹ Kagee held up a glass ball. It was transparent but there was a reddish-black smoke-like substance swirling inside. It looks like a kid¡¯s toy. ¡¸It¡¯s not a simple marble. This is a ¡°wishing orb¡±. It grants you one wish that you wish from the bottom of your heart.¡¹ ¡¸Fuh¡¹ She looked into my eyes mischievously with her dark eyes. My excitement suddenly cooled down when I saw that. As I looked into Kagee¡¯s eyes, I felt remarkably calm. I don¡¯t know but maybe, it was because I thought she was serious. I felt that what Kagee was saying was quite important and contained some truth. ¡¸You still don¡¯t believe me?¡¹ ¡¸No, I believe you.¡¹ CH 104.2 Item Cheat 104.2 Chapter 104.2 ¨C Surviving the Harsh Reality, Change It stinks of a lie. Thinking about the fact, that¡¯s just a baseless story but I believe it. Because it came from Kagee¡¯s mouth. She¡¯s completely fascinated by the orb. Her tone is saying that she¡¯s completely believing it. And I was fascinated by the sound of her voice as she was saying that. I believe her because of intuition. Later, reasons were added to it. A zombie outbreak was absurd. That means that the cause of the outbreak must be equally preposterous. At least, I don¡¯t have any evidence to deny that the ridiculous story told by Kagee is a lie. It seemed like it would be better to assume that it was correct. ¡¸I¡¯m only talking to myself but I didn¡¯t think that Sawatari-kun would believe me.¡¹ ¡¸Tell me more about it. Where did you get a jewel like that?¡¹ ¡¸A friend of mine was its previous owner. My only friend gave it to me.¡¹ ¡¸What happened to that friend?¡¹ ¡¸Disappeared as soon as she handed this jewel to me.¡¹ ¡¸Disappeared¡­..¡¹ What a disappointing story. Disappeared. What did that friend wish for in that ¡°wishing orb¡±? ¡¸I wanted to give it to you because I¡¯m going to die?¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re going to die?¡¹ That bothered me more than the idea of giving me that marble. We had just escaped to a safe place. Kagee looked at me as if to check me out and smiled. Kagee usually has an expressionless face or a face that looks as if she¡¯s enduring hardship. It has probably been a long time since I have seen human-like emotion on her smooth white cheeks. She looked happy. ¡¸Are you worried about me? That¡¯s sweet of you.¡¹ ¡¸No, any normal person would be worried.¡¹ As I said that, I thought I was deceiving her because I¡¯m not normal and not everyone will be worried. I am worried because it is Kagee. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m worried about her because she¡¯s my object of appreciation that I stare at occasionally during class. Maybe it seems that way because we¡¯ve talked so intimately under these circumstances that we¡¯re no longer strangers. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m being na?ve. I usually think of myself as a loner but I can¡¯t help but laugh at my own naivety. ¡¸Sawatari-kun is similar to me so I will give you this jewel. I knew it before I spoke with you but talking to you confirmed it.¡¹ ¡¸No, I don¡¯t understand what you are talking about.¡¹ What happened to the story about dying? It seems like it is more important to her to give me this marble. What do you mean by similar anyway? If you mean that we were both expecting a zombie outbreak, Machida was much more prepared than I was. I was just running around with everyone else doing practically nothing. ¡¸Sawatari-kun must be a lonely person just like me. I know because I¡¯ve been watching you for a long time.¡¹ ¡¸Is that what you mean by similar?¡¹ The joy of being talked to by a beautiful girl whom I secretly admired was blown away and I instantly felt uncomfortable. If a beautiful girl had told me that she had been watching me for a long time or that we were the same, I would normally have been pleased. However, I felt so bad that I wanted to spit right there and then. Similar? A pretty girl like you, who is pampered by everyone, is talking about loneliness? It¡¯s true that Kagee was always rejecting people but she was always surrounded by people that would never refuse her company. I don¡¯t want to be lumped in with a halfhearted woman. When she told me about loneliness with those beautiful lips of hers, I felt like my loner self had been tainted. Rationally speaking, I knew it was similar to others but according to myself, my loneliness is different from others. I am special. People are pleased if they are told they are similar and stand shoulder to shoulder with them. If a guy who looks a little better tells me that he understands how I feel, I would be taken aback. And you know what, girls do that. I know this because I read psychology books. However, I¡¯m not like that. If someone says we are similar, I would feel like a fool. I feel like they are tarnishing my precious mind. How can you say we are the same if you don¡¯t even know me? No matter how beautiful a girl you are, there are things you can say and things you can¡¯t say. And this is the worst thing you could say. I don¡¯t want to be told that you know me. That¡¯s the last thing I want to hear from someone else. The discomfort and anger rising in the back of my throat chilled my heart rather than warmed it. ¡¸That¡¯s exactly why we are similar.¡¹ ¡¸What!¡¹ Are you still going to say something? When I get angry, I¡¯m really angry. ¡¸When I get angry, I¡¯m really angry. You must have felt like a fool. No one knows how you feel. You must be feeling that you are different from others. That kind of self-righteousness is what makes us similar.¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­..can that orb read people¡¯s minds?¡¹ I was poisoned in an instant. When you¡¯ve been pointedly told the truth, you can¡¯t help but blush. Who the heck are you? CH 104.3 Item Cheat 104.3 Chapter 104.3 ¨C Surviving the Harsh Reality, Change ¡¸I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t think I have that kind of power but it is true that I have been watching you for a long time. I don¡¯t have any friends in this world anymore and I always thought that I should hand this over to you, Sawatari-kun. I¡¯m running out of time.¡¹ ¡¸Even if you say that¡¹ I accepted the orb as if it was pushed on me. At that moment, a slender, soft hand touched me for a moment and I thought it was a girl¡¯s hand. I look at the orb but it really looks like an ordinary marble. It seems silly to make a wish on this thing but I also feel that it is this kind of trivial thing that caused such a big incident which is out of ordinary. A jewel that fulfills your wishes. If it were true, it would be a target to be fought over. Is that why it is in the shape of a marble that can be found everywhere? It is like giving power only to those who believe in it. ¡¸In truth, I wished to die.¡¹ Kagee, who is usually a person of few words, speaks so eloquently about something so frightening. She said that she wished she would die with her true and honest heart. I have always regretted this time. Why did Kagee want to die? This is the only time I could have asked her. I don¡¯t think I can do anything but I wanted to know at least. As I remained silent, Kagee continued to talk more eloquently. She even seems to be happy that she finally got what she wanted in the face of death. ¡¸I wished for the world to disappear, not me, and that¡¯s why this happened. This happened because I¡¯m a selfish and disgusting person. I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t need to apologize to me.¡¹ How many people have died just because there were zombies in school? The way the outbreak was set up, it was obvious that they wanted everyone to die. The way the school was surrounded had a strong sense of malice. There was a good chance that I would have been caught in the middle of it and I would have died. However, I was not inclined to blame Kagee. But that doesn¡¯t mean that I don¡¯t believe her wild story. It¡¯s that I put the girl talking in front of me ahead of the hundreds or thousands of people at school that I¡¯ve never spoken to. If it was an accident, I don¡¯t blame her for those who died. I don¡¯t think what was happening is all Kagee¡¯s fault. It could be because of the wishing orb. It is likely to interpret whatever you wish for it in the most malicious way. It¡¯s not because Kagee is evil. After thinking about this, I realized that I was subconsciously defending Kagee. The development so far has been a typical zombie story. That¡¯s why, knowing the flow of the story, I was able to escape from it. Then, it could be said that Kagee simply wished for the destruction of the world and it will be fulfilled by the zombie outbreak. In short, the way the wish was granted is full of malice. However, I can¡¯t blame Kagee. On the contrary, I wanted to hide the fact that she was the cause. Maybe Kagee is right. I¡¯m similar to her. I was enjoying the game of death tag, watching people get eaten, and for the first time in a long time, I felt alive. I was excited by the gushing splashes of blood. I was like a spectator watching a zombie thing so I could stay cool-headed because I was happy to see my boring everyday life destroyed. If Kagee is crazy, I probably am too. ¡¸However, Sawatari-kun did something about it. You even saved me. That was cool.¡¹ The girl who caused this tragedy, the game master, smiled happily as she said that. I didn¡¯t save her. I only cunningly tried to save myself. I was embarrassed to be told that I was cool and wanted to correct her but decided not to. ¡¸Since I saved you, you don¡¯t have to die, do you?¡¹ ¡¸No, a lot of people died because of me, how can I live with that?¡¹ ¡¸Even if Kagee died, that doesn¡¯t mean those people will come back to life.¡¹ I was horrified with the words that came out of my mouth. How could I say some nonsense at a time like this? If I don¡¯t want her to disappear, I only need to say so. Why can¡¯t I just say that honestly? Kagee only smiles vaguely when she hears my off-the-point words. I knew best that there was no way those words would reach her. ¡¸Anyway, don¡¯t say you¡¯re going to die---case closed. ¡¹ At that moment, I heard the sound of loud tandem rotor noises and I looked up out the bus window. An SDF helicopter formation was heading toward the school, which is probably already overrun by zombies. It seemed like the SDF were finally moving out of the nearby garrison. I thought it was too late but considering the procedure for requesting mobilization, I guessed they were rather prompt. Once the Self Defense Forces moved in, the incident would be brought under control. Everything was over, I thought optimistically. The bus driven by Mizuki-sensei followed the police evacuation instruction and headed to the nearby central hospital. CH 105.1 Chapter 105.1 - Surviving the Harsh Reality, Conclusion ¡¸Hey, I should have died, shouldn¡¯t I?¡¹ ¡¸Shut up!¡¹ We were surrounded by a new horde of zombies as soon as we stepped into the central hospital, which had been designated as a temporary evacuation center. The evacuation center had police officers and guards so the entrance was not immediately breached but we were completely trapped. ¡¸This all happened because I¡¯m here.¡¹ ¡¸Stop talking.¡¹ I don¡¯t think anyone would believe that Kagee is the cause of the zombie horde but if someone did, that person might kill her. I¡¯m panicking now. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen. Fortunately, there¡¯s a lot of yelling and screaming so no one can hear Kagee¡¯s voice. The hospital¡¯s TV, which is left on, is finally reporting on the zombie fiasco. It seems that it was a localized incident centered on our school and although the zombie plague is spreading, it is only a contact infection so it has not turned into an outbreak and the situation is reported to be under control. As of now, there have been no reports of a zombie outbreak emerging at this hospital. There, the sound of breaking glass was heard. The entrance was tightly closed but it seems that they did not guard the sash windows in the yard and the zombies entered from there. This made it impossible for them to hold them off in the basement so we had fled upstairs. The first to be killed was Sasaki, a member of the soccer team. He was brave enough to join the police and security guards in fighting to stop them. The head of a zombie is rather fragile and if you hit it with a mop handle or something similar with a full swing, you can crush the brain and stop it from moving. However, there is a limit to this. It is true that their movements are monotonous but they are very strong and once you miss crushing their head and they manage to hold you down, you are finished. Surrounded by multiple zombies, Sasaki was pushed down and went on a rampage, screaming wildly, and before his end, screamed like a demon. I didn¡¯t like the guy but it was a good ending. I don¡¯t think of him as a stranger anymore and my hairs stand to the end thinking that I might end up like him. ¡¸Help, help Sasaki-kun!¡¹ The braided class president was crying out with tears streaming down her face but that won¡¯t do anything. If you really want to, go save him yourself. Even I, a go-home club member, was fighting using a mop. However, Sentani just cries and does nothing. What are those big tits for? Go and give them a titty slap! No, well, there¡¯s no point in attacking now. We have no choice but to run away. We didn¡¯t have time to wait for the elevator so I ran up the stairs, desperately trying to get to the top. Everyone was thinking the same thing. The exit leading to the rooftop would soon be filled with people. The crowd of people prevented us from climbing any further. We were completely trapped. Before long, Sentani¡¯s long braid was grabbed by a zombie and she was pulled down. Her big chest was eaten. Disgusting sound could be heard as the zombie chewed on Sentani¡¯s flesh. Just hearing that made my body tremble. ¡¸Kyaaaaaaaa, it hurts, hurts, giiiyaaaaaaaaaaa¡¹ Of course, I can¡¯t help her. Who would help someone if the slightest mistake could get you killed? And yet, Machida fired his last arrow with a determined look on his face. He went to save a little girl surrounded by zombies. I won¡¯t say that he¡¯s being a hero. He was already a hero when he went to save that little girl. It was a super cool thing to do but it made me shiver. No one would run to zombies just to save a little girl, at least not me. It was so cool but just the thought of being bitten is enough for me to go insane. It¡¯s too reckless to hit a zombie over the head with a bow but even I, a coward, understand Machida¡¯s feelings a little. Saving a child from being attacked by a zombie is a survival flag. I get it, Machida is right. He made the right choice. Unlike me, who was scared to death at the last minute, he chose to be the hero until the end. If this were a zombie movie, he would definitely survive. Unfortunately, reality doesn¡¯t work that way and the real little girl just cried and screamed, dragging Machida down with her. Still, the man who had been relying on his gear, had jumped on the zombies to save a girl. ¡¸Let¡¯s go, Kagee!¡¹ I don¡¯t want to see the last moment of our brave hero. I pulled Kagee by the hand and fled toward a no man¡¯s land, not looking back at Machida whose screams are echoing behind me. To tell you the truth, I was relying on Machida¡¯s long-range attack and now that he was killed, I could not go on any longer. I realized that there was no way for me to protect Kagee with my fighting power alone and I was shocked at my helplessness. However, I was still able to walk forward because I had Kagee¡¯s hand in mine. It seems that the elation and all-powerful feelings I had when I was at school were temporary. Presently, I¡¯m cowering in fear. I¡¯ve been scared to death since a while ago. The end is near for us too. We gave up on evacuating to the rooftop and decided to hole up in a room at the end of the building near the top floor. We had no other choice. CH 105.2 Chapter 105.2 - Surviving the Harsh Reality, Conclusion There were many beds, mats, and exercise equipment in the room so this is probably a rehabilitation room. ¡¸I told you, Takeru-kun! This will not end until I die.¡¹ ¡¸Shut up and stop saying that.¡¹ I desperately pulled the beds and heavy lockers to block the two entrances. Kagee had already given up and was silently watching me as I frantically barricaded ourselves in. The zombies are monstrous so I don¡¯t know how long they will last but this will at least buy some time. I opened the window and looked out but there was no way I could jump down from this height. There¡¯s no firefighting equipment for us to use to get down safely and even if there were, the hospital is surrounded by a swarm of zombies. There are more zombies surrounding the hospital than there were during the outbreak at the school. Perhaps, the zombies have increased in number to match the defenses of the central hospital where there are police and security guards. It¡¯s like a game, I thought. Yes, it¡¯s a game. I had to think it was or I would be playing. If that were the case, there would be no first aid item at the dead-end or the game would be so unbalanced that it would drive me crazy. ¡¸If I fall head first, I would die without suffering.¡¹ Kagee¡¯s thin lips moved as she leaned out of the window. Don¡¯t do it. You don¡¯t really want to die, don¡¯t you? That¡¯s why you told me you were going to die but you didn¡¯t. I was afraid that Kagee would fall out of the window so I held on to her body tightly. I grabbed too hard that a few buttons of Kagee¡¯s blouse flew off. ¡¸Ah, sorry.¡¹ I glanced at the pink bra on her chest and looked away. The overcast sky outside the window was getting darker and darker. Dark cloud has come. ¡¸It¡¯s okay. Just let me go. If I die, the zombies will disappear.¡¹ ¡¸No, wait a minute. I¡¯ll think of something that will save you.¡¹ I hugged Kagee to keep her from falling. The body I¡¯m holding in my arms was very skinny. I really can¡¯t help but be impressed that even in such a desperate moment, I thought that even a flat-chested girl¡¯s chest is soft. ¡¸Takeru-kun, I¡¯m sorry for involving you in this mess.¡¹ ¡¸Even if you say that now¡­¡¹ It can¡¯t be helped¡­.. No, I can¡¯t afford to not do anything. I¡¯m the only one left so I have to do something. ¡¸Thank you for keeping me alive all this time.¡¹ ¡¸Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Just give me some time and I¡¯ll think of something!¡¹ Kagee held my head with her hands and pressed her lips on mine. To my surprise, she even put her tongue in my mouth. Since it was my first time, I was a little frightened and my arms loosened. I barely managed to hold on to Kagee¡¯s arm as she tried to pull away. I had a feeling that if I let her go, she would fly away. What should I do in the end? ¡¸We don¡¯t have time to do it until the end.¡¹ ¡¸Kagee¡¹ Kagee smiled strangely as she said that. I know that it¡¯s a joke, of course. Only an idiot would get a boner in anticipation of it given what¡¯s happening. The door behind me made a creaking sound, it is about to be breached. The zombies are coming for Kagee after all. ¡¸Do you have the wishing orb with you?¡¹ ¡¸I do!¡¹ I checked the pocket on my pants for the marble that Kagee had given me. ¡¸Please don¡¯t lose it, goodbye ¡¹ Kagee smiled mischievously and lightly pushed my chest with her open hand. With that, my fingers, who were supposed to be holding her slender arms, slid off. I still don¡¯t know why they let her go even though I was holding her so tightly and determined to not let her go. It was so fast. Without warning, Kagee flew out of the window and disappeared. It was as if she had vanished from the world. Where did the girl who was holding my hand just a moment ago go? If I look down from outside the window, it will be obvious what happened to Kagee and I only need to check. That¡¯s what I thought but I¡¯m still clinging to the window frame, unable to look at the ground. ¡¸uuuuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!¡¹ I wonder who¡¯s screaming. That¡¯s some terrible scream. I realized that the scream was coming from my own mouth because I felt a pain in the back of my throat and tasted blood. I don¡¯t remember what happened after that. CH 105.3 Chapter 105.3 - Surviving the Harsh Reality, Conclusion I heard that I was Mizuki-sensei who, along with the rescue team, rescued me from the hospital¡¯s rehabilitation room, where I had shrunk to the ground. Including her and myself, less than a hundred people escaped from the school safely, and the death rate was said to be over 90%. After undergoing a thorough examination at the hospital, I was sent home. My family, who lived in the city, were all dead and school won¡¯t be opening anytime soon. When I got back, my daily life had shattered. According to the reports, the incident has been brought to an end due to the intervention of the police and the self defense force but that¡¯s not true. I read on the net that the outbreak progressed not just around the school but across the city. Later, I found that the zombie outbreak disappeared the moment the zombies Kagee had summoned died and the zombified dead returned to being mere corpses. The zombie outbreak made headlines around the world and although there were many theories as to the cause, no virus was found. Eventually, the people who were stopped by the outbreak returned to their daily lives. Within a month, newspapers would be filled with different stories about the deaths of so many people. All that remains are the traces of uncertain rumors in the corners of the internet sites. All of this doesn¡¯t matter anymore. I became lethargic and tended to stay home. I was too lazy to deal with Mizuki-sensei and the counselors who kept coming to check on me so I mostly ignored them. But even if I stayed home, there was nothing to do, not even masturbate. Strangely enough, I haven¡¯t had any sexual desire at all since then. When I looked out the window of my house, I saw that it was cloudy and it will rain again today. My feelings were like that too. All my other memories have become hazy and all I can recall is Kagee. I keep thinking about her through the day as I play with the ¡°wishing orb¡± she gave me. Every time I remember it, I feel pain but I still do so over and over again. And I cry over and over again. If you could grant my wish, I would like you to revive Kagee. I mock myself as I cry like a woman. Mocking how I even picture myself like a hero from a tragedy movie. I¡¯m being sarcastic, I¡¯m not even cool. I¡¯m just a bum who talks a lot but useless when it comes down to it. I can¡¯t even protect a woman with my own hands. I was a stupid clown who didn¡¯t know what he was talking about. Many of my classmates I used to make fun of were heroes who met their honorable ends. Even Kagee, who caused the tragedy, died to keep me alive. I survived because I was a cowardly, helpless brat. Hey, think about it. That time. If we go back to that time again and I take a different route, will I be able to save Kagee? No¡­.I can¡¯t. No matter how many times I simulate it, I don¡¯t have that kind of power. I didn¡¯t even have the courage to see the end of Kagee, who jumped down, slammed to the ground, and died. I didn¡¯t dare look. So, even if I revive Kagee, she will surely die the same way again. Would I let her repeat the crime of killing so many people as collateral damage and the horror and pain of death? My other me yells inside me. I know I¡¯m just saying that I¡¯m in pain and I want things to go back to the way they were but that¡¯s not good enough. That wouldn¡¯t save anyone. If I go back in time as a weak and helpless me, nothing will change. What¡¯s broken is broken and fate can¡¯t change it. I wish that the ¡°wishing orb¡± that I¡¯m holding in my hand would give me confidence to do so or do something to this weak and helpless me but it seems that¡¯s impossible. It doesn¡¯t even heal the pain of regret that has been piling up my heart since that time. It is a wishing orb that will make anything come true. Even if this marble had the power to change the world, if it can¡¯t even save one girl, what¡¯s the point? Clutching the useless marble, I gave up my fantasy of going back to the past to save Kagee. Still, I don¡¯t want to return to this painful reality so I should move on to a new fantasy. For example, how about an isekai fantasy? What if I could meet Kagee again in some other world far away? Kagee might be in trouble in that world but I might have enough to save her there. Yeah, what if Kagee is a beautiful elf princess and I¡¯m a hero with magic sword? And the two of us would meet again at the end of our adventure. By then, I¡¯ll work hard and become a great hero who can save everyone and then, I can save Kagee too. ¡­.happy ending. Ahahaha, I laugh out loud for the first time in a long time. It was a bit too convenient and unfair. That¡¯s too much of a cheat. However, if I go to the end of another world, even the helpless me can say what I wanted to say that time. Hold her little hand again and tell her the words that before it was too late: ¡¸Please don¡¯t die, stay with me forever¡­.¡¹ At that time, in that place, I will hold on to the hand that I will never be able to hold again in this world and this time, I¡¯ll never let her go. I will protect the people I care about. The other me, the one who has been cursing me so loudly, finally shuts down. For a moment, it is quiet and the outline of the curled up me on the bed floats away from the world. Tears of regret for losing something I can never get back, the pain of regret that keeps squeezing my chest for a long time. The sound of rain falling from the sky never stops. Still, I felt a little bit saved after having played a series of convenient fantasies so I clutched the ¡°wishing orb¡± and went to sleep. Soon, the harsh reality comes to an end and the harsh fantasy begins. CH 106.1 What do you imagine when you hear the word ¡°harem¡± of a wife and five concubines? You probably imagined a huge bed where all the wives could lie down and on the pure white sheets, six beautiful ladies will take turn, take turn, take turn¡­.getting wild in turn. That¡¯s what I thought too but it seems reality is a bit different. Indeed, I, Sawatari Takeru, have become a winner of life with six wives and two castles. It seems like a lie that until recently, I thought I¡¯ll be a ¡°yarahata¡±(a man who has reached the age of 18 without experiencing anything). However, my wives are not girls who¡¯ll just shut up and get holed up in the inner palace. Queen Silhouette and Princess Caroline have official duties and Lyle-sensei, having succeeded me in becoming royal, has been busy with everything from domestic affairs to diplomacy, after being promoted from a state official to a regent. Sharon, the chairman of the Sawatari Company, left since the company can¡¯t function without the chairman even though I told her before that I¡¯ll take over in due time. She also suggested that we go on a honeymoon trip around the Silesie royal territory for a visit but that would be too hard to put in our schedule. When I handed over the position of regent to sensei, I was given the mysterious position of ¡°King General¡± which oversees the entire royal army since I¡¯m only the queen¡¯s husband. Since I often talk about shogi, sensei has made me ¡°King General¡±. I can¡¯t help but laugh since sensei is telling me that she¡¯s using me as a pawn. I can say that this position is somewhere between a king and a general and it represents my current position well. However, both the knight order and the army have their own commanders and are well managed so there¡¯s nothing more for me to do even if I¡¯m called a ¡°King General¡±. I visited her office in the royal castle to ask sensei what I should do. ¡¸If you¡¯re free, why don¡¯t you go deer hunting or fox hunting as a distraction?¡¹ ¡¸No¡­¡¹ I¡¯m not a leisure noble and I don¡¯t think I will be one. The graceful play of nobles is not suitable for me who¡¯s used to poverty. Then, it was better to hunt monsters. ¡¸I think Takeru-dono should use this chance to take some rest.¡¹ ¡¸Sensei doesn¡¯t rest herself though.¡¹ Needless to say, sensei seems to be enjoying the preparation for the next war while doing some domestic affairs and diplomacy matters. The scars of the previous war are still there so we need to be at peace for the time being. To purify the poisonous plants at the wells, Ria is running around the Lauren Region with Viola. Oracle-chan is busy repairing the ¡°Oracle¡¯s Great Cave¡± which has been devastated by the siege. Only I was left alone to be popped open by my wives. I thought that I would be in a harem situation but I was disappointed. ¡¸If you are so free, why don¡¯t you perform royal duties? I think that¡¯s the best thing Takeru-dono could do right now¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean by royal duties?¡¹ Lyle-sensei looked at me a little surprised and sighed. ¡¸Are you really going to make me say that?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, so that¡¯s how it is. Sorry, I didn¡¯t know.¡¹ Looking at her closely, sensei is wearing a loose-fitting mage robe. I should have sensed this subtle girlishness earlier. I hugged her gently and put my hand on the back of her robe. ¡¸W-what are you doing?¡¹ ¡¸Areh? How do you take this robe off?¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s a part that¡¯s tied on my shoulder¡­..I mean, no!¡¹ Sensei said an unusual tsukomi. I burst into laughter unintentionally. ¡¸Whoah, since sensei is inviting me, then I¡¯ll perform my royal duty right here, right now.¡¹ ¡¸You are right and wrong! I didn¡¯t ask you to embrace me. I¡¯m telling you to perform that duty with either the queen or the princess. They are in the royal castle so why don¡¯t you invite them?¡¹ What sensei said was right. However, there¡¯s a part of me that wants to remove whatever sensei is wearing right now. I already took off about half of it and looked inside and saw an underwear. I was impressed to see that she learned how to wear a bra. ¡¸No, sensei already turned me on.¡¹ ¡¸Turned you on? No no no no, I didn¡¯t¡­.¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no difference so it¡¯s okay.¡¹ I¡¯ve finally removed the knot without ripping it off and went into Lyle-sensei¡¯s robe. Ah, Lyle-sensei is warm¡­.. ¡¸Didn¡¯t you hear about royal duties! It is to procreate!¡¹ ¡¸Then, I¡¯ll procreate with sensei.¡¹ I put my hand around sensei¡¯s bare back and unhooked her bra. Now in my hands are sensei¡¯s moderately sized tits. ¡¸No no no, I can¡¯t have a child so you¡¯ll be wasting your shot.¡¹ ¡¸Hmmm, waste shot? What do you mean by that, sensei? Can you elaborate?¡¹ Sensei overreacted with just caressing. This has become good. CH 106.2 ¡¸Are you really asking me that¡­.¡¹ I want to humiliate her but it was probably a terrible question for sensei who¡¯s still sensitive about her body. I don¡¯t need to say anything else. I held her close and sucked on her pale red lips. ¡¸Even if we won¡¯t have children, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a waste of time to do this. ¡¹ ¡¸But you have many other wives, don¡¯t you, Takeru-dono? Why did you go out of your way to me, a half-wife?¡¹ The first thing I did was to put my lips on hers again and lick her with my tongue a little bit. I caress her gently knowing that I can only continue slowly since she doesn¡¯t like anything intense for now. ¡¸I know that you don¡¯t like aggressiveness so I¡¯ll caress you gently. If you really don¡¯t have time because of work, I¡¯ll give up but if you can free up some time, I¡¯d appreciate it.¡¹ ¡¸Mou, I understand. I¡¯ll give you time but please don¡¯t do it here. We¡¯ll never know who¡¯ll come in.¡¹ ¡¸Then, let¡¯s go to the inner palace!¡¹ I wrapped the robe around sensei¡¯s body once again and dashed to the bed in the inner palace while carrying sensei in a princess carry. I have not lacked in training since I¡¯ve become a hero so I can swiftly go anywhere even when I¡¯m carrying a girl. ¡¸Ugh, if they see me like this, I won¡¯t be able to show my face to the bureaucrats again¡­.¡¹ Sensei puts her hand on her bright red cheeks. However, I wonder when did sensei start talking about reputation? Well, let¡¯s listen to her slowly in bed. -0- ¡ªScene Change¡ª -0- Lyle-sensei has been saying that she¡¯s neither a man nor a woman but a monster. However, to me, sensei is definitely feminine. It¡¯s nice to have an intelligent oneesan like Lyle-sensei. She can sense my intentions with just the smallest hint and she makes it easy for me to do it. I feel like I was the one leading though it also feels like I¡¯m the one being led. I feel my manhood grow stronger as I repeatedly ask her for more and more while sweating. Sensei was the best vessel to receive my desire without holding back. No matter how many times I drank the beautiful wine that filled me up, I still wanted to taste it again. Since I¡¯m her husband, I can drink as much as I want without worrying about anyone else. I felt happy when I thought of that. ¡¸Instead of monster, you should refer to yourself as a demoness.¡¹ ¡¸What are you even¡­.haaa¡­¡­.¡¹ Since we went up and down together many times, sensei will not be working today. It¡¯s good to take a break every once in a while and work out. That will make me enjoy the blissful afterglow too. From the soft, huge, round bed, I look up at the large gold leaf chandelier. The floor and walls are made of pale pink marble, and even the gold plated pilasters(the pillar protruding from a part of the wall), are too luxurious for me to relax here. However, once I lay down with the graceful sensei in bed like this, it feels like home. ¡¸Sensei¡¹ ¡¸No more. I¡¯ve already reached my limit.¡¹ Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m just going to kiss you. I licked the inside of her mouth as if I was tasting it and when I looked up at her, I saw saliva was running down her face. I resist the urge to do it again. Maybe it is better to stop at the point where I want to do a little more. That way, I could anticipate the next time. However, let¡¯s just let sensei¡¯s beautiful skin be rained with kisses for a little while longer. It¡¯s so nice to be buried in a sea of sheets and sleep this way. We feel like we are the only people in the world. We don¡¯t need anything else. It is indeed a good room to relax. I heard that Gale, who had staged a coup d¡¯etat, burned down most of the royal castle but left only the inner palace unburned(I heard everything inside was taken down though). This palace is said to be a small palace that was built by King Renz 240 years ago and has been repaired and used as it is. In spite of that, it doesn¡¯t look antique at all. The gold chandelier is very glittery which must be how King Renz shows off. The palace of King Renz when he was in power would not have been so quiet. It¡¯s fun to think back to the days of the heroes¡¯ palaces from long ago when many wives and concubines were mixed together and what wild revelries took place every night. ¡¸I¡¯m not trying to imitate Renz though. ¡¹ Sensei suddenly laughs in a lustrous voice as I suddenly start talking about the founding king. Perhaps she was thinking the same. ¡¸I¡¯m not sure what you are saying but if it¡¯s about Founding King Renz, I think Takeru-dono is more than capable of succeeding him. ¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m all good with Lyle-sensei. ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d hear that line from someone who married six wives at once. I¡¯m sure there will be more to come. ¡¹ Sensei made such an ominous prediction as she rested her head on my arm. ¡¸Well, it¡¯s true that I married six of you at once but there won¡¯t be more.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s okay. If Takeru-dono surpasses Hero Renze, your hegemony to rule over Silesie will be unquestioned. You are the person who I entrusted my mind and body after all. I¡¯m looking forward to seeing how much you can do.¡¹ If you expect me to do something, I¡¯ll do it as much as I can. Surpassing the achievement and harem of the hero aside, I¡¯m fine with just being with sensei right now. CH 106.3 Item Cheat 106.3 Chapter 106.3 ¨C Circumstances of a Certain Hero¡¯s Harem Oracle-chan and Ria, who both say they are my favorite, came in. ¡¸Fuh, I¡¯m so tired.¡¹ ¡¸I know what you mean. I¡¯m in trouble because I¡¯m the only one who can use purification for us. Even though it¡¯s for the war, Viola-san planted too much grass.¡¹ Lyle-sense, not wanting anyone but me to see her naked body, wrapped a sheet around her body and left the room without a sound. She probably went to the bathroom. Should I buy enough time for sensei to finish bathing? ¡¸Even so, you guys are fast.¡¹ And why do Oracle-chan and Ria get along so well? I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s too late for me to tell you this, but you should at least pay a little attention to the fact that the demons and the Asama Church are at odds with each other. ¡¸Not really. I had just finished repairing the dungeon and was about to fly home when I met Asama¡¯s little girl. I picked her up on the way. ¡¹ ¡¸The purification of the land has been completed. I had to make a lot of holy water, and it was troublesome but unavoidable. The local church will be handling the rest without me.¡¹ Ria and Oracle have meticulously cleaned up the mess we made, and I was grateful for that. ¡¸You two, thank you for your hard work.¡¹ Naturally, Ria takes off her ¡°goddess robe¡± and gets onto the bed. Oracle-chan also takes off her luxurious crimson cloak and comes up to me in her swimsuit-like underwear as if she¡¯s going to swim in a vast sea of sheets. Well, they are my wives too, so they can surely do these. However, even if you rub me that much, I can¡¯t do it anymore. ¡¸What! You¡¯ve already done it?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯m sorry, but I just need a little rest. If I rest for some time, I would be able to get it back up again.¡¹ Oracle played with my lower behind, stimulating a mysterious pressure point. I was so overworked that my imagination sword, which should have been impossible to stand up, hardened in no time. ¡¸No, Oracle, just let me rest a bit.¡¹ ¡¸Hahaha, Takeru, do you know what the super recovery theory is? The best time to start training is when men begin to say they can¡¯t do it anymore.¡¹ No no no no, wait wait. The super recovery theory was recently debunked. I believe we¡¯re talking about muscles, right? It has nothing to do with dick! When she was about to shove it(not sexually), Ria grabbed my cheek and pressed her lips on mine. There was a gurgling liquid pouring into my mouth! I helplessly drank it. ¡¸Fuhh, what did you make me drink?¡¹ ¡¸I made some spirit water and poured it into Takeru¡¯s mouth. Generally speaking, it is said to be effective in healing, but it can also energize. Even if you can no longer do it, you can recover as many times as you want.¡¹ ¡¸Are you a merlion? How can your mouth produce spirit water? What kind of sister are you! ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, I¡¯m no longer a noble sister anymore. I¡¯ve fallen into just a sinful and erotic woman because Takeru broke the template. ¡¹ Ria presses her big breasts against my chest. Regardless of my will, my body shifted into a new battle mode. ¡¸Instead of getting in each other¡¯s way, I¡¯ll let you do as you please, but you¡¯ll have to let me do it twice every time you do it. Don¡¯t forget your promise. ¡¹ ¡¸Of course, but I¡¯d like to do it first. ¡¹ What a minute, what about my will? At least consult me. ¡¸I¡¯ll take care of your energy, Takeru. I¡¯ll take care of all your energy and give you a twenty percent boost every time. ¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s finally time for us to be one! ¡¹ With a click, Ria unhooked her bra, which was holding back her overflowing flesh, signaling the start. ¡¸You guys, wait a m¡­¡­..mmmmmm!¡¹ I tried to push out, but my mouth was blocked by a kiss immediately before I could say anything. I don¡¯t remember much after that because of the squirming. Ria poured more and more spirit water down my throat to restore me and Oracle-chan¡¯s suspiciously conducive massage made me harden up as many times as she wanted. My body¡¯s no longer at my disposal as my two wives are not controlling it. I am intermittently assaulted by excruciating pain after exceeding my limit yet still soar to heaven because of pleasure. My consciousness was easily blown to the other side of the period of ups and downs from heaven and hell. The rest of the time, which seemed like an eternity, I would be sandwiched between big boobs and small boobs from back and front, tasting the very bottom of my limits until I was completely empty. As expected, I can¡¯t win against a harem¡­.. CH 107.1 Item Cheat 107.1 Chapter 107.1 ¨C Honeymoon Finally, the schedules of my six wives were met and we decided to go on our honeymoon. Even so, it was only a trip around the royal territory, which is not very big. In fact, I would have loved to travel all over the Kingdom of Silesie but the local nobles in the south are still disobedient to Queen Silhouette¡¯s royal authority. As long as I am backing her up, they won¡¯t dare show it publicly but we can never tell what they would do if we went around in a horse-drawn carriage. That might provoke them to launch a coup. Lyle-sense did say that she would eventually do something about the problem with the local noble faction. Either way, it was still too early, especially now that the scars of war with the Germania Empire had not healed yet. ¡¸It would be faster if we could fly.¡¹ Oracle-chan complains about that every time when it comes to carriage trips. But we can¡¯t satisfy her wish since only she and Kaara can use flight magic. ¡¸A leisurely carriage trip from time to time is also good.¡¹ I get into the new royal carriage. I was so excited that I could not stop myself from stepping on the carriage. The carriage was lined and fixed with springs underneath and sensei asked me about it with a serious look on her face. ¡¸Takeru-dono, was this the suspension you are talking about? I had them made because you said they would decrease vibration.¡¹ ¡¸Well, it¡¯s better than the lifting type, isn¡¯t it?¡¹ When the four-horse carriage started, everyone felt that the vibration was indeed lesser. However, I kept in mind that there is still instability in the carriage, probably due to the fact that the suspension system is different from the real suspension system. It still needs further improvement. The Kingdom of Silesie has both wood and horses which are used for carriages. The blacksmith and crafting guild that will process and build the carriage are not as advanced as those from the Duchy of Lanct but they do exist. ¡¸If we can perfect this, we can sell it as a specialty product.¡¹ ¡¸Even this doesn¡¯t pass to your standard? Takeru-dono is quite strict.¡¹ If you make a half-baked product, there¡¯s no way that it can be a specialty product. We must also consider the industrial development of Silesie. ---Scene Change--- We will go around the towns and villages of the royal territory to appeal for the inauguration of the new queen. After all, the more rural the area is, the less they know the new queen. I was surprised to find that everyone knew about me, the hero of Silesie. It seems that the commoners are not so interested in kings and nobles but they like to hear stories about the hero. The story of Sawatari Takeru, a farmer who became a hero, married the queen, and rose to the position of king(a rumor spread by Sara-chan that has spread throughout the kingdom), was well received by the peasants so I was welcomed with open arms in every village. ¡¸You are very popular.¡¹ Silhouette laughed at me when she saw a farmer¡¯s child, holding a wooden sword, following our carriage forever. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. I seem to be the only one who stands out.¡¹ ¡¸No no, this lady is proud as your wife.¡¹ ¡¸Takeru-dono being very popular in farming villages made it very convenient to gather volunteer soldiers.¡¹ Sensei seemed to be thinking about this as she looked around the farming village. ¡¸Are you still gathering soldiers?¡¹ ¡¸The south part of the Kingdom of Silesie is still in a state of trouble and we need soldiers to keep it under control. Also, the coalition of duchy headed by Lanct has separated from Germania Empire and is relying on the kingdom.¡¹ Rather than training knights and soldiers who are hardened by old tactics, a simple volunteer peasant soldier is easier to train on using guns and cannons. The system of volunteer soldiers initiated by the Kingdom of Silesie may change the common sense of warfare in the future. ¡¸Sensei, we¡¯re on our honeymoon so let¡¯s not talk about work.¡¹ ¡¸My apologies. So, what should I do then?¡¹ What should you do? The best way to soften her head is through skinship. I can attack sensei right away but later, I have to attack the rest of my wives equally which makes things difficult. It¡¯s pretty challenging to maintain equality in a harem. CH 107.2 Item Cheat 107.2 Chapter 107.2 ¨C Honeymoon From inland, we are now looking around the seaside but the coast of the royal territory is nothing but a sparsely populated cold village on a bleak landscape. The sheer cliffs, the waves rolling backward under the cliffs, and the vast ocean that stretches beyond the cape. When I finally saw the coastline, it was not the sandy beach I was looking forward to but a gravel beach full of big stones. In fishing villages by the sea, it seems like they can barely make a living in their small boats. Compared to the inland areas of the royal territory, where wheat is plentiful, crops are abundant and grapes are used to produce wine, the fishing villages are all poor and sparsely populated. It was a desolate landscape but I was in a good mood as I smelled the sea breeze for the first time after a long time. For some reason, just looking at the sea made me feel very nostalgic. This sea is what connects this world. Aside from the other girls, Sharon had never seen the ocean since she was born and she was really amazed. Of course, Oracle-chan, who had recently come out of the dungeon, had also never seen the ocean and was surprised to see a ¡°big puddle¡± but that¡¯s too far fetched. They don''t even know that the ocean water is salty. They also don¡¯t know why it is salty. Even the erudite Lyle-sensei wouldn¡¯t know. While playing on the beach, sensei, whose robe fluttered in the sea breeze, approached me. Her gaze was not on the sea in front of us but on the horizon. ¡¸What do you think of the sea of the royal territory, Takeru-dono?¡¹ ¡¸I think the seaweed looks delicious.¡¹ The first time I went down on the beach, I picked up some seaweed that had washed up on the beach and thought to myself, ¡°This is edible¡±. ¡¸You¡¯re planning to eat something like this!¡¹ Sensei is surprised. ¡¸Ah, right. Only Japanese would eat it.¡¹ ¡¸No, I heard that some people in the fishing villages of Britanian Union eat them. Is Takeru-dono from a fishing village?¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m not. If you don¡¯t eat this as a seaweed salad, what do you use this for?¡¹ ¡¸They are sometimes dried and used as a fertilizer for the field but the transportation cost must be considered first. It¡¯s basically not used for anything.¡¹ ¡¸I just remembered that seaweed ashes are supposed to be better for making soap than wood ashes.¡¹ I wasn¡¯t able to recall until now since I¡¯ve never come to the sea. Also, I only heard about it somewhere. ¡¸Is that so¡­.given that there are a lot of areas available for soap production by the sea, this can be considered a secret manufacturing method. As expected of Takeru-dono. Let¡¯s try that. Let¡¯s make soap production a source of income for the poor cold villages.¡¹ Of course, the Sawatari Company would be firmly involved in the industrial development stage. I glanced at Sharon and she nodded as if she already knew what to do. That¡¯s very encouraging. ¡¸I know this is off topic but, what do you think of the sea, Takeru-dono?¡¹ ¡¸Well, it¡¯s poor.¡¹ When sensei heard my reply, she laughed. ¡¸Right! The royal territory of the Kingdom of Silesie has no good harbor so we can only use small boats, in other words, we have no navy. ¡¹ ¡¸I see. I never felt the need of going to the sea though.¡¹ ¡¸I supposed that is true until now. However, from now on, shipping business will also become important. Because of that, we need to have a navy.¡¹ From what I heard, the current Silesie Navy is composed of two vintage merchant ships called cogs, which are 30 meters long and 8 meters wide with a gross weight of 100 tons. The royal family uses them to visit countries by the sea for diplomatic purposes. In addition, they are anchored in the City of Nantes, a port city which is part of the south noble¡¯s territory. ¡¸The Duchy of Transylvania has a good port so we might as well move it there for the time being.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Then, let¡¯s do that.¡¹ We decided to take advantage of Caroline¡¯s kindness. The dukedom is a small country but it is a well-developed country that actively goes out to the open sea and trades with the Britanian Union. Also, given the current situation of the Kingdom of Silesie, we can trust a neighboring county with blood ties with us compared to the rebellious local nobles from the same country. ¡¸I understand what you are saying. You want us to put budget for the ships and naval projects as well.¡¹ In fact, there is a dispute over how to spend the reparation money taken from Germania. Sensei is telling us to direct it all to building military and domestic capital improvement. However, Sherry, who wants to acquire Germania¡¯s businesses, which had reached rock bottom, is forcefully against it. It¡¯s the difference between an investment-type plan and a speculative type plan. A clash between two big brain cheats. Sherry has recently gained confidence in her own analysis and has begun to argue even with Lyle-sensei and Prime Minister Nicola, who formally holds the key to the treasury, sides with Sherry, perhaps because he wants to oppose Lyle-sensei. Because of that, the budget planning discussion has become complicated, given that emotional issues get mixed in. The queen doesn¡¯t meddle in things she doesn¡¯t understand so in the end, she pushed it all to me. However, I believe in both Sherry and Lyle-sensei. CH 107.3 Item Cheat 107.3 Chapter 107.3 ¨C Honeymoon This is pretty hard. Well, I¡¯m trying to work out a compromise. Looking at my face, sensei continued. ¡¸I wanted you to know the current situation of the Kingdom of Silesie. For now, we may rent a port in the duchy but if we want to have a good port in our own country, we will have to subjugate the nobles of the south and put them under the royal power. Only then we can acquire the City of Nantes.¡¹ Sensei¡¯s ambition is directed toward the sea. However, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not limited to the territory of the noisy local nobles of the south. I know it well. This is the reason she brought me to the sea on our honeymoon. ¡¸Across the border of the territory of the south nobles, is the Kingdom of Castilla which has an invincible fleet. It¡¯s not good for our country since they are hostile towards the Britanian Union over the interests of the open sea. We also have to keep in mind the cases where we can attack from the sea.¡¹ The name of a new country was mentioned and the location on the map pointed out by sense was a peninsula jutting out into the open sea beyond the territory of the south nobles. In my world, that is Spain. Right, I¡¯ve heard of the invincible armada in history class. ¡¸Well, I guess it¡¯s great that we almost have no shipping business.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? What do you mean?¡¹ Sensei, who has been excitedly talking about diplomacy, explains with a sigh. ¡¸In countries where shipping is thriving, pirates will surely show up so we don¡¯t have to worry about them for now.¡¹ ¡¸There are pirates?¡¹ The thieves even built a thieves guild so I shouldn¡¯t be surprised if there is a pirate guild too. I¡¯m getting more interested in them now. ¡¸There are pirates in the sea north of here. Their stronghold must be in ports that are out of reach of the control of the Britanian Union or the countries that made up Germania Empire. From there, they would launch pirate ships to attack merchant ships.¡¹ He told me that there are also such things as private ships that attack enemy countries for the benefit of the country. Just as thieves sometimes participate in wars as mercenaries, pirates sometimes act as mercenaries of the sea to supplement a navy. ¡¸If that is the case, once you capture the pirates and bring them under your control, you can also make a navy with them.¡¹ ¡¸If you can actually do that, every country would have done it already.¡¹ Sensei only knows book knowledge and doesn¡¯t seem to know the essence of the operation of a navy that much. Well, I¡¯m an amateur myself. I guess I¡¯ll just keep that idea for now until the time we need a navy. ¡¸Well, since we¡¯re here, let¡¯s have some fun by stone skipping.¡¹ ¡¸Stone skipping?¡¹ I picked up the flattest stone I could find and threw it horizontally. The stone bounces on the surface of the sea along with the sound of water flying with every bounce. The stone I threw managed to jump ten times given my amplified power. ¡¸That¡¯s amazing. I¡¯ve never seen such a game before but I can¡¯t do it well.¡¹ ¡¸The sea has waves so this is originally played in rivers or lakes.¡¹ Sensei tried to imitate me but she could only make the stone jump once or twice. When Silhouette and Caroline tried it, it didn¡¯t work either. Sharon and Ria, whose arm strength was well trained, were able to make the rock jump three times against the waves when they threw them as hard as they could. Finally, when Oracle-chan threw the stone horizontally, it made a shrieking sound and flew horizontally to a considerable distance without touching the sea once. It disappeared in the end. I wonder how her tiny body can do such a feat. ¡¸Well, I guess I¡¯m the winner.¡¹ ¡¸No, this is not a game where you send the rock flying as far as possible.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, so we¡¯re not playing on who can throw rocks the furthest?¡¹ Oracle-chan¡¯s twin tail sways along with the sea breeze as she looks at me provocatively. Hou¡­.. ¡¸Alright, then I¡¯m going to get serious.¡¹ I picked up a slightly wide stone for stability and threw it with all my might. Throw! I¡¯m a hero. I used a little too much force and the trajectory was a little off but I was able to get through with brute force. If I give it my all, I can make it fly as far as Oracle¡¯s rock. ¡¸Hohou, then, I¡¯ll do it this way!¡¹ Oracle-chan chanted and threw and the waves partially subsided. The stone she threw dashed through the surface of the calm water. I can¡¯t use magic but using magic to manipulate sea waves is pretty cool. And she knows exactly what it means to play with stones, doesn¡¯t she? ¡¸Alright, if that¡¯s what Oracle wants then, let¡¯s get it on!¡¹ ¡¸Are you kids¡­..¡¹ I came back to my senses when sensei said that. Well, it¡¯s a children¡¯s game. CH 107.4 Item Cheat 107.4 Chapter 107.4 ¨C Honeymoon After playing in the sea and being pleasantly tired, we decided to stay in the fishing village for the night. Since there was no place to stay, we set up a big tent and camped. This would only be for a day after all. We tried fishing but we caught nothing but seaweed so we bought some fish at the fishing village. There were cod, flounder, mackerel, and other familiar fishes, as well as small crabs, shrimp, and mussels. For a poor village, there seemed to be an abundance of fish and shellfish. They are fresh and delicious whether they are grilled or boiled. One of the more unusual items was an anglerfish. I must try an anglerfish hot pot. It¡¯s a pity that there¡¯s no miso or soy sauce but there¡¯s fish sauce so we¡¯ll just use it. I was told by a fisherman that if you want to cook it into a hot pot, I shouldn¡¯t just simply boil it but take out the liver and fry it first. The liver oil will make the soup thicker and richer. The dishes we made were generally well-received but no one ate the seaweed salad I made. However, only Louise, an adventurer born in Silesie, tried it. ¡¸My lord, this is tasteless. This is neither good nor bad.¡¹ ¡¸Well, how about seasoning it with vinegar and salt?¡¹ I guess it won¡¯t be any good if there¡¯s no seasoning. Well, it¡¯s not going to be eaten unless it is seasoned. The fishermen peered at us as we were seasoning the seaweed, which was supposed to be inedible. ¡¸It looks like they were shocked when they saw us eating fish.¡¹ ¡¸My lord, seaweed is not a fish.¡¹ That¡¯s a poor tsukomi in this poor village. Louise doesn¡¯t have a dere side after all. ---Scene Change--- We went to bed in a big waterproof tent although I didn¡¯t think it would rain. I would not do anything stupid like putting on the emblem of the Kingdom of Silesie but it was indeed a tent made for the royal family. Inside was a velvet carpet and we slept on it wrapped in warm blankets. ¡¸Hmm, so fragrant.¡¹ ¡¸Takeru, what are you doing? Hurry up.¡¹ Oracle-chan invites me. The inside of the tent was filled with a sweet fragrance but it was not because of perfume. It was the scent of six ladies. When I crawled into the tent, it was warm enough without the need of heating. I can sleep in the warmth and scent of fresh ladies. There is no tent more luxurious than this in the world. ¡¸This is not fair. Oracle-san is the only one getting hugged.¡¹ Ria is murmuring in dissatisfaction at the end of the room. Oracle heard her and laughed hysterically. ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped. Takeru can¡¯t sleep without using me as his hug pillow.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I won¡¯t deny that.¡¹ It had become a habit before I knew it. Oracle-chan has grown up a little again and although she is becoming a little too big for a hug pillow, I still can do so. ¡¸Well, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re tired from all the fun you had at sea so let¡¯s sleep peacefully today.¡¹ ¡¸Well, Takeru says so but I don¡¯t think we can stay quiet today.¡¹ Oracle whispers to me, ¡°Let¡¯s calm you down first before sleeping¡±. Finally, Ria snaps and leaps toward me. Ria¡¯s big breasts are weapons so they hurt if they hit hard. ¡¸Ah, you¡¯re only head over heels to Oracle-san!¡¹ ¡¸Bottom rank little girl, please stop your nonsense.¡¹ No, no, no, Oracle-chan isn¡¯t that high in the bedroom ranking either. Can¡¯t you just let me sleep peacefully today? Incidentally, my imagination sword couldn¡¯t calm down after being wrapped by the smell of girls and was subdued by Caroline, who silently lay next to me before I knew it while Ria and Oracle were fighting. CH 108.1 Item Cheat 108.1 Chapter 108.1 ¨C Privilege of a Lawful Wife Only once a week, the two of us should lie in a bed alone together. That was all that Silhouette demanded as a privilege of being my lawful wife. Though she had mended her negativity a lot during the days when she was striving to fulfill her duties as a queen. I think this modest queen is as modest as her chest. As I looked up at the gorgeous gilded chandelier, Silhouette came in after taking a bath. She¡¯s a sixteen-year-old girl who¡¯s shiny, strawberry blonde hair is freed by the crown and hands not holding scepter. She¡¯s no longer hiding her slightly pointed ears which is a sign of her elven blood. When she took off her thin silk robe, her skin, which is like white porcelain, was in full view. ¡¸Is this lady being too vulgar? I came here in such a hurry so I didn¡¯t have time to put on a new pair of underwear.¡¹ ¡¸No, Silhouette is a queen so you can do whatever you like.¡¹ I spread my hands wide and embraced this girl who quickly strips off her clothes. A flat-chested half-elf queen. She¡¯s a fantasy heroine and a perfect bride. ¡¸Fufufu, then, Sawatari Takeru. This lady orders you to entertain me.¡¹ ¡¸With pleasure¡¹ I kissed her lips, which were as pretty as cherry blossoms. Our tongues intertwined. I was a little nervous at first but I¡¯ve gotten used to kissing Silhouette. ¡¸Hmmm¡¹ I put my hands behind her and gently stroked her strawberry blonde hair. I kissed her hair, sniffed it, and it was sweet and sour and strangely nostalgic. ¡¸You¡¯re cute, Silhouette.¡¹ ¡¸Takeru is cool desu yo.¡¹ I don¡¯t know why but I feel like this already happened a long time ago. Just hugging her tightly and making skin-to-skin contact brought tears to my eyes as soon as I felt Silhouette¡¯s heartbeat. Just feeling her alive makes me very happy. It was the same for Silhouette, whose sapphire-blue eyes were moist. I lick the tears that run down her cheeks. Silhouette''s tears taste a little salty which I find delicious. For a while, the only sound that can be heard is the rustling of cloth as I hug Silhouette and kiss her slender neck, shoulders, and chest. Thinking back, how lonely would the world be if she¡¯s not here? I looked at her and felt that the world had become colorful and I could breathe easily as I breathed the same air as her. I never want to let her go again. I want to stay like this forever. When I think so, I¡¯ve held her too tight. When I became a hero, I became so strong. My Silhouette is very delicate in comparison. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. I hurt you.¡¹ ¡¸No, I don¡¯t mind tighter. This lady is happy just to be with you.¡¹ She was smiling innocently in my arms. It¡¯s a good thing, isn¡¯t it? No, I have to confess here that after all this time, I still haven¡¯t done it with Silhouette. To my surprise, Silhouette didn¡¯t know how to make a baby. Silhouette, who is now a queen, was originally a concubine¡¯s daughter who was locked away in the back of the castle for dead. She lacks knowledge about a lot of things. That¡¯s the reason why Ria always makes fun of her. ¡¸Oink oink¡¹ ¡¸Silhouette, what are you doing¡­¡¹ ¡¸I heard from saintess-sama that pigs have easy childbirth so if we rub our crotch while imitating how a pig squeals, it will be easier to make a baby, oink oink oink¡¹ ¡¸Again¡¹ I mean, well¡­.playing piglet made me feel a little excited so she¡¯s not totally wrong but the things she teaches her are too bad. I¡¯ll have to spank her again. ¡¸Haa, it kind of feel it while I¡¯m rubbing it against you. I bet we could finally make a baby, Takeru.¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s good news.¡¹ My thighs are not reproductive organs so I don¡¯t think we will but I¡¯ll let her do whatever she wants. Silhouette is long over sixteen and her seventeenth birthday is coming up. According to the ethics of my world, she¡¯s already okay to procreate. Well, she¡¯s already married after all. ¡¸Ah, I forgot, oink oink¡­.ooiiinnnkkkkk¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, yeah, you¡¯re cute, Silhouette.¡¹ She looks happy when I stroke her hair. Age is only a guide so I¡¯d like to wait a little longer before making Silhouette bloom. The most important thing to keep in mind is that no matter how incredible the healing magic in this world is, childbirth burdens a mother¡¯s body a lot. Oracle-chan is also important to me, but she¡¯s the complete opposite of Silhouette. Silhouette is not an existence polluted by desire. Well, I can only caress and kiss her for now so let¡¯s do it a lot. CH 108.2 Item Cheat 108.2 Chapter 108.2 ¨C Privilege of a Lawful Wife After doing that for a while, Silhouette fell asleep when she¡¯s satisfied. I was thinking how lucky I am to have such a lovely wife and while I was looking at her cute sleeping face for a while, I felt a jolt of electricity run through my body. ¡¸You surprised me.¡¹ ¡¸Sorry.¡¹ It was Caroline who poked my spine with her thin fingertips Before I knew it, she had crawled into the bed with me. She whispered to my ears probably so as not to wake Silhouette. I told her today was a Silhouette-only day. I replied with a stiff voice though I did not turn around. I don¡¯t want to wake Silhouette who¡¯s already sleeping comfortably. ¡¸Caroline, what can I do for you?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. I was wondering if you could pity me a little.¡¹ I¡¯m sure Ria didn¡¯t have time to teach her anything funny but Caroline, who is a good friend of Silhouette, could have been told about what she learned. She, who doesn¡¯t do it, can¡¯t be convicted of a crime. I thought she was a quiet and serious girl but I was terribly wrong. She was only hesitant at first but when we crossed the line, I even learned its color as it soaks into a carpet. ¡¸Did you wear naughty underwear again?¡¹ ¡¸Didn¡¯t you like this kind of thing?¡¹ Caroline has an ample bosom too, though not as big as Ria. She¡¯s also very elastic probably due to youth. When she pressed them against my back, I felt the protrusion from the tips of those things. Isn¡¯t she supposed to be wearing underwear? Perhaps she¡¯s wearing something that was specially made for sexy time. That also means that Caroline is in her full combat mode. She¡¯s probably been hiding in her room while watching Silhouette and me in action and sneaked off after she thought she could get some action. Caroline¡¯s aggressiveness surprised me. Who would believe that this was the innocent princess who would have been so upset at me seeing her naked body just a few days ago? ¡¸No, I don¡¯t.¡¹ ¡¸Lie desu. Look at how big you are.¡¹ Just the touch of her slender finger made me feel so good. I¡¯d like to say that I was aroused by Silhouette but the truth is, it¡¯s because of Caroline¡¯s touch. Is this a man¡¯s true nature? No matter what you do, you can¡¯t win. ¡¸Hmmm, that¡¯s not it.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it is. However, I won¡¯t do anything unless you ask for it. When you want to do it, just let me know.¡¹ She wants my child. She¡¯s worried about being away from her homeland for too long but when she returns home to the Duchy of Transylvania, she would want the next duke or duchess already in her womb. She thinks that this is the best choice for the duchy. Perhaps it¡¯s good to say that she¡¯s aiming for these two birds with one stone. Caroline was a serious girl after all. If such a girl earnestly, single-mindedly, and hard workingly sought a man, she would end up like this. I was the only one who could do this to her and as a man, I had to take responsibility. ¡¸All right, if you¡¯re satisfied, you can go back.¡¹ ¡¸Haa---are you sure you¡¯re just going to send me back like this?¡¹ The bewitching eyes behind the glasses were wet and tormented. Caroline blew her sweet breath on me. Her shoulders are shaking as if she can¡¯t stand it any longer. Caroline, who has become a total slut, is extremely excited and even sneaks onto my bed to have an affair even though my lawful wife is just beside me. And it¡¯s not like she¡¯s doing this because she dislikes Silhouette. She¡¯s her best friend after all. That¡¯s probably why she¡¯s so excited. She wants to violate a taboo, she wants to do something immoral, she¡¯s losing herself to pleasure. And I have to admit, I¡¯m excited too. Caroline is also my wife so it¡¯s neither an affair nor cheating but I can¡¯t help but feel sorry. I felt like I¡¯m betraying my beloved Silhouette for pleasure. However, I can no longer help it. She¡¯s irresistible. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, Silhouette.¡¹ ¡¸Now, say my name.¡¹ ¡¸Caroline, you are¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I love you.¡¹ I thought about saying something but when I opened my mouth, nothing but words of love came out. I lost my patience and kissed her on her lips, using the lips that I had just used to kiss Silhouette a lot earlier, and wrapped her sweet-smelling flaxen hair with my arms. Not even a hero could win against the charm of a harem and it was impossible for me to think of winning. CH 109.1 Item Cheat 109.1 Chapter 109.1 ¨C Sharon¡¯s Turn ¡¸The Sawatari Company¡¯s business has expanded, hasn¡¯t it?¡¹ ¡¸It is all due to master¡¯s virtues. ¡¹ Sharon, wearing a red apron dress, was saying that while her orange dog ears are shaking but I know it is 99% thanks to her. I¡¯m reading Sharon¡¯s report on the coffee table in the inner palace since Lyle-sensei has taken my office in the royal castle. Sharron and Sherry¡¯s accounting books and reports on income and expenditure give me a headache but I can easily understand them thanks to the help of a map. Recently, they have even started arranging their reports in a way that is easy for me to understand. It is interesting to look at a document that gives me a bird¡¯s eye view. What began as a soap and gunpowder business in the City of Est has spread throughout the Lauren region. It started from the Ambazak barony, then, the west of the royal territory, north to the Duchy of Transylvania, and from there, up the Tsurube river to the Duke¡¯s Alliance centering on the Duchy of Lanct. The products handled by the company are not only soap and gunpowder but also the newly made binoculars and chess boards which are selling well. We also deal with dairy products, grains, wine, rock salt, fish, monster meat, leather goods, cotton fabrics, cotton, woolen fabrics, silk fabrics, velvet, gold, silver, jewelry, magic jewelry, magic tools, iron products, copper products, wood, ceramics, tea, coffee and more. The list seems endless but it covers most of the goods that can be handled by non-slaves ranging from daily necessities to luxury items. As for how, this is because the Sawatari Company has acquired a lot of professional guilds and companies in the country and has repeatedly absorbed and merged them. The Duchy of Transylvania and the Duchy of Lanct, which left the Germania Empire, are now protected states of the Kingdom of Silesie. Given that there was a treaty in the name of protection, we have established branches in those places and actively conduct business. The Duchy of Lanct is indeed a technologically advanced country and although it doesn¡¯t have a complete monopoly like the City of Ox, it is doing well enough to compete with superior opponents and compete for a share. The flow of money is also the flow of culture and technology. The flow of goods and people from the former imperial territories seems to have given the new impetus to the conservative Kingdom of Silesie, which was stuck in old customs. There are a lot to learn from business rivals. ¡¸So, when will Sharon finally have some free time?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m having a bit of trouble finding someone that can replace Sherry after she was pulled away to help with national projects but I¡¯ve already completed the logistics plan.¡¹ ¡¸Right. Sherry¡¯s having fun with handling the money of the state. Sensei even complained that she was spending too much money on the acquisition at the imperial capital.¡¹ ¡¸I heard about it too.¡¹ Sharon and I looked at each other and smiled wryly. The bigger the amount of money she handles, the more excited she is. Even Lyle-sense has recently become unable to handle Sherry¡¯s too OP talent(cheat). When it comes to economics, Sherry¡¯s predictions often hit the nail on the head, making it difficult for sensei to argue with her. She¡¯s bluer than indigo. The logistics of the company and the logistics of the volunteer corps are not being neglected though. There is a great war of succession engulfing the imperial territories after all. Unfortunately, that means no one¡¯s doing her normal work. However, I would still let Sherry concentrate on the job that only she can do. ¡¸By the way, that apron dress.¡¹ ¡¸It no longer fits me so I sewed it again. This is the first clothes master made me wear.¡¹ I was going to say the skirt is too short however, it looks like there¡¯s not really enough fabric. It¡¯s just like the clothes the maids of Marquis Danavan wear. Not that it was particularly my taste but it was all I had and before long, it became the slave girl¡¯s uniform. After growing up, she began to wear decent dresses as she¡¯s the representative of the company so it has been a while since I¡¯ve seen her wear her cute apron dress. She has totally become the slave girl¡¯s oneesan. ¡¸It looks like you¡¯re not just here to report about business.¡¹ After the wedding, Sharon has stayed away from the inner palace and has been working outside. Unlike my other wives, Sharon was the one who proposed to me so when we got married, I thought she¡¯ll be the one who¡¯ll make the first move but apparently, I was wrong. ¡¸I¡¯m already content with the fact that master has married me. I feel it would be too extravagant to ask for more and I¡¯m afraid that once I do, I won¡¯t be able to get any work done.¡¹ ¡¸I see.¡¹ Sharon looks depressed as she holds the hem of her short apron dress. Her dog ears, which are usually standing up, are drooping. She knows what to say. As expected, Sharon knows me well. I tossed the papers out of the way and hugged Sharon¡¯s soft body as she stood there. ¡¸From what I remember, you always wanted to be held by me. Can I take that you¡¯re wearing that apron dress to induce me to hug you like before?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that is my wish.¡¹ Sharon¡¯s dog ears stand up. The way Sharon invites me is good. When she comes to the inner palace by herself, her ears are usually drooping. Given her reaction now, it looks like I have no choice. Formality is essential in this kind of thing and I¡¯m a man who knows when to stand up. As a man, I must make Sharon happy. ¡¸I¡¯m such a lucky person.¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m luckier.¡¹ It was hard to put that apron dress on but it looked like I would take it off soon. I kissed Sharron, held her hips, and invited her to the big bed. CH 109.2 Item Cheat 109.2 Chapter 109.2 ¨C Sharon¡¯s Turn Well, here¡¯s what was going on. I pulled off Sharon¡¯s cotton underwear and gazed intently at the part of her body I wanted to see the most. The part of Sharon¡¯s body that I wanted to see most. Is her tail like no other. ¡¸This is very embarrassing part to look at so please don¡¯t look at it too much.¡¹ ¡¸That will be a little tricky.¡¹ I had been curious about this part all this time but I couldn¡¯t ask her to show it to me so I was in agony. Sharon is now my wife and I can strip her naked and observe her tail without anyone bothering. Sharon is a quarter dog beastkin. She had dog ears and a little bit of orange hair on her back. And a small tail that wags at her tailbone. When I touched her a little, her body jumped. ¡¸You¡¯re sensitive, aren¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m a little sensitive but thinking that it was master who¡¯s touching me, my sensitivity shot up the roof.¡¹ I rubbed it gently. Compared to her moist and glossy hair, it is dry but still comfortable to touch. Are beastkin tails like this? ¡¸Could you rub a bit harder at the root of my tail?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah but, why are you requesting so?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s hard to explain but it¡¯s a mating switch for beastkins. That¡¯s why we are embarrassed to show our tails and the beastkin woman will never let you touch her tail unless you already have her heart.¡¹ ¡¸I see. So this is that spot.¡¹ Humans are in heat all the time. In comparison, beastkins only procreate during their mating season. And the beastkins seemed to have an unusual mating system. My desire to touch Sharon¡¯s tail accidentally hit the switch. Sharon reacted given her switch was turned on. ¡¸Since it has come to this, we can no longer stop.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind continuing but, this is your first time, right?¡¹ She has never done it with anyone so of course this is her first time. After all, Sharon is still young even if she has grown up rapidly. It takes time to get used to. ¡¸It may hurt but as long as master enjoys, I don¡¯t mind being violently hurt. I have outwitted the slave girls so I would feel bad if I don¡¯t at least get punished like that.¡¹ Sharron said so while breathing heavily. ¡¸I heard stories about the heroes of this world but I¡¯m not going to dabble with the slave girls other than you. I don¡¯t want to become a devil.¡¹ ¡¸But, is it okay for me to be the only one who¡¯ll be happy?¡¹ Sharon doesn¡¯t want to back out from being punished. I sucked Sharon¡¯s tail and licked it around. ¡¸Ahhhhh, what are you doing?¡¹ ¡¸What am I doing? Giving Sharon the punishment you want.¡¹ ¡¸Master, stop that. It¡¯s dirty so don¡¯t lick it!¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no way Sharon¡¯s tail can be dirty.¡¹ ¡¸Hyaaaaaaaa!¡¹ I licked and sucked Sharon¡¯s sensitive tail until she screamed as if she was in agony. She probably won¡¯t have time to feel pain. ---Scene Change--- ¡¸Haaaa, I¡¯m so happy. Now, I¡®m officially master¡¯s wife, aren¡¯t I?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, of course, you are. I apologize that you¡¯re the last one.¡¹ In the ranks of the inner palace, Sharon should be at least above the lowest Ria. I already feel helpless even though I haven¡¯t done it fully with my lawful wife, Silhouette. ¡¸No, don¡¯t say that¡­.you shouldn¡¯t demean yourself. I am not even honorable enough to be ashamed for being master¡¯s wife.¡¹ Sharon, who has an ecstatic look on her face, looks at me with her amber eyes as if she has realized something. As expected, Sharon¡¯s a smart woman. ¡¸Sharon, you¡¯re a wise wife who understands me without the need of telling you. You are not just a slave girl nor a company president. You are a member of the royal family. You can be greedy enough with given your social standing.¡¹ ¡¸Then, may I be more greedy with you more? ¡¹ ¡¸Of course, I¡¯ll do it with you whenever you¡¯re available but not now. Not until the pain is gone.¡¹ If she used a healing potion to relieve her pain after the deed was done, that membrane would fix itself again. Healing magic will do the same. Magic is not omnipotent and is often better to leave the healing to nature. ¡¸Then, hug me a lot instead. ¡¹ ¡¸Of course, you¡¯re a good girl, Sharon.¡¹ I kissed Sharon gently and gave her lots of hugs. ¡¸Well, I hope I can. ¡¹ ¡¸Hnn? ¡¹ ¡¸I hope to bear master¡¯s child. ¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not going to happen right away, right? ¡¹ No, is that even possible? I don¡¯t know much about the beastkin¡¯s biology but we¡¯re in a fantasy world so there¡¯s a possibility that we already made one! ¡­.I can¡¯t believe it. No, at least I should try thinking logically. If beastkins can immediately bear a child just like this, the world should already be full of beastkins. They should be the same as humans and if there¡¯s a difference, perhaps it would only be to the extent that they would be able to give birth easily. If there is something completely different, sensei should have told me already. The fact that she didn¡¯t means there¡¯s not much difference. ¡¸I know but I want to hope for the best. ¡¹ ¡¸So, Sharon likes children? ¡¹ I think yes, because she can do housework, sew, and as the oneesan, she often takes care of the slave girls. Well, if she¡¯s probably the type that likes taking care of children. She¡¯s not only a smart wife but also a smart mother. She¡¯s an ideal wife. ¡¸I like them. Just having the thought of bearing master¡¯s children is enough to make me debauched. ¡¹ ¡¸Then, be debauched as much as you like. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll eventually have one. I like the idea of having one branch of the company to our child when the time comes.¡¹ Sharon looked at me with a passionate look on her face. ¡¸Then, let¡¯s do our best and build branches in cities around the world. ¡¹ ¡¸Well, yeah, let¡¯s do our best¡­. ¡¹ Sharon¡¯s amber eyes are sparkling. I won¡¯t ask how many children you want. This is probably a bedtime story joke¡­.. You¡¯re joking, right? CH 110.1 Item Cheat 110.1 Chapter 110.1 ¨C The Guardian Knight Who Lost His Lord While I was in the mood for my harem, a messenger came from Northmark, the imperial capital of Germania. I thought it was about time for one to come. There¡¯s no way this harsh fantasy world would let heroes be at ease, is there? However, it was unexpected that the one who came was from Germania. I had thought that the next trouble would be related to the local nobles in the south. I decided to invite the guest to the audience of the royal castle to talk. Queen Silhouette is sitting next to me and I am sitting on the throne. It is gilded and ornately decorated but to be honest, it¡¯s not very comfortable to sit on. ¡¸It¡¯s been a long time. I was indebted to you last time.¡¹ ¡¸Guardian Knight, Herman Salzhorn. It¡¯s not really that long.¡¹ To be precise, I should say that he was the former guardian knight of the late Crown Prince Freed. He is a big knight with a rocky build and a square-type hairstyle. The ¡°iron wall¡± title of Herman is still recognized by everyone but I believe the City of Northmark has already fallen to the hands of rebels. Then, I guess he can be considered as an exiled knight. If he was a freelancer, I would scout for him since he¡¯s capable of going toe to toe with Louise, who¡¯s a user of the orichalcum greatsword. ¡¸Silesie¡¯s Hero-sama seems to have successfully become the king, I am very pleased.¡¹ ¡¸Ironwall Herman, let us stop the formalities and start talking about your purpose.¡¹ ¡¸I am here on behalf of his majesty, Emperor Conrad.¡¹ ¡¸Is His Majesty Conrad Safe? I heard that the imperial castle had fallen.¡¹ I have been told many times that the Germania Empire has been divided into four parts and a coup d¡¯etat is taking place in the imperial capital. The fact that a messenger from the old emperor has come means he has safely escaped somewhere. Although I have already fought with Freed, I have no grudge against his father, Emperor Conrad. I heard that Emperor Conrad was a splendid hero that deserves to be called a hero. I¡¯m kind of sympathetic since I heard that the old man has a reckless son. ¡¸No, his majesty has been captured by traitors and is now a prisoner in the depths of the imperial castle. But before discussing anything further, his majesty asked me to give this to Silesie¡¯s Hero-sama.¡¹ Herman opens a large wooden box he carried on his back and holds something out in front of me. I see. It¡¯s the ¡°orichalcum armor¡± that Freed used. ¡¸It seems to have been beautifully restored. However, the cuirass is missing.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. It was taken away by thieves and it was impossible to get it back.¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll take this favor. By the way, I wonder if there is something you want me to do now that you¡¯ve given me this armor as a gift. For example, is it taking the Germania Empire¡¯s side?¡¹ ¡¸No, nothing of that sort! The suppression of the rebels will be carried out by the subjects of the Germania empire. This is a sign of his majesty¡¯s apology.¡¹ ¡¸I see, an apology¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Well, as an individual, I would like to request Silesie¡¯s Hero-sama to rescue his majesty even if I had to rub my forehead against the floor. His Majesty has given me direct order to not cause you any more trouble but I have to do this as an individual.¡¹ Despite his old age, Emperor Conrad seems to be an honorable man. The ¡°orichalcum armor¡±, which is the only one existing in this world, could be a tool for an exchange for some kind of help. At the very least, it is a tool that could be worth a lot of money if sold. Even I won¡¯t give it away for free. Even if he¡¯s in a tight situation where he is being held captive, he still prioritizes apologizing for his son¡¯s misbehavior. That is the kind of man he is. If he is someone with a terrible personality, that means he¡¯s pretty clever. Please accept my apology but I don¡¯t need your help. I feel like the old emperor is testing me. This makes me want to help him even if he tells me not to help him. ¡¸I understand, Hermann Salzhorn. Wait here for a while. We¡¯re just going to have a small discussion.¡¹ ¡¸No, I must return to his majesty¡¯s side since my task has been completed.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll send someone who can use flight magic to help you so it will be faster. I won¡¯t make things worse so just wait for a while.¡¹ I let Herman wait and went to confer with sensei at the antechamber next to the audience hall. ¡¸¡­.so, I would like to help the old emperor. What do you think, sensei?¡¹ ¡¸Well, there¡¯s one thing I can tell you, we can¡¯t send out our troops. ¡¹ The reason is not because if we intervene, we will be at war with the Germania coup army. The reason is that we are being closely monitored by the local south nobles and we can¡¯t compromise the defense of the Duchy of Transylvania and the Duchy of Lanct. ¡¸Then, what if I were to help out with my personal force? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, I guess you can. ¡¹ Oh, I thought sensei would object while saying I can¡¯t do anything reckless. Sensei smiled and looked at me with an unexpected expression. ¡¸I trust you. There is no one in the old empire who can defeat Takeru-dono now. If you take Oracle and Kaara as escorts, nothing will happen to you. It¡¯s just that¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸What? ¡¹ ¡¸Stop by the Duchy of Lanct and get Duke Emeheart¡¯s approval. It¡¯s a good chance to meet him again and solidify your relationship. If you are serious about rescuing the old emperor, the Duke¡¯s Alliance will be a good place to escape.¡¹ If you call me, I¡¯ll come. Or rather, Kaara¡¯s head is always poking out from somewhere when there¡¯s something important happening. I didn¡¯t even call her and she¡¯s here. I think you should give up being a military strategist. ¡¸Wait a minute, Ironwall didn¡¯t say it but it¡¯s not just the dying emperor who was being held but also the eight-year old princess. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll help the father of the country and the weak princess.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t predict what I¡¯m going to do like that.¡¹ CH 110.2 Item Cheat 110.2 Chapter 110.2 ¨C The Guardian Knight Who Lost His Lord Well, I can¡¯t say you are wrong. However, why did Herman keep quiet about the imperial granddaughter? Perhaps he thought that I wouldn¡¯t help him if he told me. ¡¸Kaara is not far off the mark. The fact that the imperial granddaughter remains may eventually become an obstacle to our domination of Germania.¡¹ ¡¸I suppose so.¡¹ Kaara, who was also familiar with the Germania¡¯s situation, boasted and puffed out her chest that¡¯s about the same size as her half-brained head. No, she wasn¡¯t that bad. She¡¯s a genius when it comes to magic. I¡¯m just feeling sorry because her intention and her ability are not equal. ¡¸However, the general, who is said to have initiated the coup, is going to be a rather nasty and powerful enemy. The imperial granddaughter will surely choose nation¡¯s father over that person and¡­..in case they get in the way, we can always take care of them.¡¹ Sensei commented in a murmur with what Kaara had said in the end. I thought she was a demoness who was planning to revive the demon king but thinking about it carefully, I don¡¯t know when this advance mage Kaara will be erased by sensei. Be careful not to get in sensei¡¯s way. ¡¸That¡¯s not it, nation¡¯s father! I¡¯m not scared!¡¹ ¡¸Yes yes¡¹ ¡¸That human warlord, ehto, ehto, he said he¡¯ll bring this imperial granddaughter into the ruse! He said he¡¯s fine killing women and children, even a spoiled brat like me! However, I know I¡¯ll be okay since nation¡¯s father will stop him!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, yeah, right.¡¹ TN: Lines above are Kaara making up a dialogue story. Sensei, if you decide to kill her now, I won¡¯t say a word. No, kill her now, I¡¯m serious. Without enough reason, I think she should die. ¡¸It is also the military strategist¡¯s job to predict what is about to happen and give the monarch suggestions even if the monarch herself doesn¡¯t like it.¡¹ Sensei used her short wand with a relaxed expression. This is how a military strategist should act. And Queen Silhouette entered. That¡¯s right, I have no right to decide in this matter as well. ¡¸Takeru-sama, you¡¯re going to rescue the emperor, aren¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m sorry. I have to leave the castle.¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯ll be a good wife and send you off. This is the reason why this lady became the queen. I¡¯ll be the one staying home.¡¹ ¡¸I have a good wife.¡¹ ¡¸However, come back as soon as possible.¡¹ I guess this is what she truly wishes. I nodded, hugged, and kissed her. I kissed her and she kissed back. I guess I should talk to my other wives too. ¡¸Ano, nation¡¯s father¡­¡¹ Kaara looked at me with a complicated expression. That¡¯s not something you should show others. It¡¯s embarrassing. ¡¸Kaara, this time, I¡¯ll rely on your flight magic so please do me a favor.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, by your will!¡¹ She looked so happy that I swallowed my comment that she was useless other than being a taxi. My ¡°mithril armor¡± is convenient for being resistant to magic and we¡¯ve been through a lot so I think I¡¯ll have Louise wear the Orichalcum armor I got. Louise¡¯ fighting power will be strengthened again. ---Scene Change--- ¡¸Wait a minute, please take this with you.¡¹ When we were about to leave the castle, we were stopped by sensei who brought a rucksack. Checking what was inside, I found that it contained a lot of bullets for the magic gun. ¡¸Do we need this much bullets?¡¹ ¡¸Takeru-dono, please think about it carefully. If you wield the sword of light in Germania¡¯s capital, you would be advertising that the hero of Silesie had come to visit.¡¹ ¡¸I see. That would be bad diplomatically.¡¹ The situation of Germania, which is divided, is fluid. It is better to avoid making a complete enemy of the coup d¡¯etat army in the imperial capital as much as possible at this stage. This is basically a covert mission. ¡¸Yes, well, it can¡¯t be helped if it¡¯s dangerous. I also think that this is a good magic gun training. Well, it¡¯s a gun that shoots gold coins so I don¡¯t want to use it too often. But, hey¡­.it¡¯s good that we were strengthening our military.¡¹ She added another line cutely. Is she casually appealing to me to give her more money? As expected of sensei, she¡¯s very shrewd. ¡¸Thank you, I¡¯ll use it.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, well, then, nation¡¯s father, I¡¯ll give you a present too.¡¹ Kaara gave me a black robe that I haven¡¯t seen her wearing much recently. The black robe is certainly a good cover for mithril armor and since it has a hood, it¡¯s perfect for covert operations. ¡¸Ah, this thing is what Kaara used when you were still a hidden mage.¡¹ ¡¸Nation¡¯s father, can you stop spreading my dark history? This robe itself has a small magical effect of invisibility. If you wear this cloak, you won¡¯t stand out.¡¹ Hmm, not bad. The size fits perfectly too. The well-worn, slightly faded jet black robe looks cool and it would look great fastened at the shoulders and worn like a cloak over the armor. I¡¯ve thought of an alias too. ¡±Drifting gunner¡± or ¡°Black Musketeer¡± would be good. My chuuni blood, which had been sleeping for a long time, began to stir. ¡¸Thank you and sorry for giving me such a valuable item. This robe is very important to Kaara, right?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t mind it. I have three more black robes like that and I wear them all the time.¡¹ I see. It¡¯s a little awkward as if I¡¯ve revealed her poor fashion sense rather than her black history. Why not enchant different color or something? You¡¯re not even a man and you dyed them all black. These demons only have swimsuit-like underwear when they take off their robes. One of these days, I¡¯m going to make Kaara wear something decent. CH 111.1 Item Cheat 111.1 Chapter 111.1 ¨C Flying Guardian Knight Well, I asked Kaara to lift the ¡°ironwall¡± Herman in her arms and fly to the sky to reach the duchy of Lanct faster. ¡¸Noooooooooooooooo!¡¹ I was troubled by the fact that he screamed wildly and gave up. He was the leader of the fearless imperial immortals but he was afraid of heights. ¡¸What a surprising weakness for the world¡¯s most powerful guardian knight.¡¹ ¡¸Impossible. If a man can¡¯t fly, he can¡¯t fly.¡¹ This kind of fear may not be logical. It couldn¡¯t be helped so I decided to get him with me in a big basket and have Oracle-chan and Kaara carry it. It would have been quicker to have them fly with us in their arms but there is the fear factor. ¡¸Silesie¡¯s Hero-sama, what will happen to us if this thing crashes?¡¹ The man who had always been calm and collected even after his battle with Louise, the ten thousand swords, looked pale and sweating coldly from his forehead. I wonder if I should comfort him or tell the truth. ¡¸Well, we¡¯ll die.¡¹ ¡¸Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!¡¹ Hearing what I said, Herman shouted again for a moment and did not speak a word until we arrived at the Duchy of Lanct. He just sits there with his eyes closed as if meditating. Ah, even if he¡¯s afraid of the sky, he just meditated there and escaped to the spiritual world. As expected of a guardian knight. Hermann, who had been sitting in the air for a long time, had a clear face that seemed to have reached some sort of enlightenment by the time we arrived. Well, to be more specific, his eyes had gone to the other side of the world. With a pale, bloodless face, he stomped on the ground and mumbled something incomprehensible like ¡°nature, ground, self¡­.¡±. If I don¡¯t get to the imperial capital soon, a new priest of the Asama Church will be born. Well, that aside, air travel is as fast and comfortable as it is. Aside from the genius Kaara, who can use both human flight magic and demon flight magic, Oracle-san is that thing¡­.the one that eats a lot of my spirit and they can fly fast. We landed in the great city of Lanct, a metropolis of white plaster walls and red bricks. Today, we didn¡¯t have time for sightseeing and immediately visited the castle of Duke Lanct. The citizens are pointing at us as we fly but I leave them alone since I¡¯m wearing a black robe enchant with magic so I¡¯m inconspicuous. What stands out is Herman, a giant knight. No matter how many times I see it, this castle is really luxurious. The Lanct Family is an imperial duke in terms of prestige so it can¡¯t be called a palace but this castle is more luxurious than any king¡¯s palace. The floor of the large entrance hall is tiled with white and gray mottled marble that forms a geometric pattern and the center of the hall leads to an audience hall with a red carpet. On both sides of the entrance are wide staircases leading to the balcony on the upper floor where you can enjoy the view of the City of Lanct. The art collection, casually placed here and there, is so luxurious that I could only sigh. The owner¡¯s good taste is evident in the mix of antique ceramic figurines and exotic and unique pieces that I, a cynical person, would find amusing. The castle is a museum where cultures from all over the Eura continent, from east to west, from north to south, are gathered. The woodworking techniques are also impressive and even the patterns carved into the pillars are a sight to behold. I wonder how much money was burned on this hobby. ¡¸Silesie¡¯s Hero-sama, welcome!¡¹ Kato-san, the silver-haired old gentleman, the butler knight, who is always busy cleaning up after Princess Knight Eleonora¡¯s messes, came out. As one would expect, there is no room for secrecy here so I lifted my hood and greeted him. This butler knight has an unusually calm face, loosening his usual dignified cheeks. ¡¸Areh? Since Kato-san is here, that means Eleonora isn¡¯t rampaging somewhere.¡¹ ¡¸The princess herself is leading her troops to exterminate monsters and suppress rioters in the territory.¡¹ ¡¸Hnnn, is she alright?¡¹ ¡¸Hahaha, as long as it isn¡¯t against Silesie¡¯s Hero-sama, there is no way the ¡°War Maiden of Lanct¡± would fail against lowly orcs and thieves.¡¹ ¡¸No, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m worried about.¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean?¡¹ Kato-san asked with a curious look on his face. No, I shouldn¡¯t say anything. Well, I wonder if it¡¯s okay to say that the fantasy where there is a princess knight is not applicable to harsh fantasy. ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing. Since Eleonora is not here, is Duke Emehart at home?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, he is.¡¹ CH 111.2 Chapter 111.2 ¨C Flying Guardian Knight While I was waiting in the entrance hall, looking at the portraits of the successive generations of Duke Lanct(They are a very rich and beautiful family for generations which made me wonder why the latest generation became the princess knight), a duke with soft blond hair and clear blue eyes came in. The duke, a handsome man with a beautiful face, well-proportioned and slender features, and rich beard, is so well defined that it¡¯s hard to be jealous of him. He immediately came before me and kneeled. ¡¸Silesie¡¯s He¡­..no, King General! You don¡¯t need to personally come here. If you ask for me, I will answer your summon.¡¹ The person kneeling is wearing a high-quality silk robe and has a graceful atmosphere. That surprised me, so I wasn¡¯t able to stop him from kneeling. ¡¸No, no, Duke Emehart doesn¡¯t need to do that.¡¹ ¡¸I am but a mere vassal of His Excellency the King General. It is normal for a subject to do this.¡¹ I thought Kato-san should be responding normally but when I saw him, he was also kneeling. Well, I guess I should deal with it like the monarch I am. His response is completely different from our previous meeting that I¡¯m surprised. I even feel refreshed by the quick change of Duke Lanct. Of course, he has to do this since this is the only way he can maintain a rich duchy sandwiched between the empire and the kingdom. Or maybe it¡¯s the fact that he bows his head that they are free. This man is much stronger than the intuitive Eleonora. The way Duke Emehart behaved himself after the defeat of the Germania Empire was so skillful that I would like to follow his example. After rejecting the request for financial support from the empire, which had outlived its usefulness, he led the Duke¡¯s Alliance to separate from the empire and immediately came under the protection of the Kingdom of Silesie. Once it became a protectorate, it was no longer in danger of being attacked by either the Kingdom of Roland, a friend of Silesie, or the Duchy of Transylvania, and it could resume its trading operation at Tsurube river which is its lifeline. Only the area under the rule of Duke Emehart was the first to be able to restore security in the former empire, which was devastated by the double punch of lack of supplies during the war and the lack of currency after the war. ¡¸This will make me hard to speak with you so could you please talk to me normally?¡¹ ¡¸If your excellency wants to do so, please forgive my impertinence.¡¹ He finally stood up. Anyway, I explained to the duke that I had something to discuss with him. He also finally noticed that I¡¯m with the iron wall Herman of the empire. We were ushered into a gorgeous marble audience hall with an opulent, exotic carpet. Of course, they asked me to sit on the top seat. The meeting itself went smoothly although it was hard to talk when the place was so formal. ¡¸We send several messengers to the Kendou Dyson, who is calling himself the new emperor after uniting the rebels in the imperial capital but they were all cut down and killed. Since they are enemies anyway, the Duke¡¯s Alliance is willing to cooperate in the rescue of the old emperor and the imperial granddaughter.¡¹ ¡¸Ehto, Emperor Fistnut*?¡¹ TN: Wordplay of the name of the emperor wannabe. Duke Emehard laughed as if he had to start from there. ¡¸Emperor Fistnut is a joke title but¡­.in the imperial capital, there are slaves who are traditionally called fistmen. I don¡¯t like it because of its barbaric custom but the people of the imperial capital like to have their slaves fight in a fistfight (boxing) at the colosseum.¡¹ ¡¸I see. They are still practicing the ancient roman gladiatorial pastime these days.¡¹ I think it¡¯s better to have them fight with fist than to kill each other with swords but they are slaves. It would probably turn into a death game when things get exciting anyway. ¡¸A fist fighter is a slave who is used to beat each other up. Dyson, who claims to have received concession from the old emperor after capturing him, calls himself an emperor who has risen from a fist.¡¹ ¡¸They are doomed.¡¹ History has taught us that even in ancient Rome, there were gladiator rebellions but they were suppressed because gladiators couldn¡¯t become kings. This is the age when a gladiator slave can become an emperor. It¡¯s not a matter of subversion. This is basically the end of the country. ¡¸At the end of the Battle of Silesie, they created a unit of criminals released from prison and fistmen who had been slaves to be used in defense of the thinly secured empire but that was the beginning of a mistake.¡¹ ¡¸I see, that¡¯s a common story. I can already see what happened after that. I guess the criminals and fistmen revolted.¡¹ ¡°That¡¯s right¡±, Duke Emehart said as he nodded. It is said that the citizens, slaves, and criminals rose up. In addition, there are the peasant rebels from the provinces. They succeeded in overthrowing the regular army of the imperial capital which is now in a state of disorder. And the remnants of the imperial army, which must also contend with the coalition of the three kingdoms or Rastor, Trania, and Gartland, which have defected from the empire, and the Kingdom of Roland in the south, which is attacking to recover its former territory, no longer has the strength left to suppress the rebellion that is frequently occurring in the country. The former imperial forces, which have pulled back from the imperial capital, are said to have retreated to the Fortress City of Damburg, northwest of the imperial capital. They are aiming for a comeback. CH 111.3 Chapter 111.3 ¨C Flying Guardian Knight TN: Changed fistmen to boxers. ¡¸The star boxer and commander of the boxer corps, Boxer Emperor Dyson, was originally a slave, so he doesn¡¯t seem to like nobles like us. He seems to be on good terms with the three rebelling kingdoms of the east though he is having a bit of temper tantrums.¡¹ ¡¸If we succeed in rescuing the old emperor and the imperial granddaughter, they may ask for our protection.¡¹ Hearing me say that, Duke Emehart knelt again. Please don¡¯t do that. It kind of reminds me of the Duke of Transylvania. He likes kneeling too. ¡¸Considering our origins, we are imperial subjects so we would be happy to cooperate with you. However, we will only do it if it¡¯s the will of your excellency King General.¡¹ ¡¸I understand. The Duke¡¯s Alliance of Germania is now a protectorate of the Kingdom of Silesie and if the Boxer Emperor attacks you, the kingdom will assist you. Yes, are Garan Mercenaries useful?¡¹ After the war ended, the Garan Mercenaries were at lost for what to do next. Given that the Duke¡¯s Alliance were having trouble finding soldiers due to the deteriorating security situation caused by the civil war, I mediated to have them hire the mercenaries. ¡¸Yes, we are very grateful for your help. The soldiers of the Duke¡¯s Alliance around the Tsurube River are weak compared to those of the empire, that includes our duchy. Therefore, I have something to consult with your excellency King General¡­.¡¹ ¡¸What is it?¡¹ I asked Duke Emehart, who looked a little uncomfortable as he stood up. ¡¸I think it would be a good idea for us to recruit volunteer soldiers in the name of his excellency King General or rather, the Hero of Silesie.¡¹ ¡¸I would love that but, is that okay?¡¹ Nobles and knights do not like peasants taking up arms. The recruitment of volunteer soldiers is not allowed in the territory of local nobles even in the Kingdom of Silesie. That repulsion is natural because that is the source of the power that only the privileged class can use violence. In addition, the empire is ravaged by peasant uprisings. Given that they are even willing to recruit peasants, they are kind of desperate. ¡¸Seeing the power of the citizens and peasants who have brought down the imperial capital, I thought that we could no longer resist this era. There are people from our territory who will join the Silesie Volunteer Army. I also thought that it would be better to recruit troops directly from our territory and use it for the defense of my homeland.¡¹ ¡¸Very well. Then, you may do as you please, Duke Emehart.¡¹ After all, Duke Emehart has the power of foresight. He will persuade the other dukes to recruit volunteer army in their territories. I¡¯d be grateful for the strengthened defenses so I decided to cooperate. If we send people, know-how, and weapons. Not only will the defenses be strengthened but even my name will be more fragrant. It¡¯s basically killing two birds with one stone. ¡¸I would like to have dinner with you, your excellency King General. My little girl will be back soon.¡¹ That ¡°little girl¡± should be his daughter Eleonora. My little girl, hmmm. I can¡¯t tell if he seriously means it. Eleonora acts like a little girl in some ways after all. ¡¸Is Herman in a hurry?¡¹ ¡¸No, I earned a lot of time thanks to hero-sama so there¡¯s no problem even if we stay for a night or so. Honestly speaking, the empire is struggling against bandits now. Since we have to consider a lot of things, it is normal for you to discuss it with Duke Lanct first.¡¹ Since Herman says so, all is well. I wonder what kind of dinner Duke Emehart is eating. Even so, we¡¯re going to stay for a night? Well, flying at night is dangerous. As I was relaxing in the parlor, drinking a cup of rich and tasty tea, I heard the sound of heavy footsteps of an armor-clad person coming from the outside. If you come here with such momentum, won¡¯t the high-class carpet be damaged? Seeing Kato-san, the butler knight, chasing in a hurry, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s her. Eleonora, fully armed with her flame armor, came in after vigorously opening the door. It seems like she returned safely unhurt after subjugating some wild thieves. ¡¸Eleonora, long time no see, yo¡­!¡¹ I stood up and greeted her but I couldn¡¯t finish my greeting. Eleonora, who has long blond hair and wearing a scarlet cloak fluttering in the air, ran up to me and punched me in the stomach while she was equipped with her flaming armor. What a surprise. I would have died instantly if I was not wearing my mithril armor under my black robe. I spew out the tea in my mouth. After punching someone in the stomach as a greeting, Eleonora looked down on me with her blue eyes as I fell back with a grin on her face. ¡¸Congratulations on your marriage.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­thanks.¡¹ She¡¯s still a fierce woman. CH 112.1 Item Cheat 112.1 Chapter 112.1 ¨C Princess Knight Again ¡¸Princess, what are you doing out of the blue?¡¹ Kato the butler knight jumps in between us with blood drained on his face. This old silver-haired gentleman¡¯s hardship will continue until he dies. Only then will he be peaceful. ¡¸That was a good greeting, Eleonora¡­..¡¹ Hearing me, Eleonora showed a triumphant look with her burning armor. There was no explanation for the sudden attack. Even if the princess knight doesn¡¯t say anything, just by looking at her face, you can easily tell what she¡¯s thinking. Right now, she¡¯s probably thinking, ¡°That¡¯s better than being slashed¡±. It looks like I have become so close with the princess knight that I already feel bad about it. I think it¡¯s already too late for regret. ¡¸He-hero-sama, I¡¯m sorry. The princess was so behaved recently that I thought she had been cured so I let my guard down! This Kato will engrave it in my heart forever.¡¹ From Kato-san¡¯s upright posture, he bowed his head at a very sharp angle. It should be around 75 degrees. Overwhelmed by the softness of his body, which doesn¡¯t seem to be of an old man, I immediately decided to forgive the princess knight¡¯s rudeness. ¡¸You don¡¯t have to do that, Kato-san. In the first place, it was not the first time the princess knight had done this.¡¹ Normally, this would result in an outrageous diplomatic problem but thinking about it, I¡¯ve also beaten Eleonora to pulp when we were still enemies. It can be said that I can¡¯t blame her for attacking me every time we encounter each other. ¡¸Oh, you didn¡¯t hit back or even complain. I guess it¡¯s only natural for a man who was crowned to be king to be so generous.¡¹ ¡¸Eleonora, will you please stop it?¡¹ Eleonora¡¯s father, Duke Emehart, rebuked her from behind. The girl¡¯s father was angry with her and the princess looked displeased. ¡¸My apologies, your excellency, my daughter is spoiled. She doesn¡¯t seem to like the fact that you got married.¡¹ ¡¸What! What are you saying, father? Why are you talking as if I¡¯m a jealous woman? I and the hero are sworn rivals!¡¹ Since when have we become sworn rivals? ¡¸Hahahaha, you¡¯re a stubborn one. Father knows you well.¡¹ ¡¸Father doesn¡¯t understand me at all!¡¹ The father and daughter, who were both very beautiful, were playing with each other, totally ignoring me. The shrewd Duke Emehart, a good man, has zero dignity in front of her no-good daughter and is now acting like a bully father. The butler, Kato-san, would occasionally interject to lighten up the mood. Me and Herman, the guardian knight, just watched with a nonchalant look on our faces. I¡¯d like to stop this cheap home drama of the Am-main house and have dinner already but as guests, I can¡¯t bring myself to say it. We had no choice but to keep drinking tea until our mouths were ashy. The maid, who was as silent as a piece of an antique figurine, brewed us as many refills as she could. -0- ---Scene Change--- -0- Finally, it¡¯s time for dinner and we are ushered into the dining room of the Lanct Castle. Now, show me what a millionaire¡¯s dinner looks like. Arched marble columns line the magnificent hall, supported by the heavy black oak balustrades of the ceiling. Cream-colored walls, carved with vertical grooves, are lined with protruding candlesticks, which continue to shine brightly and brilliantly, almost as bright as daytime. There is a saying that civilization is a light that is passed down from generation to generation. If so, the dazzlingly beautiful and gorgeous castle of Duke Lanct is the most elegant light of civilization in the world. I cursed in my heart because it was so uncomfortable to eat in such a spacious dining hall. I was overwhelmed by the splendor that even the royal castle of Silesie couldn¡¯t match. How much time and money were spent to create and maintain this luxury? Moreover, there is no need to show off. Even the precious mahogany table, the white porcelain plates, silver candlesticks, and tableware lined up on it are all very natural. Only a countryman would be surprised by the twinkling lights of convenience in the middle of the night. Duke Lanct and his daughter, who lead a life full of splendor, are the sophisticated urban people of this world. In the large hall are I, Herman, Oracle, Kaara, and the father and daughter of the duke family. It¡¯s a meal of six and it doesn¡¯t feel lonely because there are a lot of maids and butlers around. I sigh when I see the scarlet eagle emblem of the house of Lanct displayed above the mantle of the recessed fireplace at the end of the hall. Every time I come here, I¡¯ll try to absorb as much as much culture of Lanct as possible. I can¡¯t imitate such a luxurious way of using money after all. CH 112.2 Item Cheat 112.2 Chapter 112.2 ¨C Princess Knight Again Of course, he is not wasting money. It is precisely because Duke Emehart spends so much money on art and culture that artists from all over the Eura continent flock to the city. And as a result, the art and culture that blossomed in the city circulated to the world again and generated money. This is not just a luxurious hobby but a neat investment. However, it is an investment that will not yield any profit unless it is practiced over a hundred years. This is something that cannot be imitated. Although noble powers from generation to generation can cause corruption, it can also be said that it plays a proper role as a guardian of culture. Now, about the food. I thought there would be a lineup of gorgeous dishes but the maid first asked me what I wanted to drink. ¡¸Ehto, what do you have?¡¹ ¡¸Anything you like.¡¹ It sounds like a tavern that has no menu. In other words, they are saying they can serve anything. I asked for mead while Herman asked for a cold barley ale. Oracle-chan and Kaara asked for wine. Without waiting for too long, the pleasant drinks were served with walnut cookies and roasted chickpeas. We were also served with salad and potage as appetizers but it seemed like we could select the main dish ourselves. Indeed. This is more sophisticated than being lined up with random dishes. ¡¸Is there anything you would like to eat?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡¹ While I was wondering what to say, Eleonora began to say, ¡°Hero should eat the same food as me.¡±. I said I¡¯ll have the same dish as Duke Emehart. Salmon with honey and poppy seeds. I thought it was a rather ordinary fish dish but when I cut it with a knife, I found that it was a complex dish as the salmon was gutted, stuffed, and seasoned. The taste is perfect. The dish that was the same as Eleonora was, to my surprise, sausage and black bread. Those are very common foods in Germania. Of course, it fits my taste too. While eating the crispy sausage, I ordered an ale like Herman, who¡¯s eating meat dishes without holding back. ¡¸I knew it, my taste doesn¡¯t change just because I became a king. As a hero, I always run around the battlefield so this kind of food suits my palate.¡¹ ¡¸I certainly prefer this kind of food to the more pretentious ones.¡¹ Eleonora said that with a sullen expression on her face which made me curious a little. When I asked her about it, she proudly told me that as part of her warrior¡¯s training, she eats the same food that soldiers eat on the battlefield to train. I somewhat feel some kind of discrepancy with what she was saying. ¡¸Eleonora¡­..¡¹ ¡¸Hnn? What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ I decided not to say anything extra to Eleonora, whose cheeks are bulging while eating the sausage deliciously. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s in a wild mood while thinking she¡¯s a soldier fighting on a battlefield. After all, Eleonora is treated like a general everywhere so I guess she doesn¡¯t know what real soldiers eat. Soldiers don¡¯t get out of their way to eat black bread when they can eat wheat bread and the bread they eat on the battlefield, whether white or black, is dry and hard. Moreover, because they are milled in a rough stone mill, pebbles are mixed in them. The rye bread served to Eleonora is a luxury item, carefully made and freshly baked. From my point of view, it¡¯s something you can only get at high-end bakeries and it¡¯s more expensive than bread. What¡¯s more, the sausage is roasted with silver mesh, making a nice sizzling sound. The juices are oozing out and the aroma is so strong. I can only say that they use good pork and they stuffed it with herbs and aromatics. Expensive pepper and mustard are used and on top of that, the freshly grilled sausages are served with fresh asparagus as an accompaniment, which no one would see in a battlefield meal. Hmmm, the sausage is delicious. ¡¸Can I have some bacon too?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll grill it right away.¡¹ Everything¡¯s really available. I wonder if they would serve manga meat if I ordered it. Incidentally, I have made it myself but manga meat is an ancient method of making ham using a pig¡¯s thigh. More specifically, orc meat has more well-developed bones so it¡¯s easier to make manga meat using orc meat. The bacon is so delicious that I found the taste nostalgic as if I¡¯m eating at home. The ale is also delicious and I would like to eat it with german potatoes but unfortunately, potatoes have not yet been introduced to this part of Germania. When I ate sausage and bacon sandwiched in high-quality rye bread, umami flowed out. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had such an enjoyable meal and I think this is one of the luxuries. CH 112.3 Item Cheat 112.3 Chapter 112.3 ¨C Princess Knight Again Eleonora is proud that she¡¯s eating battlefield food and Duke Emehart apologizes for having me keep up with his daughter even during dinner. They really thought it was a simple meal. I sighed and enjoyed my after dinner coffee and white peach dessert, thinking that the richest father and daughter are kind of out of sync. ¡¸King General, please take care of my reckless daughter.¡¹ ¡¸Hmmm¡­..¡¹ Isn¡¯t it too late for Duke Emehart to say that? I¡¯ve already given up on being bothered with the princess knight for a long time. He said he¡¯s going to consult about the cooperation with the Duke¡¯s Alliance and the remnants of the imperial army who were aiming to free the old emperor and the imperial granddaughter so I was guided by Kato-san to my room to rest. Oracle-chan is complaining but I don¡¯t want her sucking my energy in someone else¡¯s castle so I asked her to sleep in a different private room. Even for a guest, I was assigned to a magnificent room. The luxurious bed with a canopy was indeed a little too big for someone to sleep alone. ¡¸Well, I guess it¡¯s a nice experience to feel lonely because I¡¯m alone.¡¹ I have six wives. Six. This feeling of being alone might be something I won¡¯t experience again in years to come. I opened the velvet curtain and tried to get in the mood by looking at the rice city of Lanct, the city that never sleeps. I widely opened the window. Then, I heard a knock at the door. ¡¸No way. Could a professional maid come for a night service¡­..¡¹ I imagined something naughty but that can¡¯t be true. When I opened the door, I found the Princess Knight, Eleonora, who was still in her ¡°flame armor¡¯. ¡¸What is it, Eleonora?¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean!¡¹ What do you mean what do I mean? I had just changed into my sleeping clothes and was about to go to bed but this castle is her home so I couldn¡¯t afford to ignore her. ¡¸So, what¡¯s the matter?¡¹ ¡¸I hadn¡¯t settled the score with you yet.¡¹ I knew it. She¡¯s a super straightforward woman so she only has one thing in mind. I don¡¯t know how many times I had warned her but can¡¯t you twist your view to see other things? ¡¸There¡¯s no way we can fight in a room. Wait, why are you stripping?¡¹ ¡¸Well, we can¡¯t do it if I don¡¯t take it off.¡¹ With a blush on her cheeks, she took off her ¡°flame armor¡±. Eleonora¡¯s full plate armor has a strange structure and when she takes it off, all that¡¯s left is her underwear. I asked you to twist how you view things but not like this! And what do you mean ¡°we can¡¯t do it¡±? What are you planning to do? Eleonora is wearing nothing but a red brassier and panties with fine mesh design. As one would expect of Eleonora, the young lady is wearing something very nice. Wait, this is not the time to compliment her. ¡¸Ah, yes, perhaps this is what they after marriage time.¡¹ ¡¸Huh?¡¹ I¡¯ve heard of a certain theory that men become more popular when they get married. Yeah, a man who married six wives at once can¡¯t be unattractive. ¡¸Perhaps Eleonora saw my hidden charm and fell for me¡­..¡¹ Ah, no, what should I do? I never thought such a naughty event would happen to me. Cheating my wives while I was working abroad. It is true that Eleonora is a reckless princess knight but it is also true that she¡¯s a beauty as long as she stays put. Take this chance¡­.No, I shouldn¡¯t. Cheating is bad, don¡¯t give in to temptation. I¡¯ve been a good guy lately so if I do anything unscrupulous, there will definitely be a repercussion. This is clearly a trap, a beauty trap. An obvious bad end. Devil, go away! ¡¸What nonsense are you mumbling about? I¡¯m here to continue our match!¡¹ ¡¸What match?¡¹ A stripping match? You win, I guess. ¡¸We¡¯re going to continue our duel at the white tower. You tickled me so it ended in a draw.¡¹ ¡¸You consider that a draw?¡¹ What a scary girl. I¡¯m afraid to ask but, perhaps she¡¯s going to say that her previous defeat at our duel in Spike was a draw too. ¡¸Because, I didn¡¯t say I lost!¡¹ ¡¸How can you say that when you faint?¡¹ Ah, this is bad. Letting her enter is a mistake. Eleonora swung her fist up in anger. Combat is inevitable. ¡¸Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaa, forget about it!¡¹ Eleonora''s face was red with shame but she still charged at me in her underwear. I suddenly had a late-night boxing match. CH 113.1 Item Cheat 113.1 Chapter 113.1 ¨C Match Conclusion ¡¸Forget it! Forget itttttt!¡¹ Eleonora, in her underwear, shouts manly lines while delivering sharp punches to me one after another in her attempt to drive me to have amnesia. It¡¯s a relief that she¡¯s no longer wearing the troublesome flame armor but I¡¯m also trying to sleep so I¡¯m not wearing my mithril armor. It is not a battle of bare physical power. Somehow, I managed to catch her punches but Eleonora is also a knight with a lot of battle experience and she also trains nonstop. My bones creaked from the clash of strong offensive for the first time in a long time and if it weren¡¯t for the hero correction, I would have been killed for a second. Eleonora has strong arms and her abs are nice and tight. On the other hand, her breasts and buttocks are feminine and she has a wonderful figure. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s working hard as a knight with Louise as her goal and I can say that her body is the way I like it but I don¡¯t like what¡¯s inside. ¡¸Gugugu¡­..are you serious?¡¹ ¡¸Hero! I thought I¡¯d do it in an easy way but it looks like we¡¯re destined to be like this!¡¹ Ah, no, this is not the time to think about cheating or anything like that. I¡¯m being pushed around while thinking evil things. Eleonora is trying to crush me with all her might while screaming some rival-like lines and if I don¡¯t concentrate, I won¡¯t win. ¡¸Eleonora, did you really think you can beat a man in terms of power!¡¹ ¡¸Do you have any idea how much I¡¯ve trained? My arm strength alone is enough to beat you!¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t care how much you¡¯ve trained!....what the¡¹ ¡¸Kyaaa!¡¹ After trying hard to hold her down from above, Eleonora jumped into the bed, using her own momentum to pull away from me. Luckily, the place where she fell down was not the wall or the floor. Well, I really shouldn¡¯t have hurt the princess of the castle. ¡¸You¡¯re so na?ve. You haven¡¯t grown up at all.¡¹ ¡¸Why are you always saying that!¡¹ My knowledge in taijutsu is limited to what I read in manga. As for actual battles, I only know some judo techniques that were taught in school so if it¡¯s a taijutsu competition, I might be able to win. Eleonora is fighting with force alone after all. She is a princess knight and it looks like she¡¯s not knowledgeable in this area. However, where was the grown-up her that showed up last war? ¡¸What? Don¡¯t want to do it anymore?¡¹ ¡¸Ughh¡¹ Eleonora was in my canopy bed, her hands clenching around the comforter, and moaning in frustration. And that scared the sh*t out of me. I feel like she¡¯s building up everything up in her body and it might explode. I still can handle her now but I have a feeling that I will get killed if I make a mistake in the future. ¡¸Wait a minute, Eleonora. Calm down a little.¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s continue!¡¹ As expected of the princess knight who is known for her emotional instability. You can¡¯t speak with her at all. Given the flow of things, it will not end unless this match is settled. In short, like every battle we had. Can someone please do something? ¡¸All right. All I have to do is to win.¡¹ ¡¸Then, come on.¡¹ Eleonora sits facing the wall of the bed and she¡¯s in seiza for some reason. This world is a western-based world but it is also mixed with things like zazen and seiza. Where did this custom come from? Is this the influence of otherworlders who appeared from time to time to intervene with history? Thinking about this, I glanced at her blankly. Eleonora¡¯s shoulders trembled. ¡¸What are you doing? Leaving me alone like this makes me look like an idiot!¡¹ ¡¸Oh, sorry.¡¹ I couldn¡¯t help it anymore so I climbed onto the bed and tickled her flanks as requested. The princess knight¡¯s body jumped up and down on the bed. It was fine if it¡¯s only like that but she started screaming. ¡¸Hyaaaaaa!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, eh?¡¹ I know it tickles so I can¡¯t blame her for making a fuss but her reaction was too violent. Please don¡¯t scream too much. The walls of the Lanct Castle are not soundproofed. I¡¯ll be in trouble if someone comes here. ¡¸W-w-where are you suddenly touching? You startled me!¡¹ ¡¸Eh, no, I didn¡¯t¡­.¡¹ What should I do? Tell her to tickle me? Or not? I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know what Eleonora wants! ¡¸If you¡¯re going to touch me, at least tell me you¡¯re going to touch me. Idiot!¡¹ ¡¸So that¡¯s how it is. Okay. Then, I¡¯ll touch you now, Eleonora.¡¹ I did as I said and tickled her side. Eleonora seemed to be ready for it and this time, she only wriggled and held back her screams. However, isn¡¯t her tolerance weaker than before? ¡¸Fufufu, ahahahaha, this is it. It was even better before.¡¹ ¡¸Okay, then, here I go again.¡¹ ¡¸Fufuh, is that all? Ufufu, a mosquito bite felt better.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­..¡¹ It¡¯s getting kind of cold. Suddenly, I felt stupid. I¡¯m in someone''s castle and I¡¯m like, what the heck am I doing to someone¡¯s daughter? CH 113.2 Chapter 113.2 ¨C Match Conclusion ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ Eleonora turns to me whose hands suddenly stop. She looks into my eyes. Her sapphire blue eyes are wide open. The distance between us was so close that I involuntarily let her go. ¡¸I¡¯m not in the mood for this. I¡¯m sorry since I¡¯m the one who started this tickle match in the first place but, how do we end this? Am I supposed to just give up and say I can¡¯t do it anymore?¡¹ ¡¸I haven¡¯t had a serious match in a long time and you¡¯re being rude. Do you know how much I prepared for this?¡¹ ¡¸No, because thinking about it calmly, this battle situation is a little bit impossible. No, It¡¯s totally impossible.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes, you might be right but¡­.what kind of despicable demand are you saying that my bra is getting in the way of your tickling?¡¹ ¡¸No, I didn¡¯t say that¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Take it off.¡¹ Eleonora presses her back against me. I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s happening. ¡¸Ehto¡¹ ¡¸Since my underwear is getting in the way, take the hook off using those disgusting hands of yours¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Eleonora?¡¹ What are you talking about? Have you gone mad? Take off your bra? You¡¯re crazy. In the first place, I don¡¯t even understand the point of removing it. How did you come up with that idea? ¡¸What? Don¡¯t have the courage to take off the hook of a woman¡¯s bra? Haa, aren¡¯t you a hero? Why did you turn into a coward?¡¹ ¡¸No, no, no, no¡­.¡¹ No, stop with your cheap provocation. Removing the bra is unnecessary. It even makes the tickling safer. However, the tickling game is considered safe. However, I¡¯m the one who started the tickling match so it can¡¯t be helped. ¡¸Ah¡­.so that¡¯s how it is. What a sneaky despicable man you are. By not removing it, you¡¯re going to make me remove it on my own. Then, you¡¯ll say, ¡°You don¡¯t have the courage to take off your bra.¡±. However, I won¡¯t lose. I won¡¯t lose even with that kind of humiliation.¡¹ ¡¸No, no, wait a minute¡¹ And thus, Eleonora got emotional on her own and took her bra herself. Ah, are you a stupid idiot? ¡¸Come on, tickle me. Tickle my whole body with those disgusting hands. However, remember this, a knight¡¯s pride will not be shattered by that!¡¹ ¡¸Haa¡­..I get it. I¡¯m not looking forward to this.¡¹ I found out that even if I tried to escape, it would only get worse. Anyway, it won¡¯t end unless I tickle her until the end so I decided to keep her company. I¡¯ll tickle her until she¡¯s satisfied and everything will be over. ¡¸So, you¡¯re saying¡­.I don¡¯t have enough courage to look forward.¡¹ ¡¸No, no, no, no, idiot!¡¹ How can she interpret what I said that way? It looks like I said it poorly. ¡¸Remember this, despicable hero, the pride of a knight won¡¯t be shaken by such a thing!¡¹ ¡¸No, no, no, no, idiot! What the heck are you idiot talking about!¡¹ Eleonora came forward with all her might. There are tears of frustration at the corners of her eyes. This girl is not joking around. She¡¯s seriously taking everything I said as a provocation and an attempt to humiliate her. She¡¯s very stupid in many ways. Well, I guess I shouldn¡¯t say that her tits have really good shape. ¡¸Come on, tickle me!¡¹ ¡¸Do you think I can still tickle you while looking like that?¡¹ I looked away. It¡¯s not a matter of being a gentleman or anything similar. If I look at them directly, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll say something unintended later. The worst thing that could happen to me is that Eleonora, who¡¯s looking at me as her rival, will take advantage of my weakness. ¡¸Why are you not tickling me?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sure you¡¯re going to threaten me later saying I had assaulted you. I¡¯m not going to tall for that!¡¹ Eleonora, you are surprisingly cunning. ¡¸I¡¯m a proud knight. I won¡¯t do anything cowardly like you.¡¹ ¡¸Look at our situation. You are naked in my bedroom and you¡¯re only with me, a man. Do you think everyone will believe what you say?¡¹ ¡¸Kuh¡­.bastard. I know what you are implying. You want a proof that I came here and stripped naked on my own will, right?¡¹ ¡¸Well, yeah. If you can¡¯t do that, I won¡¯t be able to continue any longer.¡¹ This is weird but I can¡¯t afford to get myself caught in a honey trap. I¡¯m a man with family after all. ¡¸Then, I¡¯ll write a document.¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­.¡¹ Eleonora went to the desk in my room and wrote something on a paper with a quill pen. I glanced at her and her big boobs were swaying in full view. This is kind of scary since she herself made it. However, while writing on the desk, her eyes are bleeding in shame and anger. ¡¸Here it is. Okay, let¡¯s continue.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, okay. Turn around and let¡¯s do it.¡¹ I snatched the parchment in a way that I wouldn¡¯t see Eleonora¡¯s naked body as much as possible. The parchment reads, ¡°I stripped naked myself and went to Sawatari Takeru¡¯s bed.¡± And Eleonora¡¯s signature is there too. ¡¸Now, you can¡¯t complain anymore. Though I¡¯m not going to do something a scumbag like you would do in the first place.¡¹ ¡¸This isn¡¯t enough.¡¹ CH 113.3 Chapter 113.3 ¨C Match Conclusion ¡¸Why!¡¹ ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll have you add ¡°I wanted to be seen naked and to be touched¡± otherwise I wouldn¡¯t feel safe.¡¹ ¡¸Kuh¡­.how despicable.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a natural request.¡¹ Eleonora writes as she is told. Somehow, this is getting interesting. ¡¸I¡¯m done writing it. That should do it.¡¹ ¡¸Alright, after you add ¡°I wanted my tits to be rubbed¡± too.¡¹ ¡¸Y-you shameless thing!¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re the one who wants something shameful. I might touch your chest while tickling you. I don¡¯t want to be threatened later.¡¹ I see. So, this is how I can deal with Eleonora. If I keep this parchment, I can use it to threaten Eleonora later. If I tell her I¡¯m going to publicize it, she¡¯ll stop being so picky. ¡¸Ugh¡­.it can¡¯t be helped.¡¹ ¡¸Alright, it looks like you wrote it right.¡¹ Just by writing it, her cheeks are turning red with shame. She¡¯s so embarrassed that not only her face that even her shoulders were flushed. As expected, her tits are not red but they are glossy. Her tits are nice but her belly is wonderful. It¡¯s fit with three lines in the middle. I must admit, I had always wanted to see Eleonora¡¯s physical beauty at least once but I never expected to have this opportunity. This is by no means a naughty desire but an intellectual curiosity in the artistic sense. Perhaps the most prized piece of art in Lanct Castle is the well-trained body of the princess knight. No sculpture can match the beauty of a human body with blood in it. Muscles are beautiful. ¡¸Why are you shamelessly staring at a woman¡¯s body? Shame on you!¡¹ ¡¸It says here that you wanted me to look at it.¡¹ Eleonora gritted her teeth in frustration as I showed her the parchment. ¡¸Damn, don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to get away. ¡¹ ¡¸What are you saying? I won¡¯t do something like threatening you. ¡¹ I touch Eleonora¡¯s sharp-lined belly. Mmmmm, good stiffness. Girl¡¯s abs are wonderful. ¡¸You¡¯re a married man, aren¡¯t you scared of receiving divine punishment?¡¹ ¡¸Hey, I know Asama and I don¡¯t think the goddess will punish me by doing this.¡¹ I don¡¯t know. However, if it¡¯s about Ria, I might receive one. Maybe I should think on how to defend against Asama¡¯s divine punishment. I rub Eleonora¡¯s well-shaped abs without getting bored. What a smooth, warm, and elastic feeling. It¡¯s so irresistible as if my fingers were being sucked. ¡¸You¡¯re not tickling me at all¡­.I don¡¯t want to be tickled by you but do it seriously.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, I¡¯m doing it seriously. Aren¡¯t you feeling tickled in your tummy?¡¹ I don¡¯t care about tickling anymore. I¡¯m just following my desires and touching her abs. I¡¯ve been at the mercy of a bunch of crazy women so I guess it¡¯s good to experience something like this. ¡¸Hey, I don¡¯t want to be tickled by you in any place but, can you stop with the belly?¡¹ ¡¸What? I thought you were starting to feel ticklish.¡¹ Pushed Eleonora¡¯s body down on the bed so that I could stroke it easily and just kept on stroking her lower abdomen endlessly. Of course, not in a nasty place. From around the navel where you can enjoy abdominal muscles around the umbilical pudenda region. Of course, I never touched the part covered by her panties. I wonder what it is about the belly that makes me want to stroke it. I think I¡¯m being a maniac but it should be okay since I¡¯m not cheating and just enjoying muscles. ¡¸It¡¯s not like I¡¯m being tickled but I feel like trembling. I don¡¯t know what it is but I¡¯m feeling really weird.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I¡¯m getting ecstatic when I¡¯m touching Eleonora¡¯s abs too.¡¹ It¡¯s really nice to touch Eleonora¡¯s tummy. Her abdominal muscles are almost cracked and there are practical muscles. Even so, there¡¯s a good amount of softness remaining in such hardness, or rather, there¡¯s an indescribable touch. ¡¸Ah, ahhhhh, wait a minute. I¡¯m scared, I¡¯m feeling weird, I¡¯m hungry!¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s the matter? Don¡¯t you want to be tickled by me? Anyway, this is a game of endurance so if you want to surrender, just say so.¡¹ As I stroked and rubbed her abs endlessly, her abdominal muscles began to heat up. Maybe I have rubbed her skin too much so I just lightly stroked her but even though that¡¯s all I did, the reaction became even stronger. Her stomach muscles were contracting to the point that even I was scared. ¡¸No, I don¡¯t want to surrender. Ahhhh!¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t, no, my stomach can¡¯t stop twitching! Takeru, help me, pleaaasseeee! No, it¡¯s, hyaaaaaaa!¡¹ ¡¸Hey, Eleonora¡­..¡¹ CH 113.4 Chapter 113.4 ¨C Match Conclusion As if a line has been broken, the tension in her body has been released and her body leans against mine. Her cheeks are turning bright red and she¡¯s breathing hard. However, her mouth is half open and she¡¯s drooling. Her eyes have lost their light and she seems to have lost consciousness. I can¡¯t believe it. To think she¡¯ll faint with just a belly rub. Could it be that Eleonora has a special proclivity to faint when she is stroked or tickled? This is a tremendous weakness and I think I understand why the princess knight loses so easily in spite of her strength. Beads of sweat float on her forehead and her golden thread-like bangs stick on her forehead. Her whole body is also drenched in sweat. As expected, I couldn¡¯t just leave her like this. Fortunately, there was plenty of fresh water and soft towels in the room so I wiped her face clean. ¡¸I think I need to wipe her body too.¡¹ Eleonora¡¯s skin was smooth and shiny like white porcelain as if she¡¯s not a knight who runs around battlefield by battlefield. Since she¡¯s completely protected by her flame armor, there¡¯s no damage anywhere. She has beautiful skin like a baby and her well-toned muscles made it more glamorous. I wipe the skin from her shoulders to the side without hesitation then, wipe the sweat from the soft, bumpy part with a wet towel and dry it with another towel. I also carefully wipe the peach-colored part of those bumps. Given how pointy they are, I guess she must have been excited. No, it¡¯s probably just a physiological reaction because I did something weird. The female body is still a mystery. ¡¸Now, what should I do with the bottom part? It¡¯s not good to do it, right?¡¹ Aside from the problematic part, I wiped her legs to her toes. I want to take her panties off and wipe her down but I don¡¯t have permission to do that. The now clean Eleonora began to sleep peacefully like a defenseless baby. ¡¸Hey, Eleonora, if you don¡¯t get up I¡¯m going to take off your panties.¡¹ I lightly tapped her on her cheek but she still wouldn¡¯t wake up. Well, I was just kidding. No way I¡¯ll take her panties off. ¡¸What the hell are you doing, Takeru?¡¹ I heard a voice and turned around. I saw Oracle-chan there holding a big pillow with a dumbfounded expression on her face. ¡¸Ehto¡­.Oracle, san. What brings you here?¡¹ ¡¸I heard a woman¡¯s warcry from next door so it¡¯s natural for me to check what¡¯s happening.¡¹ ¡¸Ehto, I¡¯m not cheating.¡¹ I tried to hold up the parchment and tell her that I have her permission to touch her but I realized that this doesn¡¯t excuse me from cheating on my wives. Rather, this parchment would prove the affair. I trapped myself. You have conspired against me, Eleonora! ¡¸I don¡¯t blame Takeru. I¡¯m not a woman who can¡¯t control her jealousy unlike that troublesome little flame-breathing girl lying there. However, due to the fact that Takeru¡¯s spirit is customized, if there are more new women, you must at least learn how to say no. ¡¹ ¡¸No, there will be no new women.¡¹ Looking at her eyes, I can see that she¡¯s serious and I can only laugh at myself. I only meant it as a joke but the one who saw it will surely won¡¯t see it as such. No way saying you¡¯ll take the last piece of clothing of an unconscious woman will be taken as a joke from an outsider¡¯s point of view. ¡¸So, why is that flame-breathing girl sleeping over there? The fact is already there.¡¹ ¡¸No, I was just patting her belly, then, wipe her body.¡¹ Oracle climbed onto the bed and said ¡°hmm¡±. When she pulled off her normal lacy panties, she laughed saying ¡°she leaked herself¡±. ¡¸Stop laughing, it¡¯s a big deal. Especially that she did it on the bed!¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s okay, look. She got a highly absorbent cotton cloth on the crotch of her panties. That¡¯s pretty good. It¡¯s like a diaper.¡¹ I took a peek. ¡¸Perhaps that¡¯s a panty liner. We have that from where I came from. Given the technology of this world, even if it is slightly primitive, it is made for this kind of thing. The Duchy of Lanct already has this kind of technology which is surprising. Wait, why am I peeking at someone¡¯s crotch like it¡¯s normal?¡¹ ¡¸You only noticed? Takeru stared at a woman¡¯s crotch so much that it would rot.¡¹ I¡¯m just curious! Surprisingly, I wasn¡¯t able to see important parts of Eleonora because she has a dense forest. Either way, it was too much of a hindrance. ¡¸Oracle, I¡¯m sorry but, could you call the made and tell her to change Eleonora¡¯s underwear?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I know. It¡¯s not very nice to leave her like that after peeing.¡¹ I know that this situation is crazy but I guess I can only have a maid take care of it. That day, I decided to let Eleonora sleep in my room as it was and sleep in Oracle¡¯s room. CH 114.1 Chapter 114.1 ¨C Village Girl Court Musician Early in the morning, I woke up Oracle and Herman and decided to leave early. I was a little surprised that even this early in the morning, the butler knight Kato-san was awake. I guess that¡¯s to be expected of a head butler¡­.or maybe because oldies wake up early. When I told him I wanted to leave early, he said, ¡°Leave everything to me¡± without asking why. As expected of Kato-san. He is so easy to talk with that I would like to hire him for my company. But even the sleepy faced Duke Emehart woke up. ¡¸Your Excellency King General, why don¡¯t you at least eat breakfast?¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯re in a hurry!¡¹ To put it bluntly, I wanted to get away quickly because I didn¡¯t want to wait for Eleonora to wake up and get into another nasty entanglement like last night. However, my wish was in vain because Eleonora woke up wearing a negligee. You¡¯re a princess so just go back to sleep. ¡¸Hero, take this with you. You don¡¯t¡¯ want to go to the imperial capital with only a gun as a weapon, don¡¯t you?¡¹ Just when I was thinking that she¡¯ll complain about what happened last night, Eleonora handed me a black cedar wooden sword. Certainly, a wooden sword that is stronger than steel is good now that I can¡¯t use my magic swords. The color is also black which fits well with my black robe and its size is just right to hang at my waist. ¡¸Ah, thanks.¡¹ I mean, thank you but this is originally mine. I couldn¡¯t find it anywhere then I realized that this lady took it and didn¡¯t return it. One of the two has finally returned. However, Eleonora is not acting like herself. She seemed to be in a strange mood but it was not time for me to ask the other one back. She saw me off with a clear smile. ¡¸Be careful¡­.Takeru¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯m going. Stay safe too, Eleonora.¡¹ I thought she was going to get involved with me again and start to get noisy about last night but the crow that cried already laughed. I really don¡¯t know what¡¯s in a woman¡¯s mind. The reason why the princess knight looks so cute in the morning is because she¡¯s dressed like a princess, smiling, and even waving her hand as she sees me off. If dressed like a woman, she¡¯s so beautiful that no one would believe she¡¯s a tomboy. Looking at her now, she¡¯s like a completely different person from last night who was a mess. It would be nice if Princess Knight Eleonora has matured a little. ---Scene Change--- We flew smoothly towards the imperial capital. When we were close to the imperial capital, Herman asked us to go down to a nearby village. As expected, flying to the imperial capital is too conspicuous. ¡¸There is a village northwest of the capital where the resistance is holed up for the rescue of his majesty. It sho9uld be in this area.¡¹ ¡¸Could it be the village where that smoke is rising?¡¹ ¡¸What?!¡¹ Herman had finally gotten used to flying but his face turned pale again. I¡¯m not surprised. As we got closer to the imperial capital, he saw many looted towns and ruined farming villages that are still burning. In such devastation, it would be strange if only the villages where the imperial army were stationed were safe. This level of development is already expected. The question is whether the villages where the resistance forces against the new empire are hiding are being looted by actual bandits or whether they are being attacked by the new imperial forces. ¡¸Herman, let¡¯s go down and check it out.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, this might mean that the enemy has already cracked our hideout¡­.¡¹ Oh well, I thought we were going to make a quick plan and retreat and not dash forward from the start. When we entered the village, we found a group of men wearing makeshift leather armor and carrying crude spears with blades strapped on a stick, fighting with knights and soldiers who had apparently been hiding in the village. ¡¸Hyaha, burn burn!¡¹ ¡¸Damn, you little bastards!¡¹ The people attacking the village were a bunch of soldiers who had unusually high tension. It¡¯s been a long time since I heard the word ¡°Hyaha¡±. ¡¸To think they¡¯ll really say hyaha¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Definitely your typical villain.¡¹