《People Made Fun of Me For Being Jobless but Its Not Bad at All》 Volume 1 - CH 1 Shirosaki Reito, a high school student like any other, recently changed schools, since his parents¡¯ job forced his family to move to a new town. He was waiting for the bus on the first day at the new school when something bizarre happened before his eyes. ¡°Hn¡­? What¡¯s this?¡± It was like the very air cracked and shattered: a black rift formed in midair. Reito backed away, surprised and a bit scared, but the rift expanded more and more, as to draw him in. ¡°W-what¡¯s going on¡­!? I-it¡¯s sucking me in!!¡± The black rift started pulling Reito, stronger every second. It had become large enough for Reito¡¯s whole body to fit in: the boy was relentlessly dragged towards by the darkness. ¡°T-this is bad¡­!!¡± Reito resisted with all his might, but the rift pulled him in more and more. Reito looked around, hoping to find someone to help, but there was no one in the surroundings. Eventually, one of his arms was sucked into the darkness. ¡°Shit¡­!!¡± Reito flailed his arms and legs, desperately resisting, but to no avail: his body completely disappeared into the black rift. ¡°WAAAHHHHH!?!¡± Reito¡¯s scream echoed in the deserted bus stop. After swallowing him, the black rift quickly vanished, leaving no trace behind. The bus stop looked perfectly normal as if nothing happened. The only trace left of the student Shirasaki Reito was his school bag, abandoned on the asphalt. CHAPTER 1 ¡°¡­where am I¡­?¡± When Reito came to, he found himself surrounded by a white space. He looked around, but could not see anything resembling a floor. His body was floating in the air as if there was no gravity in the room. ¡°W-where¡¯s the ground¡­? No¡­calm down¡­take a deep breath¡­¡± Reito felt he was close to panicking, so he shook his head to calm himself down. He first tried to recall how he went from the bus stop to this place: no matter how much he tried, however, nothing came to mind. When he was absorbed in the mysterious crack he also lost consciousness, apparently. Then, all of a sudden, a woman appeared before him. She was a beautiful young lady, her facial features still showing some childish softness, a warm smile on her lips. She looked human at first glance, but also possessed several bizarre features. Her hair was a bright silver color and she had wings on her back. Not only her hair, but also her whole body glowed. (A girl¡­no, an angel?) The girl¡¯s smile deepened, then she finally spoke. ¡ºHonestly, I was so surprised! How many hundreds of years have passed since I last saw a human being? Not to mention, someone so young! It¡¯s amazing.¡» In contrast with Reito¡¯s confusion, the girl¡¯s tone was rather laid-back. After a brief pause of speechlessness, Reito hurriedly spoke up. ¡°Eh¡­w-who are you!?¡± ¡ºOh, hello there. I should say ¡°nice to meet you¡±, I guess.¡» The girl then produced a very polite bow. Reito was still overwhelmed but managed to regain some composure and timidly asked another question. ¡°¡­ehm¡­what is this place?¡± ¡ºThis is the space in between, a place that exists between worlds.¡» Reito tilted his head to the side: he couldn¡¯t follow the young lady¡¯s words at all. She probably realized he didn¡¯t understand, so she explained more. ¡ºTo be more precise, this is the place that connects the world you were in with another world. It¡¯s just like the space between two planets. You were thrown out of your world and ended up here. Oh, by the way, you can¡¯t go back to your world anymore.¡» ¡°Why!?¡± Reito didn¡¯t fully understand yet but reacted loudly by reflex. The young woman answered his question, in a very matter-of-fact tone. ¡ºThe reason why you can¡¯t go back is that all worlds are lined up vertically.¡» ¡°V-vertical¡­what? Isn¡¯t Earth surrounded by space¡­?¡± As far as Reito was aware, Earth was one of the many planets floating in space. The young lady, however, continued explaining about rules of nature he had never even heard of as if they were the most natural thing in the world. ¡ºWhat I mean by vertical is their phase. To use an example from your world, think of a skyscraper. Your world was like one of the floors in the building. You slipped inside a crack and fell to a lower floor, basically. There is a difference with those buildings, though: there are no stairs or ladders between worlds. In other words, there is no way to go back to the upper floor you fell from. By the way, right now you are falling through the space between floors, the space between your world and another world.¡» ¡°W-what!?¡± Reito was deeply shocked. He couldn¡¯t comprehend what the young lady said, after all. The young lady, however, continued with no regard for his confusion. ¡ºI am tasked with the management of this space in between. My role is to assist those like you, who fell into this space, and send them to another world.¡» The young lady stared intently at Reito, who swallowed his breath and finally managed to speak. ¡°¡­your role? Could it be that you¡¯re a god¡ª ¡± The young lady interrupted Reito before he could finish his sentence. ¡ºOh, I am just a manager. Certainly not a goddess or something as grand as that. To be honest, I don¡¯t have much to do most of the time, so I usually just peek at the worlds above or below this space, and¡­ahem. That¡¯s enough about me. It¡¯s time for you to go to another world, after all.¡» ¡°P-please wait a moment!! Is it really impossible to go back to my world?¡± Reito couldn¡¯t give up just yet, but the young lady¡¯s reply was as simple as it was cruel. ¡ºYes, impossible. Well, it must be quite a tragedy for you, but just consider it as an unfortunate accident. And do your best in the next world.¡» ¡°Eeh¡­?¡± Dismayed, Reito pictured his family and friends in his mind. (I¡¯m going to some new world I know nothing about, without even saying goodbye to anyone¡­) A new world I know nothing about¡­Reito was suddenly attacked by intense anxiety and hurriedly asked a question to the young woman. ¡°H-hey! What kind of place is this other world?¡± ¡ºOh, you have finally accepted it, yes? Hmm, I suppose there is no harm in telling you¡­¡» The young lady smiled happily, reflected for a moment, then continued. ¡ºTo put it in super simple terms, it¡¯s a fantasy world. Do you like RPGs? In this world, there are real-life monsters, and even species like Elves and Dwarves, you know.¡» ¡°Fantasy¡­¡± ¡ºMoreover, this world is evolving in a way very different from your former world. Magic is developing instead of science, it seems.¡» ¡°Magic¡­you mean¡­?¡± The young lady smiled and nodded. ¡ºYou can use magic, just like this. Ta-dah!¡» The young lady had a wand in her hands, out of nowhere. From the tip of the wand, globes of fire and ice appeared one after the other. Reito was staring, dumbfounded, then the young lady snapped her fingers and the magic globes vanished. ¡°W-was that magic?¡± ¡ºCorrect. Oh, there is something I forgot to tell you. When you go to the other world, you will keep your memories but your body has to be rebuilt. It¡¯s to avoid various inconveniences, you see.¡» ¡°Rebuilt¡­? What do you mean?¡± ¡ºIt¡¯s a whole different world, you know. The gravity is different, and for someone who lived in a world of science, using magic could be very difficult. So the only way is to rebuild your body. There¡¯s no way a normal person can just warp in a new world and learn magic, just like that¡­ as you see in novels.¡» ¡°¡­wait!! What¡¯s going to happen to me, then!?¡± Alarmed, Reito pressed the young lady to answer. She seemed to be put a bit on the spot but replied. ¡ºWell, you will keep your memories and your conscience too. The process is a bit random, so you could become something other than a human being, but¡­it all depends on your luck.¡» ¡°After falling in a place like this, I don¡¯t know whether I can trust my luck!!¡± Reito fervently protested, but the young lady simply smiled again. ¡ºOh no, please think about it for a moment. It has been centuries since a human being arrived in this space, really. It seems to me like a stroke of very good luck¡­the devil¡¯s own luck, as they say in your world.¡» ¡°You can¡¯t be serious¡­¡± Reito sighed in disbelief, so the young lady tried to console him. ¡ºWell, you are the first guest I had in a very long time, so I think I can give you some advice. Oh, right! When you want to know something, just call my name in your mind. We¡¯ll be able to talk like that. I am in possession of all information about the new world, so ask me anything, all right¡­¡» Suddenly, Reito¡¯s consciousness grew dimmer.. ¡°If I can ask anything, then okay¡­what¡¯s your name?¡± Reito managed to ask a question in his fading consciousness, and the young lady smiled kindly. ¡ºAiris¡­the manager of the space in between. If you are ever in trouble, do not hesitate to call me. I¡¯m usually free, so I can answer anytime.¡» ¡°¡­it¡¯s a promise.¡± Those were the last words uttered by Reito to the young lady before everything turned into darkness again. Volume 1 - CH 2 CHAPTER 2 Reito¡¯s consciousness awoke to a man¡¯s irritated voice. ¡° ¡ª what is the meaning of this? How can this be!?¡± ¡°P-please don¡¯t shout, darling¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!! And I finally thought I had a son¡­! What the hell is this trash!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t!! Stop, please! He¡¯s your child too!!¡± Reito opened his eyes to see what was happening: the first thing he found was a man wearing medieval noble clothing. At the same time, he realized that man was holding him up. The man looked at Reito¡¯s face, a hateful expression on his. ¡°Filthy trash, that¡¯s what this is!!¡± So snarled the man as he threw Reito to the beautiful lady standing next to him. (Whoa!?) The woman easily caught Reito in her arms. That very moment, Reito finally realized what had happened to him. His body had become very small in size. (My body shrunk¡­? No, could it be that¡­I turned into a baby?) While Reito was trying to come to terms with his transformation, the quarrel continued. The woman was now criticizing the man. ¡°How could you do such a thing¡­! You brute!!¡± ¡°Silence! I was wrong to expect anything from a woman like you¡­out!! Leave this place, now!! Take that accursed child and leave immediately!!¡± ¡°¡­understood.¡± The woman who had caught Reito walked towards the door, tears falling from her eyes. She put a hand on the doorknob and turned around. ¡°Goodbye. I loved you, once.¡± ¡°¡­please, just go and never come back!!¡± The man roared, without even looking at the woman. The woman, holding Reito in her arms, wept as she left. From their exchange, Reito realized she was his mother and the man was his father. His new life was already in turmoil, but unbeknownst to him, the future held many more trials and obstacles in store for him. ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¡°Aah¡­how could this happen¡­this boy did nothing wrong¡­¡± Outside the room, the woman who held Reito fell to her knees, crying. A short while later, a group of people appeared before her. Reito looked at them and shuddered. Their clothes and weapons made them look just like soldiers from the Middle Ages. (What¡¯s with these guys¡­are they cosplayers? Those don¡¯t look like costumes though¡­could they be, real soldiers¡­?) One of the ¡°soldiers¡± called to the woman. ¡°Milady, please settle down. It is truly regrettable, but you and the child are not allowed to stay in the castle anymore. We shall lead you outside.¡± Reito looked at the group¡¯s armor more closely. (That¡¯s not fake¡­these guys are real soldiers.) The full realization finally struck. He was in a different world now, just like Airis told him. It was still a mystery, however, why his mother was in tears, or why his father was so angry with him. The adults, naturally oblivious to his confusion, continued to talk. A male soldier addressed the woman. ¡°Let us go. The airship is ready to depart. We should be able to leave without anyone noticing now.¡± ¡°Where are you going to take us!?¡± The soldier fell silent for a moment, then slowly opened his mouth. ¡°¡­my deepest apologies, milady. I cannot say that.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­very well. I will not resist, so please, do not harm this child.¡± One of the soldiers reacted loudly to the mother¡¯s words. ¡°Harm¡­? How can you say that, milady!? We have sworn our loyalty to the kingdom! You are the royal consort, thus we serve you as we serve His Majesty. Please do not say such sad things¡­¡± ¡°Because I am the royal consort¡­you say. Can you also swear your loyalty to this child then?¡± The mother quietly looked at Reito. The soldier bit on his lower lip then looked away from the mother and continued. ¡°¡­I am truly sorry, but that child¡­regrettably, that child cannot qualify as royalty¡­¡± ¡°He cannot qualify as a member of the royal family? This child is my son!! He was born from the king and me¡­!¡± The woman interrupted the soldier¡¯s words, agitated, but the latter voiced a cruel sentence. ¡°His Majesty has personally stated as much, milady. But even before that, He has claimed to have no sons¡­¡± ¡°No¡­he can¡¯t¡­¡± The mother fell to her knees. ¡°Milady¡­we must be on our way.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!! I will walk by myself!¡± The soldier extended a hand towards the mother, but she pushed it away forcefully. The soldier lowered his head, respecting her wishes. Reito reached for her body with his tiny arms, trying to console her. ¡°Mah¡­¡± The mother¡¯s expression grew softer, as she started talking to her child. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, you can sleep, dear¡­mommy was too loud and woke you up? I¡¯m sorry¡­I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± The mother, Reito in her arms, followed the soldiers out of the castle. Reito, unable to stay awake any longer, fell into a deep sleep. ~ Some time later¡­ When Reito woke up, he thought he was outside. He looked up and found his mother¡¯s face. Her face seemed so distraught the last time he saw her, but now the light of a strong resolve shone in her eyes ¡ª she was looking straight ahead. Reito followed her gaze and found a large residence. ¡°Ah, mah¡­¡± ¡°Oh dear¡­did I wake you up? Look, this is our new home.¡± ¡°Uuh..?¡± The residence was certainly not new, but it had a very dignified appearance. Reito was in the residence¡¯s spacious gardens. In the distance, he could see iron fences, taller than a human adult, surrounding the area. The mother started walking, carrying Reito with her, and opened a door inside the residence. Inside, a large group of people seemed to be waiting for them. They were probably the residence¡¯s servants: most of them seemed to be in their thirties or forties, with the youngest in their early thirties. Some of the men had quite well-built physiques, suggesting that they were soldiers before starting to work as servants. Reito was intimidated by the rows of servants, but apparently, his mother shared his feelings too. Her expression and tone of voice betrayed her worry. ¡°Who are you all¡­?¡± A white-haired man, possibly the servants¡¯ representative, stepped forward and bowed deeply. ¡°We have been eagerly expecting you, milady. We have been charged with the maintenance and management of this residence. As per His Majesty¡¯s orders, we vow to serve you.¡± ¡°He did¡­? Do you know about this child too?¡± The mother¡¯s expression became clouded, out of concern for Reito. The white-haired man then smiled kindly. ¡°We have. Many of us are in the same situation as that child, in fact. So please do not worry: no one here would ever think of causing him any harm.¡± ¡°¡­is that so¡­that is good to hear.¡± The mother breathed a sigh of relief, but something in the man¡¯s words bothered Reito. (They¡¯re in the same situation as me? What exactly does that mean¡­?) The white-haired man then continued speaking. ¡°Please come this way, Milady. A room has been prepared for the child as well.¡± ¡°There is a child¡¯s room, in a residence like this? Yes, please show me.¡± ¡°With pleasure, Milady.¡± The mother headed towards the child¡¯s room, Reito in her arms. Inside, she carefully laid him down on the bed, and Reito quickly fell asleep. Reito¡¯s first day in the new world thus came to an end¡­ ~ When Reito woke up, once again he found his mother with him. ¡°Ah¡­..!?¡± ¡°Oh my, you¡¯re already up, dear?¡± The mother gently picked up Reito in her arms. Reito tried to say ¡°good morning¡±, but¡­ ¡°Wah¡­! Oh..!¡± ¡­couldn¡¯t speak properly yet. He recalled that he was still a newborn. He could only use his body language to express himself at this point, but his mother seemed to think he just wanted to play. ¡°Good boy, good boy¡­¡± ¡°Muh¡­¡± ¡°Oh dear, did we wake up with a sour mood?¡± Reito looked up at his mother, the dissatisfaction clearly showing on his face, and she smiled warmly, putting him back on the bed. She then playfully poked his cheeks. ¡°Awuh, uuh¡­¡± ¡°My, aren¡¯t we very energetic today? You looked a bit sick yesterday, so I was worried, but¡­¡± The mother then seemed to remember something. ¡°I should give you a name, now that I think about it. Let¡¯s see¡­how about Rena? It sounds like a girl¡¯s name, it¡¯s so lovely!¡± ¡°Nah¡­.!¡± Reito protested as much as his limited vocal capabilities allowed him and his mother cocked her head to the side, looking troubled. ¡°Oh? I wonder if it¡¯s not to your liking. In that case¡­Rena¡­Rea¡­Rei¡­¡± By sheer coincidence, the mother mentioned part of Reito¡¯s former world¡¯s name, so he reacted loudly to signal his approval. ¡°Awaaah!!¡± ¡°Eh? Rei? Do you like the name Rei?¡± She got it¡­almost. So thought Reito, and tried doing his best to express that he liked the name Reito, not just Rei. ¡°T¡­to¡­!!¡± He somehow managed to utter the letters, but the mother seemed still confused. (She didn¡¯t get it¡­) Reito was about to give up, when¡ª ¡°Rei¡­to? Reito? Is that the name you like?¡± ¡°Awahh!!!¡± ¡°Oh my, you seem to like it a lot. Okay then, Reito, it¡¯s still nappy time. Sweet dreams¡­¡± His mother kissed Reito¡¯s forehead, then left the room. Reito, alone in the room, started thinking. (Good thing I managed to keep the same name. So¡­I was reborn in the new world safely, more or less, but there are too many things I don¡¯t understand yet.) At that moment, he remembered. (¡­that Airis person told me I could ask her anything I wanted, didn¡¯t she?) Reito immediately tried whispering the name ¡°Airis¡± to himself, and something changed in him. The world before him turned into a shade of grey and he couldn¡¯t move anymore. But that wasn¡¯t everything: he had lost all sensation in his body. ¡ºWhat¡¯s going on now!?¡» Reito voiced his surprise, but nothing came out. Having lost all sensation and command of his body, his throat and mouth did not obey him anymore. His voice simply echoed inside his mind. Unable to understand what was happening, Reito was close to panicking. ¡ºHello ~~ hello ~~ can you hear me? You were successfully reborn as a human child, I see~¡» Suddenly, Airis¡¯ voice resounded in his head. ¡ºWaaah!?! What exactly is happening!?¡» Airis¡¯ voice continued. ¡ºPlease calm down, Reito, we¡¯re just communicating. I stopped time, so your body can¡¯t move, but I made it so we can talk mentally. Since time is still, we can talk as much as we want.¡» Reito was surprised, but calmly accepted Airis¡¯ words. ¡º¡­the things you can do are pretty godly¡­¡» ¡ºOh, even humans can stop time in this world¡­at least three of them?¡» ¡ºWhat an incredible world I ended up in¡­¡» There was a lot that Reito wanted to know, but he first asked questions meant to understand his current situation. ¡ºWhere am I?¡» ¡ºThe residence you are in is located in a kingdom ruled by humans¡­a race just like the humans in your world, by the way. You were born into a royal family, Reito.¡» ¡ºA royal family¡­¡» Reito recalled the man he first saw in this world and the hateful expression on his face. Airis apparently realized what Reito was going to say next, so she replied in advance. ¡ºWell, yes, you were born in quite a complex situation. Scorned by your father, the king, you were exiled from the royal castle. That is all true.¡» Reito already knew, but couldn¡¯t help feeling a little shocked nevertheless. He then shook the feeling away and asked a different question. ¡ºWhat¡¯s going to happen to me now?¡» ¡º¡­I can¡¯t tell. Anything related to you is outside my knowledge, Reito.¡» ¡ºEh? Wait a minute¡­when we first met, you said that you possessed all the information about this world¡­¡» ¡ºI¡¯m sorry, I suppose I didn¡¯t explain enough. I possess all information about this world, its past and its future, that is really true. But Reito, you are originally from a different world, so my ability does not extend to your own future.¡» ¡ºEeh!?¡» Reito was mildly stupefied by Airis¡¯ ¡°carefree¡± attitude. There were too many things going on already, however, so he decided not to dwell on it. ¡ºW-well, anyway¡­it¡¯s normal to not know the future, anyway¡­by the way, why do I understand what people say in this world?¡» ¡ºOh, let me explain that. The reason is the ¡°Translation¡± skill you have. Why don¡¯t you try saying the word ¡°Status¡±?¡» ¡ºStatus?¡» The moment Reito thought the word, a crystal liquid-like screen appeared before his eyes. ¡ºWhat¡¯s this? It looks like a menu window from a video game¡­¡» ¡ºIt¡¯s a kind of magic called ¡°Status¡±. Anyone in this world can use it. You can see your current state on this screen.¡» ¡ºThis is magic? And even a baby can use it? ¡­mah-mah?¡» ¡ºWhat¡¯s the point in talking like a baby now!? And you know well that I am NOT your mother!¡» Reito couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit excited as he looked at his status. . NAME: Reito Baltros MAIN JOB: Support Magician SUB JOB: Alchemist STATUS: Normal TECH SKILLS: Translation ¡ª Allows the user to understand all languages and alphabets BATTLE ARTS: None UNIQUE SKILLS: None . Airis¡¯ voice echoed in Reito¡¯s head. ¡ºVery nice, it¡¯s all displayed neatly, without any bugs. You are not Shirosaki Reito anymore, but Reito Baltros now.¡» It all happened so quickly, with no way for Reito to do anything about it, but as he looked at his status he felt a kind of resolve growing inside him. ¡ºRight¡­I am going to live as Reito Baltros from now on.¡» Reito took a closer look at his status. Most of his skills, however, were simply accompanied by the word ¡°none¡±. The only one he found was the skill ¡°Translation¡±, which Airis had told him about, in the ¡°Tech Skills¡± group. ¡ºI can understand what mother and the other people say thanks to this Translation skill, then?¡» ¡ºThat¡¯s right. Thanks to that, you won¡¯t need to learn reading or writing in this world¡¯s alphabet either. Isn¡¯t that nice?¡» ¡ºI see. It¡¯s pretty helpful that I won¡¯t need to study that, but¡­if I¡¯m a baby, does it mean that my meals and toilet will¡­¡» Reito had more or less figured the answer already but tried asking Airis all the same. ¡ºYour mother or a wet nurse will take care of all that, of course. You¡¯re a baby, of course, you can¡¯t do that on your own!¡» ¡ºPlease tell me you¡¯re joking¡­.I mean, waaaahhhh!!!¡» ¡ºWhy did you switch to the baby crying voice¡­?¡» Reito¡¯s protests did not relent. ¡ºI might look like a baby, but I¡¯m 15 years old!! I can¡¯t let other people do my toilet duties¡­!!¡» ¡ºWell, it can¡¯t be helped, can it¡­you are very different from the other babies, though, so you will only have to endure it for about one year, I¡¯m sure.¡» ¡ºKh¡­just kill me already*¡­!¡» ¡ºWhen exactly did you become a female knight captured by orcs¡­?¡» ¡ºI don¡¯t wanna!! Why do I have to get my diaper changed?! I don¡¯t wanna I don¡¯t wanna!!¡» ¡ºDid you start regressing mentally too now!? ¡­ahem.¡» Airis cleared her throat, paused for a little, then spoke again. ¡ºIf you hate it so much, you simply have to become independent quickly. Among the many skills in this world, there is also magic to clean dirty things. It¡¯s normally used to heal status effects, though¡­¡» ¡ºEh?¡» ¡ºHmm, but looking at your status¡­now I see why that happened¡­¡» ¡º¡­?¡» Airis seemed unsure whether to say something or not, so Reito looked at his status again. He didn¡¯t have any skills other than Translation: there wasn¡¯t much to know after that. Reito didn¡¯t know how to find more detailed information in the status window, so he asked Airis about it. ¡ºWhat exactly are skills? It looks like there are several categories, but¡­¡» ¡ºI suppose I should explain more about that too¡ª ¡» Airis¡¯ following explanation could be summarized like this: Skills could be separated into three categories: ¡°Tech Skills¡±, ¡°Battle Arts¡± and ¡°Unique Skills¡±, which all had different usages. ¡°Tech Skills¡± were the most numerous and also the most varied: in simple terms, they consisted of talents. For example, learning the Sniping skill would increase accuracy when using bows or guns. They were only talents, though: if the user¡¯s abilities did not take advantage of these skills, there was no point in learning them. ¡°Battle Arts¡± were the techniques and magic spells often found in RPGs, all skills useful in battle. A Swordsman job would learn sword techniques, while a Magician-type job would learn magic spells. Battle Arts consumed physical or magic power, however, so using them too much would quickly deplete the user¡¯s energies. Lastly, ¡°Unique Skills¡± were skills permanently active. According to Airis, some of them could be turned on and off at will. After Airis finished explaining, she asked Reito if he understood everything. ¡° ¡ª and that¡¯s the gist of it. Is it all clear, Reito?¡± ¡°Hmm, well, more or less¡­if there¡¯s anything I don¡¯t understand, I¡¯ll ask again.¡± (I just have one skill now, so it¡¯s normal to not understand much¡­right?) So thought Reito, then decided to ask about his situation. ¡ºCan you tell me why I was thrown out?¡» Airis¡¯ tone then became a shade lower. ¡ºDo you really want to know? Well, I suppose you would. You were just born and they called you an accursed child, after all¡­¡» ¡ºDo you know the reason why?¡» ¡ºYes. Like I said before, I basically know everything about this world.¡» Airis then started explaining. ¡ºThe reason why you were thrown out is your job, Reito.¡» Reito looked again at the jobs displayed on the status window. There were two: one main job and one sub job. ¡ºThis Support Magician and Alchemist?¡» ¡ºCorrect. But before we talk about them, let me explain in order.¡» Airis then started talking about the complex circumstances of the family Reito was born in. ¡ºYour father is the current king of the Baltros kingdom, King Baltros XIII. The former king was your father¡¯s older brother, but after he died of illness, your father succeeded the throne. The older brother had three daughters, but the law in this kingdom dictates that only males can govern. The former king¡¯s consort was already dead, so the three daughters were taken in by your father.¡» ¡ºKing Baltros¡­so the kingdom and the king have the same name?¡» ¡ºExactly. When the king ascends to the throne, he also takes the kingdom¡¯s name. So Baltros is not only the name of the royal family but also the symbol of the king.¡» Airis paused a little, then approached the main topic. ¡ºNormally, when a king can not produce male offsprings, his lineage ends in that generation. Needless to say, the king was overjoyed when you were born. Your jobs, however, were a problem.¡» ¡ºA problem¡­? Why, are they too dangerous or strong?¡» Reito didn¡¯t understand what Airis meant and tried to guess the reason, but she sadly denied it. ¡ºIt¡¯s the opposite, actually. In this world, Support Magician and Alchemist are considered hopeless jobs.¡» ¡ºEh? They¡¯re weak?¡» Airis became quiet for a moment, then continued. ¡º¡­the abilities you can learn with these jobs are very particular; almost no one can use them effectively. Compared to other jobs, their growth ratio and ability increase ratio are also very bad.¡» Reito was shocked, but Airis continued. ¡ºThey both have very few battle-oriented abilities, so you can¡¯t defeat monsters by yourself with them. But even if you join a party, your level rises so slowly that you¡¯ll quickly become dead weight. They¡¯re not actually ¡°weak¡± jobs, but it takes a very long time for them to become useful. If you continue to train your skills and increase your level, one day you can become a great warrior¡­but no one manages to get so far.¡» ¡ºEven if they¡¯re hopeless jobs, isn¡¯t it strange for a royal heir to be thrown out, just like that?¡» Reito voiced his criticism, but Airis replied calmly. ¡ºThat is proof of how important jobs are in this world. What do you think would happen if you became a king in a world where such worthless jobs are made fun of and looked down upon? The people would surely riot and overthrow the government,¡» ¡ºThat can¡¯t be¡­¡» ¡ºIt is sad, but it is the truth. In this world, those with worthless jobs are considered less than human. I believe you are actually quite lucky, Reito. You were cast away when you could have been killed¡­¡» Reito listened to Airis, without uttering a word. Eventually, he started speaking again, a renewed resolve in his voice. ¡ºWell, at least now I know why my father despised me so much. Instead of worrying about the past, I should think about what to do from now on.¡» ¡ºThat¡¯s the spirit.¡» Encouraged by Airis, Reito asked her another question. ¡ºYou said that people with worthless jobs are considered less than human¡­do you think I¡¯ll be able to live normally, without making particular preparations or countermeasures?¡» ¡ºI very much doubt it. Your father might change his mind and order to have you killed. There is also the possibility of someone else targeting your life, because of succession disputes. Even if such things do not happen, in this dangerous world it is necessary to become strong.¡» ¡º¡­what a world¡­¡» ¡ºI understand how you feel. All I can say to you, however, is to do your best. Now that you are reborn, the only thing I can do for you is to talk like this.¡» Airis¡¯ tone suggested she truly felt sorry. ¡ºNo¡­that¡¯s more than enough. I think you¡¯ll be a great help from now on.¡» Reito recalled that Airis said she knew everything about this world. He then asked something he had been wondering about for a while. ¡ºAiris¡­tell me just one thing. You said that Support Magician and Alchemist are jobs that take a long time to become useful, right? Is that the truth?¡» ¡º¡­yes. The people of this world treat them as worthless jobs, but both of those jobs have incredible abilities. With proper training and fighting style, they can be used to defeat powerful monsters single-handedly.¡» ¡ºThen please tell me¡­what should I do from now on?¡» ¡ºGood question. I was waiting for those words.¡» Reito couldn¡¯t see Airis, but he somehow felt she had to be smiling. No matter how much resolve he mustered, he was still a baby: there weren¡¯t many things he could do. Aware of his small size, nestled in the cradle, he asked Airis the same question. ¡ºSo, what should I do?¡» ¡ºLet¡¯s see¡­first, you should try to learn as many Tech Skills as you can. You can learn skills as a baby too, so please try doing as I say.¡» Reito nodded mentally and Airis gave her first instructions. ¡ºTell me what you can see around you.¡» Reito started attentively checking his surroundings. He couldn¡¯t move his body, as time was still frozen, but he could see ahead, at least. Reito then started naming everything he saw. ¡º¡­I see the ceiling¡­and an open window. Then¡­a butterfly is flying.¡» The butterfly was frozen in midair, during the motion of flapping its wings. ¡ºThat¡¯s perfect. They won¡¯t move while time is stopped, so try observing the butterfly.¡» ¡ºObserve? What do you mean?¡» ¡ºBe quiet and keep looking at it. Try to notice as many details as you can.¡» ¡ºOkay¡­¡» Reito was not entirely convinced, but he decided to trust Airis and continued looking at the butterfly. He then mentioned the insect¡¯s characteristics as he noticed them. ¡ºIts body and wings are colored black. Only its eyes are shining blue, though. Looking more closely, I can see a striped pattern on the wings, formed by two shades of black, one lighter and one darker. Then¡ª ¡» Reito continued describing everything he noticed, then suddenly the status window appeared before his eyes. . . Reito checked the message and immediately tried casting the spell. Another window appeared, displaying the new skill¡¯s detailed description. . Observing Eye ¡ª increases observation ability to the limit. . ¡ºThat¡¯s a pretty simple description¡­¡» Reito tried looking at the butterfly again. He could now see tiny details that he couldn¡¯t tell before. ¡ºThat butterfly has a different composition of scales on the left and right wings, huh. Airis, looks like I learned a skill called Observing Eye¡­¡» ¡ºVery nice, congratulations on your first skill acquisition. Have you checked its effects yet?¡» ¡ºYes, I could see some details I wouldn¡¯t be able to tell normally.¡» Reito was surprised to have learned a skill just by observing a butterfly. He then tried to figure out the rules for acquiring skills in this world. ¡ºCould it be that I learned ¡°Observing Eye¡± just by observing the butterfly?¡» ¡ºCorrect. By the way, those with the Merchant job can learn the superior version of Observing Eye, a skill called ¡°Appraisal¡±. It¡¯s more useful, but you can¡¯t learn it.¡» ¡ºReally¡­I wonder if I¡¯ll be able to learn other skills like this.¡» ¡ºThat all depends on you, Reito. Well, I can give advice if you need it, so please rely on me.¡» Just then, Reito suddenly felt very tired. ¡ºThanks¡­I¡¯d like to go back to normal now¡­¡» ¡ºVery well. Until next time¡­¡» Airis¡¯ voice faded away and color returned to the grey world. At the same time, the butterfly frozen over the cradle started moving again. Reito looked at the butterfly fly out of the window, then the fatigue assailed him again. His eyelids grew heavy and he drifted off to sleep. ~ When Reito woke up again, it was already dark outside. He felt extremely hungry and tried expressing it to his mother. ¡°Ah, aah¡­awaahhh!!¡± ¡°Oh dear, did you wake up?¡± The mother quickly ran up to the cradle and gently held Reito in her arms. (Now that I think about it, I don¡¯t know my mother¡¯s name yet. I¡¯d like to ask her, but I can¡¯t talk¡­I¡¯ll ask Airis next time.) Despite his thoughts, Reito¡¯s extreme hunger made him instinctively bury his face into his mother¡¯s ample bosom. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to leave you alone all this time¡­you¡¯re hungry, yes?¡± ¡°Ba-bah¡­¡± ¡°Here you go, dear. Take your time and drink slowly.¡± The mother promptly exposed her breasts and held a nipple towards Reito¡¯s mouth. (Oh yeah, I¡¯m a baby, so I¡¯m going to feed on my mother¡¯s milk¡­) It was slightly embarrassing to suck on the breasts of a beautiful young woman, even if Reito knew she was his mother, but he couldn¡¯t suppress his hunger. Reito started sucking on his mother¡¯s breast. ¡°Mmah.¡± ¡°Hehe, look at you, sucking all intently. So adorable¡­¡± (So embarrassing¡­) While he looked like a baby, Reito¡¯s mental age was 15: a high school sophomore¡¯s age. He found the situation nothing but embarrassing but had no choice but to let his mother take care of him right now. In the end, he sucked until he was full. *T/N: The words used by Reito here are the typical sentence used often by female knights/elves when captured by orcs in hentai, which became something of a meme Volume 1 - CH 3 CHAPTER 3 About one year passed since Reito¡¯s rebirth in the new world. He was intent on learning new skills, but couldn¡¯t acquire any after Observing Eye. As a baby, he couldn¡¯t move as he wished, so it was quite difficult to try to learn new skills. He thus decided to bide his time as he adapted to this world until his body grew. He didn¡¯t spend his days while doing nothing, though. Lying in the cradle, he communicated with Airis many times and learned about the world and the residence¡¯s circumstances. The communication caused a mental burden on him, so if he continued for too long he would get tired and fall asleep. Sleeping was an important task for babies, as they said, so no one found his behavior strange. ~ One day, Reito asked Airis for his mother¡¯s name and she easily replied. ¡ºYour mother¡¯s name is Aira. She has accepted the current lifestyle and is thinking to live in peace with the servants.¡» ¡ºEh¡­? Airis, you can also tell what people think?¡» ¡ºOnly to a certain degree, but it isn¡¯t difficult to have a general idea of their thoughts.¡» ¡ºAmazing¡­¡» Reito then asked more questions about his mother. She wasn¡¯t the first wife of the current king, Reito¡¯s father, apparently. He then tried asking about his father too. ¡ºMy father, king Baltros, is so important that he can have multiple wives?¡» ¡ºYou see, the Baltros kingdom is the only country ruled by humans, so its king is the most important human in the world, in a way. The polygamy system is also normal when giving birth to an heir is so important, I think.¡» ¡ºI see¡­if Baltros is the only country rules by humans, it means there are other races in this world, then¡­¡» Airis promptly satisfied Reito¡¯s curiosity. ¡ºYes, there are six races in total. Humans, like you, Elves ¡ª characterized by their long pointed ears ¡ª , the short and stocky Dwarves, the massive Giants, Beasts ¡ª humanlike beings with strong animal-like traits ¡ª and Demons, who come in various shapes and forms, but all possess high intellect.¡» ¡ºWow¡­if there are so many races, I guess they probably fight often too¡­¡» ¡ºThat is true, the six races have a long history of conflict. About 50 years ago, however, they signed a pact of reciprocal nonaggression, which brought an end to the war. The rifts between the races still exist, however. Smaller conflicts still break out nowadays.¡» Reito reflected on the six races¡¯ conflicts, then voiced his thoughts. ¡ºHmm, if I didn¡¯t have these ¡°worthless¡± jobs I could have become the king of the humans, right? I wonder if my life would have been easier that way.¡» Airis thought for a moment, then replied. ¡ºWell, even if you had different jobs, I believe you would have found your share of troubles. There are many citizens of the kingdom who harbor dissatisfaction towards the current king, as well as factions trying to change the law in order to let the former king¡¯s daughters inherit the throne. Your exile from the royal castle might have actually brought you to a safer situation, Reito. If you don¡¯t have any inheritance rights, there is no reason to dispose of you either.¡» ¡ºI guess that¡¯s true. In any case, I have to learn more skills and become stronger, right?¡» Reito was half telling that to himself, and Airis replied happily. ¡ºThat¡¯s right. There are many dangers in this world, after all. You will soon be able to move by yourself, so I propose to start our actual training then.¡» ¡ô¡ô¡ô Several days later, Reito became able to stand up, albeit with the help of nearby support. As soon as he did, he started practicing. ¡°One¡­two¡­¡± ¡ºPlease do your best. Let¡¯s start by learning to move your body.¡» Also thanks to Airis¡¯ encouragement, Reito somehow managed to crawl to the child-sized desk in his room. Airis had previously told him how to learn the skills he should strive for first. Following her instructions, Reito climbed on the desk. It was just about 50 cm tall, but for Reito, who had barely learned to stand up, it was quite the height. Reito steeled his resolve, then bravely jumped towards the floor. ¡°There¡­waah!¡± He couldn¡¯t land upright, though, and fell down. Reito, enduring the pain, stood back up. He returned on top of the desk and jumped down again. ¡°Deyahh!!¡± After repeating such a bizarre process several more times, he finally managed to land on his two feet. That very moment, the status window appeared before his eyes. . . Reito breathed a sigh of relief and lied down on the floor. ¡°Pheew¡­.¡± . Resilience ¡ª increases physical endurance. Break Fall ¡ª disperses physical shocks. . Reito looked at the description of his newly acquired skills and smiled. Reito wasn¡¯t inflicting pain on his body for no reason: his repeated jumping from the desk was for the sake of acquiring new skills. ¡°Resilience¡± and ¡°Break Fall¡± were normally learned by martial artists, but other jobs could acquire them too with proper training. ¡°Haha¡­ouchie.¡± As Reito uttered the words, in a rather childish way, he heard light footsteps approaching. Reito thought that his mother was coming, so he hurriedly looked out of the window. He checked that it was almost evening, so he closed the curtains and climbed on the bed. He then quickly pulled up the blanket and pretended to sleep. A few minutes later, the door opened and his mother, Aira, came in. ¡°Where¡¯s my lovely little baby? Mommy came for you¡­oh, are we napping?¡± ¡°Zzz¡­zzz¡­¡± ¡°Hehe, look at my sleeping angel¡­I should let you sleep in peace. We¡¯ll eat later, okay?¡± Aira apparently thought Reito was really sleeping. She glanced at the candles in the room, but did not light them and left the room. Reito waited for his mother¡¯s footsteps to disappear, then opened his eyes. ¡°Sorry, mommy.¡± Reito awkwardly apologized for tricking his mother, then waited for the room to be completely dark. ~ Soon enough, the sun set completely and Reito¡¯s room turned pitch black. There was only one window in the child room, as well as no ceiling illumination. The candles on the wall were the only source of light available. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t see anything¡­oopsie daisy¡­ah¡± Reito tried getting off the bed but stumbled and fell, face-first on the floor. Strangely enough, however, he felt little to no pain. It was thanks to the ¡°Resilience¡± and ¡°Break Fall¡± skills he learned earlier that day, apparently. (So the skills really work¡­) Reito then fumbled in the dark, trying to grasp the surroundings. ¡°Ouch!? Wah!? Aaah!!¡± He bumped into furniture, stepped on toys, and fell down more than once, but thanks to the skills there was minimal damage to his body. His eyes got used to the dark in a little while, so he could see what was around him a little better. ¡°One¡­two¡­one..two¡­phew.¡± This time Reito didn¡¯t exhibit particularly strange behavior: he sat down, stood back up, practiced walking, rinse, and repeat. ¡°Kinda boring¡­a, b, c, d¡­e, f, g, h¡­¡± Reito continued walking around the dark room, while practicing the alphabet. In order to learn the next skill, Airis advised him ¡°to move around in the darkness with confidence¡±. Reito had pretended to sleep when Aira came into the room so that she wouldn¡¯t light the candles. Reito eventually became able to grasp his surroundings perfectly, despite the darkness. The status window then appeared before him. . . ¡°Great!¡± Reito celebrated the acquisition of a new skill. His goal achieved, he immediately checked the skill¡¯s description. . Night Vision ¡ª enables the user to see in the darkness. . He then called Airis. ¡ºAiris, I managed to learn the skills.¡» ¡ºYes, I was watching you. Very well done!¡» ¡ºAre all skills so easy to learn, though?¡» Reito was happy to be complimented by Airis, but felt a little perplexed after learning three skills in one day. Airis answered his doubts. ¡ºIt depends on your age, Reito. It¡¯s not common knowledge, but the people in this world can learn skills the quickest in their infancy. All skills also have difficulty levels: Resilience, Break Fall, and Night Vision, the skills you learned today, are basic skills but normally require extensive training to be learned, you know.¡» ¡ºI see¡­by the way, how many skills can a person normally learn?¡» ¡ºIt depends on the environment they live in, but on average people learn about 10 skills in their lifetime. Because of your ¡°worthless¡± jobs, however, that number is surely not enough, so let¡¯s keep learning new skills. Some skills will be out of your reach because of affinity issues, but there is no limit to the number of skills you can learn. Learn as many as you can, they can only help you.¡» Airis sounded rather excited. ¡ºYou make it sound so easy¡­anyway, I¡¯ll be counting on your advice, Airis.¡» ¡ºLeave it to me!¡» Reito closed the communication and reflected. (Thanks to Airis, I could learn three skills in just one day. If I continue to train following her instructions, I should be able to become stronger, even with these ¡°worthless¡± jobs!) Reito felt brimming with excitement and shouted out loud. ¡°Oookay! I¡¯m going to go for it!!¡± Reito¡¯s tiny yell echoed in the empty room. Volume 1 - CH 4 CHAPTER 4 Two years passed since Reito was reborn in the new world. The 2-year old Reito, thanks to his training, was now able to walk. He often walked around the residence, much to the servants¡¯ dismay. They often chased him around, worried about Reito¡¯s energy and dangerous behavior: they played their game of tag day after day. This day was no different; today¡¯s game of tag was about to end in the servants¡¯ victory. Reito approached a study room in a corner of the residence, when a maid grabbed him by the neck. ¡°Young master! This corridor wasn¡¯t cleaned yet, please stay away!¡± ¡°Nooo! Let me goooo!¡± ¡°No complaints! Honestly¡­why are you trying to go into the study room all the time? You can¡¯t even read yet¡­¡± ¡°I caaan!¡± ¡°Yes, yes¡­be a good boy and stay in your room.¡± In the last year, Reito had become able to enunciate pretty well. His protests, however, were ignored by the maid, who brought him back to his room. Things were not going too bad until then, but the maid saw picture books scattered all over the room and sighed deeply. The maid¡¯s name was Aria. She was an Elf and, as typical for her race, she had blond hair, blue eyes, and long, pointy ears. She was supposed to be in her early 20s, but her appearance was much younger than that: to Reito, she was like an older sister. Aria sounded pretty troubled at the moment. ¡°Young master, how many times do I have to tell you to keep your things in order? Honestly¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m very sorry ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°You sure take after your mother¡­ah!! Don¡¯t you dare sneak out of the room!!¡± ¡°Aw¡­¡± As soon as Aria started putting away the picture books, Reito immediately took the opportunity to go out, but Aria easily caught him again. Reito was not sorry at all, however, and made her a request instead. ¡°Then, then, teach me magic, Aria!¡± ¡°That again? Like I told you many times already, young master, it¡¯s too early for you to try magic. Besides, I can¡¯t use Support Magician spells.¡± ¡°Just show me some~¡± ¡°I said no! Let¡¯s put our things in order first.¡± ¡°Blah¡­¡± ¡°Hehe, you sounded just like a sheep right now¡­¡± Reito acted spoiled, as typical for a child his age. Aria chuckled at his antics but continued shelving the books. In this world, only those with Magician or related jobs could use magic. Most Elves had Magician-type jobs, either as a main or sub job, so all of them could use magic to a degree. Aria¡¯s main job was Spirit Magician, so she could definitely use magic, but Reito had never seen her do it. Reito pouted and protested. ¡°Aria, you meanie!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m the meanest maid in the world. Magic is dangerous, it¡¯s not something you should play with.¡± ¡°I know that, but¡­¡± Reito was still unhappy at the loss of a chance to see magic. As a small token of revenge, he decided to pull a prank on Aria. He assumed the most nonchalant air he could and called the maid¡¯s name from behind her. ¡°Hey, Aria~~¡± ¡°What is it this time, young mas¡­eh?¡± Aria turned around but found no one. She hurriedly looked left, right, everywhere, but Reito was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Young master!? Where did you go!?¡± Aria raised her voice, confused. At the same time, Reito jumped on her from behind. ¡°Gotcha!¡± ¡°Waah!?¡± Aria turned around, utterly surprised. ¡°Yo-young master? Where were you hiding?¡± Aria was still shaken, but Reito didn¡¯t let go of her back and just smiled. ¡°I was behind you the whole time! But you didn¡¯t notice, right?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡­wait, but if¡­no, it can¡¯t be¡­¡± Aria looked positively shocked, so Reito thought he went a bit overboard and regretted it. He then let go of the maid¡¯s back and apologized. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Aria¡­I just wanted to prank you a little¡­¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s fine, but¡­what a mystery.¡± Aria couldn¡¯t understand how Reito hid from her: she eventually finished putting the room in order and left, but the mystery still left her confused to no end. Now alone, Reito started his communication with Airis. ¡ºAiris ~¡» Airis¡¯ reply was in a rather cheerful tone. ¡ºYes, I¡¯m here. I thought it was going to be hard for you to play the small child role, but I see you¡¯re having fun. To use the Stealth skill to pull a prank is really fitting behavior for a child, I suppose.¡» ¡ºYes, I am having a lot of fun, honestly.¡» In the two years since his rebirth in this world, Reito learned several skills under Airis¡¯ guidance. Stealth was one of them. It was a Tech Skill often used by Assassins, which allowed the user to suppress their presence to a minimum. Reito learned it while hiding from the servants when they were looking for him. The boy then told Airis about something that had been troubling him for a while. ¡ºIt¡¯s pretty boring to have to stay inside all the time, though. It¡¯d be nice if I could climb over the iron fence and explore the forest¡­¡» Reito was not allowed to leave the residence¡¯s premises by himself: he normally played in his room. He tried pleading to his mother, Aira, to let him go out of the residence, but she never said yes. According to her, the residence was surrounded by the dangerous ¡°Abyssal Forest¡±. Reito tried putting his imagination to work. ¡ºI wonder what it¡¯s like outside¡­¡» ¡ºThe forest is extremely dangerous, just like your mother says. This residence was initially built to keep undesirable people away.¡» ¡ºReally¡­when you put it like that, it sounds like a prison. It must have been pretty difficult to build a residence in a place like this though.¡» Airis promptly answered Reito¡¯s question. ¡°That is true. Many monsters inhabit the forest, so normal people wouldn¡¯t even be able to come close to this place.¡± ¡°By monsters, do you mean stuff like Goblins or Orcs?¡± ¡ºCorrect. Other animals from the realm of fantasy in your world, like Unicorns and Dragons, actually exist here.¡» Airis¡¯ explanation was very easy to understand for Reito, but because of that, he realized what a terrifying environment he was in. ¡º¡­it really is dangerous¡­¡» ¡ºOn the other hand, as long as you stay here it will be difficult for dangerous people to come here to do you harm, so this residence can also be said to be safe.¡» ¡ºWhy are the servants living here though? If I¡¯m an accursed child that must be kept away from the castle, why would they send servants to take care of me?¡» ¡ºYou¡¯re still part of the royal family though. They might be thinking of using you in the future, so it might be troublesome for them if you died, I suppose. You might have ¡°hopeless¡± jobs, but you are still the king¡¯s sole male heir.¡» Reito was somewhat impressed by Airis¡¯ very pragmatic hypothesis, in stark contrast with her divine powers, then expressed his understanding. ¡ºI see. Well, now I know why I should stay out of the forest.¡» ¡ºLet¡¯s continue training, so you will become strong enough.¡» Reito cut off communication with Airis and continued training, day after day. E/N(Uxorious): Aira ¨C mother Aria ¨C maid Airis ¨C goddess This is very confusing Volume 1 - CH 5 CHAPTER 5 Four years had passed since Reito¡¯s rebirth in the new world. At four years old, Reito had grown physically, so his range of ¡°exploration¡± had expanded too: it now encompassed the whole residence. One day, during his usual exploration, he found a hidden passage behind the chest of drawers in a certain room. He entered it immediately and found out it led up to the roof of the residence. He was now looking down on the residence from the roof and could see the immense forest surrounding it. ¡°I never expected to find a secret passage there though¡­¡± The forest surrounded the residence in all directions and seemed to extend infinitely. No other man-made buildings could be seen. Reito was overwhelmed by such a sight. He wondered if the day he could leave the residence would ever come, and started communicating with Airis. ¡ºAiris, I get the feeling there are a lot more secrets in this house¡­¡» ¡ºThere are various contraptions and hidden mechanisms in this residence, which is true. The secret passage you just used was built for emergencies.¡» The word ¡°emergency¡± triggered another question from Reito. ¡ºAiris, you said you can¡¯t see my future, right?¡» ¡ºYes, that¡¯s right. So even if, a few seconds from now, you were to slip and fall from this roof to your death, I could not warn you in advance, so please don¡¯t resent me if it happens.¡» ¡ºI definitely don¡¯t want to die in such a lame way. Anyway¡­I really want to start learning magic soon¡­¡» ¡ºReito, you are still four years old. It¡¯s simply reckless to practice magic with such an immature body. You have learned a good number of skills, but your level is still 1, so it would be very dangerous for you to use magic.¡» Reito understood that what Airis said was right, so he nodded ¡ª begrudgingly. ¡ºI see¡­by the way, what kind of magic can a Support Magician, learn?¡» ¡ºYou shouldn¡¯t expect too much. Compared to other Magician jobs, it¡¯s rather unique.¡» ¡ºCan¡¯t you tell me more?¡» ¡ºLet¡¯s focus on acquiring skills for now. What would you like to learn today? You have learned Accuracy already, right?¡» Reito realized Airis deftly dodged the topic but decided to focus on learning skills until his body grew enough. He answered Airis¡¯ question with confidence. ¡ºI sure did! It took a bit of time, but I finally learned it yesterday.¡» Reito recalled how he acquired the Accuracy skill. For the past two years, he had been practicing throwing a ball to a target he hung in his room. The servants and his mother thought he had found a new game, so they didn¡¯t think much of his regular practice. After practicing every day for such a long time, he had finally learned to hit the target even with his eyes closed yesterday. This event prompted a status window to appear before him. . Accuracy ¡ª The user is guaranteed to hit unmoving targets. . It was a skill learned by jobs that used bows, like Hunters and Archers, which ¡ª as the name said ¡ª improved the user¡¯s accuracy. Reito, feeling glad that his efforts paid off, asked Airis for more guidance. ¡ºWhat skill can I learn next?¡» ¡ºThe skill called Far Sight. It improves your sight and lets you see very far, naturally. It shouldn¡¯t take you as much time as Accuracy.¡» ¡ºHow do I learn it?¡» ¡ºJust clear your mind and look in the distance, like you did when you learned Observing Eye. If you become able to look far away without thinking about it, you should learn the skill at the same time.¡» ¡ºOkay then¡­¡» Reito followed Airis¡¯ instructions and gazed at the scenery before him. During the communication with Airis time was still, so even if he was on the roof he didn¡¯t risk being yelled at by Aria. During his few years of training, Reito had learned the trick to acquiring skills. It was to repeat a set of motions until it became second nature. If he had to think in order to perform the motions, he was still far from learning the skill. After realizing this, Reito started practicing while keeping his mind as clear as possible, and successfully acquired various skills. As Reito emptied his mind and looked at the distant sky, a whisper escaped his lips. ¡ºI can see the forest¡­the birds are flying. There are butterflies too¡­¡» ¡ºYou don¡¯t have to force yourself to speak, like when you learned Observing Eye. You should concentrate only on looking as far as you can.¡» ¡ºOkay¡­¡» Because time was stopped, Reito¡¯s eyes wouldn¡¯t get tired. Despite this, his mental fatigue piled up. Reito continued to watch the scenery in silence. He felt like he continued for several hours. Eventually, a status window appeared before his eyes. . . ¡º¡­ah, I learned it!¡» ¡ºCongratulations. It¡¯s impressive that you learned it so quickly. This skill simply allows you to see far away, but I am sure it will be of good use.¡» ¡ºOkay, thank you. I¡¯m getting tired, so I¡¯ll cut the communication now.¡» Reito, a bit unsteady on his feet, closed the communication with Airis and breathed a sigh of relief. The next moment, sharp pain ran through his head. ¡ºAgh¡­it really hurts to keep the communication open a long time¡­¡» Reito, holding his head, was about to go back to the secret passage, when he heard a familiar voice. ¡°Y-young master!? What are you doing in a place like that!?!¡± ¡°Oh shucks¡­she found me.¡± Reito looked at the rear garden, where the voice had come from and found Aria, who was watering a patch of flowers. Maybe thanks to his newly acquired Far Sight skill, he could clearly see the anger in her expression. ¡°You rascal!! Doesn¡¯t your mother always tell you not to do dangerous things!? Bad boy, bad!¡± ¡°Bad boy, bad¡­really¡­? Anyway, I¡¯m going down now¡­¡± Reito headed towards the secret passage, but the headache started making him feel dizzy. ¡°Aah¡­!?¡± He then stumbled and started falling. ¡°Aaah!! Young master!!¡± Aria shrieked. She tossed away the water pail she was holding and rushed to catch Reito. She couldn¡¯t make it in time though. Reito seemed doomed to hit the ground but miraculously fell into the branches of the apple tree growing next to the residence. ¡°Phew¡­that was close.¡± ¡°Eeh!? Are you all right, young master!?¡± Aria came running under the apple tree and Reito casually waved at her. ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine¡­and I¡¯m glad mom loves apple trees.¡± The apple trees growing in the rear garden had been planted by the king for Aira, or so Reito was told. Aira was very fond of apples: even after they became separated, the king seemed to be looking after her to an extent. Reito stood back up and prepared to climb down the tree. That very moment, however, the branch he was standing on snapped. ¡°Whoa!?¡± His body fell straight towards the ground. (This is bad¡­! Even if I have Resilience and Break Fall, if I fall from this height¡­!!) The distance to the soil was approximately five meters. Reito instinctively protected his head with his hands, when Aria reached for him with her arms and shouted. ¡°Wind spirits, heed my call!!¡± A gust of wind blew forward from her palms. The wind pushed Reito¡¯s body upwards, softening the fall and lightly holding him in midair. Reito, surprised, looked at Aria and found her waiting under him, her arms stretched to catch him. ¡°You¡¯re okay now¡­gah!?¡± Reito tried hugging Aria, but mistakenly kicked her in the face. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry!!¡± Aria crouched down, holding her face in pain. Reito was eased down on the ground by the wind, then rushed to Aria¡¯s side. ¡°A-Aria, are you okay?¡± ¡°Honestly!! You would be dead now, if I wasn¡¯t there!!¡± Aria yelled, her eyes brimming with tears. Reito¡¯s shoulders dropped as he apologized. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry¡­¡± Aria then ordered Reito to sit down on the ground and started scolding him. Normally, it would be unthinkable for a servant to scold their master¡¯s child like that. However, their relationship was much closer than just master and servant. Which was all the more reason for Aria not to forgive Reito¡¯s behavior. ¡°Young master, you are still a child, you must stop such reckless behavior¡­if something happened to you, milady would be heartbroken.¡± ¡°Yes¡­I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Aria saw that Reito was truly remorseful, so she felt all her indignation leave her and smiled. ¡°If you won¡¯t do something like that anymore, then it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ow ow ow¡­¡± Aria tried to help Reito stand up, but he had cramped legs after sitting with his heels for such a long time, so he stumbled. Just then, his eyes fell on the flowers growing in a nearby patch. They were a rare kind, with crescent-shaped leaves. ¡°Aria, what¡¯s the name of this flower?¡± Reito was curious about them, but Aria looked at him with wonder. ¡°Oh? Are you interested in flowers, young master? Actually, to be precise these are not flowers, but medicinal herbs.¡± ¡°Medicinal herbs¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. There are many types of medicinal herbs, but this one can be used to make healing potions. You need to know how to raise it properly and have the Cultivation skill, though¡­¡± ¡°Cultivation, I see¡­do you have that skill, Aria?¡± ¡°I¡¯m an Elf, after all. We¡¯re all fairly knowledgeable about plants. I have been raising medicinal herbs since I was small. I take care of all the flowers and plants in this patch, with Lady Aira¡¯s permission.¡± So said Aria, with a hint of smugness, and Reito¡¯s eyes sparkled. He then pounced towards Aria and pleaded. ¡°Please, please, teach me too!¡± ¡°Eh¡­? Teach you¡­about medicinal herbs?¡± ¡°Yes!!¡± Aria was very surprised for Reito to be interested in raising herbs, which was normally a servant¡¯s job. His gaze, however, was nothing but serious. ¡°I could never force you to do a servant¡¯s job, though¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay with me, really! Please?¡± Aria was unsure at first, but she knew how persistent Reito could be, so she sighed and nodded. ¡°Well, I guess I could¡­but in exchange, stop asking me to show you magic, all right?¡± ¡°Okay. I already saw it once, so that¡¯s enough!¡± ¡°Y-you only wanted to see it once¡­? Very well¡­¡± Aria was taken aback by Reito¡¯s quick acceptance. She kept her promise, and taught Reito all she knew about medicinal herbs. He started taking care of the plants every day and helped Aria with the cultivation of the medicinal herbs. Volume 1 - CH 6 CHAPTER 6 One year passed, and Reito¡¯s birthday came around again. ¡°Happy birthday, Lord Reito!!!¡± ¡°Happy birthday, young master!!¡± ¡°Reito, happy birthday!!¡± ¡°Thank you, everybody!!¡± A birthday party was held for him in the residence¡¯s dining hall. His mother Aira, the maid Aria and the other servants all gathered. They didn¡¯t treat Reito coldly, even if his jobs were deemed ¡°hopeless.¡± They watched over his growth with kindness and warmth. The ¡°accursed¡± child banished by his own father was deeply moved by the presence of so many people who accepted him for who he was. Celebrated by his mother and the servants, Reito received their presents. ¡°Lord Reito, please take this. It¡¯s a new toy for you.¡± ¡°Thank you! This is¡­a wooden bird?¡± ¡°Oh no, this is a phoenix, a legendary monster said to have existed hundreds of years ago.¡± ¡°Ooh, a legendary monster¡­¡± Another servant then brought their present. ¡°Lord Reito, please look at this too!! It¡¯s a photo of the Thunder Emperor, one of the Seven Heroes all boys are crazy about!!¡± ¡°A photo? Does the technology to develop photos exist in this world?¡± ¡°Er¡­tech¡­what?¡± ¡°Ah¡­nothing, never mind. Thank you very much.¡± Reito received presents from the servants, one after the other, while thanking all of them politely. Aria gave him a wooden box. ¡°Here, young master. I made this charm myself to give to you today.¡± ¡°Thank you. Is this a vial?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a recovery potion made from medicinal herbs inside. Please always keep it with you, in case anything happens, okay?¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± (I never expected to receive a potion as a birthday present¡­) Reito accepted the charm from Aria, a slightly awkward smile on his face. The last present came from his mother. She was not smiling like before, however, but had a very serious look on her face. Aira gave Reito a wooden box coated in silver, then spoke gravely. ¡°Take this, Reito. But you must never open it.¡± ¡°Mom?¡± ¡°I planned to give it to you when you came of age, but¡­it¡¯s better for you to have it now. I¡¯ll keep the key with me, so you can¡¯t open it, but please take good care of it.¡± ¡°¡­okay.¡± Reito took the box, with some perplexity. His mother¡¯s behavior left him wondering, but he decided to treasure the small box, together with the potion vial he received from Aria. ¡ô¡ô¡ô The day after his birthday, Reito was taking care of the medicinal herbs in the flower patch behind the residence. He was still curious about the contents of the small box, but Aira said she would tell him about them when he came of age. In this world, that meant turning 15 years old, so he would only know in ten years¡¯ time. (I could ask Airis about it, but¡­) So pondered Reito, while working on the flower patch, but eventually decided to keep the promise with his mother, and stopped thinking about the wooden box for the time being. After he finished taking care of the herbs, he played with Aria. That day, he chose a game that he used to play often as a kid in his former world. ¡°Hop, hop, hop¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re so good at it, young master. What kind of game is that though?¡± Reito was moving through a series of circles drawn on the ground, hopping on one leg. Finally, he would land with both legs on the last two circles, then go back, on one leg again. In the former world, his grandparents had taught him this game, but he wasn¡¯t just playing around now: he was actually practicing Leap, one of the skills he had recently learned. ¡°Hey Aria, can you make it harder to jump from circle to circle?¡± ¡°Eh? But you won¡¯t be able to reach them if I put them farther apart.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I can do it.¡± Aria did as Reito said and increased the distance between the circles. The distance was now too large for a child to cover in a single jump, but Reito leisurely jumped from one circle to the other, thanks to his new Tech Skill ¡°Leap¡±. ¡°Hop, hop, hop!¡± ¡°Wow!! Amazing, young master!¡± Reito managed to jump over two meters, using one leg. Not once, but in rapid succession, from one circle to the other. He successfully reached the last circles, and Aria applauded him, an expression of surprise on her face. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were so athletic, young master. I¡¯m speechless, honestly.¡± ¡°Hehehe¡­¡± Reito laughed out of embarrassment for Aria¡¯s praise. (I learned Leap purely by chance, while running away from Aria¡­but it is pretty useful. I heard from Airis that there are skills that boost your physical abilities, I guess this is one of them?) Just then, however, a new doubt surfaced in Reito¡¯s mind. (Can it be used for anything other than hopscotch, though¡­?) As Reito was mulling over such thoughts, Aria walked closer and asked him a question, a curious tone in her voice. ¡°You really are unique, young master¡­how did you come up with a game like this?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t come up with it myself, though¡­ah, it¡¯s nothing, never mind.¡± ¡°Aw, of course, I mind. Oh yes, why don¡¯t I teach you a game I used to play when I was little?¡± Aria smiled as she recalled it. ¡°What game?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s a game all elves play¡­¡± Aria drew a triangle on the ground, wide enough for a person to stand in, and told Reito to stand at the center. He looked at her, curious, and Aria continued her explanation. ¡°All elves play this game at least once in their childhood. It was first created as a training method, but the kids copied it and turned it into a game.¡± ¡°Wow, a battle training game¡­¡± ¡°The rules are simple: if you can stay inside that triangle until the end, it¡¯s your win. I¡¯ll try to force you out, though, so watch out.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll force me out? How?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not allowed to touch you or use any tools¡­but I have magic!¡± Aria then pointed her palm at Reito and released a strong gust of wind, similar to the one she created when she cushioned his fall from the roof. ¡°Whoa!?¡± Unable to oppose the sudden gust, Reito was blown out of the triangle and fell on his butt. Aria smiled as she extended a hand to help him up. ¡°Aw, young master, you lost! So, what do you think of elf games?¡± ¡°Of course I lost! You always said no to showing me your magic, and now you go all out on a little kid!¡± Reito grabbed Aria¡¯s hand and stood back up, showering her with complaints, so the maid blushed violently. ¡°W-what are you saying!? I held back, you know!!¡± Aria knew she had gone a little too hard, so ¡ª still blushing ¡ª she patted Reito¡¯s clothes to brush away the dust. Reito, on the other hand, had come up with a strategy that might let him win against Aria. He returned to the triangle and asked her to play again. ¡°Hey, can we do it one more time?¡± ¡°Oh, did you like it? It¡¯s fine with me, but¡­¡± Aria was surprised but saw how eager Reito was, so she decided to let him play until he got tired. ~ They thus continued playing the elf game for about one hour, but Reito did not succeed in enduring Aria¡¯s wind even once. He fell and rolled on the ground every time, getting dirtier and muddier each time. ¡°Aria!! One more time!!¡± Reito, however, did not show any signs of giving up. Aria was having fun at first, but also because of the strain of using magic so many times, there were traces of fatigue in her expression. ¡°Haah!!¡± Aria shouted and unleashed a gust of wind. Like so many times already that day, Reito struggled a bit but was eventually blown out of the triangle. ¡°Waah!! ¡­one more time!¡± Reito stood back up immediately and returned to the triangle. Aria was tired, in more ways than one. ¡°Let¡¯s stop here, young master. If you¡¯re angry at me blowing you out suddenly the first time, I¡¯m sorry, so¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that!! Just a little more, please!¡± ¡°T-this is the last time, okay!?¡± Once again, the wind blew from Aria¡¯s palm. Reito took a lower stance, bracing for the wind pressure. He had grown used to it, little by little, and managed to stay on his feet. ¡°Not bad, young master¡­I won¡¯t hold back anymore!¡± ¡°Kh¡­!?¡± The wind pressure became stronger, shaking Reito¡¯s body. He was almost blown off his feet but somehow managed to endure it. He felt that his body was really becoming better and better at resisting the wind. (I knew it!! During the past hour, I started letting the wind flow past me! Like Leap and Break Fall can improve my physical abilities!) Reito had become able to parry the gust of wind: as proof, a status window appeared before his eyes. . . As the words appeared before Reito¡¯s eyes, he instinctively pushed his palms forward and drew a circle in the air. ¡°Haah!!¡± ¡°Waah!?¡± That very moment, the gust of wind shot from Aria¡¯s palm dispersed into the surroundings, causing her to lose balance. ¡°I did it¡­I parried the wind!¡± Reito rejoiced, pumping his fists in the air. Aria, on the other hand, looked utterly bewildered. ¡°W-what was that¡­? What in the world did you do, young master!?¡± ¡°Ah, er¡­¡± Seeing her magic nullified like that shook Aria to the core. Reito was unsure about how to explain, then decided to simply tell the truth. ¡°Well¡­I learned a skill called ¡®Circle Parry¡¯¡­when I used it, the wind kind of disappeared.¡± ¡°C-circle Parry¡­? It¡¯s a skill learned by martial artists¡­no, it can¡¯t be!! How can someone with a hopeless job learn a skill like ¡ª ah¡­ ¡± ¡°Eh¡­?¡± Aria realized what she had just said and hurriedly covered her mouth with her hands. ¡°Ah¡­I¡¯m very sorry!! I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± Aria seemed shaken to have inadvertently uttered the words ¡°hopeless job¡±, but Reito was much more shocked than her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, young master¡­how could I¡­¡± Aria quickly approached Reito and embraced him tightly, tears falling from her eyes. Reito knew that she just blurted out those words and did not truly despise him. Learning that someone as close to him as Aria secretly thought such things, however, surprised and hurt him deeply. Reito looked in the distance and spoke to Aria. ¡°It¡¯s fine, forget it¡­more importantly, your clothes will get dirty¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­I¡¯m really sorry¡­¡± Aria did not let go of Reito as she continued crying. Reito returned her embrace, but for the first time in his new life, he felt miserable because of the ¡°hopeless jobs¡± he was born with. ~ After taking a shower and cleaning up, Reito went back to his room. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like training anymore today¡­¡± So he mumbled to himself as he lay on his bed, then opened communication with Airis. ¡ºAiris.¡» ¡º¡­if you wish to keep your mind off things, I will gladly have a chat with you.¡» ¡ºIt all feels so¡­pointless.¡» Reito accepted Airis¡¯ proposal and honestly confessed his feelings. The kindness of the people around him had made him forget about the fact that people like him were discriminated against in this world. He and his mother could live comfortably because he happened to be born into the royal family, but had he been born in more normal circumstances¡­ Reito asked Airis a question. ¡ºIn the end, they treat me well just because I¡¯m the king¡¯s only son, right?¡» ¡ºIt pains me to say this, but that is correct. If you lose your current standing, your life will surely be in danger. Please, never forget it.¡» ¡ô¡ô¡ô The day after the ¡°incident¡± with Aria, Reito shut himself in his room and communicated with Airis, to talk about which skills he should focus on learning. ¡ºAiris, what skill do you think I should learn next?¡» ¡ºWell¡­I don¡¯t mind giving you advice, but you sound so cheerful. Did you overcome your sadness already?¡» ¡ºI still feel down, to be honest, but I want to focus on other things. I have to get stronger quickly, too.¡» The number of skills Reito had learned at this point already surpassed the skills an average person learned in their lifetime. In order for a ¡°hopeless job¡± holder to survive, however, further training was essential. As Airis had told him the day before, his life would always be in danger. Airis¡¯ bright voice echoed in his head. ¡ºI see. I believe we can move to the next step, then.¡» ¡ºThe next step? What¡¯s that?¡» ¡ºIt¡¯s time for you to learn your job¡¯s skills, Reito. I think you will be able to do it pretty quickly.¡» ¡ºEh? Do you mean¡­magic?¡» ¡ºIt¡¯s still too early for magic, but you should be able to learn Alchemy skills by now. Shall we begin? First, you need¡­¡» Reito carefully listened to Airis¡¯ instructions, then closed the communication. As soon as he was free to move, he went to his desk and took a metal knife and fork. ¡°Good thing I had breakfast in my room today¡­¡± It would be awkward to bump into Aria, so Reito asked for breakfast to be brought to his room, which turned out to be very helpful: he needed a knife and fork for his next training. ¡°I wonder if I can pull it off, though?¡± Reito recalled Airis¡¯ explanation. The Alchemist skills he planned to learn were ¡°Metal Transmutation¡±, ¡°Shape Change¡± and ¡°Matter Reinforcement¡±. (Airis said that ¡°Metal Transmutation¡± lets you transform a metal into another metal, with ¡°Shape Change¡± you can freely change the shape of matter, and ¡°Matter Reinforcement¡± can boost the endurance of any object¡­okay, let¡¯s start with Metal Transmutation¡­) Reito held the knife in his hands, then closed his eyes and imagined it as being as hard as a diamond. (Imagine the knife becoming sharp and hard¡­like a diamond¡­) After a while, Reito opened his eyes. He then tried stabbing one of his wooden toys with the knife. ¡°W-wow¡­¡± The knife easily pierced the doll¡¯s chest and poked out of its back. It was much sharper than any table knife: its blade shone just like a sword crafted by a master blacksmith. ¡°It¡¯s a lot sharper than before. Did I use Shape Change too, without thinking about it¡­? It¡¯s dangerous to leave it like this though¡­there.¡± Reito carefully removed the knife from the doll, then silently imagined it returning to its original shape, this time with his eyes open. The knife obediently started changing, under Reito¡¯s gaze, and regained its original shape. Reito sighed, relieved, and the status window appeared before him. . . ¡°Wow, already? It¡¯s not even been one minute, though?¡± Reito was surprised at the speed of the process, but quickly calmed his excitement and grabbed the fork this time, in order to learn Matter Reinforcement. Following Airis¡¯ advice, he tried activating the skill. ¡°Okay then¡­don¡¯t think about the material¡¯s structure or any difficult things¡­just imagine the object in your hands becoming harder¡­¡± Reito held the fork tight, simply wishing it to become harder. He then tried swinging the knife he worked on against the fork. ¡°Yaah!¡± With a shrill clang-like sound, the knife was repelled. A closer look at the tip revealed it was chipped: the fork, in the contrast, was unscathed. ¡°The knife¡¯s Metal Transmutation wore off, so it should be the same material as the fork now¡­and yet, their hardness is totally different.¡± . . The status window appeared before Reito¡¯s eyes. In less than five minutes, he had learned all three skills. ¡°I guess it¡¯s faster to learn skills meant for your job¡­¡± Happy and excited at having mastered all skills already, Reito giddily called Airis. ¡ºAi-chan~!¡» ¡ºWho are you calling like that!¡» ¡ºOh, it works even if I don¡¯t say your name properly.¡» ¡ºWe have communicated often enough for our wavelengths to match, apparently.¡» ¡ºIs that how it works?¡» Reito kept the small talk short and immediately changed the topic to alchemy. ¡ºCan you tell me why Alchemist is considered a hopeless job? It doesn¡¯t look useless at all to me, honestly.¡» Airis seemed to expect Reito would ask such a question: she replied promptly, without hesitation. ¡ºIt is true that an Alchemist¡¯s abilities themselves are excellent. As you have just tested yourself, with Metal Transmutation any metal can potentially turn into the hardest metal in this world. That is only temporary, though: after a set time, the transmutation is dispelled and the metal turns back to its original state.¡» ¡ºReally?¡» ¡ºAt your current level of ability, I think it will last for one minute at most. Besides, the hardest known *regular* metal in this world is steel, so it isn¡¯t possible to transmute metal in something harder than steel¡­for the people of this world, at least.¡» ¡º¡­? Oh, I get it! There are metals harder than steel in the world I came from! Which means that¡­¡» ¡ºCorrect. Thanks to your knowledge of your former world, you can change any metal into something harder than steel. I suppose we could say it was good luck for you to be born with the Alchemist job. You can do Metal Transmutation that no one else in this world can, after all. However¡­transmutation to magic metals, such as Mithril and Orichalcum, is not possible.¡» ¡ºIs that a problem?¡» Reito seemed to be struggling to understand, so Airis explained further. ¡ºIn this world, magic metals are the norm. Most of them are harder than steel, and there are many kinds of magic metal weapons too.¡» ¡ºI see¡­¡» ¡ºFurthermore, Alchemist is a magic-type job, so compared to Martial Artists, Warriors, or Knights, people with this job have rather low physical abilities. So even if you could craft powerful weapons, you could not use swords or spears as well as Swordsmen or Knights. Even if you make weapons, they¡¯ll be made of steel at best¡­and break all too easily if the enemy has a magic metal weapon.¡» ¡ºSeriously¡­?¡» Metal Transmutation wasn¡¯t such a useful skill, after all. Reito began to suspect this, then asked another question. ¡ºWhat about Shape Change and Matter Reinforcement, though? They can be pretty useful, can¡¯t they?¡» ¡º¡­Reito, you have tested Shape Change on a child-sized knife and fork. They are made with relatively soft metal, which is probably why you didn¡¯t realize it, but those two skills won¡¯t work well at low proficiency.¡» ¡ºEh? Proficiency?¡» Airis¡¯ explanation continued. ¡ºPlease check your status window. The ¡°Exclusive Skills¡± should have increased.¡» Reito opened the status window and noticed that it listed a new category of skills. The three skills he just learned were displayed in this ¡°Exclusive Skills¡± category and were each accompanied by numbers. . [Alchemist Exclusive Skills] Metal Transmutation ¡ª Changes object to another metal. [Proficiency: 5(max)] Matter Reinforcement ¡ª Increased endurance of object [Proficiency: 1] Shape Change ¡ª Changes shape of object [Proficiency: 1] . ¡ºYou¡¯re right, there¡¯s a weird number next to them¡­I wonder if I can wipe it¡­¡» Reito made it seem like the numbers were in the way, so Airis swiftly corrected him. ¡ºYou can¡¯t just rub them off the status window! Time is stopped now, so you can¡¯t even move in the first place¡­¡» ¡ºAw, shucks. So, what does this proficiency thing stand for?¡» ¡ºExclusive skills and other unique skills have this parameter, it means how well you have mastered it. The higher the proficiency, the more effective the skill becomes, and the burden of activating it decreases too. The highest level is 5, as you can see.¡» ¡ºIt seems similar to skills like Break Fall and Leap.¡» ¡ºTech Skills like Break Fall and Leap do not have fixed proficiency levels. You have simply become more skilled at using them, Reito.¡» ¡ºI see. Proficiency is like the rank of magic spells in games, I guess.¡» Reito seemed convinced. Airis then gave him some advice. ¡ºI would recommend you work on the proficiency level of Shape Change, first of all. That way, you will become able to change the shape of objects other than metal.¡» ¡ºOkay¡­oh? Metal Transmutation is already at 5.¡» Matter Reinforcement and Shape Change had a proficiency level of 1, but Metal Transmutation was at 5, which Airis said to be the maximum level. Reito was surprised by it, so Airis explained. ¡ºIt¡¯s not a particularly strange occurrence, actually. You already have some knowledge of metals, so you could change it to a metal that doesn¡¯t exist in this world, after all.¡» Reito heard that Metal Transmutation wasn¡¯t too useful, so he wasn¡¯t sure to be happy or not to have maxed its proficiency already¡­so he put it aside for the moment and asked about the other two skills. ¡ºOkay then, how can I raise the proficiency level of Shape Change and Matter Reinforcement?¡» ¡ºIt will raise on its own as you use them. When you have free time, why not practice using them?¡» ¡ºOkay.¡» Reito ended the communication with Airis and was able to move again. He immediately started practicing with his new skills, in order to raise their proficiency level. He activated the relatively easier to use Matter Reinforcement on the fork. The fork, however, did not show any signs of changing. ¡°Hmm, it didn¡¯t work. Aah, I see! The effect from when I used it before hasn¡¯t worn out yet!¡± Reito recalled that he had started the communication with Airis ¡ª thus stopping time ¡ª soon after he used the skill on the fork. ¡°Even if you cast Matter Reinforcement twice on the same object, you can¡¯t double the effect, then. Airis said it would go away after one minute¡­so while I wait, I¡¯ll try using Shape Change on the knife.¡± Reito attempted Shape Change on the knife, but couldn¡¯t mold it exactly as he wished. He could make the blade sharp like before but failed to make the blade itself blend. After a few more failed attempts, an idea flashed in his brain. ¡°Hard materials are difficult to mold, so they have a bad affinity with Shape Change, maybe¡­no, that¡¯s not it. If I reduce their hardness, instead, it should become easier to change their shape.¡± While mumbling to himself, Reito tried Metal Transmutation on the knife, to change it to the softer aluminum. After that, he tried using Shape Change again. The knife easily bent: the blade was now similar to a scythe used to reap grass. ¡°I did it!! So if I use Metal Transmutation one more time and restore its hardness¡­¡± Reito activated the skill and turned the knife back to the previous metal while maintaining the curved shape. ¡°Wow, it looks like it was always this shape¡­ah¡­¡± After a little time passed, however, cracks formed on the blade. Then, with a loud snap, it shattered to pieces. ¡°Aah¡­no good.¡± Maybe it was because of the low proficiency of Shape Change, or because the knife¡¯s blade couldn¡¯t endure the stress: the cause was unknown. Reito, however, realized he had a much more pressing issue to worry about. ¡°Crap, mom is going to scold me if she sees this! How can I even explain it¡­?¡± Reito carefully collected the broken knife shards. When he picked up all of them, he had an idea. ¡°What happens if I use Shape Change now¡­?¡± Reito concentrated on the shards on the palm of his hand and tried using Shape Change on them. ¡°Wow, creepy!¡± Each shard started moving as if it was alive. Reito was about to instinctively toss away the squirming shards but stopped himself just in time. He gathered them in one place, fused them together, and continued molding them. After a while, he managed to connect all the shards to a single mass, though its shape was quite irregular. He put the object next to the knife¡¯s handle, held them with his hands, and activated Shape Change again. Soon enough, the knife returned to its original shape. ¡°Yeah¡­I did it.¡± Immediately afterward, the status window appeared before Reito¡¯s eyes. . . ¡°Huh? What¡¯s this?¡± A new category, ¡°Craft Skills¡±, appeared on the status window. Curious, Reito accessed the status menu. The new ¡°Mending¡± skill was also added to the list. . [Alchemist Exclusive Skills] Metal Transmutation ¡ª Changes object to another metal. [Proficiency: 5(max)] Matter Reinforcement ¡ª Increased endurance of object [Proficiency: 1] Shape Change ¡ª Changes shape of object [Proficiency: 1] . [Craft Skills] Mending ¡ª Restores broken metal objects. . ¡±There¡¯s no proficiency level. These Craft Skills might be special skills gained when using skills in a particular way. Well, the knife is fixed¡­the shape is a little different, but no one is going to notice the difference.¡± I¡¯m not going to be scolded by mom or Aria now, thought Reito with a sigh of relief. He then looked at the knife¡¯s blade and realized *something*. ¡°¡­this might just work.¡± Reito used Shape Change on the knife again. Maybe because of the low proficiency, however, he couldn¡¯t reach his desired result. The blade just twisted in a weird shape, far from the shape he imagined. ¡°Crap¡­I guess I¡¯ll practice for now.¡± From that day onwards, Reito spent his free time trying to change the shape of anything and everything he came across, in order to master the Shape Change skill, inadvertently causing all sorts of incidents. One time, he tried to change a toy¡¯s shape, which turned into a hideous mess, but forgot to turn it back: Aria thus began to suspect he had superhuman gripping power, while Aira was worried that he hid deep, dark trauma in his heart. Another time, he tried using Shape Change on the ground and ended up creating a massive pitfall, in which Aria ¡ª outside to hang the laundry to dry ¡ª fell right in. Yet another time, he was found while he tried changing the shape of the iron fence surrounding the residence, scolded about going close to the fence, and temporarily denied any and all outings. Reito did not give up, however, and continued practicing every day. ¡ô¡ô¡ô As Reito overcame these and other accidents, half a year passed. At long last, he had raised the proficiency level of Shape Change to the maximum. Matter Reinforcement, which he practiced at the same time, was maxed out too. That day, Reito waited for the whole residence to fall asleep, then sneaked in the dining hall, in order to test the results of his training. ¡°Mwahaha¡­to one who has mastered Shape Change, keys and locks are meaningless¡­¡± Whispering with a very villain-like tone, Reito reached the dining hall, using Stealth to hide his presence. In his hand, he held a fork molded into the shape of a key. The idea Reito failed to realize six months prior was to create keys with Shape Change. He opened the door to the dining hall with the fork-key and headed toward the kitchen. His goal was to procure a kitchen knife: as soon as he did, he used Shape Change on it. The knife¡¯s blade vibrated violently. ¡°With max proficiency, I can even do stuff like this¡­¡± Reito looked at the blade, vibrating at high speed, then recalled the Shape Change training he did with Airis. Shortly after learning Shape Change, Reito was having a hard time molding the knife¡¯s blade, so Airis gave him some advice. ~ ¡ºYou¡¯re struggling with Shape Change, aren¡¯t you? At a time like this, you should recall that tool from your former world ¡ª the metronome.¡» ¡ºMetronome¡­that thing in the music room at school?¡» ¡ºCorrect, the instrument that swings left and right at a fixed tempo. I¡¯m not joking, mind you. Think of a metronome, then make the knife¡¯s blade bend left and right, with a regular rhythm.¡» ¡ºHuh? What¡¯s the point?¡» ¡ºJust try it, you¡¯ll see. At first, bend it at a wide angle, slowly. Once you get used to it, little by little reduce the angle and speed up the tempo.¡» Reito was still unconvinced but did as Airis said and started bending the knife¡¯s blade with a regular tempo. He bent the blade at a wide angle at first, slowly and surely. As the days passed, he became able to bend it more quickly and at a smaller angle. After about one week of practice, the skill¡¯s proficiency rose at a very high pace. At the same time, the blade¡¯s bending angle became smaller and smaller, while the speed was almost double the starting tempo. One month later, both Shape Change and Matter Reinforcement were at proficiency level 4. The knife now moved so fast it looked like it produced afterimages, and a sound of the blade slicing through the air could be heard. Two months after the start of training, the proficiency level of Shape Change finally reached 5: by moving the knife¡¯s blade left and right at high speed, Reito could turn it into a sort of high-frequency vibrating blade. ~ After recalling the process of his training, Reito looked at the kitchen knife again. ¡°Airis seemed to think this was just an efficient training method, but if I can make it vibrate so fast, it should be sharper as a weapon too.¡± Reito whispered to himself, then looked around, looking for something he could slice without causing too much trouble. ¡°This chair doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s being used anymore, so it should work. I can also restore it with Mending, anyway.¡± Reito prepared his high-frequency kitchen knife to strike. ¡°It always seems to work perfectly in manga and video games¡­I wonder if it¡¯s really effective, though¡­¡± Reito then swung down the knife. The moment the blade came in contact with the chair¡¯s leg¡ª ¡°Here goes nothing¡­whoa!?¡± Reito felt no response from the impact, so he ended up swinging wider than intended. The severed leg fell on the floor, as the chair lost its balance. Reito hurriedly supported the chair, but dropped the knife in the process. ¡°Oh crap!¡± The knife stabbed the floor. Its high vibration blade quickly stabbed through it and continued vibrating for a while: leaving Reito¡¯s grip probably robbed it of its energy, however, so it soon returned to being a normal kitchen knife. Reito looked at the scene, dumbfounded. ¡°¡­that was close. Too dangerous.¡± Reito fixed the chair with Mending, then forcefully extracted the knife from the floor. He then observed the blade. ¡°I might be able to fight against monsters with this, though.¡± Reito brought the knife back to the kitchen, then returned to his room. In this world there existed dangerous monsters, such as Goblins and Orcs. Reito had never encountered one, but he might have to face them in the future. Until then, he had to acquire as many skills as possible. Various thoughts raced through his mind, as he opened the door leading out of the dining room. ¡°Shape Change is really useful, though. I can open any lock with it¡­¡± He closed the door behind himself and used the fork-key to lock it. He activated Stealth and headed toward his room, but a certain door caught his eye. It was the door to the book vault, which Aria always forbade him to get close to. ¡°Aria always stopped me from going inside¡­she¡¯s not around now, though, and I can make the key¡­¡± Reito was very interested in seeing what kind of books were kept inside. It¡¯d be great if I could find books about magic¡­with such lighthearted feelings, he pushed the fork in the lock, changed its shape accordingly, and opened the door. ¡°Pardon my intrusion¡­wow, what¡¯s this place¡­?¡± The room was pitch black. Thanks to Night Vision, however, Reito could see as if it was noon. The study was much smaller than expected: even smaller than Reito¡¯s child room. ¡°This is a small study, not a vault¡­¡± Reito looked around the room but found only one bookshelf. He walked closer to it and examined what kind of books it contained. ¡°What the¡­they¡¯re all black.¡± All the books on the shelves had black covers. Reito checked a few of them, but none seemed to even have a title. Perplexed, Reito opened one of the books. Thanks to the Translation skill, he had no trouble understanding the contents. The moment he started reading, however, he was utterly shocked. ¡°This is¡­!?¡± The book contained a list of members of the royal family and vassals of the kingdom, each paired with a cause of death. That was not exactly shocking by itself, but¡­ ¡­the cause of death next to most names in the list was ¡°assassination¡±. Furthermore, the specifics about the assassination method and other details followed too. Information so precise and comprehensive that it could only be recorded by the assassin themselves. ¡°So¡­the assassin wrote this!? All these books have the same binding, could it be that they¡¯re all records left by the assassins¡­!?¡± Reito took other books from the shelf and flipped through the pages. All of them, however, contained similar lists of royal family members and their cause of death. ¡°It explains why Aria wouldn¡¯t let me go in here¡­hm?¡± Reito¡¯s eyes caught the last name recorded in the book he was scanning and his hands stopped. His voice trembled. ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­there¡¯s mom¡¯s name, and my name too¡­¡± The last names were indeed Aira and Reito. The space reserved for the cause of death is still blank¡­but if our names are here, it means our assassination is planned¡­and these blank spaces will be filled¡­ So thought Reito, then whispered to himself. ¡°This is the worst¡­but there are plenty of other people with no cause of death here. Does it mean that they didn¡¯t cause trouble, so they weren¡¯t killed¡­?¡± Even if Reito and Aira¡¯s names were in the book, maybe their assassination was not set in stone. Nevertheless, Reito felt that he learned a terrible secret. A sense of dread overcame him: he hurriedly put the book back and fled from the room before anyone could see him. ~ Back in his room, Reito opened communication with Airis. He told her everything he saw in the book vault, but Airis did not seem surprised: it was like she knew everything already. ¡ºI see¡­you have finally learned the secret. The books you have found are the records left by the assassins responsible for the murder of important figures in the kingdom.¡» ¡ºWhy is there something like that here¡­? Or¡­they are here because of this place¡­¡» ¡ºThat is correct. This residence is separated from the outside world, making it ideal to hide the kingdom¡¯s dark secrets. Even if the book vault was found by someone¡­that someone cannot leave this residence¡¯s premises after all.¡» Learning that the residence was cut off from the outside world and impossible to leave shocked Reito even more. ¡ºI see¡­wait, but if that¡¯s true, how can we live here like this? Food and other supplies are brought to this residence every day.¡» ¡ºSupplies are brought to a storage area under the residence. There is a teleportation magic circle there, which they use to send supplies. Living beings cannot be teleported, by the way. When you were brought to this residence, they used an airship.¡» At the time, Reito was still a newborn and was sleeping, so he didn¡¯t know how exactly they arrived at the residence. Reito, surprised, asked another question. ¡ºAn airship? They have things like that?¡±¡» ¡ºThey are fundamentally different from the ones in your world, but yes. In any case, to access or leave this residence, the only way is to travel through the air.¡» ¡ºSeriously¡­? I have to learn how to fly¡­¡» Reito was still dumbfounded, but Airis changed the topic and said something curious. ¡ºLeaving that aside, that attack you did with Shape Change was pretty interesting. No one in this world would have ever come up with something like that. You might as well learn some ¡°Swordsmanship¡± skills, why not?¡» Airis was referring to Reito¡¯s high-frequency kitchen knife naturally. He thought that it might become useful for self-defense, so he was a bit surprised that she took it so seriously. ¡ºBut I¡¯m a Magician?¡» ¡ºWell, it¡¯s not like you can¡¯t learn skills for Swordsmen or Warriors. If you put in enough effort, you should be able to learn Swordsman¡¯s Battle Arts too. It will definitely be difficult, but there are many useful skills you could learn. You might be surprisingly good at it, Reito.¡» Reito pondered Airis¡¯ words for a little while. He then recalled about his ¡°hopeless jobs¡± and asked her a question. ¡ºMy physical abilities are worse than someone with those jobs, right?¡» ¡ºThere are skills that boost your physical abilities, so you can learn them to fill in for what you lack. You might be able to use the skills you have learned this far and create a new sword style even!¡» ¡ºA new sword style¡­well, I admit that I¡¯d love to be able to fight with a sword¡­¡» Reito couldn¡¯t hide his excitement. Influenced by comics and video games when he was little, he often dreamed of becoming a sword-wielding main character. ¡ºRealistically speaking, though, I¡¯m still only 5 years old, so I guess it¡¯s too early to use a sword¡­¡» ¡ºYou don¡¯t need to train seriously from the start, just play with it at first. The important thing is to have a sword in hand daily. If you ask Aria for some chopping wood, you could mold it into a wooden sword.¡» ¡ºNow that you mention it, she chops wood sometimes¡­¡» Aria was in charge of firewood. She was physically stronger than her appearance suggested and often chopped it with an axe. Reito remembered seeing her doing it, so he made it a point to ask her the next day. He then recalled something, so he talked to Airis about it. ¡ºThat book vault was really strange, though. I hoped I could find at least one book about magic¡­¡» ¡ºIf you want to know about magic, you could just ask me. More importantly, no one saw you, I hope. I would hate it if they decided to assassinate you because you learned of the kingdom¡¯s secret.¡» Airis¡¯ tone was playful, but she seemed to be earnestly worried about Reito. ¡ºDon¡¯t worry. I used Stealth and locked the door again too. I don¡¯t think anyone noticed.¡» ¡ºI do hope that¡¯s true¡­¡» Airis sounded concerned, so Reito replied with confidence. The possibility of anyone finding out about Reito¡¯s actions that night was indeed low. Other than Stealth, he also learned a skill called ¡°Soundless Walk¡±, so he could even erase the sound of his footsteps. At the same time, however, Reito had made a serious mistake: he had forgotten to restore the hole created in the kitchen¡¯s floor by the high-frequency knife. The very next day, Aria tripped and fell because of that hole. Reito was thus suspected of having opened that hole to pull a prank, so the angry Aria gave him the silent treatment for a little while. Volume 1 - CH 7 CHAPTER 7 Six years have passed since Reito was reborn in the new world. That day, he woke up early and practiced the sword in the rear garden. He swung the wooden sword Aria made for him, focused with his whole body and mind. ¡°Shah!! Haah! Waah! Kweh!¡± ¡°That last yell was pretty silly, young master¡­¡± ¡°Wafful!!¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re just asking for sweets!¡± ¡°Hah¡­Aria¡­is it time for breakfast¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. How long have you been swinging that sword¡­? You¡¯re dripping with sweat¡­¡± Reito had taken off his shirt before starting swinging practice, so Aria brought him a towel. His body was still immature, but because of the daily practice, it was well built for his age. His swings also had much better form than the beginning. In the last six months, Reito had acquired the Swordsmanship skill. It simply boosted the speed of his swings. Likewise, he also learned a new Battle Art. To finish his training, he swung his sword down through the air. ¡°Helmet Splitter!!¡± Reito had raised the wooden sword over his head and brought it swooping down, in a blow faster than the norm. It was a Battle Art normally used with axes: Reito had learned it after imitating Aria¡¯s motions when she chopped wood. Aria, with a sigh, handed Reito a bucket of water. ¡°You¡¯re such a strange boy, young master. You have a magic-type job, but you learned a Battle Art for sword users¡­I¡¯ve never seen anyone like that before.¡± ¡°Wah¡­it¡¯s cold!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, let¡¯s wash away the sweat now¡­¡± Aria wiped Reito¡¯s sweat. He entrusted his body to her and looked at the wooden sword. All he learned through the practice swings was just ¡°Swordsmanship¡± and ¡°Helmet Splitter¡±. To learn other skills and Battle Arts, he had to actually fight. No one would ever seriously train a 6-year-old boy though. Reito tried asking Aria, but she never accepted his requests to be his sparring partner. Reito tried once again to win her over. ¡°You really can¡¯t fight with a sword, Aria?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a magic user, I told you¡­even if I could, I would never teach you anyway, young master. I finished wiping you, let¡¯s go to the dining hall.¡± ¡°Okay¡­aah, my soul hungers for battle¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you talk like a berserker now¡­let¡¯s go already.¡± The distance between Reito and Aria had grown wider for a time, but they were now back to normal. While following her to the dining hall, Reito looked at the wooden sword, her present. He had made it sharper with Shape Change and improved its endurance with Matter Reinforcement, so for a wooden sword, it was very practical and easy to use. Effects created with alchemy skills faded over time, of course, but when he used them he could even chop through wood with the sword. (Matter Reinforcement is what let me learn Helmet Splitter too, now that I think about it.) On his way to breakfast, Reito was lost in thought. (Until now, I just had to follow Airis¡¯ advice, but learning new skills has become harder and harder. I should ask her if there¡¯s something I can do¡­) When they arrived in the dining hall, everyone else had already finished breakfast. After breakfast, Reito returned to his room and immediately started communication with Airis. ¡ºAiemooon!¡» ¡ºWhat part of me looks like a cat robot from the future, Reibita-kun?¡» Unexpectedly, Airis humored Reito¡¯s joking way of calling her. ¡ºYou even know these things from my world.¡» ¡ºWell, I am the manager of the interdimensional space, after all. Gathering information and knowledge from your world is all too simple.¡» ¡ºReally¡­so do you know how my parents are doing too?¡» Reito asked the first question that came up in his mind, but Airis¡¯ reply was nothing but serious. ¡º¡­do you really want to know?¡» ¡ºNo¡­never mind. I have a new family in this world, after all.¡» Airis probably realized how Reito truly felt, so she changed the topic. ¡ºBy the way, you¡¯re working very hard on your sword swings. Is it going well?¡» ¡ºWell, I learned skills, but just two¡­I feel kind of stuck, to be honest.¡» ¡º¡­I see. Without someone to practice against, it¡¯s not easy, is it¡­oh yes! Why don¡¯t you try learning different skills then?¡» ¡ºI had the same idea, actually. What skills do you think I should learn?¡» Airis¡¯ tone became sort of playful. ¡ºIt¡¯s time to practice magic, don¡¯t you think? Truthfully, it is still early, but I think you could be able to manage it now.¡» ¡ºMagic!?¡» The long-awaited words filled Reito with joy, to the point most of his restraint flew out of the window. ¡ºMagic!! Teach me magic, now!! Or else I won¡¯t talk to you anymore!!!¡» ¡ºHey!! Did your mind become a baby¡¯s too!? Calm down¡­! You¡¯re the one that will be in trouble if we don¡¯t talk anymore!¡» ¡ºThat¡¯s true¡­sorry, I got too excited.¡» Airis waited for Reito to settle down, then explained in detail about the magic he should try to acquire. ¡ºYour main job, Support Magician, is specialized in magic spells that provide support to your allies ¡ª exactly as the name says. Its exclusive skills are three: ¡°Muscle Boost¡±, ¡°Magic Boost¡± and ¡°Recovery Boost¡±.¡» ¡ºI see, I see¡­what exactly do they do?¡» ¡ºFirst, Muscle Boost. This spell increases the target¡¯s physical prowess. Its effects depend on the proficiency level: if you master it, this spell can improve physical abilities up to five times, even!¡» ¡ºWow!!¡» Learning that the skill was much more powerful than expected, Reito grew even more excited. Airis, however, promptly shut down his rising fever. ¡ºAfter the spell wears off, however, the body will pay the price for being pushed past its limits¡­causing most people to collapse on the spot.¡» ¡ºEh!?¡» ¡ºNext, Magic Boost. This spell improves the power of offensive magic. If you master it, the target¡¯s spells will be five times more powerful than normal!!¡» ¡ºWhoa, amazing!!¡» ¡ºNaturally, they will also use five times as much magic power.¡» ¡ºWha¡­.¡» As it turns out, both Muscle Boost and Magic Boost came at a considerable price. Reito was utterly dejected, but Airis¡¯ explanation continued. ¡ºLastly, Recovery Boost. This spell improves the target¡¯s natural recovery abilities. It takes more time than standard healing magic, but can definitely heal the target.¡» ¡º¡­this one doesn¡¯t have any disadvantages?¡» ¡ºThe recovery speed is a bit slow, but that¡¯s about it.¡» Recovery Boost did not seem to have a harsh cost like the two spells before it. Its effects weren¡¯t very special either, though¡­ Airis then said she would reveal a very useful piece of information to Reito. ¡ºThe major characteristic of the Support Magician job is its magic power capacity, which is one of the highest among all jobs. In video game terms, imagine a job that has a massive amount of MP, but barely any useful spells.¡» ¡ºOh¡­I¡­see¡­¡» Airis¡¯ merciless evaluation had Reito feel rather conflicted. That wasn¡¯t the only negative trait of the Support Magician job, however. ¡ºIts greatest demerit, however, is the inability to learn Blast Magic.¡» ¡ºBlast Magic? Like shooting with a gun or a cannon?¡» ¡ºWell, in simple terms, you shoot magic power like a laser beam¡­which is also called Magic Cannon.¡» ¡ºSo basically, you can shoot magic beams from your hands¡­¡» ¡ºYes, exactly. Blast Magic has high offensive power: even the low-grade spells that apprentices can learn are capable of defeating about 10 Goblins at once. The high offensive power, however, means that its magic power consumption is high too. It can¡¯t be used in rapid succession, and the number of times it can be used in a day is also pretty limited.¡» In any case, this high-powered Blast Magic was not unavailable to the Support Magician job. Timidly, Reito asked another question. ¡ºCan the Support Magician learn any offensive magic, in the end¡­?¡» ¡ºWell, it can, but¡­other than Support Magic, it only has access to basic grade magic spells, which all not magic-oriented jobs can learn too.¡» ¡ºBasic grade magic¡­it definitely doesn¡¯t seem strong¡­¡» ¡ºWell, it¡¯s also called lifestyle magic, after all. It¡¯s not impossible to use it in battle, but¡­¡» After Airis¡¯ explanation ended, Reito was completely down in the dumps. He finally understood why the Support Magician was considered a hopeless job, though. He pulled himself together and reorganized Airis¡¯ explanation. ¡ºSo, the Support Magician only has not very efficient Support Magic and can¡¯t use Blast Magic, one of the greatest weapons of Magician jobs. The basic grade magic it can learn has very limited offensive abilities.¡» ¡ºThat¡¯s right. But there is a way to limit the burden of Support Magic on the body, though.¡» ¡ºEh? Really!?¡» ¡ºWhat do you think that could be?¡» The sudden question threw Reito for a loop. He started thinking and quickly realized that Recovery Magic, the only one of the three without clear disadvantages, had to be the key. ¡ºMaybe, with Recovery Magic¡­?¡» ¡ºCorrect. By using magic that boosts the target¡¯s natural recovery abilities, it is possible to lessen the burden on its body to the minimum.¡» In other words, Recovery Boost could lessen the damage caused by Muscle Boost to the target¡¯s body. Reito assimilated the explanation and a new question popped up in his mind. ¡ºHmm? Then, depending on how you use it, Support Magic can be pretty useful too, right?¡» ¡ºThat might be true. Even so, Support Magicians, unable to use Blast Magic, is still considered a hopeless job. In this world, Magicians are highly regarded as an offensive type of job, even more than Swordsmen or Warriors. Blast Magic is the most efficient way to deal with monsters, after all.¡» Despite Airis¡¯ words, the Support Magician was not clearly inferior to other jobs. Reito was convinced of it and swore to himself to master his job¡¯s true potential. ¡ô¡ô¡ô After the communication with Airis, Reito went to the rear garden. ¡°Okay then, without further ado¡­¡± After some light stretching, Reito tried casting the spell. ¡°¡­Muscle Boost!¡± Reito¡¯s body glowed in a white light, which faded after an instant. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like anything changed¡­did it really work?¡± Unsure of the actual effects of the spell, Reito tried using the Leap skill. He jumped forward, and¡ª ¡°Here goes¡­whoooa!?¡± ¡ª ended up jumping much farther than expected. His momentum was so great that he missed his landing and stumbled, but managed not to fall. Reito turned around, to look at the distance he jumped. Normally, the Leap skill allowed him to jump four meters at most. After activating Muscle Boost, he had jumped at least six meters. ¡°And I just jumped a little¡­¡± Reito then opened the status window and checked Muscle Boost¡¯s proficiency. The menu displayed the skill¡¯s proficiency level as ¡°1¡±. ¡°Airis said that the skill will be five times as effective if proficiency is maxed out¡­at level 1, I guess it¡¯s a 150% boost?¡± As Reito reached this conclusion, a jolt of pain suddenly struck his muscles. ¡°Gwah!?¡± The pain was so strong that he couldn¡¯t stand anymore: he looked at his legs and found them shaking visibly. Reito then hurriedly cast Recovery Boost. ¡°R-Recovery Boost¡­!¡± The spell caused his body to glow white once, just like when he activated Muscle Boost. Little by little, he felt the pain leave his body. His legs stopped trembling and, after about 30 seconds, he could move again freely. ¡°Phew, it¡¯s finally gone¡­it¡¯s too slow to be used as healing magic though¡­¡± Airis explained that Recovery Boost healed the body by boosting its natural recovery abilities. Reito¡¯s proficiency level was still low, so he could only heal light injuries. She had also added that it could heal minor damage, but not missing limbs or any such grave wounds. ¡°People with Healing Magician jobs can send their magic power inside the target¡¯s body and restore even missing limbs apparently¡­¡± Reito was disappointed by the minimal effects of Recovery Boost, but shook the feeling away and switched to the next experiment: the last Support Magic spell, Magic Boost. ¡°Here goes¡­Magic Boost!¡± Reito tried casting the spell on himself¡­but unlike before, there was no white glow this time. Just then, he recalled something Airis told him. ¡°Oh wait¡­Magic Boost doesn¡¯t work on the caster¡¯s own body¡­!!¡± Airis had indeed explained that, while Muscle Boost and Recovery Boost could be cast on the user¡¯s own body, Magic Boost influenced magic power, so it was not to be used on magic itself. Reito thought of asking Aria to use magic on him and to attempt Magic Boost on it but quickly discarded the idea. ¡°No, how am I supposed to explain that I learned magic out of the blue¡­? Aria won¡¯t show me her magic, anyway¡­¡± Aria did not use her magic anymore in front of Reito, since their game in the garden, maybe to prevent Reito from showing more interest in it. Feeling stuck, Reito looked down at his feet¡­and the flower patch, as well as the medicinal herbs growing in it, caught his eye. ¡°It influences magic power¡­wait, there is a medicinal herb that restores magic power, right¡­¡± Reito remembered Aria telling him about that strange kind of herb with such effects when they worked together on the patch. It had unique blue star-shaped petals and was aptly called ¡°Magic Power Herb¡±. According to Aria, the plant itself contained a small quantity of magic power. ¡°If it really does have magic power, Magic Boost should work¡­¡± Reito pointed his palm at the Magic Power Herb. To avoid any potential trouble, he picked one of the herbs he had grown himself, the frailest looking one. ¡°¡­Magic Boost.¡± For one instant, the herb glowed white. The next instant, its withering petals became a luscious, deeper blue, brimming with color and vitality. ¡°Yes, it worked! Now I can practice Magic Boost too!!¡± Volume 1 - CH 8 CHAPTER 8 Days of intensive magic training thus started for Reito. He activated both Muscle Boost and Recovery Boost during his daily sword swings, and when he took care of the herbs he used Magic Boost. This was all part of Reito¡¯s daily training. At first, he could only use magic 10 times a day, but after just one month, that number had climbed as high as 30 times. During the special training, however, another issue surfaced. The Magic Power Herbs tended by Reito grew at a much higher speed than the others. Aria started suspecting something was going on, so he was forced to practice Magic Boost on something other than the herbs. After testing various things, he settled on the apple tree growing in the garden. He was surprised that Magic Boost worked on what seemed like any other tree, but he practiced casting Magic Boost on the tree while pretending to nap under it, so he could continue his training without anyone noticing. Even if he practiced every day, the proficiency level of Support Magic increased at a very slow pace, which was another reason why Support Magician was considered a hopeless job. Reito had more than enough time on his hands, however, so he could practice to his heart¡¯s content every day. Such days of fervent training passed one after the other: eventually, Reito reached his 7th birthday. For Reito, it meant that he now had a new duty: studying. ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¡°Young master! It¡¯s time to study! We have to do writing practice today!¡± Reito was playing in his room, when a very eager Aria came in, carrying a small pile of textbooks. Reito looked at Aria and sighed. ¡°I told you I can write already! Come on, there are other things I want to study! Like magic!¡± ¡°No can do, young master!! The basics are the most important thing! Even if your handwriting is better than mine, I will not allow it!¡± ¡°But why!? ¡­you¡¯ve got personal reasons, don¡¯t you..?¡± Thanks to the Translation skill, Reito did not need to learn how to read or write. Aria did not know that, however, so she made him practice both every day. There was also another reason why Aria was so passionate. When Reito¡¯s studies started and she wrote him a character sample to practice with, not only could he already write, but his handwriting was better than hers. Aria was so shocked that she started practicing to improve her own calligraphy, disguising it as reading and writing practice for Reito. Reito was a teenager when he was reborn in this world, so his knowledge naturally surpassed a child¡¯s level. He had also learned all sorts of things about this world from Airis, so he had little need to study. He could not exactly say that, however, so he ended up having to do as Aria said. That day, after reading and writing practice a history lesson would follow. Airis had told Reito about this world¡¯s history, but he used Aria¡¯s lessons to confirm and complement his knowledge. ¡°Listen well, young master. There are six races in this world: Humans, Elves, Beasts, Giants, Demons, and Dwarves. Do you know the differences between these races?¡± ¡°Humans are the most numerous race and have high intellect. Elves have especially long life spans and have powerful magic. Beasts have both human and animal-like traits. Giants have massive, sturdy bodies. Demons can have various appearances and abilities, but their intellect is on par with humans. Lastly, the Dwarves have an aggressive temperament, but many of them are skilled craftsmen. They can make special weapons like Holy Swords and Magic Swords¡­right?¡± Reito answered without any doubt or hesitation, leaving Aria wide-eyed in surprise. ¡°C-correct¡­amazing, young master! It felt like you were reading from a textbook¡­¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing¡­¡± I just repeated word for word what Airis taught me, after all. Reito felt a bit guilty for tricking Aria, then looked at one of the books she brought, which detailed the kingdom¡¯s history. The kingdom of Bartros had a history of circa 300 years: it was the largest country in the world and was ruled by Humans. The other races that governed countries were only the Beasts, the Giants, and the Dwarves: Elves and Demons did not found their own state. Reito knew that there were violent conflicts among the six races in the past, but he learned from the textbook that one of the past Bartros kings brought an end to such wars and made the six races sign a treaty. He said it to Aria and she leaned forward, excited. ¡°The blood of a legendary king runs in your veins, young master! You must remember not to bring shame to such a legacy!¡± ¡°Even if the ancestors were legends, it doesn¡¯t mean the descendants are too. Besides, I¡¯m not even allowed to consider myself a member of the royal family¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Aria realized her blunder and hurriedly apologized, then her expression clouded. Reito did not care about not being allowed to say he was a royal or about his father¡¯s lack of love: he was more worried about the fact that his words made Aria sad. In order to change the topic, he asked her a question. ¡°By the way, Aria, can you use basic grade magic?¡± ¡°Basic grade magic? Do you mean lifestyle magic? Yes, of course. I¡¯m not very good at magic other than Spirit Magic, though¡­wait? How do you know about basic grade magic, young master¡­?¡± Reito quickly made up an excuse to sway Aria¡¯s suspicion. ¡°I-I just read a picture book where the main character used it! Can you please show it to me? I really want to see what kind of magic it actually is¡­¡± ¡°Hmm, I have the feeling there¡¯s something you¡¯re not telling me here¡­oh, fine, it¡¯s not dangerous anyway. Lifestyle magic is something you can use without the risk of causing trouble.¡± Aria usually refused to show Reito any kind of magic, but basic grade magic was apparently an exception, thanks to not being dangerous. Aria lightly rotated her shoulders. ¡°Okay then, let¡¯s take a little break from studying, I¡¯ll show you basic grade magic. Watch well¡­if you have enough affinity, you might be able to use it.¡± ¡°Affinity¡­¡± ¡°Let me explain in easy terms. You see, magic is¡­¡± Aria¡¯s explanation could be summarized as follows. In this world, magic could be mainly categorized into seven elements: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Lightning, Holy, and Dark. Affinity to the seven elements was more or less decided by one¡¯s race and job: Humans were proficient in Fire magic, Elves in Wind magic, and so forth. Water magic was a specialty of the creatures called ¡°Merfolk¡±, while Dwarves excelled in Earth magic. Very few individuals, of any race, specialized in Lightning magic, while many Beasts had a great affinity with Holy magic. Lastly, those with the Necromancer job often favored Dark magic. Other than the seven basic elements, there were also higher grade ones, such as the Storm and Flame element, but individuals capable of using them were extremely rare. Aria, being an Elf, had a high affinity with the Wind element, but it did not mean she could not use other elements: in fact, she knew Water and Earth elemental spells too. Elves, however, had a notoriously bad affinity with the Fire element, and she was no exception: she could not use any Fire spells. Only Dark Elves, a subspecies of the Elven race, could use Fire elemental spells. ¡°Basic grade magic, also called lifestyle magic, consists in spells with low offensive power. If you practice using them you can raise their proficiency level, but I have never heard of anyone actually using it as offensive magic in battle.¡± ¡°Really¡­so, what kind of magic is it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t expect too much¡­allow me to show you, then! Final attack, Wind Pressure!!¡± Aria raised her right hand and chanted a spell. At the same time, the wind started whirling on her palm. ¡°Ooh!?¡± It was showier than Reito expected, so he couldn¡¯t help but react loudly. ¡°Haah!!¡± Aria thrust her palm forward and the wind swirling on her hand shot towards Reito. Reito felt the wind on his face and instinctively braced for impact ¡ª but the mildly strong gust simply swept past him. Reito cocked his head to the side, perplexed, as Aria turned off the wind and wiped the sweat off her forehead. ¡°Phew¡­this uses up magic power, so that¡¯s all for now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it!?¡± Reito reacted with loud surprise, but Aria replied calmly. ¡°I told you to keep your expectations low! Honestly¡­anyway, this is basic grade magic.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± Reito could not hide his disappointment: it was much more underwhelming than he anticipated. Aria¡¯s wind pressure basic grade magic had very low offensive power¡­if it had any at all. There was no way to use it in battle. ¡°The other basic grade magic spells are even more pitiful, you know. Do you want to see them all the same?¡± ¡°Well, just in case¡­¡± ¡°I will show you the water spell next, then¡­Ice Block!!¡± ¡°Ooh!?¡± Aria clasped her palms together and focused: a baseball-sized sphere of ice formed from her hands, spreading cold air in the surroundings. Reito¡¯s excitement grew, but Aria suddenly released her hands and staggered a bit. ¡°Aah¡­I just can¡¯t pull it off¡­¡± ¡°Eh? What do you mean?¡± Aria held her hands in apology. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, young master, that seems to be my limit. I did my best, but I cannot handle elements other than Wind well¡­¡± ¡°Then, someone good at using those elements can make it look more impressive, right? How does that spell really turn out?¡± Reito¡¯s question contained a glimmer of hope, which was flatly dashed by Aria¡¯s answer. ¡°Eh? It makes ice, that¡¯s it. Well, objects created through magic vanish quickly, so it won¡¯t last long though.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point in making it¡­?¡± ¡°You can cool your body on a hot day. If you use magic for that, though, you¡¯d start sweating even more¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no point then. What about Earth magic?¡± ¡°Please wait a moment¡­oh yes, let¡¯s use that.¡± Aria pointed at a plant vase in the corner of the room. She brought it closer and pointed her palm at the soil inside. ¡°Watch well, young master. Earth Block!!¡± Aria chanted another spell. In contrast with her enthusiastic incantation, however, the plant vase was apparently unfazed. ¡°¡­nothing happened¡­?¡± ¡°Oh no, you must look closer!¡± Aria excitedly pointed at the soil inside the vase. ¡°Can you see? The soil increased a little here!¡± ¡°Lame!!¡± Reito, triggered by the utter insignificance of the spell¡¯s scale, couldn¡¯t help but react harshly. Aria was a bit shaken by his momentum but explained more in detail about Earth Block. ¡°It¡¯s more useful than Ice Block, though. You can use it to send nutrients to the soil, so it can help create an environment where plants grow more.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s really surprisingly useful!!¡± ¡°It¡¯s also one of the reasons why basic grade magic is called lifestyle magic. If you raise the proficiency level, you can manipulate soil with it.¡± Aria paused for a moment, then seemed to recall something. ¡°Now that I think about it, we never checked your elemental affinities, did we, young master? It¡¯s too expensive to do it with an Appraisal Tome, so I¡¯ll use a simple method. Can you try doing what I just did?¡± ¡°What did you just do? You mean basic grade magic?¡± Aria nodded to Reito. ¡°Yes. Humans are generally good at Fire magic, but sometimes they also have Wind affinity. Please try to activate the Wind Pressure spell I did first.¡± ¡°Okay then¡­¡± Reito imitated the way Aria held her hands and chanted the spell¡¯s name. ¡°¡­Wind Pressure!¡± That very instant, a whirlpool of wind, far larger than the one Aria produced, rose from Reito¡¯s palms. Reito was surprised to successfully activate the spell so easily, but recalled Aria¡¯s motions and pushed his palm forward. The whirlpool then unleashed a powerful gust of wind. Reito hurriedly waved his hands to cancel the wind, but all books and papers in the room were scattered everywhere. ¡°H-hey!? What was that power? How can it be stronger than my Wind Pressure¡­?¡± Aria was naturally surprised: on the other hand, Reito was completely taken aback. ¡°That was shocking¡­¡± The status window appeared before Reito¡¯s eyes. . . ¡°Wow, I learned it just like that.¡± Reito checked his status and realized that he had also learned Ice Block and Earth Block, even if he just watched Aria use them. It was thus revealed that Reito had an affinity to three magic elements. Aria, wide-eyed, finally managed to open her mouth. ¡°Anyway¡­it¡¯s unbelievable¡­to be able to cast basic grade magic with such power¡­young master, could it be that you¡¯re a genius?¡± ¡°No, it was just a fluke¡­anyway, I wonder if I can learn other basic grade magic spells too. Is there anyone else who can use basic grade magic in the residence?¡± ¡°Well, the mistress can use Fire magic¡­but it¡¯s more dangerous than other elements, so I don¡¯t know if she will agree to teach you.¡± ¡°I see. Okay, I¡¯ll ask mom!¡± Reito immediately scampered out of the room. ¡°H-hey, young master! What about studying¡­gwah!?¡± Aria hurriedly chased after Reito, but her feet were caught in the textbooks strewn on the floor, sending her face flat on the floor. Reito took advantage of the opportunity to activate Muscle Boost and Recovery Boost, then used Leap to move quickly through the corridor. In the blink of an eye, he arrived at his mother Aira¡¯s room. ¡°Mother!!¡± ¡°Oh, Reito. Did you run away from the textbooks? Hehe.¡± Reito suddenly barged into the room and Aira smiled at him. She often hid Reito when he was on the run from the servants, so she thought he had escaped Aria¡¯s lesson and sought shelter in her room. Reito immediately approached the main topic. ¡°Mother, can you use the Fire spell of basic grade magic?¡± ¡°Basic grade magic? Yes, of course I can, but¡­¡± ¡°Can you please show it to me?¡± Aira was a bit confused by Reito¡¯s sudden strange request but thought he had to have his reasons and nodded. She pointed her palm upwards and chanted the spell. ¡°¡­Fireball.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± A flaming sphere appeared on Aira¡¯s palm. She then manipulated it, making it fly all around the room. Reito looked at Aira¡¯s control of the spell, then tried imitating her. He pointed his palm upwards, as she did, and chanted the spell¡¯s name. ¡°Fireball.¡± The globe of fire formed on his palm, all too easily. ¡°Oh my, you can use it too!?¡± Aira was impressed by Reito successfully casting the spell on his first try, but quickly noticed the abnormality of his Fireball. Its size was about two times larger than Aira¡¯s. Reito then tried moving the Fireball. Slowly but surely, it started floating around him. ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s pretty hard to make it move¡­¡± ¡°Yes¡­that¡¯s right¡­¡± Aira looked at Reito manipulated the Fireball with utter shock. It had taken her about one month of practice before she could control the Fireball at will. Reito, however, had learned how to cast the spell and control it ¡ª all in one day. Reito was too focused on practicing the spell to notice his mother¡¯s reaction. After a little while, he could already control the Fireball perfectly. After a bit more exercise, Reito reduced the size of the Fireball and put it out by clasping his hands together. He then looked at Aira with a bright smile. ¡°This spell seems really convenient. You can use it for cooking and other things¡­¡± ¡°R-right¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I should go now. Thank you very much, mother!!¡± Before Aira could say anything, Reito ran out of the room. Now alone in her room, Aira was still dumbfounded. She was moved by learning that her son possessed a natural talent for magic, of course. As such a joy grew within her, however, she recalled his particular situation and her expression stiffened. ¡°To be able to control magic so well at his age¡­if only he wasn¡¯t born a Support Magician, he could have become king¡­¡± Reito was already too far for his mother¡¯s laments to reach his ears. If he had heard her words, he would surely be hurt ¡ª as even his own mother pitied him. ~ After leaving his mother¡¯s room, Reito did not return to his room to study with Aria but decided to go practice magic by himself. If he did it in the rear garden or other open spaces he would be found in no time, so he decided to go on the roof. After drawing this conclusion, Reito immediately went to the garret and climbed the ladder onto the roof. He looked around to make sure no one could see him, then started chanting. ¡°Fireball¡­yeah, I can use this easily already¡­¡± Reito created a fireball on his fingertip and made sure he could manipulate it at will. He couldn¡¯t move it as quickly as Aira did, but felt that he would become able to control it nimbly with more practice. After that, a new idea flashed in his head. ¡°I wonder if you can create two Fireballs at once?¡± He tried focusing on this concept and a Fireball appeared in each of his hands. He made the Fireballs float in midair before him, then tried creating more: there were now a total of four. It all went rather smoothly until now, but no matter how much he concentrated, he couldn¡¯t create a fifth Fireball. ¡°Hmm, so my limit is four. But if I raise the proficiency level, I bet I can make more.¡± Reito put out the four Fireballs for the time being. He then started practicing the other magic spells. ¡°I used Wind Pressure already, so let¡¯s try Ice Block and Earth Block, since I only learned them. Earth Block doesn¡¯t look like it could be useful in battle¡­no, wait. I could dig pitfalls or use the earth to block enemy attacks. That could be pretty useful.¡± Reito wanted to try Earth Block first but then realized that there was no soil to be found on the roof. He felt kind of disappointed at himself, then switched to the Ice Block spell. ¡°Ice Block!!¡± He focused magic power on his palm and a block of ice appeared on it. The Ice Block Aria created was more or less the size of a baseball, but Reito¡¯s was easily double its size. He then tried manipulating it, as he did with Fireball. It didn¡¯t work as well, however. Compared to fire, ice was much more difficult to move freely. ¡°I can move it somehow, but it¡¯s pretty hard to control¡­it doesn¡¯t work like Fireball, huh. Why does Water magic create ice, anyway?¡± Reito decided to call on Airis to answer his questions. She promptly responded and started explaining. ¡ºOnly merfolk can create water via Water magic: if any other species uses it, they can only create cold air or blocks of ice. That¡¯s why you can¡¯t create water either, Reito.¡» ¡ºI see¡­by the way, can you become immortal if you eat a mermaid¡¯s flesh?¡» ¡ºAbsolutely not. You¡¯re confusing them with myths from your world.¡» Reito¡¯s doubt was dispelled, so he thanked Airis and cut the communication. He then continued practicing the control of ice created through the Ice Block spell. There was not much improvement, however: he couldn¡¯t control ice as well as fire. Compared to Fireball, he needed more concentration and used up more magic power when casting Ice Block. He couldn¡¯t make multiple blocks either. He might become more skilled if the proficiency level rose, but at the moment it would be difficult to use it offensively. ¡°In any case, I¡¯ve got to practice a lot more.¡± So Reito whispered to himself, then realized something peculiar. ¡°Oh, yeah, when I fell from the roof, Aria used Wind magic to save me, right? So maybe Wind Pressure can soften the impact of landing¡­okay, let¡¯s try!¡± Reito looked down at the ground and jumped off the roof, with eager momentum. If his mother or Aria saw him, they would surely lose their minds. Just before he crashed on the ground, Reito activated Wind Pressure. ¡°Wind Pressure! Whoops!¡± A strong wind spun on his palm. He used it as a cushion, successfully erasing the momentum of his fall, and landed without a scratch. ¡°It worked! I can use this whenever I need to go down from high places. Okay then, since I could jump down here, I might as well practice Earth Block.¡± Reito then headed towards the flower patch in the rear garden, while paying attention not to let Aria find him. As soon as he arrived at his destination, he touched the soil in the flower patch and chanted the spell. ¡°I really hope this magic isn¡¯t only to cultivate the fields¡­Earth Block!¡± A ripple traveled over the soil, with Reito¡¯s hand as the center. The ground had swelled, responding to his chant. ¡°Whoa, awesome¡­but it sure is exhausting too!¡± The Earth magic spell consumed much more magic power than other basic grade magic. Reito, a pained grimace on his face, tried to keep the spell active, but could only endure for a few more seconds before giving up. ¡°Hah¡­hah¡­I thought it would be useful to cultivate the field with magic, but it¡¯s easier to do it manually¡­¡± Earth Block¡¯s sole usage seemed to be giving nutrition to the soil. Reito reached this conclusion and decided not to try using it in battle. As he restored the patch to its former state, he recalled something Aria told him once. ¡°Phew¡­oh yeah, elemental magic has affinities, right¡­?¡± For example, Fire magic was canceled by Water magic ¡ª elements had a good or bad affinity with each other. Reito thought that combining together elements that did not have bad affinity could maybe create more powerful magic, so he immediately put it to the test. He created a Fireball from his palm and made it float in place, then activated Wind Pressure with the other palm. ¡°Point Wind Pressure at the Fireball and¡­whoa!?!¡± The moment Wind Pressure formed, the spiraling wind was sucked in by Fireball. The Fireball changed to a lance-like shape and flew off. The flaming lance proceeded straight at incredible speed, then vanished after a flight of about five meters. ¡°W-what was that¡­?¡± The trembling Reito saw the usual status window appear before him. . . Reito immediately checked the details: the Craft Skills list now showed a new offensive spell. . [Craft Skills] Flame Lance ¡ª Fire/Wind compound magic spell . The skill¡¯s description stated it was a compound magic spell ¡ª a term Reito never heard before. ¡°So if you combine different magic elements, you get compound spells¡­¡± Reito thought about the Flame Lance he had created. ¡°The range wasn¡¯t very long, but it definitely had more offensive power than a normal Fireball. Awesome¡­there¡¯s nothing ¡®lifestyle¡¯ about this magic, anyway. You can definitely use it in battle!¡± Learning that lifestyle magic could be combined in battle-oriented spells, Reito became a bit excited. That same moment, his head suddenly jolted with pain, forcing him on one knee. ¡°W-wha¡­?¡± Reito¡¯s body staggered and wobbled. He could hear Aria¡¯s voice calling him. ¡°Here you are, young mas¡­ter!? What happened!?¡± Aria noticed Reito was not acting normally and ran up to him. He tried telling her he was all right, but his voice wouldn¡¯t come out. Soon enough, he lost consciousness. ¡ô¡ô¡ô A few hours later, when Reito woke up again, he was lying on his bed. A water pail and a towel were placed on the table next to the bed. Reito, thinking that Aria probably carried him here, tried to sit up. His head, however, was struck by another flash of dull pain. ¡°Ouch¡­head hurts¡­¡± Reito pressed his temples and grimaced. In order to understand what happened to him, he opened communication with Airis. ¡ºAisman¡» ¡ºOh, I am a primitive human being frozen in ice now¡­do you really want to see me angry?¡» Reito let Airis¡¯ comment go without reacting and asked her about what happened. ¡ºOf course not, ma¡¯am¡­more importantly, can you tell me what happened to me?¡» ¡ºYes, yes. The reason why you collapsed is simple: you used too much magic power. You¡¯ve had headaches before after using magic, didn¡¯t you?¡» ¡ºYeah, I think I did¡­but I never lost consciousness before.¡» Reito practiced magic every day after learning his first Support magic spells, in order to raise their proficiency level, and had indeed experienced light headaches. Airis¡¯ explanation continued. ¡ºYou were so excited after learning basic grade magic that you didn¡¯t notice how much magic power you consumed, I suppose. So you used it to the limit and lost consciousness. Even if basic grade magic doesn¡¯t consume much magic power, you shouldn¡¯t push yourself so hard.¡» ¡ºI see¡­yeah, I did lots of experimenting¡­¡» Reito seemed to regret his mistakes, so Airis continued. ¡ºBut I was impressed that you could make a compound spell with basic grade magic. If you raise its proficiency level, you might even be able to make it as powerful as a Blast magic spell.¡» ¡ºReally!? Great, I have to practice a lot!!¡» ¡ºPlease use compound spells sparingly, though. You are still immature¡­I mean, your body hasn¡¯t grown enough yet. In any case, compound spells consume a great quantity of magic power. It is very dangerous to use them frequently while you are still growing.¡» ¡ºSo I have to wait until I get bigger?¡» Airis paused for a moment after Reito¡¯s complaints, then continued. ¡º¡­if you have to practice no matter what, you should expand your magic power capacity first. If you fight monsters and level up, your magic power will increase¡­but there¡¯s a quicker method. You have SP, don¡¯t you?¡» ¡ºSP? Oh, you mean this?¡» Reito opened his status window: the characters ¡°SP¡± were displayed on it in a large font. Next to it, the number 1 was displayed. ¡ºSP stands for Skill Points. You can use them to learn new skills or raise the proficiency of skills you have already acquired. You can only gain SP by leveling up, by the way. Once you¡¯ve used them, they never come back, but be very careful.¡» ¡ºOoh¡­eh? Why didn¡¯t you tell me about something so convenient until now?¡» Airis answered Reito¡¯s question with a mischievous tone. ¡ºIf you knew that you learn skills with SP, you would have stopped making efforts to learn them, wouldn¡¯t you? If you stop trying to learn skills the usual way, thinking that you can just use SP, then it¡¯s all over, you know?¡» ¡ºOkay, I get your point¡­so why tell me about it now?¡» ¡ºI simply judged it appropriate to tell you at this point. Moreover, there is a skill I think you should learn now, to help your future growth. Unfortunately, there are abilities that you cannot learn, no matter how much effort you pour into it.¡» Airis had something in mind, apparently. Reito thus decided to use his SP to learn a new skill. He thought about using his SP and the status window showed a ¡°List of Learnable Skills¡±. The screen showed a long list of skills Reito hadn¡¯t learned yet. ¡ºWhoa, there¡¯s so many¡­which one should I learn?¡» ¡ºThe Unique Skill called ¡°Magic Power Recovery Speed Up¡±. As the name says, this skill lets you recover magic power faster, so it is perfect for your current situation.¡» ¡ºWow, this ¡°Oriental Fang¡± Battle Art seems cool¡­¡» ¡ºSir Reito? Are you listening? That skill is only for Beasts, you can¡¯t learn it anyway.¡» ¡ºTch¡­okay then, this is it, right?¡» Half pouting, Reito mentally expressed the desire to learn Magic Power Recovery Speed Up. His SP was consumed and the skill was acquired. Magic Power Recovery Speed Up was Reito¡¯s first Unique Skill. The skills in this category were always active, so once they were acquired their bonuses were always present. Airis spoke up again. ¡ºThis skill will lessen the burden on your body when you use magic. When you level up you will gain more SP and will be able to learn new skills, so please let me know.¡» ¡ºOkay. Thanks for everything.¡» ¡ºYou¡¯re very welcome. Well then, my tea time is approaching, so if you will excuse me¡­¡» Airis then closed the communication. Time started moving again and Reito realized his headache was completely gone. The skill he just learned apparently activated immediately, refilling his magic power quickly. ¡°This skill is really something¡­but I guess I¡¯m going to be training all day from now on¡­¡± Reito lay back down on his bed, thinking of ways to reduce studying time in order to train. Volume 1 - CH 9 CHAPTER 9 Eight years have passed since Reito¡¯s rebirth in the new world. As always, he lived with his mother and the servants, who treated him like family. Reito learned many skills and also raised the proficiency level of the magic spells he learned. That day too, he was busy practicing with the sword since early morning. ¡°Haah!!¡± ¡°Your sides are wide open, young master!!¡± Reito was sparring against Aria in the rear garden. Their wooden swords clashed again and again. About six months before, Aria had revealed to Reito that other than the Magician job, she also had a Swordsman-type job. After that, she started training Reito in the art of the sword: they sparred almost every day. ¡°Kh¡­Helmet Splitter!!¡± ¡°Never rely too much on Battle Arts!!¡± Reito swung his wooden sword downwards, but Aria calmly dodged and thrust her weapon against his neck. Reito was visibly frustrated and Aria smiled. ¡°Three hundred eighty-seven battles, three hundred eighty-seven victories. When you use Battle Arts, your body makes a series of fixed movements, so if your enemy dodges you will be wide open to their counterattack.¡± ¡°Darnit¡­¡± Reito sat down on the ground, breathing heavily. In contrast, Aria hadn¡¯t even broken a sweat. She stretched her hand to him, an imperturbed expression on her face. ¡°Your sword arm is improving a lot, young master. You might be as skilled as a rookie adventurer already.¡± ¡°Adventurer¡­?¡± Reito cocked his head to the side, puzzled, so Aria explained. ¡°Adventurers are the members of an organization called Adventurers¡¯ Guild. They¡¯re a kind of a jack of all trades: they defeat monsters, escort trade convoys, but also gather herbs or even do house chores.¡± ¡°Ooh¡­¡± Aria added that the guild was mainly involved in the extermination of monsters. Another question then popped up in Reito¡¯s head. ¡°Do you know any adventurers, Aria?¡± ¡°Yes, I do. More precisely, I used to be one when I was young. When I was promoted to rank C I met milady, so I quit the adventuring business and became her servant though.¡± Reito, surprised to learn Aria¡¯s unexpected past, came up with another question. ¡°Rank C?¡± ¡°Yes, adventurers are separated into ranks. The highest is S, then A, all the way to F. There are only about 10 S rank adventurers in the whole world though.¡± ¡°So rank C is more or less in the middle¡­does it pay well?¡± Aria was very surprised by Reito¡¯s ¡°materialistic¡± question. ¡°I¡¯d never expect you to ask about money out of the blue, young master¡­well, yes, the pay is decent, I suppose. It all depends on your ability, though: adventurers without enough skill die very easily.¡± ¡°Whoa, scary!¡± Reito trembled, but the interest towards adventurers sprouted within him. He rested for a while, chatting with Aria, then started training again. Looking at his wooden sword, he sighed. His skill with the sword had indeed improved, but he only learned two skills: the Battle Arts Helmet Splitter and Whirlwind. He practiced with Aria every day but did not feel like he was going to learn anything new. Reito was a little downhearted, so Aria tried to cheer him up. ¡°You move pretty fast for a magic job holder, young master. Well, I am a Magician too, though.¡± ¡°Aria, you are a Magician and Swordsman, right? It¡¯s pretty unusual, a magic and close combat combo, isn¡¯t it?¡± Aria nodded and replied. ¡°That¡¯s true, humans rarely have such combinations of magic and close combat jobs. Elves, however, have at least one magic job most of the time, but having a Swordsman-type job as well is not too unusual.¡± ¡°I see¡­there are all sorts of things out there in the world¡­okay, I don¡¯t know why but I feel better now! One more round!¡± Reito readied his wooden sword, pumped up for the fight. Aria smiled wryly, then took a stance too. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped, can it? But I¡¯ll make the first move this time!! Rabid Thrust!!¡± ¡°W-whoa!? From the start!?¡± The moment Aria uttered the name of the Battle Art ¡°Rabid Thrust¡±, the tip of her wooden sword started moving too fast for the human eye to follow: a flurry of thrusts attacked Reito, all at the same time. Reito activated Leap to jump backward, out of Aria¡¯s range. ¡°Whoops¡­¡± ¡°As quick to run as always, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Thank you, I try my best. It¡¯s my turn now! Whirlwind!!¡± Reito, holding his sword at his waist, slowly and carefully closed in the distance between Aria and himself. When he was close enough for the sword to reach, he swung it in a horizontal sweep. It was ¡°Whirlwind¡±, a Battle Art he learned six months before. Aira tried to parry the blow with her own wooden sword¡­but Reito activated Leap after seeing her countermeasure. ¡°Haaah!!¡± ¡°What!?¡± Aria couldn¡¯t react in time to Reito¡¯s unexpected actions. She managed to parry the sweep, but she lost her balance and was knocked backward. ¡°Kh!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not over yet!¡± Reito used Leap again, to approach Aria as she fell backward. He held his wooden sword over his head and activated another Battle Art. ¡°Helmet Splitter!¡± ¡°Waah!?¡± Aria tried blocking Reito¡¯s strike with her wooden sword, but she couldn¡¯t completely suppress its momentum. Reito¡¯s wooden sword hit her shoulder, forcing Aria to drop her weapon. It was the perfect chance. It was the first time Reito successfully hit Aria, however: he was surprised and worried about her safety. ¡°Aria!?¡± Reito dropped his wooden sword and ran up to her. However¡ª ¡°Too naive! Palm Strike!!¡± ¡°Gwah!!¡± Aria, her heart hardened in order to give Reito a good lesson, unleashed a Battle Art. Her fist sank in his stomach without mercy, blowing Reito backward. Palm Strike was originally a Battle Art for Martial Artists, but Aria ¡ª just like Reito ¡ª had learned Battle Arts outside the scope of her jobs. Aria smiled, proud of her victory, then approached the fallen Reito. ¡°Hehehe¡­you might have become stronger, young master, but I am still a former adventurer! Someone level 30 such as I cannot be affected by¡­¡± ¡°Headbutt!!¡± ¡°Hwah!?¡± Taking advantage of Aria letting her guard down, Reito headbutted her in the abdomen, as payback. Completely taken by surprise, Aria rolled on the ground, holding her stomach. ~ ¡°Ow ow ow¡­that Aria¡­I just wanted to give her some of her own medicine¡­¡± After training, Reito washed his body and changed his clothes, while rubbing his hurting head. After the headbutt, he had fallen victim to a brutal counterattack: Aria¡¯s clenched fist had landed on his head. Reito was now heading towards the dining hall, while plotting to learn Martial Artist skills next, to exact his revenge on the elven maid. ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve gotten the hang of using skills though. I have a decent variety of them now, so I¡¯d like to improve the abilities I want now¡­¡± Thanks to his daily training, Reito had learned various skills. In eight years, he had acquired more than 50 skills: apparently, in the current period of his growth, he could learn skills more easily too. In fact, he had acquired more than 20 skills in the last year alone. Reito recalled something and whispered to himself. The Cooking skill seemed useful, so I tried learning it, but I ended up getting a different skill¡­ Some time ago, Reito had gone into the kitchen, hoping to learn how to cook, but happened to see the cooks butcher cattle. He didn¡¯t actively participate in it and just watched them work, but the status window announced he had acquired a skill called ¡°Dismantle¡±. Reito, surprised, contacted Airis to ask her about it. ¡ºThis is your period of growth, after all¡­¡» ¡ºEven so, I learned that so fast!¡» ¡ºThat skill had low learning requirements and good affinity with you, that¡¯s why. You¡¯ve learned the basics for learning skills, so you will be able to acquire new ones more quickly from now on.¡» ¡ºSo will I learn Sword Arts quicker too?¡» ¡ºYou will, but just a little. For skills with high learning requirements, it will be pretty much the same as how it was until now, though.¡» ¡ºIs that so¡­¡» ~ Reito thought about the Cooking skill again. ¡°I want to learn it as soon as I can¡­but it¡¯s really difficult now¡­¡± Reito sighed. The reason was that no one of the residence¡¯s servants ever let Reito help with cooking. Their pride wouldn¡¯t allow them to make the master they served do something like cooking. Reito walked down the corridor, lost in such thoughts, and ended up in front of an unfamiliar door, so he stopped. ¡°Hm? This is¡­¡± The door led to a room that his mother Aira once forbade him to enter. Reito recalled that her stern expression that time was even scarier than when she warned him not to enter the study, the room used to hide the assassination records. Reito, obeying his mother¡¯s orders, never tried to go in that room, and soon forgot about it in his busy days of training, but after finding it again like this, he became very curious. He decided to ask Airis about it first. ¡ºIrene?¡» ¡ºWell, thank you for using a decent name for once. I must remind you, however, that my name is Airis.¡» After an exchange that was quickly becoming routine for them, Airis cut to the chase and asked Reito what he wanted. ¡ºSo, what happened? I have a friend coming over, so¡­¡» ¡ºSo you have friends¡­? Anyway, I want to ask about the room I¡¯m in front of right now. Do you know what¡¯s inside here?¡» Airis answered plainly. ¡ºIt¡¯s an armory.¡» ¡ºAr¡­mory?¡» Reito imagined a cool room with all sorts of weapons. ¡ºIt¡¯s not a room with weapons hanging on the walls as decorations like you might imagine. It has poison, daggers, and other weapons for assassination.¡» The room turned out to be much more dangerous than Reito expected. ¡ºWhy is there a room like that in this house¡­?¡» Airis answered flatly, again. ¡ºIt¡¯s simple. When the royal family members isolated in this residence are deemed useless, they are disposed of.¡» ¡ºD-disposed of¡­that means¡ª ¡» Reito lost all words. Airis, however, continued, without mincing words. ¡º¡­I suppose this is a good time to explain everything. I kept quiet about it until now, but there is an assassin among the servants of this residence. If and when the kingdom decides there is no value in your existence, Reito, *she* will personally take your life.¡» Two things especially intrigued Reito among Airis¡¯ words. The first was that among the servants, whom he treated like family, an assassin was concealed. The second, that Airis referred to the assassin as ¡°she¡±. In the residence, there was just one female servant. ¡ºYou can¡¯t mean¡­Aria is the assassin?¡» Airis answered Reito¡¯s question, a sad tone in her voice. ¡ºThat is correct. Her real jobs are Spirit Magician and Assassin. She lied about having a Swordsman-type job, surely so you wouldn¡¯t become suspicious of her. Aria is your mother¡¯s attendant, but at the same time, she is a member of Black Veil, a group of assassins in service of the kingdom. If the king gives the order to take your life¡­she will carry it out.¡» ¡ºNo¡­¡» Aria, who Reito loved as a sister, would probably kill him¡­Reito was unable to assimilate this sudden, shocking truth, and fell silent. Airis continued to speak. ¡ºIt is truly unfortunate, but there is a chance Aria will become your enemy. No¡­she definitely will.¡» ¡ºBut why!?¡» Reito protested, but Airis replied calmly. ¡º ¡ª two years from now, the king¡¯s first wife will give birth to a son. Thus you will not be the sole male heir anymore, so the king will announce your sentence.¡» Airis paused for a moment, then continued. Her tone of voice expressed the gravity of the situation. ¡ºIn other words, he will order for you to be killed¡­¡» ¡ô¡ô¡ô That night, Reito did not come out of his room, not even for dinner. Worried, Aira and Aria visited the room, but Reito did not let them or anyone else inside. No matter how much he thought about it, however, he couldn¡¯t accept Airis¡¯ ¡°prophecy¡± ¡ª that two years later, Aria would be ordered to kill him. ¡°Haah¡­damn it all.¡± Reito, lying on his bed, sighed repeatedly. As he closed the communication with Airis, she told him to be calm. After learning something like that, however, there was no way he could do that. Reito thought about what he knew about Airis. She was the manager of the ¡°world in-between¡±, knew everything about this world, and she had never lied to Reito. He still found it impossible to believe, but in the future Aria would really try to kill him. Reito somehow managed to pull himself together and thought about what countermeasures he should take. ¡°In order to survive, I have to escape from this residence¡­but how? Stay calm¡­it¡¯s not like I¡¯ll be killed immediately¡­¡± Reito tried to recall everything he knew about the residence, to the tiniest detail, in order to plan his escape. It had been built to confine members of the royal family, in the middle of a forest inhabited by deadly monsters. So even if someone managed to flee from the residence, they would have to survive in that dangerous forest. Reito recalled that Airis once told him about the iron fence surrounding the residence, that it had very unique properties. ¡°¡­hey, wait¡­if I can get ahold of the special stones used in the iron fence, maybe I can cross the forest safely¡­?¡± Most of the monsters inhabiting the forest could easily destroy iron fences. The reason why they never even attempted to do such a thing was that the iron fences were embedded with particular materials: a Barrier Stone and a Decay Stone. The Barrier Stone enveloped the residence in a green-colored protective field. The stone itself was impossible to physically destroy: the only way was to use magic. The Decay Stone released a foul smell whenever monsters approached. Only monsters could perceive it, so it was harmless to people, but any monster would leave after smelling it. If I could get at least one of these two stones, I could be safe even out of the residence¡­so thought Reito, but then realized the fatal flaw in his idea. ¡°Ah¡­but if they¡¯re embedded in the iron fence, how can I take them out¡­? Besides, even if I do, the residence might be attacked by monsters later. No good¡­¡± Unable to find a solution, Reito tossed and turned in the bed. He reviewed the situation he was currently in. (Why did things turn out like this¡­? I guess it was inevitable since I was born with a hopeless job. There is no reason to keep me alive once there is another male heir. If I lived, I could be used as a pawn in succession disputes¡­I guess there¡¯s no way to avoid my father ordering my murder¡­) Despite his hopeless jobs, Reito had lived a comfortable life until now. Even if his father wished for him to be dead, he thought it couldn¡¯t be helped for his father to think that way. As he went over his troubles, Reito strangely saw himself accept the situation and decided to think about it in the simplest way possible. First, he would focus on learning skills, even more than before, to become stronger. Reito then started thinking about what he should concretely do. ¡°There are all sorts of monsters out there. If I have to fight, I need a weapon¡­the wooden sword can¡¯t be enough.¡± Using the Alchemist¡¯s skills should make it possible to create weapons. In order to do so, however, Reito needed certain metals ¡ª which were scarce in the residence. (The kitchen knife won¡¯t work, as soon as the cooks find out it¡¯s missing, they might get suspicious¡­oh, right! I should just ask Airis!!) Reito sat up and was about to open communication with Airis, when his eyes landed on the cup on his desk. There was some half-melted ice in it. An idea then flashed in his mind. ¡°Right¡­I can make a weapon with Ice Block, can¡¯t I?¡± Reito immediately focused on his palm and chanted Ice Block. There was a reason why Reito tried to make a sword with ice: when he raised the proficiency level of Ice Block to 3, he became able to change the shape of the ice mass. A sword of ice appeared before his eyes. Reito took the longsword floating in midair in his hands. ¡°Hmm¡­not bad, I guess¡­¡± He swung the sword a few times, to test how it felt. The temperature of the magic block of ice could be regulated, so Reito did not risk getting frostbite. He activated his Alchemist-exclusive skills, Matter Reinforcement and Shape Change, to raise the ice sword¡¯s durability and make the blade vibrate at high speed. ¡°Okay then, let¡¯s see how well it cuts.¡± Reito swung the ice blade at his desk. ¡°Haahh!!¡± The instant the blade touched the desk, the latter was cleaved in two. Surprised by the sword¡¯s power, Reito used Mending to fix the desk. ¡°Whoa, it¡¯s pretty strong! Okay, this solves the weapon issue. Oh¡­?¡± As Reito gazed at the ice sword, the status window appeared before his eyes. . . Reito looked at the displayed writing, his head cocked to the side. (I wonder why skills are already named when I learn them, though? I should ask Airis¡­nah, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s an issue anyway¡­) Reito ultimately decided to stop thinking about the mechanics of skill names. Thrilled to have a new weapon, he came up with his next objective. ¡°No more worries about needing a weapon¡­I really want to fight monsters and level up now.¡± Reito¡¯s current level was 1. He could become stronger by training like he did until now, but his ¡°grace period¡± was only two more years. He had to become as strong as possible: so thought Reito as he looked out of the residence, towards the metal fence. The forest surrounding the residence were inhabited by monsters, thus very dangerous. Reito, however, had to escape the residence two years from now, whether he wanted to or not. It would surely be better to start exploring the forest, little by little, to familiarize himself with its layout and the monsters that populated it. Reito then whispered to himself. (I can escape from the residence if I use my skills. Now I have a weapon too, so I¡¯ll start exploring the forest tonight!) Reito thus decided to sneak out of the residence and step onto the outside world. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Reito, after consulting Airis and making meticulous preparations, snuck out of his room late at night, when the whole residence was quietly asleep. Careful not to be found by anyone, Reito arrived at the metal fence surrounding the residence. Luckily for him, the fence was made of steel. Reito activated Metal Transmutation and Shape Change, morphing part of the metal fence, then spread both of his arms. ¡°There!!¡± He somehow managed to create a gap wide enough for one person to pass through and used it to cross the fence. ¡°I did it!!¡± Reito, very excited for being able to go through the fence, filled the gap he created, just in case. ¡°It¡¯s so dark¡­Fireball.¡± Reito created three Fireballs, in order to observe his surroundings. He then started to walk forward, slowly and carefully. A little while later, he stepped past the outskirts and into the forest. Reito, worrying that the Fireballs might be noticed by monsters, deactivated them and used the Night Vision Tech Skill instead. Thanks to Night Vision, he could observe the forest even in the darkness. To be even safer, he also activated Soundless Walk and Stealth. Thanks to those two skills, even if he was found, it would take time for the other party to visualize him, so he could use that time to flee before he was actually noticed. Reito, all preparations complete, resumed the exploration. ¡°I want a skill to detect presences too¡­hah!¡± Reito activated Leap and jumped on top of a tree branch. Deftly jumping from branch to branch, he proceeded deeper into the forest, while observing the situation at ground level. He made sure to memorize the way back, but even if he got lost he could ask Airis for directions, so that wasn¡¯t a real problem. While Leaping, Reito misjudged the distance to the next branch and was about to fall, but managed not to lose his cool and cast Ice Block. ¡°Whoops¡­Ice Block!¡± Reito used the ice disc he created in midair as a foothold and used Leap again. Feeling more and more like a ninja, he delved deeper into the world outside the residence. As he continued exploring, he noticed a rustling among the bushes. ¡°Hm?¡± Curious about the cause, Reito leaped closer, finally landing on a branch close to the rustling bushes. Thanks to Soundless Walk, his landing did not produce any sounds whatsoever. Reito quietly observed the situation from above: soon enough, something emerged from the bushes. ¡°Gheee¡­.!!¡± The silhouette that emerged from the bushes belonged to a green-skinned, human-like monster, quite short in stature. It had a pointy nose and ears, a devilish, menacing expression, and a very thin physique. The monster held a wooden club, probably fashioned from a tree branch. Its sharp eyes darted all around, with extreme caution. The monster resembled an enemy character Reito had seen in a videogame he played in his past life. (Could it be that¡¯s¡­a Goblin!?) It was Reito¡¯s first encounter with a monster: he was naturally surprised but did not neglect hiding in the shade of the tree, to stay out of the monster¡¯s sight. ¡°Gheaaah¡­!?¡± The Goblin apparently noticed something: it cried louder, its nose twitching. It then started walking towards the tree Reito was hiding on. The monster had probably picked up his smell; it did not seem to be able to detect Reito¡¯s exact location, however. Reito drew this conclusion and decided to attack first. He activated the Iceclad Sword skill he had just learned and gripped the ice blade tight. Reito then jumped down from the tree branch, aiming at the Goblin. ¡°HAAHH!!!¡± ¡°Gyaah!?¡± Reito thrust the Iceclad Sword towards the Goblin¡¯s torso. The monster instinctively tried to defend itself with the club, but the vibrating blade of ice easily cut through the club and pierced its chest. ¡°Gyeeeeeh¡­!?¡± The Goblin¡¯s wails of agony echoed in the surroundings. Reito, grimacing because of the feeling remaining in his hands, pulled out the sword and swung away the purple blood smearing the blade. ¡°Phew¡­so this is a monster. There really are creatures not human nor animal¡­Airis told me about them, but it¡¯s still hard to accept¡­¡± Reito readied his Iceclad Sword again and carefully examined the surroundings. Other monsters might be approaching, attracted by the Goblin¡¯s death screams. The concern soon became reality: three Goblins emerged from the bushes. ¡°Ghee!?¡± ¡°Gheeeh!!!¡± ¡°Ghyah¡­¡± ¡°Aw crap¡­¡± Reito inadvertently spoke his thoughts out loud, but thanks to Stealth the Goblins did not notice him. Thinking that his smell would eventually give him out, he decided to move away from the monsters. At that same moment, one of the Goblins noticed its dead brethren and growled in response. ¡°GHEEEEEEHH!!!¡± The Goblin looked around and spotted the fleeing Reito. His Stealth skill would lose effectiveness if someone looked straight at him for several seconds. The monster thus could fully see Reito and shrieked. ¡°Gheeh!!¡± ¡°Crap, I can¡¯t hide so easily, huh¡­no choice then¡­Fireball!!¡± Reito, holding the Iceclad Sword with his right hand, thrust his left arm forward and formed a Fireball from his palm. The flame illuminated the surroundings, and Reito could see that the Goblins were startled. He realized that they were preparing to do battle and, his ice blade ready to strike, tried to calmly analyze the situation. (If I use Shape Change to make the blade vibrate, I should be able to cut them even if I hold the sword with just one hand. In that case, I should go two-sword style.) Reito immediately created another Iceclad Sword, to the Goblins¡¯ surprise. ¡°Gheeh!?¡± Reito, one ice sword in each hand, made their blades vibrate too. ¡°Haah!!¡± ¡°Gyaah!?¡± Reito used Leap to quickly approach one of the Goblins and thrust his Iceclad Sword. The Goblin was easily cut down, its body slumping to the ground. The other two Goblins seemed shocked by their comrade¡¯s sudden death. Reito did not let go of this opportunity and flung his other ice sword at one of them. ¡°Take this!¡± ¡°AGHYAAHHH!!¡± The Iceclad Sword pierced the monster¡¯s skull, ending its life. Reito had activated the Throwing skill, which he acquired half a year before. He had learned it while playing catch ball with Aria: when throwing a weapon, it increased the user¡¯s power and accuracy. Reito then looked at the last remaining Goblin. ¡°Gheeeh!¡± ¡°Whoa!¡± Maybe panicked by witnessing its comrades falling one after the other, the monster grabbed the sand at its feet and threw it at Reito. Reito instinctively protected his eyes with his arms, but the Goblin thought it was its chance, and jumped at the boy. ¡°GHYEEH!!¡± ¡°Kh¡­Muscle Boost!¡± Reito activated the Support magic spell to increase physical abilities and kicked the approaching Goblin in the stomach. The monster groaned in pain as it flew backward. ¡°Gwheh!!¡± ¡°Flame Lance!!¡± Reito then took the Fireball he left floating in midair, activated Wind Pressure to form a Flame Lance and shot it. The Goblin went up in flames while it was still in midair and burned to ashes before it could emit a single sound. ¡°¡­.!!!¡± ¡°Ew, what a smell¡­!¡± The Goblin¡¯s charred corpse spread a smell of burned flesh all around. It was so awful that Reito covered his mouth with his hands and jumped on a tree branch. ¡°Phew¡­I did it.¡± Reito moved a sufficient distance from the battlefield and drew a sigh of relief. He looked at his status and noticed his level had increased. ¡°Oh, I have more SP. Hm? What¡¯s this? Storage Magic¡­?¡± Maybe because of the level up, Reito¡¯s Support Magician spells showed a new entry. He checked the description to learn of its effects. . Storage Magic ¡ª Stores objects in a dimensional subspace. Cannot store liquids, gases, or living beings. Weight limit: 50kg. . This magic looks like it¡¯ll be very useful. So thought Reito as he activated it, and a black whirlpool appeared before his eyes. He touched it and felt his hand was being sucked inside. Reito pulled out his hand, picked up a pebble, and put it in the hole. ¡°Let¡¯s see now¡­oh, so whatever goes inside is displayed on this list.¡± Reito opened his status window again and noticed a new item, ¡°Storage List¡±. The screen listed information for the pebble Reito just put in the black hole. . Pebble ¡ª Small stone without any striking characteristics. . Reito then tried taking out the pebble. ¡°To take it out¡­I have to do this?¡± Reito put his hand forward and the black swirl appeared again: the pebble then fell on his stretched hand. Incidentally, according to Airis time did not move inside the Storage Magic subspace, so it¡¯s even possible to store piping hot food in it, without it ever going cold or spoiling. After his victory against the Goblins and successful level up, Reito decided to go back to the residence. ¡°I should probably stop here for today¡­¡± He had learned much in his first real battle and even developed a new way to fight, the two-sword style. Volume 1 - CH 10 CHAPTER 10 After that night, Reito started sneaking out of the residence regularly. He could do so only at night, so his exploration range was limited, but he continued hunting monsters every night. Through this new lifestyle, he encountered all sorts of creatures. For example, Horned Rabbits: rabbit-like monsters with a single horn sprouting from their foreheads. They were weak physically, but extremely quick, so they made for good chasing practice. That day too, Reito was training in the forest, chasing Horned Rabbits. ¡°Koyuuuun! ¡°I¡¯m catching you, buddy! Even if your cry is that cute!!¡± Horned Rabbits had very small bodies, making it very hard to track them. Reito was now trying to catch his prey without using Leap or other skills, but only with his actual physical abilities. He was now close enough to reach the rabbit beast, so he stretched his hands. ¡°Just a little more¡­wah!?¡± ¡°Koyuun!?¡± At that exact moment, he stumbled on a rock and crashed, face flat against a tree. Reito grimaced, thinking he had lost the Horned Rabbit¡­but then saw something moving near his chest. He looked down and realized he was holding the Horned Rabbit in his arms. ¡°Koyuuuuun¡­!!!¡± ¡°I did it!! Agh! Ouch¡­¡± Half overjoyed, half in pain, Reito then saw a status window appear before his eyes. . . Reito, surprised by the unexpected skill acquisition, checked its description. It raised the user¡¯s movement speed apparently. Smiling, Reito talked to the Horned Rabbit. ¡°Thanks, buddy. But I¡¯m not letting you go.¡± ¡°Koyuun!?¡± ¡°Iceclad Sword.¡± Reito materialized the ice blade and used it to sever the little creature¡¯s head from its neck. He looked at the horn growing on the monster¡¯s head and recalled Airis¡¯ advice. ¡ºIf you grind Horned Rabbit horns to dust, you can use them as an ingredient for invigorating medicine. It can be quite valuable, so I advise you to collect it if you find one in the wild.¡» Reito extracted the horn, activated Storage Magic, and put it in the subspace. He then took out his cooking utensils and prepared to start a fire. It was dangerous to light fires in the forest, but there was a skill he wanted to learn at all costs. Reito skinned the Horned Rabbit and drained its blood. Seeing his hands move so deftly despite not having any knowledge about skinning animals, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh wryly. ¡°The Dismantle skill is sure useful at times like these¡­¡± Reito then tried starting the fire, then realized something. ¡°Oh, right¡­I could just heat it up with magic.¡± Water and fire created via magic normally disappeared quickly, but not if the user cast them continuously. Being a Support Magician, Reito had a considerable quantity of magic power, so he decided to create Fireballs under the pot, as sources of heat. He poured oil inside the heating pot, then the meat of the Horned Rabbit he skinned. ¡°Like this, Airis?¡± ¡ºThe fire seems to be a bit weak, you have to make more or it won¡¯t work.¡» Reito thus continued cooking, while following Airis¡¯ instructions. A little while later, a very pleasant smell rose from the pot. The meat was apparently ready, so Reito put it on a plate. ¡°Looks pretty good¡­¡± Horned Rabbit meat was very delicious, making it a popular source of nutrition among adventurers. Reito, excited, took the first bite. He had simply cooked the meat, but it was very juicy and delicious. Thrilled, Reito quickly wolfed it all down. ¡°So good!! But¡­I didn¡¯t learn the Cooking skill.¡± Reito¡¯s real objective was to learn the Cooking skill: he had not succeeded this time but learned a bit of how to cook meat at least, so he thought it was enough. After finishing his meal, Reito looked at the bones remaining on the plate. ¡°Guess I should get rid of them.¡± Reito was about to use Fireball to burn the bone to ashes when he felt a presence behind him. He turned around and found a massive monster, a bipedal creature with a boar-like face. ¡°GROOOOOOOHR!!!¡± ¡°An Orc!?¡± The monster looked just like an Orc, a familiar presence in many games in Reito¡¯s former world. The bulging Orc¡¯s nose was twitching violently. It had been attracted by the smell of Horned Rabbit¡¯s meat. Seeing the bones on Reito¡¯s plate, The Orc roared even louder. ¡°GROOOOAAAHR!!!¡± ¡°Whoa!¡± The Orc suddenly lunged, so Reito activated Leap to jump backward. The movement, however, caused him to drop the Horned Rabbit bones. The Orc picked up the bones and flicked them in its mouth, crushing them under its fangs. The monster, licking its lips in anticipation, then looked at Reito. ¡°Grooonk!!¡± ¡°Crap, I have no choice.¡± Reito activated magic, a Fireball on his left hand, an Iceclad Sword on his right, and faced the Orc. If its jaws were powerful enough to crunch Horned Rabbit bones like that, they could easily tear human flesh to shreds. Reito knew he had to be very careful. After a brief standstill, Reito took the first move. He quickly chanted a spell. ¡°Flame Lance!¡± ¡°Rooork!?¡± The Orc crossed its arms to protect its body from the flaming lance. The beast¡¯s upper body, however, was engulfed in flames nevertheless. For a moment, Reito thought victory was his, but then the Orc waved its arms and put out the fire. Reito was taken aback, but the Orc did not lose time and quickly approached him. ¡°GROOOOORRK!!¡± ¡°Waah!¡± The monster tried to grab Reito, so he used Leap to move out of the way. The Orc fell forward because of its momentum, so Reito used his Iceclad Sword to pierce the monster from behind when it made contact with the ground. ¡°Haaahh!!!¡± ¡°ROORRK!?!¡± Blood sprayed from the monster¡¯s back. From the back, however, Reito could not target the beast¡¯s heart with precision. The Orc became furious and flung Reito off in its rampage. ¡°Waaahh!!¡± ¡°ROORK!!¡± Reito was thrown off the monster¡¯s back and crashed against a tree trunk. If he hadn¡¯t learned the Resilience and Break Fall skills, he probably would have been fatally wounded. As Reito groaned in pain, the Orc stood up, the ice blade still stuck in its back, and tried to crush Reito¡¯s body under its weight. ¡°GROOOOOAARRK!!!¡± ¡°Kh!! Earth Block!¡± Reito quickly activated the basic grade magic spell Earth Block, to scoop out the ground at the Orc¡¯s feet. One of the monster¡¯s legs was caught in the hole, causing it to stumble and fall. ¡°Gruuah!?¡± ¡°Iceclad Sword!!¡± Reito materialized another blade of ice and threw it at the monster¡¯s head. ¡°Groo¡­orrk¡­¡± The sword pierced the Orc¡¯s head and the monster gradually stopped moving completely. Reito, breathing heavily, rejoiced for his victory. ¡°Haah¡­I did it¡­!!!¡± He slowly got up and thought about the battle. How could the Orc resist the Flame Lance so easily? In order to find an answer to this mystery, Reito approached the monster¡¯s remains. Strangely enough, there was no sign of burns on its body. Reito then called Airis. ¡ºAirun?¡» ¡ºI¡¯ll have you know I am becoming quite displeased with your refusal to address me properly. What is it?¡» ¡ºI used fire magic on the Orc, but it didn¡¯t even flinch and wasn¡¯t burned even a little. Why?¡» ¡ºOh, Orc fur is very resistant to fire magic. You should skin it and take the fur with you, don¡¯t you think? It will protect you from most flames and can also function as armor. It is rather weak against lightning, so be careful. Oh, one more thing, Orc meat is poisonous, so you better watch out. Cooking it without the skill can be very dangerous.¡» ¡ºIt¡¯s poisonous¡­but edible? It¡¯s kind of surprising.¡» ¡ºOf course it¡¯s edible. It¡¯s a favorite of all carnivorous monsters as the taste is really good. It¡¯s very fatty though, so I wouldn¡¯t recommend it to a lady.¡» ¡ºYeah, I didn¡¯t ask about all that.¡» Reito closed the communication with a slightly cold tone. He then used the Dismantle skill to skin the Orc but gave up on other monster parts. Its fangs and claws were very dirty, its teeth riddled with cavities. In the end, he took only the fur and returned to the residence. On his way back, Reito reviewed his battle against the Orc. (I used Earth Block for the first time, but it worked better than expected. It was shocking to see Flame Lance brushed off like that, though¡­I guess I need more firepower.) Reito recalled what Airis told him about the monsters. Orcs were definitely more powerful than Goblins. Airis, however, said that Orcs were not especially dangerous for any small group of adventurers to defeat. There were surely many monsters out there more powerful than the ones in the forest: as he was right now, it might be impossible for Reito to survive by himself in the forest. With this realization, he spoke his new resolve out loud. ¡°I have to make my magic stronger. But to do that, is raising proficiency level the only way?¡± Reito opened the status menu and checked the proficiency level of his basic grade magic. . [Battle Arts] Fireball [Proficiency Level 3] Ice Block [Proficiency Level 4] Wind Pressure [Proficiency Level 3] Earth Block [Proficiency Level 2] . Ice Block, which he used regularly, had the highest proficiency level. Earth Block, on the other hand, was still level 2: it was the spell he had the least chances to use, after all. He practiced all spells every day, however, so there wasn¡¯t much difference in frequency. The reason why Earth Block had the lowest proficiency was that he had a poor affinity with the Earth element, or so Reito thought. He then started thinking about how to use magic. ¡°Hmm, I shouldn¡¯t think of just increasing firepower, but also have more ways to attack¡­¡± While hemming and hawing, Reito created a Fireball from his palm. He was now capable of creating Fireballs over one meter in size, but he might inadvertently cause a forest fire, so he kept the size smaller. ¡°I wonder if there¡¯s a way to increase offensive power without increasing the size¡­¡± Reito tried changing the Fireball to various shapes while mumbling to himself. Suddenly, an idea flashed in his head: why not try using Magic Boost? ¡°Thanks to the medicinal herbs, I could raise its proficiency to the max, but I never actually used it¡­¡± Reito then tried activating Magic Boost on the Fireball. The color of the flame globe changed, from orange to a bright red. ¡°Whoa, the color changed?¡± Reito looked at the Fireball more closely and felt a warmth on his palm, which he never felt before: unable to resist it any longer, he made the Fireball float in midair. ¡°Ouch! What the¡­?¡± Reito was surprised but continued to observe the Fireball. He concluded that its firepower had to be higher than before and tried using it to create Flame Lance. ¡°Okay then, activate Wind Pressure¡­¡± Just as Reito was activating the spell, a silhouette appeared from a nearby tree. ¡°GRRROWL!!!¡± ¡°!?¡± Reito immediately turned towards the source of the growl. There he found a sort of half-human, half-wolf creature. It had a wolf¡¯s head and a body covered in fur, but it stood on two legs like a human. The monster stared at Reito, drool trickling from the edge of its mouth. It was a Kobold: like the Orc, this monster too often appeared in fantasy works on Earth. It wasn¡¯t as huge as an Orc, but clearly bigger than the average Goblin. The fangs peeking from behind its lips seemed as sharp as blades. Reito tried to get away, but the monster attacked him faster than he could escape. ¡°GRAAH!!!¡± ¡°Waah!?¡± The Kobold opened its jaws wide and tried biting Reito, but the boy managed to dodge. The monster¡¯s mouth slammed shut, producing a sound of clashing metal. After missing the first attack, the Kobold relentlessly continued trying to bite Reito. ¡°GRAH!¡± ¡°Crap!! Iceclad Sword..!¡± Reito activated his Iceclad Sword, but the Kobold¡¯s fangs easily shattered it. His weapon destroyed, Reito activated several Fireballs to shoot the monster with. ¡°Eat this!!¡± ¡°Graah¡­!?¡± The Fireball barrage struck the Kobold¡¯s body, which started burning. Just like the Orc did, however, a swing from the monster¡¯s arms wiped away the flames. ¡°Crap, what can I do¡­?¡± Reito fervently looked at his surroundings and found the Fireball he had previously powered up with Magic Boost. ¡°See if you can handle this!¡± Reito was quickly running out of options: he tried throwing the bright red Fireball at the Kobold. ¡°GRAA¡ª!?¡± The instant the Fireball struck, bright red flames spread as if exploding, enveloping the Kobold¡¯s entire body. The monster quickly became charred black and dropped to the ground. A whisper escaped Reito¡¯s lips. ¡°W-wow¡­.!¡± The Fireball was much more powerful than normal ones. Reito thus learned that basic grade magic spells could be boosted to have higher offensive power. ¡°It¡¯s that strong even without fusing it with Wind Pressure¡­¡± Reito, thoroughly impressed, gazed at the Kobold¡¯s motionless body. ¡ô¡ô¡ô The next day¡­ Reito, excited by the discovery of the possibilities of using Magic Boost to reinforce basic grade magic spells, decided to sneak out to the forest during the day to practice magic. Normally, he practiced with the sword during the day. That day he was eager to practice magic, so he lied to the servants about being sick and pleaded not to let anyone inside his room. As soon as he was alone, he headed to the forest. Thanks to the Tech Skill Stealth, it was easy for him to go out of the residence. Reito then entered the forest and eventually found a beautiful spring. The boy wiped his sweat and whispered to himself. ¡°Okay¡­I should be far enough now.¡± The spring was in a place Reito had recently discovered, where a tall tree also grew. The spring¡¯s water was crystal clear: you could see even from afar that a great quantity of fish swam in it. Some of the fish looked far from normal¡­but Reito chose not to think about it and focused on his magic training. ¡°Fireball, plus Magic Boost!¡± Like the day before, Reito created a Fireball from his palm, made it float in midair, and reinforced it with Magic Boost. After the Fireball changed to a bright red color, he activated Wind Pressure. ¡°Wind Pressure!¡± When the wind spell fused with the Fireball, what appeared was not a flaming lance like before, but a rounder, swollen bullet-like object. The flame bullet moved away from Reito¡¯s hand with great momentum, which built faster and faster until it crashed against a boulder. The impact caused a loud booming sound and shattered the boulder. The results greatly exceeded Reito¡¯s expectations: cold sweat broke out on the boy¡¯s forehead. ¡°That was amazing¡­oh, a new Craft Skill!¡± A status window appeared before him. . . Reito immediately checked the skill¡¯s details. Flame Bullet was stronger than Flame Lance but consumed a lot more magic power too. It could probably damage even Orcs and other enemies resistant to fire though. Reito then tried using Magic Boost on other spells. ¡°This is fun¡­! Okay, let¡¯s try boosting Wind Pressure now. First activate Magic Boost, then¡­Wind Pressure!¡± Reito activated Magic Boost with his right hand and Wind Pressure with his left. Normally, Wind Pressure would create a palm-sized whirlpool, which blew a gust of wind comparable to a fan¡­but the combination with Magic Boost created a crescent-shaped blade of wind instead. Reito released the wind blade, which cut through the spring¡¯s water surface. ¡°Whoa, that was surprising¡­this is pretty awesome too.¡± . . Reito was once again surprised, as Wind Pressure was boosted beyond his expectations, and the status window appeared again before his eyes. According to the skill description, the crescent-shaped wind blade could cut to shreds anything it touched. Reito thus became able to create swords not only with ice but also wind. After Wind Pressure, he tried boosting Ice Block. ¡°I wonder what¡¯s going to happen this time. Maybe the shape will change, or¡­.Ice Block!¡± As he did with Wind Pressure, Reito activated Magic Boost with his right hand, then Ice Boost with his left. A shiny blue ice object formed on his palm. The color was the only visible difference, but Reito felt it was colder than before. ¡°Fireball becomes hotter, so Ice Block gets colder, I guess¡­¡± Reito tried poking the ice. The surface was so cold, however, that he instinctively recoiled. ¡°Whoa, it¡¯s freezing!! I can¡¯t handle this directly¡­¡± Reito frowned and made the ice disappear. A boosted Ice Block was much colder than a normal one: touching it could make his hands freeze too, so it was probably impossible to use it for Iceclad Sword. It could be used as a direct offensive, though¡­ ¡°Now that I think about it, I didn¡¯t learn a Craft Skill after using Magic Boost on Ice Block¡­oh well. The last one is Earth Block.¡± Reito tried boosting the last of the basic grade magic spells he knew. He pressed his palm on the ground and activated Earth Block, then Magic Boost. Reito expected to be able to manipulate a greater mass of soil, or for it to work faster¡­but yet again, the results exceeded his expectations. ¡°Something feels funny¡­whoa!?¡± He felt something was off with his hands and looked at them: his palms were imbued with crimson magic power and his fingers were sinking inside the hard soil. He hurriedly took them out, leaving prints on the ground. The magic power on his palms, however, was still there. ¡°What¡®s going on here?¡± Puzzled by the strange phenomenon, Reito glanced at the large tree next to the spring. On a whim, he tried touching the trunk. Despite not exerting power at all, his fingertips penetrated the tree bark. When he took them out, clear prints appeared on the surface. ¡°Could it be that¡­it¡¯s affecting gravity around my fingers¡­?¡± Reito himself thought it was a far-fetched theory, but it was the truth. Boosting Earth Block made it possible to control gravity. Reito clenched his fist and punched the tree with all his might. ¡°Haaah!!¡± Reito¡¯s fist passed through the tree trunk, leaving a hole in it. ¡°Whoa, what¡¯s this power!?¡± Reito couldn¡¯t help but shout, surprised. No matter how much he trained or leveled up, a child¡¯s fist shouldn¡¯t be able to punch a hole in a tree. The status window appeared before Reito¡¯s eyes, announcing the acquisition of a new skill. . . ¡°Fist Strike? So with that punch, I learned a striking Battle Art¡­like this?¡± Reito dispelled the magic power from his hands and tried punching the tree trunk again. No hole formed this time however. Without the boosted Earth Block, it wasn¡¯t possible to produce as much power as before, apparently. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s try boosting Earth Block to the max and¡­Fist Strike!¡± Reito infused his fists with the crimson magic power again and punched the air. The next moment, maybe thanks to the boosted Earth Block, the status window appeared again. . . Overjoyed after learning another skill, Reito decided to practice a bit longer with his two new skills. ¡°Heavy Strike!¡± The moment he pronounced the skill¡¯s name, Reito¡¯s fist surged with the crimson magic power and he thrust it forward, creating a small shockwave. Reito then clenched his fist again and tried the other skill. ¡°Fist Strike!¡± The fist imbued with gravity magic shot forward. The speed and offensive power of Reito¡¯s Fist Strike was already on par with a martial artist: Reito had no way of knowing this, however, so he continued to train. ¡°Shaah! Haah! No, I can do better¡­like this?¡± Reito subconsciously planted his feet on the ground, rotated his sole, ankle, knee, thigh joints, torso, chest, shoulder, elbow, and arm ¡ª in that order ¡ª and thrust his fist with great momentum: the resulting shockwave was massive, strong enough to cause ripples on the spring¡¯s water surface. Reito, breathing heavily, felt that something clicked, like never before. Once again, the status window appeared before his eyes. . . ¡°Yes!! Agh, ouch, ouch!¡± Reito jumped up, excited about learning another Craft Skill, but a jolt of pain ran through his body, forcing him to groan in pain. Reito hurriedly activated Recovery Boost to heal his body. After a while, the pain wore off, so Reito sighed in relief. ¡°Phew¡­I guess I have to train my body some more. I learned many skills today, though¡­even Martial Artist ones¡­wait¡­I¡¯m a¡­Support Magician, right¡­?¡± Reito realized he learned many skills unbecoming of a magic user and cocked his head. It didn¡¯t feel right, but he decided to go back to the residence for the time being. Volume 1 - CH 11 CHAPTER 11 After learning new skills, Reito¡¯s lifestyle radically changed. First, when he practiced with the sword he used two, so he could learn to use Iceclad Sword better. Whenever he had time he also worked out and asked Aria to train him in martial arts, to be able to use Fist Strike and Heavy Strike better. Aria was quite confused by Reito¡¯s request to teach him martial arts, as his jobs were magic oriented. She noticed that his resolve was firm, however, so she taught him the martial techniques she knew and what Martial Artists did to acquire new Battle Arts. The first day of this new training, Aria made something very clear. ¡°Listen well, young master. I¡¯m sure you know it already, but you are a magic user: even if you imitate martial artists, you¡¯ll never be able to grow like one. There is no need for a Magician like you to learn Battle Arts for Martial Artists.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s not pointless to train my body, right?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, but¡­it can¡¯t be helped, can it. I¡¯ll teach you the training methods I know.¡± Aria then explained in concrete terms how to train. ¡°First, in order to train legs and waist, you must run. For starters, 100 laps of the mansion a day!!¡± ¡°100 laps¡­okay, got it.¡± After Reito confirmed he was up to it, Aria gave him weights to wear on his arms and legs. ¡°Next, we¡¯ll train your muscles!! From today onwards, you¡¯ll have to wear these special weights at all times!!¡± ¡°Muscles¡­yes, that¡¯s important too.¡± Reito put on the weights without a word, then Aria gave the final command of his training. ¡°Last but not least, actual battle!! You will spar against me every day!!¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine with me, but¡­what about your work? Is it fine for you to do this?¡± Aria answered Reito¡¯s question by smiling brightly and nodding. Thus, in order to learn new Tech Skills and Battle Arts for Martial Artists, days of strict training began for Reito. Some of the training he did was evidently too dangerous for a child to undertake, but Reito managed to handle it thanks to Muscle Boost and Recovery Boost. Six months after he started this new training routine, Reito learned two Tech Skills. . . ¡ô¡ô¡ô As Reito continued days of training from dawn to dusk, his tenth birthday ¡ª the tenth ¡°anniversary¡± of his rebirth in the other world ¡ª eventually approached. The residence¡¯s inhabitants were preparing to celebrate the day. The servants fervently made preparations for the party, while Aira and Aria were busy preparing their presents for Reito¡¯s 10th birthday. Reito himself, however, was locked in his room and would not go out. He was preparing his plan of escape from the residence with Airis. A certain day at noon, Reito opened the communication with Airis. ¡ºA¡­Ayers¡¯ Rock!¡» ¡ºYou¡¯ve never even seen a picture of it¡­honestly, enough jokes with my name. What do you want?¡» After ¡°properly¡± reacting to Reito¡¯s joke, Airis changed the topic. ¡ºMy birthday is close, but will I be able to stay here until that day?¡» In response, Airis simply stated the cold, hard truth. ¡º¡­the order for your assassination will be given on your birthday, so it will be dangerous to stay here until that day. Your father has already decided to have you killed. You are strong enough to survive in the forest now¡­it might be sudden, but I say we should leave the residence today.¡» Reito himself understood that he had very little time left. He thus announced his decision. ¡ºYou¡¯re right¡­but before I go, it might be better for me to leave a message¡­without mentioning ¡°that¡±, of course.¡» ¡ºHmm, well, I don¡¯t think it would affect the plan¡­it wouldn¡¯t be a problem to leave something like a farewell message I suppose.¡» ¡ºOkay.¡» ¡ºLet us put the plan in motion tonight then. I will guide you to the next destination¡­your preparations are complete, yes?¡» ¡ºYeah¡­the day has finally come.¡» Reito closed the communication with Airis. After time started flowing again, he went to his desk and took a quill and a piece of parchment. What Reito intended to write was his will. After discussing with Airis, they had decided that he would fake his death. In the letter, Reito wrote about his intent to die and the gratitude he felt towards his mother and the servants. It was part of the plan of faking his death, but also what he really felt. Reito then checked the luggage stored inside his Storage Magic subspace. Storage Magic¡¯s capacity increased with the user¡¯s level; Reito¡¯s was currently 20, which meant that he could store up to 1000 kg inside the subspace. At present he had stored essential everyday tools and, following Airis¡¯ advice, various items Reito created himself. Reito¡¯s fake death plan consisted in the following: There was an incinerator in the back of the residence. That night, Reito would put bones from monsters with physique similar to his and set them on fire, to pretend he had taken his own life by throwing himself in the incinerator. He wrote as much in the will and also used Shape Change on the monster bones to make them as similar to his as possible. After confirming his escape plan, Reito took the wooden box and glass vial he had received for his birthday several years before, from Aira and Aria respectively. ¡°I¡¯ll give back this charm. In the end, I didn¡¯t use it¡­¡± Deep down, Reito probably wished to treasure Aria¡¯s present, so he never used the potion inside the vial. Reito put the glass vial on the table, then looked at the wooden box. ¡°I wonder what¡¯s inside this box after all¡­?¡± Aira just told him not to open it until he became an adult, and Reito had kept his promise. If he was going to leave it here, however, he might as well see what it contained. Reito took a fork from the Storage subspace and used Shape Change to mold it into a key that would fit into the wooden box¡¯ keyhole. ¡°Okay¡­it opened.¡± Inside the box there was a beautiful, diamond-like gemstone. Reito, intrigued, took it out. ¡°What¡¯s this¡­?¡± He opened the communication with Airis to ask her about it. He mentally called her name and she replied immediately. ¡ºThat is a Holy Light Stone, a gemstone only members of the Baltros royal family are allowed to have. Naturally, as you have been exiled, you are not supposed to have one. It was given to Aira when she became the royal consort: she decided to give it to you, apparently.¡» That sign of his mother¡¯s affection pushed Reito to the brink of tears, but he somehow managed to hold them back. He could not take that treasure with him. Reito thanked and apologized to his mother in his heart, then put the Holy Light Stone back in the wooden box. ¡°Okay, we¡¯re all set now..¡± Reito then sat on his bed. At the same time, a certain thought crossed his mind: there should still be time to talk with Aria normally. She had not received the order to assassinate Reito, so she wouldn¡¯t target his life yet. In that case, he could talk with her one last time¡­so thought Reito, but ultimately he gave up on that idea. Because it might weaken his resolve. ¡°Heh¡­are they really going to murder me¡­?¡± Such a reality was not easy to accept: Reito started thinking deeper about his circumstances. There was the possibility that Airis lied to him all this time, and his father was not actually planning his assassination. Reito, however, was positive that it couldn¡¯t be true. Airis had helped him more than anyone else, she had been at his side from his birth. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s try going out a bit.¡± Reito was getting a bit bored of staying holed up in his room, so he decided to take a look around the residence. If he used the Tech Skill Stealth, there was no risk of anyone noticing him. Reito immediately activated the skill and sneaked out of his room. ¡°I have to make sure mother and Aria don¡¯t find me¡­hm?¡± As Reito stepped out in the corridor, a certain noise reached his ears. He turned in the direction it came from and saw that the door of a certain room was wide open. The door of a room which was always closed, no matter what. The door of the study containing the assassination records. Reito activated the Soundless Walk skill and approached the door. He hid himself behind the wall and peeked inside through the gap between the door and the wall. There was someone inside. As soon as Reito realized who it was, a cold chill ran down his spine. ¡° ¡ª target assassination order confirmed. Commencing execution.¡± It was Aria. Reito knew her voice well. Her current tone, however, was deathly cold, something Reito had never heard before. The boy felt an urge to yell, but managed to put his hands over his mouth just in time. He then left, as fast as he could, before he could be found. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Reito returned to his room, locked the door and opened the window. He made sure there was no one in sight outside and jumped down in the rear garden. During the fall, he tried communicating with Airis. The flow of time froze, so Reito was stuck in midair. ¡ºAiris!!¡» Reito shouted her name and Airis replied, serious as never before. ¡ºThis is not good¡­who would have thought they would act before your birthday¡­? Even if I cannot see your future well, this time my predictions were too shallow¡­I¡¯m truly sorry¡­¡» ¡ºEnough apologies, what should I do now!?¡» ¡ºPlease wait¡­Aria hasn¡¯t realized that you know of her real identity yet. When she goes into your room, however, she will surely find out what is actually happening. For now, leave the residence as fast as you can!¡» ¡ºRight¡­.damn it!!¡» Reito closed the communication while cursing under his breath. He thought of taking one last look at his mother¡¯s and the servants¡¯ faces before leaving, but there was no time left. He hadn¡¯t prepared his fake corpse either, so they would find out in no time that he escaped. Shaken by the collapse of his plan, Reito activated a Support Magic spell to cross the iron fence. ¡°Muscle Boost!¡± He reinforced his muscles to the limit and activated Swift Legs to boost his running speed. Seconds later, he was in front of the iron fence surrounding the residence. ¡°Here¡­goes!!¡± Reito activated the Leap skill and jumped in the air with all his might. The jump still wasn¡¯t high enough to cross the fence, but he created Ice Block in the air to use as a foothold. Reito landed on the Ice Block and used Leap again, successfully going over the fence. ¡°I did it!!¡± Reito impulsively cheered, but soon remembered he had no time for celebrations and hurried towards the forest. Once inside, he looked back for an instant. He activated Far Sight and Observing Eye together, focusing on the window he jumped out of. Next to the open window, he saw Aria. She seemed anxious or maybe sad because of Reito¡¯s disappearance. Reito thought she looked just like the usual Aria¡­but then noticed the dagger in her hand and trembled. For a brief instant, their eyes met. Reito quickly looked away and ran among the trees, advancing deeper in the forest. ¡°Why did this have to happen¡­Aria!!¡± While running, Reito couldn¡¯t help but shout. He knew this would happen since two years before, but after seeing Aria¡¯s actions with his own eyes, he couldn¡¯t hold back anymore. Reito rushed through the forest, tears streaming from his eyes¡­ ~ One hour later, Reito was still advancing through the forest, careful for any signs of pursuers. He ran on the ground at first, but then decided to leap from branch to branch, in order to leave as few traces as possible. Reito stopped and opened communication with Airis. ¡ºAiris, any pursuers?¡» ¡ºThe whole residence knows that you have fled into the forest, so there is a big commotion.¡» ¡ºI see¡­Aria must have told everyone.¡» There was still the possibility for Aria or other servants to come look for him. Reito, however, had become familiar with the forest¡¯s lay of the land, so he was sure he could lose them easily. He left the matter of the pursuers aside for the moment and asked Airis another question. ¡ºWhich way should I go now?¡» ¡ºFirst I would suggest to look for a place to spend the night. No matter how fast you run, it will take three or four days to cross a forest of this magnitude.¡» ¡ºOkay, thank you.¡» Reito thanked Airis and closed the communication. As she suggested, he started looking for a safe place to spend the night. Before he started moving, Reito opened his Storage subspace and took out a small glass bottle, which contained medicinal herbs ground into powder. He carefully looked around, then sprinkled the powder on himself. Some of the powder ended up in his nostrils, forcing him to sneeze. ¡°Atchoo!! Crap, what a waste¡­¡± Dousing his body with the smell of medicinal herbs had the effect of driving monsters away. Reito opened the Storage again and took out a dagger, which he had created by using Alchemist skills on a kitchen knife. ¡°Iceclad Sword consumes magic power, so I¡¯ll carry this for now. I would have liked a sword better, but it¡¯s pretty much impossible to make one from a kitchen knife¡­¡± Reito started moving again, jumping from tree to tree. His fatigue gradually built up, so after a while he stopped. ¡°Phew, I guess it¡¯s time for a break¡­¡± Reito carefully checked the surroundings for any pursuers or monsters, then jumped back down on the ground. ¡°Hmm¡­looks like it¡¯s going to rain.¡± Reito sighed and looked up, finding the sky covered in grey clouds. Rain would provide drinkable water, but if his body became wet he could catch a cold. He had to find a suitable shelter as soon as possible. Reito looked around and saw a rock wall in the distance. ¡°¡­let¡¯s use that.¡± Reito approached the rock wall, put his hands on the surface and activated Shape Change. ¡°One, two, go!¡± He poured magic power out of his hands and the rock started changing shape, eventually forming a small cave, enough for one person to fit in. Reito immediately went inside to rest, and soon enough he heard the sound of rainfall. ¡°Oh, it started raining already.¡± The rain grew louder and louder as time passed. If he hadn¡¯t created the small cave, Reito would be drenched by now. Realizing this, he sighed in relief. ¡°I was lucky¡­anyway, Alchemy skills sure can be useful.¡± Reito rested while looking at the rain. Cold air from outside blew into the small cave. ¡°It¡¯s getting a bit chilly, maybe I should close up the entrance¡­hm?¡± Reito was about to close the entrance of the small cave, when he heard footsteps approaching amidst the sound of rain falling. He was worried they belonged to his pursuers, but soon realized they were not human footsteps and possessed no trace of hostility either. Soon enough, a monster came inside the small cave. ¡°Whiiine¡­¡± ¡°¡­a wolf?¡± The monster was a small wolf with pure white fur. It stared at Reito for a moment, then approached him without any particular reaction. ¡°Woof!¡± ¡°Whoa, you surprised me!¡± The wolf suddenly shook its whole body, spraying water drops everywhere. It did not show any sign of being afraid of Reito though. On the contrary, it walked up to the boy, stopped, and rubbed its snout on him. ¡°Whiiine¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re¡­not afraid of me?¡± After Reito¡¯s question, the wolf lay down on the soil. It might be feigning helplessness, to attack when he lowered his guard. Reito was still wary of the animal, but the latter would persist in not showing any hostility. Reito thus decided to ask for Airis¡¯ opinion. ¡ºAiris, this is a monster cub, right? It doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s afraid of me though¡­what¡¯s going on?¡» ¡ºThat wolf belongs to the White Wolf species. It was born from the great wolf that ruled over this forest, but its parents have been killed by monsters, so now it lives by itself. It is not afraid of you because you bear no hostility yourself, Reito.¡» ¡ºI bear no¡­hostility¡­?¡» Airis realized that Reito couldn¡¯t quite follow and explained more in detail. ¡ºAll living beings in this forest are generally hostile to anyone outside their species. Certain weaker monsters, however, live in communities with other monsters. After losing its parents, this White Wolf has been raised by Elves for a period, apparently.¡» ¡ºIt was raised by Elves¡­? Maybe they wanted to use it for hunting¡­¡» Reito looked more closely at the White Wolf. Even during stopped time, the White Wolf was looking at Reito: he felt that the monster cub was trying to communicate. ¡ºThe elves that raised it have already died themselves though. The house they used is nearby, why not go there?¡» ¡ºHouse? In the middle of the forest?¡» ¡ºWell, it¡¯s not a normal house. They repurposed a cave to use it as living space.¡» Reito closed the communication and looked at the White Wolf again. The monster cub was quietly looking at Reito, as if to analyze him. Reito thought it might be hungry, so he took out some dried meat from his Storage subspace. ¡°Here, dig in.¡± ¡°Wooff!!¡± The White Wolf immediately pounced the meat and started eating it gleefully. Following Airis¡¯ advice, Reito decided to go to the house the elves used to live in. ¡°Ice Block.¡± Reito created an Ice Block over his head, to use like an umbrella. When he went out of the cave, the White Wolf cub ¡ª his meal ended ¡ª followed him. ¡°Woof!¡± ¡°Hey¡­¡± A bit surprised, Reito reached out with his hand and the wolf came closer, rubbing its head against it. That behavior reminded Reito of a puppy he used to keep at home when he was a child. The White Wolf cub seemed to be really fond of him, so Reito decided to keep it. He also gave it the same name he had given to his pet. ¡°Listen, from today your name will be Ullr.¡± ¡°Arf?¡± ¡°Okay? Nice to meet you, Ullr.¡± ¡°Wooof!!!¡± The newly named White Wolf barked loudly, as if replying enthusiastically. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Reito and Ullr walked in the rain, towards the cave used by the elves who raised the White Wolf cub. Eventually, they arrived at a large waterfall. ¡°So it¡¯s here?¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Reito headed to the back of the waterfall, as Airis told him to along the way, and found the entrance of the cave. Reito, and Ullr behind him, went inside the cave: it was indeed large enough for people to live in. ¡°Human beings¡­well, Elves¡­really lived here, huh¡­¡± ¡°Woof¡­¡± There were several pieces of furniture inside the cave, as well as a lantern hanging from the ceiling. Reito took a flint stone from his Storage and struck a light in the lantern. ¡°Good. There¡¯s not much dust, so I guess they lived here until recently?¡± Reito looked around inside the cave, then noticed Ullr had a plate in its mouth. ¡°Woof¡± ¡°Is this your food plate?¡± Ullr barked what sounded like a ¡°yes¡± and put down the plate at Reito¡¯s feet. Reito opened the Storage subspace and took out some monster meat. As soon as he put it on the plate, Ullr started chomping on it, its tail swinging widely. ¡°You sure make it look delicious. Well, I have no other options for now, might as well use this place as a base.¡± Reito stretched his arms. The rain was going to wash away their tracks, and any pursuers shouldn¡¯t be able to find the cave anyway. Reito thus decided to live there for a while. He then noticed a blanket next to a wall and used it to keep warm. It felt rather rough to the touch, making him keenly feel the loss of his fluffy bed in the residence. ¡°¡­come to think of it, I have lived in a pretty blessed environment until now¡­¡± Reito felt exhausted all of a sudden and started dozing off. There was the possibility of monsters attacking during his sleep, but Reito had learned the Detect Presence Tech Skill as well. Thanks to it, he would be alerted if any hostile presences approached. Reito eventually became unable to resist the temptation of sleep and called to Ullr, who had just finished eating the meat. ¡°Good night¡­¡± ¡°Woof¡­¡± Reito fell asleep immediately. Ullr, probably satisfied after filling its stomach, closed his eyes too. From that day onwards, the cave became Reito¡¯s home. He planned to leave it soon, but he would end up living there with Ullr for an unexpectedly long time¡­ Volume 1 - CH 12 CHAPTER 12 Two years had passed since Reito started living in the cave. He raised Ullr as a hunting dog to hunt down monsters in the forest every day. That day, Reito and Ullr¡¯s target was a Poark, a boar-like monster with meat even more delicious than Horned Rabbits. Ullr had grown in size, but the Poark was still almost twice as large as him. Even so, the White Wolf chased its prey without fear. ¡°GROOOAR!!¡± ¡°OHEEERRK!!¡± The Poark fled desperately, its cry vaguely resembling an Orc¡¯s. Poarks had massive bodies, but their disposition was rather meek. On the other hand, they were even more powerful than Orcs: they could even take down large trees when they charged. The chaser, Ullr, however, was even stronger. He ran as fast as a bullet and attacked with sharp fangs and claws. ¡°Grawr!!¡± ¡°Hoeerk!?¡± Ullr¡¯s claws slashed the poor beast. Reito was observing the situation from atop a tree branch. He carefully aimed at the Poark, bow and arrow in hand. ¡°¡­there!¡± ¡°HOGAAARRRK!!¡± The arrow struck the Poark, exactly between the eyes. The monster¡¯s massive body collapsed and quickly stopped moving. Reito jumped down from the tree and Ullr immediately ran up to him. ¡°Good job, Ullr.¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Praised by his master, Ullr happily wagged its tail left and right. Reito gave Ullr a pleasant rub. He had been living in the forest for a long time, but had not gone to the human settlements outside of the forest yet. The reason was that Airis told him he should not go. According to her, Reito¡¯s wanted poster had been distributed in all the nearby villages and towns. The kingdom had classified him as a criminal. The news of his escape from the residence had reached the capital, naturally. The king, fearing Reito¡¯s escape across the border, apparently sent his wanted poster to all cities and towns within its territory. His crime was treason: a large bounty now hung on his head. No child could ever survive in that forest, normally, but evidently the king thought otherwise. Reito was thus forced to live in the forest, unable to even visit human dwellings. Two years had passed, but the state of alert around him had not changed in the slightest. Reito called Ullr, while butchering the Poark. ¡°We¡¯ll have Poark hot pot tonight. Honestly, the Cooking skill sure is convenient!¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Living in the forest, Reito eventually acquired the long-awaited Cooking skill. Thanks to it, not only did he become good at cooking, but he also became able to prepare simple seasonings with wild herbs. In the last two years, Reito also became skilled with bow and arrow. He had made both out of wood, while he used Shape Change on metal he brought from the residence to make the arrowheads. He learned many other useful skills too, such as Concoction. Reito was still working on the Poark, when the noise of distant thunder reached his ears. ¡°Oh¡­sounds like it¡¯s going to rain. Better finish quickly.¡± ¡°Whiiine¡­¡± ¡°Stand guard, buddy.¡± Ullr nodded to Reito and started patrolling the surroundings. Thanks to him, Reito could focus on the monster. When he was done, Reito took the parts he couldn¡¯t use as materials or ingredients and covered them in soil. ¡°Done. I¡¯ll leave this here for other monsters.¡± Ullr did not seem to agree with Reito¡¯s plan, however. ¡°Woof!!!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t complain, it¡¯s not good to be greedy.¡± ¡°Whiiine¡­¡± Reito gently scolded Ullr, who promptly obeyed. Living together in the forest, they came to understand each other better and better. After the hunt, Reito went back to his ¡°home¡±. ~ The duo¡¯s return to the cave behind the waterfall was uneventful. Reito gave some smoked Horned Rabbit meat to Ullr, while he had grilled fish and soup made with vegetables and Orc meat. The vegetables in this world were fairly similar to the ones on Earth, but the main sources of meat were monsters. Reito savored the soup, but thinking about his past world¡¯s food made him sigh. ¡°If only I had some miso, I could make it into soup¡­¡± He knew it was an absurd desire, but couldn¡¯t help but long for it. Reito stopped eating for a moment and turned towards Ullr. The white wolf had finished eating and lied down to sleep. Reito took a blanket and put it over Ullr. ¡°Good boy¡­¡± Reito patted Ullr¡¯s head, careful not to wake him up, then returned to his meal. At that precise moment, however, Reito¡¯s Detect Presence picked up something. Someone was approaching the entrance of the cave. Reito, as silently as possible, picked up the bow and arrow laid against the wall. He activated Soundless Walk and moved towards the entrance. He looked outside the cave ¡ª and found a Goblin. It was carrying fruit, for some reason. ¡°Ghee!!¡± ¡°You¡¯re¡­¡± Reito recognized the Goblin and his expression softened. He put down the bow and arrow and approached the monster, without any fear. The Goblin offered the fruit to Reito. ¡°Ghee!¡± ¡°Today we have Rico and Min fruit¡­okay, here¡¯s your raw Orc meat.¡± ¡°Ghyeh!!¡± Reito took the fruit from the Goblin and gave it raw meat in exchange. The Goblin took it and left, humming gleefully. Reito and the Goblin formed such a ¡°relationship¡± roughly one year before. ~ One day, while exploring the forest, Reito spotted a Goblin being attacked by an Orc. Reito had no interest in saving monsters, but more Orc meat was always welcome, so he took down the pig-like beast. Thus as a result, he saved the Goblin¡¯s life. The Goblin ran off after that, but appeared again while Reito and Ullr were out hunting the next day. The monster, carrying as much fruit as its arms could hold, offered it all to Reito. (Does it want me to have it?) Reito was puzzled for a moment, but felt no hostility from the Goblin, so he decided to take the fruit. Afterwards, the Goblin would appear before Reito every now and then, always bringing fruit. Eventually, Reito stopped just accepting the offering and started giving leftover monster meat in exchange. ~ ¡°Now that I think about it, I don¡¯t see any Goblins other than that guy around here¡­I wonder what¡¯s going on?¡± Reito spoke his thoughts out loud. After some thought, he recalled the circumstances in which he first encountered the Goblin. ¡°Hmm, could it be that it strayed from the pack for some reason? So it started living in this area by itself¡­¡± Reito reached this conclusion because the Goblin¡¯s offerings never included monster meat. It always brought fruits and herbs for Reito, maybe to have monster meat in exchange, since it couldn¡¯t hunt monsters on its own. Somehow, Reito started worrying about the Goblin. ¡°After I leave this place¡­will that guy be fine on its own¡­?¡± ¡°Woof!¡± ¡°Hey, you were up?¡± Ullr had come next to Reito, without him realizing it. He looked at the Goblin gleefully prance away, its arms filled with monster meat. The boy and the White Wolf watched the monster until it disappeared from their sight. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Several days later¡­ Reito and Ullr were going back to the cave after the usual hunting, but the cave seemed different than usual. Fruit was scattered around the entrance. The furniture, tools, and food storage had been ravaged too. Reito was so surprised that he dropped the monster game on the ground. ¡°What happened!?¡± ¡°Grooowl¡­¡± Next to the shocked Reito, Ullr was baring his fangs, as if in excitement, then started sniffing around the ground. Reito picked up the fruit. ¡°I¡¯m sure we ate all the fruit we had before leaving¡­so this is new stuff! That Goblin brought it here? It definitely doesn¡¯t look like this was done by people, it has to be monsters¡¯ doing¡­¡± Reito was trying to make sense of the situation, when Ullr barked to draw his attention. ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°¡­you found the smell of the monster which made a mess of the cave!?¡± Ullr nodded to Reito¡¯s question. The White Wolf started following the monster¡¯s tracks, its nose on the ground. Reito quickly made the necessary preparations and followed his hound. Ullr exited the cave and headed into the forest. ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°This way?¡± Ullr started running at full speed, following the smell. Reito activated his Swift Legs skill and used the Physical Boost support magic too, so he could keep up with Ullr¡¯s speed without problems. ¡°Graawr!!¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Ullr stopped abruptly and growled in front of a large tree. Reito looked in the direction of the tree and saw a large bear-like creature with red fur, about 3 metres tall. ¡°GROAAAARRR!!¡± ¡°Whoa, it¡¯s huge!!¡± ¡°Groooowl¡­.¡± Facing the dark red bear-like beast, Reito and Ullr retreated a few steps. Reito activated the Observing Eye Tech Skill and realized that the monster¡¯s fur was not normally that color. In other words, the dark red was caused by blood. The surroundings were indeed filled with its stench. The blood red bear yawned loudly, then glared at Reito. The boy clicked his tongue and quickly opened communication with Airis. ¡ºAiris!!¡» Airis apparently expected Reito to call, as she answered promptly. ¡ºThat is a Blood Bear, commonly called just ¡°Red Bear¡±, a level 3 monster.¡» ¡ºLevel? Do monsters have levels too?¡» ¡ºIt¡¯s a bit different from the levels people have. For monsters, it defines their danger level, and goes from 1 to 5.¡» Airis paused for a moment, then continued. ¡ºGoblins, which can be defeated by the average person, are level 1. Monsters like Orcs, a common prey of beginner adventurers, are level 2. Monsters that only expert adventurers can consistently defeat are level 3. Those which only the handful of S rank adventurers can face are level 4. Lastly, dragons and other mythical monsters are level 5. It is said that a whole army is needed to exterminate one of those monsters.¡» Reito timidly asked another question. ¡ºSo this monster is¡­¡» ¡ºYes, a level 3. As such, it is super strong. Definitely a tough opponent for you now, Reito. If you don¡¯t strike first, you will be killed.¡» ¡ºFor real? This is bad.¡» Reito sighed after hearing Airis¡¯ assessment. He closed the communication and time started flowing again. Reito immediately armed himself with his bow and shot an arrow. ¡°Take this!!¡± ¡°GWARR!!¡± The arrow flew straight towards the Blood Bear¡¯s head, exactly as Reito aimed, but the monster stopped it with its fangs and crushed it. Reito then switched to the next offensive. ¡°Iceclad Sword!!¡± He created ice swords with both hands and made the blades vibrate. The proficiency level of Reito¡¯s Ice Block was already maxed out at 5: the ice¡¯s hardness was much greater than before, and the number of blocks he could create at the same time increased too. Reito created a gigantic block of ice in midair, then activated the Craft Skill he learned when he maxed out the proficiency of Ice Block. ¡°Ice Blade Bullet!¡± The blade of ice shot towards the bear monster, as fast as a gunshot. The sword pierced its thick skin and stabbed its flesh, propelling the monster backwards. ¡°Graaaaagh¡­.!?¡± Severely wounded, the Blood Bear fell to its knees. Reito then gave an order to Ullr. ¡°Good! Ullr, bite!!¡± ¡°Wooof!!¡± Ullr immediately followed orders and jumped. It spun its body in midair, lunging for the bear monster¡¯s neck. Ullr¡¯s razor sharp fangs sank into the Blood Bear¡¯s flesh, spraying blood everywhere. ¡°GRAAAHHHH!!!¡± ¡°We did it!!¡± ¡°Awooooo!!!¡± The Blood Bear, its figure now more than ever befitting its name, collapsed on the ground. Reito and Ullr cheered, but the next instant realized something unusual was going on. ¡°GRRAAAAHH!!¡± The roar of the supposedly defeated Blood Bear echoed throughout the forest. Reito felt that the trees near him were shaking: he turned around and found another Blood Bear. It was even larger than the one they just defeated, easily over 5 meters in size. ¡°W-what!? There¡¯s another one!? The massive Blood Bear knocked down the surrounding trees and stood tall. Its imposing bulk froze Reito and Ullr in their tracks. The newcomer glanced at its brethren, sprawled motionless on the ground, and roared furiously. ¡°GROAAAARRRRR!!!¡± ¡°This is really bad!!!¡± ¡°Woof!!!¡± Reito and Ullr detected the danger and jumped backwards: at the same time, the Blood Bear slammed its claws on the ground, causing a tremor. Reito saw fragments of the soil fly everywhere and was blown away himself. ¡°What insane power!!¡± He couldn¡¯t help but be shocked by the sheer strength of a single attack by the monster. Ullr jumped on a tree branch, then charged towards the monster¡¯s neck. It tried ripping its flesh like before, but its fangs could not penetrate the Blood Bear¡¯s thick skin this time. The massive beast glared at Ullr, then swatted him away, sending the White Wolf flying. ¡°Yiiip!¡± ¡°Ullr! Damn you¡­Ice Blade Bullet!!¡± ¡°GRUAAAHHHH!!!¡± Reito created another large blade of ice and shot it at the monster, but the beast¡¯s claws repelled it. Normal magic couldn¡¯t damage it, apparently. Reito thus decided to use a composite spell. ¡°Fireball¡­into Flame Lance!¡± ¡°Graaah¡­!?¡± Reito launched a Flame Lance from his palm, piercing the bear monster¡¯s arm. His magic had grown to a point that he could even burn a fire-resistant Orc to cinders. The giant Blood Bear, however, simply swung its arms to wipe out the flames. The monster then roared its irritation. ¡°GRAAHH!!!¡± ¡°Whoa!?¡± Reito jumped backwards to dodge the Blood Bear¡¯s swing, then continued to evade its following attacks. ¡°Whops ¡ª tch ¡ª crap ¡ª that ¡ª was ¡ª close!!¡± ¡°Graah¡­!?¡± The bear monster seemed to be confused by Reito¡¯s evasion. On the other hand, Reito was growing tense. He could dodge the Blood Bear¡¯s attacks thanks to the Martial Artist Tech Skill ¡°Evasion¡±. If he hadn¡¯t learned it, he would surely be dead already. Reito took advantage of the pause in the Blood Bear¡¯s offensive and pointed his palm at the ground, to activate Earth Block. ¡°Earth Block!!¡± ¡°Graaah!?¡± The giant bear monster¡¯s hind legs sank into the soil, knocking it down. Reito then activated another Craft Skill he learned when he maxed out the proficiency of Fire basic grade magic. ¡°Great Fireball!!¡± A Fireball ten times larger than the regular one formed from his palm. Reito immediately slammed it on the Blood Bear¡¯s back. The moment it made contact with the monster, the Fireball turned into a flame pillar. ¡°GRUAAAHHHH!?¡± The Blood Bear, its back scorched by flames, wailed in pain. Reito¡¯s offensive continued, to deliver the final blow. ¡°Fireball¡­into Wind Blade!!¡± He created another Fireball with his left palm, then activated Magic Boost and, at the same time, the boosted Wind Pressure spell ¡ª Wind Blade with his right palm. The crescent blade of wind was thus absorbed by the Fireball, turning into a blade of flames, which Reito unleashed on the monster¡¯s face. ¡°GROAAAHHH!!!¡± ¡°Yes!!!¡± Reito, feeling his attack struck loud and clear, rejoiced. The Blood Bear thrashed about, but its lower body was still stuck in the ground, so its claws could not reach Reito. The moment Reito was sure of his victory, another roar shook the air from behind him. ¡°What!?¡± He turned around and found yet another Blood Bear, gripping fish with both paws. Reito quickly activated the Observing Eye skill and found out that this bear was the mother of the first one he killed. The bear Reito just set ablaze was the father, apparently. The new Blood Bear was smaller in size than the others, but for Reito it was still massive. The mother bear, realizing Reito had attacked her family, charged at him furiously. ¡°GRAAHH!!!¡± ¡°So fast!!¡± Reito barely managed to avoid the attack thanks to Evasion, but the mother bear¡¯s offensive was relentless. The monster knocked down one of the nearby trees and used the trunk in a sweeping attack. ¡°GRAAAHHH!!¡± ¡°Whoa!?¡± Reito quickly activated Leap, jumping from branch to branch to avoid the mother bear¡¯s attacks. In the meanwhile, the Blood bear scorched by flames stood back up. ¡°Graaaahhhh¡­.¡± The two Blood Bears¡¯ rumbling roars echoed through the forest. Reito realized the situation had become really desperate and contacted Airis to look for ways to survive the crisis. ¡ºAiris!!¡» ¡ºHmm, quite the pinch, isn¡¯t it. I cannot see your future, so be very careful. Anyway, about the two Blood Bears¡­¡» ¡ºI used too much magic today already, but I can¡¯t let this fight go on much longer¡­¡» ¡ºComposite magic consumes a lot of magic power, after all. Why don¡¯t you try the sword skills you¡¯re so good at then?¡» ¡ºWill a sword work against huge monsters like those?¡» Airis¡¯ reply to Reito¡¯s question sounded like a riddle. ¡ºNot a normal sword, of course. So use one that is not normal.¡» ¡º¡­okay.¡» Reito sighed internally at Airis¡¯ reply and closed the communication. Time started flowing again and Reito jumped down on the ground, facing the two Blood Bears. ¡°Grrraaahhh¡­¡± The two monsters, wary of Reito, kept their distance. Reito used the opportunity to approach the collapsed Ullr and cast the Support magic spell Recovery Boost on him. ¡°You can do it, buddy.¡± ¡°Woo¡­¡± Thanks to Recovery Boost Ullr regained consciousness and slowly stood back up. Luckily, the impact when he was tossed by the bear monster only made him faint: he did not have any serious wounds. Ullr was still eager to fight: he bared his fangs at the Blood Bears and growled menacingly. ¡°Grrrrrrrowl!!!¡± Reito then ordered him to create a diversion. ¡°Calm down now¡­I want you to run around and draw their attention. I¡¯ll find an opening and finish them off.¡± ¡°Woof!!!¡± Ullr, brimming with will to fight, barked in protest. Reito, however, shook his head and scolded him. ¡°No complaints¡­if you won¡¯t listen, you¡¯re skipping dinner tonight.¡± ¡°¡­arf.¡± Ullr was a bit miffed about the whole affair, but ran off immediately and charged towards the two Blood Bears. ¡°Wooooff!!!¡± ¡°Graaah!?¡± ¡°Graaahh¡­!!¡± If Ullr ran at full speed, he could easily dodge the Blood Bears¡¯ attacks. Thanks to Reito¡¯s training, he also became skilled at jumping on tree branches. Ullr thus started darting around the Blood Bears, keeping them focused on him. ¡°GRAAH!!¡± The Blood Bears swung their arms wildly, but Ullr continued jumping from tree to tree, making them miss every time. Reito, impressed by Ullr¡¯s skill in confusing his opponents, focused on his hands. ¡°Iceclad Sword¡± Reito chanted the words and a large two-handed sword appeared in his hands. The blade was about four times thicker than a regular longsword, the total length over 2 meters. In order to be able to wield such a sword, longer than his height, Reito used the Support spell Muscle Boost and Tech Skill Might. He then made the blade vibrate to boost its sharpness to the max. In order to be sure to finish off the wounded father bear, he gave Ullr a new order. ¡°Ullr! Keep the mother busy!¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Ullr immediately obeyed the order: he jumped on the mother bear¡¯s snout and bit her ear, causing the monster to stagger. Reito did not waste time to approach the father bear. ¡°Graah!?¡± The father bear spotted Reito and raised its arms high. ¡°GRAAAHHHH!!!!¡± ¡°Whirlwind!!¡± The Blood Bear swung its arms down, trying to crush Reito: the latter countered with a Swordsman Battle Skill, a lateral sweep with his broadsword. The broadsword and the father bear¡¯s arms collided, producing a large splatter of blood on the ground. It all belonged to the father bear¡¯s arms, naturally. Seeing the large, gaping wounds, the father bear opened its eyes wide in anger. ¡°GRAAH¡­.!!¡± ¡°It¡¯s over!!¡± Reito charged the father bear and stabbed the broadsword into the monster¡¯s chest. After confirming the vibrating blade had pierced its target, he activated a Battle Art. ¡°Helmet Splitter!!¡± ¡°GRUAAHHHHH!!!!¡± Reito swung the blade down, cutting through the father bear¡¯s flesh. The Blood Bear howled in agony, then slumped down to the ground, lifeless. Reito adjusted his breath, then slowly turned around. At that very same moment, Ullr was swatted away by the mother bear and came flying towards him. ¡°Awooo!!!¡± ¡°Whaah!¡± ¡°GRAAAHHH!!¡± Reito, taken by surprise, stumbled and fell. The furious mother bear rushed towards them at mad speed. The monster¡¯s claws were descending on the fallen Reito. It seemed to be all over ¡ª when a shadow appeared behind him. ¡°Gheeee!!!!¡± ¡°Wha!?¡± The shadow jumped on the Blood Bear¡¯s snout: it belonged to the Goblin who exchanged food with Reito. Maybe it had been attacked by the Blood Bears, as it was bleeding profusely. Despite the mother bear¡¯s attacks, the Goblin resisted desperately. Reito shouted. ¡°Are you¡­trying to protect us!?¡± ¡°Gheeeehhh!!!¡± ¡°GRAAAHHH!!¡± The Goblin¡¯s brave stand did not last long, however: the mother bear grabbed its body and easily tore it away. Squeezed by the Blood Bear¡¯s powerful grip, the Goblin grimaced in pain. Reito instinctively readied his broadsword to attack, but ¡ª ¡°GROAAHHH!!¡± ¡°Gheeeyah¡­!!¡± ¡°No¡­!?¡± The mother bear crushed the Goblin in its claws. The sound of creaking, shattering bones echoed in the surroundings. A mix of foam and blood spurted from the Goblin¡¯s mouth, as its head hung down. Reito clenched his teeth and attacked the mother bear. ¡°DAMN YOU¡­!!!¡± ¡°GROA¡ª!?¡± One of the mother bear¡¯s hind legs was cut off. The bear monster lost its balance. Reito did not stop, however, and stabbed his broadsword in its other leg. The monster was thus stuck to the ground, unable to collapse. ¡°Groaaah¡­.!!¡± ¡°SHUT UP!!¡± Reito let go of the broadsword, immediately formed Iceclad Swords on both of his hands and used them to slash the mother bear, over and over again. His mind lost to anger, Reito cut through the monster¡¯s flesh again and again. ¡°AAAAAAHH!!!¡± ¡°GROAAAAAahhh¡­..!!!!¡± Finally, he stabbed both ice swords in the mother bear¡¯s head ¡ª when Ullr, who had come up to Reito from behind, pulled on his clothes to stop him. ¡°Woof!¡± ¡°Hah¡­hah¡­hah¡­.!!¡± The mother bear, covered in blood, was without a doubt dead. Reito let go of the swords and hugged Ullr, who gently licked his face. ¡°¡­thanks.¡± ¡°Woof¡­¡± Reito and Ullr then kneeled beside the Goblin. The small monster had already drawn its last breath. Reito couldn¡¯t understand why the Goblin protected them with its life. But no matter what the reason was, it had saved them. Had the Goblin not jumped in, Reito and Ullr would have probably been killed. Reito wished to give the Goblin at least a proper burial, so he lifted its body up and took it back with them to their cave. On the way back, Reito quietly thought about the Goblin that could have become his friend. Volume 1 - CH 13 CHAPTER 13 Several days after the battle against the Blood Bears¡­ Reito was focusing completely on practicing with his broadsword, to forget about that tragic day. He had only used longswords until then, but the battle against the Blood Bears made him realize the great offensive power and attack range of a broadsword, so he wanted to become able to use it more skillfully. Reito equipped weights on his arms and legs and repeatedly swung the broadsword. ¡°Haah!! Haah!! Yaah!!¡± He could only swing it slowly, but felt that the speed of his swings increased day by day. Reito paused for a moment and exhaled. ¡°Phew¡­I want to become stronger¡­¡± Magician-type job holders had vastly inferior physical abilities to Swordsmen or Martial Artists. With regular training, however, it was still possible to improve one¡¯s abilities. Reito raised the broadsword and activated a Battle Art. ¡°Helmet Splitter!! Whirlwind!!¡± He used Helmet Splitter, a downward slash, and Whirlwind, a horizontal sweep, one after the other. The sword Battle Arts he knew were only these two at the moment. In order to increase his repertory of Sword techniques, he tried activating other Battle Arts while holding the sword. ¡°Circle Parry!¡± As expected, Circle Parry behaved in a different way than the usual. Normally it would make him move his hands in a circle to deflect enemy attacks, but it made him move the sword in a circle this time. ¡°So if I activate Battle Arts with a sword in hand, they can make different movements¡­I guess they can change depending on the situation.¡± Reito then tried using Leap followed by Whirlwind, sword in hand. He jumped with good momentum, then swung the sword exactly as he landed. The unexpected movement made him almost fall forward. ¡°Whoa!? The broadsword sure is hard to wield¡­hm?¡± The status window appeared before his eyes. . . Overjoyed to learn a new Battle Art, Reito tried it immediately. ¡°Spin Strike!¡± Reito spun once and swung the broadsword. He found it so exciting that he used it several times in a row. ¡°Spin Strike! Spin Strike! Spin Strike!¡± As he swung the broadsword, spinning like a top, Reito realized that the sword gained speed at every rotation. As he became used to it, he could control the direction of the attack to a degree. Reito continued to spin delightfully, until a sudden jolt of pain struck his wrists. ¡°Ouch!?!¡± Reito fell down on the ground. He let go of the broadsword and activated Recovery Boost. As the pain slowly subdued, he cursed under his breath. ¡°Ow ow¡­shit¡­my body can¡¯t handle the weight of a broadsword yet, huh¡­I have to train my muscles again from the basics.¡± Reito decided that was enough training for the day. While he was resting, Ullr appeared with a Horned Rabbit in his mouth. ¡°Woof.¡± ¡°Oh, Ullr, you¡¯re back. You¡¯ve got prey too, good job.¡± Reito praised Ullr and decided to start cooking. ¡°Okay, we¡¯re going to have a barbecue here today!¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Reito quickly skinned the Horned Rabbit, then prepared the fire. The painful realization of his lack of strength during the broadsword training made Reito decide to increase the quantity of his meals, in order to grow more. ¡°I want to get bigger soon¡­okay, from today onwards I¡¯ll eat more meat! Let¡¯s get stronger together, buddy.¡± ¡°Woof!!!¡± Ullr barked back, as if agreeing to Reito¡¯s idea. From that day forward, Reito¡¯s lifestyle changed drastically: in order to build his physique, he started eating all sorts of monster meat. Ullr¡¯s meals increased in quantity too, boosting his growth. The battle against the Blood Bears made Reito painfully realize his lacking strength. He thought he had done everything he could before he escaped the residence, but understood that reality was still very harsh. ¡ô¡ô¡ô A certain rainy day, Reito was training blindfolded, trying to learn a particular skill: a Tech Skill called ¡°Mind¡¯s Eye¡±. It allowed the user to perceive the surroundings even when their vision was blocked. It was normally acquired by first class Swordsmen and Martial Artists, so very few possessed it. In order to learn Mind¡¯s Eye, it was necessary to sharpen one¡¯s senses other than sight. Reito, blindfolded, was meditating in a sitting posture. He could hear the sound of the rain outside and the presence of Ullr, pacing around bored. The skill didn¡¯t seem to be coming at all, however, so Reito grumbled under his breath. ¡°It¡¯s taking longer and longer to learn new skills¡­am I getting old?¡± A voice then reached his ears. ¡ºRest easy, you are still young. And you¡¯re going to learn many more skills from now on, so no complaints.¡» ¡°Eh? Was that Airis¡¯ voice? But we¡¯re not communicating¡­must be my imagination¡­¡± ¡°Arf?¡± Ullr, puzzled, looked at his master mumbling to himself. His curiosity quickly faded, though; with a yawn, the White Wolf lied down to sleep. Reito, faintly detecting Ullr¡¯s presence, concentrated again. ¡°Phew¡­¡± He honed his senses as much as he could. He wasn¡¯t supposed to be able to see anything, but something appeared in his field of sight. At first, he saw Ullr, lying down behind him. Its silhouette was a bit blurry, but it was too clear to be a mirage. At that moment, Reito realized he could see 360 degrees around himself. He had been training to learn Mind¡¯s Eye since two years prior, and would fall in such a state sometimes. He could often ¡°see¡± what was behind him, through their presence. Reito tried recalling these experiences as he focused on Ullr¡¯s silhouette. Ullr¡¯s image became clearer and clearer, and little by little Reito could see other objects as well. He maintained his focus and eventually recognized the bed, the bow and arrows leaning against the walls, even his cooking utensils. Reito gathered his resolve, stood up and approached Ullr. ¡°You¡¯ll catch a cold like that, buddy.¡± ¡°Woof¡­?¡± As Reito put a blanket over Ullr, the latter jolted up on its feet. Reito patted his head to calm him down, then walked away from Ullr and looked around. His sight should still be blocked by the blindfold, but Reito could see the interior of the cave perfectly. He picked up a spoon from the ground. ¡°Hey, I thought I had lost this spoon¡­so here¡¯s where it was.¡± Reito confirmed he could see perfectly inside the cave, so he tried going outside. Stepping outside the familiar environment of the cave could be dangerous, but he wanted to test the feeling of using Mind¡¯s Eye more. ¡°The rain¡¯s really noisy¡­¡± It was raining heavily outside the cave. With so much noise, Reito¡¯s sense of hearing wouldn¡¯t be much help. Reito knew that encountering a monster in such a state would be dangerous, yet strangely enough he did not feel any fear. ¡°This way.¡± His sight and hearing blocked, Reito walked between the trees. The status screen announcing the acquisition of Mind¡¯s Eye hadn¡¯t appeared yet. Reito hadn¡¯t actually learned the skill yet, but could walk without hesitation nevertheless. After a while, he detected a hostile presence. The next moment, he could hear a pig-like squeal from the front. An Orc over 2 meters tall appeared before him. ¡°GROEEENK!!¡± ¡°Huh, an Orc. Iceclad Sword.¡± Reito could ¡°see¡± the Orc armed with a stone axe. He created a sword of ice, preparing to fight against the monster. ¡°GROOORRK!!¡± ¡°Oh, there¡¯s another one?¡± ¡°GRONK!?¡± Reito ignored the roaring Orc and turned around: another Orc was observing him from behind the bushes. He ran towards the newcomer and swung his sword. ¡°Haah!¡± ¡°GROOARK!?¡± ¡°Grork!?¡± The hidden Orc was taken completely by surprise: its head flew off and the trunk slumped down, lifeless. Reito then threw the Iceclad Sword at the first Orc. Thanks to the Accuracy and Throwing Tech Skills, the sword pierced the monster¡¯s throat cleanly. ¡°Groaahh¡­!?¡± ¡°Sorry, looks like I really got the hang of it.¡± Reito defeated both Orcs in the blink of an eye. Until now, Detect Presence only told him the general position of other beings, but now he could even tell what kind of weapons they had. Reito¡¯s sharper senses then announced that a new enemy was approaching. ¡°Okay, guess I¡¯ll turn back now¡­after I deal with you.¡± Reito created another Iceclad Sword: not a longsword like before, but the broadsword type he had been practicing with. Reito prepared for the battle, as a giant creature approached, opening a path through the trees and bushes. ¡°Graaah¡­!!¡± ¡°A Kobold¡­? Whoa, it¡¯s huge!!¡± The Kobold that appeared before Reito was more than 3 meters tall, much more than the average specimen. It was a so-called Mutant, a subspecies with radically different qualities from its brethren. The Mutant Kobold looked in turn at Reito and the Orc corpses, baring its fangs. ¡°GRAAH!!¡± ¡°Oops.¡± The monster howled and tried to grab Reito. The latter made the newly formed Iceclad Sword vibrate and slashed the monster¡¯s arms. The vibrating blade tore the arm upon contact, sending the Kobold into a fit of pain. ¡°GRAAAGH!?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve gotten used to fighting big guys like you!!¡± Compared to the three Blood Bears, the Mutant Kobold wasn¡¯t much of an opponent. Reito raised his broadsword, targeting the monster¡¯s chest. ¡°Spin Strike!¡± ¡°GREAAHHH!!!!¡± The Battle Art ¡°Spin Strike¡± made Reito rotate once, then stab the blade through the Kobold¡¯s chest, ripping it apart. The Mutant Kobold screamed in agony and fell down. Reito made sure the beast was dead, then let go of the broadsword and removed his blindfold. The status window then appeared before his eyes. . . ¡°Yeah!!¡± Reito cheered for a moment, but was then brought to his knees by a sudden jolt of pain through his head. He had been training for hours to learn Mind¡¯s Eye: his mental fatigue was probably at its peak. He felt as tired as when he used too much magic power and fainted. Reito couldn¡¯t endure the strain and sat down on the ground: he decided to rest a bit on the spot. ¡°I guess I went too far¡­I can¡¯t use this skill too often, huh.¡± Mind¡¯s Eye was very useful, but just as tiring. After a bit of rest, Reito slowly stood up and looked at the remains of the Mutant Kobold. Its body was heavily damaged, making it impossible to collect parts or materials from it. ¡°Nothing I can take, huh¡­guess I should turn back. Wait¡­what¡¯s that?¡± The kobold¡¯s back showed a large wound, which Reito had no recollection of inflicting. Part of the fur on the right side of its body was also torn off. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this? Could there be someone else¡­?¡± Reito immediately contacted Airis for answers. ¡ºAeris!! Who or what caused this wound!?¡» Sighing at having to hear a joke even at a time like this, Airis replied. ¡ºVery similar names, completely different people¡­that Kobold apparently met the forest¡¯s ¡°boss¡±. It was defeated and ran off in this direction, where it encountered you. May it rest in peace¡­¡» ¡ºThe forest¡¯s boss¡­? Didn¡¯t you say that it was Ullr¡¯s parents? But they died, didn¡¯t they?¡» ¡ºThe monster that killed them took their place and became the new boss of the forest.¡» ¡ºI see¡­so the current boss is responsible for the death of Ullr¡¯s parents¡­¡» ¡ºThat¡¯s right. The boss is too powerful an opponent for you now, so do not even think of fighting it. It is this forest¡¯s strongest creature, after all¡» ¡ºI know, I know.¡» Reito closed the communication with Airis and left. Volume 1 - CH 14.1 CHAPTER 14 Four years had passed since Reito escaped from the residence. Now fourteen years old, Reito was still living in the forest with Ullr. They had moved from the cave behind the waterfall to a new dwelling: after the Blood Bear incident, they moved to a cave that did not risk being attacked by monsters. ¡°Okay, shall we go hunting?¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± In these four years, Reito had grown visibly: he was now 150 cm tall. He cut his hair evenly at shoulder length. His features became sharper, but he took after his mother, giving his looks a touch of gentle handsomeness. On the other hand, the harsh life in the forest allowed his muscles to develop to a considerable extent. Reito was not the only one to grow, however: Ullr¡¯s body had grown bigger and larger too ¨C he was about the size of a small horse now. Reito could even ride on him when they traveled through the forest. Reito hopped on his partner¡¯s back and Ullr dashed off immediately. ¡°Wooof!!!¡± ¡°You¡¯re as fast as the wind, buddy.¡± Reito scanned the forest for prey as they ran across it. That day, they were looking for adult Poark specimens, called Great Poark. They were approximately twice the size of normal Poarks. They would find one soon enough: the Great Poark spotted the duo too and snarled at them. ¡°GROEEEENK!!!¡± ¡°There¡¯s one!!¡± ¡°Grooowl!!¡± The Great Poark did not waste time and charged them. Ullr leaped into the air, Reito still on his back, jumping over the monster and landing behind it. ¡°Oenk!?¡± ¡°Good! Stand back, Ullr!¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Reito jumped down from Ullr¡¯s back, stepped closer to the Great Poark and clenched his fist. He then activated the Craft Skill Heavy Strike. ¡°Take this!!¡± ¡°OeenkAWGHR!?¡± Reito¡¯s fist landed on the Great Poark¡¯s body, protected by thick fur and fat, sending the massive boar-like beast flying. Reito smiled to himself, then created an Iceclad broadsword. Thanks to Leap he could catch up with the Great Poark in a second: before the monster could land, Reito had already swung his sword. ¡°Helmet Splitter!¡± ¡°GROEEEENKKK!?¡± The broadsword cut through the Great Poark, cleaving it in half. Reito dispelled the Iceclad Sword and called Ullr. ¡°You can have half, buddy.¡± ¡°Wooof!!¡± Ullr barked cheerfully and started feasting on the monster¡¯s body. Next to him, Reito dissected the Great Poark, deftly collecting any useful parts. ¡°We¡¯re going to have meat stew tonight¡­hey, what¡¯s that?¡± During the dissection, Reito found a red gem inside the monster¡¯s body. He took it in his hands and noticed it was warm to the touch. Curious, Reito opted to ask Airis about it. ¡ºAiris¡­no, sorry, Airland.¡» ¡ºYou said my name right! No need for corrections!! Am I right!?¡» Reito quickly added the usual joke, which Airis promptly reacted to. Reito ignored her protests and proceeded to the main topic. ¡ºWho cares about that, tell me about this thing instead.¡» ¡ºWill you ever change¡­? Anyway¡­that¡¯s a Magic Stone.¡» According to Airis, Magis Stones were gems imbued with magic power of a certain element: Magicians used them to reinforce their magic. There were not many places where Magic Stones could be found: for example, fire Magic Stones were found in volcanoes, while water Magic Stones could be found in the sea or a lake. ¡ºSo why was there one inside a Poark¡¯s body?¡» ¡ºIt¡¯s not such a rare event, actually. Most monsters like Magic Stones very much after all.¡» ¡ºThey eat them!?¡» ¡ºThey don¡¯t actually eat the stones, but absorb the magic power in them. Large monsters consume Magic Stones to boost their physical abilities.¡» After learning of such curious monster habits, Reito thought of closing the communication, but Airis hurriedly stopped him. ¡ºAh, please wait! Don¡¯t close just yet, I have good news!!¡» ¡ºGood news?¡» So Reito asked back and Airis continued, a giddy tone in her voice. ¡ºThe bounty on your head was finally retracted. The kingdom apparently decided that you must have died.¡» ¡ºReally!?¡» A considerable amount of time had passed, so it probably wasn¡¯t strange for the kingdom to reach this conclusion. Reito could now finally visit human settlements without fear of being found. Reito cheered, then a thought crossed his mind. ¡ºAh¡­now that I think about it, I don¡¯t have any money¡­¡» ¡ºWhen you arrive to a town, you can just sell the monster materials or wild herbs you have gathered until now. You have learned the Concoction skill too, so you could make some healing potions, for example.¡» ¡ºMedicine, huh¡­I see.¡» Reito nodded, convinced, then Airis gave him some more advice. ¡ºYou can take Ullr with you too. If you make him wear a collar, you can make him pass for your pet dog.¡» ¡ºSeriously!?¡» Reito was worried that leaving the Abyssal Forest would have meant separating from Ullr, so he was ecstatic to learn that wasn¡¯t the case. He thus returned to his base and started making preparations to visit a human settlement, for the first time in years. ¡ô¡ô¡ô One week has passed since Airis announced the good news to Reito. His preparations complete, Reito was riding on Ullr through the Abyssal Forest. Once they were out, they found a vast grassland spreading before them. Reito, moved by this new scenery, followed Airis¡¯ instructions and headed to the nearest human dwelling. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± According to Airis, there was a small village near the grassland. It had been attacked by Goblins a few days prior, however, so no one lived there anymore. After a while, Reito and Ullr arrived at the abandoned village. The buildings were ravaged and human corpses were strewn along the streets, just as Airis had said. ¡°So this is the place¡­it really was destroyed. People were killed and just left here like this¡­¡± ¡°Whiine¡­¡± Reito proceeded through the village, walking among the countless corpses scattered everywhere. The dead bodies were already decomposing, filling the air with an awful stench. The duo eventually arrived at a large residence, probably the village elder¡¯s home. ¡°Stand watch, buddy.¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Reito left Ullr in front of the main entrance and went inside the residence. His first objective was to obtain clothes from the abandoned village. He had brought clothes with him when he left the residence, four years before, but now that he had grown they wouldn¡¯t fit anymore. Until now, he used the Tech Skill ¡°Sewing¡± to make do somehow, but they were well past their limits. Reito thus needed to visit a human settlement to find proper clothes, and decided to do so in the village. After searching the drawers, Reito found clothes that probably belonged to the elder¡¯s son. ¡°Found them! The size¡­seems fine. They look just like the clothes I¡¯ve been wearing until now too.¡± Reito took everything useful and put it into his Storage Magic subspace. His current level was 40, so his Storage Magic¡¯s weight limit was over 2000 kg. After collecting clothes and changing, Reito then searched the house for valuables. The residents had all been killed, leaving no one to claim ownership of what was inside. Reito felt guilty about his actions, but collected what he could all the same. Lastly, Reito was about to collect the kitchen ware, when he heard human voices from outside. ¡°Hey!! There¡¯s a monster over there!!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a White Wolf!? Why is there a rare monster in a place like this¡­?¡± ¡°Who cares!! We can make a killing with that thing¡¯s hide!!¡± ¡°WOOF!!!¡± Reito hurried outside and found three armed people facing Ullr: a boy and a girl about his age and a large, relatively balding middle-aged man. Ullr howled loudly, ready to fight. ¡°Wait!! Calm down, Ullr!!¡± Reito stepped in front of Ullr, causing confusion among the trio. ¡°Huh? Who the hell are you!?¡± ¡°A survivor!?¡± ¡°Someone survived that? For real!?¡± Reito turned towards the group, as Ullr rubbed its snout against him. ¡°Whiine¡­¡± ¡°Good boy, good boy¡­that must have been scary.¡± Reito gently rubbed Ullr¡¯s head, much to the three¡¯s surprise. ¡°W-what!? That guy tamed the White Wolf¡­!?¡± ¡°No way you can tame a monster¡­!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe my eyes¡­¡± The three newcomers were apparently adventurers: they each wore the bronze adventurers¡¯ badge on their chest. Reito, thinking of getting away before things turned troublesome, called Ullr. ¡°Let¡¯s go, buddy.¡± ¡°Woof!¡± Ullr barked in agreement. Before they could leave, however, the boy from the group spoke to Reito. ¡°H-hey, wait! Are you from this village?¡± ¡°No, I just happened to pass by. I wanted to make sure if there really weren¡¯t any survivors.¡± ¡°I see¡­by the way, is that wolf your Covenant?¡± ¡°Cove¡­what?¡± Reito cocked his head to the side, then mentally called Airis. ¡ºHello~?¡» ¡ºI don¡¯t even have a name anymore now? Anyway¡­Covenants are monsters tamed via Covenant Magic, a technique used by those with the Monster Tamer job. Support Magicians like you cannot learn Covenant Magic, though.¡» ¡ºI see, thank you.¡» Reito thanked Airis and cut the communication. He then turned towards the group again and answered their question. ¡°He is not a covenant, but like family to me.¡± ¡°Family? That wolf?¡± ¡°What is that supposed to mean? How can you tame a monster without magic?¡± The trio tried approaching Ullr, causing him to react warily. ¡°Grrooowl!!¡± ¡°Easy, easy.¡± ¡°Whiiine¡­.¡± Reito easily calmed Ullr¡¯s tempers. The three adventurers were thus convinced that the White Wolf was indeed tamed. ¡°We¡¯re off, then.¡± Reito started walking away, but the boy stopped him again. ¡°Wait a second!! You¡¯re not that White Wolf¡¯s master, are you?¡± ¡°I told you, there¡¯s nothing like that between us.¡± Reito¡¯s reply caused a shift in the trio¡¯s attitude: they quickly moved to surround him. ¡°Hehehe¡­in that case, we can deal with you here and take that wolf for ourselves, right?¡± ¡°White Wolf materials are really rare, you see? Too bad for you, but it¡¯s coming with us.¡± The three adventurers, slowly but surely, closed in on Reito and Ullr. Reito, mentally sighing at the hopeless situation, was about to take the bow from his back, when the middle-aged balding man of the group jeered at him. ¡°Judging from that busted up bow, you don¡¯t even have enough money to buy a weapon, huh? I¡¯ve never even seen someone using a weapon they made themselves!!¡± ¡°Surrender now, and we¡¯ll spare your life.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­not that you look like you could put up much of a fight.¡± The three adventurers came closer, their ill intentions painted on their faces. Reito and Ullr were now standing back to back. ¡°What a classic development¡­¡± ¡°Arf¡­¡± So Reito whispered to himself, then called Airis to know his opponents¡¯ fighting level. ¡ºAiris, these people look like adventurers, but can I win against them?¡» ¡ºThose three are not adventurers, but thieves pretending to be. As you are now, you can defeat them easily.¡» ¡ºThieves? Really?¡» ¡ºA family of thieves, yes. The badges they wear are stolen. The father is a wanted criminal, so you could receive a reward if you brought him to the kingdom¡¯s army.¡» ¡º¡­good.¡» Reito closed the communication with Airis, let go of his bow and put up his fists. The three thieves were puzzled by his sudden change in strategy, but they would soon learn what Reito meant by it. ¡°Fireball.¡± ¡°What? Basic Grade¡­whoa!?¡± ¡°W-what the hell!?¡± ¡°No way!?¡± Reito instantly created more than 30 Fireballs all around himself, which he shot at the thieves¡¯ feet: the resulting explosions sent all three of them flying away. Reito waved away the cloud of dust and smoke, then looked at the three aggressors. The boy and girl fainted, probably because of the impact of the explosion, but the father was still conscious. He pulled himself back on his feet and spoke. ¡°Gwah¡­d-damn it¡­you were a Magician!?¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re tough, huh?¡± Reito was honestly impressed. The man was about to take the knife he carried at his waist, but Ullr charged before he could. ¡°Woof!!!¡± Ullr leaped in the air, then precisely landed with his front paws on the man¡¯s face. The father was knocked out immediately, foaming at the mouth. Ullr returned to Reito¡¯s side and received a head pat. ¡°Good job, Ullr.¡± ¡°Arf!¡± ¡°These people¡­were really nothing special.¡± Still in disbelief at defeating a wanted criminal so easily, Reito tied the three with rope he found among their belongings. He then wondered how he could transport them, and decided to ask Airis for advice. ¡ºAi-Lin?¡» As usual, Airis did not ignore Reito¡¯s running gag. ¡ºTo be honest, I don¡¯t mind that Chinese-sounding name, but my name is Airis. What is it?¡» ¡ºHow far is the nearest city?¡» ¡ºI wouldn¡¯t call it a city, but there is a fairly large town to the north. If you¡¯re wondering how to carry the thieves, there¡¯s an ox-drawn carriage in the outskirts of the village. You could fit for Ullr to pull, what do you think?¡» ¡ºMake a wolf-drawn carriage, huh¡­¡» Reito left the thieves and went to check the place where Airis said he could find the carriage. The whole village had been ravaged, but the carriage was unscathed ¡ª it probably failed to attract the Goblins¡¯ interest. The same could not be said for the ox, however: only bones remained. ¡°So this is the carriage. Looks like it might be heavy, do you think you can pull it?¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Ullr was more than confident. Reito immediately used Shape Change to fit the carriage for Ullr to pull, then returned where he left the thieves. He was about to load the three on the carriage, when he noticed a large group of white horses approaching from the village entrance. ¡°What¡¯s going on now?¡± ¡°Arf?¡± Reito¡¯s Observing Eye revealed that young women clad in armor were riding on the horses. As soon as they arrived at Reito¡¯s location, the band of white horses surrounded it. They numbered over 50. Reito and Ullr warily watched how they were going to act: one of the young women got down from her horse and approached them. ¡°Do not move a muscle!! What were you doing here? Why are those people tied up?¡± The young woman who started questioning Reito had black hair and auburn skin. Differently from the others, she did not wear armor, but only carried a sword on her back. Her black hair reached down to her waist; her features still showed a hint of childishness, while her eyes burned bright red like rubies. The rest of her body seemed much more mature than her youthful face: her chest was well developed, her abdomen and legs as toned as an athlete. The young woman glared at Reito sharply. ¡°Answer already!! Know that based on your words, we might be forced to apprehend you!¡± ¡°Er¡­¡± Reito hesitates and all the mounted women draw their weapons. Reito called Airis in order to come up with a way out of the situation. ¡ºMiss Airis?¡» ¡ºOh, I¡¯m a miss now? In all seriousness, no more name jokes from now on, okay? Anyway¡­they are Valkyrja, one of the knight orders of the Baltros kingdom. The woman who spoke to you is the first princess of the kingdom ¡ª in other words, the first daughter of the previous king. And your cousin.¡» ¡ºMy cousin!?¡» Reito couldn¡¯t help but react loudly to the unexpected news. Airis then continued. ¡ºHer name is Nao, so she is usually referred to as ¡°Princess Nao¡±. A princess general, so to speak.¡» Nao, Reito¡¯s newfound cousin, seemed to be 16 or 17 years old. He had heard about the previous king¡¯s daughters from Airis, soon after he was reborn in this world, but never expected to meet one in a place like that. Surprised that she could lead a band of knights at her age, Reito asked Airis another question. ¡ºThen, why is a daughter of the previous king in this village?¡» ¡ºI told you that this village was attacked by Goblins, yes? This village, however, was protected by a Barrier Stone and Decay Stone. It would be normally impossible for monsters to approach it, let alone attack it, but as you can see, it happened. They have come to inspect the village. You are not very far from the royal capital, you see.¡» ¡ºReally¡­oh right, she asked me what I was doing, what do you think I should say?¡» ¡ºI believe you should honestly say you captured the thieves. But also pretend that you are one of the village¡¯s survivors.¡» ¡ºGot it. Should I say my real name? I was a wanted criminal until recently, after all¡­¡» ¡ºThat¡¯s not a problem. Your wanted poster showed your portrait and crime, but not your name. Your existence is treated as a secret in this kingdom, so the daughters of the previous king do not know about you. At the very least, they could not realize your true identity with just your name.¡» ¡ºThe only information they posted to catch me was my face¡­? Anyway, I¡¯m not a wanted criminal anymore, so I can just tell the truth now, right?¡» ¡ºThat¡¯s right. There are few actual survivors, if at all, so one should be able to find out even if you pretend to be a villager. If you need anything else, please call anytime.¡» ¡ºGot it.¡» Reito closed the communication with Airis and time started flowing again. He turned towards Nao and answered her questions without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m¡­from this village. My name is Reito.¡± ¡°Reito¡­you are one of the survivors?¡± ¡°Yes. A few days ago, when the Goblins attacked the village, I managed to run away somehow¡­but I had nowhere else to go, so I came back.¡± ¡°I see¡­what about these three individuals?¡± Nao pointed at the tied up thieves. Reito replied calmly, without losing his cool. ¡°They are thieves. They tried to steal from the village, so I captured them.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± After hearing Reito¡¯s explanation, Nao thought silently for a while. The other knights too whispered among themselves. Nao, seemingly convinced, then turned towards Ullr. ¡°You said you are a villager, but what about this wolf?¡± ¡°He¡¯s like family to me, we were practically raised together. He doesn¡¯t attack people.¡± Following Reito¡¯s words, Ullr did not miss the opportunity to whine as meekly as he could. ¡°Whiiiine¡­¡± ¡°I-is that so¡­it is quite large, though¡­¡± Nao seemed slightly perplexed. Reito called Ullr closer and rubbed his head, showing how he was used to human contact. Witnessing how the White Wolf happily buried his face in the boy¡¯s chest, the knights put down their weapons. Nao, however, still looked at Reito with suspicion. ¡°You said you are from this village, yes? How did you survive until today?¡± ¡°Well¡­I wandered the grasslands.¡± ¡°The grasslands? You did not encounter any monsters there?¡± ¡°I did, but he chased them away every time.¡± ¡°Woof!¡± Ullr barked proudly. White Wolves were much more powerful than average monsters: it was true that grassland monsters could not be a match for him. Nao, looking at Ullr, asked another question. ¡°That White Wolf could have chased away the Goblins too, could it not? Did you run away by yourself?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Reito¡¯s words trailed off. He immediately took Airis¡¯ offer and contacted her for advice: as soon as he called her name, she replied. ¡ºPlease say that you raised Ullr in a cave near the village. If you say that you kept him outside the village, so that the other villagers wouldn¡¯t be scared, it should work.¡» Reito thanked Airis, closed the communication and explained as he was told. ¡°There¡¯s a cave near this village, that¡¯s where I kept him. We lived together in the village when he was small, but when he got bigger some adults were scared of him, so¡­¡± One of the knights approached Nao and whispered in her ear. ¡°Princess, there are indeed several caves in the forest near this village. It¡¯s possible that¡­¡± ¡°I see¡­next question, then. If you truly were born in this village, you should know the name of the elder. Say it.¡± Reito immediately contacted Airis for the answer. ¡ºThe village elder¡¯s name is Rowle.¡» After the lightning-quick communication, Reito answered the question. ¡°Hmm¡­is that true?¡± Nao asked one of her knights for confirmation. She took out a piece of parchment, read it and nodded. Nao¡¯s suspicions did not seem to be fully cleared yet, however: she pointed to the tied up thieves and asked Reito another question. ¡°How did you capture these three? Did you use the wolf?¡± ¡°No, I defeated them with magic.¡± ¡°Magic? You¡¯re a magician?¡± ¡°Well, yes¡­just a Support Magician, though.¡± Reito answered honestly, but Nao reacted indignantly. ¡°A Support Magician!? Are you trying to make a fool out of me!?¡± Reito couldn¡¯t understand why Nao would get so angry: as it turns out, she couldn¡¯t believe that a ¡°hopeless¡± job holder could catch a group of thieves. Nao then continued. ¡°I am going to ask one more time. How did you capture these thieves? Did you use the wolf? Or are there any other survivors?¡± ¡°Like I said, I used magic¡­¡± ¡°Enough lies!! Support Magicians cannot use offensive magic!! Or perhaps your sub job lets you use it!?¡± ¡°Ah, my sub job is Alchemist.¡± ¡°Y-you damned fool!! They¡¯re both hopeless jobs!!¡± Nao¡¯s anger built up even more, but Reito continued speaking the truth. He knew very well that in this world his two jobs were considered ¡°hopeless¡±, but he had never seen anyone react so harshly, with the exception of his father. Nao¡¯s indignation prompted the other knights to draw their weapons again and surround Reito and Ullr. The latter reacted by baring his fangs and growling, but Reito calmed him down and turned again towards Nao. ¡°Support Magicians too can use magic. I may not be able to use Blast Magic, but I can still use basic grade magic.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­and how is lifestyle magic useful at all in this situation?¡± ¡°Lifestyle magic can be used offensively, actually. If I prove it, will you believe me?¡± ¡°¡­why not. Prove it, then.¡± Nao nodded quietly, then motioned at the other knights to lower their weapons. She then quickly ordered them to clear enough space for Reito to use magic easily. Reito made sure he had enough space, then extended his palm forward and prepared to activate magic¡­but first, he contacted Airis. ¡ºAiris, how much magic should I show to make them believe me?¡» ¡ºHow many times must I tell you that my name is¡­oh, you said it right. Don¡¯t use anything too flashy, or they¡¯ll ask you why you didn¡¯t use it to protect the village.¡» ¡ºGot it.¡» Reito closed the communication, then materialized 10 Fireballs around himself. ¡°Fireball!¡± ¡°What the!?¡± ¡°So many¡­all at the same time!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡­¡± The Valkyrja knights were in disbelief. Only Nao, however, simply frowned. She was surprised that Reito could summon so many Fireballs at once, but she didn¡¯t think it was enough to defeat the three thieves. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? If that¡¯s all you can do¡ª ¡± ¡°Here I go.¡± Just when Nao opened her mouth, Reito pointed his palm downwards. The Fireballs floating in midair rained down: when they hit the ground, they caused it to explode, as if there were landmines buried underground. Nao and the knights reacted with even more surprise. The Fireballs were relatively weak by themselves, but if they struck at the same time they could cause considerable damage. Reito had trained the proficiency level of his basic grade magic to the maximum, so his ¡°lifestyle¡± spells were very different from the average person¡¯s. The knights were sincerely impressed by the power of Reito¡¯s Fireballs. ¡°I-incredible¡­¡± ¡°What power¡­it¡¯s comparable to Blast Magic.¡± One of the knights whispered something to Nao. ¡°Princess, this man¡¯s words might be true¡­¡± ¡°Kh¡­I know that already!!¡± Nao interrupted the knight, turned towards Reito and apologized. ¡°Listen, I¡­I must apologize. I can see now that it would not be difficult for you to capture thieves like them¡­I am sorry for doubting you.¡± ¡°No, well¡­¡± Reito was perplexed by Nao¡¯s sudden sincere apology. She glanced at the thieves, then gave orders to a knight, who brought her a small satchel. She then gave the satchel to Reito. ¡°Take it.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°These thieves are wanted criminals. This is the reward, 30 silver coins.¡± ¡°Ah, thank you very much.¡± Reito hurriedly took the satchel: he looked inside and found a large amount of silver coins. One silver coin corresponded to 10,000 yen: in other words, Nao had just given him 300,000 yen. (TL Note: 10,000 yen is roughly 100 USD, 300,000 yen a little less than 3000 USD) Nao then spoke again to Reito. ¡°I believe you are from this village. In that case, however, I wish for you to assist our inspection. Can you tell us in detail what exactly happened here?¡± ¡°Er¡­yes, okay.¡± Airis¡¯ voice popped in Reito¡¯s head. ¡ºI believe it is my turn, yes? Make sure you listen to their questions well.¡» Nao started asking detailed questions about what happened to the village. Reito did not know anything, of course: he continued pretending to be a villager, communicating with Airis to answer Nao¡¯s interrogation. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Volume 1 - CH 14.2 Reito, through Airis, answered Nao¡¯s questions about the events that transpired in the village. According to her, what happened was as follows: ~ Several days before, a pack of Goblins attacked the village. They were not average Goblins, however: they neutralized the Barrier Stone and Decay Stone the village was protected by, then invaded it. The two Magic Stones were the same mysterious protective charms that protected the residence Reito grew up in: normally, monsters could not even get close to them. Decay Stones emitted a powerful stench that monsters loathed, while Barrier Stones created invisible walls that repelled monsters¡¯ attacks. Each stone, however, had a weakness. If the monsters could protect themselves from the stench, they could get closer to Decay Stones: Barrier Stones were also activated at will, so if there was no one standing guard, the barrier would not be activated. The Goblins that attacked the village acted as if they knew everything about these weak points. They wrapped pieces of cloth around their faces to shield themselves from the Decay Stone¡¯s stench, then used bow and arrows to shoot down the soldiers standing guard in the turrets. The sentinels were thus killed before they could activate the Barrier Stone, leaving the village unprotected against the Goblins¡¯ invasion. The Goblins were all armed just like humans apparently. Some of them even wore armor stolen from adventurers or soldiers of the royal army. The village was taken over in no time: most of the villagers who fled to the grasslands were attacked and killed by other monsters. A few barely managed to find shelter in other villages, but most of them were gravely wounded and died soon after. After taking over the village, the Goblins collected everything they deemed useful and left immediately, leaving only the corpses of the villagers behind. ~ Nao listened to Reito, her arms crossed, but she didn¡¯t seem convinced. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t believe my ears. How could mere Goblins accomplish something like that¡­?¡± One of the knights proposed her hypothesis about the events. ¡°Princess, if I may, the village was riddled with human corpses. Since Goblins dislike human flesh, it would not be strange for that to happen: if other types of monsters had invaded the village, they would have either eaten the corpses or left no trace of them.¡± ¡°I know that.¡± Nao and the other Valkyrja knights all had troubled expressions on their faces. The problem was not the credibility of Reito¡¯s words, but the possibility that Goblins could exhibit intellect so similar to humans. Nao looked Reito in the eyes and asked another question. ¡°Did the weapons and armor used by the Goblins have any particular characteristics? Even the smallest detail is fine, please tell me all you can remember.¡± ¡°Characteristics¡­¡± Reito had not actually seen the Goblins, so he fell deep in thought. He mentally called Airis to receive her advice again. ¡ºPlease say that you don¡¯t know about the equipment, but some of the Goblins had extremely large bodies, on the level of Orcs.¡» Reito thanked Airis for her quick wit and related to Nao what he was told. ¡°I remember that some of the Goblins were as big as Orcs, but not much else¡­¡± ¡°Goblins as big as Orcs¡­could those have been Goblin Knights? They tend to lead the pack, so their presence would explain the Goblins¡¯ organization¡­¡± ¡°Goblin Knights?¡± Reito cocked his head to the side. Then, once again Airis¡¯ voice echoed in his head. ¡ºGoblin Knights are advanced Goblins, an evolved form, so to speak. Such monsters are generally called Evolved.¡» Reito thought to himself that it had become much faster to communicate with Airis than before, then decided to ask Nao the reason why she came to the village. ¡°Er¡­lady princess, may I ask why you are here?¡± ¡°No need to address me like that. We came here after receiving a report of the Goblins¡¯ attack, that¡¯s all. Normally, the local guards would have been dispatched, but I was concerned by the fact that there are reports of other villages and towns suffering because of Goblins I thus decided to come to inspect the village in person.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°More importantly, what are you going to do? If you have nowhere to go, we could provide you shelter.¡± ¡°Ah, no¡­I¡¯m thinking of going to live in another town with him. I don¡¯t have a home or family anymore, so¡­¡± ¡°Arf.¡± ¡°I-is that so¡­I apologize for asking something like that.¡± Nao, feeling awkward, looked away from Reito. Reito actually planned to travel in order to cross outside the kingdom¡¯s borders, but since it would be strange for a normal villager to say they were going to leave on a journey, he thought up an excuse. Nao, unaware of Reito¡¯s real circumstances, changed the subject. ¡°By the way, the magic you showed us was fairly impressive. Why don¡¯t you become an adventurer?¡± ¡°An adventurer?¡± Some of the knights frowned at the word. ¡°Princess, if I may be so bold¡­a hopeless job holder would not survive long in that profession.¡± Reito had always been interested in the adventurer trade, so he couldn¡¯t help but become a little excited. Looking at him, Nao took out a piece of parchment, wrote something on it, and gave it to Reito. ¡°I¡¯ll give you this.¡± ¡°This is¡­?¡± ¡°Something to prove your identity. Now that your village is no more, there is nothing to prove who you are. I imagine there is no one that could vouch for you either, right?¡± Reito looked at the parchment: it showed Nao¡¯s name and an emblem portraying a crossed sword and shield ¡ª probably a royal seal. It also bore a statement that Nao, first princess of the Baltros kingdom, vouched for Reito¡¯s identity.. Reito gratefully accepted the proof of identity. Just then, a knight approached Nao. ¡°Princess, the inspection is complete. Let us return to the capital.¡± ¡°Right¡­you come too. We will escort you to the nearest town.¡± ¡°Ah, thank you very much.¡± ¡°Someone let him ride on their horse!¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine, I can ride on him.¡± ¡°Woof!¡± Reito climbed on the back of the energetic Ullr. Nao was surprised, but kept her composure and gave the order to depart. According to her, the nearest town was a few hours away on a horse. ~ Reito, riding behind the Valkyrja knights, observed them on the way to the nearest town. He knew that all knights were women, but looking more closely he realized that they were all very young, ranging from their teens to twenties, and all had beautiful refined features. Curious to know the reason, Reito approached the shortest knight of the group, who was riding at the tail end. ¡°Er, excuse me, may I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Wauh?¡± The short knight, with a dog-like yelp, turned towards Reito. Dog ears grew on her head; while the armor made it hard to see, she appeared to have a tail too. Reito quickly understood that she belonged to the Beast race. ¡°Er, why are there no men among the knights?¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re talking to me!! That¡¯s because the princess doesn¡¯t like men!¡± ¡°Eh¡­? She doesn¡¯t¡­?¡± Reito recalled his conversation with Nao. She was harsh at first, but in the end, she even made a proof of identity for him. Reito found it strange that such a person disliked all men. Then, a black-haired knight that heard their conversation slowed down her horse to match Reito¡¯s speed and joined in. ¡°I have never seen the princess act so kindly to a man. She is the type of person who values those with talent, however, so she might have taken a liking to you.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± ¡°Wauun!! Your magic was awesome! I want to learn how to do that too!¡± ¡°Anyone can do that, with some practice¡­¡± Fireball was basic grade magic, after all: if they practiced consistently, anyone could do what Reito did. Very few people, however, ever believed in the possibilities of basic grade magic to the point of maxing out its proficiency. Because of that, the actual offensive power that basic grade magic could attain was not generally known. Reito then asked the two knights another thing he was curious about. ¡°Well¡­I can understand that there are no male knights since the princess dislikes men, but why are you all so young?¡± ¡°Because we can use magic as well as weapons. The magic power of Magicians peaks in their teens or twenties: after they turn 30 years old ¡ª though there are exceptions ¡ª magic power decreases year by year. That is why there are only young knights in our order.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t use magic, but I¡¯m confident in my sword skills and applied¡­and they accepted me!!¡± Reito nodded, convinced by their explanations. The next moment, the cry of a monster was heard from the front. ¡°Kreeeeeeh¡­.¡± ¡°M-monster!! A monster appeared!!¡± The knights¡¯ agitated voices reached Reito¡¯s ears. Reito looked in their direction and saw a large worm-like monster in the distance, probably over 2 meters tall. He was taken aback but did not fail to contact Airis for help. ¡ºAiris, what in the world is that?¡» ¡ºThat is called a Sandwurm. Normally, it is no threat to humans and is even well-loved by farmers, as it provides nutrition to the soil. It should not attack unless provoked.¡» ¡ºI see, then we¡¯re not in danger¡­¡» ¡ºMost women find it disgusting to look at, though. Some even faint after seeing one. Also, if you don¡¯t kill it in a particular way, Sandwurm corpses secrete pheromones that attract their brethren in large quantities. Take care, okay~?¡» ¡º¡­eh?¡» Airis¡¯ last words sounded very ominous, but communication was cut off before Reito could say anything. Time started flowing again and Reito looked in front. The knights, sword in hand, were preparing to do battle. Reito used his Far Sight Tech Skill and saw Nao, her complexion sickly and pale. She had drawn her sword too, but it was shaking visibly: she looked like she could faint at any moment. ¡°C-c-calm down..! Do not lose composure¡­a warrior of the kingdom never loses composure¡­!!!¡± ¡°Princess!? Please do not push yourself too hard!! We know you have a phobia of monsters!!¡± The knights supported the wobbling Nao. Reito was surprised by how shaken she was, so the black-haired knight riding close to him explained. ¡°When the princess was still a child, she was attacked by a monster and suffered a grave wound. Since then, every time she faces a monster, no matter how weak and puny, she becomes unable to fight, just like that.¡± ¡°Eh!? Why did she come to inspect a Goblin attack, then!?¡± Reito couldn¡¯t help but react ¡ª but the commotion ahead was growing louder and louder. ¡°Princess, calm down, please!! We can easily dispatch a monster like this by ourselves¡­¡± The knights tried chasing away the Sandwurm, to let Nao regain her composure, but the monster approached them without the slightest fear or hesitation. ¡°Kreeeh¡­¡­!!¡± Nao, all reason gone, started swinging her sword wildly. ¡°Waaahhhhh!!!¡± ¡°P-princess!? No, you mustn¡¯t!!¡± The knights frantically tried to stop Nao, to no avail: their captain wouldn¡¯t stop wildly swinging her sword. It ended up exciting the Sandwurm, which came closer and closer to her. In the end, Nao¡¯s white steed lost control too, threatening to make her fall off the saddle. ¡°Waah!?¡± ¡°Princess!! You filthy beast¡­!!¡± One of the knights, furious about the perceived Sandwurm threat, rushed in to strike it down. Reito, who had been watching from a distance, yelled at her to stop. ¡°No, don¡¯t do that! If you kill it, it¡¯ll release pheromones and more will come!!¡± The knight ignored Reito¡¯s words, however, and cut down the monster. At the same time, the Sandwurm spat out a yellow liquid from its mouth. ¡°Kreeeeeeehhh!!!¡± ¡°Waaah!?¡± ¡°I-is this stomach acid!?¡± The moment the Sandwurm¡¯s yellow spit landed, the soil started fuming and melting. The ranks of the Valkyrja members, shocked and upset, fell into disorder. Reito realized they likely did not know of the Sandwurm¡¯s habits and decided he had to ask Airis for advice. ¡ºAiris, what should I do?¡» ¡ºSigh¡­okay. Sandwurms will calm down once they eat their favorite food, monster remains.¡» ¡ºThank you.¡» Reito closed the communication, then accessed his Storage Magic: it was a bit of a pity, but he took out some Great Poark meat on the bone. Reito, on Ullr, rode closer to the Sandwurm, waving the meat around. ¡°Hey!! Look here!!¡± ¡°W-what are you doing!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s dangerous, stay away!!¡± Seeing Reito suddenly run towards the monster, the knights raised their voices to stop him. ¡°Kreeereeeh¡­..!!¡± The Sandwurm noticed the meat in Reito¡¯s hands and slowly approached him. Reito, while contemplating the view of the gigantic worm creeping towards him ¡ª which seemed right out of a horror movie ¡ª handed it the meat. ¡°Grroooowl¡­.!!!¡± ¡°Hey, calm down, buddy¡­you¡¯ll get yours later.¡± ¡°Whiiine¡­¡± Ullr growled at the approaching Sandwurm, but Reito calmed him down. The Sandwurm realized they were not hostile and slowly extended its head towards the meat. ¡°Kreeeeh.¡± The Sandwurm took small bites out of the meat at first, then swallowed it whole. Once apparently full, it started gleefully rolling around in front of Reito and Ullr. A little while before, Nao had come closer to Reito: looking at the merrily squirming Sandwurm, she asked him a question. ¡°Is¡­everything okay?¡± ¡°Yes, no problem. Sandwurms are harmless to humans.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Reito tried touching the Sandwurm¡¯s body, but the latter did not show any particular reactions: soon enough, it burrowed underground. The Valkyrja knights breathed a sigh of relief, but then the Sandwurm poked its head out again and spat out some minerals ¡°Kreereeh!!¡± The monster then took off for good. The minerals it had left were gemstones shining bright green. ¡°Oh? Is that a thank you gift for the meat? Hey, could this be¡­¡± As Reito thought he had seen that gem before, somewhere¡­Nao reacted with surprise too. ¡°¡­that¡¯s a Barrier Stone crystal!¡± Reito picked up the gemstone left by the Sandwurm. It was coated in stomach acid, but it was still a precious Barrier Stone crystal. Thinking he was going to wash it afterward, he put in his Storage Magic subspace for the time being. The knights were standing there, not knowing what to say, then Nao bowed to Reito. ¡°Er, well¡­I must apologize for acting so shamefully just now. If possible¡­please keep what you saw to yourself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine by me, but¡­are you really okay?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡­I always end up like that when I see a monster since a long time ago¡­especially disgusting-looking ones, I really can¡¯t stand them. Oh, what am I even saying¡­¡± Nao had not completely regained her composure just yet, so she ended up talking more than she wished to. She found it strange herself to reveal her weakness so easily to someone she had met that day for the first time: at the same time, she curiously felt that Reito was not a mere stranger to her. Reito also felt something akin to familial affection towards Nao. He couldn¡¯t tell her about his real identity but meeting someone related to him felt moving nonetheless. As the two felt this peculiar familiarity, one of the knights spoke up. ¡°Princess, I believe we should ride on ahead.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. To think we would find a Sandwurm, though¡­do they often appear in these parts?¡± ¡°Er¡­¡± Reito was caught unprepared by Nao¡¯s question, but Airis quickly came to the rescue. ¡ºThat Sandwurm was kept by farmers from ¡°your¡± village, Reito. It appears to have adapted to the wild though.¡» Reito related Airis¡¯ explanation to Nao, without creating suspicion. The group then departed again towards the nearest town. ~ A few hours later, Reito was learning the current state of the kingdom from Nao and the other Valkyrjas. Reito and Nao had each got down from their steeds and talked while walking. Reito was eager to become friends with the first family he met after his parents, while Nao too was interested in him. He then asked her a question. ¡°Princess Nao, do you have a Swordsman job?¡± ¡°No, my jobs are Knight and Martial Artists. Don¡¯t say I¡¯m a musclehead, or I¡¯m cutting you down right here.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll never say something like that! Are Knights different from Swordsmen?¡± ¡°Well, normally the Knight job is considered to be the superior version of the Swordsman job. That does not mean, however, that all Knights are superior to Swordsmen. Even if both use the sword, there are things they are better or worse at.¡± ¡°I see¡­since Valkyrja is a knight order, all members have the Knight job too?¡± Reito looked at the other members of the group, but Nao shook her head. ¡°Even if we are a knight order, there is no rule for the members to have the Knight job. It is possible to learn how to use a sword even without that job, after all. Greater effort becomes necessary, however.¡± ¡°Yes! I know that well¡­¡± Reito replied emphatically, and Nao looked at him, wide-eyed. ¡°¡­you do?¡± Nao was puzzled by Reito¡¯s statement, as it implied that he trained with the sword too. Since the town came into view, however, she did not press the matter further. Reito looked in the distance, using Observing Eye and Far Sight, and saw a building surrounded by a brick wall. He was finally going to visit a town, for the very first time in his new life. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Reito whispered to himself, but Nao heard him and explained. ¡°That¡¯s Adventure City. Most if not all adventurers who wish to leave their mark in history come to this town to make a name for themselves. As I said before, if you¡¯re interested why not become an adventurer?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Well, as a hopeless job holder, it may be a harsh world to live in, but I feel that you have what it takes to become a first-rate adventurer. No, I expect that you will.¡± Nao smiled at Reito. That instant, Reito decided to become an adventurer. Eventually, he would accomplish achievements no smaller than any other adventurer in the history of the world¡ª Volume 2 - CH 1 ¡ô¡ô¡ô Reito was born as the heir to a royal family, but due to his jobs being considered ¡°hopeless¡±, he ended up expelled from the capital and royal family. He and his mother were confined to a residence far away from society, but his misfortunes were not over yet. Aria, a maid he loved and admired like an older sister, was ordered to take his life; Reito was forced to flee the residence and survive alone in a forest teeming with monsters. Living on his own, he focused on training and acquiring skills: he lived in the forest for four years, together with Ullr, a White Wolf he befriended. He finally decided to visit a human settlement when the bounty on his head, known throughout the kingdom, was retracted. On his way, he encountered Nao, the first princess of the Baltros kingdom. She was the captain of the Valkyrja order of knights and also Reito¡¯s cousin. Reito joined the Valkyrja knights and traveled with them to the nearest town. He was brimming with excitement, thinking about the adventures that awaited him. CHAPTER 1 Reito stood before a city surrounded by enormous walls. Its name was ¡°Adventure City Lunot¡±. The reason for such a moniker was that it was the city with the highest population of adventurers in the whole world. Reito slightly bowed and thanked Nao. ¡°Thank you for accompanying me all the way here.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. You¡¯ve helped us in more ways than one¡­I can make a proper report to father now.¡± ¡°¡­? Father¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing¡­forget it.¡± Nao¡¯s father, the previous king, was supposed to already be dead. Airis, the ¡°manager¡± of this world, told Reito that the father who had exiled him also took Nao under his protection. Reito started thinking quietly, then Nao shook her head and changed the topic. ¡°Anyway¡­I think you have talent. With your strength and knowledge, you will surely become a fine adventurer.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Well, it all depends on you. Make sure you don¡¯t lose the proof of identity I gave you, all right? You¡¯ll need it to work anywhere. Take care of yourself¡­you too, Ullr.¡± ¡°Yes¡­thank you very much.¡± ¡°Woof!¡± Reito and Nao shook hands and parted before the city gates. The Valkyrja knights intended to return to the royal capital. They had to report about the band of goblins who attacked the village as quickly as possible. Nao, riding last behind the Valkyrjas as they left, turned around. ¡°Goodbye!¡± ¡°Thank you for everything!¡± ¡°Wooof!¡± Reito, looking at Nao disappear into the distance, felt nervous. He had lived by himself in the forest for a long time: it was his first time in a city too. The soldiers guarding the gate called him. ¡°H-hey, you¡­those were the Valkyrja knights, right!? What¡¯s your connection with them!?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe my eyes¡­¡± ¡°Er¡­excuse me, can you let me in¡­?¡± Reito, rather displeased with their approach, showed the proof of identity received from Nao. The document was proof that the kingdom¡¯s first princess vouched for him. The guards went wide-eyed and hurriedly saluted him. ¡°Our deepest apologies, milord!! P-please, you may pass freely!!¡± ¡°A wonderful day to you, milord!!¡± ¡°Er, thank you¡­¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Reito successfully entered the city, but something else worried him: Ullr¡¯s presence. Taking a monster into town would definitely attract attention, he thought. Surprisingly enough, however, tamed monsters were pretty common in the city: they were used as horses, to pull carriages and luggage. ¡°Hey, look¡­isn¡¯t that a White Wolf?¡± ¡°Whoa!! Did that boy tame it!?¡± ¡°Look at that glossy fur¡­how much do you think it¡¯d be worth?¡± A rare species like the White Wolf Ullr was an uncommon sight even in the city. Reito and his partner thus attracted the attention of many unsavory types. ¡°Grrrr¡­¡± ¡°Quiet.¡± Reito admonished the growling Ullr. Thinking of a way to protect him, Reito started looking for lodging. They eventually arrived at a street dotted with open-air stalls. ¡°Hey boy!! Yes, you! Come taste our Horned Rabbit skewers!¡± ¡°Cute doggie, you¡¯d love this smoked Orc meat, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What a cute young man and puppy we have here¡­won¡¯t you play with me a bit?¡± ¡°No thank you.¡± ¡°Whiine¡­¡± At that moment, Reito¡¯s ¡°Detect Presence¡± activated. It meant that someone with hostile intentions was approaching. Reito immediately contacted Airis, the world¡¯s ¡°manager¡±. ¡ºAiris.¡» ¡ºSomeone has been following you. Their target is probably Ullr.¡» ¡ºAre they thieves?¡» ¡ºApparently so. There are also wanted criminals among them. If you want to take them out, I would suggest turning left into that alley. Conveniently, there¡¯s an empty lot. There¡» Reito, following Airis¡¯ advice, turned into the alley together with Ullr. He could have used the skill ¡°Leap¡± to jump on the roof of a building and run away, but decided to fight when he heard that there were wanted criminals among his pursuers: he needed money to cover his future travel expenses. ¡°Here we are¡­Ullr, get ready to fight.¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Reito used ¡°Detect Presence¡± and confirmed that the hostile presences were approaching. The two alleged thieves followed Reito inside the alley. ¡°Hee hee hee¡­looks like we¡¯ve been found¡­¡± ¡°That makes things simpler. Hey, boy!! Give us that wolf and scram!!¡± The two men appeared, carrying pirate cutlasses on their backs. They approached Reito, slowly but surely ¡ª but he perceived a more dangerous presence behind them. A woman was standing on the roof of a building, observing the situation. She probably realized that Reito detected her presence: the woman suddenly jumped down from the roof. The moment she landed, a tremor shook the earth. The woman was rather short, roughly the size of a child, but her appearance suggested she was middle-aged. Both her hands were equipped with daggers. Her muscular body, despite her short stature, suggested that she might be a Dwarf. She seemed to weigh at least 100 kilos. ¡°Are you with them too?¡± ¡°What?¡± The woman ignored Reito¡¯s question as she walked closer, a grin on her lips. When the two thieves saw her, they started shaking immediately. ¡°W-what!? Why¡­why are you here!?¡± ¡°This is bad, boss!!! I saw the bounty before, that¡¯s Mira the Ripper!!¡± The two men, their faces pale as death, started slowly moving backward. Ullr was in maximum alert mode, his hair standing up. ¡°GRRROWL!!¡± ¡°Easy, doggie, I don¡¯t have any business with you, just these guys here.¡± The woman named Mira then lowered her waist. The next moment¡ª ¡°Eh!?¡± ¡°P-please wait!! What did we even¡ª ¡± ¡°Shut your filthy mouth, now!!¡± Mira¡¯s daggers flew from her hands. They were shot, straight and true, through the men¡¯s throats, piercing them just like bullets. The two men slumped down to the ground and died, without even a whimper. Mira then spat words full of spite. ¡°Hmph, acting like you didn¡¯t spread rumors about me, saying I slept with goddamn Simon of all people¡­anyway. It¡¯s your turn now.¡± Mira¡¯s eyes turned towards Reito. ¡°Kh¡­!!¡± Reito, shocked to see people killed in front of his eyes, couldn¡¯t make his legs move. Ullr stepped forward, to protect him. Mira took out a small bag from her breast pocket and tossed it at Ullr¡¯s feet. ¡°Time to say goodnight!¡± ¡°Get away, Ullr!¡± ¡°Woof!?¡± Reito finally got a hold of himself and jumped away, while Ullr leaped in the opposite direction. When the small bag hit the ground, a cloud of blue smoke puffed out of it. Reito immediately contacted Airis. ¡ºAi-Ai!¡» ¡ºThat¡¯s new, I¡¯m a panda now? Don¡¯t call me like that again, I even liked it a little. Anyway, that small bag contains powder from Slumbergrass. If you breathe it even a little, you will be knocked out for at least half a day.¡» Reito cut off the communication and looked in Mira¡¯s direction. The woman was nowhere to be seen, however. Time was supposed to stop during Reito and Airis¡¯ communication, but she had somehow vanished. Reito used ¡°Detect Presence¡± and found her behind himself. He took the bow he carried on his back and threw it at her. ¡°Take this!!¡± ¡°Whoa.¡± Mira was about to strike Reito with the cutlass she carried at her waist but had to quickly use it to deflect the bow that suddenly flew at her instead. Reito activated ¡°Leap¡± to put more distance between himself and his enemy. Mira, impressed, whistled. ¡°Those movements¡­you¡¯re an assassin too? Not half bad, boy.¡± ¡°I was raised by an assassin, yes¡­¡± The word ¡°assassin¡± made Reito think about Aria. He had learned the ¡°Leap¡± skill while running away from her, after all. Thinking of going on the offensive, Reito created ice longswords with both of his hands. ¡°Iceclad Sword!!¡± ¡°Ice swords¡­? Tch, so you¡¯re a magic-user.¡± ¡°Growl!!¡± Mira clicked her tongue at the sight of the ice swords. At the same time, Ullr pounced her, his fangs bared to strike. Her cutlass, however, was faster. ¡°You stay back!!¡± ¡°Graah!?¡± ¡°Ullr!!¡± Ullr¡¯s fangs and Mira¡¯s cutlass clashed: eventually, she won the power struggle and tossed Ullr away. She seemed to have enough muscular power to easily blow away the White Wolf, despite the fact that his current size was close to that of a horse. Reito was wary of his foe, but knew he had to attack: he charged Mira with his Iceclad Swords. ¡°Haah!!¡± ¡°Hm? What¡¯s the plan here, boy?¡± Mira frowned as she easily dodged Reito¡¯s attack. He continued to attack, however, in a furious frenzy. ¡°Shaah!! Haah!!!¡± ¡°Your speed with the sword isn¡¯t bad, but¡­could it be that you¡¯ve never fought another person!?¡± ¡°Kh!?¡± Mira dodged Reito¡¯s swords once again, circled in front of him, and kicked him. Reito managed to parry the kick with his arm, but, despite the ¡°Break Fall¡± and ¡°Resilience¡± skills, he couldn¡¯t endure the impact. Reito was blown backward, as Mira laughed heartily. ¡°Hahaha, this is rich!! I saw those ice swords and thought I was going to have it rough, but¡­you¡¯ve only fought monsters until now, haven¡¯t you? Even beginner adventurers can handle a sword better than that!¡± ¡°Kh¡­can¡¯t deny that.¡± Reito, breathing heavily, clenched his teeth. What Mira said was indeed true: he had plenty of battle experience against monsters, but very little against other human beings. Excluding the sparring matches against Aria, he had only fought against a trio of thieves. ¡°You got to use your hips more, boy!!¡± ¡°Damn it¡­¡± ¡°Grrowl¡­¡± ¡°Told you to stay out of this, doggie!!¡± Ullr tried to jump between Reito and Mira, but she moved first and dodged. The White Wolf Ullr was definitely faster than her, but she was apparently more skilled as a fighter. She saw through Ullr¡¯s attacks completely and dodged effortlessly. Reito imagined that, while one of Mira¡¯s jobs had to be ¡°Assassin¡±, the other was surely ¡°Swordsman¡± or ¡°Martial Artist¡±. With just her cutlass, Mira could deliver attacks faster and heavier than Reito with two swords. ¡°Whirlwind!!¡± ¡°Hah!!¡± Reito activated the Battle Art with both swords, but Mira deftly shifted her upper body out of the way. From that stance, she took the dagger hanging from her waist and threw it. The scene of the thieves¡¯ demise at Mira¡¯s hands flashed in his head. Reito crouched to dodge the dagger and Mira smiled. ¡°You fell for it.¡± ¡°¡­string?¡± Threads indeed stretched from Mira¡¯s fingers. They were ted to the dagger¡¯s handle: when she clenched her fist, the flying dagger changed trajectory, heading straight towards Reito¡¯s neck. ¡°Spin Strike!¡± ¡°What!?¡± Reito activated the Battle Art ¡°Spin Strike¡±, which had a wider range of attack than ¡°Whirlwind¡±, and literally spun on his axis and deflected the dagger. The threads attached to the dagger¡¯s handle were forcefully ripped off, consequently digging into Mira¡¯s fingers and twisting her face in pain. The dwarven woman then angrily grabbed her cutlass. ¡°You little brat!!¡± ¡°Whoa!¡± Reito activated ¡°Observing Eye¡± on the cutlass swung towards him and managed to calmly see its path. Mira was pretending to swing it from the front, while she planned to change the trajectory, as she did with the dagger. Just before she changed the cutlass¡¯ path to stab Reito in the neck, he dodged with precision. ¡°!?¡± ¡°Time for payback!¡± Mira, surprised to see her attack dodged so easily, could not dodge Reito¡¯s kick into her stomach: the same attack she had used on him a little while before. Mira, taken by surprise by the unexpected weight of Reito¡¯s kick, retreated and coughed heavily. ¡°Kah, wheeze¡­you damn brat¡­!!¡± Mira was too furious to think clearly: she swung her cutlass again from the front. Believing her sword skills to be superior to Reito, she had become arrogant: on the other hand, Reito thought he couldn¡¯t win if he faced her head-on. Reito let go of his two Iceclad Swords and thrust his arms forward. ¡°Ice Shield!!¡± ¡°Whuah!?¡± Reito had learned this Craft Skill during his life in the Abyssal Forest: as the name said, it used ¡°Ice Block¡± to create a shield made of ice. The large shield created by Reito repelled Mira¡¯s cutlass. Reito took advantage of the opening in Mira¡¯s guard: he let go of the shield and created another weapon. ¡°Iceclad Sword!!¡± ¡°That again¡­!?¡± Reito did not create longswords like before, but a massive broadsword. It was easily longer than Reito was tall. Mira¡¯s instincts warned that the situation was getting dangerous. ¡°H-hey, wait a¡ª ¡± ¡°Spin Strike!!¡± Reito ignored Mira¡¯s words and unleashed the rotating slash. Mira knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to block it, so she used the ¡°Leap¡± skill to jump backward, out of the sword¡¯s range. ¡°Rraaahhh!!!¡± ¡°¡­.!!!¡± The gust of wind raised by the slash, however, blew her away. Successfully moving outside the sword¡¯s range had made her feel safe, but the feeling did not last long: Reito was coming closer, still spinning. ¡°Haah!!¡± ¡°What!? That can¡¯t¡­gwah!!¡± Reito continued spinning and accelerating, finally reaching Mira. The woman¡¯s cutlass was shattered as she was blown away again. ¡°Gwaaahhh!!¡± ¡°Whoops¡­that was close.¡± Reito stopped the rotation. Still a bit unsteady on his feet, he looked at Mira, sprawled on the ground. Reito did not make the broadsword vibrate, as he had done against the Blood Bears, so Mira¡¯s body was not severed. She had definitely suffered considerable damage, however, as her muscles twitched. She had completely lost consciousness. The reason behind her defeat was that she thought Reito was just a novice swordsman. Had she observed his abilities more thoroughly, without losing her cool, she could have probably won. Reito tied up Mira, then called Airis. ¡ºAi-Fi?¡» ¡ºEh¡­? Oh, is it a pun on Wi-Fi? A bit forced, you know..¡» ¡ºMore importantly, this person was really strong¡­¡» ¡ºOf course. She has 15 gold coins on her head, after all.¡» ¡º15 gold coins!? Which means¡­1.5 million yen!?¡»(*Note: approx. 14,250.00 USD) Reito was shocked by the incredible amount of money. Mira¡¯s strength sufficiently justified her bounty, though. Reito managed to win because she underestimated him and ¡°Spin Strike¡± worked well, but if they fought again there was no guarantee he¡¯d win: that¡¯s how superior she was to him. ¡ºYou could have told me that she was this tough¡­I almost died.¡» ¡ºWell, you didn¡¯t, and you won, all¡¯s well that ends well. Spin Strike served you well, didn¡¯t it?¡» ¡ºYes, but¡­I made that skill to defeat opponents with large bodies. It¡¯s not something to use against people.¡» Spin Strike allowed the user to rotate and unleash a boosted attack: Reito meant to use it against large monsters like the Blood Bears. He had never even thought of using it against human opponents. He had used it against Mira because he thought that he couldn¡¯t gain the upper hand while fighting normally. ¡ºIn any case, this battle has let you find out a weakness: you lack battle experience against humans. You should focus on that for the time being.¡» ¡ºIt was totally different from the other times I fought against people¡­I never thought that I¡¯d one day fight another person to the death¡­¡» ¡ºYou managed to win this time, but if you don¡¯t fix this weakness soon, you will be in serious trouble. Let¡¯s focus on training your sword skills.¡» ¡ºSword skills¡­right.¡» ¡ºOkay then, you should bring that wanted criminal to the guild. They can act on behalf of the kingdom, so you can hand her over and receive your reward. No matter how dangerous a criminal may be, if they¡¯re surrounded by the guild¡¯s adventurers they have no way of escape.¡» ¡ºI see. So I can entrust her to the guild and register as an adventurer too, since I¡¯m there.¡» Reito recalled Nao telling him that he could become a capable adventurer. His resolve to become one strengthened even more. ¡ºHmm, will it be okay for a ¡°hopeless¡± job holder like me to become an adventurer, though? I hope they don¡¯t think it¡¯s weird and I end up standing out the wrong way¡­¡» ¡ºA classic development in other world novels, isn¡¯t it? I think you could take care of such troubles with ease, but¡­it won¡¯t be good if you stand out too much. Someone might figure out you are the person from the bounty four years ago too¡­oh right, we could do it like this: when you do the adventurer registration, you should¡ª ¡» ¡ô¡ô¡ô Volume 2 - CH 2 CHAPTER 2 Several days have passed since Reito¡¯s arrival in the Adventure City Lunot. He was now living in a lodging managed by the guild, reserved for low-rank adventurers. He planned to rent a room at an inn at first, but in that season, the city was visited by hordes of tourists, so he couldn¡¯t find any vacancies. The reason for the influx of tourists was the upcoming Hunting Festival. All of the city¡¯s adventurers¡¯ guilds participated in the festival: selected adventurers from each guild would hunt down monsters released throughout the town, competing against each other. The guild that exterminated the most monsters would be crowned the winner and receive hefty financial aid from the kingdom. The adventurer with the highest score also received the right to be promoted to the next rank. Only adventurers ranked C and above could participate in the festival however. Reito was therefore excluded. The Hunting Festival thus attracted crowds of tourists to the city: despite not being short on money, Reito was forced to stay in the guild¡¯s lodgings. ~ ¡°Phew¡­drinking juice in the morning is the best!¡± Reito was having breakfast in the guild¡¯s tavern, taking it easy, without taking requests. During his years in the Abyssal Forest, he fought monsters almost every day: he could now lead a more ¡°human¡± lifestyle, so he reveled in it. Seeing him laze about every day, however, Bal sighed. ¡°Listen here, boy¡­you came here and became an adventurer, how about putting in some work? Even if you got a large reward, you¡¯re being way too lazy.¡± ¡°Ah, guildmaster¡­¡± Bal eventually lost her patience and put a piece of parchment on Reito¡¯s table. ¡°Here, time to work!! I¡¯ve got just the thing for a greenhorn!¡± ¡°¡­collecting?¡± What Bal placed on the table was one of the requests posted on the bulletin board. Reito checked the contents: the request involved picking Crescent Moon Grass, a type of medicinal herb he used to grow in the residence. ¡°Pick 30 tufts of Crescent Moon Grass¡­for three silver coins?¡± ¡°The reward¡¯s fair. You can find that herb anywhere, but gathering so much can be troublesome. You better get going after you finish eating, and don¡¯t come back until you¡¯re done!¡± Bal addressed Reito sternly, but he grinned. ¡°Hehe¡­you¡¯re looking down on me, GM. I can complete a request like this in a snap.¡± ¡°GM¡­? No one¡¯s ever called me like that¡­¡± Reito took the request note and stood up. Bal was relieved to see Reito was finally going to work, but for some reason, Reito did not head towards the exit¡­but towards the reception. ¡°Excuse me, I completed a request, can you confirm it for me?¡± ¡°Yes, of course¡­oh, collection of medicinal herbs, I see. Please place the herbs on the counter.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Reito gave the request note to the receptionist, then opened his Storage subspace and took out 30 Crescent Moon Grass tufts he had picked up in his days in the Abyssal Forest. ¡°Here you go~¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Reito passed next to Bal, standing there without a word, and returned to his seat. He then wiped the sweat from his forehead. ¡°Phew¡­all in a day¡¯s work.¡± ¡°Boy, are you trying to pick a fight with me!? If you had them from the start, just say it!!¡± ¡°Oops.¡± Bal was about to poke Reito¡¯s head, so he crouched to dodge it. She was fairly surprised to see him easily avoid an attack from behind, but then let out a deep sigh. ¡°Honestly¡­why don¡¯t you act a bit more seriously?¡± ¡°I thought seriously about it, actually. If I already have the items specified in the request, I just need to deliver them. What¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°Nothing, but¡­¡± ¡°Very well. I have some business to attend to, so if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡± Reito finished drinking his juice, quickly bowed to the disappointed Bal, and left. His destination was a wide space without people around: he planned to test the broadsword he made from the Troll¡¯s weapon. He wouldn¡¯t use the training grounds behind the guild because he didn¡¯t want other people to see him. Reito decided to go to the alley where he encountered the thieves a few days before. ¡°This place should work. I can¡¯t sense any human presence¡­ okay, let¡¯s start the experiment.¡± Reito lifted the broadsword and swung it widely. It was heavier than the broadswords he could create with Iceclad Sword, but he could wield it without particular trouble. After making sure of that, he tried using an Alchemist skill on the blade. ¡°If I recall correctly¡­tungsten carbide is supposed to be the hardest metal¡­¡± Reito recalled the memories from his past life, then activated Metal Transmutation. Metal forming the broadsword changed into carbide tungsten, a metal not naturally present in this world. Reito confirmed that the transmutation succeeded via the change in the metal¡¯s color, then activated Matter Reinforcement to raise its durability. ¡°Okay then¡­whoa, it¡¯s too heavy¡­!¡± The sword¡¯s weight increased considerably because of Matter Reinforcement, but Reito could still handle it without too much trouble, thanks to the Tech Skill Might. Once the process was finished, Reito put the sword back into the Storage subspace. If kept outside, the skills¡¯ effects would eventually run out, so he decided to take out the sword only when strictly necessary, as time stopped inside the Storage. ¡°Now I want to try hunting monsters with it¡­¡± Reito decided to go outside the capital in order to test the capabilities of his new weapon. He was about to leave the alley when he heard a noise coming from the back. The noise came from inside a wooden crate: it looked like there was a living creature inside. ¡°It¡¯s coming from there? Did a cat get in or something¡­?¡± The crate was big enough for a human to fit in. Reito, curious, lifted the lid and peeked inside ¡ª and found something very unexpected. ¡°What¡¯s in¡­eh!?¡± ¡°Hmgh!!!¡± The crate contained a young girl, her arms and legs tied with rope, her mouth gagged. ¡°Are you okay!?¡± Reito immediately lifted her out of the crate, untied her, and removed the gag: her clothes were dirty, but she did not have any visible wounds. The girl was wearing a bizarre attire, which looked like a one-piece, so Reito found it awkward to look at her. It might be problematic to stare at her like that. Reito was wondering what to do when the girl flashed a bright smile. It was hard to imagine that she was trapped in a crate until moments ago. ¡°¡­thank you very much. I almost ended up shipped away.¡± Reito kept greetings and introductions to a minimum, prioritizing taking the girl to a safer location. He was curious about her circumstances but judged it risky to stay there. As they walked away, Reito asked her a question. ¡°So¡­why were you tied up in that crate? Were you kidnapped¡­?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know. When I woke up, I was already packed inside. ¡°P-packed¡­?¡± The girl did not seem to know what happened either. She had been stuck in the crate until Reito freed her apparently. She bowed politely and thanked him again. ¡°Thank you so much for saving me. My name is¡­Kotomin. Can you tell me yours?¡± ¡°Kotomin¡­my name¡¯s Reito.¡± ¡°Reito, that¡¯s a nice name.¡± ¡°This is Ullr, a very cute wolf, as you can see.¡± ¡°Ullr¡­you¡¯re right, he¡¯s really cute.¡± ¡°Arf!¡± Ullr barked and Kotomin smiled. Her gentle smile made Reito¡¯s heart skip a beat. Reito, barely managing to keep himself from staring too much. He shook his head and asked her a question. ¡°More importantly, are you¡­?¡± ¡°Hey!! I found her!! The damn brat ran away!!¡± Before Kotomin could reply, angry shouts reached their ears. Reito and Kotomin turned around and saw a large man with tattoos engraved on his arms. He looked at Kotomin, his face twisted into an angry grimace, and drew the short sword at his waist. ¡°Tch, did you really think you could run?? I¡¯m going to sell you and live a normal life!!¡± Reito raised his voice. ¡°What the¡­run!!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Reito immediately jumped in front of the girl, to protect her, and the tattooed man shouted at him. ¡°That¡¯s my prey, brat!! Do you even know who she is!? This way, men!! Move it!!¡± Several men approached from the other end of the alley, following the tattooed man¡¯s orders. ¡°You found her!?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not getting away anymore!!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s run!!¡± ¡°Aah¡­!¡± ¡°Woof!¡± ¡°What¡­!?¡± Reito lifted Kotomin in his arms, then jumped on the roof of a nearby building, with Ullr in tow. The men hurriedly gave chase, but Reito, quickly leaping from roof to roof, was already far away. ¡°One more time!¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Reito continued jumping from roof to roof. ¡°W-what¡¯s that!?¡± ¡°A wolf!?¡± Some of the people in the streets below noticed them and yelled. After moving far enough from the alley, Reito stopped. ¡°Phew¡­we should be safe here.¡± So Reito whispered to himself, but Kotomin looked behind them and spoke. ¡°¡­unfortunately, that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case¡­¡± ¡°Wait up!! You damn brats!!¡± A man¡¯s voice echoed in the surroundings. Reito turned around and found a man with tiger ears and tail, jumping from roof to roof towards them. ¡°That guy¡¯s¡­a Beastman!!¡± ¡°Wooohhh!!!¡± The band of thieves apparently had a Beastman in their ranks: thanks to his physical abilities, vastly superior to average humans, he managed to catch up with Reito. The Beastman almost reached the roof they were standing on, but Reito waited for the right timing and calmly cast a magic spell. ¡°Wind Pressure.¡± ¡°Waaah!?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Just before the Beastman could land on the roof, Reito blew a powerful gust of wind from his palm. Unable to defend himself mid-jump, the Beastman lost his balance and fell towards the ground. ¡°Gwaah!?¡± The townspeople gathered around the man fallen from the sky. ¡°W-what? This old guy just came falling down outta nowhere!!¡± ¡°Are you okay, old man!?¡± ¡°Say something, gramps!!¡± The commotion was getting louder and louder. Reito looked at the situation for a moment, then moved away, still carrying Kotomin. ¡°Let¡¯s go while we can. I never expected someone to chase me on the roof¡­¡± ¡°Phew¡­it¡¯s tough being popular¡­¡± ¡°Woof¡­?¡± Ullr ¡°sighed¡± at Kotomin¡¯s joke. Reito continued leaping from roof to roof, moving to a taller building. A normal Leap didn¡¯t bring him high enough, however, so he activated a magic spell. ¡°Ice Block!¡± Reito created an ice platform to use as a foothold and activated Leap again. It was the same method he used to escape the residence. Eventually, the small group reached an isolated bridge. ¡°We should be okay this time¡­get down.¡± ¡°Hmm, but I¡¯d like to jump around a bit more¡­¡± Reito let Kotomin down, who puffed her cheeks in a playful pout. She seemed to enjoy that kind of transportation, but Reito was nearing his limits: jumping from roof to roof while carrying someone was pretty taxing. Reito peeked at the river under the bridge and saw a great quantity of fish swimming around. The river seemed to be fairly deep. ¡°What a nice river¡­perfect for fishing, I bet.¡± ¡°Woof¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ullr? Did you remember the first time we swam in a river?¡± Ullr looked like he had something to say in response. Next to them, Kotomin was looking at the river ¡ª and drooling. ¡°Looks delicious.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going for a swim.¡± ¡°Wha!?¡± Kotomin stood on the edge of the bridge, leaned over, and dove down just like that. She entered the water with beautiful form, just like a professional swimmer, and proceeded underwater without a sound. She could move at incredible speed underwater: soon enough, she jumped back out, in spectacular dolphin-like fashion. ¡°Hop.¡± ¡°Eeeh!?¡± ¡°Arf!?¡± As she jumped out of the water, a couple of fish were tossed from the river onto the bridge. They were exactly two; Kotomin, only her head poking out of the water, called to Reito. ¡°That¡¯s my thanks for today, please take them.¡± ¡°You mean¡­the fish?¡± ¡°Woof!¡± As soon as he heard Kotomin¡¯s words, Ullr pounced on one of the fish and started munching. Reito, still a bit confused, picked up the other one. Kotomin nodded, satisfied, then jumped out of the water and back on the bridge. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± ¡°Wow!?¡± ¡°Arf!?¡± A water spray doused both Reito and Ullr. In front of the speechless duo, Kotomin opened her arms wide, then embraced them both. ¡°You really saved me back there. Mmh~¡± ¡°H-hey¡­!?¡± ¡°Woof¡­!?¡± Kotomin kissed Reito on the cheek, then did the same to Ullr. It was all so sudden that Reito couldn¡¯t react. With a content smile on her face, the young girl jumped back into the river. ¡°Bye bye.¡± ¡°Huh!?¡± Kotomin said just that and disappeared underwater. Reito started looking for her immediately, but she was nowhere to be seen. Even Observing Eye could not locate her. His hands closed tighter on the fish she left¡­ ¡ô¡ô¡ô Volume 2 - CH 3 CHAPTER 3 Following Airis¡¯ instructions, Reito and Ullr arrived at a village ¡ª or more precisely, what remained of it. It showed the same signs of mayhem as the village they visited after leaving the Abyssal Forest: the villagers¡¯ corpses were strewn everywhere. The only difference was the presence of survivors. ¡°H-hey¡­are you an adventurer?¡± ¡°Ooh!! They finally sent help?¡± ¡°Everybody!! Someone came to save us!!¡± ¡°Er, no, I¡­¡± ¡°Arf¡­¡± As soon as Reito entered the village, he was surrounded by a group of wounded villagers. They were all injured in some way, but they could apparently move without too much trouble. Reito asked about what happened in detail and received the following explanation. A group of armed Goblins broke through the barrier and started rampaging throughout the village. They took all food supplies and weapons. The villagers who barely managed to survive hid in the food storage under the elder¡¯s house. Some escaped the village, but they were likely dead. One of the villagers spoke to Reito. ¡°Are you an adventurer? Did the Adventurers¡¯ Guild accept our request, then?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just happened to pass by. But I have food and water with me, I¡¯m willing to share it if you want¡­¡± Reito imagined that this was the reason why Airis told him to bring plenty of food and water: the villagers reacted with joy and surprise to his proposal. ¡°I-is that really true? You¡¯re a savior¡­those bastards threw corpses in our well, so we can¡¯t drink that water anymore¡­¡± ¡°¡­please form a line, I¡¯ll start giving it out now. I can use recovery magic on any wounded too¡­¡± ¡°Eh!? Are you a Healing Magician!?¡± ¡°No, Support Magician.¡± ¡°Whaat? Support¡­that hopeless job!?¡± ¡°Hey, watch your mouth!! We might as well owe our lives to this boy!!¡± Some of the villagers frowned when they heard of Reito¡¯s job, but one of the elders rebuked them. Reito paid no mind to their words: he started distributing food and water and healing the wounded. ¡°Recovery Boost¡± ¡°Ooh¡­my legs are healing¡­!¡± ¡°F-father¡­!!¡± ¡°Ooh¡­thank you so much, you saved me!¡± Seeing her father¡¯s twisted leg return to normal, a girl embraced Reito while shedding warm tears. The father too thanked Reito repeatedly. At first, the villagers did not know if they could trust a ¡°hopeless¡± job holder like him, but after witnessing the effects of his healing magic, they overcame their prejudices. After distributing the food and healing the majority of the wounded, Reito proposed to help them move to a safe location. The survivors were exactly 12 people: Reito would escort them to the nearest village. ¡°Is there a carriage large enough to fit everyone in the village?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, there are only ox-drawn carriages left¡­¡± Reito nodded to the apologetic villager, then turned towards Ullr. ¡°That¡¯s more than enough. My buddy here will pull the carriage, so please tell the women, children and elderly to get on. I¡¯m sorry, but the men who can walk will have to follow on foot. We¡¯ll take a break and rest if you need it, so please don¡¯t be afraid to say if you¡¯re tired.¡± ¡°T-thank you so much!!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t bring too much luggage, but if there is anything you absolutely cannot leave behind, I¡¯ll keep it for you. Please make preparations as soon as you can.¡± ¡°Y-yes!!!¡± The villagers obediently complied. While they were making their preparations, Reito used his Alchemist skills on the carriage, to change it into a form Ullr would have an easier time pulling. As soon as the villagers were ready, the group left for the nearest village. On the way there, Reito learned that the village¡¯s name was Aphein and received a gift from the villagers as thanks for saving them. Reito refused to accept money, however, and received metal tools and items left in excess in the village. He also received a Barrier Stone and Decay Stone, tools with the power of keeping monsters away. They were both rare magic stones which could be sold at a very high price. ~ ¡°Oh, sir adventurer, over there, that¡¯s the village of Aferre!!¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± The village of Aferre was surrounded by walls and guards were standing at the gates. As soon as they saw Reito¡¯s convoy, they approached quickly. ¡°C-could you be coming from Aphein!?¡± ¡°Thank the heavens, someone survived!! Come in, quick!¡± ¡°Go inform the elder!! Bring food and water too!!¡± The Aferre villagers eagerly welcomed Reito and the villagers from Aphein: they were immediately led to the village elder¡¯s residence. The elder provided all villagers with a warm meal, then listened to their story. He then came closer to Reito and acted as if whispering to himself. ¡°¡­it was those armed Goblins¡¯ doing, was it not¡­?¡± Reito replied to the elder. ¡°The village was already ransacked when I arrived. I brought the survivors here for the time being, but¡­what will you do?¡± ¡°They are welcome to stay in our village. Unfortunately, however, more and more survivors are gathering here¡­all of them from villagers attacked by Goblins. To tell the truth, we cannot rest easy¡­¡± ¡°There are so many people coming¡­?¡± Other than Aphein, many other villages in the area had been attacked, apparently. Most of the villages had already been destroyed, with their survivors seeking shelter in Aferre. Aferre was protected by walls and magic stones to keep monsters at bay, so it was relatively safe, compared to other villages in the vicinity. Providing shelter for the increasing number of survivors, however, had created a new issue: lack of food supplies. The Aferre village had petitioned the royal army to exterminate the armed Goblins, but the army was still investigating the Goblins¡¯ whereabouts, so they had not moved yet. They also sent a request to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, but as they could not offer much as a reward, no one had accepted it yet, apparently. ¡°We have also asked any passing adventurers to help us, but they all refused when they learned that we couldn¡¯t offer a proper reward¡­¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± The village¡¯s offered reward was indeed far too low for the scope of the request: 30 silver coins, approximately 300,000 Yen. (TL note: circa 2750 USD) Considering the deadly risks involved, it was an unreasonable amount. Accepting the request would mean staying in the village for a long period, protecting the villagers from the armed Goblins and defeating them. The enemy¡¯s numbers were unknown and could attack at any time. If the Goblins did not come during the adventurer¡¯s stay in the village, the reward would become half too. Lodging was provided for free, but because of the village¡¯s lack of food supplies, meals would come at a price. It was no wonder that most adventurers refused to accept such conditions. Thirty silver coins were an attractive reward for novice adventurers, but for veterans it was nothing to marvel at. Reito could not blame the adventurers for ignoring the village¡¯s request. He too thought the reward did not compensate for the risks ¡ª yet, he could not find it in himself to leave the villagers to their fates. ¡°Is it possible to cancel the request you have sent to the guilds? If you can have the money back, I¡¯d like to undertake the request¡­¡± ¡°D-do you really mean it!?¡± ¡°I wish for the conditions to be changed, though. I will accept only if the request is to strengthen the village¡¯s defenses.¡± ¡°Eh¡­?¡± The village elder was baffled by Reito¡¯s proposal, but eventually accepted it. ~ ¡°To be frank¡­the village¡¯s defenses are pretty poor.¡± ¡°M-my humblest apologies¡­we never expected monster attacks, so¡­¡± After examining the village¡¯s surroundings, Reito felt rather downhearted. The brick walls protecting the village had been erected dozens of years ago: the passage of time caused them to crumble in many spots. Some cracks were large enough for an adult human to pass through. The largest gaps had been covered with wooden planks, but any monster could have broken through easily. Reito also found out that the bricks themselves were rather frail and the walls were just two metres high in certain spots: using the gaps between the bricks, even children could climb over them. Goblins, which possessed physical abilities higher than humans, could break through in no time. Reito asked a question to the elder while checking the walls. ¡°Have you ever considered digging a moat?¡± ¡°A moat¡­sir?¡± ¡°A moat, outside of the walls. I think it would be enough to protect the village, even with walls like these¡­¡± One of the guards interrupted Reito. ¡°Aaaah, I can¡¯t listen to this anymore!! Boy, you make it sound like it¡¯s so easy, but do you have an idea how much time and effort it takes to build something like that!?¡± ¡°We have thought about digging a moat before, but¡­to dig one surrounding the whole village would require manpower we honestly do not possess.¡± The guards spoke the truth, but Reito had an idea. He pointed his palm at the ground in front of the walls and casted a basic grade magic spell. ¡°Earth Block.¡± ¡°Ooh!?¡± ¡°W-what the!?¡± ¡°The ground is¡­rising¡­?¡± ¡°Earth Block¡± was a basic grade magic spell that manipulated earth through the use of gravity. Reito used it to create a small mountain, which he pushed uniformly against the walls to reinforce them, while creating a ditch along the walls at the same time. ¡°Okay¡­what do you think?¡± ¡°A-amazing¡­so you were a talented magician!?¡± ¡°S-sir magician!!! Please forgive our rudeness earlier!!¡± Reito couldn¡¯t help but smile at the guards¡¯ swift change of attitude. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, really¡­more importantly, could you tell anyone with time on their hands to gather here? I¡¯d like to ask them to help dig the moats a bit deeper.¡± ¡°Y-yes sir!!¡± The guards immediately gathered any available adults and had them start digging the moats around the village walls. Reito could have done the job himself with magic, but it would have taken a toll on his magic power reserves. Because of that, he had the villagers take care of the finishing touches. A few hours later, the over four meters deep moat around the village was completed. Thanks to the basic grade spell Earth Block, the village¡¯s defensive walls were fortified, their multiple cracks and damage sealed and repaired. The Barrier Stone and Decay stone, which were only set on the walls before, were now embedded in a way they couldn¡¯t be destroyed easily. The village¡¯s external defenses thus improved, but Reito was still concerned. No matter how strong the defenses were, if the village¡¯s military forces were lacking it wouldn¡¯t mean anything. Reito approached a group of villagers. ¡°How many soldiers are there in the village?¡± ¡°We have about 20 guards. If we count everyone with battle experience, it¡¯s 20-30 more. The enemies are not normal Goblins, but powerful, organized forces that destroyed many villages already, aren¡¯t they? I doubt people like us could¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give up before we fight, please!! What weapons do you have?¡± ¡°The guards have theirs, that¡¯s about it. Ten swords and five lances, plus five bows. We have some wooden weapons for training too, if that helps.¡± ¡°You should also have farming tools like sickles and hoes, right? Kitchen knives can work too.¡± ¡°With all due respect, sir¡­do you suggest we fight with them? I doubt farming tools and kitchen knives will be much useful against monsters¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that, don¡¯t worry. Gather everyone capable of fighting and all tools you have, please.¡± ¡°Y-yes sir!!!¡± The guards did not look convinced, but they listened to Reito¡¯s request nonetheless. They promptly gathered all villagers with battle experience and the tools Reito asked about. Reito planned to use the wooden training weapons and tools to make new weapons. He used Metal Transmutation and Shape Change to turn sickles and hoes into short swords and lances, respectively. He then tied the kitchen knives on the tip of the wooden lances, using forks and knives ¨C turned into nails ¨C to hammer the knives on the lances, creating impromptu knife lances. After preparing the weapons, Reito instructed the guards and villagers how to use them. Many of the survivors who fled to Aferre had lost their family or home to the armed Goblins. They naturally resented them deeply, so there was no shortage of villagers eager to fight. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Volume 2 - CH 4.1 CHAPTER 4 After arriving in Lunot, Reito stopped the carriage in front of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, to entrust Shuu and Gaida to the authorities. There was a small commotion in the guild, as an F rank adventurer had returned with a carriage and two pro empire faction members in tow, but the receptionist took care of the necessary procedures quickly and efficiently. Reito was told to wait in the guest room, as Bal would meet him. The guildmaster entered the room and addressed him with a sigh. ¡°Honestly¡­you¡¯re always bringing me trouble, aren¡¯t you.¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­I¡¯m sorry?¡± ¡°Well, this time you pulled off quite the feat, though. Catching pro empire faction members is really impressive.¡± Bal gave a small bag to Reito. Shuu and Gaida were wanted criminals, so their capture would be rewarded. Reito took the bag and Bal continued. ¡°Those two are bottom tier lackeys in the faction, but they were definitely behind the recent armed Goblins¡¯ attacks. The royal army will owe us one.¡± ¡°Is my rank going to increase?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t waste time, do you¡­here, your new card.¡± Bal took out a guild card and gave it to Reito. On the surface, Reito¡¯s name and the words ¡°Rank E¡± were engraved. Thanks to his feat, Reito was promoted to rank E without having to take the exam. ¡°Ooh¡­thank you very much.¡± ¡°This is a special exception, though. Normally, beginners can¡¯t be promoted in the first two months after their registration. You¡¯ll have to take the exam next time.¡± ¡°Understood. By the way, about the Ymir coal mines¡­¡± ¡°You found some Goblin corpses and a dead Demon there, by chance, right? We¡¯ve sent a search team. Why in the world would you go to a place like that, though? Did you hope to find Mithril?¡± ¡°Hahaha, yes, something like that.¡± Reito had reported to the guild about the Ymir coal mine too, just in case. According to Bal, the search would take time, so the pro empire faction might have erased any evidence from there already. Reito had collected the gear used by the Goblins, so he submitted it to the guild. He remembered Basil¡¯s features, so he drew a portrait and showed it to Bal. She seemed to have seen that face before. ¡°This is Basil¡­a Monster Tamer, but they called him Basil the Beast Trainer. If you ask me, he¡¯s more of a beast himself than the monsters he used¡­¡± ¡°Was he a wanted criminal?¡± ¡°Yup, and he had a hefty bounty on his head too, 10 gold coins. I heard he was caught some years ago and shipped over to the Prison City, though¡­I¡¯ll have to check about that later.¡± ¡°Ten gold coins¡­maybe I messed up this time¡­¡± ¡°Hm? Did you say something?¡± ¡°No, nothing.¡± Reito did not report the whole truth about the events in the Ymir coal mine: he simply said he happened to find Basil¡¯s corpse. Airis had insisted on that point, urging Reito to keep the truth to himself. It was dangerous to get too involved, so Reito acted as if he had nothing to do with it. ¡°What¡¯s going to happen now?¡± ¡°Who can say¡­the kingdom is going to handle the rest. Those two will probably get the death sentence, but they earned it. If they have valuable information, they might just end up in prison, though¡­it¡¯s unthinkable that they planned the Goblin attacks just by themselves, so the royal army will likely increase their patrols.¡± ¡°I see¡­by the way, there is something I¡¯d like to ask¡­do you know of a man called Gain?¡± The moment Reito uttered the words, Bal¡¯s expression twisted. ¡°¡­what did you say?¡± Her change was so stark Reito was shocked. Bal grabbed his arm and started questioning him. ¡°Where have you heard that name? Do you know something?¡± ¡°No, I¡­I just heard that from one of the Tamers¡­¡± ¡°Is that so¡­which means, he was involved in these events too¡­¡± Bal reached for the cup on her desk and clenched it so hard it almost cracked. She then downed the contents in one gulp, seeming to calm her nerves. As she resumed speaking, her tone was tinged in anger. ¡°This isn¡¯t something E rank adventurers should get involved in. Leave the rest to us and go back to your regular adventuring business.¡± Bal said nothing else and left the room. Reito, mystified by her change in attitude, contacted Airis. ¡ºAiris.¡» ¡ºHmm, I should have warned you in advance, never to mention Gain¡¯s name to Bal¡­¡» ¡ºWhy is that?¡» ¡ºThey are acquainted with each other, actually. Their relationship was not good by any means, however: it is marked by a series of murders.¡» ¡ºMurders¡­?¡» ¡ºTwenty years ago, Gain killed Bal¡¯s parents. They met again after she became an adventurer: at that time, Gain lost one eye at her hands, but killed her adventurer companions at the time.¡» Reito had thus inadvertently touched on Bar¡¯s thirst for revenge. ¡ºI shouldn¡¯t have said that, right¡­?¡» ¡ºI believe that¡¯s an understatement. Bal is going to die at this rate.¡» ¡ºEh!?¡» Reito was shocked by the unexpected prediction. Airis explained that Reito¡¯s words caused a dramatic change in Bal¡¯s fate. ¡ºBal will leave the Adventurers¡¯ Guild to act on her own. She will eventually discover Gain¡¯s whereabouts and attempt to kill him, but she will fall into a trap and be killed instead.¡» ¡ºThat can¡¯t be¡­all because of me!?¡» ¡ºWell¡­if you didn¡¯t ask about Gain, she would not have done something so reckless, that is true. Gain will not survive unscathed, however: he will die too, due to the wounds inflicted by Bal.¡» ¡ºCan it be stopped?¡» ¡ºIt would be quite difficult. If you do not do anything, they will definitely die, but if you get involved without the proper preparations another serious problem will arise.¡» ¡ºWhich is?¡» ¡ºI do not have the ability to see your future. As I said before, I can see everything related to the creatures born in this world. Since your soul came from another world, however, I cannot see anything related to you. Moreover, it is also difficult to see the future of those involved with you.¡» Reito realized that Airis was not in favor of rescuing Bal. ¡ºIf you do not get involved any further, Bal and Gain will both die. If you do, however, I will not be able to predict the outcome. It might be possible to save Bal, but it might also mean that Gain will survive too. There is also the possibility that both will die, but you will too, Reito.¡» ¡ºIn other words, you won¡¯t be able to give me advice as you have until now.¡» ¡ºI can tell you the whereabouts of Bal and Gain, as well as their abilities. But I cannot see their future when you¡¯re involved. Thus personally, I am not in favor of getting involved with this¡­what will you do?¡» ¡ºSave her.¡» ¡ºOf course¡­¡» ¡ºSorry.¡» Airis sighed, as she knew what Reito was going to say from the start. Reito apologized for causing her trouble with his decision, then they started talking about his plans. ¡ºIf I get involved any further, Bal¡¯s future will change¡­which means, now that I¡¯m not involved yet, can you see what¡¯s going to happen to her?¡» ¡ºThat is correct. Before you take any meaningful actions, I can see her future. She will find Gain¡¯s hideout five days from now and go on the attack by herself. She will defeat Gain¡¯s subordinates, but will be struck by a poisoned arrow before fighting Gain, partially paralyzing her body. She will exert the last of her strength to deliver a fatal blow to Gain, but she will eventually die from the poison.¡» ¡ºSo the direct cause of her death is poison?¡» ¡ºExactly. Gain himself is an accomplished swordsman too, though. His skills are equal to an A rank adventurer.¡» ¡ºI see, if I fought him directly, I¡¯d be at a disadvantage.¡» Knowing about the enemy¡¯s skills with the sword reminded Reito of his weakness. His current skills were far inferior to Bal¡¯s, but naturally he could not compete with Gain either. According to Airis¡¯ predictions, if Reito were to fight against Gain now, his chances of victory would be zero. If he didn¡¯t do something within five days, however, Bal would be killed. In order to save her life, it was necessary either to convince her not to track Gain, or to make sure they did not meet. Her resolve was already firm, however. Reito knew that to convince her not to go, or lead her to another objective would be next to impossible. ¡ºHow far is Gain¡¯s hideout from here?¡» ¡ºIf Ullr pulls the carriage, it will take about half a day. In other words, you have about four days of leeway before the fateful day.¡» ¡ºTo improve my sword skills enough to match an accomplished swordsman in four days¡­is impossible, isn¡¯t it?¡» ¡ºIt is. No matter how you train, there is no way to match Gain in four days. You should then use a different strategy.¡» ¡ºA different strategy¡­¡» ¡ºFortunately enough, Gain possesses only the Swordsman and Martial Artist jobs. In other words, he cannot use magic. You therefore have the advantage in this case: if you can create a situation in which magic is an advantage over other forms of fighting¡­¡» ¡ºYou mean fight with magic?¡» ¡ºNot exactly. I mean to use magic as a means of battle. Simply speaking, to blend magic and sword in your fighting style.¡» For the current Reito, matching Gain with his sword was simply unthinkable. If he could use abilities that Gain couldn¡¯t, however, he might have a chance. Reito found a glimmer of hope in the possibilities suggested by Airis. Volume 2 - CH 4.2 Reito left the Adventurers¡¯ Guild and got on his carriage. He could not leave the carriage at the inn, so he decided to leave the city for the time being. His destination was the first human settlement he visited after leaving the Abyssal Forest ¨C the village of Faas. The village had been attacked by armed Goblins, but most of the buildings were still intact: there were lodgings available too. No one would be inconvenienced even if Reito left his horse carriage here. ¡°Okay then¡­let¡¯s start practicing.¡± ¡°Arf?¡± ¡°You can take a nap, buddy. I don¡¯t have anything for you to do.¡± ¡°Woof!¡± Reito did some light stretching, then opened his status window to check the magic he had learned until now. Reito could use the Support Magician job¡¯s ¡°Support Magic¡± and ¡°Basic Grade Magic¡±, which anyone could use. He could not use the powerful ¡°Blast Magic¡±, commonly available to Magician job holders. It was also impossible to learn Blast Magic by using SP. Reito could use his SP to raise the proficiency level of Basic Grade Magic to the maximum. He could also learn new Basic Grade Magic spells. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s worth it to use SP to learn new Basic Grade spells, though¡­¡± Reito decided to review the magic spells he knew and tried combining them in the so-called Compound Magic Spells. ¡°Fire and Wind magic have good affinity, right? I could make Fire Blade and Flame Lance by combining them. If I used Magic Power Boost too, I should be able to create something stronger¡­might as well try.¡± In battle Reito often used Iceclad Sword and Ice Blade Bullet, both variations of Ice Block, but in terms of offensive magic, the fire element was more powerful. Ice Block could be used to cut down the opponent, but fire magic could cause more dramatic effects, such as explosions. ¡°Okay then¡­let¡¯s start with Fire Blade.¡± Reito focused on his palm, activating Magic Power Boost followed by Fire Blade. Thanks to Magic Power Boost, the offensive power of the spell increased: the flame rising from his palm was larger than normal. . . ¡°Ooh!?¡± A large, crescent-shaped blade formed on Reito¡¯s palm, then crashed against the house in front of him. The deserted house was engulfed in flames after the impact and turned to cinders in seconds. Reito¡¯s Flame Bullet could not be controlled precisely, so it caused indiscriminate destruction to the whole target area, but Flame Blade could be used to hit a single target with high firepower. ¡°Pretty good¡­and easier to use than Flame Bullet too¡­¡± After thoroughly checking his new Craft Skill, Reito tried another combination. The next test involved Ice Block and Earth Block. ¡°Let¡¯s try using Iceclad Sword with Gravity Blade¡­¡± Reito created an Ice Block longsword on his right palm, then made it surge with crimson magic power. Gravity Blade was used to wield weighty swords like Reito¡¯s Cleansing Blade more easily: by using it on the light Iceclad Sword, he hoped to be able to increase the speed of his attacks. Reito¡¯s Iceclad Sword, however, could not withstand the gravity shift and shattered to pieces. ¡°Ah!? Crap¡­no good.¡± ¡°Whiine¡­¡± Iceclad Sword was not hard enough to endure the gravity created by Reito¡¯s palm. He realized that only a sword with high resistance to magic could endure Gravity Blade¡¯s effects. Reito thought about what to try next and came up with the idea of boosting the magic spell itself. ¡°Normal Magicians use Magic Stones to make their magic stronger, right?¡± Magicians usually used the Magic Stones embedded on their wands to boost the effects of magic spells. Reito wondered if he could do the same. He called Airis to know more about it. ¡ºAiris¡» ¡ºH-hey¡­please, I¡¯m changing right now.¡» ¡ºAh, sorry¡­no, wait. You change your clothes?¡» ¡ºOf course I do. It gets really hot in summer, I can¡¯t stand it if I don¡¯t take showers regularly.¡» ¡ºSo the seasons change in your world too¡­anyway, did you watch my training?¡» ¡ºYes, yes¡­using Magic Stones to reinforce your magic, was it? In that case, I would recommend using the magic tool called Magic Ring. You can wear it on your arm to boost your magic, without having to use a staff or wand.¡» ¡ºMagic Ring, huh¡­where can I buy one?¡» ¡ºOh, there¡¯s just the right place to get one, without having to go back to the city. I happen to know where you can find a Magic Ring no one is using currently.¡» ¡ºOkay¡­I have a bad feeling about this¡­¡» Reito was deeply concerned by Airis¡¯ words. He knew that a magic-boosting accessory was going to be useful, however, so he decided to take her suggestion. ~ Reito left the carriage in the Faas village and rode away on Ullr. Their destination was a place filled with memories, in their nostalgic Abyssal Forest. ¡°So¡­what did we come here for?¡± ¡°Whiine¡­¡± ¡ºIt can¡¯t be helped, you know. You couldn¡¯t have retrieved it when you lived in the forest, so I didn¡¯t say anything at the time.¡» The Magic Ring was apparently somewhere in the forest. Reito proceeded with confidence: he remembered the lay of the land well. With a sigh, Reito talked to himself. ¡°Why did the Magic Ring have to be with one of the dead people in our cave, of all places¡­I have the feeling that I¡¯m always taking stuff from corpses recently¡­¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Ullr replied to Reito¡¯s complaints with a sharp bark. ¡°I see¡­they took care of you before, so of course you¡¯d want a memento¡­¡± ¡°Whiine¡­¡± Ullr had been raised by a female Elf before meeting Reito: he had become able to understand human languages during that time. Ullr¡¯s parents were killed when he was very young: he survived by himself for a while, but was then picked up by an Elf. Reito also used the cave she lived in as his dwelling: she was already dead when he arrived, however. According to Airis, she had been killed by a vicious creature. The body was nowhere to be found, but the Magic Ring was apparently still there: in the lair of the creature that killed the female Elf. ¡ºWho killed her?¡» ¡ºA Minotauros. This type of monster does not dwell in forests normally¡­but this one started living in the forest, due to certain reasons, and now acts as the forest¡¯s boss. By the way, this Minotauros is also responsible for the death of Ullr¡¯s parents.¡» ¡ºEh!?¡» ¡ºThat female Elf challenged the Minotauros by herself, to avenge their death, but was not strong enough.¡» ~ Reito advanced through the forest, while rubbing Ullr¡¯s head. The Minotauros they were looking for turned out to have quite the connection with Ullr. They were now heading towards the southern side of the forest: an area Airis warned them to stay away from, when they still lived in it. Reito and Ullr carefully proceeded in that unknown area. After a while, they arrived before a river flowing through the forest. ¡°We¡¯re here¡­stay alert, Ullr.¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± According to Airis, their destination was just beyond the small river. Reito and Ullr used Leap to cross it, then proceeded upstream. Reito was carefully observing the surroundings as they went and felt something was off. ¡°Weird¡­there aren¡¯t any monsters around here¡­¡± The Abyssal Forest was a veritable den of monsters. Bear-type monsters, like the Blood Bears, often went to the rivers for fishing. For some reason, however, Reito and Ullr had not encountered a single monster yet. To be able to proceed while preserving their energies was a good thing, naturally, but the unusual lack of monsters was a cause of concern. Reito clenched the hilt of the broadsword on his back. ¡°Why isn¡¯t there even one¡­? Did your nose pick up anything?¡± ¡°Whiine¡­¡± Ullr shook his head. Not even his nose could pick up any smell of monsters: the surroundings had to be really deserted. Reito eventually decided to take the question to Airis. ¡ºAirish!!¡» ¡ºAgain with the lisp? In a serious scene like this? How does it happen, when you¡¯re not even actually talking¡­? Could it be that you have awakened the ¡°Clumsy Ditz¡± personality trait¡­?¡» ¡ºOh shut up¡­what¡¯s going on here, anyway?¡» ¡ºIsn¡¯t it nice, there aren¡¯t any monsters in that area¡­it¡¯s the boss¡¯ territory, after all.¡» ¡ºThe boss¡¯ territory¡­I see.¡» Monsters, as well as normal animals, closely guarded their territory: they would attack any intruders without mercy. Reito and Ullr had already stepped in the Minotauros¡¯ territory. ¡ºWhat monsters are there usually in this area?¡» ¡ºThere aren¡¯t any Goblins or Kobolds, but Orcs, Blood Bears and the rare Ogre. But even they stay away from this territory, so¡­¡» ¡ºThey¡¯re all afraid of the boss¡­¡» Reito could not perceive any monster presence because they all stayed out of the Minotauros¡¯ territory, fearing it. The forest boss was powerful enough to intimidate even Ogres. With a pinch of apprehension for the coming battle against the Minotauros, Reito prayed he wouldn¡¯t end up dead before the fight with Gain. Volume 2 - CH 4.3 ¡°So this is the place¡­it¡¯s huge.¡± ¡°Grrowl¡­¡± ¡°Easy.¡± Reito and Ullr arrived in front of a massive waterfall. They carefully studied the surroundings: according to Airis, the Minotauros¡¯ lair was located here. There was a cave behind the waterfall, similar to the place Reito and Ullr used as their dwelling. This cave was not a natural one, however: the Minotauros had dug the cave into the cliff and used it as a lair. The Minotauros was far more powerful than the Blood Bear: the one that moved to this area actually exterminated a pack of Blood Bears by itself. On the five-step danger scale for monsters, it was ranked four: normally, a party of rank A adventurers would be needed to take one down. The reason why Reito went to face such a dangerous opponent was to retrieve the memento of Ullr¡¯s previous caretaker and because he trusted Airis¡¯ advice. In order to lure the Minotauros out of the cave where it was supposedly hiding, Reito made his resolve and lightly slapped Ullr¡¯s back. ¡°WOOOOFFF!!¡± Ullr¡¯s howl echoed in the surroundings. Reito watched from above, standing on top of the waterfall. The moment he drew his broadsword, a gigantic figure jumped out of the waterfall, spraying water everywhere. It was a creature with a human-like body and the head of a black bull ¡ª the Minotauros. It looked at Reito and Ullr, snorting menacingly. ¡°Bfooooh¡­!!¡± The Minotauros was about two meters tall, roughly the same size as an Orc, but the intimidating aura it emanated was completely different. Its body was bulging with muscles, like an Ogre; it was covered in black fur, but its limbs looked completely human: the only bull-like feature was its head. According to Airis, the Minotauros was not a monster, but a member of the Demon species. Its intellect was superior to normal Goblins: it stripped weapons and armor from its beaten opponents and wore them itself. The Minotauros facing Reito and Ullr actually had a silver armband hanging from one of its horns. It was armed with an axe made for Giants and had a Mithril chain wrapped around its arm. Reito recalled Airis¡¯ words of warning. ¡ºBe very careful. This Minotauros was previously used as a ¡°war slave¡±, a slave forced to fight for its masters. The chain on its arm was used to restrain it, but now it uses it as a weapon. The axe is a special magic tool, so do not think you can destroy it physically.¡» Reito, facing the clearly fearsome opponent, gripped his broadsword tighter. ¡°Kh¡­!!¡± ¡°Grrrooowl¡­!!¡± ¡°Bfoooooh!!¡± The Minotauros looked down at Reito, ready to swing his broadsword, and the growling Ullr. After a closer look at the latter, however, it stopped moving. Reito found it unusual and observed the creature¡¯s movements: the Minotauros slowly reached for its head ¡ª for the silver bracelet on its horn. It took it off and flung it on the ground. ¡°Bfooh¡­!!¡± ¡°Woof¡­!?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± The Minotaurus¡¯ inexplicable behavior left Reito and Ullr puzzled. Just like that, the bull Demon turned around and left. Reito stood speechless for a few moments, but Ullr turned towards the Magic Ring and sniffed it. ¡°Whiine¡­¡± ¡°Ullr¡­¡± Ullr took the Magic Ring in his mouth, then looked at the Minotauros¡¯ back. In his eyes brimmed both anger and sadness. Reito, still confused by the Minotauros¡¯ actions,wrapped his arms around Ullr and held him tightly. While looking at the Minotauros walk away, Reito called Airis. ¡ºAiris.¡» ¡ºPhew¡­you were lucky, you two. That Minotauros remembered Ullr, apparently.¡» ¡ºWhat exactly happened?¡» ¡ºThe Minotauros let you go, as you can see. It still remembers the Elf it fought against four years ago.¡» Airis explained that Minotauros were extremely belligerent, but also had a sort of warrior¡¯s pride: they took the gear and items from the opponents they defeated as a gesture of respect. Thanks to the Minotauros¡¯ high intellect, it still remembered Mille, the female Elf it fought against four years prior. She was defeated, but the Minotauros took the Magic Ring from her as a sign of respect for her strength. Minotauros do not lay their hands on the weak. They only fight against opponents they deem strong enough. In fact, when it fought and killed Ullr¡¯s parents it did not do anything to the weak newborn Ullr. This time too, the Minotauros did not fight because it did not see them as worthy opponents. If they were strong enough to pose a threat, the Minotauros would have attacked without a second thought. As a result, Reito successfully retrieved the memento of Ullr¡¯s caretaker, but felt defeated. Reito and Ullr watched the Minotauros go, resenting their own weakness. ¡°¡­let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Whiine¡­¡± Reito called the frustrated Ullr and left, before the Minotauros changed its mind. Ullr turned around and looked back several times, but ultimately could only follow Reito. He clenched the Magic Ring in his mouth. Their primary objective cleared, Reito and Ullr returned to their old cave dwelling. The reason why they did not immediately leave the forest was to check the Magic Ring¡¯s powers: the forest was a suitable place for training. In order to see how the Magic Ring could be used in battle, Reito decided to spend the night in the cave. ~ ¡°Yaawn¡­it¡¯s been a while since I last woke up here¡­¡± ¡°Aroof¡­¡± ¡°Whoa! So that¡¯s the sound you make when you yawn¡­?¡± Reito got up from the makeshift bed, with Ullr as a pillow. Usually, Ullr got up first and woke him up, but this time they woke up at the same time. The Magic Ring retrieved from the Minotauros was on Reito¡¯s left arm. He looked at the accessory and counted eight slots. The Magic Ring was a tool used to reinforce the user¡¯s magic: its true powers manifested only when Magic Stones were set in the slots. At present, Reito put the Barrier Stone he found in the abandoned village in the slot. He had a Decay Stone too, but using it would have caused Ullr discomfort, so he didn¡¯t. ¡ºHow do you use the Barrier Stone¡­? Airis?¡» ¡ºYou need to place a finger on the writing engraved on the stone and chant a spell. In that Barrier Stone¡¯s case, the chant is ¡°Shield¡±.¡» ¡°Shield¡± Reito uttered the chant, as per Airis¡¯ instructions. A green barrier formed from the Magic Ring, creating a 50 cm wide round shield. Reito tried touching it and his finger was repelled by the rubber-like shield. ¡°Hmm, pretty cool¡­! But it works only if I put a finger on the stone¡­? It¡¯ll be hard to use it in battle¡­¡± *lap lap lap* ¡°H-hey, no licking!! This isn¡¯t candy!¡± Ullr started licking the green shield, so Reito hurriedly stopped him. The Magic Tool was a bit tricky to use, but it could repel physical attacks, so if Reito figured out how to use it effectively, it could be very useful. Reito then recalled his initial objective. ¡°Three more days¡­if I don¡¯t get stronger quickly, Bal will die¡­¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°I know, I¡¯m not whining.¡± Reito only knew Bal for a couple weeks, but she had been of great help to him. He couldn¡¯t just let her die like that. He was also the reason why she was doomed to meet her death, so Reito felt guilty. ¡°I have to master that sword skill, first of all.¡± Reito activated a Support Magic spell and the stone on his new Magic Ring glowed, as a white light surged from his body. Reito confirmed the new effect and swung his broadsword, not without some hesitation. ¡°Strike Blade!¡± As he poured the strength of all of his muscles in the slash, the broadsword created a powerful wind pressure. Both offensive power and speed were much higher than before. The swing was also much wider than before, however, creating a larger opening. ¡°Hmm¡­Strike Blade is strong, but it¡¯ll take a while before I get used to it¡­¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°A fast opponent like Ullr could easily dodge it too. The same weakness as Spin Strike¡­¡± Reito rubbed Ullr¡¯s head, deep in thought. Spin Strike was a Battle Art that involved slashing the enemy while spinning, as the name said. If the rotation was stopped before hitting the enemy there would be no point in using it; every rotation raised speed and power, but blocking or avoiding attacks became impossible. ¡°Strike Blade is fast from the start, since I just concentrate on a single slash, but it¡¯s weaker than Spin Strike¡­wait¡­from the start¡­?¡± An idea suddenly flashed in Reito¡¯s mind. The toll on his body would be great, but by equipping the Magic Ring and using Muscle Boost he might be able to endure it. Reito tried it out immediately. ¡°Ullr, stay back¡­I might hit you.¡± ¡°Arf?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a little test.¡± Ullr moved to a safe place and Reito readied his broadsword. Strike Blade, fast from the beginning, and Spin Strike, faster and stronger with every rotation. Together, these two skills should create a very powerful Battle Art. Reito activated Muscle Boost first. ¡°Here goes¡­¡± Reito performed several horizontal sweeps for practice. When he felt ready, he performed Strike Blade and Spin Strike at the same time. ¡°Haah!!!¡± Reito swung the broadsword with great momentum, but in the same instant a jolt of pain ran through his body. He couldn¡¯t help but let go of the hilt. ¡°Waah!?¡± ¡°Woof!?¡± Reito fell down on the ground, as the broadsword clattered in the opposite direction. He nodded to the worried Ullr and stood back up, looking at his hurting arms with a frown. ¡°Ow ow ow¡­it didn¡¯t work, huh¡­using two Battle Arts at the same time isn¡¯t easy, after all. It doesn¡¯t seem impossible, though.¡± ¡°Whiine¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry. I have to do this much, or I¡¯m never going to win¡­¡± Reito¡¯s next opponent surpassed him greatly in sword skills, and he knew it well. A fighting style incorporating magic was necessary to win. Reito tried using Muscle Boost and then activating Gravity Blade. ¡°I have to reduce the burden as much as I can¡­okay.¡± He picked up his broadsword and let the crimson magic power fill the blade completely. Thanks to the gravity manipulation, he could swing the broadsword very lightly. ¡°Shaah!!!¡± Reito swung again, activating the two Battle Arts simultaneously, but once again the pain was too much: the broadsword dropped from his hands. ¡°Kh¡­failed again.¡± ¡°Arf¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯ve started figuring it out. I¡¯m not going to stop until I figure it out¡­¡± Reito healed his aching muscles with Recovery Boost, then thought for a while. He realized that one of the reasons why he let go of the broadsword was his lacking grip strength. He then decided to improve his physical abilities through this training. Reito thus started swinging, again and again. ¡°Here goes¡­nothing!!¡± He did not simply swing the broadsword: he stepped forward with decisive momentum and poured all of his muscles in the swing. Eventually, he became able to swing the broadsword faster than ever. His balance also remained stable after the swing, his form cleaner. . . ¡°Oh, I learned something. Hm? Combination?¡± ¡°Arf?¡± The ¡°new skill acquired¡± window appeared before Reito¡¯s eyes. The skill category was a new one for him, however: ¡°Combination¡± Battle Art. It was not a Craft Skill, but a unique category of skills born from the combination of multiple Battle Arts. ¡°Spin Strike Blade!¡± Reito tested the new skill immediately: he could swing his broadsword much faster than before, as the sound of sliced air echoed in the cave. The skill drained more energy than other Battle Arts: after activating it Reito fell to his knees, panting. He was far from mastering it, but it would definitely turn out to be very powerful. ¡°Okay, might as well try it with other Battle Arts too. Let¡¯s see, Helmet Smasher and Strike Blade¡­but first, a bit of rest.¡± *lap lap lap* ¡°H-hey, I¡¯m dirty now ¡ª hahaha!¡± Ullr came closer and started licking Reito¡¯s face, so the boy realized his partner was worried about him. He rubbed Ullr¡¯s head until he calmed down. Reito tried combining all the four Battle Arts he knew, learning new skills one after the other. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Volume 2 - CH 4.4 While Reito was training in the Abyssal Forest, the search team formed by the Adventurers¡¯ Guild and the royal army investigated the Ymir coal mine. The team was formed by two A rank adventurers hand-picked by Bal and ten royal army soldiers assigned to the Adventure City Lunot: their task was to recover the bodies of the armed Goblins. When they arrived at the excavation site, however, there were no Goblins to be found. All they could find were traces of fighting. The pro empire faction had likely already erased their tracks: the search team then decided to investigate the mines. Upon entering the mine, the whole search team died at the entrance. The cause of death was the same for all of them: lethal wounds from a bladed weapon. The scene was described with a single word, ¡°carnage¡±. The bodies of the search team members presented countless wounds, their heads cut off and lined up on the ground, surrounded by pools of blood. The message was clear. The search team had died at the hands of a single one-eyed swordsman. He looked down at his katana which was drenched in blood while he sat on one of the corpses of a search team member. His gaze moved from the eerily glowing blade to the corpses he had just cut down. The swordsman¡¯s thoughts were absorbed in contemplating the mutilated bodies, a look of ecstasy on his face. He licked the blood dripping from the blade, as if reluctant to waste it. Prominent canines poked out of his mouth as he smiled. His eyes were of an unusual red color. The boyish-looking man was clearly excited at the sight of the dead bodies. He was the man Bal swore revenge on, her fated enemy for the last twenty years. He was not a human being, but a Vampire ¡ª a Demon. Vampires had the ability to turn other species into Vampires: Gain too used to be a normal human, but was turned into a Vampire dozens of years before. The greatest trait of Vampires was their ability to stop aging, as long as they drank blood. In fact, Gain¡¯s appearance had not changed since he was 15 years old. Incidentally, Vampires favored Human blood the most: being undead creatures, they could not produce blood by themselves, so they made others¡¯ blood into their own. Gain looked at the dead female body under him and shed sincere tears. ¡°You humans are not our prey¡­we should live side by side, in harmony. How unfortunate, that you had to refuse to become my slave¡­¡± When Gain encountered the search team, he asked them to surrender. He was refused, however, so he had no choice but to kill them. ¡°How sad¡­! Humans and us, we should be able to understand each other, and yet¡­! Don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°¡­scum.¡± Gain turned around and asked the question to the other officer of the pro empire faction he had come to the Ymir mine with. His gaze, however, only found a large boulder. The person Gain had turned to was hiding behind the boulder: the other officer was an Assassin job holder who rarely showed themselves. Gain continued his self-absorbed monologue. ¡°You cannot comprehend my words yet? Humans are not cattle for us Vampires, we should be able to coexist¡­thus I had a duty to respect their will.¡± ¡°I have no interest in your way of thinking¡­I will go make my report now. What will you do?¡± ¡°Hmm, yes¡­it appears my presence was noticed by someone in a city close to here, so I am going to welcome them into my family.¡± ¡°Your slaves, you mean?¡± ¡°¡­what did you say?¡± The officer¡¯s mocking words caused Gain to frown. He sheathed his blood-red sword, then stepped towards the boulder and drew it again, emanating an incredible amount of killing intent. ¡°¡­ ¡®Unsheathed¡¯¡± A red slash cleaved the boulder in two. The katana had sliced the boulder like a knife through butter, but the presence behind it was already gone. ¡°¡­you already ran?¡± The boulder fell apart and Gain frowned at the empty space behind it. He sheathed his sword once again, then touched the scar on his left eye. The vampire¡¯s scar was caused by a former S rank adventurer, the current guildmaster of the Black Tigers guild, Bal. Gain grinned as his fingers traced the old wound. As a Vampire, he could use the blood he sucked to boost his strength or heal his wounds. He chose to leave the scar on his left eye, however. He desired to meet Bal, the woman who hated him and was now desperately searching for him. The scar stood as a symbol of his desire. Gain had killed her parents and, two years before, the person she loved the most too had fallen at his hand. ¡°Come, come soon, my beloved¡­there is nothing more delectable than the blood of those who seek revenge¡­¡± Gain longed for the meeting with his ¡°favorite food¡±, which he crafted for almost twenty years. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Volume 2 - CH 4.5 Reito and Ullr, back in Faas village, were resting in the horse carriage. Reito could finally sleep in a warm blanket after days of camping, so he felt completely rejuvenated: when he woke up, it was already past noon. ¡°Fwaah¡­sleepy.¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯ll start cooking¡­we¡¯re having boar meat tonight.¡± Ullr jumped at Reito as soon as he got out of the blanket. Reito patted his head, then took out ingredients and cooking utensils from his Storage subspace and started cooking. Thanks to Fireball, he could start a fire even without wood. He used the seasonings he recently bought at the market, put meat and vegetables in the pot, and started cooking the stew. ¡°Hmm..delish.¡± ¡°Whiiiine¡­.¡± ¡°No, Ullr. You know you have to wait for it to cool a bit before you can eat.¡± Ullr looked at Reito with pleading eyes, but he couldn¡¯t eat food when it was still hot, so Reito instructed him to wait. In the meantime, Reito finished his meal and checked the state of his tools. He then searched the nearby houses for any useful items. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since the Goblin attack¡­there isn¡¯t much to left here anymore.¡± Compared to the day when Reito first visited the village, now there were clear signs that outsiders, probably thieves, had gone through any valuables. There were little to no daily necessities: only shattered plates or broken chairs remained. Thanks to his Alchemist skills, Reito could repair and put to use many of the items, so he collected a fair volume of tools from the empty houses. In his first visit, he was interrupted by the arrival of Nao and her knights, so he couldn¡¯t search the village thoroughly, but this time he found useful tools. ¡°Okay, this is the last one¡­now I can only hope that the plan goes well¡­¡± ¡°Whiine¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ullr? Hm¡­?¡± Reito left the house and Ullr ran up to him. He whined sadly, rubbing his face against Reito¡¯s body. Reito looked in the direction Ullr came from and found a large man, wolfing down the contents of Reito¡¯s stew pot. ¡°Nghah¡­! So good!!¡± ¡°Whoa!? Who are you!?!¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Reito immediately drew his broadsword, but the man seemed not to notice: he lifted the pot and poured the remaining stew in his mouth. The man was much larger than Reito: there was no doubt that he was a Giant. The Giant emptied the pot and set it down, satisfied. His face smeared in stew, he rubbed his belly pleasantly. ¡°That was really good¡­¡± ¡°Why thank you.¡± Reito instinctively thanked the large man, who reacted with utter surprise. ¡°¡­!! Who are you?¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Ullr¡¯s bark was a loud and clear ¡°that¡¯s our line!!¡±. The man looked at Reito and Ullr, then at the empty pot, then at them again. He nodded to himself, then prostrated on the ground. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry!!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Arf¡­.?¡± Reito and Ullr were taken aback by the Giant¡¯s behavior. His face pressed against the ground, the man continued to apologize. Reito and Ullr looked at each other and decided to listen to his story first. The Giant¡¯s name was Gonzo. He too was an adventurer: he had taken the extermination request of certain crustacean-type monsters near the village of Faas. Gonzo successfully disposed of the monsters, but he suffered a grave wound in the battle and lost all of his food and water supplies. He somehow managed to go back to Faas on foot, but he almost collapsed from hunger. At that exact time, the smell of stew tickled his nostrils¡­before he realized it, he was already stuffing his mouth. Gonzo said he would pay for the food, so Reito activated his Storage magic and gave him a great quantity of dried meat. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry¡­to both of you.¡± ¡°Woof!¡± Gonzo apologized to Ullr too for eating their food without permission, but Ullr barked at him not to worry. After receiving the food from Reito, Gonzo took out a leather satchel filled with bronze coins. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, this is all I have at the moment. If I go back to the guild, I can receive the reward for the request, but¡­right, want to go together?¡± ¡°No, I have other things to do¡­besides we will move with our carriage, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Got it¡­I¡¯m a D rank adventurer in the Fang Dragon guild, by the way. If I can help you in any way, come visit anytime.¡± ¡°Fang Dragon¡­okay, I¡¯ll remember that.¡± Reito shook hands with Gonzo and they talked a bit more. ¡ºOh, you have made a Giant friend?¡» ¡ºYeah¡­despite his looks, he¡¯s younger than me, actually.¡» ¡ºFor real?¡» Reito had opened communication with Airis. She was supposed to know everything about this world, so he found it strange that she seemed not to know Gonzo¡¯s age. He boarded the horse carriage and headed for the Ymir coal mine: thanks to Ullr¡¯s speed, they would arrive before sunset. The Ymir coal mine was the current location of the pro-empire faction officer Gain. According to Airis, he chose to wait there for Bal to find him. ¡ºHe apparently knows of Bal¡¯s movements too. This is the best chance: his subordinates won¡¯t arrive at the mine until tomorrow morning. Until then, he will be alone.¡» ¡ºI see¡­can I really win against him, though?¡» ¡ºYou can always give up on the whole plan.¡» ¡ºNot a chance.¡» ¡ºI knew you¡¯d say that¡­anyway, you have memorized the method I told you about, yes?¡» ¡ºOf course.¡» Airis had already given Reito information about Gain: he knew about Gain¡¯s sword skills and his relationship with Bal in detail. Gain had acquired the Unsheathe Battle Art, something few swordsmen ever attained. He had brutally slaughtered hundreds of people with that skill alone. He also had the habit of slicing his victims to shreds as much as possible before killing them, relishing in the pain he inflicted. ¡ºAnd he¡¯s a Vampire to boot¡­should I get some garlic or a cross for protection?¡» ¡ºThe vampires in your world seem to be weak against such things, but unfortunately the Vampires here are unaffected.¡» ¡ºW-wait a second¡­do vampires really exist in my former world?¡» ¡ºIndeed they do. They don¡¯t attack people, as you seem to be worried about, though. They operate hospitals and obtain blood from humans under the guise of blood donations.¡» ¡ºWhoa¡­so that doctor who took a sample of my blood in elementary, even if I cried and complained, was a vampire too¡­¡» ¡ºI wonder¡­that world is not under my jurisdiction, so I don¡¯t know such detailed information¡­¡» Reito closed the communication with Airis and reviewed the strategy for the battle against Gain. He was also going to use the skill he practiced so much in the Abyssal Forest in a battle for the first time. ¡°Okay¡­we have to do this.¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Reito steeled his resolve. At the same time, Ullr stopped running: they had finally arrived at the Ymir coal mine. They were going to proceed on foot from that point. Reito equipped the Magic Ring and Cleansing Blade, then started climbing the mountain path. ¡°¡­it¡¯s really dark.¡± ¡°Whiine¡­¡± It was not their first visit to the Ymir mine, but they felt a different kind of nervousness this time. Ullr perceived the eerie atmosphere and seemed unusually intimidated, as he followed behind Reito. ¡°Ullr¡­you can stay here, buddy.¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Ullr barked back angrily and whacked Reito¡¯s back with his front paws. Smiling wryly at his partner¡¯s reaction, Reito gripped his broadsword tighter. He activated the Assassin skills Soundless Walk, Stealth, Detect Presence and Seal Presence before proceeding further. ¡°¡­crap, I want to go home.¡± ¡°Whiiine¡­¡± Once they arrived on the mountain¡¯s summit, Reito and Ullr felt the killing intent. The smell of blood already filled the air. On the mountaintop excavation site, corpses were strewn everywhere, all sliced to ribbons. Only their heads were perfectly preserved, all in a line. Among the human heads, there were Goblin-like heads as well. Near the entrance to the mine, a body ¡ª probably Basil¡¯s ¡ª was hung on a cross. It was the only corpse whose head had not been cut off, but there were slash wounds all over the body. Reito put a hand over his mouth and looked away. ¡°I heard about it already, but¡­it¡¯s too horrible.¡± ¡°Grrrrr¡­¡± The instant Reito tried to contact Airis, in order to know the exact whereabouts of the person responsible for the carnage ¡ª someone whispered behind his back. ¡°Hello there.¡± ¡°¡­..!?¡± ¡°Arf!?¡± Reito turned around immediately after he heard the whisper, but there was no one to be seen. The voice was then heard from atop a nearby boulder. ¡°Who would you two be¡­? Surely you are not just passing by.¡± ¡°¡­hello.¡± Reito looked in the direction of the voice and found a young boy with delicate, handsome features and physique. He looked like a pretty boy, but the aura he emanated was more oppressing than an Ogre. The situation was evidently dangerous: the battle could start at any moment. ¡°So you¡¯re Gain.¡± ¡°Oh¡­if you know who I am, there really is no chance you are just a passing adventurer¡­¡± ¡°Grrowl¡­¡± ¡°A White Wolf¡­how filthy.¡± Gain had an expectant look on his face when he spoke to Reito, but it became a frown when he turned towards Ullr. Gain was positively interested towards humans, but with other living beings it was the complete opposite. He reached for his sword, but ¡ª ¡°Not so fast! Flame Bullet!¡± ¡°Oh my.¡± Reito realized Gain was going to attack Ullr, so he shot a globe of fire like a cannonball. Gain, however, dodged it with little effort. Reito¡¯s Flame Bullet was a combination of Fireball, Wind Pressure and Magic Power Boost. The fireball blew past Gain and crashed against the boulder behind him. The impact was so strong Gain went wide-eyed for a moment, then started clapping. ¡°Impressive¡­! I have never seen this spell before! You¡¯re something, boy!¡± ¡°Why thank you! Flame Blade!¡± Reito judged that he couldn¡¯t target Gain precisely with Flame Bullet, so he activated Flame Blade, which had a wider target range, and shot the flaming crescent blade at Gain. Gain, however, activated Leap, lightly hopping from boulder to boulder, moving all around Reito. ¡°I¡¯m right here~¡± ¡°Damn you¡­don¡¯t look down on me!!¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Gain continued jumping around, toying with Reito and Ullr. Even if they tried changing to a more favorable location, Gain jumped ahead of them, so they couldn¡¯t move at all. Reito could use Leap too, but Gain was much faster: he moved almost instantly, appearing behind Reito in the blink of an eye. ¡°You are a Magician, yes? You should know that you cannot compete with me, then. You¡¯re not fast enough.¡± ¡°Shut up!!¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Reito and Ullr deliberately voiced their irritation. They continued chasing after Gain, eventually stopping as they were standing back to back. It was their first battle against an opponent that surpassed them in speed. ¡°Shit¡­how about this, then!!¡± ¡°¡­what are you trying to do?¡± Reito pressed his palm at the ground and the boulder Gain used as a foothold started changing abnormally. A ripple-like vibration expanded with Reito at the center. The boulder crumbled and Gain quickly jumped down on the ground: just as he did, Reito released his palm. ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°Earth Block¡­basic grade magic.¡± ¡°Basic grade¡­?¡± Reito used Earth Block to manipulate the terrain and cause a small-scale quake. As a result, all the boulders around them crumbled and fell, removing any stable footholds for Gain to use. ¡°Now we¡¯re on the same field¡­right?¡± ¡°Haha, I wonder¡­I cannot use the boulders as foothold anymore, but that goes for you too.¡± Gain looked at the cracked ground at his feet and furrowed his brow. He did not lose his composure, however, as he approached Reito and Ullr. ¡°The time for games is over¡­I¡¯m going to cut you down.¡± ¡°Oh really¡­do your worst.¡± ¡°Grrrowl!!¡± Reito and Ullr felt Gain¡¯s unbridled killing intent and prepared to fight back. The battle had become a pure duel to the death. Reito drew his Cleansing Blade: a broadsword made with the strongest metal of his former world. He thought back to his training in the Abyssal Forest. Strike Blade, a skill passed to him by the one person who defeated Gain in the past. Reito had used it as a base to craft a new skill. The secret behind Strike Blade was to use all of the body¡¯s muscles when swinging the sword. Reito activated a Support magic spell to boost his physical abilities. ¡°Muscle Boost!¡± ¡°¡­.Support magic?¡± Gain looked at Reito and stopped in his tracks. Only Support Magicians used Support magic: learning that his opponent was a hopeless Job holder, Gain was first surprised, then utterly dejected. ¡°How dull¡­die.¡± ¡°!?¡± ¡°Woof!?¡± Gain¡¯s interest in Reito vanished completely: he moved to finish the battle then and there. He placed a hand on the hilt of his katana and activated his characteristic Battle Art. ¡°Unsheathe.¡± ¡°Shield!¡± Reito activated the Barrier Stone on his Magic Ring and defended himself against Gain¡¯s katana with the green shield. It was extremely effective at blocking physical attacks, as Gain realized with great surprise. ¡°A barrier?¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°Oops.¡± Ullr jumped at Gain, taking advantage of the opening, but the Vampire jumped backwards to dodge. Reito managed to parry Gain¡¯s attack, but could not nullify the impact and was forced to let go of his Cleansing Sword. ¡°Kh¡­¡± ¡°I see, you have a Barrier Stone with you¡­there is no point if you can only protect your arm, though. This is the end.¡± Gain smiled at the defenseless Reito. He put his katana back in the scabbard and prepared to use Unsheathe again, when¡ª ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure!!¡± ¡°!?¡± Reito took a small satchel hanging at his waist and threw it at Gain. Gain reflexively reacted to the unexpected attack by slicing the satchel, which contained a Decay Stone ground into dust. Gain was showered with the dust and screamed. ¡°GWAAHHHHH! THIS SMELL¡­!!¡± ¡°Whoa!?¡± ¡°Arf!?¡± Gain¡¯s arrogance and confidence were completely gone: he rolled and writhed on the ground. Decay Stones were harmless to humans, but monsters loathed the stench they emanated. Demons possessed both human and monster traits: the Vampire Gain was no exception. Reito remembered that Basil used ground monster feces to incapacitate Ullr. He asked Airis for advice and ground the Decay Stone into dust and stuffed it into a satchel. Incidentally, Ullr was not as affected by the Decay Stone thanks to training he received from his former caretaker, the female Elf Mille. Regular monsters would run away at the smell of a Decay Stone. ¡°Ullr, stay away!¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°Damn you¡­!! The smell¡­I can¡¯t¡­!!¡± ¡°Shut up!!¡± Gain dropped his weapon to cover his face. Reito did not pick up his own weapon and faced him unarmed. He stepped forward with good momentum, rotated and accelerated his sole, ankle, knee, hips, abdomen, torso, shoulder and elbow, in that order, and struck with his fist. ¡°Bullet Strike!¡± ¡°Gwah!?¡± Reito¡¯s fist hit the helpless Gain in the face and sent him flying. Reito, however, felt something was off when his fist made contact. Gain had jumped backwards right before impact, to reduce it. Reito picked up his Cleansing Sword and prepared for Gain¡¯s counter offensive. ¡°Tch¡­how dare you¡­!!¡± ¡°What!?¡± Gain manipulated a thread to retrieve his katana. The katana, scabbard and Gain¡¯s waist were connected with a kind of wire, apparently. Gain glared at Reito, his handsome features marred by tears and snot. ¡°You¡¯re dead¡­you¡¯re dead!!!¡± ¡°Hey, calm down¡­is this the real you?¡± ¡°SHUT UP!¡± Gain stretched his hand towards the hilt of the katana and prepared to use Unsheathe again, but Reito¡¯s broadsword was faster. Reito, using the same muscular movement needed for Strike Blade, activated his signature Spin Strike. ¡°Spin Strike Blade!¡± ¡°Whaaat!?¡± Reito powerfully stomped the ground and swept his broadsword horizontally. The slash was not only much faster than the regular Spin Strike, it also carried all of Reito¡¯s muscular power as it struck Gain. He had achieved maximum speed from the first rotation. ¡°Parry¡­gwah!?¡± Gain activated a defensive Battle Art and tried parrying the broadsword with his scabbard, but could not stop the broadsword¡¯s momentum: his skin was torn and shredded, spurting blood. Reito frowned, but did not relent and stepped forward again. ¡°Helmet¡­Smasher!!¡± ¡°Tch!?¡± Reito gripped his broadsword tight so as not to drop it, then swung it down in a vertical slash. Helmet Smasher was the combination of Helmet Splitter and Strike Blade. The muscular movement of Strike Blade, paired with Helmet Splitter, the Battle Art Reito was most proficient with, formed Helmet Smasher: the speed of this slash was even higher than Reito¡¯s previous attack. ¡°Wooh!!¡± ¡°GHAAH!?¡± Gain, holding his arm, managed to dodge the attack by a hair¡¯s breadth, but the wind displaced by the slash blew him backwards, as the ground at their feet caved in. Gain stumbled and fell backwards, but Reito endured the impact with both arms and went on to attack again. ¡°I¡¯m not done yet!!¡± ¡°DAMN YOU, BRAT!!¡± Gain raged at Reito¡¯s unrelenting offensive. He needed to be standing on the ground with both legs to use Unsheathe, however. Before he could stand back up, Reito unleashed the final skill he acquired during his training in the Abyssal Forest. ¡°Whirlwind Strike!!¡± ¡°GWAAHHHH!!!¡± It was the Battle Art born from the combination of Whirlwind and Strike Blade. The sound of the blade cutting through the air and Gain¡¯s screams echoed throughout the mines: the next instant, the earth shook with a tremendous impact. ¡°¡­shit!¡± ¡°Gwaaah¡­.¡± Reito cursed under his breath. His Cleansing Blade had cut into Gain¡¯s abdomen, but he had not stepped forward with enough strength: the blade failed to completely sever his opponent¡¯s body. Reito had learned the skill only recently, his muscles were nearing their limit ¡ª and he hesitated before delivering the killing blow. Despite the blade deeply lodged into his stomach, Gain had not lost consciousness: he glared at Reito as he spat blood, then tried to draw the katana at his waist. ¡°You¡­scum¡­!!!¡± ¡°Kh!?¡± Gain drew his blade in a flash and sliced Reito¡¯s left cheek. His katana, an enchanted weapon called Crimson Devil Blade, could increase in hardness by absorbing fresh blood. Reito did not stagger, however, and readied his Cleansing Blade. ¡°Haah!!! ¡°Gwaaah!!!¡± Reito used the Alchemist skill Shape Change to make the blade of his Cleansing Sword vibrate at high speed. As a result, the sword tore deeper into Gain¡¯s body. Gain, his bloodshot eyes open wide, swung around his katana in a desperate attempt to counter. Reito ignored his opponent¡¯s frantic attacks and swung his Cleansing Sword to the end, slicing through Gain¡¯s torso with good momentum. ¡°HAAAAAH!!!¡± ¡°GWAAAAAAHH!!¡± Gain¡¯s torso presented a large, gaping gash. A torrent of blood sprayed from the wound, but his upper and lower body were still attached. Reito activated Leap to put some distance between him and his opponent. ¡°S..shit¡­!! My¡­my body¡­!!¡± ¡°You¡¯re still alive¡­? What a monster¡­¡± ¡°Gwaaah¡­.!¡± Gain stood up, holding his body together: the next instant, a cloud of red smoke surrounded him. Vampires had excellent recovery capabilities, which could be boosted further by absorbing the blood of other living creatures. Gain took out a vial he kept hidden in his clothes and poured the human blood inside on his torso. ¡°Grruuuaaaaaah¡­.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Recovery did not come without pain, apparently. Gain endured the sealing of the wound on his torso, a grimace of pain on his face. Reito looked at the process, a tense look on his face, but did not lose the opportunity to use Recovery Boost on himself. ¡°Phew¡­you won¡¯t get away with this¡­I¡¯ll definitely kill you¡­!!¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve heard that already¡­Ice Blade Bullet!¡± ¡°Tch!!¡± Before his opponent could fully recover, Reito created Ice Block blades and shot them, but Gain swung his Crimson Devil Blade, fast enough to draw afterimages in the air, and shattered all of Reito¡¯s ice blades. ¡°¡­Vision Blade.¡± For a moment, Reito thought Gain had created several blades out of thin air. Airis had told him in advance about Gain¡¯s skill to create countless blade afterimages, but witnessing it in person made him have cold sweats. He could not track the movements of those blades with his eyes: if he locked swords with Gain without a plan, he would be surely torn to pieces. ¡°You¡¯ve finally used it¡­but you need a stable foothold to use that skill, don¡¯t you!?¡± ¡°What the¡ª!?¡± Reito put his palm on the ground and activated Earth Block. The Battle Art Vision Blade required both arms to move at high speed and high concentration: if the user¡¯s attention was drawn to something else, even for an instant, it was not possible to maintain it. Reito used Earth Block to depress the ground at Gain¡¯s feet, forcing him to deactivate Vision Blade. Gain emerged from the pit and sheathed his katana, ready to use his Unsheathe skill. He drew a deep breath and glared at Reito. ¡°To see through my Vision Blade like that¡­who exactly are you?¡± ¡°Someone who has no reason to answer you¡­¡± ¡°In that case¡­it¡¯s over, die.¡± ¡°No point in threats. Your sword range isn¡¯t limitless, is it?¡± ¡°What¡­!?¡± Unsheathe, just like Vision Blade, could only cut the opponent in a fixed range. In other words, Reito could not be cut as long as he stayed out of Gain¡¯s range. The wound on Gain¡¯s left eye was caused by Bal when she realized such a weakness. ¡°Which one of us has the longer blade, now?¡± ¡°¡­what are you saying?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see soon enough¡­Gravity Blade.¡± Crimson magic power surged from Reito¡¯s fist. He held his broadsword directly in front of himself. Gain prepared to counterattack and grinned. He was genuinely enjoying the battle. At first, Gain was interested in Reito because his sword techniques resembled Bal¡¯s. Reito¡¯s skill with the sword, however, was far inferior to hers, and he even used a moronic diversion with the Decay Stone dust. Gain decided to get rid of him immediately but was unexpectedly pushed to a disadvantage. Gain was foiled time and again by Reito¡¯s ability to read his strategies. He even risked being cleaved in half at one point. The more Gain was cornered, the more his interest in Reito grew. Even if he taunted him, Gain gained some respect for the young and immature swordsman. Reito had apparently already figured out the weak point of Unsheathe and Vision Blade, but Gain didn¡¯t care anymore. He was now simply excited to see what move Reito was going to show him next. ¡°Come at me¡­!!¡± ¡°Phew¡­¡± Gain, his Crimson Devil Blade still in the scabbard, did not move an inch. Reito, on the other hand, held his broadsword tight, to calm himself down. Crimson magic power surged from Reito¡¯s arms: he enhanced his physical abilities to the max and stepped forward. ¡°Helmet Splitter!!¡± Reito stepped forcefully on the ground and swung his Cleansing Blade. Looking at his movements, Gain felt all of his expectations had been betrayed. He looked intently at Reito¡¯s blade as it came swinging down and moved his right hand, placed on his katana¡¯s hilt. ~ One year before, Gain had lost his left eye to Bal¡¯s sword. Gain lost because Bal attacked from outside his sword¡¯s range. Unsheathe and Vision Blade couldn¡¯t reach her. Bal¡¯s broadsword was far longer than the katana he wielded at the time. She attacked from outside Gain¡¯s range, ultimately wounding his left eye, without giving Gain a chance to counterattack. ~ Gain¡¯s current opponent was using the exact same strategy. Gain drew his sword from the scabbard: at the same time, he moved one step forward. After the defeat against Bal, Gain had analyzed his weakness and acquired a new skill, an evolution of Unsheathe. He took the stance to use Unsheathe and moved forward. That skill, Sliding Step, could be used to counterattack by surprise an opponent convinced to be outside of Gain¡¯s range. ¡° ¡ª Unsheathe!¡± ¡°¡­..!!¡± Gain approached Reito, as the latter was bringing down his broadsword, and drew his katana. Reito, however, did not fear his opponent¡¯s offensive. He focused on his hands gripping the broadsword and activated a Support spell. ¡°Magic Power Boost!!¡± ¡°What the¡­!?¡± The next instant, the crimson magic power surrounding Reito¡¯s Cleansing Blade glowed brighter, accelerating the sword¡¯s downward swing. Magic Power Boost had reinforced the gravity pull on the blade and raised its speed. (To be able to go so far¡­incredible!) Gain¡¯s reaction to Reito¡¯s attack, however, was euphoric. He had lived over a century but had never met a human being that fought like Reito. Gain was entranced by the blade approaching his neck. In his eyes, Reito¡¯s broadsword descended on him little by little, as if in slow motion. If Gain concentrated fully, any kind of attack became excruciatingly slow to him. He then spoke to Reito, out of pity. ¡°It was fun, but now it¡¯s really over.¡± ¡°¡­.!!¡± Those words could not reach Reito, however. Gain gripped his Crimson Devil Blade and swung it, targeting Reito¡¯s torso. The katana moved much faster than Reito¡¯s broadsword ever could. The instant before Reito¡¯s torso was sliced open ¡ª a sharp pain struck Gain¡¯s back. ¡°Gwah!?¡± Gain turned around: a short sword had sunk deep into his back. His concentration broke, and Reito¡¯s movements accelerated. The Cleansing Blade tore into Gain¡¯s right shoulder, cutting through the Vampire¡¯s flesh. ¡°HAAAAAHHHHH!!!¡± ¡°GWAAAHHHHHH¡­.!!!¡± The Cleansing Blade had fully severed Gain¡¯s body this time. Gain let go of the Crimson Devil Blade, which flew over Reito as he crouched after swinging the Cleansing Blade. Gain, his body torn in two halves, watched Reito as he slumped to the floor, together with his broadsword. ¡°Hah¡­hah¡­¡± ¡°Haha¡­HAHAHAHAHA!!!¡± ¡°¡­.!?¡± Even with his body torn from the right shoulder down, Gain laughed loudly. On the other hand, Reito ¡ª despite his successful attack ¡ª was terribly pale. He looked up and found Gain smiling broadly. ¡°It¡¯s finally¡­over¡­¡± ¡°Eh¡­.?¡± ¡°I can be¡­human¡­again¡­¡± ¡°¡­human¡­?¡± An innocent, boyish smile formed on Gain¡¯s lips ¡ª as a cloud of red smoke erupted from his body. The Vampire¡¯s body shriveled and shrunk, as if dozens of years of aging had their effects in seconds. Eventually, Gain¡¯s severed body collapsed on the ground. ¡°Than¡­k¡­you¡­¡± Gain drew his last breath with a smile. He had lived with the pain of loving humans, yet being forced to make them suffer. He was thus grateful to be finally released from such a cycle of suffering. It was also true that Gain found pleasure in murder: he had not been always like that, however. Gain had begun to kill in order to survive. If he didn¡¯t take the blood of other living beings, he could not live on. Bound by such a fate, he continued to kill more and more. His personality was eventually twisted, by all the lives he took and the murders he committed: he ended up replacing the guilt with pleasure. That was how he kept his sanity as a Vampire. Somewhere in his heart, however, he wished to be saved. He would have never expected for that to happen at the hands of a young man he had just met, though¡­ ¡°¡­did we win?¡± ¡°AWOOOO!!!¡± In response to Reito¡¯s question, Ullr howled loudly. Reito looked at his broadsword, looking for Gain¡¯s blood. The blood too, just like Gain¡¯s corpse, had turned into red smoke. The blood of Vampires, for unknown reasons, disappeared once it left their bodies. ¡°¡­Gain.¡± Reito put back his broadsword and touched the wound on his cheek. He was an opponent much more powerful than anyone Reito had ever faced. His sword skills were superlative: the battle against him would become a significant experience for Reito. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°Arf!!¡± Reito and his partner Ullr climbed down the mountain. They did not want to see that place again. Reito, exhausted, entrusted his body to Ullr, and the two left the Ymir coal mines. ~ Volume 2 - CH 4.6 After the battle against Gain, on their way back to the city, Reito was so tired he decided to camp outside on the plains. There was the risk of monsters finding them, but Ullr would notice any such uninvited guests. Reito let Ullr stand guard and wrapped himself in his partner¡¯s warm fur. ¡°It¡¯s cold, Ullr, wrap me a bit tighter.¡± ¡°Whiine¡­¡± Ullr sighed and complied, covering Reito¡¯s body with his. Reito let himself go in the warmth of his partner¡¯s body and was reminded of his mother Aira covering him with a blanket, when he was still a baby. ¡º¡­Airis, are you still up?¡» ¡ºYes, I am. I basically never sleep, actually.¡» Reito considered for a moment whether to ask about his mother or not. He regularly asked Airis about how his mother was doing after he left the residence. He had had fewer chances to do so recently, though. ¡ºIs mother¡­doing fine?¡» ¡ºYes, she is.¡» ¡ºI see.¡» ¡ºIs there anything else you want to know?¡» Airis seemed to know Reito had something on his mind. All sorts of questions floated in his head, but he ultimately decided not to say anything. ¡º¡­no, it¡¯s okay. Not now, at least.¡» ¡ºIs that so¡­Reito, please remember this. It is not possible for you to see your mother¡­or Aria now. So¡­¡» ¡ºI know.¡» Reito cut off the communication before Airis finished her sentence. He pulled Ullr¡¯s head closer and went to sleep. ¡ô¡ô¡ô The following day, a certain former adventurer arrived at the Ymir coal mine. She was shaken to see the state the excavation site was in: she then found the corpse of the person she was looking for and quietly gazed down at it. ¡°Are you¡­really Gain?¡± Bal recognized Gain¡¯s corpse and fell to her knees. The man she had sought revenge against for 20 years was dead. The corpse lying before her showed signs of extreme aging, but she would recognize it anywhere. ¡°What the hell is this¡­!? Why are you in a place like this, killed by someone other than me!?¡± Bal drew the broadsword on her back and swung it down, as to smash it against Gain¡¯s corpse¡­but stopped before actually doing so. Despite all the hate she bore towards him, her pride wouldn¡¯t allow her to maim a corpse. ¡°Damn you¡­damn it all!! Why¡­why¡­!!¡± Bal herself did not know who her words were aimed at. Tears flowed from her eyes as she silently looked down at Gain. She then held up her sword again. ¡°¡­goddamnit!!¡± She could not attack the corpse, after all. Bal let go of her broadsword, cursing under her breath. She then punched a nearby boulder. Blood trickled from her fist as cracks spread throughout the boulder¡­eventually causing the boulder to shatter. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Bal¡¯s actions before Gain¡¯s corpse were being observed from a distance. A man approximately 40 years old, hidden behind a large boulder, was watching Bal with the Far Sight skill, a nasty grin on his lips. Three Goblins were with him, all lying on the ground in the same way. The man¡¯s name was Bubee: he too belonged to the pro-empire faction. ¡°Hee hee hee¡­I saw it all, heard it all, know it all!!¡± ¡°Ghyeeh¡­¡± ¡°Who¡¯d ever thought Lord Gain could be killed¡­! Things are getting really interesting¡­now I¡¯m the only survivor¡­haha!¡± He was not worried in the least about the fact that all pro-empire faction Monster Tamers except him had been defeated, On the contrary, he was gloating at the prospect of his rank increasing because of his status as survivor. Monster Tamers were a precious asset: the pro-empire faction would surely ensure he was treated with the utmost care. ¡°Too bad about Basil and Lord Gain¡­I¡¯d never expect them to be defeated, but thanks to that my standing is rock solid now. Hee hee hee¡­you critters are lucky to be serving me, you¡¯d be dead if you were with the others¡­!¡± Bubee was about to turn towards the Goblins under his command, when he noticed something was off. The smell of blood tickled his nostrils¡ª ¡°Uh¡­? Where did my left arm go¡­?¡± Bubee noticed the space once occupied by his left arm was now empty. The next instant, a sharp pain coursed through his body: he wanted to scream, but his mouth was closed by someone appearing behind him. ¡°Nngh!? Nnggghh!?!¡± ¡°Quiet now¡­or I can¡¯t kill you easily.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± It was a female voice. Bubee¡¯s body stiffened as a crimson blade emerged from his chest. Just before his heart was pierced, Bubee recognized the blade: it was Gain¡¯s Crimson Devil Blade. Bubee¡¯s body slumped down to the ground. ¡°Mission accomplished¡­returning to base.¡± After killing Bubee, the woman looked down at his corpse, the Crimson Devil Blade in hand. For a single instant, she looked in the direction Reito had headed to. She opened her mouth, but said nothing and disappeared. One of her hands held the Crimson Devil Blade, the other a bloody dagger. ~ The next day, all armed Goblins which had attacked towns and villages in the area were released from the Monster Tamers¡¯ control: they all returned to the wild. The pro-empire faction¡¯s involvement in the matter became widely known, so the Baltros kingdom officially started moving for a thorough annihilation of the faction. The Black Tiger adventurers¡¯ guild, which had captured two of the faction¡¯s Monster Tamers, received a substantial reward as its name spread throughout the kingdom. The guild earned the kingdom¡¯s trust, which boosted Bal¡¯s reputation as well. Bal herself, however, barely even registered such events: the shock of Gain¡¯s death at the hands of someone else was too intense. She attempted to leave her position as guildmaster, but was desperately held back by those around her and eventually gave up. The great boost in popularity of the Black Tigers guild, however, also disrupted the balance of power between the guilds in the Adventure City. Volume 2 - CH 5.1 CHAPTER 5 Several weeks had passed since the armed Goblins¡¯ attacks. Reito continued taking requests and improving his rank: at present, he was a rank D adventurer. Reito was now riding the carriage he received in the Aferre village, on a request to transport supplies. He also helped in the reconstruction of the villages ravaged by the Goblins. ¡°I¡¯ve brought food supplies!¡± ¡°Woof!¡± ¡°Ooh, finally!¡± ¡°Break time, everybody! Stop working!¡± The wolf carriage had arrived at a large village located dozens of kilometers from the Adventure City Lunot. When the village was attacked by the armed Goblins, the fences surrounding the village were destroyed; the Barrier and Decay stones were damaged as well. The survivors returned to the village, little by little, and the reconstruction was proceeding at a very high pace. ¡°How is the process going?¡± ¡°Well, the pace is stable, I guess. We should be back to normal in two weeks or so.¡± ¡°We sorely need manpower, though.¡± While unloading the supplies from the carriage, Reito asked the villagers about the reconstruction. Many people had been killed by the Goblins, but most houses were intact. The armed Goblins¡¯ objective was gathering food supplies and tools, so they did not cause extensive damage to the buildings. ¡°By the way¡­we¡¯ve got some broken shovels. I¡¯m sorry to ask again, but could you fix it?¡± ¡°No problem, where is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry to ask you to help so many times¡­hey, bring the stuff!¡± ¡°Yessir!¡± A villager brought several broken farming tools and Reito quickly fixed them with his Alchemy skills. Looking at his shovel, as good as new, the man cheered. ¡°Amazing!! And I thought I needed a new one!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t fix the wooden parts, so please be careful.¡± ¡°Could we ask you to dig a hole here? We want to bury trash, but it¡¯ll take time to dig it ourselves¡­¡± ¡°Okay¡­Earth Block.¡± ¡°Whoa, amazing!!¡± Reito could easily make earthen walls to protect the village as well, but he didn¡¯t want to stand out too much, so he quickly left after performing such simple tasks for the villagers. ¡°Okay then, I have to go now¡­¡± ¡°Thanks as always, friend!!¡± ¡°Please come again!!¡± Reito waved back at the villagers, then headed back to Lunot with Ullr. It had been a while since Reito started visiting human settlements, after his life in the forest: he had befriended all sorts of people and managed to lead a relatively normal life. ¡ºYou seem like you¡¯re enjoying yourself, Reito.¡» ¡ºWhoa, don¡¯t talk me out of the blue like that! You really surprised me¡­¡» As the wolf carriage was running across the plains, time suddenly stopped for Reito. Airis¡¯ voice resounded in his head, even though he had not called her. The communication with Airis only happened when Reito called her first before, but recently Airis sometimes initiated the communication from her side. According to her, the wavelength of their souls was growing gradually closer, so such a thing became possible. ¡ºOh, I advise against going down that road. You¡¯ll be ambushed by bandits.¡» ¡ºBandits?¡» ¡ºThe convoys carrying supplies from the Adventure City to the villages are being attacked fairly often. The convoys have to be guarded by soldiers or adventurers recently.¡» ¡ºRight, the receptionist said something like that too¡­¡» ¡ºYou can probably defeat them, but I don¡¯t think it wise to stick your neck into trouble. Look, your dear cousin just happens to be in the area. You should report to her about the bandits.¡» ¡ºMy dear cousin¡­Nao?¡» Reito took Airis¡¯ advice and made a detour towards the village of Faas, where Nao happened to be at the moment. When he arrived at the village, he found the Valkyrja knights were there too, so he called to them. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Hm? That¡¯s¡­Princess Nao, it¡¯s Reito.¡± ¡°What? Reito!?¡± The knights were having a meal, monster meat grilled on a large iron plate. One of the knights noticed Reito¡¯s arrival and told Nao about it: the princess, still chewing meat, ran up to him. ¡°..chew¡­gulp¡­it¡¯s been a while! We met in Lunot last time¡­¡± ¡°Princess, you should talk after properly chewing and swallowing..¡± ¡°R-right¡­¡± Reito smiled wryly at Nao¡¯s enthusiasm, as her knights rushed to her and offered advice. Nao and her Valkyrja knights had been stationed in Lunot for several weeks: the king had ordered them to track the movements of the pro-empire faction. In order to do so, the Valkyrjas had been visiting the villages attacked by the armed Goblins. ¡°How are things going lately?¡± ¡°We are hunting down thieves day after day, as you can see. We have more chances to fight against humans than against monsters¡­which, I have to confess we have mixed feelings about¡­¡± One of the knights continued after Nao¡¯s apologetic words. ¡°Thanks to the Princess¡¯ efforts, however, the safety of the area has improved. The Black Tigers¡¯ guildmaster too expressed her gratitude for the decrease in bandit activities¡­¡± ¡°That is true, but¡­not being able to focus on our original mission has me concerned.¡± The Valkyrja knights were currently patrolling the villages under reconstruction, finding and eliminating any bandits and thieves attacking the supply convoys. They had already captured more than 50 thieves, but Nao and her knights were vexed with such vultures hovering around the villagers¡¯ plight. Nao seemed to recall something and spoke again. ¡°By the way, Reito, I heard you were promoted to rank D. That¡¯s an impressive feat! Only 11 other adventurers could reach such a rank in such a short time at your age!¡± ¡°So I¡¯m the 12th¡­? I¡¯m not sure if I should be happy or not¡­¡± ¡°It is the first time for a so-called ¡®hopeless¡¯ job holder to rise over F rank, though. Some even doubt you really are a hopeless job holder¡­¡± ¡°Nothing I can do about that¡­ah, do you want to see my guild card?¡± ¡°Yes, gladly¡­hmm, Support Magician and Alchemist¡­by the way, Reito, why do you use a broadsword, if you¡¯re a Magician? It doesn¡¯t seem very fitting¡­¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve trained to use it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s a weapon you can handle with just training¡­¡± In order to change the awkward topic, Reito asked about the bandits. ¡°Ah, er¡­by the way, I spotted a group of bandits on the way here, so I wanted to report them¡­¡± ¡°What? You should have said that sooner! Where did you see them? Did they do anything to you?¡± Nao immediately stopped eating, asked Reito about the bandits¡¯ whereabouts and decided to dispatch a group of knights to deal with them. Incidentally, the Valkyrja knights were at present composed of over 100 members, all powerful warriors over level 50. ¡°We shall handle the inspection here then, Princess Nao.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll do our best!¡± ¡°Do be careful.¡± Nao entrusted the inspection of the Faas village to the black-haired knight and young Beastman knight Reito had talked to previously. Nao was going to lead the other knights to catch the bandits. Before she left, she recalled something and turned towards Reito. ¡°Oh, I might as well tell you. You¡¯ve probably heard of it, but the Hunting Festival will be held soon. Because of the pro-empire faction and the armed Goblins¡¯ attacks, it was delayed two weeks, but¡­¡± ¡°Hunting Festival¡­?¡± Airis quickly intervened to explain. ¡ºIt is a festival for adventurers, held in Lunot. Monsters are let loose in the city, and adventurers compete by taking down as many of them as possible within a set time. The adventurer who defeated most monsters receives an award, and the guild they belong to also receives greater funding from the kingdom.¡» Reito recalled that Bal had told him about the festival too. He wasn¡¯t very interested, so he had forgotten about it already. ¡°The Hunting Festival is an important event, which visitors come to see from all over the world. Because of the pro-empire faction events, however, they couldn¡¯t gather enough monsters. If you can catch monsters, when you¡¯re out on requests or other business, and bring them to monster merchants, you¡¯ll be rewarded.¡± ¡°What are monster merchants?¡± ¡°People that trade monsters for humans to keep. In Adventure City, there¡¯s a large building in the northern part of town that serves as a monster trading post. If you bring monsters there at this time, you should be able to sell them at a high price. If you wish to become a first-class adventurer, you will need proper equipment, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Eh¡­?¡± Nao smiled wryly. Reito was not wearing any defensive gear and only used a broadsword not made of magic metal. Nao was thus worried that he hadn¡¯t acquired any proper gear yet. ¡°Let us depart, my knights!!!¡± ¡°Yes, Princess!!!¡± Nao¡¯s white horse galloped out of the village, with the other Valkyrja knights in tow. Reito then returned to his wolf carriage. His finances were not dire at all: on the contrary, he had accumulated quite a bit of money from requests and helping people. There was another reason why he had not bought any equipment. If he wore bulky gear, it would get in the way when he fought. During his life in the Abyssal Forest, Reito had fought satisfactorily even without proper gear, dodging or parrying the monsters¡¯ attacks with his physical skills. He had learned several defensive skills, but never used armor or the like. ¡°Defense, huh¡­now that I think about it, Bal used a skill called Harden¡­¡± ¡ºHarden is not a skill regular humans can learn. It is exclusive to Giants, normally.¡» ¡°Eh? Does that mean that Bal is a Giant?¡± ¡ºNo, but she has Giant blood in her veins. There are ways to boost your defenses other than Harden, though.¡» ¡°Really¡­¡± Reito listened to Airis¡¯ advice as Ullr pulled the carriage back to Adventure City. Volume 2 - CH 5.2 Reito went to the adventurers¡¯ guild, reported the completed request, then headed to the training grounds. Most of the guilds¡¯ adventurers were busy with requests of transporting supplies to the various villages: the training grounds thus were often empty, and that day was no exception. ¡°Hmm¡­I feel I¡¯m getting used to it.¡± ¡ºYou are more familiar with that Combination Battle Art, I see.¡» ¡°H-hey, don¡¯t talk suddenly when I¡¯m training¡­anyway, it sure has a long name¡­¡± ¡ºI see, let us call it Stark Blade then.¡» ¡°Don¡¯t decide that on your own¡­I guess that works, though.¡± Reito had tried combining Strike Blade with various other Battle Arts, thus acquiring many Combination Battle Arts. The sword skills based on Strike Blade had a heavy burden on the body, but their offensive power was equally high. Reito couldn¡¯t use them without activating Muscle Boost first, but his enhanced physique was strong enough to deal with the additional stress. According to Airis, with enough training he would one day be able to use these techniques without boosting his physical abilities. ¡°Muscle Boost¡­haah!!¡± Reito activated the physical boost skill and swung his sword. He had defeated powerful opponents such as Basil and Gain and acquired considerable experience in fighting humans: thanks to that, he had become more confident in his sword skills. Reito continued swinging his broadsword, putting all of his strength into each swing. ¡°Phew¡­it¡¯s getting tough.¡± ¡ºYou¡¯re really working hard, aren¡¯t you. But honestly, aren¡¯t you forgetting that you¡¯re a Magician? I¡¯ve never heard of magic users fighting with swords.¡» ¡°Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I could swear you just told me to train my body more, though. Anyway, you¡¯re right¡­magic¡­¡± Reito could use basic grade magic spells to attack, but he wanted to use magic only when fighting against monsters: it could easily become lethal against humans, and Reito did not want to kill people, even if he was against criminals such as bandits. Reito could go all out with magic against monsters, but he wanted to use it only as support. Because of that, he had been focusing on training with the broadsword recently.. He did not use Iceclad Sword much anymore, despite relying on it often in the Abyssal Forest. Instead, he used Heavy Strike and its gravity manipulation. ¡ºGravity manipulation magic consumes a lot of magic power, so please be careful. Also, please keep in mind that while Magic Power Boost increases the effects of magic, it also increased magic power consumption tremendously.¡» ¡°Okay, got it. Oh, it¡¯s time to feed Ullr¡­¡± ¡°Oh, here you are. Sir Reito!¡± Before Reito could go to feed his partner, the guild receptionist ran up to him. To Reito¡¯s surprise, she grabbed his arm, agitated. ¡°W-we¡¯re in trouble!! People from another guild suddenly came in, demanding to meet the guildmaster and you!!¡± ¡°Eh? Who exactly are those people?¡± ¡°The guildmaster of Hailstorm, the largest guild in Lunot!! Please come quickly!!¡± ¡°H-hey¡­¡± Reito was thus dragged to the front of the guild by the unexpectedly vigorous receptionist and told to go to the guest room, where the guildmaster was already waiting. The receptionist was about to open the door for Reito, when Bal¡¯s shouting voice leaked out of the room. ¡°You sure know how to get on people¡¯s nerves, you vixen!!¡± ¡°As testy as always¡­sit down and be quiet, please.¡± The receptionist timidly knocked on the door and Bal barked back an irritated, ¡°Come in!!¡±. ¡°E-excuse me!! I have brought Sir Reito¡­¡± ¡°Tch¡­there was no need to¡­¡± ¡°Oh my, so this is the rumored disciple you have recently taken under your wings?¡± ¡°Er¡­!?¡± Reito was shown inside, and found Bal, sitting with her feet on the desk, visibly irritated, and a beautiful blonde woman sitting across from her. The moment Reito laid eyes on the woman, he froze. She was the spitting image of his mother, Aira. ¡°Eh¡­mother?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± The words escaped Reito¡¯s lips and were met by a frown. The woman seemed not to comprehend: Reito then realized she was not really his mother. In the first place, she was an Elf, while Reito¡¯s mother was human. They looked so similar, however, that Reito couldn¡¯t hide his confusion. Bal interjected sharply. ¡°What are you saying? This woman doesn¡¯t have any kids¡­at least, not that I know of?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you start with me, Bal¡­hmm, what a curious boy. Do your mother and I look so much alike¡­?¡± ¡°Hah!! If you¡¯re upset about it, you¡¯re welcome to go home already!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t change the topic, please. This is important for you too.¡± ¡°Ehm¡­¡± ¡°Have a seat, please.¡± Reito promptly obeyed, as if he was being scolded by his mother. Bal clearly found the woman utterly troublesome to deal with, but the latter simply sipped her tea, unperturbed. ¡°Hmm¡­a rather cheap brand. Is this what you serve to your guests?¡± ¡°Hmph, you should be grateful you got served at all¡­¡± ¡°Excuse me, why have I been called here?¡± Reito interjected in the conversation and the two women turned towards him. Bal scratched her head and introduced the woman. ¡°She¡¯s Maria¡­the master of one of our rival guilds.¡± ¡°Rival? Oh, please. After all the requests we let your little guild take from us?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you start with me now!! You only give us the requests you don¡¯t want to take¡­and you just snatched another B rank adventurer from our guild, didn¡¯t you!? How many times does this make!?¡± ¡°Oh my. First class adventurers seek first class environments, I believe that is how the world works. Haven¡¯t you traveled from guild to guild yourself when you were young?¡± ¡°Gh¡­¡± ¡°Moreover, I have simply made an offer. I have not ¡°snatched¡± anyone against their will.¡± ¡°Tch¡­¡± The woman named Maria put Bal¡¯s protests to rest. Bal wasn¡¯t satisfied yet, but could not find fault in her arguments. After a brief pause, she spoke up again. ¡°Bah¡­you¡¯re always chasing after our adventurers, anyway. Dozens of them, too.¡± ¡°Indeed, I believe the most recent one was the 30th¡­and now your guild does not have a single A or B rank adventurer. I wonder if you can still call it an adventurers¡¯ guild, to be frank.¡± ¡°Hah, you¡¯ll see¡­even if the ranks are lower, we have plenty of talent here. Like him, for example.¡± ¡°Wah!¡± Bal lightly slapped Reito¡¯s back and Maria observed him silently, then her eyes opened wide. ¡°¡­how surprising. I¡¯ve heard the rumors, but¡­he really is a hopeless job holder.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Watch out, kid¡­she¡¯s got an Unique Skill called Appraisal Eye. The difference with Appraisal is that she can see people¡¯s status in the blink of an eye.¡± According to Bal, Maria possessed a special ability. With a single look, she could see a person¡¯s status, name, age, jobs etcetera. ¡°Number of acquired skills¡­impressive, I¡¯ve never seen a human with so many. And you¡¯re still fourteen¡­how nice. I¡¯ll take this boy too.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!! I¡¯m not giving you anything, get lost already!¡± ¡°I suppose it can¡¯t be helped¡­I¡¯ll give up for now. Just in case, have one of these.¡± Maria stood up from her seat, then gave Reito a crystal ball engraved with snowflake-like patterns. Reito took it, curious, and she smiled and whispered next to his ear. ¡°If you wish to see me, come to the guild with this¡­you will always be welcome.¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡± ¡°I shall excuse myself, then.¡± ¡°Yeah, excuse yourself, and fast.¡± Maria thus left the guest room. Reito looked at the crystal ball she gave him. He didn¡¯t know if it was a Magic Stone, but could not feel any special power from it. It glowed with a beautiful light, though. ¡°Hand that over.¡± ¡°Ah¡ª ¡± Bal grabbed the crystal ball from Reito¡¯s hands, then started squeezing it. ¡°Hmph!!¡± ¡°Ah!?¡± Her muscles swelled, veins popping out on the surface, to the point they resembled an Ogre¡¯s more than a human¡¯s: the crystal ball quickly shattered. Bal took out a marble-sized colorless crystal from the pieces. ¡°Tch¡­another one of her dirty pranks.¡± ¡°Ehm¡­¡± ¡°This is a Mana Absorber, a type of Magic Stone. Like the name says, it sucks in the holder¡¯s magic power¡­that woman always pulls cheap pranks like this on people that won¡¯t join her side. Don¡¯t just accept what people give you without thinking, boy.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to take this, if you don¡¯t mind. It¡¯s also a Magic Stone, which should be enough to cover today¡¯s bar tab.¡± Bal, with Magic Stone in hand, left while humming. Reito, left alone, sighed, then remembered he had to go feed Ullr and quickly went back to his partner. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Maria climbed aboard the horse carriage she had waiting near the guild and thought about the boy she just met. The fact that he called her ¡°Mother¡± intrigued her. She also had the feeling she had seen him somewhere before. ¡°Could we have met before? I don¡¯t think so, but¡­I wonder why¡­¡± ¡°Milady, is anything the matter?¡± ¡°¡­Shinobi, you were here?¡± Maria was supposed to be alone in the carriage cabin, but out of the blue a man¡¯s voice called her. Gradually, the silhouette of a man became visible: the man called ¡°Shinobi¡± had blended in the background. He was dressed exactly like a typical Japanese ninja. His face was mostly covered by a mask, but the visible features suggested he was quite handsome, though on the neutral side. He was one of the Hailstorm adventurers Maria trusted the most, and was allowed to guard her in this manner. ¡°How did the meeting go, Milady?¡± ¡°The usual. She has no intention of coming back, apparently.¡± ¡°What shall we do, then?¡± ¡°¡­keep giving her work, as usual. But don¡¯t let her find out.¡± ¡°Acknowledged.¡± Maria acted confidently with Bal, but now her expression was rather weary. She ordered Shinobi to pass requests received by her guild to Bal. Bal had not fully realized yet that more than half of the requests delivered to the Black Tigers guild were initially brought to Hailstorm. Maria consistently harvested able adventurers from the Black Tigers, but gave them jobs in return. ¡°¡­will Lady Bal truly never return?¡± ¡°I will make her. No matter what methods I have to use.¡± Maria was extremely attached to Bal, who had ¡°dared¡± leave her side. At the same time, however, she also felt very lonely. ¡°Hmph, I sound like a mother who can¡¯t bear separating from her children¡­hm¡­mother¡­?¡± ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°No¡­Shinobi, there is someone I wish to know more about. Can I leave it to you?¡± ¡°An adventurer, Milady?¡± ¡°Yes, the Black Tigers adventurer in the rumors lately¡­¡± ¡°Acknowledged.¡± Maria glanced at the horse carriage¡¯s window. The entrance to the Black Tigers guild was quickly growing smaller and more distant, but she could see a boy feeding dried meat to a large wolf in front of it. Maria found herself thinking about her sister. ¡°¡­sister¡­¡± Maria then took out her locket and opened it. The photo inside portrayed Maria as a child, together with her older sister and their now deceased father. ¡°¡­I will find you, no matter what¡­¡± Maria pressed her fingers against her temples, then realized something. The boy she had just met had features reminiscent of her older sister¡¯s childhood appearance¡ª Volume 3 - CH 1.1 CHAPTER 1 Working behind the scenes in the shadows of Baltros Kingdom, there lived the strongest swordsman there had ever been, Vampire Gain. It had been a month since Reito had defeated this fearsome foe. Since then, Reito¡¯s adventurer rank had risen. However, there had since been a small change in circumstances. He left the lodging of the adventurer¡¯s guild and was now living on his own. His rank had risen so he was now getting quests with higher compensation. As long as he could get about one silver coin a month, he would be able to pay the rent. Sure, it¡¯s a bit expensive but, given the size of the home, you could actually say it was pretty reasonable. That being said, since the house hadn¡¯t been lived in for a while, it had considerably decayed. Just walking around the house, you felt like the floors were going to give way. Anyway, Reito had fixed up the place using his alchemy so he had grown pretty comfortable living there. ~ ¡°Oh, it¡¯s already morning¡± Reito began his morning by preparing breakfast. To try and save money, he cooked everything himself. Ullr liked meat as the main part of the meal while Reito wasn¡¯t too picky and would eat just about anything. ¡°I think I¡¯m gonna grill some fish today for the first time in a while. I have some from the market the other day. Wait! That¡¯s right! The olens in the garden should also be ripe by now¡± Reito said and looked out at the garden. In the garden, there was a fruit tree that looked like an orange, except it was called an olen. Reito headed out to the olen tree and called out to Ullr, a white wolf. ¡°Ullr! Good morning!¡± ¡°Aahh¡± Ullr gave a big yawn from his dog house and opened his eyes only to fall back asleep again right after. Reito gently patted Ullr¡¯s head and let him sleep. He took the olens and brought them into the kitchen. ~ Soon after, Ullr woke up and they both finished breakfast together. On his daily agenda, he would get quests from the adventurer¡¯s guild after breakfast. As a general rule, he would only get one quest per day. But, today, he didn¡¯t go to the Adventurer¡¯s guild, he went to Faas Village. Faas Village was the abandoned village where he had first met the princess of Baltros Kingdom, Princess Nao. It had been completely overrun by goblins and no one dared live there. When Reito wasn¡¯t working on quests, he was busy with reconstruction work in the village. But, since no one was living there, Reito was feigning the role of a last remaining villager, working away at the reconstruction task. He opened communication with Airis, venting his frustrations. ¡ºWhy do we have to do this, if no one is living here?¡» ¡ºCome on now, don¡¯t say that. Let¡¯s clean up the perimeter of the village today. Given how talented you are, you should be able to do this even if you couldn¡¯t use magic¡» ¡ºMmm¡­ Maybe, but still¡­¡» Allegedly, if Reito could complete the reconstruction work in the village, there would be some big profits to be had. Or so Airis had persuaded him. But, he was still in a state of half-belief as he chipped away at the earth, continuing his task. To start things off, he used his ¡°Earth Block¡± spell to build a moat and large dirt wall around the perimeter of the village. After that, he turned his attention to the buildings of the village, but they hadn¡¯t sustained as much damage, so he went off to repair the livestock pen. For the things that couldn¡¯t be repaired with his magic skills alone, he would cut down lumber and do things by hand like a carpenter. While he worked on the project, he voiced a suspicion that had come across his mind. ¡°This is definitely not an adventurer¡¯s job¡± ¡ºYes, you¡¯re right. But, it will be very useful in the future, so try your hardest¡» ¡°Huh, alright¡± he replied to Airis with a sigh while putting more energy into the task at hand. Ullr was also helping. While keeping watch so that no monsters would approach Faas Village, he would also go and hunt for monsters that could be eaten. When a monster appeared that Ullr figured he could fight on his own, he¡¯d subjugate it himself. There would seldom be a monster he couldn¡¯t handle by himself. When the repair of the livestock pen was complete, Reito muttered: ¡°All right, this livestock pen looks good enough. Next, what to do about those devastated fields¡± ¡ºAll the agricultural products have been stolen by goblins. The nutrients in the soil has also greatly diminished. How about you raise sandwurms there?¡» ¡°Sandwurms? Princess Nao would never even approach this place after that¡± If I did what Airis said and let the large earthworms called sandwurms into the field, they would till the earth and bring the field back to life. But, Princess Nao doesn¡¯t like monsters so she would never come near here. He worked hard at the task while mulling over those fears. ¡°Woof!¡± he heard Ullr bark out of nowhere. Reito stopped what he was doing and rushed over to Ullr. Ullr was at the entrance to the village and was glaring outwards. ¡°Whiine~¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ullr whimpered. Matching Ullr, he set his sights outwards. He saw a group of carriages approaching the village. Maybe it was a group of merchants but they sure were zooming this way at an extraordinary speed. ¡°What is that!¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Seeing that something was off, he used his ¡°Far Sight¡± and ¡°Observing Eye¡± skills to see far into the distance and check out the carriages. He found a surprising sight. ¡°What in the world!¡± A giant monster that looked like a mammoth was following the carriages, spurring them along. The carriages were in danger. Not to mention the village he had just repaired. He quickly opened communication with Airis. ¡ºAiris, what in the world is going on!?¡» ¡ºOh dear, it¡¯s come hasn¡¯t it. Mr. Reito, do whatever you can to save the carriage riders.¡» ¡ºWHAT!¡» It appears this was all in the scope of Airis¡¯s predictions. Flustered by Airis¡¯s sudden request, he got ready to fight. He put both hands to the earth and used his auxiliary magic called ¡°Magic Skill Reinforcement¡±. He also prepared to use his ¡°Earth Block¡± skill. Immediately after, the lead carriage came rushing into the village. Voices came from the carriages. ¡°What are you doing, fool! Run away!¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to die!¡± Reito ignored the voices he heard from the carriages and gave them instructions without breaking his stance. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, just get inside the village¡± After making sure that all the carriages had gotten inside the village, he set his sights on the mammoth-like monster quickly approaching the village. He activated all his magic at once. ¡°Earth Block!!¡± ¡°Pawooo!¡± The monster sank into a large pit that Reito had created, releasing a large trumpet sound. It was a rather colossal beast so it sank with a great force. In a matter of seconds, the top half of the beast had been swallowed up. But, despite being underground, the monster wouldn¡¯t stop. It just pushed the sand out of its way and charged forward. ¡°Bawoooo!¡± ¡°No way?!¡± Reito was perplexed but set his hands to perform another spell against the beast. ¡°In that case, ¡®Ice Blade Bullet!!¡¯ ¡®Flame Bullet!!¡¯¡± ¡°It¡¯s no use. This kind of magic won¡¯t work on it!¡± On Reito¡¯s rear side, the voices of the men in carriages could be heard but the roar of the Ice Blade and Flame Bullet shells had drowned them out completely. The moment the spells had hit the beast, they would dissipate like mist. The beast carried on tunneling through the ground as if it were nothing. Reito was stunned and called on Airis for support. ¡ºThat is a magical monster called a Mamou. Normally, it should only be able to live in the realm of beasts but¡­ At any rate, the kind of fur the Mamou is endowed with makes it very strong to magical attacks.¡» ¡ºWhat?! What do you want me to do in that case?!¡» ¡º Its weak spot is the space between its eyebrows. The fur is thinnest there and you should be able to get the magic through at that point.¡» ¡ºAll right, I¡¯ll give it a try. Thanks for the excellent advice as always.¡» ¡ºOf course.¡» After closing communication with Airis, he pulled his magical sabre ¡ª the Eradicator ¡ª from his back. He put his ¡°Gravity Blade¡± attack into action and a crimson pulse of magical energy ran through the blade. Paired with the auxiliary skill ¡°Muscle Boost¡± he levitated his body into the air before charging toward the beast. ¡°HAAAA!!¡± ¡°WOOF!!¡± He used his Leap ability to fly into the air with Ullr behind him. The Mamou, which had just broken through to the surface, was met head-on by Ullr and Reito. Reito aimed the tip of his blade toward the Mamou¡¯s forehead and called out to Ullr. ¡°Ullr!!¡± Ullr¡¯s fangs pierced the Mamou¡¯s forehead. ¡°Gaahah¡± it snarled. ¡°Paoo?!¡± the Mamou trumpeted. Taking that as a sign to attack, Reito aimed his saber. He used two battle tactics he had learned recently in tandem, Puncture and Strike Blade, to attack the beast. ¡ºPIERCING BLADE!!¡» ¡°Pagyaaaa¡± the Mamou trumpeted. Its forehead had been pierced by the saber. It had passed through its fur and made a deep cut into its head. It ought to have reached all the way to its brain. ¡°Ooh, ooh!!¡± ¡°Incredible!!¡± Upon seeing that sight, the carriage riders sent out cheers of joy. Reito checked that the Mamou was no longer moving before pulling out his sword. He took a sigh of relief before putting the saber back. Ullr ran to Reito¡¯s side. ¡°Woof!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s a good boy! We did it!¡± He wagged his tail back. ¡°Hehe, ew! Don¡¯t lick my face!¡± He praised Ullr then glanced at the Mamou he had put down. He thought about dissecting the Mamou before ¡ª ¡°A-a are you okay?¡± ¡°Y, you really took down such a large monster.¡± ¡°So cool!¡± They were a group of elves with blonde hair and pointy ears. They were singing praises for Reito except one who hadn¡¯t put their guard down quite yet. He remained with their hand extended toward the weapon on his hip, glaring at Reito. The young man turned toward Reito and asked, ¡°I will say thanks for saving us. But, why does a human have a White Wolf following them? Are you some kind of sorcerer?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, this pup is my family¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Reito and Ullr answered, further souring the expression on the young man¡¯s face. Just as the tension in the air grew worse, a young elf girl who was about the same age as Reito came running along and jumped on to Ullr. ¡°Wow! So cute!¡± The girl held on to Ullr, petting him in small circles. She hugged Ullr with her chest, which was a decent size for her age. ¡°Good boy!¡± The dog panted, struggling to breathe because he was crushed by her large breasts. Reito faced the girl looking apologetic. ¡°Ah, please don¡¯t touch the dog¡­¡± The surrounding elves scrambled to stop her. ¡°P, princess!! Don¡¯t touch that dirty animal!!¡± ¡°Why! It¡¯s okay!¡± ¡°Princess?¡± Reito tilted his head skeptically at the word ¡°princess¡±. The young man who was cutting into Reito¡¯s business previously roughened his voice. ¡°Hey, human! How long are you gonna stand around doing nothing!! Kneel!!¡± ¡°I said KNEEL!¡± Tension rose again between Reito and the young man. Meanwhile, the young girl who was called princess was lost in doting on Ullr. ¡°So cute¡­ I wanna take you home!¡± ¡°Woof¡­¡± ¡°Uh, uh, please don¡¯t touch the dog¡­¡± ¡°HEY! Did you hear me! I said kneel in front of the princess!¡± The surrounding elves came to stop the boy. ¡°Come now, settle down, Lord Raikofu. We owe our lives to him after all.¡± Noticing that everyone around her was flustered, the girl realized something was up so she finally let go of Ullr. She faced Reito and bowed. ¡°Oh, sorry! Whenever I see a cute animal, I can¡¯t help but bolt towards it¡­ Thank you for saving us¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Woof¡­¡± Ullr was exhausted and trod toward Reito. The other elves matched the young girl and bowed to Reito. ¡°You saved our lives, human. We owe you one. More than anything, thank you for saving the life of our princess.¡± Reito was a bit taken aback and was skeptical. ¡°But, what even just happened?¡± ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Raikofu was furious and cut off the stammering elf. ¡°Tsk. Know your place, human!! We are envoys from the Four Leaves Kingdom.¡± ¡°Four Leaves Kingdom?¡± Putting aside the yelling, Reito had never heard of the ¡°Four Leaves Kingdom¡± before. He wanted to check it out with Airis right away. ¡ºThe Four Leaves Kingdom is a kingdom in the middle of the Great Atlas Forest in the land of elves. It is rather far away from Baltros Kingdom. Just as he has said, they are envoys from the Four Leaves Kingdom and that girl is no doubt their princess. Before heading to the royal capital, they stopped by Adventure City Lunot and were planning to participate in the Hunting Festival there.¡» It would appear that at any rate, the people in front of him were in fact envoys and the girl their princess. By the way, the Hunting Festival is a monster hunting festival held in Adventure City where adventurers can compete to show off their skills. Although it touched a nerve to do as Raikofu said, just as he was about to kneel to the princess, she suddenly approached him. ¡°Hey, hey, are you a human sorcerer by chance? I¡¯ve never seen a wolf with such beautiful fur before! You really are taking good care of him!!¡± ¡°Ahh¡­¡± ¡°Princess, no! Don¡¯t touch such a filthy man¡­¡± Ignoring the surprised Raikofu, she grabbed onto Reito¡¯s arm. Reito had never really interacted with girls before so he was trembling a bit. In a panic, Raikofu went to break apart the two but he was too afraid to get close to Ullr. ¡°Get out of the way, mutt!¡± Raikofu yelled and struck Ullr on the head, prompting it to reflexively bare its fangs. ¡°Grrrr.¡± ¡°Ahh!!¡± Raikofu was afraid and fell on his behind. The surrounding elves rushed to help him but he had completely lost his cool after being humiliated and pushed all of them out of his way. ¡°This beast!!¡± ¡°N, no!!¡± The young girl came to protect Ullr. ¡°Woof!?¡± ¡°Princess!?¡± The elves let out a shriek while Raikofu tried to stop his sword from striking her. Before that could happen Reito kicked him in the stomach. ¡°Oww!!¡± Ullr whimpered in curiosity. Raikofu went flying away in a dramatic fashion. ¡°L, L, Lord Raikofu!!¡± The elves scrambled as they ran to Raikofu. Raikofu laid on the ground, holding onto his stomach. The young girl saw that spectacle and was unsure of what happened so she just stood there with her jaw dropped. Ullr left the young girl behind and walked toward Reito. ¡°Good boy. I bet it hurt when he hit you.¡± Just as Reito was patting Ullr¡¯s head, Raikofu used his sword to prop himself up and yelled. ¡°You bastard! How dare you touch me!! I¡¯m gonna murder you!!¡± ¡°Lord Raikofu, please relax¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Also, if your sword hadn¡¯t been stopped earlier, it might have injured the princess. You might have hurt your own fiancee¡± ¡°Shut up! You half-breeds!! He defied me, I¡¯m gonna kill him!!¡± Ignoring the calls for restraint from the surrounding elves, he raised his sword again in anger when the young girl couldn¡¯t help but shout: ¡°Stop!!¡± The girl stepped in front of him with solemnity and said: ¡°This was all Raikofu¡¯s fault. You will apologize to this human. That is an order!¡± ¡°Ugh¡± The surrounding elves chimed in. ¡°Lord Raikofu, do you intend to disobey the princess?¡± ¡°Sh, shit!!¡± Raikofu let go of his sword and grudgingly glared at Reito. Pressured by the other elves, he bowed with an expression of humiliation. The young girl also lowered her head to Reito. ¡°I apologize that Lord Raikofu behaved so violently¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, no need to apologize. Ullr is also okay with it, right?¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. Now that I think about it, I haven¡¯t even introduced myself. My name is Tina!!¡± she said with a cheery smile. Raikofu continued glaring at Reito all the while. Reito ignored that and began to speak to the princess. ¡°Princess Tina¡± ¡°Huh? You can just call me Tina¡­¡± ¡°But, you are a princess and all. Why is a princess like you out in these parts?¡± Reito asked before one of the elf men butted in. He heard a simple explanation from him about why the elves had come to these parts. It was just as Airis had said before. They were heading toward Adventure City Lunot when they were suddenly charged by a Mamou. While listening to the explanation, his eyesight wandered to their carriages. A large tree design was carved into the carriages ¨C the symbol of the elves. A large amount of wood boxes were piled inside and they appeared to be presents for the Baltros Kingdom. After the elf man¡¯s explanation was finished, he turned to Tina and said, ¡°Princess, shall we head out to Adventure City soon? Promise to behave until the starting date of the Hunting Festival.¡± ¡°Mmm, mmm, okay. Bye doggy!¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°It appears he doesn¡¯t like being called doggy, so please call him Ullr,¡± Reito said apologetically to Tina, speaking by proxy for Ullr. ¡°Really? My bad, little Ullr. Will I be able to see you again?¡± ¡°Ullr and I are part of the Black Tiger guild of adventurers. If you¡¯d like to see Ullr again, please come visit the guild.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s a promise, I¡¯ll definitely come and play!¡± Tina said with a laugh. After that, Tina rode off with the other elves in the carriages. She was waving her hand goodbye repeatedly while Raikofu just stared in anger. ~ Volume 3 - CH 1.2 After they left, Reito turned toward the corpse of the Mamou. He figured he would do resource collection for the first time in a while. ¡°Given how large this is, there¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to be able to strip it down for resources and take it back home. But, that being said, I should be able to use its pelt for something. Ullr, help me!¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± It would be impossible to carry the gargantuan Mamou body on their own. For now, they would have to just take what they want and entrust the rest with the Adventurer Guild. Reito put his hand to the flesh of the Mamou and whispered: ¡°I bet we can eat this. I never thought the day we would eat mammoth flesh would come along. I guess it¡¯s not a mammoth, but¡­ Maybe I could send the excess meat to other villages.¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°Regardless, why did this Mamou come all the way to this region? If it can only survive in the realm of beasts, somebody must have brought it out here¡± he whispered before Airis replied. ¡ºThe Mamou was set as a trap to attack the elves from before. Thanks to Reito, they were saved, but if it hadn¡¯t been for you, they would have all died.¡» ¡º¡±What?!¡» Airis had said something unsettling, putting Reito aback. Reito asked again. ¡ºWhy were Tina and crew attacked?¡» ¡ºIt was part of what¡¯s called a succession dispute. That princess is the third daughter of the king. The oldest daughter and contender for the throne appears to have set her sights on her. The sorcerer hired by her older sister set the Mamou as a trap. She was waiting for Princess Tina to come as an envoy to the Baltros Kingdom. If the elves¡¯ princess were to die in Baltros Kingdom, the kingdom would have to take responsibility too. Two birds with one stone.¡» ¡ºThat¡¯s horrible, but, she really brought in quite the large beast.¡» ¡ºIt was likely a beast brought in for the Hunting Festival. Well, they probably had to kill some sorcerer tasked with bringing it in. It¡¯s really quite sad.¡» ¡ºSad, to say the least¡­ By the way, we just let that princess go on her way but, is she gonna be okay?¡» ¡ºShe will be all right. The people accompanying her were quite skilled by the looks of it. If it were a regular attacker, they should be able to drive it away easily. When they reach the city, the Adventure Guild¡¯s Fang Dragon will join the party.¡» ¡ºDoes Fang Dragon belong to the same guild as Gon-chan?¡» Gon-chan referred to a warrior who was a giant named Gonzo. He ate all of Reito¡¯s cooking one time without asking and that¡¯s how they ended up as friends. Before long, Reito ended up calling him ¡°Gon-chan¡±. Reito put the materials he had managed to collect from the Mamou into a cart he had left in the middle of the village. He used his Storage Magic to collect as much meat as he could. ¡°All right, this should be enough¡­ I¡¯ll drop by the market and ought to get a decent price off of it¡± Ullr whimpered. ¡°I¡¯ve got a portion set aside for you. All right, let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Ullr was in a good mood and pulled the cart which was custom built for wolves. They headed for Adventure City. ~ Reito returned to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild and reported that he had defeated a Mamou. He told them the spot he had left behind the Mamou¡¯s body, and then headed for the market. He wasn¡¯t able to sell all the materials from the Mamou. Using the pelt he set aside for himself, he fashioned a cloak using his Sewing skill. He heard his Mamou¡¯s pelt was resistant to magic attacks, so he equipped it. However, summer was coming soon so wearing a pelt cloak would have been painfully hot. He decided to only don the cloak when he left the city. ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¡ºWe went yesterday! Why do we have to go to Faas Village today¡­ I wanna go home!¡» ¡ºI see, infantile regression. It¡¯s been a while. Don¡¯t complain and head out. If you¡¯re not on time, don¡¯t come crying to me.¡» ¡ºWhat¡¯s with that tone of voice? Are you Vegeta or something?¡» ¡°Nnn?¡± Ullr was confused. They left Adventure City for Faas Village. Ullr tilted his head in confusion as Reito continued talking to himself. They arrived in Faas Village right away. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get to work¡­ ¡ºHelmet Splitter¡»¡± ¡ºIs there really a need to use battle tactics when you¡¯re just cutting down trees? Don¡¯t waste your physical strength.¡» ¡°So annoying¡­ ¡®Iceclad Sword¡¯¡± Reito used ¡®Ice Block¡¯ to produce a saw and started cutting down lumber. He wanted to build a water mill. He planned to set it up using the water flowing in the river to the side of the village. Normally, in order to make a water wheel, a lot of time was required but for Reito it didn¡¯t take very long. Reito followed Airis¡¯s suggestion and promptly got to work on making the water wheel. ~ After spending half a day on the project, he had finally completed a gorgeous water mill. As a finishing touch, to make sure no monsters would attack it, he spread out a smell that all monsters hate, Decay Stones. In addition, he also laid out Barrier Stones to form a barrier ring around the mill. ¡ºHey now, it¡¯s moving!!¡» ¡ºYou did a great job. Now, if you just do something about the field, people would be able to make a living here.¡» ¡ºThe field¡­ As the soil is right now, it can¡¯t grow any crops, which means, we gotta get our hands on some sandwurms.¡» ¡ºYeah, it would be better to have some of those.¡» And so, Reito went out to find some sandwurms when suddenly the water was splashing behind him. ¡°Ahh, what was that?!¡± ¡°Woof!?¡± A giant water column shot out as if a bomb had been dropped in it. Reito and Ullr were covered in a great amount of water. Something came jumping out of the water and now stood on the ground. ¡°¡­ I ¡­ landed!¡± Reito had seen that characteristic blue hair somewhere¡­ ¡°Could that be, Kotomin?¡± ¡°Brr¡­ Reito?¡± It was the young girl Reito had met just a month earlier, Kotomin. Kotomin shook the water off her body as if she were a dog, spraying it everywhere. ¡°Woo. My morning exercises are finished¡± ¡°Exercise? What kind of swimming were you doing! Look, I¡¯m all wet because of you!¡± ¡°For mermaids, this much swimming is everyday stuff¡± ¡°Grr¡± Ullr suddenly tapped Reito¡¯s back with his paw. Reito looked at Ullr¡¯s face to find that he looked sad. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Reito looked where Ullr was looking. What appeared before his eyes was a mercilessly shattered water wheel. ¡°Ahhhhhh!?¡± Reito collapsed onto his knees. Kotomin was surprised by his voice and surmised the situation in a second. She looked at Reito without any expression on her face as if nothing had happened. ¡°Anyway¡­ I got something to do so¡­¡± ¡°HEY! WAIT A MINUTE, YOUNG LADY!¡± Reito grabbed on to her without regard for the fact that she was a girl. ¡°Oof.¡± Even for someone as good-natured as Reito, there was no way he was going to let the perpetrator who destroyed the water wheel he spent half a day making go. He angrily shook Kotomin¡¯s shoulders. ¡°You little shit! Do you know how long it took me to make that water wheel! Take some responsibility for this!¡± ¡°Woah! Take it easy! Maybe if you have a drink of that clear river water, you¡¯ll feel better.¡± Reito continued yelling at Kotomin while he was angry before Ullr came and licked his face. He whimpered. Reito felt a little better and took a deep breath, slowly letting Kotomin go. To make sure she wouldn¡¯t run away, he held on to her arm. He resentfully said: ¡°Ahh. Half a day of work, gone. It¡¯s in pieces so repairing it would be so hard.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It was the first time I had gone swimming in a while so I got carried away.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. Now that I think about it, did you say you were a mermaid earlier?¡± He remembered the conversation from before. The more he thought about it, there was no way a human could have moved the water to produce such a powerful water column. ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m not a human!¡± ¡°Did you break Dio¡¯s stone mask or something?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re talking about, but, probably not. Allow me to introduce myself anew, my name is Kotomin the mermaid.¡± ¡°What? Your name is Suramin?¡± ¡°No! Also, what kind of a name is that?! It sounds like slime?!¡± He heard her name was Kotomin the first time he met her, but this was the first time he had heard that she was a mermaid. He knew her appearance was a little weird but she looked like an ordinary human. Reito tilted his head and asked, ¡°So you¡¯re a mermaid. But, you look like just a human. I don¡¯t see any fins and all¡­¡± ¡°Hmph. That¡¯s not true at all¡± Reito didn¡¯t pay any mind to having his question rejected and asked another one. ¡°Do you have any proof you¡¯re a mermaid? Are you sure you¡¯re not just a slime that thinks they¡¯re a mermaid? Try shaking yourself off like a dog?¡± ¡°Why are you so obsessed with slime? Brr. I¡¯m a full-fledged member of the mermaid race, just look at these legs.¡± ¡°Legs?¡± Pretending to be a slime as a joke, Kotomin showed her legs to Reito. But, all Reito could see were some ordinary human legs. He tried using his ¡°Observing Eye¡± skill and looked at her legs again. He did notice a pattern imprinted on them.¡± ¡°Are these fins?¡± ¡°Yep, there¡¯s your proof. Humans don¡¯t have these.¡± ¡°Mmm, there¡¯s still a chance you¡¯re just a fish beast.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± she said coldly poking fun at Reito¡¯s words. Reito sighed and interrupted the conversation to chastise Kotomin. ¡°Anyway, you destroyed my water wheel so you¡¯ll help me fix it. You have no right to refuse!!¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t really like manual labor¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t wanna hear any excuses! You literally washed a day¡¯s worth of work down the drain! That¡¯s on you! I won¡¯t forgive you!¡± Ullr whimpered and looked at the sunken water wheel in the river. He had a sad facial expression. The water wheel had been extravagantly destroyed past the point of repair. The lucky part was that only the water wheel had been destroyed and not the mill. ¡°Pfft. If you¡¯re going to take it that far, I don¡¯t really have a choice,¡± Kotomin said apologetically, causing Reito to soften his facial expression. ¡°But, it¡¯s getting late, let¡¯s call it a day. You better be here tomorrow morning though!¡± ¡°Are you sure? You¡¯re not afraid I won¡¯t run away?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right, even if you run away, I¡¯ve got confidence in my fishing skills. I¡¯ll just catch you and have a little grilled fish for dinner¡± ¡°Grilled? You¡¯re a scary guy¡­ got it¡± Even if Kotomin had run away, Reito could simply ask Airis for her precise whereabouts. Regardless of whether he would actually need to do that, he decided to let her go home for the day. ¡°I¡¯m going back too. See you tomorrow, okay?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a promise. I¡¯ll cut off your pinky¡± ¡°Hmph¡± she said before they did a pinky swear. Kotomin returned to the water. Reito watched over her and felt strange. He had been able to determine that she was a mermaid, but watching her disappear into the water made him uneasy. There was something horror movie-like about it. ¡°Let¡¯s go back home¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± They went back to Adventure City. He considered staying in Faas Village but the desire to rest in the large house he had rented won out. Volume 3 - CH 1.3 The following day, Reito opened his eyes and immediately headed out to Faas Village toward the water wheel. He didn¡¯t see Kotomin. There was a chance she had run off, but her facial expression when they made the pinky swear seemed so sincere that he decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. ¡°If Kotomin has really run away, we¡¯re gonna eat sashimi tonight.¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I heard right, but it sounds like you¡¯re having a really scary conversation,¡± a voice came from the water and the pair turned around. What stood there was a sleepy-faced Kotomin. She was holding a salmon in each fist, standing on the land, munching on one of them. In this world, the fish from Reito¡¯s past life were also available. ¡°This is really delicious.¡± ¡°Wait, you eat them raw? You don¡¯t even prepare them or anything?¡± ¡°Prepare? Don¡¯t you eat the fish as they are?¡± ¡°Humans grill or at least cut the fish and then eat them. Have you ever had a fish made into a dish before?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± she replied immediately, shaking her head. It wasn¡¯t terrible that she was eating the fish as is, but it was a waste. Reito turned his sights to the river. ¡°Iceclad Sword!¡± ¡°Woah!¡± Reito tossed his ice daggers into the water and pierced a few fish. Using his ¡°Accuracy¡± and ¡°Throwing¡± skills, it was no problem to catch fish, even without using fishing equipment. Reito went in the water and gathered the fish. ¡°This is sweetfish. I¡¯m gonna have to grill it with salt.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Kotomin tilted her head in confusion but Reito ignored her and called out to Ullr. ¡°Ullr, you wanna eat some too?¡± ¡°Grr.¡± ¡°I forgot that you¡¯re not good with hot foods¡­ Funny for a big strong wolf¡­¡± Reito took out the gear to grill the sweetfish out of his Storage Magic dimensional pocket. He lit a bonfire, skewered the fish, and lined them up over the fire. He sprinkled a little salt on top. Using his ¡°Cooking¡± skill, he was able to complete the dish in a matter of moments. Reito offered the freshly grilled sweetfish to Kotomin. ¡°Give it a try.¡± She sniffed it. ¡°Smells good, I bet it¡¯s delicious.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hot so watch out.¡± ¡°Holy smokes!!¡± ¡°Do you listen to anything people say?!¡± Kotomin had bitten into the sweetfish without hesitation and all of a sudden her sleepy eyes opened all the way. She exaggeratedly shook with excitement. ¡°This is delicious! Too good! Ahh!¡± ¡°Huh, did you just yawn!¡± ¡°No, I was trying to show how delicious this is.¡± Kotomin got lost while eating the sweetfish. Reito started work on the groundwork for building the water wheel while she finished eating. ¡°That sure was good. I wouldn¡¯t mind a second-helping.¡± ¡°Sorry, no second-helpings. Now get to work!!¡± She pouted, ¡°I guess there¡¯s no choice.¡± ~ They spent a few hours until lunchtime came along. The two of them were working together so they were able to complete the water wheel in half the time it took compared to last time. ¡°Phew. It¡¯s moving! That¡¯s good!¡± Reito was appreciating the water wheel spinning in the water. Kotomin, who was not used to working, was tired. She dipped into the water and took a break. ¡°Good work today, I¡¯m also tired.¡± ¡°Thank you, Ms. Kotomin!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that, just call me Kotomin. Even Suramin is okay.¡± ¡°Oh? You¡¯ve come to like that nickname, huh.¡± They chatted back and forth like that for a while before Reito said thanks to Kotomin for not running away and finishing the work. He decided to grill another fish for her and asked her a question while she rested, ¡°What kind of fish do you like?¡± ¡°I like any kind of fish, but I like big ones the best.¡± ¡°Got it, please wait a second. It¡¯s been a while so I don¡¯t know how it¡¯ll go.¡± Reito reached into the water and grabbed his ¡°Iceclad Sword.¡± Kotomin looked mystified at Reito who suddenly started doing this strange action. Reito submerged himself in the water and closed his eyes, concentrating hard. Reito had been training his ¡°Mind¡¯s Eye¡± skill. It is taxing on the nerves so it¡¯s not used very often but it¡¯s very effective. Even if you close your eyes, you are able to grasp what surrounds you. It is a skill that only swordsmen and warriors in the master class of the battle profession are able to learn. Something strange happened in Reito¡¯s pitch-black field of vision. Using the eye of his mind, his surroundings became clear and he could even detect objects in blind spots. ¡°Mind¡¯s Eye¡± can only grasp the outline of objects but he was able to find the exact location of fish swimming in the river. Reito could feel a fish coming toward him head-on and threw his dagger at it. ¡°Got it!¡± ¡°Ho!¡± The dagger pierced through the fish. Reito managed to pin down a few fish that only existed in this world; their bodies were gleaming like mirrors. ¡°Nice! But, can we eat them?¡± ¡°They are mirror fish. They shine like a mirror so women have loved to use them as hand-mirrors since the olden days¡± ¡°All right¡­ I wonder if they can be grilled.¡± Reito and Kotomin talked back and forth before Airis explained. ¡ºYou need to descale the fish or you won¡¯t be able to eat it. Also, you¡¯ll need to apply heat all at once.¡» Reito put into work his ¡°cooking¡± skill and promptly seasoned the fish. He skewered them like a sweetfish and lined them up to eat. Kotomin drooled over the fish getting grilled on the bonfire. After it was finished getting grilled, Reito offered one to Kotomin. ¡°All right, eat it nice and slow.¡± ¡°All right,¡± gobble, gobble. ¡°Did you hear what I said!?¡± Ullr whimpered. Kotomin was absorbed in munching on the mirror fish. Seeing her enjoying the delicious fish, Ullr pleaded in hunger. Reito decided that next time they would have to prepare their own dinner too. ¡°Do you wanna eat poark for the first time in a while? Could you fetch me some water?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Well water, not river water. You can do it alone, right?¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Ullr responded happily to Reito¡¯s request and dashed off. Reito used his storage magic to pull out his cooking kit before Kotomin came along and asked, ¡°Is that magic¡­ storage magic?¡± ¡°Yeah, why?¡± ¡°In that case, are you a Support Magician?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve met someone whose occupation is Support Magician.¡± Even though she learned that Reito had the worthless vocation of Support Magician, her attitude toward him didn¡¯t change. Most people who knew that he had a worthless job would make fun of him. She just watched Reito cook the food. ¡°What are you doing there?¡± ¡°The same thing I was doing before, cooking.¡± ¡°So, because you prepared the food beforehand, the fish tasted delicious?¡± ¡°Not just fish, but any food. If you¡¯re interested, why don¡¯t you give it a try?¡± ¡°Mmm¡­¡± It appeared Kotomin was interested in cooking. From there on out, Reito would prepare lunch for himself and Ullr while teaching Kotomin the basics of cooking. She was surprisingly skillful and was able to immediately remember the method for grilling fish skewers. ¡ô¡ô¡ô After they finished eating, the pair sat by the river and chatted. Reito explained that he was a human from this village. It was true that he was the manager of the village. He also mentioned that he would sometimes go to the city and pick up work as an adventurer. Kotomin also talked about herself. ¡°I lived in the tide. I lived with my mother but we had a fight so I was chased out of the house and before I knew it, I lost track of where I was and ended up here¡± ¡°You¡¯re a runaway¡­ By the way, how long has it been since you¡¯ve seen your mother?¡± ¡°About¡­ three years?¡± ¡°Three years!?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never had to worry about food, but I lived alone the whole time so it was a little lonely¡­¡± Kotomin either had an extremely poor sense of direction, or her problem had far surpassed that, but at any rate, it appeared she had been wandering aimlessly for the last three years. Reito was surprised by her life circumstances but he also hadn¡¯t seen his mother in a while. In Reito¡¯s case, unlike Kotomin, he had snuck out of his house of his own accord. But, he did want to tell his mother he was still alive. ¡°Is your mother worried about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ Maybe she has forgotten about me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly¡­¡± ¡°I mean, even I have half-forgotten my mom¡¯s face.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a real heartless child, huh!!¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Kotomin laughed with a smile. Reito was speechless at Kotomin¡¯s words, but was enjoying the conversation with her. He glanced at Kotomin¡¯s strange outfit, which looked like a school swimming uniform, and decided to ask her about it. ¡°What¡¯s up with these clothes¡­ this¡­ swimsuit? Do you always wear that?¡± ¡°Swimsuit? I don¡¯t know about that but these are clothes that only mermaids can wear, ¡®Water Clothes.¡¯ My mom said that a long time ago, heroes summoned here from another world made these clothes for us.¡± ¡°Yeah, but, why are you wearing a school swimsuit¡­ What kind of people were these ancient heroes?¡± ¡°They were very perverted heroes, but, according to legend, they were very good people. My mother told me that human men like this kind of clothing¡­¡± ¡°Not everyone likes it. I¡¯ve only just looked at them, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d say I like them.¡± Reito was a student in his past life so he had seen girls wearing their school swimsuits before. So, he was able to look at Kotomin¡¯s swimsuit without being too excited, but there really was something strange about this world. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that outfit stand out?¡± ¡°A few humans have seen it and have been surprised¡­ A few people tried to capture me in it.¡± ¡°They tried to kidnap you¡­ Were you all right?¡± ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s been a few close calls but I can just dive into the river and most humans give up after that. A few people have tried to chase me down in the water but trying to beat a mermaid in the water is foolish behavior¡­ I managed to turn the tables on them.¡± ¡°Turn the tables?¡± ¡°Yeah, so, out of everyone who has looked at me, Reito was the first to not be surprised¡­ But, I didn¡¯t think you would be so upset when we had our reunion yesterday.¡± It appeared that Kotomin was really interested in Reito. Kotomin told Reito, ¡°humans always try to capture me but you¡¯re different. You saw me but you didn¡¯t try to capture me. Even in this outfit, you can talk to me like normal.¡± ¡°I was just curious. I don¡¯t know if it says a lot about my preferences and interests¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s all right. You¡¯re a human but you¡¯re a good person¡­ So, I wanna be friends.¡± ¡°Friends?¡± ¡°Here, for you.¡± Reito wasn¡¯t sure where she had been hiding it but she pulled out a stone that was blue like a sapphire and handed it to him. He looked at the object with a puzzled face and accepted it. He heard Airis¡¯s voice in his head right away. ¡ºYou sure got something nice there. That¡¯s an aquatic crystal known as a ¡®Crystal Stone.¡¯ If you put it in a magic ring, it can strengthen your aquatic magic greatly.¡» It appeared Kotomin had given him quite the precious treasure. Realizing that, he wasn¡¯t quite sure why she had offered it to him and looked puzzled. Kotomin blushed in shyness. ¡°This is my treasure¡­ That¡¯s what my mom said. If you meet a special person, give it to them¡­ you are my first human friend.¡± ¡°Uhh, thank you?¡± Reito was pretty sure that the ¡°special person¡± Kotomin¡¯s mom was referring to was a ¡°romantic partner¡­¡± He was aware of that but didn¡¯t feel like it was good timing to reject the gift. He reluctantly accepted the gift. ¡ºYou did it, Reito! You got a precious magic stone from a cute girl!!¡» ¡ºYou bastard! You knew things would end up this way so you made me repair the water mill¡­¡» ¡ºHehe.¡» Reito immediately put the Crystal Stone in his magic ring. He waved goodbye as he watched her disappear into the water. Kotomin was going to go back home and rest. She promised she would come back to Faas Village tomorrow morning to hang out. Reito felt puzzled and called out to Ullr, ¡°All right, we oughta go back for the time being. The elf princess from before might have dropped by the Adventurer¡¯s Guild¡­¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Volume 3 - CH 1.4 When Reito got in his wolf-cart, he heard a voice come from the entrance to Faas Village. He looked in the direction the voice came from only to see a familiar face. ¡°Well I¡¯ll be. Is that, Reito?¡± ¡°Gon-chan?¡± Who did he find standing there but the giant Gonzo. He had a monster on his back that was a ginormous two meters long wild pig hybrid called a poark. Gonzo trudged over when he saw Reito. ¡°So, it was you. I heard you were a member of the Black Tiger Adventure Guild but, that is your village, right?¡± ¡°Mmm, yeah¡­ for the time being¡± ¡°I wanted to give my thanks so, I brought this along with me. Take it¡± He dropped the poark on the ground with a thud. Compared with the poarks Reito hunted in the depths of the forest, it was pretty fat. It¡¯s head was smashed. Reito figured it had been done in by some sort of club. Reito continued observing the poark. ¡°This looks really delicious but I don¡¯t know if I can accept it. Gon-chan hunted it after all¡± ¡°No worries. Back when I used to get quests to subjugate monsters, I would always negotiate with the commissioner to keep one animal for myself. So, don¡¯t worry about it¡± ¡°All right, in that case I¡¯m gonna cook it up and we¡¯ll eat it together¡± Reito proposed. Gonzo apologetically replied, ¡°Nah, I¡¯ve got another quest now. I¡¯ve gotta get to my destination by tomorrow afternoon so, I¡¯ve gotta go now. ¡°Really? But you have so little on you¡± Gonzo only had the club on his back. He had nothing to ride and no bag for food. Giants eat a lot, so he would need a lot to eat on long journeys¡­ Reito was skeptical but then Gonzo took off the black pendant dangling from his neck and squeezed it before holding it out with one hand. ¡°Take a look, it¡¯s a flask¡± ¡°Haah!?¡± ¡°Hmm!?¡± Ullr whimpered. Just like when Reito used the Storage Magic, a black whirlpool came swirling out of the bottle and a wooden flask appeared. Reito had heard that Gonzo was not particularly good at magic so he was surprised that Gonzo had learned a magic technique that only Support Magicians could learn. Gonzo put the pendant in Reito¡¯s hand. ¡°This has a magic stone called a Storage Stone inside of it. If you use the Storage Stone, you can store items in thin air just like the Storage Magic¡± ¡°This!?¡± ¡°This stone is an extraordinarily rare stone. If it¡¯s destroyed, all the items stored inside of it will come bursting out. You¡¯ve got to handle it delicately so I only use it on rare occasions¡­ It¡¯s gonna be a long journey this time around. I¡¯ve put some food and beverages in it¡± ¡°¡­Really. Maybe that¡¯s another reason why we also have storage magic in this worthless job¡± Reito mumbled disappointed. ¡ºBut, the Storage Stone has a lot of weak points. Its storage capacity is only one hundred kilograms and, when it absorbs objects, the weight of the stone increases. Of courses, it is only about one-tenth of the original weight, but¡­ By the way, a Storage Stone can not store another Storage Stone¡» In that regard, the Support Magician¡¯s Storage Magic could not only pull out whatever one pleases, but also had varying degrees of storage capacity depending on level. At present, Reito¡¯s storage capacity had surpassed 2,000 kilograms. Reito felt better after hearing Airis¡¯s explanation. He asked Gonzo, ¡°So, Gonzo-chan, where are you headed to?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to a town named Gollum. A lot of golems have apparently come out of the mines and descended into town and are causing a lot of damage¡± ¡°Golem¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s another archetypal monster from RPGs just like dragons. They are a troublesome monster that dwells in mines where they excavate magic stones. But, they always have a good quality magical stone inside of them so if you can subjugate them, you can make quite a lot of money. I believe Reito has experienced that first hand¡± Back when Reito lived in the forest under the advice of Airis, he had experienced it once. Reito saw a golem and ran for it so he could barely remember even encountering it, but, maybe now that he was older he would be able to face it head on. Reito thought about that before asking Gonzo, ¡°So, you¡¯re going to fight some golems. Can I come along?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind but¡­ I only have food for myself¡± ¡°That¡¯s all right. I¡¯ll get my own food ready, just wait a moment¡± Reito went off to get ready before Airis gave him a warning, ¡ºBut Mr. Reito, didn¡¯t you make a promise to see Kotomin tomorrow morning? If you join Gonzo, you won¡¯t be home today¡» ¡ºAh, I completely forgot! I¡¯ll just leave it up to Ullr to get us back in time¡» He got his luggage in order and patted Ullr on the head before attaching him to the wolf-cart. But, there was one problem. The wolf-cart was not equipped for a giant like Gonzo to ride it. Reito immediately went to work repairing a cart in the village and fastened it to the back of his cart before Gonzo called out to him, ¡°Damn, you sure made that fast¡± Before he could blink, Reito had fastened a cart to the wolf-cart and Gonzo was surprised. ¡°You know, I¡¯m really heavy. I¡¯ve also got this big club on my back and even horses can¡¯t carry me. So, usually I just go by foot¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right, Ullr can just get bigger¡± ¡°Get bigger?¡± ¡°All right, Ullr, get HUGE!!¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± After getting the orders, something strange happened to Ullr¡¯s flesh. Gonzo opened his eyes wide watching Ullr¡¯s body balloon outward. Before long, his body had enlarged to four meters in length. Ullr cracked his bones and barked, ¡°woof!!¡± ¡°There we go, it should be no problem now¡± ¡°Wait, hold on a second. What in the world!?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Ullr was puzzled. Gonzo stood there with his jaw dropped, unable to understand what had just happened. Reito told Gonzo that this was the hidden power of the White Wolf. On Ullr¡¯s command, he could freely change the shape of his body. He continued, ¡°Ullr has been able to do this since about a year ago. When he gets bigger, he¡¯s probably getting stronger as well but he also gets a little slower¡± ¡°He¡¯s a Giant Wolf? I¡¯ve never heard of that¡­¡± ¡°When he suddenly got huge, I thought he was sick but nothing else appeared to change in him besides getting bigger. Look, paw please¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°Ow! Don¡¯t put it on my head!!¡± Reito offered his hand out to the dog and he happily nuzzled his head on it. In his current state, Ullr should have no problem carrying Gonzo in his cart. Reito and crew departed immediately. Now that he was a giant wolf, he was a little slower but it was still way faster than going by horse. They would be able to proceed quickly. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Roughly an hour had passed since their departure. Ullr had managed to run in an hour the distance it would have taken Gonzo half a day to walk alone. They arrived at Gollum Town. The residents of the town saw the giant wolf and got extremely flustered. But Reito and Gonzo explained that they meant no harm so they were allowed in the village. By the way, Ullr could only be a giant wolf for an hour. A few minutes after arriving in the village, his body shrunk like a deflating balloon. Gonzo played around with Ullr. ¡°Come here pup, you almost got us in big trouble. You brute, hehe¡­¡± Ullr whimpered. ¡°But, we got here early. We ought to be able to enter Rock Mine before the sun goes down¡± Reito and crew left the wolf cart to the residents in town and headed toward Rock Mine which was located a few kilometers away. The road from town was covered in deserted land but there were almost no monsters inhabiting the area. It appeared to be land that wouldn¡¯t allow agricultural products to grow and so the people of Gollum town primarily collected ores from the mine to support their livelihoods. ¡°What kind of place is this mine?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a rocky mountain¡­ not much else to say about it besides that¡± ¡°Are there any monsters besides golems that appear there?¡± ¡°No, Rock Mine has been totally overrun as a base for golems, so there aren¡¯t any other monsters besides them¡± ¡°All right, got it¡± ¡°Leave the fighting up to me. Their shells are hard¡­ They can¡¯t be damaged with any old weapon¡± ¡°Okay¡­ But, I should be fine given I have this¡± Reito said, pulling out and displaying his Extermination Blade. Gonzo¡¯s expression showed a disgusted look. It seemed common sense to Gonzo that Reito¡¯s blade, without any magical metal, wouldn¡¯t put up any fight against the Golems. In reality, Reito¡¯s Extermination Blade was made from a hard metal not available in this world. ¡°Until we get there, let me listen to your story. I¡¯m curious about how things are going at other adventure guilds¡± ¡°All right, all right¡± they chatted back and forth like that for a while, setting their sights on the mine. ~ When Reito and crew had arrived at the mine, evening had already come. They ascended the mountain path while looking out for Golems. Golems are nocturnal creatures so they are mainly active at night. For this quest, if they could defeat a set number of Golems, the mission would be complete. Reito and Gonzo made a plan to finish the quest before nightfall. ¡°But, shouldn¡¯t we just drive back the golems who come to town?¡± ¡°There¡¯d be a chance that someone in town would be harmed. Also, golems are used to just going back to their base so, we should be able to ambush them here¡± ¡°But, is this really a job you could have handled on your own, Gon-chan?¡± ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s gonna be rough¡­ But, I¡¯ve taken down a few golems before. Also, the golems who inhabit the mine are smaller and weaker than usual¡± ¡°Ok¡­ Wait, what¡¯s that? On that wall of rocks¡­ That¡¯s strange¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Over there¡± Reito had a weird feeling about the rock wall that he was about to pass by on the mountain path. He quickly used his ¡°Observing Eye¡± to scope out the rock wall before finding an indent with something resembling a human face. Gonzo grasped his club and Reito used his assassin skill ¡°Detect Presence¡±. Reito felt some sort of living creature¡¯s presence and drew his Extermination Blade. ¡°Is it camouflaging into the wall?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, but he seems to be sleeping¡­ Golems have a core in their chest, let¡¯s aim for that¡± ¡°Core?¡± ¡°It¡¯s like a heart for those bastards. If you can¡¯t completely destroy their core, or don¡¯t take it out, they¡¯ll just regenerate themselves¡± ¡°Huh? So, if we don¡¯t do something about their core, they¡¯re invincible?¡± ¡°No, in order to come back to life, they need soil. If they¡¯re in a place without soil, they can¡¯t come back to life, but if they touch soil with their cores, they will start to regenerate. If they have sustained considerable damage, it¡¯ll take a while for them to come back¡± ¡°Got it¡­ Does magic work on them?¡± ¡°They are highly resistant to pyro-magic. I¡¯m not sure about their vulnerability to other kinds of magic but¡­ they should be weak to water attacks. I¡¯ve seen their outer shells melt off like mud when they touch water¡± ¡°In that case, we don¡¯t know if they¡¯d be weak to my ¡®Ice Block¡¯¡± Reito¡¯s ¡°Ice Block¡± skill could produce a block of ice so he wouldn¡¯t be able to convert it into water to attack the monsters. If he paired ¡°Ice Block¡± with ¡°Fireball¡±, he should be able to make water. He thought about this before turning his sights to the Golem¡¯s chest. ¡°Gon-chan, step back. I want to test my magic¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re not going to use your Blast Magic?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, trust me¡± ¡°¡­ Okay¡± Gonzo obeyed Reito¡¯s words but prepared his club just in case Reito failed. Reito faced the Golem camouflaging himself on the rock wall and put both his hands on the ice saber¡¯s blade he just made appear. He used ¡°Hyper Vibration¡± to move it. . . In Reito¡¯s field of vision, a new skill acquired notification appeared on his screen. Reito maintained the ¡°Hyper Vibration¡± in his saber before releasing his ¡°Ice Blade Bullet¡± at the golem¡¯s chest. The moment the ¡°Ice Vibration Bullets¡± pierced the chest of the golem camouflaging into the rock wall, it let out a shriek. ¡°Ahhhh!?¡± ¡°Woah, it just moved!¡± ¡°This is not good!!¡± They thought they had hit a bullseye on the Golem¡¯s chest but they had barely missed the core on account of it camouflaging into the wall. The Golem began to move with its chest pierced. It was over two meters tall and had a body like a sumo wrestler. It faced Reito and crew, releasing a roar, ¡°graaaaah!!¡± Gonzo kept his eye on the Golem while frustratedly muttering, ¡°we didn¡¯t hit the core. It¡¯s calling its friends. We gotta shoot it down!!¡± ¡°On it!!¡± Gonzo waved his club and Reito got his Extermination Blade ready. The Golem reached its hand to pull out the ice blade stuck in its chest. ¡°Graaah!!¡± The moment it pulled the ice blade out of its chest, the hole was plugged up. Seeing that sight, Reito was reminded that the Golem had a high regenerative capacity. The Golem was a troublesome foe who would not only be difficult to harm with ordinary attacks but also had a body that revived itself quickly. Reito was a little flustered and called out to Gonzo. ¡°What a pain in the ass¡­ How are we gonna fight with it?¡± ¡°You just do this¡­ Haa!!¡± ¡°Graaah!!¡± Gonzo slammed the golem with his club overhead, knocking it over with one blow. No matter how large a two-meter body might seem, Gonzo was over three meters tall. One blow from Gonzo¡¯s superior body size was enough to smash the golem¡¯s head apart. ¡°You did it?!¡± ¡°No, I just smashed its head¡± The golem, with its head smashed to pieces, took on a fully daunting pose. Gonzo continued, punching the golem in the chest with his fist. ¡°Nnn!!¡± ¡°With your bare hand?!¡± Reito was astounded at Gonzo using his bare hand instead of a club. He stuck his fist into the golem, pulverizing its stone flesh. Cracks ran through the golem¡¯s body before it fell onto the earth. ¡°All right, got¡¯em¡± ¡°U-, uhh¡­ That¡¯s the core?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The core of a golem makes use of high-quality pyro magic stones,¡± said Gonzo, showing the core to Reito. It was surprisingly small. Even Reito¡¯s hand was big enough to completely envelope it. Gonzo stored it in his Storage Stone. He decided to move onwards, calling Reito, ¡°It¡¯s about to be nightfall. We should go find some more sleeping golems¡± ¡°Got you. But, how many more do we gotta defeat?¡± ¡°About ten more. We should also take down an extra three just to be safe¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Ullr whimpered. Reito was at a loss against Gonzo¡¯s casually uttered words. Having come this far, it wouldn¡¯t be possible to just leave Gonzo on his own so Reito begrudgingly followed him. Volume 3 - CH 1.5 A few minutes later, they found two camouflaged Golems on the side of the road. ¡°The outer shell of the golem is even harder on its back. So, one blow won¡¯t be enough to break it.¡± ¡°They are weak to water, right? Shouldn¡¯t we just spray some water on them?¡± ¡°No, we shouldn¡¯t use precious water so recklessly. We just gotta use our strength.¡± ¡°Just one minute.¡± Reito said and used his storage magic to pull out a giant jug of water. Usually, he would have used this water for cooking. ¡°Use this.¡± ¡°This? Are you sure?¡± ¡°I have two, so it¡¯s not a problem.¡± Reito stored water for both cooking and drinking with his Storage Magic. As far as the water went, he always kept an excess of it to cook with. Reito handed the water bucket he had pulled out to Gonzo, the two of them holding on tight as they approached the golems. They threw water on their heads. The golems suddenly opened their eyes, but the part of their body where water had been thrown on it was starting to change color and came off like mud. Without a moment¡¯s delay, Gonzo and Reito prepared their weapons and attacked their backs. ¡°Nnng!!¡± ¡°Graaaahh¡­.!?¡± ¡°Eat this!!¡± ¡°Graa¡­!?¡± Gonzo beat the golems with his club while Reito pierced their core with his Extermination Blade. This time, he wasn¡¯t concerned about extracting the heart, he just wanted to subjugate them. ¡°Phew, that should do it¡± ¡°You helped me back there, Reito. I couldn¡¯t have done this job alone¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ I feel like I¡¯m fighting like a proper Support Magician for the first time¡± ¡ºYou¡¯re just feeling that way now?¡» Ignoring Airis¡¯s joke, Reito observed his surroundings. The sun had completely set and his surroundings were enveloped in darkness. When Reito tried using ¡°Fireball¡± to light up their surroundings, Gonzo put out his hand to stop that. ¡°¡ºPhotosphere¡»¡± ¡°W, what is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a ¡ºPhotosphere¡». Even I can use this magic.¡± A shining ball of light appeared from Gonzo¡¯s hand, drifting around their surroundings. Reito was surprised as it was the first time he had seen this magic. He had never learned it. It appeared to be some sort of beginner level holy magic. Gonzo further explained to Reito, ¡°This skill comes from holy magic. It won¡¯t hurt you if you touch it. ¡°Really? It looks like a ¡ºFireball¡».¡± ¡°Yeah, but I can only use two or three kinds of magic. You don¡¯t know this one, Reito?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know it but, I¡¯ll learn it right away¡± Reito said and turned his sight toward Gonzo¡¯s light and held out his palm, concentrating. ¡°¡ºPhotosphere¡»¡± ¡°Nngg!?¡± A ball of light the size of a softball appeared in Reito¡¯s hand, releasing strong beams of light. It was too strong so Reito put out the light in a hurry. When Reito looked up, he saw a screen come into his field of vision: . . He learned a beginner magic skill without harm. Reito tried conjuring his new ¡°Photosphere.¡± A total of three ¡°Photospheres¡± floated around their surroundings. ¡°All right, this should be good¡­ Much brighter and more convenient than ¡®Fireball¡¯.¡± ¡°G-Good job Reito, nice!¡± ¡°All right, let¡¯s get going!¡± Gonzo had a cold sweat over Reito who was easily able to master the ¡°Photosphere¡± magic skill. If the light was too strong, there would be a chance it would provoke some monsters. But, since there were only Golems in this mine, it should be good to draw them in. ¡°Oh! Found one. But it¡¯s already moving.¡± ¡°What? Where?¡± ¡°It¡¯s over there but¡­ Oh, that¡¯s right, you don¡¯t have the ¡ºNight Vision¡» skill. It¡¯s like I¡¯m an assassin.¡± Thanks to Reito¡¯s ¡°Night Vision¡± and ¡°Far Sight¡± skills, he was able to notice Golems who approached them. There were three of them. They were probably drawn in by Reito¡¯s ¡°Photosphere.¡± They discreetly creeped over without making a noise. ¡°The ones over there think we haven¡¯t noticed them. Well, I guess they are hidden in darkness so it¡¯d be difficult for them to know otherwise.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t really see, are we all right?¡± ¡°They are about 20 meters out. Hold on, let me entrap them.¡± Reito measured his enemy¡¯s distance and put his hands on the ground, activating his ¡°Earth Block¡± skill. The earth underneath the golems¡¯ feet caved-in and they sank into the ground. They were heavy but the ¡°Earth Block¡± was too powerful. Checking that his skill worked well, Reito took his hands off the ground and drew his Extermination Blade. ¡°Graaah!?¡± ¡°Ah!! What happened?¡± ¡°My ¡ºEarth Block¡» skill destabilized the earth under their feet. We gotta go fast!!¡± Reito moved his ¡°Photosphere¡± to shine a light on the Golem. He figured he would go about defeating them through sheer force this time. ¡°¡ºHelmet Smasher¡»!!¡± ¡°Graaaah!?¡± Reito raised his saber overhead, striking them down on their head, cutting through to the chest. The saber made it to the core, collapsing the golem. The battle skill that Reito used, ¡°Helmet Smasher,¡± was one he had learned from the master of the Black Tiger Adventurer Guild, Bal. It was a ¡°Stark Blade¡± combo attack merging ¡°Strike Blade¡± with other sword skills. ¡°Ho ho!!¡± Gonzo raised his voice in excitement. Reito tested another ¡°Stark Blade¡± combo against the other golem. ¡°¡ºGolden Stark Blade¡»!!¡± ¡°Graaaah!?¡± While Reito was pulling his saber out of the Golem he had pierced, Gonzo engrossed the muscle of his arms, sweeping his club sideways. He smashed two golems to pieces. Reito was surprised and impressed with Gonzo. This was the first time Reito had watched another adventurer fight. Gonzo was a C Rank fighter, but appeared to be far and away the best in that rank. ¡°Phew. Only four more until it¡¯s ¡®mission accomplished.¡¯¡± ¡°So far, it¡¯s gone swimmingly but, where are the others.¡± ¡°There is an excavation site up ahead. If we go there, there ought to be other Golems. They love minerals, after all.¡± ¡°Excavation site¡­¡± Just like when he had fought with Gain at Ymir Coal Mine, Rock Mine also has excavation sites. But, this mine is smaller and sealed off. There were too many golems. ¡°Taking back the excavation site of this mine is another condition of our quest. There should be only five or six golems there at most.¡± *In that case, we should be fine¡­ Oh, is it that place over there?¡± While they were travelling along the mountain road, Reito discovered a cave. There could be no doubt that it had been created by a human and there was a sign in front of the cave. ¡°Entry Prohibited.¡± It appeared that if you passed through the cave, it connected to the excavation site. Gonzo went out ahead and the two followed him. ~ ¡°All right, we¡¯re here, this is the excavation site¡± ¡°Huh¡­ It looks a little like Ymir Coal Mine¡± After they had passed through the cafe, scenery similar to the Ymir Coal Mine unfolded before them. In Reito¡¯s field of vision, a few golems were moving around. Just as Gonzo had imagined, there were about five or six of them. Reito proposed to him, ¡°This looks like it¡¯ll be a pain¡­ Should I lure them in one at a time?¡± ¡°Lure them in? How?¡± ¡°We can use Ullr as a decoy and then¡­ Huh? Where is that boy?¡± ¡°Woof!¡± ¡°Oh, you were behind me the whole time. What¡¯s in your mouth?¡± Reito looked behind to see a glowing mineral rock in Ullr¡¯s mouth. That was mysterious but he took the mineral rock from Ullr. Gonzo saw that and yelled in surprise, ¡°Where did you get that Light Stone? That¡¯s a really rare mineral that always glows. It¡¯s a precious mineral that you can use instead of lighting at night or in places like caves.¡± ¡°Wow, you sure found something special, huh boy?¡± ¡°Woof!¡± Ullr poked Reito with his nose as if to say ¡°praise me more!¡± Reito patted his head and gazed at the Light Stone. Having already learned the ¡°Phosophere¡± skill he couldn¡¯t see any value in it so he offered it to Gonzo. ¡°Gon-chan, here you go. Ullr found it for me but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to use it¡­¡± ¡°What? Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t mention it.¡± ¡°Uh, uh¡­ Thank you.¡± Gonzo accepted the Light Stone and put it in his Storage Stone. In the meanwhile, Reito scoped out the Golems at the excavation site and called out to Ullr. ¡°Ullr, draw them in. We¡¯re gonna wait right here in the cave, waiting.¡± ¡°Will Ullr be okay?¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Ignoring Gonzo¡¯s concern, Ullr followed Reito¡¯s orders and moved out into the excavation site. He drew the attention of the scattered golems. Reito and Gonzo moved outside of the cave and got ready for the interception attack. Reito was preparing to use his ¡°Earth Block¡± while Gonzo grasped his club. Ullr¡¯s bark along with the footsteps of countless Golems echoed inside the cave. ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°Graah!!¡± ¡°They¡¯re here!!¡± ¡°Got it!!¡± Reito used his ¡°Earth Block¡± skill and made a giant sink-pit. The golems emerging from the cave fell into the trap and let out a shriek. ~ ¡°Graah?!¡± ¡°Grooh!?¡± ¡°Gwaah!?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!!¡± Making sure all the golems had fallen into his pit, Reito used his ¡°Photosphere¡± to light it up. The golems were piled up on top of each other, wriggling desperately, but it appeared that they couldn¡¯t get up on their own power. ¡°As things are, if we drop a bomb in, it oughta take care of everything.¡± Reito said before Gonzo cut in to stop him. ¡°Hold up, we need to take a part of the Golem¡¯s body back. Or else there will be no proof that we completed the quest.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s a good point.¡± Adventurers were obligated to bring a memento from the monster back to the guild when they got a quest. Up to that point, Gonzo had carefully retrieved the cores of the Golems he took down. Reito was trying to think about how to manifest a large quantity of water. ¡ºMr. Reito, the time has come to use the Crystal Stone¡» ¡ºA, I totally forgot about it¡­ But, it only strengthens aquatic magic skills and I only know ¡°Water Block¡±¡» ¡ºIn that case, why don¡¯t you combine ¡°Ice Block¡± with ¡°Fireball?¡± They have poor compatibility so a composite magic attack will be difficult, but¡­¡» Reito listened to Airis¡¯s advice and tried out that method. He called out to Gonzo, ¡°Gonzo-chan, keep an eye on them.¡± ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to try a new magic skill¡­¡± Reito gazed at the Crystal Stone in his ring and put ¡°Ice Block¡± into action. Under the effects of the Crystal Stone, he produced a larger ¡°Ice Block¡± than usual. Reito was surprised and then released a ¡°Fireball.¡± He aimed to melt the ¡°Ice Block¡± floating in the sky and combined the ¡°Fireball¡± with it. ¡°Hey¡­ Are you alright? What are you doing?¡± Distracted by Gonzo¡¯s voice, the magic was disrupted. ¡°Hold on, don¡¯t talk to me, I¡¯m trying to concentrate.¡± ¡°Uh, sorry.¡± ¡°Whiinne~¡± Ullr whimpered. He launched a countless number of ¡°Fireballs¡± to float around the ¡°Ice Block.¡± The heat from the ¡°Fireballs¡± began melting the ice. Launching more ¡°Fireballs¡± at a higher speed, he let the water wash down into the pit. ¡°Grr¡­.!! This is really tricky.¡± ¡°But, you¡¯re creating so much water.¡± ¡°Grrraaahhhhh¡­.!!¡± The water dripping down from the ¡°Ice Block¡± rained on the golems¡¯ flesh. Their stone exterior changed color and washed away like mud, turning the pit into a swamp. After a few minutes, the ¡°Ice Block¡± had completely melted and the only thing left in the sink-pit was a lot of mud and the cores of the golems. ¡°Haa, haa¡­ Phew, maybe I should have just fought them the old-fashioned way.¡± ¡°Yeah but now we just gotta collect the cores and the quest is finished¡­ Thank you.¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± They set out respectively collecting the cores and with that Gonzo¡¯s quest was complete. There were only six golems in the excavation pit but working at night was dangerous so the two of them retreated to Gollum Town. Reito told Gonzo, ¡°Phew¡­ This is the first time I¡¯ve done anything adventure-like in a while.¡± ¡°Yeah, you had a lot going on. Ullr, get on my back.¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± They were getting to go back when Gonzo said, ¡°When we get back, I¡¯ll share the compensation for the quest with you.¡± ¡°Nah, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°After you¡¯ve helped me so much, there¡¯s no way I can let you off with nothing.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ If you say so.¡± Reito wasn¡¯t stretched for money or anything. It was true that he was the one who had defeated over half of the Golems. After hearing what Gonzo had to say, he decided to gratefully accept the compensation. Volume 3 - CH 1.6 Reito and Gonzo headed for the Adventurer Guild when they got back to Gollum Town. Even if it wasn¡¯t that specific guild that commissioned the quest, you could get paid and file quest completion reports at any guild. Gonzo reported, ¡°Golems, 10, subjugation.¡± Reito took five gold coins. The original compensation was ten gold coins, which, if converted into Japanese yen, would be worth 1,000,000 yen. It appears Gonzo was accepting some high-pay quests. By the way, the subjugation of golem would fall under the category of high-pay quests. In fact, the amount they got this time was relatively low and an ordinary Adventurer would not take the job at that price. Golems are real troublesome creatures after all. More than anything, Gonzo picked up the job because he wanted to help the people of Gollum Town, not for money. Gonzo would have been able to handle this alone but he was deeply grateful to Reito for his help. He thanked him again, ¡°You really helped me out today. I¡¯m gonna stay here in Gollum Town for a while, but what are you gonna do?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going back to Faas Village. My friend is going to meet me there tomorrow so¡­ Oh, shoot!! If I had captured a golem, I bet I could have sold it at the Hunting Festival.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, you really missed out.¡± ¡°Shit¡­ I can¡¯t really go back now.¡± It was really late at night and nocturnal monsters were starting to come out. Reito decided to stay in Gollum for the night and then head back to Faas the next morning. Gonzo walked ahead of him with Reito in the wolf-cart behind him, checking out the town. ¡°I wonder if there¡¯s an inn with any vacancies¡­ We probably should have stayed the night at the Adventurer Guild¡¯s inn.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way they¡¯d let a carriage like this there. There¡¯s a big inn up ahead. Let¡¯s stay there.¡± ¡°Got it. I wonder if they¡¯re still open.¡± ¡°That should be no problem. At this time of night shops shouldn¡¯t be clo¡­? What¡¯s all that hustle about? Ullr whimpered. Reito, following Gonzo along through the town when the two of them noticed a large crowd of people. Reito wanted to check what was going on so he got down from his wolf-cart. Gonzo, who was very tall, peered at the spectacle in the center of the crowd. ¡°Is that¡­!?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a man. A naked man, down on the ground!¡± ¡°What?¡± Reito was dumbfounded so Gonzo reached out his hand and put Reito on his back. ¡°Look!¡± ¡°Oof!¡± He was able to see into the crowd now. It was just as Gonzo had said, there was a naked man fallen over in the middle of the crowd. He was extremely withered away and appeared to be just barely alive. The people around him were holding him up in their arms. ¡°Uff, you were right. There is a naked man on the ground¡­¡± ¡°Why? What happened?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s ask someone¡­ Excuse me, what happened?¡± Reito got off of Gonzo¡¯s shoulders and asked someone in the surroundings. Maybe they were local residents, they were all in pajamas. The rubberneckers chimed in, ¡°we don¡¯t know. We suddenly heard a voice and when we stepped outside, this old man was on the ground.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s an old man. He¡¯s withered away but his face is young.¡± ¡°What, that¡¯s not an old man?¡± ¡°What is going on!!! You¡¯re noisy so I can¡¯t sleep.¡± It appeared that the residents who stepped outside also didn¡¯t understand the situation. The only thing they knew was that a withered away man had fallen down in the streets. Reito and Gonzo went up to the man. Gonzo talked to him, ¡°Hey, get it together!¡± ¡°Uh, uhh¡­¡± ¡°No good. He¡¯s conscious but it doesn¡¯t look like he can talk.¡± The naked man was given a blanket and water by the residents. However, his body was in a state that even just moving was difficult; he was desperately trying to move his lips. At this rate, the man¡¯s life was in danger, no doubt. Reito communicated with Airis. ¡ºAiris¡» ¡ºIt appears that that man¡¯s vitality, or rather, his magical powers have been completely pulled out of him. He should be able to recover if you use your Recovery Magic¡» ¡ºGot it¡» The people surrounding the man didn¡¯t know what to do and looked troubled. Reito spoke to them. ¡°Can I get through, I¡¯d like to use recovery magic on this man¡± ¡°Are you a recovery magician?¡± ¡°Not exactly¡­ ¡ºRecovery Boost¡».¡± ¡°Huh¡­!?¡± The moment Reito waved his auxiliary recovery magic over the man, his body filled out and he changed back into a youthful body appropriate for his age. The man¡¯s white hair stayed the same but he had recovered to the point he could speak. ¡°Uh, ahh¡­. Uh? I can¡­ move? My body can move!!¡± ¡°You¡¯re gonna be all right.¡± ¡°Thank you so much. You saved me.¡± ¡°Wow, good work, Reito,¡± said Gonzo. The man clutched his blanket as he stood up. Before Reito could ask about what happened, the man ran off into a back alley. The surrounding people were dumbfounded. After he entered the alleyway, an angry voice rang out from it. ¡°Ah! Shit, it¡¯s that woman!! The woman who stole all my clothes, money, weapon, everything!!¡± ¡°What?¡± The man returned back to the street. ¡°Hey! Have you two seen a blond woman with large breasts and a large behind? She¡¯s not an elf at all but a human woman!! If you¡¯ve seen her, tell me now!!¡± ¡°Uh, um¡­¡± ¡°You saw her? You bastard¡­¡± ¡°I ain¡¯t seen her. It¡¯s not like there are a lot of humans with blonde hair besides elves.¡± The surrounding people looked at each other but no one had any idea what the man was talking about. He had a despondent facial expression and he fell down on his knees. Reito timidly asked the man, ¡°what happened?¡± ¡°It was that damn thief! That woman appeared and stole all of my equipment!!¡± ¡°A mugging? What did she do to you?¡± ¡°Whiinee~¡± Ullr whimpered, puzzled. Gonzo followed Reito in asking a question before the man fell back in surprise. It appears being seen by a giant had frightened him. He regained composure before explaining, ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t know if I should say mugging¡­ To be honest, I was tricked. There was a nice-looking girl at the bar so I invited her to drink together and she seemed surprisingly into it. On the way to my favorite backstreet lodge, I was attacked.¡± ¡°Backstreet lodge?¡± Reito repeated, prompting the adults around him to get in a flurry. ¡°What the hell are you saying? This boy is not of age!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m also not of age¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± The adults were astounded at Gonzo¡¯s utterance that he wasn¡¯t of age. Reito had a vague image of what a ¡°backstreet lodge¡± might be before receiving communication from Airis. ¡ºBackstreet lodges are the brothels of this world. There are prostitutes of all races there to match the preferences of all the different races of men. There are also backstreet lodges for women but they are overwhelmingly targeted towards men. You just have to pay money and you can rent a room. It¡¯s cheaper than a normal inn but you¡¯re not allowed to spend the night alone¡» ¡ºSo, you¡¯re saying this guy¡­¡» ¡ºHe invited a woman to the backstreet lodge, was knocked out, and had his equipment stolen¡­ But, it appears the woman had laid the trap for him¡» ¡ºWhat do you mean?¡» ¡ºHe thought that he had invited this woman to the hotel, but in reality, she had her sights on him. She coordinated him to invite her. The woman appears to be a succubus.¡» ¡ºSuccubus. You mean like, a lecherous demon?¡» ¡ºOh, that¡¯s right. Just what I expect from a former anime and video game fan who was a high-school boy in his past life. You know plenty about that, huh¡» ¡ºShut up!¡» ¡ºBy the way, only female vampires can be succubi in this world. Succubi and vampires are treated as the same race¡» ¡ºReally? So, if Gain had been a woman, he would have been a succubus?¡» Succubi had the same outer appearance as humans but had the ability to attract people outside of their same race as well. They feed off people¡¯s vitality and magical powers. Succubi only need food to live but they have a particular appetite for human men. They particularly enjoy robbing the vitality of young men. The man who had passed out was this town¡¯s adventurer and was a magician in his late teens. The succubus who attacked him was aiming for his equipment and his flesh. She lured him down a back alley before attacking. After she finished, she left him behind before she could get caught. ¡°Damn it. I had just bought that anti-magic wand. I worked hard for a year to buy that¡­¡± ¡°Brother, I don¡¯t know what happened but go home. If you¡¯re caught in that outfit, the guards will take you away.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± ¡°Ah, wait!¡± Reito stopped the man as he prepared to sullenly walk away. Gonzo looked at Reito with a puzzled expression. Reito asked Airis via communication,¡ºWhere is the succubus who tricked this man?¡» ¡ºAre you planning to capture her? Well, you shouldn¡¯t have any problem¡­ The succubus has gone back to the bar where stately young men are. She¡¯s planning to go back for a refill now that she¡¯s finished her first job¡» ¡ºWe don¡¯t have time to waste. Does this person have money on him?¡» ¡ºHe is a B-rank adventurer. He has a foul mouth but he is capable¡» ¡ºIn that case, it wouldn¡¯t be bad if owed me one¡» Reito planned to capture the succubus to get the man¡¯s equipment back. Reito asked the man, ¡°if I capture the Succubus, will you pay for my lodgings for the night?¡± ¡°What? You¡¯ll capture her for me?¡± ¡°Are you sure about this, Reito?¡± Reito replied to the worried Gonzo with confidence, ¡°Things will turn out fine. Actually, I have the ¡ºSearch¡» skill.¡± The man replied to Reito as if clinging on to him, ¡°got it!! If you capture her for me, I¡¯ll do anything for you!! I beg of you. Just get my wand back from her.¡± ¡°Okay, in that case, could you tell me your name?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Dain. I¡¯m counting on you, catch that dirty robber!!¡± The adventurer who took the name of Dain consented to Reito, exchanging terms of compensation with him. By the way, ¡ºSearch¡» skill temporarily increases the insight and observation power resulting in increased powers of deduction. It¡¯s an extraordinary skill but in Reito¡¯s case, even if he didn¡¯t use it, he had someone who could tell him the precise whereabouts of a person. ¡ºThe succubus is heading toward a bar in the north of the town. You should be able to catch up with her quickly¡» ¡ºGot it. What are the succubus¡¯s abilities?¡» ¡ºIf she touches your body, you will become her prisoner. It¡¯s a power closer to brainwashing so don¡¯t get too close to her¡» Reito was ready after hearing the succubus¡¯s location and capabilities from Airis. Reito put Dain in the wolf-cart and left him to Gonzo. Dain hadn¡¯t fully recovered so he gave him food and water as well. Volume 3 - CH 1.7 In order to pursue the succubus, Reito activated ¡°Leap¡± and jumped on top of a building. ¡°¡ºMuscle Reinforcement¡»!!¡± Reito increased his physical capabilities using auxiliary magic, increasing it even further by making use of his magic ring. He had Airis check the present location of the succubus while moving by himself. Before long, he spotted a blonde woman walking down an alley. Reito jumped from roof to roof using the assassin skills, ¡°Stealth,¡± ¡°Seal Presence,¡± and ¡°Soundless Walk,¡± tracking the woman. Reito decided to launch a surprise attack on her, communicating with Airis. ¡ºDoes she have a bounty on her head?¡» ¡ºNo, she¡¯s just a petty evil doer. She only hunts for men when she¡¯s strapped for money. She goes after gold and possessions¡» ¡ºSo, it would be best just to turn her over to the authorities¡» Reito quietly got down from the building and hummed, putting his hands at the ready as he walked behind her. She¡¯s a member of the demon family so she should have more physical capabilities than an ordinary human. Without letting his guard down, he implemented his battle tactics. Stepping hard onto the ground with both feet, he rotated and accelerated his ankle, knees, joints, thorax, chest, elbows, and arms in order before punching his fist down. ¡°¡ºBullet Strike¡»!!¡± ¡°Hm!?¡± The succubus looked back in surprise but wasn¡¯t able to run away, being knocked over by a blow to the back. She was blown forward, tumbling over in dramatic fashion. ¡°Owwww!?¡± ¡°You¡¯re stronger than I thought you¡¯d be.¡± ¡°Wh-who are you!! Ooh, but, you¡¯re just my type, cute boy.¡± Even though the succubus had suffered a rough blow, she didn¡¯t show any signs of injury. On the contrary, she seemed rather happy as she looked at Reito¡¯s face. It looked like he couldn¡¯t hold back when facing someone in the demon family. Coming to that judgment, he prepared both his fists. The succubus just deepened her smile. ¡°Impressive. I didn¡¯t even notice but you have tremendous magical powers. I can¡¯t help myself.¡± ¡°Um, for now, would you mind returning Dain¡¯s money and wand?¡± Her legs were wiggling for some reason as she stared at Reito. But, once she understood that Reito was just after the wand in her bag, she puffed her cheeks in dissatisfaction. ¡°Hmph. Were you hired by that man from before? In that case, it¡¯s a different story. I¡¯m gonna take you down and take your money and body for myself.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ My preference is girls who are younger than me though.¡± ¡°Hah! Older women are kinder and take the lead. Let me show you the appeal of older women!!¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it. Time to bind you for real this time.¡± Having already heard that succubi power activates upon physical contact, Reito did his best to avoid being touched, deciding instead to bind his opponent. ¡°All right¡­ I wonder how this will go.¡± ¡°Storage magic? You sure are using some strange magic¡­ But, what do you plan to do to me with that shotty metal chain? Do you like bondage?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not really my thing.¡± The succubus jeered at Reito who had pulled out the chain from his storage. She figured that he wouldn¡¯t be able to bind her with a magical metal chain, let alone an ordinary one. But, the chain had been forged by Reito, an alchemist with the strongest metal from his former world. ¡°Take this!¡± ¡°What kind of passionless yell was that¡­ you didn¡¯t hit me either.¡± Reito launched his chain at the succubus but it fell flat before it reached her. Upon seeing that, the succubus smirked. But, she soon noticed the chain wriggling on the ground like a snake. ¡°Got you!!¡± ¡°Waaah!?¡± Implementing both his ¡°Shape Change¡± and ¡°Metal Transmutation¡± skills at the same time, Reito moved the chain wrapped around his arms and coiled them around the succubus¡¯s legs. She tried to remove the chains, but its strength had been elevated to be stronger than steel so they weren¡¯t easy to break. ¡°Wh, what kind of magic tool is this?¡± ¡°One, two!!¡± ¡°Aaahh!!¡± The succubus let out a surprisingly cute scream before falling over. Reito tightened the chains. Figuring they were shoddy chains, she assumed he had just used his magic to turn them into sturdy chains. The succubus was bound up and wasn¡¯t able to run away. ¡°Give me back the wand and bag!¡± *You little¡­!!¡± The succubus ground her teeth in frustration. Perhaps noticing something strange, a few people wandered into the alleyway. ¡°What¡¯s all this noise about!?¡± ¡°What in the world? This little brat is doing bondage play with a woman?¡± ¡°What a maniac¡­¡± The men who came into the alleyway had misunderstood the situation. ¡°N-No!¡± ¡°Help me!! I was attacked by this boy!!¡± ¡°You sure got some nerve thinking you can get away with attacking women just because of your age¡± ¡°Pfft. Don¡¯t worry about it, lady. We got this.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move, you little brat!!¡± Seeing things had taken a strange turn, Reito clutched his head in frustration. ¡°I guess there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡± ¡°Ha!! What are you going to do? Is an adventurer really planning to fight with a regular person?¡± The succubus laughed while tied up. In the event that an adventurer was to be violent towards a regular person, the adventurer would be stripped of their credentials. The succubus, well aware of that, was being cocky. Without hesitation, Reito used magic on the non-adventurer bystander. ¡°¡ºWater Block¡»¡± ¡°Waahh!?¡± ¡°Huh!? Without even a stutter!?¡± The men and the succubus were surprised but Reito only generated a water barrier. He was cutting off the men from entering the back alleyway. The men were unable to interfere. Taking advantage of the chance given to him, Reito drew in the succubus and ran away with her on his back. ¡°I¡¯m going to turn you into the authorities.¡± ¡°What, no!? Anything but that¡­¡± The succubus said, sounding afraid, before a communication came in. ¡ºSuccubi are weak to holy magic¡» ¡°Got it, ¡ºRecovery Boost¡»¡± ¡°Ahhh!?¡± The succubus lost consciousness and stopped moving. In that time, Reito used his ¡°leap¡± skill to jump from roof to roof, before returning back to Dain. ~ Reito handed a bag with the wand and money in it to Dain. He turned over the succubus to a guard who had come by after hearing the commotion. The succubus tried to resist but she couldn¡¯t escape her chains. The succubus remained that way as she was shipped along by the guards. Dain was deeply impressed and said thank you to Reito. ¡°You really saved me, man!! If I didn¡¯t have this I would have been on the streets!!¡± ¡°No worries. Sorry I couldn¡¯t get your clothes back.¡± ¡°Yeah, no problem. Thank you for getting back my wand and money.¡± ¡°Woof!¡± Ullr barked happily, perhaps sensing that the trouble had been resolved. Afterward, Dain guided Reito and the crew to the lodge he was staying at. Dain was staying at the finest lodge in town. There were only high-ranking adventures there. Reito and Gonzo were able to stay there on his dime. Dain reintroduced himself, ¡°I¡¯m a Dark Magician. My name is Dain. If you ever need any help, come drop by Gollum Town. I¡¯m a pretty skillful magician if I do say so myself.¡± ¡°And yet, you were trapped by a Succubus?¡± ¡°Sh, shut up! There¡¯s nothing I could have done about that!? It¡¯s not my fault I¡¯m attracted to large breasts. Reito had met the self-titled Gollum Town¡¯s Dark Magician, Dain, and they shared addresses with each other. By the way, a Dark Magician is an exceptionally rare profession. Their specialization is holy magic. According to Airis, Dark Magicians had a special kind of magic called ¡°Shadow Magic¡± and Dain was also one such user. Volume 3 - CH 2.1 Reito spent the night in Gollum Town before returning back to Faas Village on his wolf-cart. Kotomin was waiting for him in the river. She greeted him dispassionately. ¡°Welcome back.¡± ¡°I¡¯m home¡­ What¡¯s this? Your clothes are really something today.¡± ¡°When I interact with humans, I always wear this kind of thing.¡± Kotomin was not wearing her usual school swimsuit but something that exposed a lot more skin. According to her, if mermaids didn¡¯t wear light clothing, they wouldn¡¯t be able to live. It was true that mermaids had to release the heat from their bodies. When she wore her water clothes made from special material, there wouldn¡¯t be any body temperature-related problems. But, when she wore human clothing, it needed to be this kind of attire. Having interacted with Kotomin, who had the body of a gravure model, in her swimsuit, Reito wasn¡¯t sure where to look. Reito received permission from Kotomin to check out her water clothes. ¡°What kind of material is this made from?¡± ¡°Water clothes are mainly made from the skin of water dragons. Those are hand-me-downs my mother gave me as a child, but they are a little tight on the chest. ¡°Right¡­ Are you going to sell it in town?¡± ¡°They are a hot item so I can often sell them in human towns as well. But, they go for a high price so only aristocrats and wealthy people can purchase them.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Maybe I can reproduce it with my ¡ºSewing¡» skill.¡± Something always happened to Kotomin whenever she went to town in that outfit. Reito was worried for her so he was trying to imagine if he could make some other clothing for her. It looked like it would be difficult. ¡°If these water clothes are so expensive, you wouldn¡¯t own many pairs of them.¡± ¡°Yeah. When I don¡¯t have money, I just have a slime camouflage as my clothing. If you befriend a slime, you can have them become your clothing for you. ¡°Hmm? Slime?¡± Airis informed Reito, ¡ºSlimes and mermaids have a symbiotic relationship. If you¡¯re interested in slimes, shall I show you to their habitat?¡» ¡°That does interest me.¡± After listening to Kotomin and Airis¡¯s story, Reito was pretty interested in slimes. Using Airis¡¯s information, he headed toward the slime¡¯s habitat. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Reito and crew got in the wolf-cart and crossed the grasslands in a straight line. There were pots stacked up with water in the back of the wolf-cart for Kotomin. Reito watched his surroundings before communicating with Airis. ¡ºWhat kind of place do slimes live in?¡» ¡ºUsually they live near water. They don¡¯t harm people, but please treat them kindly when you catch one.¡» ¡ºGot it.¡» After continuing for a while in their wolf-cart, they spotted a liquid creature near a river. There was only one such creature and it was bouncing around like a ball. Reito asked Kotomin, ¡°is that a slime? They are way cuter than I thought they¡¯d be.¡± ¡°Try getting close to it.¡± Reito got down from the wolf-cart and tried to not startle the slime while approaching it. Apparently, the slime¡¯s main diet is liquid, especially sweet liquids like honey. The two of them had nectar in their hands as they neared the slime. Reito called out to the slime, trying to draw it in, ¡°Here slimy, slimy! I have some sweet nectar for you!¡± ¡°Purupuru?¡± ¡°Woah! It really says purupuru. It speaks in onomatopoeia!¡± ¡°Reito, slimes are smart. It knows what you¡¯re saying.¡± No way!? They¡¯re way smarter than goblins!!¡± ¡°Pururun!!¡± The slime shook its body as if to say ¡°don¡¯t compare me with goblins, fool¡± Reito tenderly held out a cup with nectar. The slime drew near cautiously, drinking the liquid dripping off the side. ¡°Purupuru¡­¡± ¡°Oh, it looks happy!¡± ¡°Is it okay to touch? Will it melt my finger?¡± ¡°That should be no problem,¡± Kotomin said. But, Reito was still cautious as he touched the slime with his pointer finger. He continued touching it before picking it up. ¡°Hey! It¡¯s not running away. Maybe it likes me?¡± ¡°It knows you¡¯re not an enemy.¡± Ullr whimpered. Ullr was watching with great interest as Reito held the slime. When Reito noticed, he held out the slime. Ullr licked it. ¡°Purupurupuru.¡± ¡°It seems to be ticklish,¡± Kotomin was translating for the slime. ¡°Does it have a sense of touch? Well, I guess it has intelligence so that would be no surprise. Ullr, this isn¡¯t food, got it?¡± ¡°Woof!¡± Ullr had taken to the slime, burying his face into it. The slime also appeared to like Ullr and he moved to his head. It could change form as needed, so it sprouted tentacles to avoid falling off Ullr¡¯s head. It then transformed into a collar and fastened itself onto Ullr¡¯s neck. ¡°We ought to give this slime a name. How about Suramin.¡± ¡°You really like that name, huh? But it¡¯s a cute one, so I think it¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Purupuru.¡± ¡°It appears to like it too.¡± Even though the name was decided without consultation, the slime shook happily. Reito told Suramin his objective for the day. ¡°Suramin, you have camouflage abilities, right? You can become human clothing for Kotomin, right?¡± Slimes have no battle capabilities but they do have camouflage ones. Mermaids make use of this ability and use them as close, wearing them on their bare skin. They also cool them down. Suramin nodded his head and jumped onto Kotomin¡¯s chest. Kotomin held Suramin before it dissolved, enveloping her entire body. ¡°Oh¡­ It¡¯s a little ticklish.¡± ¡°This is a rather intense sight.¡± ¡ºDefinitely the kind of thing a good girl wouldn¡¯t show anyone.¡» Ullr whimpered in confusion. Putting aside Airis¡¯s comment, Kotomin¡¯s clothing became exactly the same clothing that Reito was wearing. Reito was surprised before saying, ¡°Hey! It really worked. Cool!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Oh, it can¡¯t speak while in that state.¡± She was in men¡¯s clothing, but it was a very inconspicuous look. Even if she went into a human village, there wouldn¡¯t be any trouble. ¡°Oh good, now you can go to town.¡± ¡°Great, now we can be together, Reito.¡± ¡°Ah, but, in this state, how can we give nectar to Suramin? We can¡¯t just splash it on my body.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, look at my shoulder.¡± Reito turned his sights toward Kotomin¡¯s shoulders. He found one part of the clothing had changed, with a tiny Suramin appearing there. He appeared to be riding on Kotomin¡¯s shoulder but was actually just a piece of clothing turned back into a slime. ¡°Purupuru.¡± ¡°So you can talk in this state. You also got even smaller.¡± ¡°We should be able to give it nectar in this state. Look, drink up!¡± ¡°Pururu,¡± the slime enjoyed the nectar and nodded its head in satisfaction. Before long, it sprouted eyes and a mouth and looked like the mascot for a teenage witch character. ¡°They¡¯re really cute. What else can it eat besides nectar?¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t feed it too much. But, because of this little bud, my body is getting cooled off.¡± ¡°Whiine~¡± Ullr whimpered sadly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ullr. It¡¯s not like you got replaced by Suramin.¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± They had succeeded in domesticating the slime and so Reito and crew headed toward Faas Village in the wolf-cart. ~ Because slimes don¡¯t harm humans and don¡¯t cost anything to feed, they are popular as pets. Suramin was peacefully chirping out from Kotomin¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Pururu, pururun.¡± ¡°Reito, I¡¯m going to work too. I¡¯m going to raise this slime wonderfully,¡± Kotomin said as the wolf-cart rolled along. ¡°When you say work, do you mean to say you have a job?¡± ¡°I could work as a fisherman again. I used to catch fish and hand them over to the other fishermen. I¡¯ve been mistaken as a fish and caught in nets two or three times by other fishermen before though.¡± ¡°That¡¯s terrible! But, are you sure you¡¯ll be alright working? It¡¯s difficult for you to live on land, right?¡± ¡°If I¡¯ve got this little bud, I¡¯ll be fine. I can also use magic. Water spirit magic.¡± When Reito heard the word ¡°spirit magic¡± he remembered his infant care keeper, an elf named Aria. One day, when Reito had fallen off the roof, Aria used spirit magic to help him. According to Kotomin, both mermaids and elves could use spirit magic just the same. In her case, she was good at magic that involved the handling of water. ¡°If I have water, I¡¯ll be invincible. I can be useful.¡± ¡°Now that you mention it, do you have any other skills?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good at swimming.¡± ¡°It¡¯d be pretty fatal if you were bad at it as a mermaid.¡± ¡°I¡¯m good at catching fish.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fair in a kind of plain way.¡± ¡°My breasts are large.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just a physical trait!¡± He was dumbfounded at Kotomin proudly proclaiming that with her chest puffed out. He was trying to think of a job she could do. Kotomin was the first girl he had become friends with in this world. He wanted to help her ambitions come true. However, he wasn¡¯t able to think of anything. He asked Kotomin, ¡°What else can you do? Can you produce recovery medicines?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not in my capabilities.¡± ¡°I see¡­ seems like you being an adventurer was out of the question.¡± He arrived in Faas Village without thinking of any good plan. Volume 3 - CH 2.2 There was a horse with a horn growing out of it in Faas Village¡¯s marketplace. Next to it was the elf princess Tina. There were no envoys accompanying her. ¡°Ah, Ullr-chan!! There you are!!¡± ¡°Woof!?¡± Tina hugged Ullr, fully enjoying his fur. ¡°Oh, Princess Tina.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡± Reito and Kotomin got down from the wolf-cart and asked Tina, ¡°Why is Lady Tina here?¡± ¡°Like I said, just call me Tina. No one else is here today, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Oh, okay. In that case, why did you come alone?¡± ¡°Every time I went to the adventurer¡¯s guild, you weren¡¯t there. So, I asked the guild master about you and then I came here.¡± ¡°Whiine~¡± Ullr whimpered. It was true that Reito had told her to visit the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Apparently, she had visited quite a few times. Every time, Reito wasn¡¯t there. Not being able to wait she grilled the guild master Bal about his whereabouts before ending up in the place where she first met Reito. Tina had shaken off the guards and came alone with only her lovely trusty unicorn steed. ¡°It was a real pain. I had to climb down from the fifth floor of the lodge with a rope before sneaking into the stable and releasing Uni-chan.¡± ¡°Uni-chan?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s my pet. She¡¯s a unicorn so I named her Uni-chan.¡± Kotomin approached the unicorn. The unicorn bowed its head before nuzzling its face on Kotomin¡¯s chest. ¡°Nice to meet you¡± Uni neighed. Reito remembered the legend that unicorns only got attached to maidens. He wasn¡¯t sure if that applied to unicorns in this world as well, but at a minimum, the unicorn in front of his very eyes appeared to like Kotomin. Tina talked to Ullr cheerfully, ¡°you¡¯re really fluffy!¡± He whimpered. ¡°Don¡¯t be so grumpy. I¡¯ll give you some dried meat later, so put on a happy face.¡± Reito sighed. How would the envy-filled Raikofu react if he saw his fiancee here? He felt uneasy. Just to be safe, he communicated with Airis. ¡ºAiris, Tina is now in Faas village but, where are her guards?¡» ¡ºThings aren¡¯t looking good. They had trailed her here without her noticing. They are coming to the village and chasing after a monster that has been released.¡» ¡ºWhat?¡» ¡ºThey are chasing after it from the north. It¡¯s a cyclops. One with the same rank as a Minotaur. A level four monster!!¡» Reito was surprised at Airis¡¯s reply and closed down communication. He immediately put his ¡°Leap¡± skill into action and jumped in the sky, peering out at his surroundings before seeing a smoke trail approaching from the north. Compared to the Mamou from before, it was small, but it was certainly much larger than an orc. The cyclops jumped over Reito¡¯s moat and dirt wall into the village. ¡°Roar!!¡± ¡°Wha-!!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Hah!?¡± Everyone was surprised and frozen. Reito immediately came back to the ground and readied his saber. The cyclops was a giant covered in blue scales. It had the characteristic one eye. It was over three meters tall and had razor-sharp claws on both hands. Tina and Kotomin didn¡¯t know what was going on and were startled. Ullr and Uni had sensed the danger and were already in their battle positions. Ullr growled and Uni neighed. Ullr and Uni stood in front of Tina and Kotomin. The bloodshot cyclops beat its chest like a gorilla. ¡°Roar!!¡± Reito readied his Extermination Blade before Airis ran through his brain. ¡ºMr. Reito, use the chains from before. You can use the same bondage method as before.¡» ¡ºChains¡­ Good point!!¡» He promptly put his storage magic into action, pulling out the chains. Using his alchemist ability, ¡°Metal Transmutation¡±, he upped the durability of the chains before using ¡°Shape Change¡± to control the chains. He ran the chains around the cyclops¡¯s flesh before it could respond, tying it up. Reito held on tight, making sure to not let go. He had succeeded in tying the cyclops up with chains but it was trying to tear off the chains with its arm strength. Reito was being pulled in. ¡°Roar!!¡± ¡°Ahh!!¡± ¡°Reito!!¡± Tina was worried. At that moment, he used ¡°Muscle Boost¡± to strengthen his body but the cyclops was stronger, and he was gradually getting pulled in. Tina and Kotomin moved to help, pulling on Reito to stop him from getting pulled in. ¡°We can¡¯t lose!¡± ¡°One, two!¡± The two of them held Reito tight. Reito didn¡¯t have the time to notice their large chests pressing in on him. ¡°Woah!!¡± ¡°Roar!¡± The cyclops was stopped, perhaps because of the two girls¡¯ arm strength. Having its full body tied up in chains, the cyclops was unable to move. Being engaged in a kind of chain tug-of-war, Ullr and Uni jumped into action. ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°Neigh!!¡± The two of them jumped on the cyclops, knocking it over. ¡°Roar!!¡± The cyclops was a level four monster but, when chained up, it wasn¡¯t able to withstand being knocked over by the two of them. The cyclops stayed on the ground, fallen over. Reito took a sigh of relief. Tina and Kotomin also looked relieved. The two of them were still holding on tight to Reito, looking at the cyclops. Reito looked at the cyclops beneath Ullr and Uni. ¡°Thanks. But, is this a cyclops?¡± ¡°Cy, clops? I¡¯ve never seen one of these monsters where I come from.¡± ¡°They lived close to my home so I knew about them. They¡¯re not a monster but more precisely a demon. But, cyclops don¡¯t usually attack humans as they are a friendly race,¡± Kotomin added in. Reito looked confused. ¡°This is supposed to be friendly? But there was something strange about it.¡± ¡°Roar!!¡± The cyclops glared with its bloodshot eye. Airis opened communication. ¡ºThat cyclops was being manipulated. If you go to a Monster Controller, you ought to be able to release the contract curse.¡» ¡ºThen it won¡¯t attack us anymore?¡» ¡ºCyclops are the most friendly of the demon race. They almost never attack other living creatures.¡» ¡ºEven demons can be manipulated by trainers. Got it. But where is this Monster Controller?¡» ¡ºIf you head southeast, you can find them hiding behind a boulder.¡» After hearing about the location from Airis, he immediately jumped into motion to go capture them. He did some quick warm-up stretches and gave instructions to Ullr and Yuni. ¡°Ullr, Uni, hold down that cyclops. I¡¯m going to go track down the Monster Controller who is manipulating this poor creature.¡± ¡°What? Monster Controller?¡± ¡°Tina and Kotomin, please keep an eye out together.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Reito used his ¡°Leap¡± skill to jump over the dirt wall and head to the grasslands southeast. Because it was faster to continue using ¡°Leap¡± to do jumps at low altitudes, he did so until he reached the location of the Monster Controller. ¡°So it¡¯s you!!¡± ¡°Wh, how did you know where I was?¡± There was a middle-aged human hiding behind a boulder. He had the outfit of an adventurer but there was no doubt he was the Monster Controller manipulating the cyclops. Reito held out his hands using the beginner magic skill he learned the other day. ¡°¡ºPhotosphere!!¡»¡± ¡°Ahh!!¡± The ¡°photosphere¡± simply lit up the surroundings. But, given the strength Reito was putting into it, it was enough to impair someone¡¯s vision. ¡°You little!!¡± ¡°Ahh!!¡± While the man was being overwhelmed by the bright light, Reito gave him a jump-kick. If he was knocked out, he wouldn¡¯t be able to release the contracted animal so he made sure not to make him lose consciousness. ¡°Release the cyclops!! I¡¯m sure you know what will happen if you refuse¡± ¡°G-got it. Please spare my life,¡± the monster controller screamed for mercy while resignedly surrendering. ~ Reito dragged him back to the village. He released the contract of the cyclops. In order to break a contracted curse, you had to kill the Monster Controller or break the contract with the person who made it. After the contract was released, the cyclops suddenly became gentle. ¡°Roar!¡± ¡°Wow¡­ It¡¯s suddenly so personable.¡± The cyclops was friendly to Reito. He picked Reito up and put him on his shoulders. Tina and Kotomin smiled. ¡°He¡¯s kind of cute, huh.¡± ¡°He seems to like Reito.¡± The Monster Controller had been tied up in chains and was surrounded by Ullr and Uni. While still riding on the cyclops¡¯s shoulder, he asked the Monster Controller, ¡°Why did you attack Tina?¡± ¡°What? I was being attacked?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t notice¡­¡± According to Airis¡¯s data, the Monster Controller¡¯s target should have been Tina. However, the chain-binded Monster Controller refused to open his mouth, instead remaining silent and blindfolded. Reito strengthened his tone of voice and repeated his question. ¡°Hey, why are you being silent? Are you trying to cover for your client? Would you like me to report your attempted murder to the authorities?¡± ¡°Wait, no, you don¡¯t understand. I had no intentions of murdering that girl. I was ordered to take her with me somewhere.¡± ¡°Dragged out? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I-I received a request. Last night, an elf man told me to do so. Tomorrow, this lady will visit this village, use a contracted monster to take her with you somewhere.¡± ¡°An elf man. Where was he planning to take her?¡± ¡°A large tree near the city. It¡¯s called the Bell Tree amongst adventurers. It grows nuts that chime like bells, so it was given that name. I was told to bring her there.¡± ¡°Bell Tree?¡± Tina sounded happy. ¡°Oh, I know about that too. It¡¯s in a place with trees that have mysterious fruits, nuts, and berries. I went the other day. It was very interesting!!¡± ¡°I think you should feel a little more sense of danger¡­¡± Putting aside Tina¡¯s reaction, it appeared an elf man had been backing the Monster Controller. ¡°Do you know who that elf man was?¡± ¡°No, he was hiding his face with a hood. I could see his pointed ears though, so I know it was an elf for sure. He said I just had to bring her there and the contract would be finished.¡± ¡°But, how were you planning to bring her to the Bell Tree? Can you control contracted animals from afar?¡± ¡°I was planning to have the cyclops help me!! At my level, if I¡¯m not near the cyclops, I can¡¯t give it orders.¡± ¡°Are you an adventurer? What guild do you belong to?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not an adventurer from this region. I originally came here just to sell this beast at the hunting festival¡± Reito started to understand the situation. Airis¡¯s voice ringed out, ¡ºThis person isn¡¯t lying, everything they¡¯re saying is true.¡». The cyclops was being moved by the Monster Controller who was not a bad person but rather just commissioned to do a job. He wasn¡¯t trying to harm Tina, that much was clear. Reito wanted to know more about the elf who commissioned the Monster Controller so he asked Airis. ¡ºWhy was he ordered to leave Tina behind?¡» ¡ºIt appears this was not a mission to end Ms. Tina¡¯s life.¡» ¡ºThen, who in the world would do this?¡» ¡ºIt was Raikofu. That stupid elf was trying to lay a trap for you. That was his plan.¡» ¡ºThat bastard?¡» According to Airis, Raikofu wanted to get revenge after being humiliated. So, he figured out what exactly were Reito¡¯s capabilities and his usual whereabouts and then set up the plan. Not only that, but he also took advantage of the fact that he knew Tina would want to see Ullr. He drove Reito in a corner and was planning to steal Tina¡¯s heart. He also wanted to do some harm to the Baltros Kingdom in the process. It was quite the revenge plot. Airis¡¯s explanation about Raikofu¡¯s plan went as follows. ~ At present, there are a lot of Monster Controllers visiting Adventure City Lunot. They are selling animals needed for the hunting festival. Raikofu had to negotiate with a Monster Controller to put his plan into action. To deviate a little from the main story, the hunting festival is held by Monster Merchants. If the Hunting Festival is a success, they receive a healthy sum of money from the king, tax free. They hire a lot of Monster Controllers to ensure success. Raikofu tried to negotiate with a Monster Controller whose monster had been rejected for sale or a Monster Controller or who hadn¡¯t sold their monster yet. This ended up being the man with the cyclops. Adventurers in Adventure City can only accept commissions from the guild they belong to. But, Raikofu found a Monster Controller who belonged to a different guild and commissioned him privately. These so-called ¡°Designated Commissions¡± are not banned. The Monster Controller accepted the offer because Raikofu offered quite a high commission. His mission was to go to Faas Village and bring Tina to the Bell Tree. He was instructed not to put a hand on her until Reito showed up. On the day the plot was to unfold, Raikofu made sure that Tina was heading for Faas Village, confirmed things with the Monster Controller and Raikofu made his way to the Bell Tree. Raikofu had made it very clear to the Monster Controller that the moment Reito and Tina saw each other in Faas Village, he was to release the cyclops to attack them. The cyclops was to drive Reito and Ullr away and then he would come and scoop up Tina and take her to the bell tree. But, there was something Raikofu didn¡¯t explain to the Monster Controller. Raikofu was planning to use a bow and arrow to kill the Monster Controller. He would drive the Cyclops away with a Decay Stone* and save Tina all by himself. ~ If successful, Raikofu would be able to kill three birds with one stone. First, he would abase Reito. He would possibly be killed by the cyclops. Even if he managed to survive the attack, he would have no future. He¡¯d be forced to admit that he failed to protect the elf-princess and left her alone, losing all professional credibility in the process. In fact, there¡¯s even a chance he would be punished for exposing such a treasured individual to danger. Second, Raikofu would be praised for saving Tina from the cyclops. Tina would like him more too. Third, he would be able to muster his troops for a battle with the Baltros Kingdom as they would be responsible for letting the princess be exposed to danger. Not to mention he would be able to chastise Princess Tina for being so irresponsible. After all, she was the one who was acting selfishly by doing what she wanted. She would reflect on her reckless behavior and improve as a person. ~ This was the truth behind the incident. Reito let out a big sigh after hearing about Raikofu¡¯s scheme. He was surprised by how foolish Raikofu was. ¡ºThat dumbass exposed his own fiance¨¦ to danger, what in the world was thinking!¡» ¡ºA real piece of shit. What are you going to do about it? He is waiting by the Bell Tree all alone right now.¡» ¡ºI don¡¯t have any proof that he did anything. He could just feign ignorance.¡» That was the most annoying part about the whole affair, he had no evidence that Raikofu did anything. He would only have the testimony of the Monster Controller as there was little chance Raikofu would come clean. Even if Reito tried to convince other people about what happened, they would never believe him. ¡ºThere¡¯s nothing that can be done about it. Let me impart some wisdom. You became friends with a slime. Use that little fellow to get back at Raikofu.¡» ¡ºYou mean, Suramin?¡» ¡ºYou can use the slime¡¯s camouflage abilities¡­¡» In order to carry out Airis¡¯s proposed plans, he had to share with everyone what had happened. Volume 3 - CH 2.3 It was now the afternoon. Raikofu was waiting under the Bell tree, bow and arrow at the ready. He was getting frustrated that the Monster Controller hadn¡¯t appeared yet. ¡°What is that bastard doing?!¡± If things were going according to plan, he should have been here by now. But, there were no signs of that man to be found anywhere. Raikofu began to feel worried. ¡°Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have hired some complete stranger for this task. What was I thinking? If something has happened to Tina, I¡¯ll kill him!¡± Raikofu had lost his cool and thought about going back to Adventure City before he saw something enter his field of vision. It appeared to be the Monster Controller. ¡°Finally!!¡± The cyclops was dashing through the grass fields. But, for some reason the cyclops was pulling a cart. He didn¡¯t specify any transportation method but he couldn¡¯t understand why he would have a cart and was flustered. There was a giant wooden box along with Tina on top of the cart. Tina appeared to have passed out. The Monster Controller was dressed in a black hood and was holding her up. ¡°That bastard dares to touch the princess¡¯s body!!¡± Raikofu was infuriated. He wore a similar hood as the man, and pulled it over his eyes. Raikofu was getting more and more pissed off and started yelling at the cyclops. ¡°Halt!!¡± ¡°Grahhh!!¡± ¡°Oh¡± The Monster Controller lightly slapped the Cyclops¡¯s back. Raikofu approached him and the Monster Controller gave him a report. ¡°I brought her with me. I put her to sleep just as you asked.¡± ¡°It sure took you a lot of time. What were you doing?¡± ¡°Ah, my bad, it was a tough job.¡± ¡°Why are you hiding your face? Take off the hood!¡± Raikofu felt like there was something off about the Monster Controller and so he started screaming. The Monster Controller took off the hood without hesitation. The face was definitely that of the Monster Controller. The Monster Controller said in a hoarse voice, ¡°I caught a cold and so now my throat is a little sore. Is that alright?¡± ¡°You are touching my fiance¨¦ with your dirty hands. Give the princess to me and get lost.¡± ¡°Give me the money first. You can call my hands dirty all you want, but you¡¯re the one who commissioned me to kidnap her.¡± ¡°You little¡­ Take it!!¡± Raikofu drew a small bag out of his chest and threw it at the man. The Monster Controller picked up the money and started to inspect the contents. Raikofu smiled mischievously. He reached for his bow and arrow. ¡°Die!!¡± Raikofu drew his bow and fired it at the man. The speed at which he shot would have been too fast to react to ordinarily. ¡°Ho!¡± The Monster Controller ducked, avoiding the arrow. ¡°What in the world?!¡± ¡°Grah?¡± The cyclops didn¡¯t flinch as it drew near to Raikofu. ¡°Wh-, why isn¡¯t it working?¡± ¡°He has nose plugs in so the Decay Stone isn¡¯t going to work on him¡± ¡°What!?¡± The Monster Controller shook awake Tina before opening the lid of the box on the cart. All of a sudden, a mermaid and a woman dressed as an elf envoy appeared. The elf girl opened her mouth. ¡°Ah, it is you. I figured it was Raikofu¡­¡± ¡°Phew, that was really cramped. Too hot¡­¡± The Monster Controller talked to himself, ¡°Alright Suramin, you can go now¡­¡± ¡°Purupuru¡­¡± Raikofu was shocked at that sight. The Monster Controller peeled a slime off the surface of his body. The slime stopped using its camouflage powers. The face of the Monster Controller peeled off, revealing Reito underneath. The Slime jiggled its way onto his shoulders. Tina was completely dumbfounded. ¡°The person hiding their face with the hood really was Raikofu. Why would you do something like this.¡± ¡°No, Your Highness. It¡¯s not what it looks like!¡± ¡°What does it look like? You coward!!¡± ¡°Ahh!?¡± The elf envoy ignored Raikofu¡¯s words and punched him. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Airis¡¯s strategy was to turn Raikofu¡¯s plan on himself. The goal was to put what he had done out in the open. Having carried out the plan, Reito went with Tina back to her lodgings and brought an envoy who had been keeping watch while she was out. The envoy¡¯s name was Linda. She was in charge of caring for Tina. She looked to be in her early 20¡¯s but her actual age was over one-hundred. That being said, she would still be considered ¡®young¡¯ by elf standards. Linda had been watching over Tina since she was born and Tina considered her something like a parent. Linda also loved Tina like she was her own daughter. Given that, Linda was furious that someone would try and harm Tina. Since she hadn¡¯t actually seen anything for herself, she was in a state of half-belief. ~ Linda¡¯s punch completely knocked over Raikofu. ¡°You idiot!!¡± ¡°Ahh?!¡± ¡°You put the princess in danger!!¡± ¡°Oof!?¡± Reito, Tina, Kotomin, and Slime were taken aback watching Raikofu get beat up by Linda. ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°Awesome!¡± ¡°Linda, you¡¯re really scary¡­¡± ¡°Purupuru¡­¡± Linda¡¯s occupation was fistfighter. It¡¯s a battle specialty based on laying blows to your opponent. She continued punching Raikofu, giving him no time to respond. The moment Linda¡¯s punch finished, Raikofu opened his mouth. ¡°S-Stop! Please stop! I am Princess Tina¡¯s fiance¨¦!¡± ¡°And? If you do this kind of thing, you can¡¯t call yourself a fiance¨¦ at all. I¡¯m going to tell your parents about today¡¯s incident¡± ¡°N, no. Anything but ¨C ah!?¡± Raikofu was sent flying in the air. Even Reito looked at Raikofu with some sympathy given how badly he was getting beat up. That¡¯s how horrible it was. Reito was in fear as he told Tina, ¡°Your guard is super scary.¡± ¡°She¡¯s actually really nice, but if you get on her nerves, oh boy.¡± Kotomin and Tina were hiding behind Reito. Suramin was hiding behind his shoulder. ¡°Suramin is shaking, I¡¯m shaking.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t use me as a shield!¡± ¡°Purupuru,¡± Linda continued beating up Raikofu. Raikofu thought that he was going to get murdered then and there so when there was a small break in the punching, he grabbed his longsword. ¡°Get away from me! If you get any closer, I¡¯m going to¡­¡± ¡°You really think you can hurt me with that?¡± ¡°Shut up! You don¡¯t know my sword mastery!!¡± Now that he had a sword in his hand, he was suddenly acting all cocky. Reito intervened. ¡°Excuse me.¡± Linda was surprised at Reito cutting in out of nowhere while Raikofu just glared. ¡°And who are you?¡± ¡°Get back! Inferior human!¡± Reito paid no mind and readied his Extermination Blade. Raikofu laughed scornfully at the sight of Reito¡¯s saber. The giant saber didn¡¯t match Reito¡¯s small frame at all. ¡°What are you going to do with that show-off weapon?¡± Raikofu taunted Reito. The longsword in his hand was made from Mithril and steel. It was a top class product forged by an elite dwarf blacksmith. While Reito¡¯s sword had a shine to it, there wasn¡¯t that special aura that swords made from magical metal had. Non-magical metal was looked down upon in this world. Raikofu grinned and went in for a slash. ¡°Eat this!! ¡®Crescent Moon Blade¡¯ !!¡± ¡°Oof,¡± A crescent shaped slash attack was released from Raikofu¡¯s sword as he swung it upwards. Reito managed to stop the attack with his sword but his hand received quite the shock. Raikofu opened his eyes wide. ¡°Wh, what is that? How did your sword not break?¡± Usually, ¡°Crescent Moon Blade¡± could cut through the metal. Before Raikofu¡¯s attack, Reito used ¡®Metal Transmutation¡¯ to change the composition of his extermination blade and increased its durability using ¡®Matter Reinforcement¡¯. ¡°Unfortunately for you, this is custom-made. Take this!!¡± Reito turned the blade over and struck Raikofu. ¡°Graa!!¡± ¡°Ahh!?¡± Raikofu shrieked as his body hit the ground. ¡°Surrender now little boy.¡± ¡°I, I¡¯m gonna kill you!!¡± ¡°What¡¯s that? You can still move? You really are tough.¡± Raikofu stood up and tried to grab Reito. Linda jumped in and sent Raikofu flying. ¡°That¡¯s enough!!¡± ¡°Wah!?¡± Raikofu dropped his blade and fell over. Seeing that Linda was about to deal additional blows, Raikofu got down on his hands and knees, retreating a little with tears in his eyes. He picked up his bow and arrow in the process. ¡°Don¡¯t move!! I¡¯ll shoot!¡± Raikofu was about to fire but Linda confidently replied, ¡°Try me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying, go ahead and shoot.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll really do it!¡± ¡°Go ahead, do your worse.¡± Reito and Tina shouted, ¡°wh-?¡± ¡°Linda?¡± When Reito moved to stop Raikofu, Linda stopped him with her hand. Raikofu pulled back the string of the bow. ¡°Sh, shit!!¡± ¡°Fire!!¡± Linda pushed further. ¡°Ahhhh!!¡± Raikofu was driven in a corner and let go of the string, firing the arrow. But, Linda had already estimated the trajectory of the arrow and avoided it with a small movement of her head. She approached Raikofu and reached her hand out. ¡°Fa Jin!!¡± ¡°Ahhh.¡± The moment she put her hand on his stomach, a wave of energy was released into his body. Raikofu went flying five meters into the air. Linda put both her hands together and took a deep breath to compose herself. ¡ô¡ô¡ô An hour had passed since they had seen through Raikofu¡¯s plot. Reito had taken Tina to her lodgings in the Adventure City Lunot. All of Tina¡¯s guards bowed to Reito. ¡°¡°We apologize to you from the bottom of our hearts!¡±¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry!!¡± ¡°Oh, oh¡­¡± Reito was embarrassed by each guard followed by Tina apologizing one after the other. ¡°Huh. You don¡¯t need to apologize.¡± ¡°Purupuru.¡± Suramin was jiggling as usual, regardless of Kotomin¡¯s reaction. One guard handed Reito compensation as an apology. ¡°This whole affair is entirely our fault. Please accept this as a token of apology.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too far.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot of money in here,¡± said Kotomin. ¡°Pururu.¡± They had received three small bags but each bag had a large sum of money in it. If you were to convert it to Japanese yen, it would amount to 10,000,000 yen. Reito was taken about by the large sum and tried to not accept it but the guards were persistent. ¡°Raikofu is the only son of a powerful aristocratic family in the Four Leaves Kingdom. His father is a fine fellow, but maybe because of his mother he has a tendency to look down on humans. We don¡¯t know what to do. There¡¯s no way we can overlook it this time around. Using Princess Tina to try and trick you. We will have him punished in the Great Atlas Forest.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not planning to kill him, right?¡± Reito was worried. ¡°Raikofu is the only heir to the Midori House. The death penalty would be a little severe but he will probably spend ten years or so in jail. Of course, this would also mean his engagement with Princess Tina will be called off. The Midori House will be forced to take responsibility.¡± ¡°Right¡­ By the way, where is Raikofu right now?¡± At present, he is being treated for injuries in a separate room. We are not using recovery medicine or magic to heal him though.¡± Linda cracked her knuckles, ¡°That fool should be forced to suffer. Once he¡¯s strong enough to stand again, I¡¯m gonna pummel him back down.¡± Kotomin trembled. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Reito asked Linda about the battle tactic she used in the fight. ¡°Can I ask you something? When you were fighting with Raikofu, why were you able to dodge his attack?¡± ¡°That is thanks to a fighter skill known as ¡®Snap Decision.¡¯ It enables you to read your opponents moves before they happen and dodge the attack.¡± Hearing that, Reito remembered when he fought the master of the Black Tiger Guild Bal and Vampire Gain. They were also able to dodge attacks, just like Linda. He wondered if he would be able to remember that for himself and then asked another question, ¡°at the end, you used a skill called ¡°Fa Jin.¡± That¡¯s a battle tactic, right?¡± ¡°That is a skill only fighters can use. It sends a shock to your opponent on the areas you touch.¡± There was also the skill ¡®Fa Jin¡¯ in his past life. It is a strong short-distance attack that is initiated through your back and shoulders. Linda had practiced that skill to the max. Reito whispered, ¡°I wonder what would happen to Suramin if we used ¡®Fa Jin¡¯ on you.¡± ¡°Purupuru.¡± ¡°I bet you¡¯d jiggle a lot.¡± ¡°Maybe more than just jiggle, let¡¯s find out!¡± Kotomin said. Reito imagined it and almost laughed. Putting that aside, Reito still had the problem of rejecting the compensation. He couldn¡¯t accept such a high amount. At present, he had no need for such an amount of money. He consulted with Airis. ¡ºLover.¡» ¡ºDon¡¯t call me that, you¡¯re the department head* after all! I haven¡¯t made that joke in a while.¡» ¡ºWho are you calling department head!¡» ¡ºI¡¯m just messing around. As far as the money is concerned, why not accept it and put it toward the restoration of the village.¡» ¡ºFair enough. What should we do about the cyclops though?¡» ¡ºHe¡¯s not doing anyone any harm. Why not just make him your pet like Ullr? I¡¯m sure he can help with physical labor.¡» The cyclops came from a far away land. It wouldn¡¯t be possible to send him back. It might even cause trouble if he was spotted by a human in the wilderness. As a result, Reito ended up taking care of the cyclops. ¡ô¡ô¡ô *(TL note: This is likely a reference to a common trope in Japanese drama of assistants and department heads having secret love affairs. It translates poorly into English.) Volume 3 - CH 2.4 ¡°Grahh!!¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°Why do you guys like pulling carts so much?¡± Ullr and the cyclops were pulling the wolf-cart together on their way to Faas Village. Looking at the two of them, it was like they had forgotten what species they were. Kotomin was sitting next to Reito, and she was wearing Suramin. She was sleepily laying down on the luggage. ¡°Shew shew shew¡­¡± she snored. ¡°She¡¯s asleep, how about you, Suramin?¡± ¡°Purupuru¡­¡± he could see Suramin¡¯s face peek out from Kotomin¡¯s shoulder. It appeared he was trying to communicate something. Reito figured he must have wanted more sugar water, so he pulled out a small bottle and gave it to him. ¡°Drink nice and slow. Get big and become a king. No matter what happens, you don¡¯t want to end up as metal, you¡¯ll be hunted down by adventurers.¡± ¡°Pururu (what the hell are you talking about?)¡± Reito gave him the sugar water and patted his head. Suddenly he noticed, he didn¡¯t have any human friends, but he was getting more pets. Kotomin was a mermaid, but he was preparing food for her too, so she also felt like nothing more than a pet. ¡°I want to join a party of adventurers, just once¡­ I have never fought with other people before, and that¡¯s a problem.¡± While he had fought together with Ullr, he had never fought with a human before. He had fought with Gonzo, but he was technically a giant. He had plenty of one-on-one experience, but rarely any group fighting experience. If he ended up fighting with other people, he couldn¡¯t just take action selfishly. Reito thought about that and decided to consult with Bal the next time he headed for the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. ¡°I have a lot of money, but it¡¯s all gonna disappear feeding this cyclops. I should put a collar on everyone so they don¡¯t get mistaken for monsters¡­¡± ¡°Purupuru¡± ¡°What, do you want a collar too? Where would we even put it on you? Also, how are you on my shoulder?¡± he was puzzled at Suramin. He looked back to see that Kotomin was still in Suramin¡¯s camouflage attire. But yet Suramin was also on his shoulder. He was confused before realizing the answer. ¡°That¡¯s right, you¡¯re a slime. You just split¡­¡± ¡°Purupuru¡± ¡°Pururu¡± The Suramin that was acting as Kotomin¡¯s clothes and the Suramin on his shoulder both reacted to him. When he was about to give sugar water to the Suramin that was on his shoulder, he heard a familiar voice. ¡°Hmm? Is that by chance, Ullr?¡± ¡°What in the world is this creature?¡± Looking up from the wolf-cart, he found Gonzo and the adventurer from Gollum, Dain. The two of them were surprised at the cyclops pulling the cart. ¡°Haa?¡± ignoring Kotomin¡¯s sleep talk, Reito asked the two of them, ¡°What are you two doing here?¡± ¡°Actually, we really hit things off.¡± Gonzo said before Dain continued, ¡°He told me you would be in this town so we came here. I wasn¡¯t able to properly say thanks last time. Where did you pick up this creature, though? I swear you didn¡¯t have it last time we met¡± Dain looked at the cyclops. ¡°Graah!!¡± The cyclops opened its arms wide. ¡°Hee!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t scare me like that!!¡± Gonzo said, hiding behind Dain. Reito scolded the cyclops and it behaved itself again. Gonzo was impressed and nodded his head in affirmation. He was excited to see something bigger than him and touched it saying, ¡°a cyclops. We used to have these in my home country¡± ¡°C-Cyclops!? Isn¡¯t it part of the demon race? Why do you have it as a pet!?¡± ¡°Grah¡± Dain was surprised to see Gonzo and the Cyclops hug and shyly reach his hand out to the cyclops before taking it away. ¡°Whatever. Anyway, we also came for the hunting festival. You and Gonzo are from this area, right? Will you participate in the Hunting Festival?¡± ¡°We are D rank so we can¡¯t participate and it doesn¡¯t interest me anyway. But, I¡¯ve been told by Bal to capture a monster for the festival,¡± Reito answered. Dain made a strange face when he heard the name Bal. ¡°Bal? That violent woman? You¡¯re in that monster swordsman¡¯s guild?¡± All of a sudden Bal appeared. ¡°Who is a monster swordsman?¡± ¡°When did you get here!?¡± Bal knuckle-punched Dain. She then looked at Dain as he lay on the ground and said, ¡°I was wondering who it was. What do you know, it¡¯s this angry little boy. What¡¯s wrong? Did you finally get fired?¡± ¡°Ow, ow! What are you doing, you strong freak!!¡± ¡°Hey now! Thanks for the compliment.¡± Dain was crying while shouting in anger. Bal maintained her composure. Bal looked at Reito and said, ¡°Good timing. You were riding that carriage, huh? You were just going to go home without accepting my request, right?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Reito suspiciously whistled. ¡°You¡¯re bad at whistling. Let me get a ride with you into town,¡± Bal said, picking up Dain and carrying him on her shoulder. ¡°Why am I getting involved?¡± ¡°Can I ride as well?¡± Bal got in the cart with Dain on her shoulder and Gonzo got in as well. Reito carefully moved so as not to wake up Kotomin. ~ Bal made a puzzled expression as it was the first time she had seen Kotomin and Suramin. ¡°Who are these people? I¡¯ve never seen them before.¡± ¡°Kotomin, Suramin, say hello!¡± Reito said. Suramin greeted, ¡°purupuru¡± ¡°I never thought I¡¯d nod my head to a slime.¡± ¡°*Yawn*. I am sensing the presence of a stranger.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite the samurai warrior,¡± Reito joked to Kotomin who had finally opened her eyes. Dain complained to Bal, ¡°Why do I also have to help with this request? It¡¯s my holiday today!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so stubborn. Your shadow magic would be just right for the job. Sit down!!¡± ¡°Gah!?¡± Dain was forced to sit down next to her by Bal. Reito felt like he was watching a parent and child squabble seeing the two of them. ¡°Is Dain your acquaintance?¡± Reito asked Bal. ¡°Acquaintance? I practically raised him. He was struggling in the slums so I took him in and trained him.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t spread fake news!! I only learned how to argue from you!! You kept hitting me with your sword even though I¡¯m a magician. You sent me into the jungle without so much as a cane. I won¡¯t forget that!!¡± ¡°What kind of education did you receive¡­¡± ¡°Wild¡­¡± Bal coaxed Dain, ¡°Shush now. Thanks to me you¡¯ve gotten stronger. There are not many magicians who are strong at fighting¡­ although, you¡¯re still not that strong to be honest.¡± Bal looked at Reito and shook his head, smirking before talking to Dain again. ¡°By the way, Dain, I heard you were tricked by a succubus and thrown out on the streets naked¡± ¡°W-Where did you hear that!? Reito, you wouldn¡¯t have¡­¡± he stared at Reito suspiciously. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me.¡± ¡°Then, was it Gonzo!?¡± ¡°I also didn¡¯t say anything¡­¡± Bal laughed, ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the information-gathering powers of the adventurer guild. The succubus made a confession to the police officers. By the way, your clothes have also been collected. When we get back to town, you can go pick them up¡± ¡°Shit, that succubus!!¡± It appeared that, after being turned over to the authorities, the succubus confessed everything. Dain had been saved, but she had committed a minor crime. ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to the succubus?¡± Reito asked timidly. Bal answered, ¡°she¡¯s in prison in Gollum Town. To prevent her from seducing a male guard, they put a female guard on her. The fact that you were tricked by a succubus means you really are stupid.¡± ¡°Shut up!! I¡¯m helpless when I see large breasts!!¡± ¡°¡­I feel like that¡¯s no excuse,¡± Reito joked. Bal joined in, ¡°Were her breasts really that large? How do you like mine?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play around. Those aren¡¯t boobs, those are pecs!!¡± ¡°You really are a rude little brat¡± Bal and Dain were arguing like they were a wife and husband comedy duo. Reito laughed at their conversations. He thought about the time he had spent with Aria when he was at the mansion, deep in the woods. Bal and Dain were acting like he and Aria used to. Reito realized he would never see her again and suddenly felt depressed. He sighed. ¡°Reito?¡± ¡°Purupuru¡± Kotomin and Suramin were worried and looked at his face. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just remembered something from a long time ago.¡± He said, smiling at them. He wanted to know what Aria was up to now. He was going to ask Airis when all of a sudden the wolf-cart stopped. Volume 3 - CH 3.1 ¡°W-Wait!! You can¡¯t take this road!!¡± a soldier said, blocking the path and stopping the wolf-cart. Reito and Bal looked up from the cart to see two girls they recognized. ¡°N-Nao? Princess Nao?¡± ¡°Nao?¡± But Nao was covered in blood. She was walking swaying side to side, looking dizzy. She dropped down as if she were about to faint. The Knights of Valkyria were standing by her side, covered in the same wounds. Bal got down from the wolf-cart and pushed the soldiers out of her way. ¡°Get back!!¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°Who are you!?¡± ¡°Wait!! That¡¯s the master of the Black Tiger guild!!¡± Reito and crew also slipped past the guards, following her. He began healing the Knights of Valkyria. The soldiers were also using the recovery medicine they had on hand. Bal spoke to Nao, ¡°Princess, it¡¯s me! It¡¯s Bal!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ Bal?¡± ¡°Hurry up! Get me the recovery medicine, ASAP,¡± Bal shouted at the soldiers. ¡°Relax! I¡¯ll heal her,¡± Reito said, using his ¡°Recovery Boost¡± auxiliary magic to try to heal her. He managed to stop the bleeding from all her wounds. But, as if all her anxiety had melted away, she passed out. Bal immediately picked up Nao. ¡°I¡¯m gonna take the princess to the Adventurer Guild!! If you¡¯ve got a problem, come after me!!¡± ¡°W, wait!! The princess¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!!¡± Bal carried Nao and ran through the town. The soldiers followed her but no one was able to catch up. Bal headed for the Adventurer Guild alone. In the meantime, Reito healed the other knights. He asked about the situation from the knights who had recovered. ¡°Get yourself together!! What happened?¡± ¡°Uhh¡­¡± ¡°Reito, I¡¯ll also help¡± ¡°Kotomin?¡± Kotomin reached out her hand and released water-colored magic from it. Reito was surprised to know that she could use recovery magic. Kotomin grabbed the Suramin on Reito¡¯s shoulders with both hands and said, ¡°Suramin will help me. I need water to use my recovery magic, so I¡¯m going to use Suramin¡¯s moisture¡± ¡°Purupuru¡± ¡°So this is the spirit magic of the mermaid race!?¡± Dain called out from behind. Kotomin was holding Suramin with both hands, wringing him out. ¡°Hrr¡­¡± ¡°Pururu¡± ¡°Will she be alright? You¡¯re wringing her out like a cloth¡± ¡°It should be no problem. This is my spirit magic water healing powers¡± ¡°Hrr¡­¡± She wrung out the water from Suramin, letting it drip on the wound of one of the female knights. The moment the drop touched the wound, it not only healed, but also washed away the blood stain. The people who witnessed that were surprised. Reito was worried about Suramin and gave it some water. ¡°That¡¯s right, drink up. You got real small.¡± ¡°Purupuru¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give it too much at once, he¡¯ll explode?¡± ¡°Wait, for real!?¡± ¡°Could you take care of this knight next? We can¡¯t seem to wake her up.¡± Almost all of the Valkyria Knights had the same kind of wounds as Princess Nao. Reito and Kotomin were even able to treat the knights who were unconscious and couldn¡¯t take the recovery medicine. After administering treatment to the unconscious knight, they laid her on her side. The cyclops also tried to copy them and approach the lady knights, but the lady knights were scared. Reito and Kotomin asked the knight they treated last, ¡°are you all right?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± This girl appeared to be about the same age as Nao. She silently pulled her sword blade out from the sheath. Some kind of rotting smell fanned out. Ullr whimpered as his strong sense of smell reacted to the stench. ¡°We came to inspect a village that had been destroyed by goblins. All of a sudden we spotted a giant egg. It was a dragon egg.¡± Everyone listening shuddered at the word, ¡°dragon egg¡± The girl continued, ¡°the egg was in the village which had been destroyed. There were a lot of Decay Stones installed throughout the village. Perhaps to ward off monsters. There was a kind of magic ring I had never seen before drawn around the egg. It appeared a necromancer had come through there.¡± ¡°Necromancer?¡± Reito said before Airis corresponded. ¡ºThey use dead bodies to produce zombies and skeletons. It is a kind of dark magic¡» The black-haired girl retold the story as follows. The village had been destroyed when the Empire had caused the ¡°Armed Goblin Incident.¡± The dragon egg was left behind as a foothold of the necromancer. Upon discovering the egg, the Valkyria Knights experienced something unexpected. ¡ô¡ô¡ô The Valkyria Knights, the black-haired knight Rinon, and Nao had arrived at the village when she spotted the mystery egg. She noticed that the egg was rather large. To break apart the egg, she used a pyro-property stone to blow it apart. However, the moment before she tried to destroy the egg, the magical ring started to glow and the egg suddenly hatched. A dragon with a characteristically large chin appeared, emerging from the stench of something rotting. It was a rotten dragon. The Valkyria Knights turned their sights toward the rotten dragon. It perceived the girls as food and ran right for Nao. It¡¯s not clear why the dragon went after Nao, but she ordered the knights to retreat. The knights ran for it. Fortunately, the movements of the dragon who had just been born were rather slow. They managed to put some distance between them and the dragon. Suddenly, the Dragon opened its mouth wide and let out some white smoke. The white smoke would instantly dissolve anything it would touch. One of the knights who was riding the horse furthest in the back of the group lost her life. Nao became furious watching one of her knights die and lost her cool. She turned around and hit the dragon head-on. The other knights couldn¡¯t just abandon Nao and so they turned to support her. The dragon had even more blunt movements as it had just breathed white smoke. The knights were able to attack it. It¡¯s skin was made of decomposing material, so the attacks actually did a lot of harm to it. Every time the girls would slash the dragon, it would screech. But, what came out of the dragon¡¯s mouth wasn¡¯t blood. It was some kind of purple liquid. This liquid appeared to be some kind of acid that melted the weapons and armor of the knights. Unable to stop the dragon even with their best attacks, the knights were eaten up one by one. ~ Before they knew it, ten lives had been lost. Princess Nao was in pieces before ordering retreat again. Without any time for vengeance, the knights tried to retreat, though many of them were killed in the process. The dragon tried to intercept Nao but had been stopped. She ran for her life, crossing the grass plain. They realized they had made it to safety but they had lost half of their troop in the process. ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¡°A real dragon egg!? I can¡¯t believe it¡­¡± ¡°It would be horrible if it was to reach the city¡­!!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got to report this to the capital! We¡¯ve got to dispatch troops!!¡± Rinon¡¯s report greatly frightened the security troops. Reito and crew silently listened to her story until the end. ¡°We were only to get away by chance. It appeared in a village surrounded by clouds but when it followed us to the grass fields, it was hit by sunlight and let out a shriek, running away. It¡¯s weak point appears to be sunlight. ¡°Sunlight¡­¡± ¡°If my hypothesis is correct, there¡¯s no one who can stop it at night. It might come after us again tonight. We¡¯ve got to get the support of the capital before then¡± Rinon spoke these words before one of the troops replied in a big voice, ¡°Are you aware how far we are from the capital!? And you¡¯re saying the creature acts at night!! Even if they were to send support now, I don¡¯t think we could make it to the capital in time!!¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t underestimate the knights!!¡± ¡°Shut up!! These knights are the ones who brought this rotten dragon here in the first place. I¡¯m running for it!! I don¡¯t wanna die!!¡± The soldier lost his restraint and ran for it. Dragons are also known as Disaster Monsters as their very existence brought about disasters. No one could fault the soldier for running away. Rinon had made up her mind, ¡°I¡¯m worried about the princess¡¯s help. I¡¯m going to head for the capital. There¡¯s not a moment to spare. I must inform the king about the situation.¡± ¡°But, in your current state¡­¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have time to think about that. The dragon might come and attack at any moment!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be rash!! It¡¯s impossible given the state of your body!!¡± Recovery Magic couldn¡¯t recover fatigue. She was at her physical and psychological limits after running so far. One of the soldiers who was heading toward the capital told her. ¡°For now, let¡¯s get all the knights to the Healing Centers ASAP!! Everyone, lend a hand!!¡± ¡°Healing Center?¡± Reito asked before Airis explained, ¡º It¡¯s what they call hospitals in this world. There¡¯s no such thing as a doctor in this world, so a Recovery Specialist conducts the ¡®healing¡¯ at a place called the ¡®Healing Center¡¯.¡» The Valkyria Knights had received treatment, but most of them were still unconscious. Reito stared in silence, leaving them to the soldiers, and thought about what to do next. Rinon, who was about to be taken to the healers, raised her voice in protest. ¡°I said I won¡¯t go!! I¡¯m gonna go to the royal capital¡­¡± ¡°In your current state, that¡¯s impossible. Hey, you guys, restrain her!¡± The soldiers tried to take her to the healers by force before a certain somebody approached. ¡°Grr, get off me, shit!¡± ¡°Stop struggling, you stupid girl!¡± Bal appeared behind Rinon, having carried Nao to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Bal put Rinon into a chokehold, squeezing her lightly to knock her out. She put Rinon on her shoulders and called out to Reito, ¡°The princess is all right. She¡¯s sleeping at the Guild. Come along¡­ I want to talk about the dragon.¡± ¡°Got it. Ullr, go back home. Lead the Cyclops back.¡± Ullr whimpered, and the Cyclops seemed confused. Kotomin asked Bal, ¡°Should I come along too?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t invite members who aren¡¯t in the Guild. Run along now, little lady.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Reito gave Ullr a small command. Ullr obediently followed the command and put Kotomin on the wolf cart. The two of them, along with the Cyclops, went to Reito¡¯s house in Adventure City. Looking back, Ullr saw Reito following after Bal along with Gonzo and Dain. ~ ¡°Nao¡­ No, I mean, how¡¯s the princess doing?¡± Reito asked, correcting himself to use honorifics. Bal let out a sigh. ¡°Her mind is more damaged than her body. Her eyes are open, but her consciousness isn¡¯t there yet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s terrible¡­¡± ¡°Will she be all right,¡± Dain asked, worried. ¡°Actually,¡± Reito shared all the information he had gotten from Rinon with Bal. Bal seemed to know something about the rotten dragon. She suddenly stopped out of nowhere and clutched her head as if remembering some horrible incident. ¡°Rotten dragon¡­ Do you mean the Zombie Dragon?¡± ¡°Zombie Dragon?¡± Dain chimed in, ¡°d-do you mean the legendary dragon child controlled by a necromancer? I¡¯ve heard of that too.¡± ¡°Just what I expected out of a Dark Magician. Do you also know a lot about necromancers in general, given you¡¯re the same class?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t put me together with those criminals. We would never use the poor bodies of the deceased!¡± ¡°Zombie Dragon?¡± Listening to Dain and Bal¡¯s conversation, Reito was confused. Before long, Airis explained, ¡ºOne hundred years ago, a seed controlled by a necromancer appeared. The Necromancer discovered the dragon¡¯s corpse by chance and gave it half of his own life to bring it back to life. The name given to that rotten dragon was ¡°Zombie Dragon.¡± This rotten dragon had destroyed three towns before anyone knew it. After the Necromancer was assassinated, the rotten dragon passed away with it.¡» ¡ºSo, the rotten dragon this time around is¡­¡» ¡ºProbably also the work of a necromancer. It appears he used a dragon that had died just before hatching this time around.¡» ¡ºIn that case, we¡¯ve got to defeat the Necromancer.¡» ¡ºThat would be the fastest way to do it. But, it¡¯s not such an easy opponent.¡» ¡ºWhy is that?¡» ¡ºThe Necromancer who brought to life the Zombie Dragon one hundred years ago gave half his life to bring it back and control it. This time, the Necromancer is not a human but a demon.¡» ¡ºA demon¡­ Just like Gain and Basil.¡» ¡º That¡¯s right. This opponent means trouble. It¡¯s not the kind of opponent where I can tell you details about them beforehand, and you¡¯ll be able to beat them.¡» ¡ºAre they really so bad?¡» There was something solemn about Airis¡¯s voice that he had never heard before. ¡º She¡¯s a vampire that¡¯s been alive for more than 100 years. The one who turned Gain into a vampire in the first place was also her. She is over a Level 80. If she had led a proper life, she would be dubbed a ¡®Hero.¡¯ She¡¯s that much of a character.¡» ¡ºShe?¡» ¡ºSo, it was a girl who brought the rotten dragon back to life. And she is the world¡¯s strongest Necromancer. She¡¯s not an opponent you can defeat in your current state. Her name is Aira.¡» ¡ºAira¡­ She has the same name as my mother.¡» ¡º That¡¯s right. Don¡¯t worry, your mother didn¡¯t become evil after you disappeared.¡» ¡º I¡¯d cry if that were the case!¡» ¡ºEither way, there¡¯s nothing you can do about her at the moment, so it¡¯d be better to turn your sights on the rotten dragon. Try to figure out what Bal and crew¡¯s course of action is.¡» Avoiding any unnecessary conversation, Reito closed communication with Airis. Reito followed her advice and decided to follow Bal. Volume 3 - CH 3.2 It had been an hour since the Valkyrja Knights arrived in Adventure City Lunot. Many people were coming to visit the ¡®Black Tiger¡¯ Adventurer¡¯s Guild. There were people from other adventurer guilds, security staff, along with Recovery Specialists from the Healing Centers who had come to treat the injuries sustained. In the Reception Room of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, the three Guild Masters of Adventure City Lunot were gathered. There was the ¡®Black Tigers¡¯ Bal along with ¡®Hailstorm¡¯ and ¡®Fang Dragon¡¯s guild leaders. The three of them had solemn expressions. Even Maria of Hailstorm, who usually had a clear expression, could not hide her frustration as she sipped at her tea. The first one to open their mouth was Fang Dragon¡¯s Guildmaster, Gigan. The giant, Gigan, was working both as a guild master and an adventurer at the same time. He shared his opinion on the current topic. ¡°Zombie Dragon¡­aren¡¯t we here to talk about how to defeat that rotten dragon?¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s just¡­¡± Maria continued. ¡°I never thought we¡¯d meet like this,¡± Bal replied in a bad mood. Gigan looked upset with the other two before continuing, ¡°I know you both hate each other. But, there¡¯s a time and place for that. First, as far as the Hunting Festival goes, this goes without saying, but it will be cancelled.¡± ¡°Not much to do about that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it so lightly. It¡¯s a big loss for us.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do about it. The existence of the city is in danger.¡± The Hunting Festival drew the attention of all the countries in the world. The cancellation would be a massive loss for Adventure City. But, there was no way they could conduct it as planned given the appearance of the rotten dragon onto the scene. Hailstorm¡¯s Maria looked rather displeased as she had often received large sums of compensation from various kingdoms every year as a result of her excellent showings at the Hunting Festival. Gigan started again, ¡°I think we need to dispatch assassins from each of the guilds and scout the dragon. Any objections?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t expect anything from me. Thanks to a certain someone, all my most skilled workers have been taken away,¡± Bal said before Maria replied. ¡°Are you being soft? After all, your beloved princess was the one who told us about this incident in the first place. Shouldn¡¯t you be the one who puts in all their effort?¡± ¡°Tsk. I only have D-rank assassins.¡± Gigan opened his mouth, ¡°That¡¯s more than enough. I¡¯ll dispatch two B-ranks.¡± ¡°It looks like I have no choice¡­ I¡¯ll send out five A-rank assassins to help you.¡± Gigan scolded Maria, ¡°Don¡¯t act like this is someone else¡¯s problem. If we don¡¯t put our strengths together, Adventure City will be destroyed.¡± ¡°What an exaggeration¡­ It¡¯s not like we know the rotten dragon will come after Adventure City.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if we have definitive proof that it will come or not. If we leave the situation alone, a large number of humans will be sacrificed. You need to be more serious about this!!¡± ¡°I guess I can¡¯t help it¡± Bal and Maria glared at each other for a while before Maria put her tea on the table aggressively. They began sorting out intel on the rotten dragon. At the present time, we know that the rotten dragon¡¯s birthplace is a few hours away from Adventure City by horse in a mountain village. According to the Valkyria knights who were caught in hostilities, the rotten dragon emits a highly corrosive smoke and liquid from its body. Its weakness is sunlight. That¡¯s how we know that it¡¯s almost certain that it¡¯s a Necromancer¡¯s ¡®Servant Beast.¡¯ Servant Beasts are undead creatures brought back to life by Necromancers using dark magic. ¡°Rather than go after the rotten dragon, wouldn¡¯t it be better to go after the person controlling it?¡± ¡°We will figure that out while we go after the dragon. If we can¡¯t discover who that is, we¡¯ll need to defeat the dragon by ourselves. ¡°Bal was skeptical about what Gigan said. ¡°Why is it just us? Shouldn¡¯t we also ask for help from the Royal Army?¡± ¡°You¡¯re as dumb as always¡­ The Kingdom isn¡¯t going to act on this incident.¡± ¡°HAH! What the hell are you saying¡­ Our opponent is a legendary monster! What are they levying such high taxes for if they¡¯re not going to help in this kind of situation!¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s not certain that the rotten dragon will come to Adventure City, right?¡± ¡°What does¡­ you don¡¯t mean!?¡± Maria turned to Bal and irritatedly told him, ¡°It¡¯s impossible to refute that there¡¯s no chance it won¡¯t attack the royal capital. The Royal Army, therefore, has an obligation to protect the capital first and foremost.¡± ¡°They¡¯re just going to leave us to die.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not certain, but¡­ They are probably going to prioritize the capital over this city.¡± ¡°You¡¯re shitting me!! They¡¯re not even planning to help us take down this creature!!¡± ¡°Relax. The King hasn¡¯t even been informed that the rotten dragon exists yet. That being said, as far as we know, it¡¯s unlikely that the prudent King is going to send out his precious soldiers,¡± Maria said and sighed. Gigan silently nodded. Bal asked the two of them, ¡°In that case, what are you two thinking? Are you just going to wait?¡± ¡°Do you have some kind of plan?¡± ¡°Of course. I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s a Zombie Dragon or any rotten dragon. He hurt our princess. I¡¯m going to kill him¡­ Or, so I¡¯d like to say. But, I also have no intention of fighting a legendary dragon-like that without a plan.¡± ¡°In that case, what are you going to do?¡± Bal answered Gigan¡¯s question, ¡°At any rate, we should contact the royal capital. I don¡¯t know what the King will do, but if I were a parent, I wouldn¡¯t just let my child be attacked.¡± ¡°That¡¯s generous thinking. How about you do what you want?¡± ¡°How are you planning to contact him? Night is the domain of monsters.¡± Almost all the monsters in the world were nocturnal. Many monsters that weren¡¯t a threat in the day suddenly become violent at night. ¡°I¡¯ve got someone who can work at night, no problem. I¡¯ll ask him to take care of it. That bastard can do anything.¡± ¡°Oh yeah? I didn¡¯t know you had such famous and capable people in your Guild. Maybe I overlooked him.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cherry-pick my best members!!¡± ¡°Calm down. Can we really trust that adventurer?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the pride of our Guild. He¡¯s a little weird, but¡­ Even though he¡¯s not a monster controller, he managed to tame a cyclops recently.¡± ¡°That Cyclops? It does interest me.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a really tough guy. In that case, I¡¯ll leave the contact up to you. We¡¯ve got a plan¡± they started to debate about a good resistance plan. Gigan laid out a plan about what to do if they were attacked. ¡°First, the battle strength of the security forces is not worth mentioning. They¡¯re not useless, but they don¡¯t have enough battle experience. This is Adventure City, so it¡¯s going to be up to us Adventurers to fight back.¡± ¡°But, the rotten dragon¡¯s Danger Level is five, no doubt about it. Will we be able to hold back such a legendary creature?¡± ¡°What a weak thing to say! You used to fight with just about anybody back in the days, no holding back,¡± said Bal. ¡°That¡¯s true; that¡¯s because I had a partner I could trust back then.¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± ¡°Keep the lovers talk for later! If it¡¯s approaching the city, we can request the use of the monsters at the Monster Emporium to lead the fight.¡± Maria and Bal were dumbfounded at Gigan¡¯s surprising strategy. ¡°You¡¯re planning to harness the fighting capabilities of magical monsters?¡± ¡°Are you crazy? Do you really think the people from Monster Emporium would be willing to cooperate? They¡¯re so obnoxious about money.¡± Maria added on. ¡°Even if the strategy succeeded, they would bill us for the cost. They raise monsters for a living, after all. What¡¯s more, the Monster Controllers would be exposed to danger as well. ¡°There¡¯s no chance the Monster Emporium would send out their precious Monster Controllers into battle.¡± ¡°I know that. We would only use that as a last resort. If you have any other ideas, let me hear them.¡± Gigan requested before the two of them sighed. ¡°Before we even talk about strategy, I¡¯m not even sure if the adventurers themselves would join the fight against the rotten dragon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. The rotten dragon hasn¡¯t been designated for subjugation by the King at present. In other words, even if they succeeded in subjugating it, they might not receive compensation¡­ Even if the adventurers were to combine their power, if they didn¡¯t get compensated in return, a riot would be likely to break out.¡± ¡°What if you were to pay them back with dragon materials? You could take apart the rotten dragon and sell its parts.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, their opponent this time will be rotting. Do you really think they could sell that?¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± As a general rule, dragon parts could fetch a high price. They are used as the material for legendary holy swords and magical swords. But, just as the name would suggest, the rotten dragon was decaying. The three of them each drew a breath in exasperation. They realized how tough of an opponent they had in front of them. Volume 3 - CH 3.3 While the Guildmaster meeting was reaching stormy waters, Reito was at the Guild¡¯s bar with Gonzo and Dain. Dain was complaining, letting off steam. ¡°Aah¡­ How did we get into this mess?¡± ¡°A legendary Zombie Dragon¡­ This might be a little off-color, but I¡¯m itching to fight¡± ¡°You¡¯re really carefree, huh? What if we all die?¡± ¡°Do you know anything about the Zombie Dragon?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not really well-versed, but¡­ I¡¯ve heard the legends about them being controlled by Necromancers. I looked it up as a child.¡± Airis¡¯s voice rang through Reito¡¯s ears, ¡ºOr, so he says. Dain¡¯s actually quite versed in it. He¡¯s the pride of his Adventurer¡¯s Guild in terms of monster knowledge¡» Reito asked about the guild master meeting. ¡ºWhat is the meeting like?¡» ¡º It¡¯s really dragging out as they put forward resistance plans. At the current rate, it¡¯s likely to go on for a while. It appears Bal is planning to have you go to the Kingdom as a messenger¡» ¡ºHuh? Why!?¡» ¡ºBecause of your pets Ullr and the cyclops. She thinks you have a way with animals and will be able to ward off monsters, even at night¡» Reito had managed to cruise through the grasslands at night in the wolf cart. He wasn¡¯t attacked by any magical monsters. He had put a Decay Stone on his cart, but regardless, if Ullr were to make himself into a giant wolf, no monster would dare approach. But, it would be bad news if he were sent. Just four years ago, there was a search warrant issued for him as the illegitimate child of the royal family. There¡¯s a chance they would recognize his true identity. ¡ºWhat should I do?¡» ¡ºHow about you run away? No one would blame you.¡» ¡ºAnd just leave everyone behind?¡» ¡ºI figured you¡¯d say that¡» Airis didn¡¯t want Reito to get involved with the rotten dragon. But, she knew his personality, and she knew he wouldn¡¯t leave his friends behind, so she gave him some advice. ¡ºIf you really want to fight the rotten dragon, you¡¯ll need a holy sword.¡» ¡ºAre we going to gather the Servants from Fate Grand Order?¡» ¡ºNo, there are no Gacha games in this world.¡» ¡ºAre there really that many holy swords just lying around?¡» ¡ºThere are a decent number of them. There¡¯s even one in adventure city. It hasn¡¯t been used for a while, and it¡¯s rusty, but it¡¯s currently owned by a weapons maniac. We could steal it¡» ¡º Don¡¯t just suggest robbery so casually.¡» ¡ºIs there anything else we can do? This guy¡¯s a real bad guy. He¡¯s not just going to just give his things to other people so easily.¡» ¡ºAre you serious?¡» ¡ºYou can either commit a crime to save everyone, or you can run away. Those are the only two options. What will you do?¡» ¡ºOkay, okay. I will just give it back when I¡¯m done.¡» ¡º You¡¯re a real righteous person. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any need to give it back.¡» ¡ºHelp me to not get caught.¡» ¡ºUnderstood. In that case, shall we use Suramin¡¯s powers?¡» ¡ºI forgot to give it back to Kotomin.¡» Reito looked at the Suramin in his breast pocket. It was a split-off body, but it had the same will and camouflage capability as the main body. That being said, in this split state, it didn¡¯t have a lot of disguise capabilities. Reito got to work, following Airis¡¯s instructions. He reported to Dain and Gonzo, ¡°I¡¯m heading out for a little while.¡± ¡°What happened, all of a sudden¡­¡± ¡°Are you worried about Kotomin?¡± ¡°Something like that. I¡¯ll be out for five or six hours.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a little while at all!? That¡¯ll be the next day!!¡± ¡°I was joking.¡± He said goodbye to them before leaving the Guild. He immediately used ¡°Muscle Reinforcement¡± and ¡°Leap¡± to move from rooftop to rooftop. Before he knew it, he was at his destination. ~ ¡°¡­ Is this the Monster Emporium?¡± ¡º That¡¯s right. The holy sword is hidden in this place. Brace yourself.¡» Reito had come to a ginormous building in the northern part of the city. It had the same atmosphere as a castle. According to Airis, the building had been remodeled from a Baltros Empire castle before Adventure City was even founded. A few decades ago, it was purchased by the owner of Monster Emporium and, at present, is used as a facility to store monsters. At present, there are countless monsters gathered for the Hunting Festival inside. It was known as the Magical Beast Castle by the people in the area. Reito used his Storage Magic to change into clothes that wouldn¡¯t stand out so he could sneak in. He wrapped his arms up in the chains that he used to detain the Cyclops earlier. He was making full use of the skills of an assassin as he moved along. ¡°Leap sure comes in handy in times like these.¡± ¡º It¡¯s your best skill, Reito!¡» He disappeared into the darkness, seeming to enjoy bouncing from rooftop to rooftop. ¡°There seem to be more people now¡­ Perhaps I should get on the ground?¡± ¡º That¡¯s true. Just because you are using your assassin¡¯s skills doesn¡¯t mean you can be negligent. Other assassins will be able to see right through you.¡» He moved to the front of the castle before dropping to the ground. He put his ¡°Night Vision,¡± ¡°Stealth,¡± ¡°Soundless Walk,¡± ¡°Seal Presence,¡± and ¡°Detect Presence¡± skills into action. Using multiple skills at once would rapidly burn through a lot of physical stamina. Still, he had been training his body since he was a child, so the effort was no problem for him. Reito scoped out his surroundings, looking for an opening to sneak into the castle. Looking up at the protective wall that was surrounding the castle, he found soldiers on patrol. He moved along the wall, paying attention to them. He could use ¡°Leap¡± and the chains wrapped around his arms to get over the protective barrier if he wanted to. But, Reito decided to follow Airis¡¯s advice and move very cautiously. ¡ºDo you understand? We¡¯re just trying to not get caught and steal the holy sword. If you get caught by even one person, retreat immediately.¡» ¡ºUnderstood, Colonel!¡» ¡ºWho the hell are you calling Colonel¡­ Oh! When you turn the corner, you¡¯ll bump heads with a soldier, so watch out.¡» Reito took Airis¡¯s advice and immediately departed from the spot. Before long, a soldier clad in leather armor strolled by. Watching him from a distance, he asked Airis for a good trespassing method. ¡ºWhat should I do from here? Should I camouflage myself as one of them and sneak in?¡» ¡ºRight¡­ you could use Suramin to change your face, but your outfit is the problem. You could steal one of their uniforms¡» ¡º Isn¡¯t stealing sort of¡­ conspicuous?¡» ¡º It¡¯s okay. Another soldier will pass by in three minutes. Knock him out. He always has a poor attitude at work and is famous for drinking on the job. Even if someone notices that he¡¯s gone, they¡¯ll just think he¡¯s skipping out on his duties. It¡¯ll be no problem.¡» ¡ºOkay. But, how do I do that?¡» ¡ºJust knock him out somehow. You can place a bottle of alcohol next to him. They were planning to fire him anyway, so don¡¯t worry about it. Even if someone happens to see him, they¡¯ll just think he got drunk and passed out.¡» ¡º He¡¯s a very poor employee.¡» Reito hid in the shadow of the castle. Just as he was informed, a middle-aged soldier appeared, carrying a bottle of alcohol on the job. He might have already been drunk. His legs were wobbling from side to side. ¡°Ah, shit, my alcohol ran out¡­ Someone bring me some more.¡± ¡ºHe has some nerve to say that while on the job¡­ Reito, go! It¡¯s your chance!¡» ¡°Got you!¡± ¡°Gahh!?¡± Reito sneaked up from behind. He grabbed onto him from the back and choked him with both his arms. The soldier struggled a little before losing consciousness shortly after that. The bottle dropped from his side. ¡°Phew¡­ He¡¯s not dead, right?¡± ¡º He¡¯s just passed out. Take him somewhere, and quickly! Don¡¯t forget the alcohol bottle!!¡» Reito grabbed the bottle the man had dropped on the floor and moved him. He found a place that no one would notice and took the armor off the soldier. He also took the lance the soldier was holding for good measure. After that, he took the empty alcohol bottle from him and laid him down on the floor. He covered him in a blanket to be sure the man wouldn¡¯t catch a cold. ¡°This should be all right¡­ Black snake, sneaking in!¡± ¡ºWhat makes you think you¡¯re some kind of black snake?¡» He took Suramin out from his chest as he mumbled the dialogue of the protagonist of an assassin game. ¡°Suramin, I need you to change into this man¡¯s face.¡± ¡°Pururun.¡± He pulled Suramin over his own face, having him change it into the face of the man. After disguising himself as the man, he attempted sneaking into the castle from the front. ~ ¡°These guards are pretty thick. They let me in without noticing the difference in height.¡± ¡ºLucky for us.¡» Reito moved through the castle brazenly. He ran into a few patrol guards along the way, but they didn¡¯t suspect anything. Following Airis¡¯s advice, he headed toward the basement storage room where the holy sword was kept. ¡°Gururu!!¡± ¡°Hm? What¡¯s wrong with this guy¡­¡± ¡ºThe monster controllers¡¯ contracted beasts are also stationed in the castle at the current time. They¡¯ve been ordered not to attack humans, but they have also been told to report on any suspicious characters.¡» He listened to Airis¡¯s explanation as he passed through untouched. The monsters had noticed something and tried to bark at him. ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± Reito glared at the monster. It whimpered. ¡°Who¡¯s a good boy!¡± ¡º You¡¯ve really learned a lot training Ullr¡­ Just one glance and you got it to be quiet.¡» Using his skills from scolding Ullr, he got the monster to shut up. It appeared the monster realized it was outmatched and cleared the way in the hallway for him. ¡°It¡¯s this way¡± ¡ºGo right there. It¡¯s a bit complicated, so I¡¯ll explain as we go along¡» ¡°Got it. You¡¯re a very convenient woman, Airis.¡± ¡º Don¡¯t say, ¡°convenient!¡± Do you want me to cut off communication?¡» Reito continued passing through the labyrinth-like complex corridors of the castle, never letting his guard down. He had encountered a few locked doors along the way, but he used the alchemy skill, ¡°Shape Change,¡± to make a key and get through. Volume 3 - CH 3.4 Some ten minutes had passed before Reito had finally discovered the staircase leading to the basement storage. ¡°There are two guards. I should have brought an anesthesia gun with me.¡± ¡ºThat weapon doesn¡¯t exist. You will need to divert their attention somehow. A contracted monster should be passing in just a little bit. Let¡¯s watch how they react.¡» Reito waited in the shadows of a column in the hallway. He turned his sights toward the guards. Both of them weren¡¯t in the usual soldier outfit but donned higher-quality armor and weapons. While he was watching the two soldiers, some contracted monsters, a group of orcs, appeared. The orcs scratched their heads while they took rounds through the hallway. ¡°Tsk¡­ These pigs! They stink every time they pass by!¡± ¡°Suck it up! It¡¯s our job!¡± ¡°Eesh!¡± The two guards scrunched their faces at the rancid smell the orcs gave off. Reito carefully hid in the shadow of the column as he used an ice clot spell to produce a small ice cube from his fingertip. He tapped the second-to-last orc¡¯s head with it. ¡°Screech!?¡± ¡°Screech!?¡± The last orc turned around in anger, pushing another orc in anger! ¡°SCREEECH!!¡± ¡°Screech!?¡± ¡°Huh!?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on!?¡± The guards were shaken as the orcs suddenly broke out into a riot. Reito continued hitting the orcs with the ice, and it turned into an all-out brawl. ¡°Screech!?¡± ¡°Screech!?¡± ¡°SCREECH!!¡± The guards tried to stop their movements. ¡°What¡¯s gotten into them!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an all-out riot!! Where¡¯s the monster controller that¡¯s supposed to be in charge of them!!¡± Taking advantage of that opening, Reito leaped onto the ceiling and dived toward the top landing of the stairs. ¡°Strategy Complete.¡± ¡°Congratulations.¡± ¡°What I¡¯ll do when I get back¡­ I guess I¡¯ll find out then.¡± Reito used ¡°Soundless Walk¡± as he descended the stairs. He ended up at a door that was glimmering like a mirror. At one glance, Reito could tell that the material was magical metal. ¡ºThis is bad¡­ The door appears to be made of a material highly resistant to magic. You won¡¯t be able to blast through it using magic.¡» ¡ºIf it¡¯s magic metal¡­ I can¡¯t even use ¡°shape change¡± on it. Maybe I could change the shape of something that¡¯s not the door itself.¡» ¡ºThat would take too much time. There¡¯s not much you can do about it¡­ Perhaps it¡¯s about time you welcomed a new evolution.¡» ¡ºWhat? I don¡¯t have a Megastone!¡» ¡ºWhy are you talking about Pokemon out of nowhere? Also, that¡¯s a little outdated reference¡­ You have some skill points that have built up. If you use that, you should be able to strengthen your abilities.¡» ¡ºSkill points¡­?¡» ¡ºYou can strengthen your alchemy skills. I¡¯m going to upgrade your ¡°Metal Transmutation¡± skill.¡» Reito followed Airis¡¯s advice and opened his Status Screen. ¡ºRaise the upper limit of the alchemy skill. If you use your skill points, you can increase the max score by 10 points.¡» ¡°Oh, this¡­¡± Reito looked at the Status Screen, following Airis¡¯s instructions. After expending his skill points, the upper limits of his ¡°Metal Transmutation,¡± ¡°Shape Change,¡± and ¡°Matter Reinforcement¡± skills were increased. He expended 15 skill points. Each of the skills required five skill points. . . ¡°Ho, that surprised me. I thought you were saying some weird thing in my head.¡± ¡ºWhy would I do that? I¡¯m not the system voice.¡» ¡ºI feel like you¡¯re talking like a regular person nowadays.¡» ¡º I¡¯ve managed to capture your wavelength. How about it? Are there any changes to your status screen?¡» ¡°Hmm¡­ What¡¯s this?¡± When he rechecked his alchemy stats, the skills that had previously had a limit of five points were now at 10 points. It was a little surreal. . [Alchemy Skills] Metal Transmutation ¨C Change an object into another type of metal. [Skill Level ¨C 10 (Max Score)] Matter Reinforcement ¨C Increase the durability of an object. [Skill Level ¨C 10 (Max Score)] Shape Change ¨C Change the shape of an object. [Skill Level ¨C 10 (Max Score)] . Even though he had just updated them, they were already maxed out at 10. He asked Airis, ¡°They¡¯re already at the max point level¡­¡± ¡ºBecause you had already maxed out the skill before the Skill limit had been raised. If you were to use a video game metaphor, it¡¯s like the experience points you gain for reaching the highest level. They carry over.¡» ¡°I see, and then what happens?¡± ¡ºYou should have a notification. Please check.¡» He followed AIris¡¯s instructions, and a sentence was displayed: . . ¡°What the hell is this?¡± ¡º You¡¯ve reached the limit, so you can evolve the skill. If you evolve the skill, the Skill Level will be reset.¡» ¡°I see¡­¡± Reito evolved the skills, no holds back. The alchemy skills changed as follows: . [Alchemy Skills] Matter Transmutation ¨C Change any matter into another type of matter. Super Matter Reinforcement ¨C Increase the durability of an object to a greater extent. High-Speed Shape Change ¨C Change the shape of an object instantly. . Reito looked at the ¡°Matter Transmutation¡± skill and asked Airis, ¡°Will this Matter Transmutation skill help me to¡­¡± ¡ºIt works just like you¡¯d think. You could use it on metal that before it was useless against. In other words, you can use it on magical metal, something ¡°Metal Transmutation¡± was incapable of.¡» ¡°That¡¯s great! So, can I use it on this door?¡± ¡º Let¡¯s find out!! Use your alchemy abilities!! You should be able to now.¡» Reito put both his hands on the magical metal door before him and used ¡°Matter Transmutation,¡± much like he had used ¡°Metal Transmutation before. The door shined brightly as the Magical Metal was gradually transformed. ¡°This is incredible!¡± His skill level had been reset, so it took quite the time. The door gradually changed from an ore called Reflection Stone to just an ordinary iron door. Reito muttered to himself, feeling dizzy. ¡°This is really taking a lot out of me!¡± ¡ºThe skill is more potent, so it burns more energy. But, it appears you¡¯re getting quite the reward for what you put in.¡» ¡°What is the duration of the effects of ¡°Matter Transmutation?¡± ¡ºIt isn¡¯t as long as ¡°Metal Transmutation.¡± At your current level, the moment you let go, it¡¯ll go back to how it was before.¡» ¡°So, I need to do something about the key right away¡­ Was it called ¡®High-Speed Shape Change¡¯?¡± Reito used ¡°High-Speed Shape Change¡± to unlock the door. More complicated shape changes were possible than with the original ¡°Shape Change,¡± and the speed had improved as well. ¡°Huhh¡­ My head hurts!¡± ¡º You¡¯re still not used to your abilities. Try to imagine you¡¯ve gone back to just learning how to use magic.¡» The moment he entered the storage room, his alchemy magic wore off, and the door went back to being a magic metal door again. Reito held his head with his hand and went inside. ¡°So this is the storage room¡­ ¡®photosphere¡¯.¡± He lit up his surroundings using the beginner¡¯s magic. The light ball stayed floating by him and functioned as a kind of flashlight, hovering around the room.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really dusty here.¡± ¡ºIt hasn¡¯t been used for a while. There are weapons in there that were manufactured in the Imperial Age. They are all rusty, but if you were to clean them up and retemper them, they should be usable.¡» ¡°So, one of those is a holy sword¡­ Where is it?¡± ¡º It¡¯s towards the back, in one of the smaller boxes in the storage room.¡» After receiving confirmation from Airis, he proceeded toward the back of the room. ¡°All said and done, this is a little too dusty. Suramin, change into a mask.¡± ¡°Purupuru.¡± Wearing the Suramin mask, he went to the back of the storage room. Just as Airis said, there was a relatively small box. ¡°This box¡­ Will anything happen if I open it.¡± ¡ºGo ahead.¡» ¡°One, two¡­ All right!!¡± He opened the box with great energy to find a flurry of dust. He swept it away and checked the inside of the box. What he found was a rusty longsword. It was probably a beautiful treasure back in the day. But, what he saw in front of him was a dirty and scarred sword. Reito communicated with Airis. ¡ºIs this it?¡» ¡º That¡¯s right. It has lost its power at present. It should have enough strength to hold its own against any holy sword. Its name is Caledfwlch. It¡¯s the oldest holy sword in the world.¡» ¡ºCaledfwlch¡­ Some people say that¡¯s the sword that is the model for Excalibur.¡» ¡ºSo you know a lot about it. Is that from your video games? In this world, it has both lightning and holy class powers. But, at present, you won¡¯t be able to make much use of it.¡» ¡ºI know that just by looking at it. Can I bring it back to life using my evolved alchemy skills?¡» ¡ºI understand that you want to try your new skills. But, it won¡¯t be possible. The problem is the magic crystals. The ¡°lightning stone¡± is in it, but you can¡¯t use it. You have to be someone who can use lightning element magic, or it won¡¯t be possible.¡» ¡ºLightning element¡­ I don¡¯t know that kind of magic yet.¡» ¡º I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll pick it up eventually. For now, grab the sword and let¡¯s get out of here.¡» ¡ºHow are we going to get out of here? The same way we came?¡» ¡ºActually, there¡¯s a secret corridor that leads out of here. This used to be a castle, after all. The royal family had a secret escape route put in. This secret is not known even to the current owner of the castle.¡» ¡ºEscape route¡­ where is it?¡» ¡ºLook at the ceiling. You can see a summoning circle there. Hit it with any kind of magic. We¡¯re in the storage room, so no noise should leak out.¡» Reito finished communicating with Airis before using his ¡°Observing Eye¡± to scope out the ceiling. Just as she had said, there was a summoning circle engraved on the ceiling. Reito immediately used his beginner¡¯s magic on the ceiling. ¡°Wind Pressure!!¡± The moment that magic energy collided with the summoning circle, it began to shine. The wall behind Reito released a lot of dust as it opened up vertically. The secret corridor was revealed. He was surprised by its scale as he used storage magic to collect the holy sword and enter the corridor. ¡ºWhere does this lead?¡» ¡ºIt used to lead to the clock tower outside of the castle. The clock tower was disassembled, so now it just leads to an empty plot. Do you remember the person you saw before using Transfer Magic?¡» Airis asked before Reito remembered. That¡¯s right, there was a person like that. In the empty plot where he first met Kotomin, he witnessed a strange figure wearing a hood do a ¡°Transfer¡±. ¡ºAnyhow, it¡¯s connected to that empty plot.¡» ¡º¡­ If I¡¯m going back on land, how should I handle that?¡» ¡º There¡¯s an entrance covered with dirt. Please blow that out of the way with magic. Run away before there¡¯s a large commotion- don¡¯t go to the Guild, run straight home.¡» Reito listened to Airis¡¯s advice as he advanced through the hidden corridor. ¡°This is really long¡­ If it hasn¡¯t been used in hundreds of years, why is it so well lit?¡± ¡°Those are light stones. You saw them with Gonzo before. They fixed the ore into the ceiling. They are a crystal material.¡± ¡°Right¡± It was as complex of a structure as you would expect for the escape route of the royal family. If you didn¡¯t know the correct route, you would definitely get lost. But, Reito listened to Airis¡¯s advice as he followed the route. ¡°Are there any traps here?¡± ¡ºThere are, but if you know the route, you won¡¯t get caught in them, so don¡¯t worry. That ladder right there is the exit. Like I said before, use magic to blow the top off¡» ¡°Got it¡­ Ah, that ladder.¡± Reito looked up and saw a lid in the ceiling. He used attack magic and remembered something out of nowhere. ¡ºAiris, I know it¡¯s a weird time to ask. But, when I was fighting with Gain, I used Gravity Blade, right?¡» ¡ºYes, what about that?¡» ¡ºI also added Magic Reinforcement on top of that, right?¡» ¡ºI see what you¡¯re getting at.¡» Reito used ¡°Magic Reinforcement¡± to increase the Gravity Blade¡¯s strength. Up until then, he had never used ¡°Magic Reinforcement¡± properly. Why was that? He asked Airis before she politely explained. ¡ºThe ability you manifested as a technical skill became established as one skill. Even if you used multiple skills before, you could create a new one if it¡¯s a technical skill. You could stack them on top of one another¡» ¡ºOh, that¡¯s how I did that.¡» ¡ºFor example, try using ¡®Magic Reinforcement¡¯ and ¡®Flame Bullet¡¯ together ¨C a skill you originally produced using ¡®Fireball¡¯ and ¡®Magic Reinforcement¡¯ together. It will be just like the Gravity Blade.¡» ¡ºAre you serious?¡» Reito looked at the ceiling and got his hands ready. Up to now, ¡°Flame Bullet¡± was the most potent magic he had. Who knows what would happen if he were to add ¡°Magic Reinforcement¡± on top of that. He was a little excited, ¡°Flame Bullet!!¡± Usually, the ¡°Fireballs¡± would be released like the bullets of a gun. But this time, fire came out of his hands like a beam of light in a big fire explosion ¨C the exit was immediately blown off. ¡°Holy sh-¡° The corridor shook as if there had been a great earthquake. The light beam fired straight out, leaving a giant hole where it had been. A new skill-acquired banner appeared, but he didn¡¯t have time to check it. ¡ºCongratulations. You¡¯ve got a new skill¡­ But, you¡¯ve got to go. Someone who heard that thunderous noise is going to come by soon.¡» Reito escaped from the hidden corridor and crawled onto land. Volume 3 - CH 3.5 ¡°Purupuru¡­¡± ¡°You can get off me now, Suramin¡­ Thank you.¡± ¡°Purun.¡± Suramin peeled off his face and went back into his breast pocket. Reito used his leap skill. He was aiming for his home in Adventure City. ¡°What should I do when I get back?¡± ¡ºOnce you get home, get Ullr and the crew together then take them to the Guild. Keep Caledfwlch in a place that no one will notice it¡» Reito followed Airis¡¯s instructions and went home, where Ullr and the rest were waiting for him. He ¡®Leaped¡¯ onto the roof and came back home. ~ Even though it was nighttime, it appeared a guest was there. There was a carriage parked in front of his house that he swore he had seen before. Reito thought it was strange before Tina came running along. ¡°Yay! You¡¯re back!!¡± ¡°Tina? And Ms. Linda?¡± Behind Tina, there was Linda and her elf envoy. ¡°Linda sternly said, ¡°Sorry to intrude on you so late at night¡­ I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re all right.¡± ¡°All right? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Reito tilted his head to hear a commotion in the house. Before long, Ullr, the Cyclops, and Kotomin appeared. ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°Graah?¡± ¡°I heard your voice¡­ You¡¯re back.¡± Reito smiled as they ran to his side. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m back¡­ Did you all behave well?¡± The envoy was surprised at the sudden appearance of the giant monster. Tina ran up to Ullr and hugged him. ¡°Ullr-chan!!¡± ¡°Woof!?¡± The guards were puzzled as she buried her face in Ullr¡¯s fur. The Cyclops was mystified seeing Tina. Before long, Tina noticed the cyclops. She stepped away from Ullr and held out her hand. ¡°Wow! You¡¯re really big! What¡¯s this boy¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Name¡­ How about Ain?¡± ¡°Grahh.¡± Reito said the first thing that came to mind, but it appeared the Cyclops liked it. ¡°Okay, Ain it is!! Good to meet you, Ain!!¡± Kotomin interrupted, ¡°No, she¡¯s a girl, so it¡¯s Ain-chan¡± ¡°What!?¡± Everyone was surprised that she knew the Cyclops was a girl. Ain appeared to be interested in Tina because she approached her without reservation. She held her hand out to her and put Tina upon her shoulders. ¡°Grah.¡± ¡°Wow! I¡¯m so high up!¡± ¡°Princess, you mustn¡¯t!! Even if you¡¯re a monster controller, it¡¯s too dangerous to interact with that kind of monster!!¡± ¡°Wait, you¡¯re a monster controller?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯ve never completed a contract, though.¡± Tina responded to Reito¡¯s question, nodding her head, all while being on Ain¡¯s shoulders. Tina hugged Ain¡¯s neck as she enjoyed the view from up there. Reito looked at Tina and laughed before turning his head toward Linda. ¡°That being said, why are you at my house? Do you have something to do?¡± Linda suddenly changed her facial expression. ¡°My sincerest apologies!! Raikofu got away¡± According to her, Raikofu had run out of his single room with a band of other elves. They visited him because they were afraid Raikofu might have attacked him. ¡°How did he get away? He was really injured¡­¡± ¡°Raikofu had been hiding recovery medicine on him. It is unknown why the guards cooperated with him, though¡­¡± ¡°So, are they chasing down Raikofu right now?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve ordered some lower-level staff to search for him, but they still haven¡¯t caught him. It¡¯s as if he disappeared using some kind of transfer magic¡­ Anyway, you seem to be unharmed. Let¡¯s go back to the lodge.¡± Linda gave a faint smile. Looking at the two girls being so carefree in light of the situation, he felt a little suspicious. ¡°Have you two not heard about the rotten dragon?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Rot-ten dra-gon?¡± As the Elves were nothing more than guests in Adventure City, it appeared that they hadn¡¯t been informed of the situation to not stir up any trouble. Reito explained the chain of events to them. ¡°¡­So, a rotten dragon has come back to life?¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious why the rotten dragon attacked the Knights¡­ That¡¯s totally different from the rotten dragons we know.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Reito asked, listening to the Elves murmur amongst themselves. Linda looked at another member of the elf envoy. They gave the nod, and so Linda began to explain. ¡°Actually, that same type of rotten dragon appeared in our Kingdom before¡­ Some forty years ago.¡± ¡°What¡­ the rotten dragon did!?¡± ¡°We called it an Undead Dragon. Undead Dragons are just like the rotten dragon you talked about. They are born from the corpses of dead dragons.¡± ¡°¡­So, are they brought back to life by Necromancers?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. The Undead Dragon was active for three days. Still, it did little more than destroy a few trees in the forest before perishing naturally.¡± ¡°It perished so quickly? I thought it was some kind of legendary dragon.¡± ¡°When we caught the Necromancer controlling the Undead Dragon, he told us something. Undead Dragons can¡¯t be fully controlled. The physical form of the Undead Dragon made an appearance, but it didn¡¯t do anything. It just remained asleep in the forest.¡± ¡°I see. But, this rotten dragon attacked The Knights of Valkyria¡­¡± Reito said. Linda gave it some thought and then continued. ¡°Perhaps the Knights aggravated it in some way? There were some people who were attacked by the Undead Dragon who got too close to it. But, as a general rule, if we didn¡¯t do anything to provoke first, it wouldn¡¯t attack.¡± If Linda¡¯s story was true, the rotten dragon was nothing to fear. Reito pondered on Linda¡¯s story about the Zombie Dragon. Was it the same dragon? The one he saw had caused some significant damage. ¡°Well, have you heard about the Zombie Dragon?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the dragon that went around wrecking the human¡¯s territory. I¡¯ve even heard they destroyed a few towns, if I¡¯m not mistaken¡­¡± Linda paused before continuing. ¡°That must have been quite the high-level Necromancer if they were able to control a dragon. However, no matter how talented the Necromancer is, controlling a dragon is going to be very taxing. In the past, Necromancers who have tried to control dragons have often withered away, unable to get the dragon to do anything. It¡¯s really difficult to ¡®use¡¯ a dragon in that sense. Even if you are successful at first, there¡¯s no way you¡¯ll be able to control it for very long.¡± ¡°Furthermore, Undead Dragons hate sunlight. Therefore, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything to worry about in the daytime,¡± she added. Reito voiced his concern to Linda, ¡°But, that being said, we can¡¯t be certain that the dragon won¡¯t come and attack Adventure City.¡± ¡°From what you¡¯ve told me, the place the rotten dragon manifested isn¡¯t very far from Adventure City. The fact that it hasn¡¯t come yet suggests the Necromancer doesn¡¯t have full control at the current time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ probably true.¡± According to Linda¡¯s theory, the rotten dragon was not any different from the one that appeared in the Four Leaves Kingdom long ago and was not a threat. It was undoubtedly a convincing theory, but something was making Reito uneasy. Airis had told him that the Necromancer who brought the rotten dragon back to life was quite the talent.¡± Reito decided to communicate with her. ¡ºAin!!¡» ¡º That¡¯s the name you gave the cyclops. I suppose the ¡®a¡¯ and the ¡®i¡¯ are the same¡­ Anyway, I assume you want to hear about the behavior of the rotten dragon.¡» ¡ºHow much of what Linda is saying actually happened?¡» ¡ºThe rotten dragon is going to attack the city. There¡¯s no doubt about that. The Necromancer, Aira, is just holding its movements back.¡» ¡ºUgh, that name!! It always makes me think of my mother. Is there any other name for her?¡» ¡ºYou could call her ¡®Kirau.¡¯ She hates that name, but a lot of underworld humans call her that.¡» ¡ºThat sounds like the perfect name in that case.¡» From that moment on, the Necromancer in question came to be known as ¡°Kirau.¡± Reito asked Airis, ¡ºSo, you¡¯re saying Kirau¡¯s rotten dragon is planning to attack?¡» ¡ºThat¡¯s right. To tell the full story, Kirau is an assassin hired by the Empire. The Empire is well aware that it¡¯s cornered and is going through various strategies. The rotten dragon is the last resort solution for them. To that end, they have hired the vilest murderer of the underworld ¡ª the Empire prepared the rotten dragon for Kirau.¡» ¡ºWell, that¡¯s horrible¡­ What is she up to right now?¡» ¡ºEven if she is the strongest Necromancer in the world, it takes quite a lot of time to be able to completely control a dragon. I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll be able to take action for the moment. I would say we have a few days of leeway.¡» ¡ºIf we can¡¯t think of a plan by then, the city will be destroyed¡­ By the way, what are the odds that the rotten dragon is going to head for the Royal Capital?¡» ¡ºIf you mean to go and attack there first, zero. She is going to attack Adventure City first and then the Royal Capital second. To make matters worse, the city is about to see some rain and cloud coverage soon. The rain will start falling, and the sunlight will be blocked.¡» ¡ºThat is horrible timing¡­ shit.¡» Things were proceeding in the enemy¡¯s favor. In that case, Reito would need to get the Holy Sword back in commission immediately. Reito asked Airis, ¡ºWhat should I do?¡» ¡ºI think you already know. You need to make repairing Caledfwlch your first priority. With your current abilities, you can temporarily fix it. Still, there¡¯s no option but to entrust it to a skilled blacksmith. Also, perhaps we should ask for Tina and company¡¯s cooperation.¡» ¡ºCooperation?¡» ¡ºIf the rotten dragon comes and attacks, there¡¯s no way they will be safe. We should use the authority of the Elvish kingdom to get the Baltros Kingdom to dispatch their military. If they learn that their princess might pass away in the borders of another kingdom, it would be a diplomatic nightmare they would want to avoid. For example, if things go poorly, a war might break out with the Elves.¡» ¡ºHow can we get their cooperation?¡» ¡ºLet me tell you¡­ Repeat the following words to them, exactly: Bla bla bla.¡» ¡ºWow! You have quite the way with words.¡» Volume 3 - CH 3.6 After finishing communications with Airis, Reito used his Storage Magic. He pulled out Caledfwlch as a bargaining tool with the Elves. When Reito suddenly used Storage Magic in front of the Elves, they were surprised. ¡°¡­Storage Magic? What are you? A Support Magician?¡± ¡°You have that kind of disgraceful job?¡± ¡°You¡¯re being rude to the man who saved the princess¡¯s life. Hold back your tongue!!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Ms. Linda. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve heard that title¡­¡± Reito presented the sword to Linda. He remembered, for the first time in a while, that his job was considered lowly in this world. Linda took the rusty sword in hand. She was confused before she noticed the crystal embedded in it. Suddenly, her eyes were wide open. ¡°Is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Holy Sword¡­ Caledfwlch,¡± Reito said, causing a stir. ¡°C-C-Caledfwlch?¡± ¡°Caledfwlch?¡± ¡°Woof?¡± ¡°Grahh?¡± ¡°Purupuru.¡± ¡°Oh, you want water, Suramin? Dwink up!¡± Kotomin spoke to Suramin like a baby even though everyone else was in the middle of a serious conversation. Reito noticed, but decided to keep a serious expression on his face as he stared at Linda. ¡°That is the legendary magic stone known as the Lightning Stone. If anyone here has the ¡®Appraisal¡¯ skill, feel free to verify what I¡¯m saying.¡± Linda promptly used the ¡®Appraisal¡¯ skill. She was in a cold sweat as she told the results of her inspection. ¡°He¡¯s right.¡± The magic crystal embedded in the sword had the royal seal carved into it. There was no doubt it was the Holy Sword Caledfwlch. It was verified. To the extent of Linda¡¯s knowledge, Caledfwlch should have been lost in one of the wars of the past. Linda inquired, ¡°I know it¡¯s the real thing. But, why do you have that sword?¡± ¡°I, uh¡­ Anyway, let¡¯s step inside for a chat. I don¡¯t want anyone to overhear this conversation¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I searched the surroundings of your apartment as part of the Raikofu case. I didn¡¯t find any neighboring residents. It seems people had never lived here in the first place.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why even though I went door-to-door with my Move-in Soba*, I didn¡¯t meet anybody when I first moved in.¡± ¡ºYou prepared Move-in Soba? What a stand-up guy!¡» *(TLN: There¡¯s an old tradition in Japan to give soba to your neighbors. It has fallen out of fashion in recent years.) Reito was just learning that nobody else lived near him. Reito reached for his breast pocket. Worried he would pull out something dangerous, the Elves readied their weapons, but Linda stopped them. Reito kept a knife in his breast pocket to break things down. He used his alchemy skills to strengthen it. What came out of his breast pocket was not a knife but a gemstone gleaming like a diamond. It was the ¡®Holy Light Stone¡¯ that only the king of Baltros was permitted to have. Before slipping out of their mansion, his mother Airis gave it to him. To avoid getting in trouble, he wasn¡¯t supposed to carry it around with him, so he had left it behind in the mansion. The stone he was carrying now was one he had created using his alchemy skills. It was proof of royal status¡­ ¡°Do you know¡­ what this is?¡± ¡°Is that? It appears to be some kind of gem¡­ Could this be!?¡± Linda used her ¡°Appraisal¡± skill. Tina chimed in, ¡°it looks like the pendant the Baltros Kingdom¡¯s princess carried with her.¡± Airis¡¯s voice chimed into Reito¡¯s head. ¡ºHehehe¡­ You won¡¯t be able to use ¡°Appraisal¡± on something made using alchemy. If you were to take your hands off it, your trick would be revealed, and they would notice.¡» Reito had made a mock ¡°Holy Light Stone¡± that only royal family members were allowed to have. He was really putting all his eggs in one basket that no one would bother to authenticate. ¡°This is a holy light stone¡­ But, why do you have it?¡± Linda said with a trembling voice. ¡°This Holy Sword was originally the property of the Kingdom¡­ We¡¯ve got someone here with proof of royalty. Do you all know what that means?¡± ¡°You, or should I say, my liege¡­¡± Tina said, dumbfounded. ¡°Reito, are you royalty?¡± ¡°What in the¡­!?¡± ¡°Impossible!?¡± ¡°Geez¡­ I¡¯m surprised.¡± The envoy was astonished. On the other hand, Reito was flustered. He was following Airis¡¯s instructions, and although he was technically royalty, he wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about using that fact to his advantage. ¡°This Holy Sword is property of the royal family, but it has been stored away for a long time. I am the king¡¯s secret son, and I had been living in the place where the sword was hidden.¡± The envoy started up again. ¡°Secret son? The king of Baltros has a kid¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard about that before. There was a son born by a concubine to the king. I heard he passed away at a young age, though¡­ I never would have figured he was still alive.¡± ¡°Right, his name was¡­ Rena or Reo or something. I can¡¯t believe he didn¡¯t die¡­¡± Linda prattled on. ¡°But, in that case, why were you hiding your identity up to now? You should have the right to the throne if you¡¯re a prince¡­ Why would you be an adventurer? Why is the Kingdom hiding your existence?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I have this loser-job,¡± Reito said. He explained his origins in thorough detail. The moment I was born, my mother was banished from the Kingdom. She was under house arrest in a mansion in the woods. I lived with her and a servant. The Elves listening to the story showed their sympathy. Some shed tears. Tina was bawling her eyes out. ¡°Boo-hoo¡­ I feel so bad for you.¡± Kotomin, Ain, and Ullr reacted in turn. ¡°Reito had a really tough upbringing¡­ Come here!¡± ¡°Graah,¡± growled with tears in her eyes. ¡°Woof,¡± Ullr sneezed. ¡°Don¡¯t cry¡­ I really don¡¯t mind it¡­¡± Everyone¡¯s reactions were so exaggerated that Reito was taken aback. Linda nodded in confirmation, ¡°I see. So, that¡¯s what this is all about. Someone of your status cannot take over the royal throne. But the king also can¡¯t kill his only heir. That¡¯s why you were put into isolation in the Forest of the Abyss. Am I right?¡± ¡°What? Forest of the Abyss?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about the place you lived in the forest. Elves call that place the Forest of the Abyss.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was called that.¡± Reito finally learned the name of the forest he had lived in during his childhood. The Elves shared their compassion, rage, and sorrow with him. ¡°To send your own son off into the forest full of magical monsters¡­ Unthinkable!!¡± ¡°I know the king was trying to save face, but that is too cruel.¡± Reito continued his story, ¡°When I caught word that the new heir to the throne, my younger brother, was born, a servant recommended that I run away. I was now expendable and would likely be murdered. It was a granny who always took care of me¡­¡± ¡º You¡¯re talking about me!! What do you mean, granny!! How about an older sister!!¡» Even if it was a lie, she was mad at being called a grandma. ¡°I received this Holy Light Stone, and the Holy Sword from my mother as proof before running away. I met Ullr in the forest and was helped by his former owners, the Elves.¡± ¡°Woof?¡± Ullr had a puzzled expression on his face. Reito¡¯s story didn¡¯t line up with Ullr¡¯s memory. Ignoring Ullr¡¯s reaction, Reito continued, ¡°it was just a coincidence that I took this Holy Sword with me. I wasn¡¯t able to sport any other weapons. I only know the truth about the sword because some Elves who lived in the forest used ¡®appraisal¡¯ on it.¡± ¡°I see¡­ that tracks.¡± Linda nodded fervently. ¡°I became an adventurer because I had no other means to survive. It would have been life-risking to live an ordinary life with other humans. But, because of that, I haven¡¯t seen my mother ever since. I have no interest in the throne, but I would like to talk to my father and work out some sort of reconciliation. I¡¯ve heard S-rank adventurers are allowed to visit the royal family, so I joined the adventurer profession. The Elves lauded Reito¡¯s story. ¡°You became an adventurer to meet your parents!¡± ¡°What a splendid child!¡± ¡°A rotten-luck human trying to be an S-rank adventurer¡­ It¡¯s just too much!¡± The real reason Reito had become an adventurer was to get an ID card. He also wanted a bit of money for the short run. He had no plans to reconcile with his father. The Elves completely believed his story. Tina was crying massive tears and blowing her nose. She grasped his hands. ¡°Boo-hoo¡­ Reito, you had such a hard time!! I¡¯ll do anything to help you see your parents!!¡± ¡°Ah y-you¡¯re snot is on my sleeve!¡± Linda had a stern expression on her face when she said, ¡°Understood. There are some other questions I have. But for the time being, I will believe your story. Do you have something you need from us? I assume you had some reason for sharing your backstory?¡± Reito nodded and began negotiating. ¡°In a few minutes, an adventurer from the Guild is going to arrive. They are going to request to use Ullr as a steed to report to the Royal Capital that there is an impending rotten dragon attack.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Right, a White Wolf ought to be able to ward off nocturnal monsters.¡± ¡°Ullr, you¡¯re incredible,¡± chimed Tina. ¡°Woof!!¡± Reito put forward his own request, ¡°I would like you to accompany the liaison group to the Royal Capital.¡± ¡°You mean you want us to go?¡± ¡°The Royal Capital is safer than Adventure City. I also believe the Kingdom would be more likely to let you into the capital. Would you mind going instead of me?¡± ¡°So, you would stay behind?¡± ¡°It¡¯s uncertain whether the rotten dragon will really come, but I am an adventurer of this city, so I can¡¯t leave in case it needs protection. I would like you to request the Kingdom to dispatch its troops here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s no easy task. Even if Tina is a member of the royal family, she might not have the influence needed to request that they dispatch troops.¡± ¡°Right, but Princess Nao is in this city. I¡¯d also like you to report that she¡¯s in no condition to move. If this place is attacked, it¡¯s uncertain that she will get out unharmed. I believe the king¡­ my father will dispatch the troops in that situation.¡± Reito felt some discomfort at calling the king his ¡°father.¡± Linda had a severe expression, ¡°I see. However, I¡¯m not sure if a king who abandoned his own son would spring into action.¡± ¡°Me and Nao¡¯s, or should I say, my stepsister¡¯s, position is quite different. I¡¯m sure my father will take action.¡± ¡°I sure hope so¡­ Understood. Our first priority is the princess¡¯s safety. We will undertake the role of liaison.¡± ¡°Thank you very much. Ullr, take care of Tina and crew.¡± ¡°Woof.¡± Linda accepted Reito¡¯s plan. Ullr was reluctant. He buried his face in Reito¡¯s chest as if to say that he was rejecting running away to safety while Reito stayed behind to face danger. Reito petted his head as he explained, ¡°Ullr, you¡¯re the only pup for the job¡­ I want you to stay behind with me so that we can fight together. But you¡¯re the only one that can navigate the plains at night. Forgive me.¡± Ullr whimpered. ¡°Ullr looks like he doesn¡¯t like the idea,¡± said Tina. ¡°Reito is family for him. He doesn¡¯t like leaving Reito behind.¡± ¡°Ullr, you¡¯re such a good boy!¡± Everyone could see how deep Ullr and Reito¡¯s bond was. Reito tried his best to persuade him when someone appeared before them. ¡°Graa!!¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°Woof!?¡± ¡°Ain-chan!?¡± Ain barged into the conversation all of a sudden. Ain looked at Tina and Linda before turning her sights to the wolf-cart. She beat her chest. ¡°Bragh¡­ Bragh!!¡± ¡°Are you trying to say you want to help Tina and crew instead of Ullr?¡± ¡°Graa!!¡± Ain nodded in response to Reito. A cyclops was undoubtedly no weaker than a White Wolf in terms of battle strength. It was possible he could safely get them to the Royal Capital. What¡¯s more, Ullr would be able to stay behind. ¡°Are you sure about this, Ain?¡± ¡°Grah!!¡± ¡°Got it¡­ Take care of Tina and the rest of her crew in that case!¡± Tina looked at Reito. ¡°Reito¡­¡± ¡°First, let¡¯s head out for the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. I¡¯m sure that Bal has finished her meeting by now¡­¡± Reito said before a voice came from the entrance of his house. ¡°There will be no need for that.¡± He looked forward to seeing Bal standing there with an awkward expression on her face. Reito was surprised before Kotomin slapped his shoulder. ¡°Before you got here, this person had come to your house and was eating your food and drink.¡± ¡°Are you serious¡­¡± ¡°I was bored and fell asleep before I knew it. When those Elves came, I opened my eyes. They had quite the story to tell, so I was all ears¡± replied Kotomin. ¡°¡­Are you serious. You¡¯re the king¡¯s son? You don¡¯t look anything alike. But, you do look like Ms. Aira,¡± said Bal. ¡°You knew my mother!?¡± ¡°Knew? I wouldn¡¯t just say I knew her. Me and that person were¡­ I¡¯ll save that story for another day. As you know, there¡¯s a need to send out a liaison to the Royal Capital. I¡¯m gonna borrow your wolf-cart and cyclops for that.¡± ¡°Graah!!¡± Ain reacted to Bal¡¯s words. Although Bal had found out about Reito¡¯s true identity in the process, Airis was happy that Reito continued following her strategy. On the other hand, there was a conversation they hadn¡¯t had yet. ¡°Bal, I¡¯m sorry, but could I ask something of you?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that? If you want me to keep quiet about your identity, no worries. I might look like a talker, but I can keep a secret.¡± ¡°Thank you, but it¡¯s not that.¡± Reito got the sword back from Linda and handed it to Bal. It was the legendary sword that had saved the Kingdom from crisis many a time in the past. For hundreds of years, it had been put into storage, and the blade was rusty. As is, it could not be used as a weapon. To counter that, he had something to request from Bal. ¡°Is there someone who can reforge this blade in the city?¡± ¡°So this is the famous Caledfwlch¡­ It just looks like some rusty old sword.¡± ¡°Reito, only a dwarf will be able to reforge this. After all, they were the ones who forged it in the first place,¡± Linda commented. Reito thought about it for a little bit. ¡°Dwarf¡­ Bal, do you know anyone?¡± ¡°Well, I do have quite a few acquaintances. I don¡¯t know if they can reforge it, but I will reach out to a dwarf I know.¡± ¡°If I¡¯m able to reforge the sword, it¡¯ll be a valuable weapon in the fight against the rotten dragon.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not a complete rookie, so I don¡¯t have to be too worried. But, a Holy Sword isn¡¯t something any old adventurer can handle.¡± ¡°Historically, the only people who could handle Holy Swords were true heroes summoned from another world. Even if we brought the Holy Sword back, I¡¯m not sure you will be able to make full use of it.¡± Linda was right that the Holy Sword was not like an ordinary weapon. It could only be wielded by true masters of the blade. However, the Holy Sword would be an indispensable tool in the fight against the rotten dragon. Airis informed Reito, ¡ºAll Holy Swords have a level restriction on them. They cannot be used by people who are not at a certain predefined level. It¡¯s a restraint put on the sword by ancient blacksmiths.¡» ¡ºWhat are you talking about?¡» ¡ºThe person who made the sword was a valiant blacksmith summoned from another world. He would not let people who were weaker than him use the sword. He was level 70 so he put a level restriction of 70 on the sword. Therefore, it can now not be used by people with a level under 70. After he died, the dwarves who studied the sword copied the craftsmanship and imposed the same level restriction on all the Holy Swords they went on to make.¡» ¡ºSo, I can¡¯t use it yet in that case¡» ¡º That¡¯s not necessarily the case. What determines if you can wield the outstanding power of the Holy Sword is the crystal embedded in it. The sword is just a tool to harness the power of the Lightning Stone for attack. If the Lightning Stone itself is fine, the sword can be used.¡» ¡ºIn other words¡­¡» ¡ºIf you take out the Lightning Stone, the sword is useless. You can repair it all you want, but you need to make sure the Lightning Stone is intact.¡» ¡ºI see.¡» ¡ºThere¡¯s also a way to remove the level restriction. I¡¯ll explain that later. For now, let¡¯s get the sword fixed.¡» Reito followed Airis¡¯s suggestion and asked Bal to give back the sword if it seemed beyond repair. With his abilities, it should be possible to extract the power of the Lightning Stone even without the sword. ¡°I¡¯m going to make sure to find someone who¡¯ll fix up this bad boy. As for y¡¯all¡­ Or wait, you¡¯re the Elves¡¯ princess. Maybe I oughta use honorifics.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it!¡± ¡°P-Princess!¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll keep talking like I have been. Sorry, but I¡¯m gonna have to ask you to go to the Royal Capital. With this permission form and letter, you ought to be able to get into the capital.¡± Bal handed Linda two pieces of parchment. She headed out to find her dwarf blacksmith acquaintance. Linda and crew got into Reito¡¯s wolf-cart. It wouldn¡¯t be possible for everyone to ride, so just Tina, Linda, and a few members of the envoy got into the wolf-cart. Linda spoke to Reito, ¡°I¡¯m going to borrow this carriage and Ms. Ain for a while.¡± ¡°Have a safe trip, and take care of Tina as well.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it!! We¡¯re going to convince your father in the process!!¡± ¡°Keep what I said a secret, though¡­¡± ¡°Understood. I will not speak of you to anyone. As far as Raikofu goes, I sincerely apologize. I will leave some junior members of my envoy with you.¡± ¡°I have Ullr, so I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Ullr barked as if to say he existed only to protect his master. Tina and Linda smiled as they looked at Ullr. They gave a bow and went bouncing along in the cart. Volume 3 - CH 3.7 Reito watched as Tina and company departed. He looked at the junior members of the envoy left behind and told them what they were about to do. ¡°Sir Reito, I apologize, but would you be so kind as to let us separate?¡± ¡°What?¡± It appeared the girls had some affair to attend to. ¡°Actually, we have something to do related to the Raikofu incident¡­ There¡¯s a hunch we¡¯d like to follow. I know we¡¯ve been asked to be your guard, but if you wouldn¡¯t mind¡­¡± ¡°Um, I¡¯m not particularly concerned. But, will you be all right? What if Raikofu attacks?¡± ¡°That two-year-old couldn¡¯t put a hand on us.¡± ¡°Just to be safe, we will leave one member with you. Erina, say hello!¡± the guard said, and one cheerful young girl came forward. ¡°What¡¯s up!! Good to meet ya! Glad we can chat! My name is Erina!! I¡¯m an archer in Tina¡¯s envoy!!¡± ¡°An archer? I don¡¯t see any bow¡­¡± ¡°Reito, look at this girl¡¯s bracelet,¡± Kotomin said, and Reito looked at her bracelet. There was a familiar-looking black magic stone embedded in it. Reito recognized it as the Storage Stone that Gonzo had. Erina puffed out her chest and bragged, ¡°My bow is too big, so I hide it in my bracelet for convenience sake. I might look real manly, but I¡¯m also quite good at household chores. If you¡¯re ever hungry, give me a call. I can even make pastries!!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask you to make Ullr some smoked orc and Poark.¡± ¡°Sorry, but Elves are vegetarians, so I can only cook with vegetables.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a pescatarian myself,¡± interrupted Kotomin. ¡°Oh, you are? Guess I¡¯ll just have to cook for myself!¡± Erina and Kotomin continued talking as Reito looked at the other Elves. They were already preparing to leave. They gave Reito a nod. ¡°Well then, we¡¯re off. We¡¯ll speak again later.¡± ¡°Understood. Stay safe¡­ Oh! Wait a second!¡± Reito asked Airis where Raikofu was just to be safe. Before he could tell the Elves, he heard a sudden bark from Ullr. ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°HA!¡± Reito lowered his head just in time before an arrow went soaring over it. Everyone dropped their jaws in surprise. Reito activated his ¡°Leap¡± skill and grabbed Kotomin, going for cover. ¡°That was dangerous!!¡± ¡°Mrow!?¡± ¡°Is that, Raikofu!?¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± He had been hiding somewhere, waiting for just the right time to snipe. Reito held Kotomin in his arms and looked for him. He wanted to activate his Magic Ring¡¯s Barrier Stone. He asked Ullr, ¡°Do you know where the enemy is?¡± Ullr whimpered. He was a wild animal with acute senses. But that didn¡¯t mean he would be able to pin down the enemy¡¯s location. ¡°No good, huh? Guess there¡¯s nothing to do about it. Let me borrow your chest.¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re being rather forward.¡± Reito buried his face in her chest. Kotomin blushed. Reito closed his eyelids and concentrated, using his ¡°Mind¡¯s Eye¡± skill. The skill polished the other four senses besides sight so that he could detect what was surrounding him using his mind. Kotomin¡¯s large breasts perfectly cut off his field of vision, and as a result, his abilities were greatly amplified. After a few seconds, Reito released his ¡°Mind¡¯s Eye.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no good. The enemy is out of range.¡± The enemy was not within 100 meters of them. In other words, they had fired the arrow from somewhere even further than that. One member of the envoy took the arrow in his hand and said, ¡°So it was Raikofu¡¯s arrow.¡± ¡°How can you tell?¡± ¡°When us Elves make arrows, we add a personal mark somewhere on it. Raikofu¡¯s mark is on this arrow. He tried to snipe you from somewhere.¡± ¡°Judging from the direction the arrow was fired, can you tell where he is?¡± ¡°Raikofu has a skill called ¡®Leaping Bullet.¡¯ It lets him change the trajectory of the object he¡¯s using to harm. It¡¯s a skill passed down through the generations in the Midori Household. It has enabled them to bring home great victories at the Hunting Festival.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite the pain in the ass¡­¡± ¡°Hey¡­ Quit talking into my breasts. It¡¯s ticklish!¡± Reito was still trying to scope out Raikofu¡¯s position from Kotomin¡¯s breasts. Erina called out to him, ¡°Bro, I got this.¡± ¡°Ms. Erina?¡± ¡°You can just call me Erina. I have a skill known as ¡®Sure Shot.¡¯¡± Airis explained to Reito, ¡ºIt enables the shot to follow through and reach its target with high accuracy. It¡¯s a rare skill that¡¯s like an upgraded version of your sniping skill.¡» Erina drew her bow from the bracelet. ¡°This is my weapon!!¡± ¡°That¡¯s no ordinary bow and arrow. That¡¯s a bonafide crossbow!¡± Erina didn¡¯t just pull out a standard bow and arrow but an enormous crossbow that looked like it could shoot down a giant monster. She loaded the arrow into the crossbow and scoped out her surroundings. There was a faint glimmer in her eyes. Reito watched, curious. ¡°Are your eyes glimmering? Or am I crazy? Are you going to shoot a beam out of your eyes?¡± ¡°Beam? I don¡¯t know what that is. This is my ¡®Hawkeye.¡¯¡± ¡°What, are you Dracule Mihawk?¡± Reito said before Airis explained. ¡ºDon¡¯t be silly! ¡°Hawkeye¡± is not the name of the world¡¯s greatest swordsman¡­ It¡¯s a skill that only Elves can remember. It combines Observing Eye and Far Sight. Far Sight works like a pair of binoculars, magnifying things in the distance. Conversely, Hawkeye draws the objects in, allowing for closer inspection.¡» ¡°What! I want that too. I should¡¯ve been born an elf,¡± Reito mumbled before Erina scoped out the situation. Erina had her crossbow at the ready as she looked out at her surroundings. She seemed to notice something coming in front of her. ¡°I found ¡¯im!! Look at the chimney 200 meters in the distance. Raikofu is there!! ¡°You can see that far!?¡± ¡°He¡¯s hiding right now and looking at us. The second that he shows his face, I¡¯m gonna fire.¡± ¡°But, what about the other Elves? Isn¡¯t there somebody who helped him escape?¡± ¡ºThose people ran away. They saw who Raikofu really was and abandoned him. They probably went off to tell his parents about him.¡» ¡°He really is an unpopular guy¡­¡± ¡°What should I do? Should I shoot? I could shoot his body that¡¯s sticking out from the chimney.¡± ¡°Wait, Erina!! Isn¡¯t that a poisonous arrow!? That¡¯s used for hunting magical beasts!!¡± ¡°Oops¡­ My bad.¡± An older elf pointed that fact out to her, making her realize that she had loaded a poisoned arrow for hunting magical beasts in her crossbow. The moment she released the bow, Reito screamed. ¡°Erina, watch out!!¡± ¡°What?¡± Erina noticed Raikofu ready his bow. But, she was not able to reload hers before he had fired. Arrows fired by Elves fly at the speed of bullets. Erina saw the arrow approach her head and realized she had been shot. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m gonna die,¡± she said, giving her last words. Often right before you die, things move slowly, and that¡¯s how she felt as the arrow approached her. ¡°Watch out!!¡± ¡°Hah!?¡± But, before she was shot, the arrow was intercepted by a silver saber. The arrow fell to the ground. Erina screamed in surprise, but Reito, with his Extermination Blade in hand, was facing forward. Reito used ¡°Far Sight¡± to look at Raikofu. He couldn¡¯t use a bow as well as her, but he did learn the ¡°Sniping¡± skill in his younger days. He used Ice Block. ¡°This should work¡­ Erina, pitch this to me.¡± Reito produced an ice ball the size of a baseball and handed it to Erina. ¡°What, this? I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re going for, but I¡¯ll play along?¡± ¡°All right, I¡¯m ready!¡± Erina hesitated as she put the ice ball in her hand. Reito readied his saber. She was skeptical about everything he did, but she followed his instructions and pitched it at him. Reito gave a big swing with his sword as if it were a baseball bat. ¡°Major League Ball Number One¡± ¡ºWhat a cheesy thing to say!!¡» Airis made fun of him as Reito hit the ball. The ice ball went flying at a ferocious speed and hit Raikofu right on the head. Raikofu was in agony as he was blown away. ¡°Waaaah!?¡± Raikofu¡¯s scream rang out as he fell off the building. This was Reito¡¯s long-distance attack born out of his sniping skills. He didn¡¯t have a name for it. But it was an attack he had often used to escape the Forest of the Abyss. Reito and crew had managed to turn the tables on Raikofu. The Elves who had gone to apprehend Raikofu had returned and offered him to Reito. He was unable to resist as he was all tied up and his mouth was sealed shut as well. Raikofu glared at Reito with disgust. ¡°Calm down, Ullr. He can¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°Woof¡­¡± Erina smiled as she called out to Reito, ¡°That was really cool! I wanted to save the day. Little did I know that I¡¯d be the one getting saved.¡± ¡°Good work, Reito! I¡¯m amazed. So cool!¡± Kotomin said. Raikofu mumbled from his mouth tie: ¡°fwanq few!!¡± ¡°Hey now, be a good boy! You¡¯re a criminal, you know!¡± Raikofu was being supported by the Elves. If Linda was here, she would have given him quite the beating. Raikofu had no remorse in his expression as Reito grabbed his hand. ¡°How¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Raikofu had a suspicious expression on his face as Reito grabbed Raikofu¡¯s head and used ¡°Wind Pressure.¡± Then he mimicked Linda¡¯s ¡°Fa Jin¡± skill to attack him using wind power. ¡°Fgeqa!?¡± ¡°What a success. Faux-Fa Jin!!¡± . . ¡°Oh man, the system changed the name¡­¡± Reito was disappointed at the name the system gave it. Raikofu was wriggling in agony as the other Elves held him. ¡°Sir Reito, he is one of our own. If you would only spare his life?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to kill him. What are you going to do with him, though?¡± ¡°As long as he is in the city, we will keep him in our custody. We will leave Erina behind as a guard. If you have any errands, please make use of her.¡± ¡°I promise to try harder!! I wasn¡¯t of much use earlier, but I¡¯ll do better next time!!¡± ¡°Um, try your best?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll also protect Reito,¡± Kotomin said. Reito couldn¡¯t entirely reject the Elves¡¯ offer, so Kotomin and Erina ended up being the ones to accompany Reito. As far as guards go, just Ullr would have done the job, but he would need more hands to put up a fight against the rotten dragon. Reito accepted their help. ¡°In that case, we are going back to the lodge. We will report to you if anything happens. Look out for us¡­¡± ¡°Ugugug!!¡± Raikofu was beginning to lose consciousness as the Elves carried him on their shoulders. Kotomin and Reito looked back to watch them walk away. He gave the splinter Suramin back to her. ¡°Here you go, it was a big help.¡± ¡°Mmm¡± ¡°Purupuru¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s that? Is it a slime? It¡¯s so small and cute¡­ Wow!?¡± Kotomin took Suramin from Reito and camouflaged her clothes. Erina was so surprised at the sight of it. After the commotion over the rotten dragon, Reito decided to go home and take a nap. ¡°I¡¯m bushed. I¡¯m gonna hit the hay. What are you two gonna do?¡± ¡°Um¡­ Is anyone going to explain this lady¡¯s clothes to me?¡± ¡°My name is Kotomin, and this is Suramin.¡± ¡°Purupuru.¡± ¡°Uh, how do you do¡­ You have similar names. Are you siblings?¡± ¡°No! Also, Suramin is a girl.¡± ¡°Slimes have sexes?¡± ¡°No, but it¡¯s attached to Reito, who¡¯s a boy, so it must be a girl slime.¡± ¡°What kind of reasoning is that¡­ So, you¡¯re fond of me, Suramin? You rascal!¡± ¡°Purupuru¡­¡± A tiny Suramin appeared on Kotomin¡¯s shoulders. Erina was shaken. She greeted Suramin. Reito dived into bed. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep, do as you please.¡± ¡°I¡¯m also sleepy. Let¡¯s sleep together!¡± ¡°Are you joking? What should I do? Should I join?¡± ¡°Do as you please, good night!¡± Kotomin sneaked into bed with Reito. Erina was contemplating what to do before Reito had fallen fast asleep. When Reito woke up, it was noon. Something boisterous was going on outside. He was annoyed the moment he got out of bed. He found Erina and Kotomin drooling without care beside him. Volume 3 - CH 4.1 CHAPTER 4 Reito went back to the Black Tiger¡¯s Adventurer Guild. He found a large number of adventurers assembled there. Some had come to the city from far away. They had heard about the rotten dragon and looked worried. They were gathered in the tavern on the first floor. Gonzo and Dain were there as well. They appeared to have stayed up all night. ¡°Hey, Reito!! We were looking all over for you!! You said you¡¯d be right back.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re safe. Last night, there was an incident related to the elf boy. You heard about that?¡± Erina answered Gonzo¡¯s question. ¡°What, really? This is quite the town¡­¡± ¡°Why are you surprised?¡± Reito made fun of her before Dain asked, ¡°Who the hell is this? I met the blue-haired girl yesterday. Who is this elf?¡± ¡°Is she your friend? She doesn¡¯t look like an adventurer.¡± Dain and Gonzo looked at Erina. She introduced herself to everyone. ¡°What¡¯s up? I¡¯m a member of Princess Tina¡¯s Parental Envoy. My name is Erina. Despite my looks, I¡¯m actually an expert archer!!¡± ¡°Parental Envoy¡­?¡± Dain and Gonzo were puzzled. ¡°And don¡¯t worry about this one too much. It¡¯s a bit of a hassle to explain. She¡¯s my friend, or should I say pet?¡± said Reito about Kotomin. ¡°Pet? I¡¯m a pet?¡± ¡°Friends¡­ Let¡¯s be friends,¡± Erina said to Kotomin. ¡°I thought we were friends!!¡± replied Kotomin. Erina felt strange about being treated as if they were the same race. ¡°You¡¯re really high energy. Whatever, let¡¯s all sit down,¡± Dain encouraged the three of them to all sit down. Dain and Gonzo explained what had happened since Reito left. It seemed that nothing in particular had happened at the Adventurer Guild. They were just sitting there waiting. ¡°Gon-chan, will you be okay if you don¡¯t go back to your guild? Aren¡¯t they worried?¡± ¡°No, in fact, there are tons of members from other guilds gathered here today. There is a guildmaster meeting.¡± ¡°Okay. But, there¡¯s no way they will hold the Hunting Festival under these conditions,¡± Dain said. ¡°You know, the Zombie Dragon is back! There¡¯s no time to even be thinking about the Hunting Festival!¡± replied Reito. ¡°I know, I know! That said, Dain is a Dark Magician, right? It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard of that profession. What kind of magic can you use?¡± asked Gonzo. ¡°Oh, you want to know more about me? I guess I¡¯ll tell you¡­ I can use Shadow Magic.¡± ¡°Shadow Magic?¡± Gonzo was interested. ¡°You mean that treacherous stuff?¡± chimed in Erina. ¡°It¡¯s not treacherous. It may be considered boring compared to other magic, but it comes in handy.¡± According to Airis¡¯s report, he was quite the skilled magician and a high-ranking adventurer. He would have access to magic only allowed by Dark Magicians. ¡°What kind of magic is Shadow Magic?¡± ¡°You use your own shadow and your opponent¡¯s shadow to move objects. In my case, I move objects like this,¡± he explained as he reached his hand out over the table in front of everyone. His shadow began moving like a snake. ¡°This shadow can touch other people¡¯s bodies¡­¡± ¡°Wah!?¡± Dain¡¯s shadow coiled around Reito¡¯s arm on the table like a snake. Reito pulled his hand away, but he couldn¡¯t move. It seemed like it was tied down by rope. ¡°How about it? Pretty awesome, right!? I always use this magic to stop my opponents from moving before running away.¡± ¡°Wait, you are the one that ends up running away!?¡± ¡°When I use this magic, I also can¡¯t move. Look, when I use the shadow from my right arm, my right arm itself can¡¯t move. Anyway, it¡¯s really cool, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s cool magic, but wouldn¡¯t it be weak to any old strong light? Even a ¡°Photosphere¡± would do the trick. Anybody chump could counter that magic. It¡¯s a joke.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a joke!!¡± Dain flatly refused Erina¡¯s brutal critique. But, it was true that Shadow Magic had a glaring weakness to light. Suddenly, somebody shouted, ¡°Will you shut up, you brat!! I¡¯m gonna slap you if you don¡¯t shut up!!¡± Reito turned around and apologized, ¡°Ah, my bad¡­ Is that Ms. Daia?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh¡­ Is that you, Reito?¡± she looked at him before Gonzo asked: ¡°Is this your acquaintance?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a former ace from our guild. She recently transferred to the Hailstorm guild, though¡­¡± Daia was another giant adventurer a little over thirty years old. She used to be a B-rank adventurer in the Black Tiger guild. But, at about the time Reito joined the guilt, she switched to the Hailstorm guild. From the rumors Reito had heard, she hadn¡¯t gotten along well with the other guild members and had seen one failure after the other. At present, she spends her time bar hopping. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Daia. How have you been?¡± ¡°Not bad, you don¡¯t look bad yourself. I heard you did something about those goblins, right?¡± ¡°We put them down for the time being. I wanted to ask you something, what kind of people are the members of the Hailstorm guild? I have never seen them for myself¡­¡± ¡°¡­ They¡¯re all good for nothing. They are talented, but unlike the Black Tigers, they don¡¯t accept commissions from ordinary people and are only interested in high-price requests. They will drop less talented members in a heartbeat and have no desire to foster the talents of new members ¡ª there are no trainers. It¡¯s brutal.¡± ¡°Damn¡­¡± ¡°Like, of course, the adventurer profession isn¡¯t a profession where untalented people will last. But I feel like it¡¯s too competitive. I have gotten significantly greater compensation since I¡¯ve been in Hailstorm, but¡­ There¡¯s no such thing as team spirit there. Everyone is using each other for their own good¡­ I¡¯ve heard Maria asked you to come, but I don¡¯t recommend it. It¡¯s no place for kids like yourself.¡± Daia said, downing her drink. Reito was surprised at her reaction before someone came over. ¡°If it isn¡¯t that knucklehead, Daia!¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s you, Garura.¡± A man clad in all Mithril armor with a giant sword on his back stumbled over to Daia¡¯s table. He appeared to be in his late twenties, but he had no respect for Daia even though she was his senior. He sat down facing Daia. ¡°Why are you here? You get homesick?¡± ¡°Shut up¡­ What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just looking for someone. Otherwise, I would never come to this pigpen.¡± The adventures were stirred up by Garura¡¯s provocative words. ¡°What did you say, punk?¡± ¡°You tryna fight!?¡± ¡°Cut it out. He¡¯s not worth the trouble!!¡± Garura laughed at Daia¡¯s self-restraint. Dain and Gonzo stood up, unable to hold back any further. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, but you went too far. Apologize!!¡± ¡°Yeah, you went too far this time.¡± ¡°Huh? Who are you! Ah, wait, I know you. You¡¯re the Dragon Fang¡¯s Gonzo. And, this is, no, I don¡¯t know you. Who are you?¡± ¡°HEY!? What a rude bastard!! I¡¯m Golem Town¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Meh, I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t have time to talk to insects like you. I came here to find some saber-wielding young guy that Maria has had her eye on. Where is he?¡± Everyone turned to look at Reito. Garura looked puzzled at everyone¡¯s reaction. He realized that the person he had been looking for was the young boy standing next to Daia. ¡°Hey, hey¡­ What do we have here? You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me!? This little boy is the person Maria wants on her team!? I must be out of my mind¡­¡± ¡°Um, do you have some business with me?¡± ¡°Hah, really¡­ I can¡¯t believe it really is this shrimp¡­ What happened to your saber?¡± ¡°I¡¯m storing it in another dimension¡­¡± ¡°Storage magic? Are you by chance a Support Magician!? Well, this is quite the surprise. The Black Tigers must have lost their touch if they¡¯re letting in people with that loser job.¡± ¡°What? Reito is a support magician? I thought he was joking.¡± ¡°Damn. And yet, he¡¯s so strong¡­¡± ¡°Support magician¡­?¡± ¡°Now that you mention it, he did say he was a support magician. But given his arm strength, he must be half-giant or something.¡± ¡°No way!¡± Everyone was just now showing their surprise at the fact he is a support magician. Reito was irritated at Garura¡¯s arrogant attitude. ¡°So, you¡¯re Reito, right? Maria wants a word with you. Chop, chop, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Hah!¡± Garura squinted and tried to grab Reito, but he dodged just in time. Garura was feeling more and more irritated. He reached for his blade even though they were indoors. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t make me mad. Maria is looking for you. You have no right to refuse!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand. I am a Black Tiger adventurer. I don¡¯t have any responsibility to respond to the order of the guildmaster of other guilds.¡± ¡°Reito, cut it out!! Don¡¯t talk back to¡ª¡± ¡°Too late!!¡± Reito said, drawing his sword. The moment he drew his sword, everyone in the building scrambled to distance themselves. Garura gripped his Mithril sword and pointed the blade at Reito¡¯s throat. He had a smile on his face, showing how easily he could beat Reito in a real fight. ¡°I¡¯ll give you another chance. Come along with me.¡± ¡°The bystanders in the room moved to try and stop the sword at Reito¡¯s throat. But, Reito moved for himself first. He grabbed the sword¡¯s blade and used ¡°Matter Transmutation¡± along with ¡°High-Speed Shape Change.¡± ¡°What kind of attitude is that!?¡± ¡°One, two!¡± He turned the Mithril blade into a copper one and turned the once sharp blade into some kind of dull instrument. Garura realized his weapon had been transformed. The moment he noticed the change, Reito used ¡°Body Reinforcement¡± and kicked Garura in the stomach. ¡°Ahh!?¡± Garura was off guard and went flying back, letting go of his sword. Reito immediately picked up the sword and turned it back to its original Mithril form. Before Garura could get back up, Reito put the sword at his neck. ¡°Here, take this back.¡± ¡°Ghau¡­ Shit!!¡± Garura picked up the giant sword that was flung right next to him. He looked at it a few times, cautiously. ¡°Y-you!! What did you just¡­ I don¡¯t care. You¡¯re the one who started this fight. I hope you don¡¯t regret that fact later!!¡± He grabbed the sword and was about to behead him. But, compared to the Vampire Gain, his sword skills were no more than apprentice level. Reito made the minimum movements possible to avoid the blade. ¡°Shit!! Why can¡¯t I hit you!?¡± Garura continued to try to hit him while Reito coolly dodged him. He set a trap in the ground to make Garura fall over. The other adventurers in the guild started to laugh at him. Garura was scowling and blushing because an adventurer of lower rank than him made him fall over. ¡°You little!! I¡¯m gonna kill you!! ¡®Spin Strike¡¯!!¡± ¡°A battle skill!?¡± ¡°Oh, shit!! Run away, Reito!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Garura began spinning like a Bayblade as he drew by. He had no concern for the bystanders. Reito used his storage magic to pull out his Extermination Blade. He used Stark Blade to hit him with a counter strike. ¡°Helmet Smasher!!¡± ¡°Wha!?¡± ¡°Woh!!¡± Every time he spun, Reito struck him with greater speed and force than before. Garura¡¯s Mithril sword was destroyed by Reito¡¯s extermination sword, which had been transmuted into the most robust metal from his former world. The bystanders in the bar raised their voices in surprise and praise. On the other hand, Garura stood there, dumbfounded at his broken sword. ¡°Y, you!! What did you do!! My sword-!!¡± ¡°Next time, you oughta prepare a proper weapon.¡± ¡°W, wait!! Stop messing around!! You broke my sword¡­ Ahh!?¡± ¡°You shameless little!! Garura was in a half-crazed state over the sword he had just lost. Daia slapped him on the head to knock him out. Daia put him on her shoulders and picked up the Mithril sword before leaving the bar. She passed by Reito. ¡°You really messed up¡­ They¡¯re going to come after you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Ms. Maria always gets her prize. Watch out!¡± Daia left that as a warning before walking away. Reito watched as they disappeared off into the distance. Airis communicated with him, ¡º You¡¯re quite the hero. You almost fell for Daia¡¯s trap, Reito.¡» ¡ºDaia was aware from the get-go that she wouldn¡¯t be able to get Reito out of there. She feigned ignorance and invited Garura here to start a fight with you. Daia knew that you would stir up trouble and fight back. And that you did. No matter what the other side did, breaking his sword is going to create some controversy. It¡¯s evidence of a fight.¡» ¡ºBut, I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, right?¡» ¡ºThe only people in this bar are Black Tiger guild members. The problem is that she left with the only proof of the harm you received. Hailstorm is the largest guild in this city. Daia is likely to use this incident to wipe out the guild.¡» ¡ºWhy didn¡¯t you say so in the first place!?¡» Reito was freaking out about what he did on account of Airis¡¯ story. But, Airis was confident this incident wouldn¡¯t be of great importance. ¡ºBut, I don¡¯t think there will be any problems. Those two are under the wrong impression. Maria wasn¡¯t calling you to offer a proposal. She is likely to punish both Daia and Garura.¡» ¡ºWhat¡­?¡» Volume 3 - CH 4.2 A few hours later, Maria visited the Black Tiger Guild with a few attendants. Maria went into the parlor even though Bal wasn¡¯t there to have a word with Reito and Garura. Garura flinched a little at the sight of Reito. Daia was standing by his side, looking ashamed. Reito was there with a receptionist named Mary, who was there in place of Bal. The two were facing the others. A heavy atmosphere filled the room, and Mary was on the verge of tears. Reito looked at the adventurers standing beside Maria. Reito heard that the five adventurers were part of Hailstorm¡¯s A-rank. They appeared to be in their late teens or early twenties. Given they were there with Maria, it was safe to assume they were Hailstorm¡¯s representative adventurers. ¡°First and foremost, our guild had no intention of stirring up any trouble with regard to the incident at hand. I apologize for causing a problem right in the midst of the Rotten Dragon dilemma.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Mary was amazed at what Maria had said. Reito was taken aback at her pretending to be the victim even though her side had caused the problem in the first place. She stared awkwardly at Daia and Garura as if she noticed Reito¡¯s feelings. ¡°These two acted of their own accord. I just wanted to speak with you, but these two misunderstood and stirred up a big problem. Or, perhaps you don¡¯t believe me?¡± ¡°To be honest, I didn¡¯t get why you wanted to meet with me.¡± ¡°Right¡­ I probably should have also discussed the reason with these two. I wasn¡¯t trying to lure you away from your guild or anything like that. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Reito was surprised at Maria¡¯s statement, but she looked at Reito as if trying to confirm something. She offered a letter to him. Reito accepted the letter, feeling puzzled. He saw the sender¡¯s name, and his eyes opened wide. ¡°Aira¡­?¡± ¡°Given your reaction, perhaps you know my older sister?¡± ¡°Older sister?¡± On the letter, Reito¡¯s mom¡¯s name, ¡®Aira,¡¯ was written out. Reito was flustered as he rushed to open the letter and check its contents. He found his mother¡¯s writing, and after skimming it, he confirmed the shocking truth. ¡°That¡¯s right. Aira is my older sister¡­ Actually, we¡¯re twins.¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°U, um¡­ what are you talking about?¡± Daia piped in. ¡°None of your business! Be quiet!¡± ¡°Y, yes, ma¡¯am!!¡± Reito was surprised at Maria¡¯s tone of voice. Someone from outside their group tried to peer in on their conversation, but Maria glared at them, making them retreat. ¡°The first time we met, you mistook me for your mother. I was curious about that. I used ¡®appraisal¡¯ to check your status¡­ I should have noticed based on your name. I never would have thought you were my nephew¡­¡± ¡°B, but my mom was a human.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not at all unusual. Our mother was an elf, and our father was a human. So they had one elf and one human baby.¡± Airis explained further, ¡ºIn this world, there are no half children. In the event that the parents are of different races, the child is always born into one race or the other.¡» Reito was still in disbelief. Maria was in a state of disbelief too. It would have never occurred to her that her nephew would end up in another guild. She looked at Reito as one would look at a poor child. ¡°I heard about you a lot in letters from your mother. If you weren¡¯t born to that man, I would have taken you into my custody.¡± ¡°This letter is talking about when me and my mother left the mansion¡­ What happened to her afterward?¡± ¡°You¡¯re curious about your mother, huh? But, I¡¯m sorry to say that this letter is the last I¡¯ve heard from her. It¡¯s been over four years since we¡¯ve talked.¡± ¡°Four years¡­¡± Reito was curious about his mother¡¯s whereabouts. Airis interrupted the conversation. ¡ºAiris!!¡» ¡ºYour mother¡¯s whereabouts? As I said before, don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s safe.¡» ¡ºRight, right.¡» Reito felt safe for the moment at Airis¡¯s status update but was dumbfounded by the next thing she said. ¡ºShe heard that the king was planning to order your assassination and beat the hell out of him. As a result, she was driven out of the mansion reserved for powerful aristocrats.¡» ¡ºWhat??¡» ¡ºThe king wanted to dispose of you to preserve the kingdom¡¯s order, but Aira wouldn¡¯t allow her son to be killed, so she snuck into the castle and sucker-punched him. Usually, this would be a grave crime met with the penalty. But the king loved Aira too much, and so he turned her over to some aristocrats whom he trusted.¡» ¡ºWhy would you do that, mother¡­¡» ¡ºShe loves you so much. That¡¯s good, right?¡» Reito was stunned by Airis¡¯s story. His own mother punched his father. But, he still wanted to know what she was up to at the moment. ¡ºHow is she doing now?¡» ¡ºShe is living with a certain aristocrat. Formally, she was banished, but she¡¯s living happily with some people who are protecting her. She is confident that you are still alive and has been looking for you secretly.¡» ¡º I¡¯m¡­ glad to hear that.¡» ¡ºIt would be dangerous to meet now. But, the next time you have a chance to go to the kingdom, how about writing her a letter? I¡¯m sure she¡¯d be happy.¡» ¡ºThank you.¡» He said his thanks to Airis, who really showed sympathy for him with her words. He regained his composure. Reito thought it would be too unnatural to suddenly share the details he just got. So he remained silent, even though he knew she was worried that she hadn¡¯t talked to her sister for quite some time. However, being unable to withstand the air in the room, he asked her a question, ¡°Were you close to my mother?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, we were close. Have you never heard about me?¡± ¡°Um¡­ I suppose she did mention that she had a little sister¡­¡± Maria talked about her relationship with her older sister and what had happened before they parted ways. ¡°Me and my sister were born in the Hazuki House of the Four Leaves Kingdom. My sister¡¯s name, ¡®Aira,¡¯ is only given to the members of the family who are designated heirs.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly why the name Aira is so common. She used to complain that it was such a boring name. I thought it was a great name, and I was jealous, to be honest.¡± Garura interrupted, ¡°How could you say that!! Lady Maria has the most beautiful name of all!!¡± ¡°Why are you interrupting our conversation? Know your place!¡± ¡°S-, sorry¡­¡± Reito felt little sympathy for Garura. ¡°So, since my mother is a member of the elf aristocracy, does that make me a member of the aristocracy too?¡± ¡°No. My sister and I have already left the household. We are completely cut off.¡± ¡°Why did you leave the household?¡± ¡°There were a lot of reasons. If I were to put it simply, I would say because it was boring.¡± ¡°Boring¡­¡± ¡°Me and big sis weren¡¯t cut out for the aristocracy¡­ That¡¯s all there is to say. More than that, wouldn¡¯t you like to hear about what happened to my sister and me when we left the house?¡± Maria appeared to not want to tell the story of why they left the house. She bluntly ordered her attendants, ¡°You¡¯re getting in the way of the story. Leave at once?¡± ¡°Come again!?¡± ¡°Did you hear me? I said, get out! Don¡¯t make me repeat myself!¡± ¡°Uh, yes, ma¡¯am!!¡± Maria made a rather displeased-looking frown. The people in the room left at once, and Reito was alone with Maria. Finally, alone with her nephew, she let a kind smile show on her face. ¡°We can finally sit back and talk. So, me and my sister¡¯s story¡­ and as a bonus, the story of how we met our comrades.¡± Volume 3 - CH 4.3 Forty years ago, a pair of twin sisters, the human Aira and the elf Maria, were born in the Great Atlas Forest. They were born into the aristocratic Hazuki household, an equal match for the Midori House. Their mother¡¯s name was Aira. In the Four Leaves Kingdom, there was a custom to give the eldest daughter that name. In the past, the elf kingdom was saved from destruction due to the actions of a certain woman. That woman¡¯s name was Aira. This woman was the start of this naming custom. The elf race has a high ratio of females. Almost all elves are women. As a result, the eldest daughter frequently inherited the household, and the name Aira came to take on the connotation of heir to the household. Elves live the longest out of the six races and often live between three and four hundred years. However, a race composed of only females cannot reproduce, so it¡¯s common for elves to proactively seek relationships with other races. When two elves have a child, women are more common. But, if they have a child with other races, men are more common. As such, many different races live in the Four Leaves Kingdom. Aira was born a human, and Maria an elf. Although she was a human, it was customary for the firstborn to inherit the household. As such, she was designated as heiress. Humans with elf blood in them live longer as well. Further, elves have medicine to help humans live longer. Aira was raised to be a proper head of the family from birth. ~ ¡°You got that? Outside of this forest, there is a kingdom where only humans reside. Your father is from there. He is what the humans call an ¡®adventurer.¡¯ It¡¯s a tough job, but it¡¯s also a fun and respectable one.¡± ¡°Adventurer?¡± ¡°What¡¯s an ¡®adventure¡¯?¡± Before long, both Maria and Aria would come to want to be adventurers, just like their father Kyle, who told them about the profession in the first place. Kyle was a former adventurer who taught them about the fun and danger of being an adventurer. ~ However, their mother was not one. ¡°You two don¡¯t have time to be bored. Study hard and become an excellent member of the elf race.¡± Aira and Maria had an aristocratic education beaten into them by their mother. While other children would be out playing, the two of them were studying or practicing swordsmanship or archery. Every time they saw their mother, she would teach them the ways of being an aristocrat. On the other hand, their father spoiled them. ¡°You two studied really hard today. I¡¯ll tell you a story about my old days as an adventurer as a reward.¡± ¡°Yay!!¡± ¡°Your stories are better than any picture book!!¡± Kyle told them a story of his adventuring days while they were taking a break from studying. The two of them deeply trusted and respected him. ~ But, Kyle was met with an unforeseen accident. It happened on their tenth birthday. Kyle had used a connection from his adventuring days and gave the two of them a charm worn by a large number of adventurers, the ¡°bronze hairpiece.¡± The two of them were overjoyed. Their mother was displeased with the two of them flaunting something made of low-price like copper. She confiscated the hairpieces from them. ¡°You are aristocrats!! You can¡¯t go around wearing shoddy hairpieces like this!!¡± ¡°G-, give it back!!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t throw it away!! It¡¯s a present from papa¡­¡± The two of them cried at their charm being taken away, and they complained to Kyle. Kyle pacified the two of them and promised he would get the pieces back. He asked a servant to take care of it and found out the whereabouts of the hairpieces. It was being used as a necklace by a monster called a ¡°Shell Beast¡± kept on the estate. Shell Beasts are raised by elves from the moment they¡¯re born and are trained to not attack elves. However, humans were different. The Shell Beast was caught off guard by Kyle and suddenly attacked him. The Shell Beast was as fierce as a red-hair bear. Kyle was killed before he had time to react. When his body was collected, he was holding the hairpieces of the two girls in his hand. Their mother blamed them for the loss of her husband. The two of them thought it was her fault that he died. A deep rift was born between them. At that time, Aira said to her younger sister, ¡°Maria, we can¡¯t stay here anymore. Let¡¯s go somewhere¡­ Let¡¯s go to our father¡¯s kingdom.¡± ¡°What?¡± ~ When Aira and Maria came of age, they realized that plan. The two of them left their family behind, saying goodbye to the Great Atlas Forest. They started working as adventurers in the Baltros Kingdom. ¡°We are finally free!! We can live and grow as we please, all by our own strength. It¡¯s great, Maria!!¡± ¡°Y-, yes¡­ But, I wonder if we¡¯ll be able to make it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go soft on me!! We¡¯ve got to become a wonderful adventurer, just like our father!!¡± Aira and Maria found their way to the Baltros Kingdom and became adventurers. Aira took up Warrior and Martial Artist as her profession. Maria took up Blast Magic Specialist and Spirit Magician as hers. Aira would fight on the front with Maria behind her as support. The two of them raised their reputation overnight and climbed their way up the ranks. ~ ¡°Hey, are you two the ones making all that noise in the adventuring world? Fight me!!¡± ¡°Who are you, some kind of gorilla?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, but I¡¯ll give you a fight.¡± The two of them had been adventurers for over two years. Plenty of adventurers who heard about their reputation challenged them to fights. The parent who raised Bal, Moju, was amongst those people. In the midst of their frequent fights, Aira and Moju decided to form an adventurer party. Moju told the two of them, ¡°I like you two!! How about you two hang out with my daughter?¡± ¡°Daughter? You have a daughter?¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to be surprised about? She can¡¯t properly hold a sword yet, but if you train her, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be a great swordsman in her own right.¡± ¡°What kind of girl is she?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a girl whose parents were killed by a vampire. They had asked me to watch out for her if they ran into any trouble. I figured they wouldn¡¯t die!! Little did I know,¡± she laughed heartily. Moju revealed the existence of her adopted daughter. Moju would spend time with Aira and Maria before she was caught up in a certain incident and passed away. The young Bal was left behind, and Maria followed through on her promise to take care of her. Bal avoided relying on Maria and sought to be as independent as possible. ¡°I will not rely on anyone!! I have lived this far all on my own. I¡¯m going to avenge my parents! That was my promise with Mama Moju!!¡± ¡°Do as you please,¡± Maria said to Bal, whose eyes were red with tears. She deeply respected Bal¡¯s determination. Maria left Bal to live alone. That being said, she couldn¡¯t very well leave her best friend¡¯s child in the dust, so she would regularly check in on her. Bal was making good on her word and was active as an adventurer. She was polishing her skills to defeat her parent¡¯s mortal rival, the Vampire Gain. ~ Three years had passed since Aira and Maria had become adventurers. The two of them had risen to S rank upon completing their promotion exams. S rank adventurers have the right to establish their own guilds. The two of them easily passed the exam and took the S rank for themselves. King Baltros XII called them to the royal capital and held a grand party for them. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. I¡¯m King Baltros XII,¡± he said with the voice of an old man. ¡°I¡¯m Aira.¡± ¡°I¡¯m her little sister Maria.¡± The two of them were in awe at the presence of King Baltros XII. It was like running into a dragon for the two of them. Despite his enormous aura, he was actually quite the kind character. He had called all the aristocrats and generals to celebrate the birth of the two new S rank adventurers. ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m the king¡¯s little brother, Shinji.¡± ¡°Shinji? That¡¯s a weird name.¡± ¡°It was a name given to me by heroes called from another dimension.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ Heroes, you say.¡± ¡°Big sis?¡± Shinji would later go on to become King Baltros XIII. Shinji was King Baltros XII¡¯s little brother. King Baltros XII¡¯s private name was Kain. They got along swimmingly. Shinji was famous for being the one who lost out on the throne. Their father, King Baltros XI, had the two of them as twins and always had them compete against each other. Kain came out ahead in every field. Shinji was very talented in his own right, but he was no match for his brother. From the time they were little, Shinji came to have an inferiority complex because of his little brother. Aira also had parental issues ¨C a rift with her mother on account of her father. The two of them had a certain sympathy for each other, and they hit off instantly. No one could have predicted at that time that the child they would have together would tear them apart. Volume 3 - CH 4.4 ¡°So, a lot happened, as you can see. Your mother was really put to work.¡± ¡°Wow, I can¡¯t believe what my mother¡¯s personality was like.¡± ¡°She calmed down a little more after she got married¡­ But it looks like you have a few monsters that you¡¯re keeping as pets. She was the same. Although, she never tamed a cyclops¡­¡± ¡°You know about Ain?¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say I run this town. I know almost everything that goes on here.¡± Airis chimed in. ¡ºShe¡¯s lying. She was curious about you and had one of her subordinates look into it. She doesn¡¯t seem to be causing any harm, so I kept quiet about it.¡» Reito was surprised but glad someone was watching out for him. He was confident that Maria really was Aira¡¯s sister. They had different personalities, but her appearance is similar. Maria smiled at her nephew Reito. ¡°I don¡¯t mind you entering Bal¡¯s guild, by the way. But, if you ever decide to switch sides, I¡¯d love to welcome you to my guild.¡± ¡°Is your story finished? Mind if I interrupt?¡± All of a sudden, Bal¡¯s voice could be heard from behind the door. She walked inside with a sword-looking object wrapped in cloth. She moved in front of Reito and offered it to him. ¡°Behold, this is yours, right?¡± ¡°What? You already repaired the holy sword!!¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s still underway. It appears it¡¯s going to take some time. It¡¯s a substitute until that sword is ready. But, I still can¡¯t believe you¡¯re Ms. Aira¡¯s son. I was dumbfounded when I heard you were the son of the king.¡± ¡°Were you listening to our conversation the whole time? Those kids can¡¯t even keep watch properly,¡± Maria said in reference to her attendants. Bal answered, ¡°they¡¯re outside taking a nap. Don¡¯t worry, they didn¡¯t do anything. I just made them pass out with a wave of the hand.¡± ¡°Those little shits.¡± ¡°Gigan? You¡¯re here too?¡± Fang Dragon¡¯s Guildmaster, Gigan, appeared in the doorway. Reito was surprised to see a giant man who was even larger than Gonzo. In both of his hands, he was holding members of Maria¡¯s envoy. ¡°Ah, shit.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lord Maria,¡± Daia said. ¡°Train your subordinates properly. They don¡¯t even deserve A-ranks if they¡¯re going to be this incompetent.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. I¡¯m going to have to revisit my requirements for A-rank.¡± Gigan let go of the adventurers as Maria sighed in shame. Reito looked at the wrapped sword before him. When he opened it, he found a long silver sword. Pulling it out of its sheath, it glimmered like a mirror. Bal, who was now sitting on the sofa, gave an explanation, ¡°That there¡¯s a reflection sword.¡± ¡°Reflection sword?¡± ¡ºDo you remember the door in the cellar in the Monster Controller¡¯s mansion? It¡¯s a longsword made out of the same material as that door.¡» Airis¡¯s explanation rang through his head. Reito was about to ask why Bal had given this sword to him before noticing that Gigan was staring at him. ¡°So, you¡¯re Reito?¡± ¡°Uh, uh, yes¡­ Have we met before?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you from Gonzo. A human who can wield such a large saber is quite impressive.¡± ¡°Hey, are you trying to say I¡¯m a freak too?¡± Bal interrupted. ¡°I don¡¯t mean it in a bad way. Why don¡¯t you give the sword a swing?¡± Gigan suggested. Gigan suddenly reached his hand out toward Reito. Reito immediately put ¡°Leap¡± into action and went flying toward the wall. Gigan¡¯s jaw dropped at Reito¡¯s lightning-fast movements. ¡°What in the world?¡± ¡°So that¡¯s the leap skills that could beat any assassin.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my apprentice right there. He¡¯s a promising young adventurer. Don¡¯t test him too much.¡± ¡°Are you not going to stop this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good chance. Reito, take down that man. Feel free to use a weapon!!¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°Go ahead, try me,¡± Gigan said. Reito was flustered at Bal¡¯s sudden challenge. Gigan thumped his chest as if to say, don¡¯t hold back. Maria drew a big sigh. Reito got ready. ¡°You¡¯re going to pay for this, Bal! I¡¯m gonna put a slime in your shoe at night!¡± Reito said. ¡°Hey, cut it out. Are you trying to get my feet all wet?¡± ¡°What a cute threat,¡± Maria said. ¡°Give it all you got, let¡¯s go,¡± Gigan said, standing like a Buddhist guardian deity statue. Reito reluctantly grabbed the reflection sword. Bal said he was allowed to use weapons, but Gigan himself seemed to have no weapons or tools on him. Reito hesitated on using a sword versus an unarmed opponent, but Gigan continued to pound his chest. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, come on!!¡± ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡± ¡°I said let¡¯s go!! I¡¯m a giant. Come check out my ¡®Harden¡¯ ability.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°Reito, there¡¯s nothing you can do to convince these two.¡± Reito looked at Maria, hoping to back out of the fight, but she just tactfully grinned and shook her head. There was nothing to do but follow their orders. Reito drew a breath and went to fight Gigan. He grabbed the sword with both hands. ¡°A longsword, it¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°So you¡¯ve used a longsword before? I thought for sure you¡¯d only used large sabers.¡± ¡°I used to use them a lot back in the forest. It feels comfortable.¡± ¡°That sword can repel magic. If you were to sell it, you¡¯d easily get a clean 300 gold coins for it. ¡°Three hundred gold coins. So, 30,000,000 yen!?¡± ¡°What?¡± Reito was surprised at the exorbitant cost of the reflection sword. Gigan made no indication he was going to move. Reito figured he should test how powerful the Giant race¡¯s ¡°Harden¡± skill was. He swung his sword. ¡°Ha!!¡± ¡°Weak!¡± Gigan changed his skin color to red for a brief moment as Reito cut him from the front. The sword blade was repelled. Reito was very surprised, but he kept composure and yelled. ¡°What kind of a swing was that!! You couldn¡¯t even bruise me at that rate!! Give it all you got!!¡± Bal¡¯s ¡°Harden¡± skill could strengthen the muscles in one specific area of the body. But Gigan¡¯s version hardened all the muscles in the body, it appeared. Figuring it would be pretty difficult to actually harm Gigan, Reito put some auxiliary magic into play. ¡°Full-body Reinforcement¡­ or maybe it¡¯s gravity? Either way, this sword is useless!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re talking about, but did you by chance try to use magic? That sword repels magic, so none of the power from the magic will go into the attack,¡± Bal said. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Come get me!!¡± Gigan taunted. Just as Bal said, the reflection sword was repelling the magic, so his specialty, ¡°Gravity Blade,¡± was not going to work. Reito used Stark Blade, combining Strike Blade with conventional battle tactics. He approached Gigan and swung. ¡°Helmet Smasher!!¡± ¡°Hnn?¡± Reito had aimed the sword at Gigan¡¯s trunk. Gigan noticed the drastic change in Reito¡¯s attack and used ¡°Harden.¡± He was able to withstand the blow. A splatter of blood came from Gigan. It appeared the Reflection Sword had pierced his skin. ¡°What the¡­!?¡± ¡°Oof!? That was rock hard¡­¡± ¡°Hold up a minute¡­ Did you just cut Gigan? No way¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s my nephew, cutting the man of steel¡­¡± Bal¡¯s eyes were wide open after Reito managed to make Gigan bleed. Maria complemented Reito. Gigan looked at the cut on his arm and laughed. He looked at Reito, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to wound my flesh¡­ Excellent work. I guess that¡¯s why Gonzo praised you so much.¡± ¡°Umm, thank you.¡± ¡°Bal, you really do have the right to brag about this kid after all. You could give him an A-rank right away, and that wouldn¡¯t be inappropriate.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one who decides that. It looks like he¡¯s gotten a lot stronger before I even noticed. But, I don¡¯t just give out A-ranks handy dandy.¡± Bal knew about Reito¡¯s situation and was trying to avoid him becoming too famous. That¡¯s why she dodged Gigan¡¯s suggestion. Reito and Gigan decided to end their fight there. ¡°Sorry, Reito, but we need to get back to our discussion. I¡¯ll remember you.¡± ¡°You all need to get out as well. When we get back, I will deal with you accordingly. ¡°Y-yes!!¡± the attendants replied in unison. Everyone except the Guildmasters left the room. Checking that everyone had properly left, Bal, Maria, and Gigan began discussing a strategy to attack the Rotten Dragon. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Reito left the room and noticed some Hailstorm adventurers passed out in the corridor. They appeared to be foolish adventurers who brashly challenged Gigan to a fight. Reito thought it would be pitiful to leave them there on their own, so he lined them up on the wall and used recovery magic on them. ¡°Are you all right? Are you conscious?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Sorry.¡± ¡°Thank you¡­¡± ¡°Ow¡­ That meathead bastard. He should have gone easy on us.¡± They all appeared to have regained consciousness. They gave their thanks and continued down the corridor before Maria returned. However, one of them remained behind and just stared at Reito quietly. ¡°¡­Hey.¡± ¡°Is that, Ms. Daia? Ms. Daia, why are you here?¡± ¡°Oww¡­ Be a little more gentle.¡± It appeared even Daia, the most capable adventurer of the Black Tiger guild, was unable to wound Gigan. Daia apologetically said, ¡°You saved me, Reito. Sorry for trying to entrap you back there. My bad.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not too concerned. Yeah, I¡¯m not mad. No way I¡¯d be.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Reito strengthened his tone of voice as he talked to Daia. Reito, who usually wasn¡¯t too pressed about such matters, had to ask Daia why she switched teams. ¡°Why did you change to the Hailstorm Guild? We were all surprised.¡± ¡°A lot happened¡­ But you¡¯ve really been active recently, huh. Did you polish your skills or something?¡± ¡°Um¡­ I suppose you could say that.¡± ¡°I suppose little brats grow up fast.¡± Daia didn¡¯t mention why she left the Black Tigers and instead listened to Reito¡¯s story about what she had been up to since he¡¯d left. But, she also appeared to be thinking about something else. She suddenly proposed something to Reito. ¡°Hey, will you¡­ train with me?¡± ¡°Train?¡± ¡°Yeah. When you first became an adventurer, you would spar with either me or Bal, right? I want you to show me your skills.¡± ¡°Umm¡­ That¡¯s no problem, but.¡± Reito was a bit puzzled, but the two of them headed to the garden where they used to spar. Reito got his extermination blade ready. Daia pulled out her longsword. Daia was a Martial Artist and a Swordsman as her occupation. Ordinarily, Daia wouldn¡¯t keep a sword on her. Usually, she was able to beat opponents with her bare hands alone. But, this time, Daia had her longsword prepared. She was ready to fight. ¡°This is a perfect chance. I¡¯ve always wanted to fight you without holding back. I¡¯m not as soft as Bal, so give me your all!!¡± ¡°¡­So, I¡¯m also allowed to not hold back?¡± ¡°Duh!! If you slip up, I¡¯ll kill you!!¡± Looking at Daia¡¯s intensity, Reito ascertained that she planned to fight at full strength. Reito readied his extermination sword and thought about the Practical Skills Test he took when he first came to the guild as an adventurer. He should be more skilled than that point in time, but his opponent was the Black Tiger¡¯s former top swordsman. It was definitely not the sort of opponent he could be careless with. Reito grasped his sword and tried to look for an opening to attack. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? If you¡¯re not going to attack, I¡¯ll come for you myself!! Spin Strike!!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Unlike Garura, Daia came swinging at full speed right from the get-go. Reito attempted to retreat, but Daia kept on at full force. ¡°What¡¯s wrong!! Are you running away?! You coward!!¡± ¡°Ho¡­!!¡± Garura wasn¡¯t able to make the rotation move horizontally like a Beyblade. However, Daia was in complete control as she spun not only horizontally but diagonally and up and down, changing her orbit in the process. Showing no signs of letting his speed drop, she persisted in driving Reito into a corner. Reito had initially planned to retreat and let Daia¡¯s stamina diminish. However, he realized she wouldn¡¯t be satisfied if he won by merely waiting until Daia ran out of energy. He decided to face her head-on. ¡°Helmet Smasher!!¡± ¡°Ahh!¡± Just like when he battled with Garura, Reito mustered the strongest strike he could manage. The two blades collided, and a piercing metal sound was made. The two of them were blown back. ¡°Woah¡­ That was quite the hit.¡± ¡°Heh¡­ Are you still trying to fight?¡± ¡°Of course, dumbass!! Did you think I¡¯d be satisfied with just this? I want you to surpass me!!¡± Daia had a bloodcurdling expression on her face as she readied her sword. She used Rotation again. Seeing that, Reito felt a little uncomfortable but set his sights on Daia anyway. (Could Ms. Daia be trying to kill me¡­!?) She showed no signs of holding back and had the same energy she had when she was fighting for real. It was not the aura of a regular swordsman but of a master trying to make her pupil grow. Daia was not trying to beat Reito but to have him overcome her entirely. ¡°What are you doing!! Don¡¯t just stand there!! Swing your sword!! Beat me!!¡± ¡°¡­ Rotation!!¡± Reito shouted¡± Reito grasped his Extermination Sword so as to not lose out to Daia¡¯s energy. He began swinging his sword around, reaching full velocity before striking. ¡°Take this!!¡± ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± their roars rang through the courtyard, releasing an even more fearsome metallic noise than before. The noise of their blades breaking rang out. Daia was lying on the courtyard¡¯s ground while Reito looked down at her. Daia had an expression that suggested she was satisfied before she decided to explain the real reason why she left the Black Tiger guild. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m planning to retire soon.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to have a kid soon¡­ Before the kid is born, I had to save up money to hold me over until I find my next job.¡± ¡°Why did you choose Hailstorm?¡± ¡°Hailstorm Adventurers have almost unlimited access to high-ticket jobs. Further, as a Hailstorm Adventurer, your family receives insurance money if you die in the middle of a commission. I needed to make a whole lot of money before the kid came. I felt bad because Bal had taken such good care of me,¡± Daia muttered forlornly. She looked at the conference room window that Bal was in now. Daia felt like she could see herself looking at Bal for a split second. Reito got in the way and looked at Daia. ¡°So, that¡¯s why you switched to Hailstorm?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Yeah. The only regret I had was I didn¡¯t properly get the chance to train you¡­ But it looks like that was a needless worry.¡± ¡°Ms. Daia.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to tell you that you¡¯ve gotta be the mainstay of the Black Tigers forever or anything like that. But, I want you to keep that person in mind. That¡¯s all.¡± Daia laughed at Reito, who had defeated her and climbed to the top of the Black Tiger hierarchy through raw ability alone. She offered him a handshake. Volume 3 - CH 4.5 Reito finished his final training with Daia and returned to the first-floor bar. His friends ran over. They were worried about him. The first to run over was Kotomin with Suramin on her shoulder. ¡°Welcome back!!¡± ¡°Purupuru¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Mr. Gigan and Ms. Bal came by¡­¡± ¡°I know. I ran into them.¡± Reito explained what had happened to Kotomin and the others who seemed nervous. He noticed that Erina wasn¡¯t there. ¡°Huh? Where is Erina?¡± ¡°She¡¯s outside with Ullr right now. Some other elves came, and they were talking about something.¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m back!! Oh, I see you¡¯re back and doing well, Reito.¡± ¡°Welcome back. What happened?¡± ¡°Nothing really. I received a report that a good spot to detain Mr. Raikofu, or should I say, Raikofu was found.¡± ¡°Really¡­ Where are the other elves?¡± ¡°They already left. They asked me to give this to you.¡± Erina offered a crystal bottle with a sparkling white elixir inside of it. Reito was confused but accepted it. Dain was surprised, ¡°Is that by chance, holy water!?¡± ¡°Holy water?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a recovery medicine produced by the Healing Center!! It¡¯s a scarce and expensive product, so it¡¯s difficult to get a hold of.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ I¡¯m really grateful.¡± ¡°Purupuru.¡± Reito used his storage magic to put away the holy water. The part of Suramin on Kotomin¡¯s shoulder reacted, stretching out like a human arm to reach for Reito. Kotomin sensed what she wanted and put her on Reito¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Reito, Suramin wants that medicine.¡± ¡°Wants? Like, to drink it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that slimes love recovery medicine. It¡¯s their favorite food,¡± Kotomin said. ¡°You aren¡¯t planning to give this most precious of medicines to the slime, are you?¡± Dain chimed in. ¡°You really are generous,¡± Erina added. ¡°I said nothing of the sort, but¡­ ah! It¡¯s on my shoulder.¡± Suramin moved from Kotomin to Reito¡¯s shoulder and begged him to give it some recovery medicine. Suramin rubbed itself on Reito¡¯s cheek. Reito caved and opened the bottle of elixir, letting him have some. ¡°I¡¯m too soft. But just a sip, okay?¡± ¡°Purupuru¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s shaking a lot!¡± He put the crystal bottle in Suramin¡¯s mouth and gave it half of the elixir before pulling out. Suramin¡¯s body changed from a light pale color to a nearly white one. She went back to Kotomin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Purupuru.¡± ¡°Marry me, Reito.¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°She¡¯s saying she wants to marry you¡­¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s what you meant¡­ I was surprised.¡± Reito was surprised at Kotomin¡¯s misleading statement. He closed the holy water bottle and put it away in another dimension using his storage magic. He decided to talk about what happened in the reception room to everyone. ¡°You¡¯re the Hailstorm Guildmaster¡¯s¡­ Nephew!?¡± ¡°Dain, shut up!!¡± ¡°Sorry¡­ But, are you serious?¡± ¡°I¡¯m astonished¡­ I never would have thought you were Maria¡¯s nephew.¡± ¡°So, that woman was your¡­ aunt? ¡°That¡¯s crazy!! Isn¡¯t she really famous!!¡± Dain blurted out. ¡°You¡¯re being too loud! I don¡¯t really want anyone to know about this.¡± His friends were surprised that he was Maria¡¯s nephew. It would cause trouble if it was known that he was Maria¡¯s nephew, so he put them under strict orders not to tell anyone else. ¡°Reito, are you going to join her guild?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m a Black Tiger adventurer. Just because my aunt is working there doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to change.¡± ¡°What a shame. If you¡¯re her nephew, wouldn¡¯t she give you some kind of special treatment?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ But, she was a lot nicer to me than when I first met her.¡± The first time they crossed paths, Maria thought nothing more about Reito than the fact that he was a fascinating adventurer. After learning he was her sister¡¯s son, she seemed to feel a lot of sympathy for him and started acting nice. Reito felt like he had run into his mother for the first time in a while. Their outward appearance was similar, but their personalities differed significantly. Yet despite that, there were times where Reito felt like he was talking to Aira. ¡ºSorry to interrupt your lighthearted conversations with your friends, but isn¡¯t about time you learned Lightning Class Magic?¡» ¡°Ah, I forgot.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Reito?¡± ¡°Nothing¡­¡± Reito remembered his goal because of Airis. He had totally forgotten that she advised him to learn Lightning Class Magic. As a Support Magician, the only magic he could remember was either auxiliary or beginner¡¯s magic, so he asked the friends standing in front of him. ¡°Does anyone here know any beginner-level Lightning Class Magic?¡± ¡°Lightning class? I don¡¯t know any,¡± Erina said. ¡°I can only use Photosphere,¡± replied Gonzo. ¡°My race can¡¯t remember that class of magic. I don¡¯t like the buzz,¡± Kotomin said. ¡°Purupuru.¡± ¡°Suramin also can¡¯t help you,¡± Kotomin said. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to tell me. I already knew that!¡± Reito jeered. ¡°Hehehe, my time has come.¡± ¡°I guess I should just give up,¡± Reito said, intentionally ignoring Dain. ¡°Why! I¡¯m telling you I know how to use Lightning Class magic!¡± Dain bragged that in addition to shadow magic, dark magicians can also use rudimentary versions of any class of magic. Airis explained, ¡ºJust like Support Magicians can only use auxiliary magic, Dark Magicians can only use Shadow Magic. However, everybody can use rudimentary versions of all kinds of magic. That goes for Dain as well. Of course, race also plays a factor. Some people like Kotomin will have poor compatibility with certain types of magic.¡» She ended communications before Reito asked Dain a favor. ¡°I see. In that case, Dain, could you show me your abilities? I should be able to learn them too if you do.¡± ¡°Learn? I know it¡¯s called beginner¡¯s magic, but it¡¯s not that easy to learn.¡± ¡°Just hurry up and use it.¡± ¡°Uh, okay. Look! Here is my power!!¡± Dain shouted and stuck out his right hand. He held his right hand with his left hand and focused his concentration on it. Sweat poured out of his body. Everybody held their breath¡­ Reito had a bad feeling of what was about to happen based on his memory of when Aria first showed him beginner magic. ¡°Electric Shock!!¡± ¡°Waaah¡± everyone screamed. A current of electricity came surging out of his hand for a split second. Everyone had screamed, but the current was gone in a flash. Dain fell on his knees, breathing roughly as he looked at Reito, giving him a tense smile. ¡°This is the beginner¡¯s magic called ¡®Electric Shock.¡¯ It¡¯s pretty awesome, right? Even using it just a little bit really does me in.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ It¡¯s incredible in a certain sense,¡± Kotomin replied. ¡°It¡¯s kind of lackluster¡­¡± chimed in Erina. ¡°Is that magic¡­ or just static electricity?¡± Kotomin said. ¡°It¡¯s cool that you can use lightning magic!¡± Gonzo enthused. Erina and Kotomin were not impressed by Dain¡¯s beginner magic. Gonzo, however, was nodding his head in admiration. Reito dissected the magic and put his hands together in concentration, mimicking Dain. ¡°Like this¡­ ¡®Electric Shock.''¡± ¡°How!?¡± Reito put his hands together and used the same ¡°Electric Shock¡± attack that Dain had just used. A current of electricity came from Reito¡¯s right hand. It was incredible that Reito acquired a new kind of magic after looking at it once. Still, the power emanating from the magic was even more remarkable. He was not just maintaining the current but freely moving his hand. ¡°Huh¡­ This seems really convenient. I bet I could use it for massages.¡± ¡°Hey, hey, hey! How did you pick that up so fast? Did you really just learn that right now?¡± ¡°Why are you so surprised? Beginner¡¯s magic is also called daily-life magic. Anybody can use it¡­¡± Reito was puzzled by Dain¡¯s reaction before Airis explained. ¡ºIt¡¯s true that even ordinary people can remember beginner:s magic. But, there is nobody who can learn it by looking at it once like you.¡» Regardless of how ¡°beginner¡± the magic is, ordinary people require training to use it. He was able to learn magic so quickly because he had elf-blood inside him. Elves are adept at learning. Reito himself was not aware of this. . < Beginner¡¯s Magic ¡°Electric Shock¡± Acquired> . ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve got it down. But, unfortunately, you are just letting an electric current stream from your body. You can¡¯t shoot it out like a lightning bolt,¡± Dain commented. ¡ºTo put it simply, you can use the electricity flowing from your body like a stun-gun. I know you¡¯ve just learned it, but please master this new ability entirely. We want to bring it up to max dexterity immediately.¡» Airis¡¯s instructions to master the skill at once circulated through Reito¡¯s brain. Reito would need to learn ¡°Electric Shock¡± before the Necromancer-controlled Rotten Dragon came to town. ¡ºIrish.¡» ¡ºWhat am I? A cocktail or something? What do you want?¡» ¡ºIt¡¯s fine that I¡¯ve learned Electric Shock, but why do I need to master it so soon? Are you planning to have me use the holy sword? I won¡¯t be able to at my level.¡» ¡º That¡¯s true. Even if the holy sword was repaired to perfect condition, you wouldn¡¯t be able to use it.¡» Caledfwlch was being repaired by one of Bal¡¯s dwarf acquaintances. Even if it was fully restored, the level restrictions would still be in place. The Holy Sword¡¯s true power could not be wielded by people below level 70, and Reito was currently only at level 48. ¡ºTo use a sword that I don¡¯t have the proper level for, why do I need to learn lightning magic?¡» ¡ºTo put it simply, you need to get stronger. If you master this ability, your power will be significantly increased. Even if you can¡¯t use the holy sword, you¡¯ll need to use this skill in your battle with the Rotten Dragon.¡» ¡ºReally?¡» ¡ºThe Rotten Dragon has caused many undead creatures to spawn in the field where it was born. They are Monster Zombies.¡» ¡ºWhat!?¡» ¡ºThe miasma emanated from the Rotten Dragon can bring the cadavers of monsters back to life. The necromancer is trying to make an army of the undead. When she attacks the city, you will not only have to fight the Rotten Dragon but also an army of the undead.¡» ¡ºWhy didn¡¯t you tell me sooner!!¡» ¡ºSorry about that. This necromancer seems to have quite the circle of acquaintances. It has been drawing in other necromancers to help in the fight. The Rotten Dragon and undead are hiding out in a spot untouched by sunlight.¡» Reito was worried about what Airis was saying. She was expecting a Rotten Dragon and undead attack on Adventure City in the coming days. Reito was going to need to get stronger. Electric Shock is one of the rare Beginner¡¯s Magic with a special ability. Furthermore, it¡¯s a magic that was strongly compatible with Reito innately. ¡ºSo, you¡¯re going to need to get stronger before the arrival of the Rotten Dragon and the undead. Let¡¯s go fight some monsters to increase your level.¡» ¡ºBut Adventure City¡¯s been barricaded.¡» ¡ºDon¡¯t worry about it. We can use the monsters gathered here for the hunting festival. The festival has been canceled, so we ought to buy a monster off of the monster tamers that we can use to level up.¡» ¡ºHunting festival¡­¡» There were many professional monster tamers gathered in Adventure City for the hunting festival. There were big powerful demons like Ain and other magical beasts among them. Airis told him the location of a place where he might find some monsters to quickly level up his newfound lightning magic. ¡ºI believe a gargoyle is the right opponent for your current level. I¡¯ll tell you where the monster tamers are, so please go there.¡» Reito ceased communications and got up. He told his friends he had something to attend to and that he was going to leave the Adventurer Guild.¡± ¡°I remembered an errand I needed to run. What are you guys going to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay here,¡± Gonzo said. ¡°I¡¯ll also stay here. I can¡¯t run anyway,¡± Dain added. ¡°I¡¯m your guard, so I¡¯ll tag along with you,¡± Erina declared. ¡°I also want to be with you!¡± Kotomin said. ¡°Purupuru.¡± Gonzo and Dain agreed to stay in the guild, while Kotomin and Erina accompanied Reito. Reito took them outside, where Ullr was waiting for them. ~ Putting Ullr out in front, Erina asked, ¡°where are we going, bro?¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to call me bro, huh? I want to improve my Electric Shock skills, so we¡¯re going to where the monster tamers are gathered for the hunting festival.¡± ¡°Purupuru¡­¡± ¡°Suramin is afraid. She hates lightning magic because it is shocking,¡± Kotomin translated Suramin¡¯s words. ¡°Slimes don¡¯t like electricity¡­ What¡¯s wrong, Ullr?¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Ullr signaled with his eyes as if to tell Reito something. Reito picked up that Ullr was signaling that someone was following them. ¡°Bro, someone has been following us for a while.¡± ¡°You noticed as well, Erina?¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not just a Hunter, but also an Assassin. Ever since we left that building, someone has been following us.¡± ¡°You should have told me sooner.¡± ¡°Purupuru.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But they don¡¯t appear to be hostile, at any rate.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± Reito thought about what Erina had said and asked Airis to be safe. ¡°Aiwis,¡± he said like a baby. ¡ºDo not call me that ever. I¡¯ve got goosebumps from disgust. An assassin from the Hailstorm guild has been following you. He was instructed to do so by Maria. She said to, ¡°destroy anyone who tries to harm Reito.¡±¡» ¡ºMs. Maria¡­ or my aunt did that for us?¡» ¡º Don¡¯t call her an auntie in front of her. She¡¯s actually very young for an elf.¡» ¡ºWhat should I do?¡» ¡ºYou can just ignore them. They pose no harm.¡» ¡ºJust ignore them¡­ All right, I guess.¡» The people trailing them seemed to pose no threat. They were there just to protect him. Reito decided to ignore them and continue on. ¡°I really didn¡¯t notice them. Was I the only one?¡± ¡°Purupuru.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Kotomin translated. ¡°Even the slime feels sorry for me¡­ Shit.¡± Ullr whimpered. Kotomin¡¯s senses were more sensitive than those of ordinary humans, so she was able to notice. Reito sighed and picked up the Suramin on Kotomin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m taking you with me. I¡¯ll call you Suramin Beta.¡± ¡°Purupuru.¡± ¡°She¡¯s happy, but she doesn¡¯t like that name,¡± Kotomin interpreted. Reito put forward another name, ¡°How about Honemin?¡± ¡°What kind of a name is that? Hone as in, bone? Slimes don¡¯t have bones¡­¡± ¡°Good point. I¡¯ll give her the other name I contemplated giving Ain. Hitomin.¡± Reito named the split-off body of Suramin as such. He had Suramin ride on his shoulder as a precaution against the followers. The split-off was smaller than the main body. If Kotomin¡¯s camouflage clothing Suramin was a basketball, Hitomin was a baseball. Hitomin was happily shaking on Reito¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Try not to fall¡­ If anyone comes near us, let me know.¡± ¡°Purupurun.¡± ¡°She¡¯s saying, ¡®understood, my master.''¡± ¡°Why does she have a totally different way of talking from the main body? When did you notice, Ullr?¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°You noticed a while back and thought I had too? You need to tell me those things sooner. You bad boy¡­ May I¡¯ve just been too careless.¡± ¡ºThere¡¯s nothing you can do about it. You¡¯re the only human in this group.¡» Humans have lower abilities in every category compared with other races. This is especially true for the five senses compared to Elves and Mermaids. Reito had strong senses for a human, given that he¡¯d been sharpening them since he was young, but he still couldn¡¯t compare to other races. He was tossed around in the battle against Gain because he couldn¡¯t grasp his location. If he didn¡¯t use a skill like the ¡°Mind¡¯s Eye,¡± he wouldn¡¯t stand his ground against an assassin. ¡°I wonder if there are any other skills besides ¡°Mind¡¯s Eye¡± and ¡°Detect Presence¡± to grasp an enemy¡¯s location¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s ¡®Magic Detection,¡¯ bro.¡± Erina replied to Reito¡¯s mumbling. ¡ºIt¡¯s a skill that only magicians can learn under particular conditions. The conditions are rather strict, so few people actually learn the skill. I was going to teach it to you, but seeing how much you struggled with ¡°Mind¡¯s Eye,¡± I prioritized other skills over it.¡» Reito thought back to the torturous days he spent learning ¡°Mind¡¯s Eye.¡± He felt dispirited but decided to ask Erina, unable to hold back his curiosity. ¡°What kind of skill is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just like the name says. You can detect magic with it. Even a top-class assassin can¡¯t completely eliminate their magic energy. However, only magicians can learn it, so I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to. ¡°I haven¡¯t learned it myself,¡± Kotomin chimed in. ¡°No shit. But, if magicians can learn it, maybe I can learn it too¡­ I¡¯ll try practicing it later,¡± Reito said to Airis before she replied immediately. ¡ºAll right, all right, understood. After all, you¡¯re starting to get to the age where it¡¯s difficult to remember new skills.¡» It was thought that new skills are easiest to acquire from birth to age fifteen. After that, regardless of how many training hours you put in, it was challenging to learn new skills. Reito had learned some 80 skills and had a year of leeway. He wanted to continue learning new skills until he reached his limit. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Under Maria¡¯s order, somebody was following Reito. He was carefully watching Reito from the rooftop. His name was Shinobi Kagemaru. He was an adventurer who belonged to the Hailstorm Guild and was a character deeply trusted by Maria. He belonged to the rare profession of ¡°Ninja.¡± ¡°So you noticed me¡­ There¡¯s no stopping that, Erina.¡± Even after realizing that he had been noticed, he didn¡¯t stop his pursuit. He maintained his distance as he did so. He was to be a personal bodyguard for Reito. Although there was no sign of any suspicious characters approaching Reito, something felt off. (¡­ Who¡¯s there?) Shinobi continued to sense somebody as he trailed along. He checked his surroundings but didn¡¯t find any suspicious figures. But, his ninja senses wouldn¡¯t stop tingling. (There¡¯s nothing suspicious, and yet. Why do I feel so worried?) Shinobi wasn¡¯t able to figure out what he was so afraid of. He could only say that he felt a sense of unrest ever since he started following Reito. He suddenly turned around. ¡°My mind is playing tricks on me,¡± no one was in his field of vision. He continued following Reito. He saw a green sphere of light pass through his field of vision in a split second. ¡°Hnngh!?¡± He grabbed his dagger, but there was nothing there. Perhaps it was some trick of the eyes. Yet, the negative premonition wouldn¡¯t go away. (This mission may be more difficult than I thought.) He heightened his senses and continued tailing Reito. He wasn¡¯t sure who they were, but he would continue to protect Reito until they made a move. Someone was watching Shinobi from the shadow of a smoke pillar coming off a building. She recalled the light sphere from before and started following Shinobi. Volume 4 - CH 1.1 CHAPTER 1 The Rotten Dragon that the strongest of all Necromancers, Kirau had unleashed, was about to attack the Adventure City Lunot. Reito, who knew of this grave reality from his manager in this world, Airis, had realized he would need to train more if he were to defeat this wicked foe. He had been walking through the streets of the city, searching for a Monster Controller in possession of a Gargoyle. His aim was to purchase a Gargoyle and then spar with it to raise his level. However, he had been unsuccessful so far. He called Airis. ¡ºIrish!¡» he said in falsetto. ¡ºWhy do you keep calling me that! Also, you¡¯d make a great girl¡­¡» ¡ºThanks. But I didn¡¯t call to talk about that. Can you tell me the exact position of a Monster Controller in possession of a Gargoyle?¡» ¡ºRight, right¡­ So, there¡¯s a blond woman in a tavern near your present location. She is completely wasted. Go there and leave three gold coins on the table and then leave.¡» ¡ºWhat, why? We¡¯re not going to wake her up?¡» ¡ºShe is running the Gargoyles through an illegal network. She wouldn¡¯t want to be seen dealing a Gargoyle via legal and formal procedures. She¡¯s not a major criminal in any other way, so we should just pay her and leave.¡» ¡º Won¡¯t she be flustered that there is money just sitting there?¡» ¡º Let¡¯s leave a note that says ¡®Thanks for the Gargoyle.¡¯ She¡¯s going to wake up soon, so be careful.¡» ¡ºGot it,¡»Reito closed off communications with Airis. He went to the bar with his precious gold currency in hand. ¡°Just to be safe¡­¡± Before going inside, he used his Assassin skills, ¡°Stealth¡± and ¡°Seal Presence¡± along with ¡°Soundless Walk.¡± He didn¡¯t want to be noticed. Once in the bar, he found a bunch of thugs hanging out. ¡°Hey, did you hear?! The legendary Zombie Dragon has been resurrected¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s just a rumor. Why would that come to attack us out of nowhere?¡± ¡°I heard the bastards from the old empire brought it back to life!!¡± ¡°The old empire collapsed forever ago¡­¡± ¡°And yet, movement in and out of the city has been prohibited. The merchants are in a riot because they can¡¯t get their merchandise in it.¡± Although it was only at the level of rumors, it appeared even ordinary people had knowledge of the Rotten Dragon. Reito gave some thought to that fact as he searched for the Gargoyle dealer. He spotted a blond woman sleeping in the back. Reito watched for any movement as he approached the woman. She was an extraordinarily fresh-looking young lady with long ears. Perhaps she was an elf. Reito pulled a parchment from his breast pocket and tore off the corner. He scribbled a note before leaving it on the table with three gold coins. He whispered in a hushed voice, ¡°I¡¯ll take one Gargoyle, please!¡± ¡°Hnh? Who is that?¡± the woman shook her ears and woke up, but Reito had already left. Reito left the bar without being noticed by anyone. He asked Airis for the whereabouts of the Gargoyle. ¡ºWhere is the Gargoyle?¡» ¡ºCan you see that deserted house across from the bar? It¡¯s in that house. They have been put to sleep, so they won¡¯t be violent. It would be best to retrieve one with storage magic before it wakes up.¡» ¡ºI thought you couldn¡¯t retrieve living creatures with storage magic¡­¡» ¡º It¡¯s all right. Gargoyle are the cousins of Golem. They are inanimate objects. They both move through a magic stone known as a ¡°core.¡± The only difference between them is their appearance and the material they¡¯re made out of.¡» Reito was convinced by Airis¡¯s explanation and went to retrieve the Gargoyle. He had gotten to the entrance of the deserted house. He twisted the doorknob, opening the front door without a problem. Reito was relieved that the door hadn¡¯t been locked. Reito entered the building and communicated with Airis again. ¡°Is this the right place?¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± After confirming the route, he proceeded on. He immediately stumbled upon a humanoid stone statue with a goblin¡¯s face in one of the bedrooms. Empty sleeping bags were laid out on the ground nearby. ¡°Is that it?¡± Reito whispered before Airis scolded him. ¡ºShh!! Be quiet¡­ The Gargoyles have excellent hearing. You will want to make as little noise as possible when you approach them. You have ¡°Soundless Walk,¡± so it should be no problem.¡» Reito followed Airis¡¯s advice and used ¡°Soundless Walk¡± to approach the Gargoyles. The Gargoyle¡¯s arm was folded. It looked just like a statue. Reito used his storage magic. A black whirlpool appeared above the Gargoyle¡¯s head. Reito just had to toss the Gargoyle into the whirlpool, and it would be stored away in another dimension. ¡°There we go¡­¡± Reito carefully picked up the Gargoyle. ¡°Graa¡­!?¡± the Gargoyle woke up with weak effort. But Reito¡¯s efforts were in vain. The Gargoyle had woken up. ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s awake. ¡®Heavy Strike!!¡¯¡± ¡°Raa!?¡± Reito wound scarlet-colored magic around his right fist before immediately punching the Gargoyle. The strong blow harnessed the power of gravity to give the Gargoyle a solid punch to its abdomen. It was absorbed into the whirlpool. ¡°Phew, that was safe. Yeesh. That really hurt¡­ It was stupid to punch a stone statue with my bare hands.¡± ¡ºWhat are you doing? Make your way to the ¡°Black Tigers¡± At once. It¡¯s safer over there.¡» Reito took Airis¡¯s advice and headed to the Guild to which he belonged. When he got to the Guild, he found his trusty pup Ullr and good friends Kotomin, Suramin, Hitomin (the latter two being slimes), the Elf-girl Erina, and his old friends, Gonzo and Dain there. Reito joined his friends before inviting Gonzo and Dain to train. They gladly accepted the invitation and went to the sparring grounds with Ullr and the others. ¡°So this is the Black Tiger¡¯s sparring grounds? Compared to Dragon Fang¡¯s, it¡¯s puny¡­¡± Dain jeered. ¡°Do you guys have a sparring ground at your guild?¡± Reito asked Gonzo. ¡°Yeah. Our Guild¡¯s sparring ground is underground and is probably about ten times as large as here. Speaking of which, no one is here right now. Is it always like this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m basically the only one who uses this place. Most newcomers can¡¯t handle Bal¡¯s hazing and leave before getting the chance to use it.¡± ¡°I bet¡­ She really doesn¡¯t know how to hold back.¡± Out of all the faces in the sparring grounds at the moment, Dain had the longest relationship with Bal. He, too, had once been through the hell of training with Bal. The contents of that training were beyond imagination. As a result of Bal¡¯s harsh training, the majority of new recruits to the Black Tigers end up quitting in less than half a month. But, those who manage to safely complete her rigorous training establish themselves as fully-fledged adventurers. As a result, regardless of how low the rank of a Black Tiger adventurer is, it¡¯s certain they have great abilities. ¡°There were five new adventurers who joined our Guild this month, but they all quit immediately. I¡¯m the only one who uses this place, so we shouldn¡¯t be interrupted,¡± Reito explained to Gonzo. ¡°I know, but what kind of training do you have in mind? Do you need me and Dain¡¯s strength?¡± Gonzo asked in return. ¡°I¡¯m sure you weren¡¯t expecting to have a sham battle with me¡­ I¡¯ll tell you this once but, my Shadow Magic is not suitable for sparring. If I don¡¯t hold back, you¡¯ll be finished,¡± Dain said. ¡°Why are you making that dumb pose trying to look all cool when you¡¯re saying such stupid things?¡± Erina jeered. ¡°No need to worry. I have different sparring partners in mind¡­ Kotomin, look after Hitomin,¡± Reito told Dain to put him at ease. He handed Hitomin to Kotomin. Reito put some space between himself and the others, activating his Storage Magic. The Gargoyle he retrieved was let out. The moment it got free, it immediately swooped after Reito. ¡°Shah!!¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°That was close!?¡± Gonzo and Dain shouted in concern. ¡°I¡¯m all right¡­ Ullr!!¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Reito called out to Ullr. Ullr used all his might to pin the Gargoyle to the ground. ¡°Shah!¡± While everyone was in shock over the Gargoyle, Reito gave a calm command to Dain. ¡°Dain!! Bind the Gargoyle with your magic!!¡± ¡°What!? I don¡¯t know if I can¡­¡± ¡°Can you do it or not?¡± ¡°Of course, I can fool!! Even if we were fighting the rotten dragon, my magic would work¡­ At least, I hope so.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t quite hear that last thing you said,¡± Reito pretended not to hear. Dain screamed at the top of his lungs. ¡°Sh-shut up! I¡¯ve got it, watch this!! ¡®Shadow Bind!!¡¯¡± The moment Dain stabbed the staff he had in his hand on the ground, his shadow began moving like tentacles. The shadow moved swiftly, drawing near the Gargoyle. Ullr jumped out of the way, and the shadow entangled itself with the Gargoyle. The scene astonished everyone. Dain was sweating over his whole body while grasping his staff. ¡°This guy was a lot stronger than I imagined. It¡¯s going to be hard to beat at my level.¡± ¡°¡­How long can you stop it for?¡± ¡°Maybe, 30 seconds more¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty long¡­ In that case, make sure it doesn¡¯t fight back during that span.¡± Reito approached the immobilized Gargoyle. ¡°?¡± the Gargoyle was puzzled that it couldn¡¯t shriek. Reito grabbed the Gargoyle with both hands and released the Beginner¡¯s Magic Electric Shock into it. The high-pressure electric current streamed into the Gargoyle¡¯s head and did a lap through its whole body. The Gargoyle¡¯s body was made of stone, so it strongly resisted lightning magic. However, through the sheer power of the attack, its body had grown numb. Even within the realm of Beginner¡¯s Magic, depending on who¡¯s wielding it, the force can vary greatly. ¡°Purupuru. Purupuru!!¡± ¡°Suramin and Hitomin are afraid! I¡¯m scared too.¡± Gonzo ordered the two trembling slimes and Kotomin to ¡°Get behind me!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mind if I do¡­¡± Kotomin and crew immediately took refuge behind Gonzo. On the other hand, Dain was struggling since he couldn¡¯t release his Shadow Magic yet. ¡°Re, Reito!! Are you finished!! He looks stunned. I don¡¯t think you need my Shadow Magic anymore. ¡°Wait just a minute longer. I¡¯m starting to get the hang of it¡­ Uff!!¡± Reito replied and strengthened his electric shock. After sending the current for a while, he found the perfect time to check his status screen. ¡°It should be anytime now¡­ Oh, there it is!! I¡¯ve gotten my dexterity level up to three!!¡± ¡°What!? That was fast!¡± ¡°How did you upgrade it so fast?¡± Erina and Gonzo were surprised. Beginner¡¯s magic was easier to upgrade in general. But upgrading the dexterity this quickly was unheard of. Reito had a natural aptitude for magic and exceptionally high compatibility with lightning magic. ¡°The speed you¡¯re upgrading at¡­ I guess that¡¯s what I should expect from the prince of the Baltros Kingdom. Next, pin the Gargoyle down. Now is the perfect chance to use composite magic.¡± ¡°Composite magic¡­ What goes best with lightning magic?¡± Reito muttered to himself. Erina happened to overhear him, and her eyes lit up. ¡°Wait, you can use composite magic? That¡¯s an advanced skill. You really are something!!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. I can¡¯t even use it. Although I have Shadow Magic, so I¡¯m all right,¡± Dain said. ¡°Lightning Magic has poor compatibility with pyro and aquatic magic¡­ Wind magic is the most compatible,¡± Kotomin informed him. ¡°Thank you!!¡± Reito was grateful for the advice. He activated Wind Pressure while maintaining his Electric Shock current. A tornado of electric current formed in his right arm. ¡°Woah! This is cool!¡± ¡°A tornado?¡± ¡°Cool!¡± Everyone, including Reito, was chiming in with words of admiration. Reito punched the Gargoyle with his arm that had electric currents surging to form a tornado. ¡°Take this!!¡± ¡°Graa!?¡± The part of the Gargoyle hit by the punch caved in, sending its flesh flying everywhere. Its core was exposed. Reito was about to get the core before Airis chimed in, ¡ºDestroy that!! It will boost your dexterity significantly if you do so!!¡» The moment he heard her advice, a new technical skill appeared in front of his eyes. An electric tornado appeared, stretching from his elbow to his left palm. Reito¡¯s punch destroyed the core that was floating in the air. Everyone was overwhelmed by the spectacle, but Reito paid no mind and checked his Status Screen. His dexterity had approached level 50. Further, the ¡°Electric Shock¡± had reached a max dexterity level of 5. ¡°All right, I was able to reach the limit faster than I thought. I bet I can use this in the future. I wanna give it a spin. Anyone wanna fight me?¡± ¡°Are you an idiot! One hit from that, and we¡¯re done!?¡± Dain replied. ¡°Even if I¡¯d like to, that¡¯s just too much.¡± ¡°No way,¡± Kotomin said. ¡°Purupuru¡± (tremble of fear). Ullr whimpered and tilted his head to the side. ¡°You sure? I guess it is dangerous. No worries. I thought of something, though,¡± Reito said and put his palm on the ground. ¡°Let¡¯s use Earth Block!!¡± A three-meter tall mud figure appeared out of the ground. ¡°W-, what is that!?¡± ¡°Is that a golem?¡± Dain timidly peeped at the statue, but Gonzo looked at it with deep interest. Reito used ¡°Ice Block¡± and froze the mud figure in place. ¡°All right, that should do it. The shape is a little off, though.¡± ¡°Woah! This is awesome!! How did you make that!?¡± Dain¡¯s eyes were shining as he inspected the figure. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s going to move any minute¡­ Are you sure it¡¯s safe?¡± Erina was worried. ¡°Next time, make a figure of me!¡± Kotomin chimed in. ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t make a human-shaped figure,¡± he replied. Gonzo stared at the figure before asking Reito, ¡°Are you planning to use this as a sparring partner?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Everybody stand back.¡± Reito put some distance between himself and the figure before using his specialty strike attack paired with a battle tactic. He was ready to attack. The moment he stepped forward, Kotomin slapped his shoulder. ¡°Reito!¡± ¡°Ha, what!? You startled me! What is it?¡± ¡°Where did you put the core of the Gargoyle you destroyed?¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± Reito scanned his surroundings to find the core he destroyed from before vanished. He looked back at the figure he made. It was moving just the tiniest bit. ¡°!!¡± ¡°Bro, isn¡¯t this figure moving? How cool!¡± Erina was impressed, but Reito shook his head in confusion. ¡°What!? I don¡¯t remember enabling it to move¡­¡± The eyes of the mud figure glowed red. ¡°This is bad!!¡± Gonzo yelled. He knew about the biology of Gargoyles and immediately moved into action. Volume 4 - CH 1.2 Gonzo approached the Gargoyle and kicked it from the front. ¡°Ngh!!¡± ¡°Graa!!¡± The Gargoyle managed to stop the kick with both hands. ¡°Did it just stop me!?¡± Everyone got ready to fight. Reito started communicating with Airis, ¡ºAiris!!¡» ¡ºThis is really annoying, huh? The core of the Gargoyle was integrated into that mud figure. It appears to have become conscious.¡» ¡ºAre you serious!? But, how is it moving even though I destroyed the core!?¡» ¡ºGargoyle cores have regenerative abilities. Even the tiniest shred of the core can regenerate itself.¡» ¡ºWhy didn¡¯t you tell me that before!!¡» ¡ºMy apologies. Further, the Gargoyle gets stronger and stronger every time you destroy the core.¡» After finishing communications with Airis, Reito used his Storage Magic and pulled out his Extermination Blade. ¡°Everyone, get back!! I¡¯m gonna blow it up!!¡± ¡°Understood!!¡± Gonzo said before Reito approached the figure, sword in hand. He tried to use Stark Blade, but the Mud Figure had leaped over his head. ¡°Graa!!¡± ¡°Did it just fly?¡± ¡°What in the!?¡± The Mud Figure landed and fixed Kotomin as its target, breaking out into a sprint. Everyone moved to try and save Kotomin when she gave an order to Suramin. ¡°Suramin, ¡®Water Gun!!¡¯¡± ¡°Purupuru!!¡± Suramin sprayed a large amount of water from her mouth with great force. Who knows where all that water was being stored. ¡°Grah?!?¡± The ice on the mud figure began to melt, and its mud body started to fall apart. ¡°How did you?¡± Reito was surprised but was happy to see the core exposed.¡± ¡°There it is!! There¡¯s the core!!¡± ¡°Leave it up to me!!¡± Erina said, readying her crossbow and firing an arrow. The arrow managed to expel the core from the figure¡¯s melted body. Ullr ran ahead and caught the core in his mouth before biting down.¡± ¡°Ullr!! Don¡¯t eat food off the floor!!¡± Ullr whimpered. ¡°You weren¡¯t trying to eat it, right? I¡¯m sorry, forgive me. Ullr drew up to Reito and put the core into the palm of his hand. Reito petted Ullr and looked at the broken core. He noticed the shard was still squirming and was stunned. He wrapped it in his hand. ¡°¡®Heavy Strike!¡¯¡± A crimson bulb of red magic seeped through his hands, destroying the shard until it was no more than a powder. Checking that the remainder of the shard wasn¡¯t moving, Reito drew a sigh of relief. ¡°Phew, I didn¡¯t think it would come back to life.¡± ¡°The Gargoyle has a much higher regenerative power than the Golem. I¡¯m sorry. I should have told you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Gon-chan. It was just an unfortunate accident.¡± Dain gave his two cents. ¡°Maybe, but you¡¯re the one who caused this accident in the first place, Reito.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. I¡¯m sorry to have troubled everyone.¡± ¡°You¡¯re hopeless¡­ I¡¯ve got no choice but to forgive you,¡± Dain replied. Reito kept an eye on the remainder of the Gargoyle Core in the palm of his hand. It appeared to be useless, so he was going to throw it away, but all of a sudden, Kotomin put Hitomin out before him. ¡°Reito, she seems to want that.¡± ¡°The remains of the core?¡± ¡°Purupuru¡­¡± Hitomin vacuumed up the powder of the core from Reito¡¯s palm. Hitomin¡¯s body turned red. Reito was surprised by the transformation. Dain remembered something. ¡°Now that you mention it, Slimes also like Magic Stones in addition to water. I believe she just inhaled the Gargoyle¡¯s core just now.¡± ¡°Wait, is Hitomin going to become a Gargoyle!!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard the only difference is the color of the body changes.¡± ¡°Oh, heh. Well, it¡¯s easier to tell her apart from Suramin now.¡± ¡°Purupuru.¡± ¡°Purupuru.¡± The blue and red slimes on Kotomin¡¯s shoulders began to bounce. Now you could tell them apart from each other. Just then, two women came along to the sparring ground. ¡°What was all that noise about!! We are in the middle of a meeting!!¡± ¡°You¡¯re one to talk. Your dumbass couldn¡¯t think of any good plan, so you just suggested subjugating everyone!!¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Bal and aunt? Maria?!¡± The Black Tiger and Hailstorm Guildmasters Maria and Bal came along. Maria looked like she had mixed feelings about being called ¡°aunt.¡± ¡°Please call me Miss Aunt or something. What was this noise about, then?¡± Before Reito could answer, the Dragon Fang Guildmaster, Gigan, appeared. ¡°Gonzo! So you were here this whole time?¡± ¡°Master!!¡± Reito was going to explain when Maria held her hand out toward the remains of the mud figure. ¡°Was this created with magic? Was this your doing, Reito?¡± ¡°What!? How did you know?¡± ¡°So, you are good at magic, unlike my sister. The kind of magic seems to be different too. This magic stone was the core of a Golem, no wait, Gargoyle, right?¡± ¡°Wow!? How did you know all that?¡± Erina was the surprised one this time. Maria looked at Erina and narrowed her eyes. ¡°Are you by chance, Erina? You¡¯re the girl who is Princess Tina¡¯s guard, right? Why are you here?¡± Maria was puzzled by her presence. ¡°Uh, um¡­ Long time no see,¡± she said, bowing her head. Reito was surprised that Maria knew Erina and asked, ¡°Are you two acquaintances?¡± ¡°Uh, no¡­ It would be disrespectful to say that I¡¯m an acquaintance of Maria of House Hazuki.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention that name. My sister and I have no intention of returning to that house.¡± ¡°My apologies!!¡± Maria froze when the word, House Hazuki, came up. Reito noticed she was looking at him and got flustered. Suramin and HItomin were trembling from her expression of wrath, and they hid behind Gonzo¡¯s back with Kotomin and Dain. ¡°Purupuru.¡± ¡°¡­Purupuru¡± Dain was chattering his teeth loudly in fear. ¡°Dain, you¡¯re overreacting!!¡± Reito poked fun. ¡°What else am I going to do? Why aren¡¯t you afraid?¡± ¡°I¡¯m used to scary things,¡± Reito said before Maria turned her sights to Dain. ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve seen this child somewhere. Wasn¡¯t your name Kunugi?¡± ¡°Who? Not even close!! I am Dain from Gollum.¡± ¡°Ah, I remember you. I handed you over to your Guild a long time ago,¡± Maria said before releasing a massive laugh. ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re the bastard who ran away from my Guild!¡± Gonzo spoke with Gigan before talking with Reito, ¡°Reito, I heard the news from my Master. I can¡¯t believe you managed to bruise Master¡¯s herculean body! Incredible!¡± ¡°Gonzo, this guy is a real strong rival. We¡¯ve both gotta get better.¡± ¡°Understood!!¡± ¡°Too formal,¡± Gigan replied. After hearing about his remarkable feat, the two slimes on Kotomin¡¯s shoulder moved to Reito¡¯s shoulder. ¡°So, what is all this noise about? Did you mess something up?¡± Bal asked. ¡°No, there was a bit of a scuffle¡­ We defeated a Gargoyle and a Golem dummy.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember us having any Golems or Gargoyles at this sparring ground. This was your doing, right?¡± ¡°Putting that aside, we have something we need to talk to you about. Do you mind?¡± Maria said. ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± Maria managed to skillfully change the topic. Reito was able to avoid a lecture from Bal. Reito gave a nod of gratitude to Maria, and she winked in return. She looked up at the ceiling and clapped her hands. ¡°Shinobi, come here.¡± ¡°What!!¡± On cue, somebody fell down from the ceiling, landing near Maria. ¡°Woah!? Who are you?¡± ¡°When did you¡­!?¡± Dain and Gonzo were surprised. Reito had already heard from Erina and Kotomin that they were following him, so he assumed it must have been that person. ¡°Allow me to introduce him. This is Shinobi. He belongs to our Guild. Say hello!¡± ¡°Hello, I call myself Shinobi Kagemaru. It¡¯s a pleasure.¡± He bowed his head. He was a 6-foot tall man with black hair. He was clad in black from head to toe. The bottom half of his face was covered with a black cloth, but from the part that could be seen, it was clear he was a handsome fellow. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Shinobi is deathly afraid of people. That¡¯s why he speaks a little strange.¡± ¡°Who the hell is this? First I heard of him,¡± Bal said in suspicion. Gigan raised his eyebrows in disapproval. ¡°When you say Shinobi, do you mean he is the Japanese Ninja?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. He is visiting us from Japan.¡± ¡°Wow, he¡¯s pretty handsome. But, I like younger guys,¡± Erina said, disappointed. Her actual age was over 70 years old. ¡°Hold up, everyone here is younger than you, though,¡± Reito coldly pointed out. ¡°So, you have been following us for quite some time, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You can call me Kagemaru. Only Lord Maria can call me Shinobi.¡± ¡°Shinobi, that¡¯s my nephew?¡± ¡°¡­My sincerest apologies.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I was afraid for my members, so I had him follow you guys as a guard.¡± ¡°I see,¡± it was just as Reito had expected. Shinobi appeared to be an equal match for the Vampire Gain and was equipped with incredible secret abilities. There was no doubt he could take Reito¡¯s life if need be. Maria continued talking, ¡°Shinobi is my underling and the most skilled adventurer I have. But, his mission this time may have been too difficult.¡± ¡°Mission?¡± Reito asked before Maria explained further. ¡°I was planning to keep it a secret, but it¡¯s no use now. Some assassins we sent to scope out the rotten dragon returned yesterday. But, before they could get to the Rotten Dragon, they were attacked by a swarm of Undead and dispersed.¡± ¡°Undead? Did they pay a visit to a graveyard or something?¡± Gigan answered in place of Maria, ¡°Of course not. At present, a large number of Undead are appearing in the grasslands. They are there to protect the Rotten Dragon ¡ª wandering around the Mountain Village.¡± Bal added, ¡°The Undead can detect the presence of living creatures. No matter how specialized the assassin is at his job, they will always be noticed by those bastards. I told them to give up on the surveying mission¡­¡± ¡°To be precise, it is a job that requires both speed and secrecy. It would be no problem for you, right, Shinobi?¡± Maria said. ¡°Understood,¡± Kagemaru nodded at Maria¡¯s words. Bal seemed unsure, but she also wanted to survey the enemies, so she didn¡¯t object. ¡°But, if Kagemaru were to be noticed by the undead¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no problem. I¡¯ll just run away.¡± ¡°His legs are like those of a magical horse. He would be just as fast as that White Wolf over there.¡± Ullr growled. ¡°You wanna race?¡± Kagemaru challenged. The two glared at each other. Reito ignored the two of them and asked about how Nao was doing. She was the princess of the Baltros Kingdom and had been injured by a Rotten Dragon. ¡°Bal¡­ How is Nao doing?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you everything is okay. Her body has healed, but she hasn¡¯t opened her eyes yet. Go see her. You¡¯re her acquaintance, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Maria had a complicated expression on her face. She knew that Reito and Nao were step-siblings, and she didn¡¯t want the two of them to interact. ¡ºAiris, how can we save Nao?¡» ¡ºShe can¡¯t open her eyes because of psych damage. If it were a physical problem, we could solve it. But there¡¯s nothing that can be done about mental damage. We just have to wait until she can get back on her feet.¡» ¡ºWhat a shame.¡» ¡ºThe swarm of the Undead is the more urgent problem at hand. It appears that Kirau is gathering the other Necromancers and is planning to send a great force of the Undead to the city with the Rotten Dragon.¡» ¡ºWhat!?¡» ¡ºThey are newly revived Undead, so the adventurers in this town should be able to handle it. The bigger problem is that of the underlings of the former empire who have snuck into the city. We¡¯ve got to do something about them, or we¡¯ll be in big trouble. Let¡¯s put a stop to them now.¡» ¡ºYou mean, we should murder them?¡» ¡º That¡¯s jumping the gun a bit. It would be better to bring them back to the Guild and interrogate them. We should just apprehend them for now. You have a lot on your plate right now, so it might be good to borrow the strength of your friends. You should be able to do it in that case.¡» ¡ºGot it.¡» He ended communications. It looks like it would be up to them to stop the underlings creeping into the city. ¡°Erina, I¡¯m sorry, but could you call in the elves who went to find Raikofu?¡± Raikofu is the elf-man who tried to trick Reito before. He was put in jail temporarily before escaping. His whereabouts were now unknown. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I have a favor I need from them. Kotomin, Suramin, Hitomin, and Ullr, I need your help.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Purupuru?¡± ¡°Woof?¡± The four of them tilted their heads. Reito also asked for help from Gonzo and Dain, ¡°I need help from you two as well.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? What do you need?¡± Dain replied. ¡°I can help, but¡­¡± Gonzo said. Bal gave a sharp look at him, ¡°Are you trying to slip off somewhere? What are you planning to mess up this time?¡± ¡°I have something I need to take care of.¡± ¡°Fine. But don¡¯t overdo it.¡± Bal respected the determined expression on Reito¡¯s face. She didn¡¯t know if anybody else had noticed his drive yet. Just as Reito was about to take everyone out of the building with him, Maria shouted, ¡°Take this with you!!¡± She continued, ¡°It¡¯s from your mother¡­ Never let go of it.¡± Maria offered a bronze hairpiece. It was the hairpiece that Reito¡¯s mother had gotten from his father when she was young. This one hairpiece had quite the story behind it. The hairpiece meant something to Maria as well. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was okay for him to accept such an item. Maria forced it into his hands. ¡°Give this to your mother one day. That¡¯s a promise.¡± ¡°¡­Understood.¡± Reito quietly nodded and grasped the hairpiece. He left the sparring ground to hunt for Empire spies with his friends. ~ Volume 4 - CH 1.3 The moment he left the building, he immediately communicated with Airis. He wanted to know the whereabouts of the spies. ¡ºAiriiiiiiiiiiis!!¡» ¡ºWhat!? Don¡¯t surprise me like that!! Shouting so loud!!¡» ¡ºI wanted to share my passion for you.¡» ¡ºSave that energy for when you¡¯re confessing your feelings of love. You want to know where the spies are, right?¡» ¡ºSolid Snake here, looking for information.¡» ¡ºYou really like your Metal Gear jokes. Okay, let me give you the lowdown.¡» The two of them joked back and forth before Airis gave him the information. ¡ºThis time, we are looking for three people. Unlike the Goblin incident, this won¡¯t take much time, so you should hurry up and get moving. There¡¯s a bounty on their heads, so you should get a cash reward as well.¡» ¡ºA bounty¡­ I hope no Straw Hats are there.¡» ¡º There¡¯s no rubber fellows here! Just a bunch of rascals!¡» Reito heard Airis¡¯s joke and finished communicating. He shared the information with his friends. ¡°Everyone, we are going to search for some people with quite the bounty on them. I want your help.¡± ¡°Bounty!? We¡¯re going after money at this point in time!?¡± Dain wasn¡¯t aware that the bounty was on imperial spies. The other crew members were surprised as well. As Reito only knew the information from Airis, he wasn¡¯t able to explain any further. He tried to explain as much as he could without it seeming suspicious. Gonzo tilted his head, ¡°I understand but given the situation, shouldn¡¯t we be here?¡± ¡°If we were to ignore the people with a bounty on their head, the whole town would be in trouble.¡± ¡°Do you know where they are?¡± Erina asked. Reito nodded. ¡°I know. Actually, I ran into one just the other day.¡± ¡°Wh, what!? When?¡± Dain was concerned. Gonzo asked Reito again, ¡°Okay, I understand. But what kind of enemy are we up against?¡± Reito asked Airis the name via communication and told Gonzo, ¡°We¡¯re looking for three fellows named Balgal, Magari, and Pherkad.¡± Dain¡¯s eyes opened wide. ¡°What!? Those are all high-bounty murderous demons. You¡¯re saying we need to apprehend them?¡± Just as Dain had said, the three spies who had sneaked into Adventure City were quite the big catches. They were vile murder demons. Although none of them were as strong as Gain, there was no doubt each of them had considerable strength in their own right. Reito felt ill at ease as he told another lie, ¡°When I first saw them, I immediately thought it would mean trouble if a fight were to break out. So, I tracked them stealthily and ascertained their whereabouts.¡± ¡°In that case, why are you telling us? We are up against some serious criminals. Usually you would report this kind of thing to the guild,¡± Dain was worked up, but Reito just shook his head. ¡°No, to be honest, I don¡¯t want to report this to the guild. I saw the three of them with another character who looked like an adventurer. I¡¯m not sure what guild they belonged to, but I bet they are selling them information.¡± ¡°I see¡­ So, there¡¯s a mole. If we were to let the guild know, word might spread back to that mole. Nice work, bro!!¡± Erina praised Reito with sparkling eyes. ¡°You¡¯re so smart!¡± Kotomin complimented him. ¡°Purupuru.¡± Dain was still unsure and put forth an argument, ¡°B, but!! I don¡¯t think this is an opponent we can handle on our own. Shouldn¡¯t we covertly inform Bal or Maria or Gigan or someone?¡± ¡°Bal and the others are busy with the Rotten Dragon. I don¡¯t want to burden them any further.¡± ¡°I know, but¡­ Do you really think we can beat them? The three of them put together have murdered hundreds of people. They¡¯re no chumps.¡± As far as their prospects of winning went, Reito was confident they would succeed. Airis guaranteed as much. He tried to put Dain at ease, ¡°We¡¯ll be fine. We¡¯ve got the giant warrior Gonzo and the elf sniper Erina on our side. We¡¯ve got a mermaid with exceptional powers of perception, a white wolf, and a couple of slimes. Not to mention Dain, who will become a great dark magician in the future.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ I¡¯m blushing, bruh¡± Erina said. ¡°It¡¯ll be no problem,¡± Gonzo joined. ¡°Pururun Pururun¡± ¡°When you put it like that, it doesn¡¯t sound so bad¡­ All right!! I¡¯ll help you!!¡± Dain and the others were motivated by Reito¡¯s speech. Reito gave his thanks and told them the strategy he thought up with Airis. ¡°Okay, listen closely.¡± ~ Thirty minutes later, Reito and the others were standing out front of a building in the western part of Adventure City. According to Airis, this was the hideout of the infamous Balgal who had murdered over 30 people. Not to mention, he had a few underlings with him. Reito had Erina stationed on the roof of a building nearby. If their target tried to run from the building, she would snipe them from there. In the event she couldn¡¯t snipe him down, Kotomin and Ullr were lying in wait in the back alley of the building across the street. Reito, Gonzo, and Dain were clad in hooded cloaks that covered them from head to toe. They were planning to sneak into the house disguised as members of the empire. Before walking inside, Gonzo and Dain asked some questions.¡± ¡°Reito¡­ You sure this¡¯ll go well?¡± ¡°Am I the right person for this?¡± Dain was nervous. ¡°No worries. If I¡¯m in the house for more than three minutes, barge in and save me.¡± ¡°Uhh, uhh, watch yourself in there!¡± Gonzo and Dain nodded. Reito used his alchemy skills, ¡°Matter Transmutation¡± and ¡°High Speed Shape Change.¡± He changed the large rock he was holding in his right hand into a black metallic plate with a crossing sword and spear engraved into it. This was the mark of a member of the empire. Reito cautiously approached the entrance and knocked three times. After a certain period of time, he knocked for the fourth time. An answer came from the other side of the door. ¡°What¡¯s the password?¡± ¡°Hail the Empire!¡± Reito recited the password Airis taught him. ¡°You may enter!¡± The key was unlocked and the door creaked open. A man with a prosthetic hand was peeking at them. He looked at Reito and crew with suspicion. ¡°Who the hell are you? What happened to the usual messenger?¡± Reito heard this question was a trap from Airis. He answered coolly, ¡°The usual messenger? What are you talking about? You always use a different messenger everytime.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right¡­ My apologies, step on in,¡± the man said, holding his palm out to Reito. Reito assumed the man wanted him to show his metal plate. He was in a bit of a cold sweat as he held out the transmuted pass. Reito¡¯s ¡°Matter Transmutation¡± and ¡°High Speed Shape Change¡± were not all-powerful. The objects transmuted by the ability could only last 10 seconds away from Reito. If the man took more than 10 seconds to verify the item, it would be proven to be a fake. ¡°Looks good,¡± the man said after haphazardly checking the plate. Reito felt better and asked the man, ¡°Is Balgal here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s Mr. Balgal to you. Watch your mouth. He¡¯s part of the top brass.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ You two wait here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Reito arrogantly ordered Gonzo and Dain to wait, to which they nodded silently. That should have established that they were his underlings. Things were going to plan. Gonzo and Dain would be fixed at the door. Entering inside the secret hideout, the man asked, ¡°What¡¯s your business here today? There¡¯s still time until the execution day.¡± ¡°Let me talk to Balgal first. Call in all your guards too. I¡¯ll explain after that. ¡°MISTER. MISTER Balgal. Don¡¯t get cocky. I¡¯ll warn you once, but I¡¯m Balgal¡¯s right hand man. Watch your mouth. Before the man could finish talking, Reito covered his mouth. No one else saw him, so he moved into action. ¡°Nice Work Today.¡± ¡°Gmph!?¡± Reito kicked the underside of his knee and collapsed him onto the ground. He put his left hand on his neck and used ¡°Electric Shock¡± on him. ¡°Stay numb.¡± ¡°Nguuu!?¡± The man was knocked out by the high-voltage electricity. Reito took off his hood and moved the man to the corner of the room. He put the man up against the wall, and used all the assassin¡¯s skills he had. A man wearing an eyepatch noticed something strange and came along. ¡°Hey, what was that noise just now!?¡± ¡°Ah, hi¡± Reito used his ¡°Leap¡± skill to jump toward the man before kicking his knee. His legs were quite agile after extensively training them in the past by jumping from tree to tree in the forest. He wouldn¡¯t need any auxiliary magic to knock out a level 30 human with just a kick. The eyepatch man wasn¡¯t particularly strong and was knocked over with one kick. ¡°What¡¯s going on in there!?¡± The loud noise attracted the attention of a few underlings in the hallway. Reito used full-body reinforcement and scanned the room to see if there was anybody who looked like Balgal in the group. He turned toward them and swung with all their might. Volume 4 - CH 1.4 ¡°Wind Blast!!¡± ¡°Whaa!?¡± ¡°Grah!?¡± ¡°Haah!?¡± ¡°Wind Blast¡± was a skill Reito had previously learned from the commanding officer of the elf security envoy, Linda. He developed it by modeling her ¡°Fa Jin¡± skill. The enemies were blown away by the ¡°Wind Blast.¡± ¡°Alright, that should be all of them,¡± the moment he muttered that, the man hit with the ¡°Electric Shock¡± stumbled back up. ¡°Wh, what are you doing!? Who the hell do you think we are!?¡± Reito was impressed before using the beginner grade magic ¡°Fireball¡± on him. He was blown away in a gust of flames. The man was blasted through the entrance to the outside. ¡°What!? What is all this!?¡± ¡°A man just came flying out here¡­ He seems to be alive.¡± Dain and Gonzo approached the man. ¡°What the hell monster was that!?¡± ¡°Oh, he¡¯s conscious!? Go to sleep!!¡± ¡°Gah!?¡± Dain smacked the man with a stick, knocking him out. Meanwhile, a beast man came rushing down from the second floor of the hideout. He smelled of alcohol, and his body was worn away. He had chains wrapped around his right arms. ¡°Hey, what was that noise just now!? I told you before, if you¡¯re going to fight, do it outside you dumb shits!!¡± ¡°So, you are Balgal.¡± ¡°Hah? Who are you¡­?¡± Balgal tilted his head in confusion as he looked at Reito. He saw his underlings piled up on the floor in the hallway. Understanding the situation, he clicked his tongue and kicked the head of one of his underlings. ¡°Gufh!?¡± ¡°Tsk!! Was standing guard not enough for you!!¡± Reito shouted at the underling to throw Balgal off. ¡°Hey!! Cut that out, are you trying to kill me!!¡± Balgal looked at the shouting Reito with caution. ¡°Shut up¡­ I hate when people wake me up!!¡± Balgal kicked the underlings lying about the hallway as he approached Reito. Reito put both his hands at the ready and was about to use magic before Balgal flicked his wrists and released the chains, trying to wrap them around Reito. ¡°Hey!!¡± ¡°Hungh!?¡± Reito used ¡°leap¡± to avoid the attack, but Balgal released more chains, scraping the walls and the floor as he launched more attacks. ¡°Stop moving!!¡± ¡°¡®Wind Blade¡­¡¯ Woah!?¡± He tried to stop Balgal with magic, but found his feet bound up before he could do so. Dain and Gonzo screamed. Balgal began dragging Reito in by his legs. ¡°Hah!! Too easy¡­¡± ¡°You THOUGHT!!¡± Reito had got himself bound up on purpose. He put his hands together and used ¡°High-Speed Shape Change¡± to tighten the part of the chain wrapped around Balgal¡¯s right arm. ¡°Ow!?¡± Balgal did not expect his own chains to be used against him, and he shrieked in pain. Reito took advantage of the gap to remove his chains, and he concentrated his power into his right arm. He released an electric tornado at him. ¡°Lightning Strike!!¡± ¡°Wheeeh!?¡± Balgal went crashing into the wall. He is a high-level fighter, so he wasn¡¯t defeated, but he was knocked out. ¡°Ho ho!!¡± ¡°W, Wicked!?¡± Dain and Gonzo exclaimed. Reito was able to defeat Balgal on his own. In part because Balgal was off guard and had been a bit inebriated, but also because Reito¡¯s raw fighting abilities were greater than his. Even his manager in this world, Airis, didn¡¯t expect him to have such great battle sense. To make sure that Balgal and his underlings didn¡¯t die, he used ¡°Recovery Magic¡± on them. He called in his friends from outside and had them tied up and restrained. Before long, the underlings, who had suffered relatively light damage, opened their eyes. They looked puzzled and afraid, and asked Reito, ¡°Wh, what are you!?¡± ¡°Do you know who we are!?¡± ¡°You have a bounty on your head, right? 120 gold coin Balgal and some underlings to go along with it¡± Reito said. ¡°Shit!!¡± Dain went around checking the faces of each of the members before inquiring, ¡°Hey Reito! The entire crew has a bounty on their heads. They should all be worth at least one gold coin!!¡± If what Dain said was true and they were to turn them into the Guild, they would earn about 150 gold coins in total. ¡°Are you serious!! Easy money!!¡± Erina was excited. ¡°Reito gets 2 parts, I get 2 parts, and the rest of you get 1 part of the gold. A perfect distribution!¡± Dain poked fun at the triumphant looking Kotomin, ¡°What are you on about!! Also, why are you counting Suramin, Hitomin, and Ullr in the count!?¡± Reito¡¯s crew members were thrilled, but there were still two more empire leadership members in the city. They were putting Balgal and crew on a carriage they had prepared beforehand while Reito had Airis tell him the whereabouts of the next target. As luck would have it, one of the targets, Magari, was a woman who was traveling on her own. He finished communicating with Airis and got on Ullr¡¯s back. He was feeling more confident now that he had defeated Balgal alone. He was hoping to do the same this time. ¡°I¡¯m sorry but, could you take these guys back to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild?¡± ¡°Huh? Why? What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Are you going somewhere, bro?¡± Reito thought about it before deciding to make up an excuse. ¡°I forgot something at home, and I need to go get it. Do you mind going on without me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s no problem, but¡­¡± Dain was pretty suspicious but decided not to pursue it any further. ¡°Reito, I¡¯m coming with you,¡± Kotomin said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be back before you know it. Ah, but I would like to borrow Hitomin. ¡°Purupuru?¡± Reito scooped up Hitomin from Kotomin¡¯s head and put it on his shoulder. He figured Hitomin had exceptional perceptive powers and might come in handy. ¡°Ullr, run as quietly as you can. When I give the signal, stop.¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Ullr ran the cart as fast as he possibly could through the city. Before he knew it, Reito had arrived at his destination. It was a large street with a decent crowd of people walking on it. It would be impossible to tell who Magari was in this group. Reito got off Ullr and gave him an order, ¡°Ullr, stay here.¡± ¡°Woof.¡± Reito used his ¡°Observing Eye¡± skill. It was a skill that heightened his observational abilities, but it was also capable of seeing through assassin¡¯s skills like ¡°Stealth¡± and ¡°Seal Presence.¡± He spotted a person with a suspicious atmosphere about them. She was an old lady wearing a black cloak. One of her legs was prosthetic, and she was walking slowly down the road. The people passing by her paid her no mind, as if she wasn¡¯t there at all. If Reito wasn¡¯t using his ¡°Observing Eye,¡± she would have been able to pass through without being noticed. He gave an order to Hitomin, who was riding on his shoulder. ¡°Hitomin, keep an eye on that old lady.¡± ¡°Purupuru.¡± ¡°Good girl!¡± With Hitomin¡¯s perceptive abilities, tracking the old lady would be easy. Reito released his ¡°Observing Eye¡± and would occasionally ask Hitomin the old lady¡¯s location as they tailed her. While they were following her, the voices of a mother and child talking could be heard. ¡°Mommy!! That man has a red slime on his shoulder!¡± ¡°Oh my! I wonder if it¡¯s a pet! They get along so well.¡± ¡°Mommy!! I also want a slime!¡± ¡°Hmph¡­ Fine, we¡¯ll stop by the magic wares shop later. I don¡¯t know if they have any slimes though.¡± ¡°Okay!!¡± Red slimes are relatively rare, so it drew a lot of attention from the people passing by. The old lady looked back and saw Reito before she immediately dashed into an alleyway. ¡°Don¡¯t let her go, Hitomin!¡± ¡°Pururu.¡± Reito grasped the Reflection Sword and maintained a stance that would be easy to draw his sword from as he chased the old lady down the alley. A second later, he found the lady with her wand at the ready. ¡°Shadow Flame!!¡± ¡°!!¡± A black flame came bursting out of the magic stone at the tip of the old lady¡¯s wand. However, given that he couldn¡¯t feel it approaching him, he ascertained that it was not a flame but a type of shadow like that which Dain used. There¡¯s no doubt this lady was Magari, Reito thought as he pulled his reflection sword out and cut into the flames. ¡°Helmet Smasher!!¡± ¡°Hah!?¡± The Reflection Sword has magic deflecting properties. The flame that touched the blade would be divided cleanly in half, deflecting to the left and right. Magari was shaken by the unexpected event. Reito took advantage of the gap and used ¡°Leap¡± to draw toward her. ¡°Aaahh!!¡± ¡°Chi??¡± Magari guarded herself against Reito¡¯s slash, but she wasn¡¯t able to fully stop the attack and was blown back. If it were an ordinary wooden wand, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to take the blow of the sword, but she was equipped with an extraordinarily strong wand made out of Yggdrasil. She was able to avoid her complete destruction. ¡°You little!!¡± Magari got back on her feet and was about to cast a spell when Reito came in with a follow-up attack. ¡°Wind Blast!!¡± ¡°Weh!!¡± Magari was sent flying back by the gust of wind. Magari was in agony and was in a bad mood. ¡°Sh, Shit!!¡± ¡°You¡¯re still conscious. You¡¯re a magician, so I guess you¡¯re more resistant to magic attacks.¡± ¡°Wha!?¡± Reito zoomed toward Magari and jabbed her with the hilt of the sword. She was knocked out, and Reito carried her on his shoulder. ¡°Two down in one day¡­ Things are proceeding smoothly.¡± Airis chimed in, ¡ºDon¡¯t let your guard down. There¡¯s still one more heavyweight in the game. His name is Pherkad and right now he¡¯s in a hiding spot.¡» After hearing the location of the hiding spot from Airis, he whistled loudly. Ullr, who had been waiting in a place a little removed from him, came running over. Reito put Magari on Ullr¡¯s back, and scribbled something on a piece of paper in his breast pocket before sandwiching it in Ullr¡¯s collar. The note said that this old lady was Magari and she has a bounty on her head. Once she¡¯s turned over to the Guild, he¡¯d like a ¡®certain something¡¯ done to her. ¡°Hand this letter over to the people at the guild and have them read it. I¡¯m going to go home for a minute, but I¡¯m just going to get ready and then I¡¯ll be right back.¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Ullr barked happily. He ran off at breakneck speed toward the Adventurer Guild. Reito used ¡°Leap¡± and jumped onto the roof of the building before heading toward his own home. ¡ºWhy are you going back home? Did you forget something?¡» ¡ºI thought of an interesting battle tactic just now. I¡¯ve gotta go get a certain weapon to use it though.¡» ¡ºInteresting?¡»Airis sounded puzzled. Reito explained as he leaped toward his home. When he got home, he collected the weapon he was aiming for. It was the weapon he used at the Hunting Festival to capture the monsters. He hadn¡¯t had a chance to use it since then. There was no doubt that it would be a perfect match for his current abilities. ~ Volume 4 - CH 1.5 Reito returned to the Adventurer Guild and found a small clamor over the importing of the two bounties. He searched his surroundings before spotting Gonzo holding a bag that looked to be filled with a large number of gold coins. Reito went up to him. Dain and Gonzo were angry. ¡°Hey, Reito! What¡¯s the big deal!! Why did you go off and get this bounty on your own!?¡± ¡°We were worried about you!!¡± Gonzo said. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± he was overwhelmed by the vigor of their words. Erina and Kotomin also seemed angry. ¡°Bro, don¡¯t be stupid! If anything happens to you, the boss is gonna grill me!¡± ¡°Reito, think about what you¡¯ve done!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll give you some small sardines. Can you forgive me?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°What?? You¡¯re giving in that easily!?¡± Kotomin ate the dried sardines as Reito continued to scope out his surroundings. The workers and the adventurers at the guild were bewildered and were surrounding the binded Balgal and Magari. For now, the two of them were knocked out, but it was certain that they would put up a fight if they woke up. ¡°You really have some nerve bounty hunting at a time like this!¡± Bal came in, angry with Reito. His friends left the Guild at the same time. They went out to do that ¡®certain something¡¯. ¡°Oh, Bal!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t, ¡®Oh, Bal!¡¯ me! Why are you always causing problems!! This time I¡¯ll let it slide, but still!¡± Bal looked tired and handed Reito a small bag. After checking its contents, he found fifty gold coins inside of it. The Guild divided the spoils for them. Reito used his Storage Magic to put it away in another dimension before Bal asked, ¡°So? You brats were able to capture Balgal and Magari? What¡¯s up with that?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got one more to go.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Bal made a concerned face before Reito informed her, ¡°I Found out where Pherkad is hiding.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk more about it, in my office.¡± The moment he mentioned Pherkad¡¯s name, Bal¡¯s facial expression changed entirely. She took Reito to the Guildmaster¡¯s Office. As soon as they walked in the room, Bal immediately sat in her seat and looked at Reito. ¡°Are you aware of me and Pherkad¡¯s relationship?¡± ¡°Relationship?¡± Reito turned his head to the side. Airis chimed in, ¡ºPherkad is both a murderer and a spy. He makes a living by discovering adventurer¡¯s weak points, and selling their information to underworld agents. On account of the information he has sold, a large number of adventure¡¯s have died.¡» ¡ºI see. I take it some of those people were under Bal¡¯s care when they were killed?¡» ¡ºThat¡¯s right. She has been trying to track down Pherkad to avenge those people. He has constantly evaded her.¡» Thanks to Airis, Reito was able to understand Bal¡¯s serious facial expression. He thought about it for a minute and then proceeded to talk. ¡°I¡¯ve heard he¡¯s murdered a few members of our guild¡­ Of course those are just rumors.¡± ¡°He¡¯s killed more than 10 people. I hate the bastard!!¡± Bal scratched her head in disgust before slamming the desk. Her strength put a small crack in the desk. ¡°Tell me! Where is Pherkad?¡± ¡°Where? In the building facing the Adventurer¡¯s Guild.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Bal was completely dumbfounded and sighed. She had been too careless. ¡°That bastard¡­ I won¡¯t let him get away this time.¡± ¡°Not that building but the one next to it. When I said facing us, I meant the one diagonal to us.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so in the first place instead of making me look like an idiot?¡± ¡°You were the one jumping to conclusions!¡± Bal looked upset before bearing one of the swords hung up on the wall. ¡°I¡¯ll say it one more time. I won¡¯t let him get away this time!! Reito!! Let¡¯s go!!¡± ¡°There¡¯s just one thing. Reito had forgotten to say something but just then the door to the Guildmaster¡¯s Office opened. His friends came inside. First came Erina who was smiling at Reito. ¡°This is where you were, bro! We went and captured the people in the building diagonal to us, just as you asked. Dain put forward a man in a cloak bound by ropes. ¡°He put up a real fight. He jumped out the window, but Gonzo was waiting for him.¡± ¡°What are you two talking about anyway?¡± ¡°Did you say Reito asked you to get this guy? Wait, is that Pherkad?¡± When Dain took off the man¡¯s hood, he screamed. His friends jumped. Apparently they hadn¡¯t noticed just who they had caught. Bal squinted as she inspected the man¡¯s face. Her eyes peeled. ¡°H-Hold on. Reito, did you actually!?¡± ¡°Um, actually, before reporting it to you, I ordered them to go capture him¡­ Was that foolish?¡± That ¡®certain something¡¯ that Reito had asked the others to do was to capture the man in the building diagonal to them. That man was Pherkad himself. ¡°This man is really sneaky, so if we didn¡¯t have Dain¡¯s Shadow Magic, we could never have captured him.¡± ¡°Shadow magic is surprisingly helpful, huh!¡± Erina and Kotomin shared. Dain was a little ticked at Erina¡¯s wording, ¡°What are you talking about, surprisingly helpful!? I¡¯m the reason we caught this guy!?¡± ¡°But, didn¡¯t he get away one time? You were freaked out when he interrupted your Shadow Magic with a ¡°Photosphere,¡± the two started arguing. Reito nudged Bal with his elbow. ¡°Look! You got your revenge. I¡¯ll leave the rest up to you.¡± Bal was dumbfounded but nodded at Reito before picking Pherkad up with one arm. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!!¡± ¡°Shut up!?¡± Bal threw Pherkad across the room on the wall. ¡°Wow, awesome,¡± Gonzo said. Paying no mind, she cracked her knuckles and turned to Reito and crew, ¡°You all leave. Children shouldn¡¯t see what I¡¯m about to do. Dain was finished arguing with Erina and was puzzled, ¡°I¡¯m an adult though.¡± ¡°You wanna see a man¡¯s nails get ripped off?¡± ¡°Eesh!?¡± Dain went running out the room and the others followed him. ¡°I don¡¯t know how they did it, but I¡¯m really grateful for those brats. Welcome to hell. This is perfect timing. The Vampire Gain went ahead and died after I had been chasing him for some time. I wanted to get these feelings out on someone,¡± Bal grasped Pherkad like a hawk. ¡°Mmgh!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you live. But, if you want an easy death, spill the beans about the organization you sell the information too.¡± Bal¡¯s interrogation of Pherkad began. The sounds of punches being thrown could be heard from the Guildmaster¡¯s Office along with Pherkad¡¯s screams. A Recovery Specialist came in, and the questioning continued. Pherkad eventually broke under the stress of the cruel interrogation. He spits out the truth about the organization he worked for. According to him, Balgal, Magari, and Pherkad formed an intelligence trio for the Empire. Bal got another piece of critical information. The people trying to bring the Rotten Dragon back to life was a necromancer hired by the Empire. Volume 4 - CH 2.1 While Reito and his friends had managed to capture the informants of the empire in Adventure City¡¯s boundaries, a report of the Rotten Dragon showing up in a certain mountain village came through. The dragon that had attacked the Baltros Kingdom¡¯s Princess Nao and the Valkyrie Knights was under the control of a certain vampire. The woman went by the name of Kirau. She was the most powerful necromancer in the world, and was a hero of the underworld. Kirau was talking to the Rotten Dragon laying by her side. ¡°Hah¡­ Why are you so ugly, my sweet baby?¡± ¡°Foo¡­¡± the Rotten dragon snored without batting an eye. Kirau smiled. Kirau looked like a young girl. She used to be an Elf before being turned into a vampire. Her outward appearance hadn¡¯t changed in quite some time. ¡°After just a little, Gain, after just a little and I will avenge you.¡± Kirau had been fond of Gain ¡ª the vampire who had killed Bal¡¯s parents ¡ª and she was the one who had turned him in the first place. Kirau took her eyes off the dragon and looked at the four underlings behind her. The underlings all had blood-red pupils. One of the underlings had an overly developed fang. ¡°Your turns are coming soon. Be ready.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Ah, ahh!¡± ¡°My head¡­¡± Out of the four of them, two of them bowed their heads in acceptance of Kirau¡¯s order, but the other two were cowering, grasping their heads in pain. Kirau approached the two of them and pet their heads as if they were children. ¡°You¡¯re really stubborn, huh! Most people¡¯s consciousness is completely under my control. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re still putting up a fight. It¡¯s no use. Who do you think I am?¡± ¡°S-Stop! I don¡¯t want to be another Vampire Gain,¡± one of the resisting underlings protested. ¡°Why? You will be young and have eternal life. Isn¡¯t it perfect?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a monster. Ahh!¡± ¡°I guess there¡¯s no other way. It looks like it¡¯ll take a little time to subdue you,¡± Kirau sighed and looked at the Rotten Dragon. She was in the process of healing the dragon. The Rotten Dragon¡¯s body was already a corpse, so it wouldn¡¯t be able to heal its wounds on its own. After the damage sustained in the fight with the Valkyrie Nights, she had to heal it another way. She would need a lot of feed. Aaaaaahhhhh!! ¡°Oh dear, here they come again!¡± A herd of monsters with their bodies rotting away came along. Goblins, orcs, kobolds, trolls, and blood bears ¡ª undead ¡ª were lined up in a row. There was a female necromancer at the front of them all, controlling them. She approached Kirau with a timid face before bowing. ¡°I have prepared more sacrifices.¡± ¡°You were really late. Give it to this girl!¡± ¡°Y, yes¡­¡± The female necromancer waved her wand and the undead moved in front of the Rotten Dragon. Making sure they had moved accordingly to plan, she turned her wand to the sky and gave a command to the Rotten Dragon. ¡°Waaaaaaaa!!¡± she yelled. The dragon opened its eyes and let out a roar. She swallowed up all the undead in front of her. Graaaah!! The undead screamed as they were swallowed up. The Rotten Dragon¡¯s body began to change form. Her wound was healed and her body grew more plump. She was 20 meters tall when she was first born, but had grown to a full 30 meters. ¡°Hoo hoo! Isn¡¯t she beautiful! This is the true beauty of the dragon!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I see I have no use for you, now,¡± she said as the female necromancer began to drip blood from her eyes and mouth before passing away. The stress of controlling all the undead suddenly disappearing had caused too much stress on her body. She ignored the deceased woman and selected another necromancer to call in more monsters. ¡°You look ready. Bring in the next sacrifices!¡± ¡°Understood¡­¡± She chose a woman who was standing a distance aways from her four underlings. There were other necromancers standing around her. They were all associated with the Empire. Kirau turned her eyes to the jewel fastened to her wand. The jewel was a crystal with high purity mixed with a metal called Orichalcum. It was furnished for her by the Empire when she accepted the job. The Empire who entrusted the jewel to her was half-destroyed. Realizing she no longer had any business with them, she had begun to kill its top management. She had no obligation to carry out this particular job. In spite of that, she was still planning to attack Adventure City. There were two reasons. First, she wanted revenge against the elves who turned her into a vampire in the first place, so she planned to kill Princess Tina. Second, she wanted to kill Maria of the Hailstorm guild ¡ª avenging Gain was just a bonus. ¡°I won¡¯t forgive those blasted elves and humans! They can all go to hell!¡± Her voice was filled with hatred as she mumbled to herself. After she destroyed Adventure City, she planned to invade the Elves¡¯s territory. It was a perfect plan. However, she wasn¡¯t aware that a certain human in Adventure City was going to foil her plan. Further, she hadn¡¯t noticed that that very human was already in the midst of forming a strategy against her. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Three days had passed since the Rotten Dragon had been spotted. A large number of refugees had come pouring in from the villages and towns on the outskirts of Adventure City. Everyone had learned of the Rotten Dragon. The herd of the undead born with the appearance of the Rotten Dragon had already attacked a few hamlets, and casualties were created. The villagers were looking for protection. Meanwhile, in the Black Tiger¡¯s Guild, a strategy conference against the Rotten Dragon was taking place. The three Guildmasters, Bal, Maria, and Gigan were gathered, along with Alto ¡ª the general of the Baltros Kingdom. He had been stationed there by the Kingdom. He was only 16 years old. He had inherited his father¡¯s post, but he himself had no battle experience. Alto looked displeased as he spoke, ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen you three. The last time we met was when we had the conference about the Hunting Festival two months ago.¡± ¡°Oh really? I don¡¯t remember you. Do you, Bal?¡± Maria said. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me. I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°No, he was there! Did you two forget?¡± Maria and Bal were annoyed at Alto¡¯s presence, but Gigan gave him the courtesy of a serious reply. Alto tightened his fists. He felt like he was being taken lightly. But, it was certain that he was just a novice in this group. He composed himself. He tried to continue the conversation. ¡°How is the Rotten Dragon? Can you inform me about its condition?¡± Maria answered, ¡°From what my subordinates have told me, it hasn¡¯t moved from the mountain village in which it was born. Weather-altering magic or some sort of magical instrument is being used to keep black clouds gathered above the village blocking the sun.¡± ¡°There¡¯s magic to manipulate the weather? Is that real?¡± Bal was skeptical. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It¡¯s possible the miasma from the Rotten Dragon is forming the clouds. The bigger problem is a large number of the undead appearing in the surroundings of the mountain village.¡± ¡°The Rotten Dragon and the black clouds are the cause?¡± Gigan asked. ¡°There¡¯s no doubt about it. The miasma has been spread across the mountain village transforming the undead in the area. There have already been hundreds of undead spotted. They¡¯ve overtaken the area.¡± ¡°If you have managed to obtain so much information, how come you have not informed us in the Royal Army?¡± ¡°What¡¯s in it for us if we tell you guys?¡± Alto fidgeted in his seat. Maria was being rather rude, but neither Maria nor the always serious Gigan bothered to correct her. Adventurers had little trust for the Royal Army. Adventure City was governed autonomously of the Royal Army. Even the ordinary civilians of Adventure City didn¡¯t trust the Royal Army. They relied on adventurers and wouldn¡¯t call in soldiers even if trouble occurred. There were even a few soldiers of the Royal Army who had deserted to the city when the dragon¡¯s existence was confirmed. Maria didn¡¯t believe they wouldn¡¯t prove to be much of an asset in a fight. Maria sarcastically asked, ¡°Where are the Royal Army reinforcements? When will they arrive?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± Alto stuttered. Maria pressed further, ¡°Three days have passed. I know for a fact that the messengers we sent to the Royal Capital have made it. In spite of that, why haven¡¯t they given us a reply?¡± Bal and Gigan chimed in, ¡°I was also curious about that. What¡¯s going on? Tell us!! Is the Kingdom planning to help us?¡± ¡°They said to do what you can with your extant army¡± Maria sighed at Alto¡¯s response, and Gigan made a stern face. Bal clicked her tongue. It looked as though the Kingdom intended to forsake Adventure City and prioritize the defense of the Royal Capital. Alto was flustered, ¡°B-But, we are also prepared to subjugate the Rotten Dragon. We have been recruiting humans capable of using Holy Magic, the weak point of the undead!! If you equip weapons with holy magic, you should also be able to handle the Rotten Dragon, right?¡± ¡°If it were ordinary undead, that would be enough preparation¡­ General Alto, how about you help the refugees from the hamlets in the area instead of worrying about the defense of the Royal Capital? If we make use of the monsters gathered for the Hunting Festival, they should be able to help carry the guards and luggage for the refugees.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m appointed to protect this cityl!!¡± Alto shouted, but Bal shouted back even louder, scolding him. ¡°Are you saying that the people who live outside of the capital don¡¯t matter!? Listen to the adults when they speak!! Defending the people!! That¡¯s the job of a soldier!!¡± ¡°Nggh¡­ My apologies.¡± Unable to give a proper reply to Bal, gritting his teeth at his own incompetence, he left the conference room. The three Guildmasters watched him leave and then stared at each other. They all sighed. ¡°Did I go too far?¡± Bal asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think you said anything wrong. He¡¯s not a bad kid though.¡± ¡°He is thinking about the city to the best of his abilities. I¡¯d like the king to learn something from him.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t insult the king in front of me. He used to be a great person before¡­ Before the event.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s change topics. That story makes me shudder.¡± ¡°My bad.¡± The moment the topic changed to the king, Maria got in a bad mood. Bal apologized. Volume 4 - CH 2.2 While the three Guildmasters and the general talked, Reito was in the Sparring Grounds using his Extermination Blade and Reflection Sword in combo. He was sparring with Gonzo. ¡°Haaa!¡± ¡°Ngh!¡± Reito swung both blades at the same time. Gonzo took the impact with his club. A roar rang through the Sparring Ground when the two weapons hit. ¡°Whirlwind!!¡± ¡°Immobilize!!¡± Using his battle tactics, he swept his saber and long sword sideways, going in for a beheading. Gonzo blocked his club. Seeing Reito retreat, Gonzo saw his opportunity and went in for the big blow, ¡°Golden Stark Strike!!¡± ¡°Parry!!¡± Gonzo swung his club but Reito managed to dodge it, using a battle tactic to direct the blow of the club elsewhere with his extermination blade. The club struck the ground and Gonzo was petrified. Reito distanced himself. ¡°Ngh! I can¡¯t believe you dodged that!¡± ¡°I was going to die if I took that blow. Did you forget that we¡¯re practicing?¡± Reito pointed out to Gonzo who looked very happy. Whether it was training or not, it was Gonzo¡¯s bad habit to give his all with an opponent. Reito was also forced to fight at full strength, drawing his Reflection Sword and holding it in the opposite hand as the Extermination one. He used ¡°Stark Blade.¡± ¡°Spin Strike Blade!!¡± ¡°Ngh!?¡± Reito spun his full body before swinging his saber at full speed. Gonzo wasn¡¯t able to stop the swing and was blown back. Even though he had less arm strength and body weight than Gonzo, Reito was able to blow him back using the auxiliary magic ¡°Full-Body Reinforcement¡± in tandem with ¡°Strike Blade,¡± which he learned from Bal. Reito continued the attack, ¡°Helmet Smasher!!¡± ¡°Immobilize¡­!?¡± Reito used his specialty to swing at Gonzo. Gonzo immediately used a defensive battle tactic. He wasn¡¯t able to guard himself all the way and his club was blown apart by the saber. Reito saw Gonzo collapsed and dropped his sword. He pulled out his Reflection Sword like a Kendo player. ¡°Unsheathe.¡± ¡°Wah!?¡± ¡°Unsheathe¡± was a skill he had gained at Airis¡¯s suggestion. Reito swung the blade until it nearly touched Gonzo¡¯s skin and then stopped. If this were a real battle, Gonzo¡¯s head would have been cut off. Gonzo put his hands up in surrender and said in frustration, ¡°I lost this time. You surprised me with that last move.¡± ¡°Right? I worked hard to remember this battle skill¡­¡± ¡°Is that a swordsman¡¯s skill? I¡¯ve never seen it before¡­¡± ¡°I bet you haven¡¯t. It¡¯s rare in this land. It took me quite a lot of time to learn it myself.¡± He picked up his Extermination Blade and put it away in his back. He put his Reflection Sword in his waist while he answered. He checked both his hands and noticed his arms were trembling. After receiving Gonzo¡¯s blows so many times, his body had quite the strain put on it. If the fight continued as is, Gonzo would win by attrition. ¡°Hmm¡­ I wonder if it¡¯s possible to make ¡®Body Reinforcement¡¯ any stronger. I¡¯d like to get at least 20 times stronger,¡± he muttered to himself before Airis chimed in. ¡ºWhat are you, an alien? Get used to using ¡°Unsheathe.¡± If you learn any skills above this level, it will come in handy.¡» Reito decided to keep using ¡°Unsheathe.¡± ¡°All right, should we call it a day?¡± ¡°What? I¡¯m ready to go.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that Bal asked me to pick up the holy sword. She has a meeting, so I gotta go get it.¡± Reito had gotten the holy sword Caledfwlch the other day. He was having the sword reforged at the blacksmith. ¡°Hmm¡­ By the way, where did the other guys go? I haven¡¯t seen them in a hot minute.¡± ¡°Kotomin and Suramin are having fun in the pool of the home I built. Erina is running her regular reports to the elves. Dain is at his own lodging, preparing medicine to restore his magical power.¡± ¡°Wow, you really keep an eye on everyone. I promised I would help him get the materials he needed for his recovery medicine, so I gotta get going.¡± ¡°Got it. If anything comes up, give me a call.¡± Reito nodded in understanding and went to visit the blacksmith recommended by Bal. He jogged his way to Ullr, who was waiting outside. When he stepped outside, he found Ullr waiting for him with Hitomin on his head. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°Purupuru¡± Ullr dashed off when Reito gave the sign. After running for a while, Hitomin, who had heightened perceptual capabilities, reached out and patted Reito. ¡°Purupuru.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware that a group is following us.¡± Reito looked behind him to see some men rush off into the crowd. He learned who the men worked for was by communicating with Airis. Apparently, he had caught wind of the holy sword and was planning to steal it. After having taken in a few bounties, Reito was being noticed by the ruffians of the city. Amongst those, there was a group that attacked his private residence. He had the Elf Princess Tina and an envoy watching his place, and they had managed to drive them away. ¡°This is getting annoying. Let¡¯s try and lure them down that narrow alleyway.¡± ¡°Woof!¡± Following his master¡¯s order, Ullr went down the side road. Reito grasped his Reflection Sword and was ready to fight. This would be the last day he would use the sword he borrowed from the blacksmith. He figured he would use it one last time. ¡°Wah!! What are you doing here!?¡± ¡°What are you talking about, you guys were following us?¡± ¡°So you noticed!! I can¡¯t believe you saw us¡­ Now we can avenge the boss, though.¡± ¡°The boss? Ah, you¡¯re somebody¡¯s underlings. Amongst the three of them, one of them appeared to have a pyro-magic stone ¨C they took it out of their pocket and threw it at Reito. ¡°Eat this! Flame-la!!¡± ¡°Oww!!¡± ¡°Wah!?¡± They were likely trying to release a magic blast to ignite the stone and cause an explosion. Reito kicked up a small stone and threw it at the man¡¯s face who was trying to use the magic. ¡°You jerk!? What are you doing!?¡± Another man holding a dagger yelled. Reito caught the stone thrown by the man and threw it back at him. ¡°Take this.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it!?¡± ¡°Fireball!!¡± The magic stone flew above the man¡¯s head before Reito used his fireball to hit the stone. After it hit the stone, a small-scale explosion occurred. The bandits who received the blast from above fell to the ground. Reito was also hit by the blast, but he repelled it with his reflection sword before using another battle skill. ¡°Sheeeeeathe!!¡± ¡°Why did you pronounce it like that?¡± Airis joked. The blast created by magic was cut in half by the sword. Reito put his sword away and rode off on Ullr. The men who hadn¡¯t lost consciousness called out after him. ¡°W-wait¡­ help us!?¡± ¡°You reap what you sow. Don¡¯t come asking for help from the person you tried to kill.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Reito left them behind as he headed toward the blacksmith on Ullr. ~ At long last, Reito ended up at a run-down building on the edge of the town. He knocked on the door and called out. A dwarf man appeared from inside. He was getting on in age and had white hair and a white beard. The owner of the blacksmith looked at Reito and was suspicious. ¡°Who the hell are you? What business do you have at my shop?¡± ¡°Uh, my the Black Tigers Guildmaster asked me to come and pick up the holy sword and¡­¡± ¡°Go home!¡± Reito had the door closed on him before he could finish explaining. Reito stopped the door with his hand and used storage magic to pull out a large barrel of mead from it. ¡°Here¡¯s a little gift.¡± ¡°There we go!! You should have shown me that in the first place.¡± The owner¡¯s mood suddenly improved. Dwarves tend to be stubborn but as a general rule love alcohol. If you give them some alcohol, their moods will almost always improve. Bal had taught him that. The owner took the barrel to the back of the shop. He brought out a longsword shining in gold. ¡°Here you go! Take it with ya!! This is the legendary Caldewflch!!¡± ¡°This¡­ Is that sword?¡± When he withdrew the sword from the Monster Tamer¡¯s mansion, it was dirty and rusty. But now, it had a certain sacred feel to it, worthy of the name Caldewflch. From what Airis told him the other day, the Necromancer Kirau already had the Rotten Dragon completely under his control. She was turning other necromancers into vampires and forcing them to be her henchmen. She was also preparing a large army of the undead to invade the city. To win in the fight ahead and destroy the rotten dragon in the process, he would need the power of the holy sword. ¡°This is Caldewflch¡­¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be able to use the real power of this sword until you¡¯re level 70. I tried to give it a swing, but it wasn¡¯t a good swing because of my level. ¡°Is there anyone in this city who is above level 70?¡± At present, Reito is level 50. He had no friends who were over 50 either. The owner shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. If there were someone who was above level 70, they would be making quite a stir. They would be a legendary hero. The Hailstorm¡¯s Maria might be above level 70. She¡¯s a magician though¡­¡± ¡°The enemy must be at the level of a legendary hero too.¡± ¡°What was that? What do you mean?¡± the owner frowned at Reito¡¯s words. According to Airis, the Necromancer Kirau¡¯s level was over 80. The only one who knew that in this city besides Airis was Reito. Reito didn¡¯t answer the owner¡¯s question and looked at the Lightning Stone in the Caldewflch. It was not the source of power for the holy sword but rather, just a stone embedded in the handle. ¡°Can you take out this magic stone?¡± ¡°No can do. It¡¯s completely unified with the handle. When I tried to take it out by force, I got zapped, so watch out!¡± ¡°You already tried to take it out.¡± ¡°Of course!! It¡¯s a legendary holy sword. I have tried all my life to learn how to make one, but I still don¡¯t know anything about it!! Shit!!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t take your anger out on me.¡± ¡°Shut up!! That¡¯s my sword anyway!! Give it back!!¡± The owner was yelling in anger and took the Reflection Sword from Reito. Reito had no issue with that. ¡°Now, go home!! I know I¡¯m the one who accepted Bal¡¯s request, but I¡¯m getting too old for this shit.¡± ¡°Thank you so much for fixing the holy sword.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Well, I gave it my best. If you find someone who can use it, let them know it was the Dwarf Tordon who fixed it.¡± ¡°Will do, Mr. Dor.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t shorten my name! What is Dor! Also, wouldn¡¯t it be TOR!?¡± Reito put away Caldewflch with his storage magic and left the shop. While moving, Airis communicated with him. ¡ºI bet I could get the lightning stone out myself. But, even if I take it out, I¡¯m not at the right level so I won¡¯t be able to use the power of the stone.¡» ¡ºRight, you would be able to get it out. But, you wouldn¡¯t be able to harness its true power with the stone alone. They¡¯re a set. It¡¯s meaningless without the sword.¡» ¡ºDarn¡­ The lightning stone needs to be embedded in a proper weapon for it to work, right?¡» ¡ºOf course. An ordinary weapon would wear down under the strain of the stone¡¯s power. There¡¯s no one who could forge a weapon strong enough to match the stone in the city. Further, the materials for it are rare and you wouldn¡¯t be able to gather them all.¡» ¡ºI see. There¡¯s no point in carrying a sword I can¡¯t use. Might as well use it as a paperweight.¡» ¡ºWow, what an honorable use. But, you should be able to use that holy sword at any rate. For now, let¡¯s go back home. If someone else sees it, they might try to get after you.¡» ¡ºGot it.¡» Reito followed her instructions and went back home as opposed to the guild. Volume 4 - CH 2.3 He found some men on the ground tied up in ropes with their faces were swollen. Erina noticed Reito first and waved at him happily. ¡°Bro, what¡¯s up? We caught a few scoundrels.¡± ¡°Sh-Shit¡­ Who are you people!?¡± Reito looked at the foul-mouthed men and asked Erina, ¡°Who are these people?¡± ¡°They are some of the underlings of the bounties we caught the other day. They were trying to burn down your house, but I apprehended them. Reito was convinced. It was good that he had the elf guards protecting his house. Hearing the fuss outside, Kotomin came outside ¡ª she was wearing Suramin as clothing. ¡°Shut up! I can¡¯t get any sleep in!¡± ¡°Kotomin? Weren¡¯t you playing with Suramin in the garden?¡± ¡°I got tired so I was sleeping,¡± Kotomin said and approached Reito. Her hair was sticking up with cat ears. Reito petted her head while he said thanks to the elf guards. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± ¡°It was no trouble at all. Your protection was an order from the princess, don¡¯t worry about it. What are those¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll explain later. I have something I need to do in my home, so I¡¯ll be stepping in now. Can I ask you guys to keep a constant guard on my house in the meanwhile?¡± ¡°What? Um, okay?¡± The puzzled members of the elf envoy lowered their heads while Reito stepped inside. Kotomin and Erina followed him. Airis said nothing against this, so he figured it¡¯d be no problem if they saw what he was up to. ¡°All right, no one should be able to see me in here,¡± Reito made sure he had locked the door. ¡°You¡¯ve taken us to a place where we can all be alone¡­ I have a feeling my chastity will be stolen.¡± ¡°Bruh, you serious? I¡¯m not ready to take that step¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be crazy!¡± Reito joked before taking Caldewflch from the storage dimension and drawing it from the sheath. Kotomin and Erina were taken in by the golden light beaming from the sword. Reito paid no mind as he reached for the Lightning Stone. ¡°You two, get back!!¡± ¡°On it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Kotomin and Erina stepped back. Suramin and Hitomin were peeking at the holy sword on the desk. ¡°Purupuru.¡± ¡°You two also get back.¡± Reito picked the two of them up and handed them to Kotomin. ¡°It¡¯s okay, come to mama,¡± Kotomin took the two slimes. ¡°Reito, I touched Kotomin¡¯s boobs in the heat of the moment,¡± Erina said. ¡°They don¡¯t feel like that, so it wasn¡¯t her boobs that you touched. Try grabbing the slimes more firmly.¡± ¡°What? Are you saying you know what Kotomin¡¯s boobs feel like?¡± Erina poked fun at Reito. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Just keep an eye on the slimes! I swear.¡± Reito concentrated his energy and used the alchemy skill ¡°Matter Transformation¡± on the handle of the holy sword. He was trying to get the lightning stone out of the holy sword. ¡°Nghhhh!!¡± A lot of energy was needed to use ¡°Matter Transformation.¡± Reito struggled before managing to turn the metal surrounding the Lightning Stone soft. Next, he used ¡°High-Speed Shape Transformation.¡± Transforming the metal surrounding the Lightning Stone, he was able to expose the stone itself and grasped it. A surge of electricity ran through his body. ¡°Wah!?¡± ¡°Reito!?¡± ¡°Bro!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t come near me!!¡± The two of them noticed Reito¡¯s pain and were about to run over before Reito stopped them. He tried to take out the stone, but it was a perfect fit and wouldn¡¯t budge. While he was doing that, high-voltage electricity continued flowing through his body. If it was an ordinary person, they would have died. But, he was a magician and therefore had a higher resistance to magic. ¡°Heee!! Get out!!¡± Reito implemented ¡°Muscle Reinforcement¡± to help pull the stone out. He also used ¡°Recovery Boost¡± to heal the burns on his palm. ¡°Wow!!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give up, bro!!¡± ¡°Just a little more!!¡± ¡°Pururun!!¡± Despite not understanding the situation, Kotomin and the others were cheering him on. The slimes were also shaking their bodies intensely. Reito used all his might to pull on the Lightning Stone before Airis chimed in. ¡ºI understand you¡¯re trying your best, but shouldn¡¯t you just use that magic?¡» ¡°¡­Ah!¡± Reito finally realized what she was talking about and used Storage Magic. The stone itself was pulled into another dimension and the electricity flowing through his body ceased. ¡°Hah¡­ All done.¡± ¡°Wow¡± ¡°Pururu.¡± Things had suddenly gotten quiet and there was an awkward atmosphere in the room. Reito used ¡°Recovery Boost¡± on his hands to completely heal the burns. Next, he set his sights on the Holy Sword and got to work on his next task. ¡°I¡¯m gonna fix this up.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Erina asked. ¡°I¡¯m going to erase a certain seal off of the blade. It¡¯s putting a level restriction on it.¡± ¡°Are you for real?¡± Caledfwlch had an emblem engraved on it that wasn¡¯t there just for decoration. It was a special magical seal that had been carved on it by the first generation of heroes. It made it so that people without a level above 70 couldn¡¯t use it. He had learned that from Airis. She also told Reito, ¡ºIf you were to erase the seal with alchemy magic, it would become available for use for people under Level 70.¡» However, in order to erase the seal, he would have to take out the Lightning Stone which is why he exposed himself to danger to get it out. Reito touched the holy sword and yelled, ¡°Raaah!!¡± He managed to change the shape of the blade without effort. The seal on the surface of the blade had completely disappeared. Reito picked up the sword to make sure there was nothing strange about it and tried to put the Lightning Stone back in it. He thought of a genius idea. ¡°Ah¡­ Maybe?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Kotomin asked. ¡°Nothing. I just thought of a way to avoid feeling the electric currents.¡± Reito opened his wardrobe and pulled some gloves out from it. Using ¡°Material Transformation,¡± she changed them into rubber ones. After that, he used his storage magic and pulled the Lightning Stone out from the other dimension. He grabbed the stone with his rubber gloves. It was still emitting electricity, but none of it was being conducted to him. Reito grasped Caledfwlch with his rubber gloves and took a breath. ¡°I should have done this in the first place.¡± ¡°To be honest, we didn¡¯t really know what was going on,¡± Erina said. ¡°Can we get closer?¡± ¡°Bring it in.¡± Reito put his hands out as if to self-deprecate. The two of them hugged him and patted his back. Pulling away from them, Reito looked at Caledfwlch. ¡°All right, this should be ready to use. Is now a bad time to test it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re really able to use a Holy Sword based on what you did right now?¡± Kotomin asked. ¡°Great work, Reito. In short, Greito!¡± she said, making a pun. ¡°Boo! What a bad pun!¡± Reito took off his gloves and grasped the holy sword. He felt as if a magical force were being pulled in via his palms. Reito had a high aptitude for lightning magic and the magic inside the sword was responding. An electric current continuously surged from the blade. Reito gave it a swing. ¡°Take this!¡± A golden stream of electricity came surging out. ¡°Woah!?¡± ¡°That was a close one.¡± ¡°Purun!¡± His friends were frightened. Erina and Kotomin put in their two cents, ¡°Hey bro, don¡¯t be so careless!¡± ¡°I thought I was going to die. Electricity is fatal for mermaids.¡± Suramin and Hitomin got on Reito¡¯s shoulders and were biting his ears. ¡°Purupuru!!¡± ¡°Oww¡­ Sorry¡­¡± Maybe because he had elf blood running through him, but Reito¡¯s ears were particularly sensitive. He apologized and tore the slimes off him. He gave the slimes back to Kotomin and sheathed his sword. The sheath was made of wood from another dimension and was extremely resistant to high temperatures. It wouldn¡¯t melt. ¡°The next question is whether anyone can make use of this.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re not going to be the one to use it? Even though it belongs to the Baltros Kingdom?¡± Erina thought that Reito should be the one to use it since he was the son of the Baltros King. Reito thought that was wrong. ¡°I have better compatibility with the longsword. Also, we need someone who can properly bring out the strength of this sword in the fight against the Rotten Dragon.¡± ¡°What a waste. How humble of you,¡± Kotomin added. Reito planned to go to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild and get advice as far as who would be a good fit for the sword. It was unclear whether any of the current members of the guild had an aptitude for lightning and it might need to be used by another guild. ¡°I¡¯m off to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. What are you two going to do¡­ what is that?¡± He heard a metallic noise coming from outside and he frowned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Kotomin didn¡¯t notice the noise but Erina, who was an elf, noticed it as well. ¡°Bro, is someone outside!!¡± she said and drew her bow gun. The next moment, his front-door burst open and a human wearing a brown cloak stormed in carrying a sword. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Who are you!!¡± Erina shouted. She readied her bow gun before a member of the elf envoy came in covered in blood. ¡°Stand back, Erina!! He¡¯s too strong.¡± Erina immediately fired the bow gun. ¡°Take this!!¡± ¡°Unsheathe.¡± ¡°What!?¡± Right before she could fire her bow, the mystery person pulled out his sword and sliced her weapon in half. The sword was about to hit Erina too. Unable to react, she prepared herself for death. ¡°Water gun!!¡± ¡°Hn!!¡± ¡°Wahh!¡± Just before the blade sliced Erina¡¯s face, she ordered the slimes to release a large volume of water. The water, which was released with great force, blew back the intruder. Reito jumped out, holy sword in hand, and drew it from its sheath.¡± ¡°Take this!!¡± ¡°Test Strike!!¡± Reito sent an electric current through the sword and attempted to strike his water-soaked opponent before the mystery character dodged the attack. He pulled a dagger out and aimed to slit Reito¡¯s throat. Reito immediately moved his neck out of the way and avoided the attack, but his skin was still grazed and blood was oozing out. ¡°Shit! Don¡¯t think we¡¯re done here!!¡± ¡°!!¡± Reito sent out one kick after the other, but the mystery character just leaped onto the ceiling. Even though he was soaked and his clothes were heavier, he was able to jump some ten meters onto the roof of the building. Everyone was shocked before they realized he must have been a skilled assassin. ¡°You won¡¯t get away that easily!!¡± ¡°Bruh!?¡± He used his own ¡°Leap¡± skill and hopped up. ¡°Reito, take Hitomin with you!!¡± ¡°Pururu!!¡± Kotomin tossed Hitomin up to Reito. ¡°Thanks!!¡± Reito snatched Hitomin out of midair and put it on his shoulder as he landed on the roof. The assassin turned away from him and began to flee. He threw his ninja throwing stars at Reito. ¡°You think that¡¯s gonna work!!¡± Reito repelled the throwing stars with his holy sword and chased after the assassin. ¡°You¡¯re really fast, huh. I feel like I¡¯m playing chase with Ullr.¡± ¡ºPurupuru.¡» ¡°Airis! I¡¯m trying to concentrate, so don¡¯t be weird!!¡± ¡ºThat wasn¡¯t me.¡» Reito and the assassin were sprinting across the rooftops. They were almost equal in speed. The assassin appeared to have mature skills and was using spy skills as he ran along. He tried to hit Reito with some attacks. Reito kept his ¡°Observing Eye¡± skill on at all times, but there were a few times when he nearly lost sight of the assassin. ¡°Shit! Where did he go!!¡± ¡°Purun¡± ¡°This way!?¡± Whenever he lost sight of him, Hitomin would tell him his position. As a result, he was just able to maintain pursuit. ¡°In that case¡­ ¡®Magic Reinforcement.¡¯¡± He was already using the auxiliary skill ¡°Body Reinforcement,¡± but given the situation, he decided to use ¡°Magic Reinforcement¡± as well. Reito¡¯s physical capabilities were further increased, and he was able to close in on the enemy further. His muscles were shrieking at the extreme physical change he underwent, but Reito put his sword in the sheath and used a battle skill. ¡°Unsheathe!!¡± ¡°!?¡± The assassin looked back guarding himself with a dagger repelling the holy sword. The electricity stemming from the holy sword entered the dagger and conducted itself to the assassin. His whole body stiffened. Reito took advantage of the break and kicked him as hard as he could. ¡°Take this!!¡± ¡°Ahh!?¡± Taking the kick, the assassin screamed in pain and fell off the roof. Reito was about to give him a follow-up blow before his body screamed in pain. ¡°Wahh¡­ Shit, ¡®Recovery Magic!!¡¯¡± ¡°Purupuru¡­¡± His body was under quite the strain after having carried multiple auxiliary magics at once. He reluctantly used ¡°Recovery Magic¡± to heal his body. His opponent had gotten up and inspected himself before drawing his sword. He was going to settle things once and for all. ¡°So, you wanna fight. Bravo. Hide yourself, Hitomin.¡± Reito grasped the holy sword and faced his opponent. He exhaled and looked at his holy sword. ¡°This is not gonna work. This one matches me much better.¡± Reito used his storage magic and put the holy sword away. He grabbed the Extermination Blade in its stead. The next moment, the assassin kicked up the dagger at his feet. ¡°You¡¯re one skilled son of a bitch.¡± Reito repelled the dagger rushing toward his face with his longsword. His opponent used ¡°Leap¡± to retreat a little bit. Before he knew it, Reito had drawn his sword and was ready to fight. ¡°Unsheathe!!¡± ¡°Iceclad Sword!!¡± Reito iced over the longsword in his right hand and took the blow of his opponent¡¯s blade. ¡°Spin Strike!!¡± ¡°Ngh!?¡± The assassin took a step back and avoided the extermination blade. Reito didn¡¯t think his opponent was going to be able to dodge his attack and was a bit shaken. He didn¡¯t show it on his face and grabbed his longsword with both hands, charging at his opponent. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna let you get away!!¡± Reito used his ¡°Leap¡± skill to move onto the roof despite the logistic difficulties in doing so. He almost closed the gap between him and the assassin. When he lived in the Forest of the Abyss, he learned how to hop from tree to tree and boulder to boulder. He was used to fighting on the move. ¡°Strike Blade!!¡± ¡°Ahh!?¡± Reito approached his opponent before he could fix his posture and swept sideways with his blade. The assassin drew his own sword to stop the blow, but it was unable to withstand the force of the Extermination Blade and it shattered. It was a perfect chance to put a pin in things, but Reito was hesitant to kill his opponent. He struck him with a big blow. ¡°All right!!¡± He watched his opponent go flying away. Reito was jubilated over the successful strike. But, his opponent landed safely on the rooftop of a building sandwiched between two roads. He stood up as if it were nothing. Reito was dumbfounded. His opponent was able to use the strike to his advantage and pull away at just the right time. ¡°How did you make that judgment so quickly?¡± Reito muttered in disbelief. If his opponent had misstepped even just a little, he would have died. Reito was puzzled that his opponent could do such a risky maneuver so easily. He had put enough distance between him and Reito that he could now run away. Despite that, he stood his ground and asked Reito a question. ¡°Who the hell are you!!¡± His opponent took off his hood and revealed his face. The moment Reito saw his face, he was taken aback and dropped his sword. ¡°Long time no see, little boy.¡± Why was she here? Why was she attacking him? Reito had so many questions, but instead, he just said her name. ¡°Aria?¡± Standing in front of him was no other than his former maid, Aria. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking my leave now.¡± Aria bowed to the dumbfounded Reito and put her hood on before running off the rooftop. Volume 4 - CH 2.4 Reito wasn¡¯t able to do anything but watch Aria fade away into the distance. ¡°Why did Aria¡­ and at this time?¡± Reito sat down on the ground. Why would he be trying to kill the person who had taken the most care of him? He wanted information and decided to communicate with Airis. ¡ºAiris!!¡» ¡ºIt would be a waste to chase after her. She¡¯s not an opponent you can do anything about right now.¡» ¡ºYou knew that?¡» ¡ºI¡¯m sorry. I thought it would be better to not tell you.¡» Reito wasn¡¯t able to fault Airis and instead asked why Aria had decided to make an appearance. ¡ºWhy is Aria here?¡» ¡ºShe¡¯s actually a member of the Empire.¡» ¡ºThe Empire? Aria?¡» Reito was puzzled at the surprising information. Up to now, he thought Aria was a human fighting for the Baltros Kingdom. Airis explained further, ¡ºAria was originally a spy raised by the empire. On the surface, she was an assassin for the Kingdom, but in reality, she was working for the Empire.¡» ¡ºBut, Aria had been working for my mother since way back in the day.¡» ¡ºThis isn¡¯t the Aria your mother thought she knew. She had also been fooled all that time.¡» ¡ºWhat¡­¡» ¡ºThe woman you called ¡°Aria¡± was just an impostor. The real Aria had perished right around the time you were born.¡» ¡ºAria is an¡­ impostor?¡» Reito muttered to himself in disbelief. Her name wasn¡¯t even ¡°Aria.¡± ¡ºYour mother would have had no way of knowing Aria¡¯s true identity. They were identical. Even their mannerisms were identical.¡» ¡ºI can¡¯t believe it. How is that possible?¡» ¡ºAs you¡¯re aware, there is a magical creature known as a slime in this world. Did you forget that slimes have camouflaging capabilities?¡» It suddenly clicked for Reito. She had applied a slime to her face and had transformed it. ¡ºIf you use a slime, you can change not only your face but the shape of your body to some extent. If there¡¯s a big difference, it¡¯s difficult, but the two Aria¡¯s had very similar constitutions. Using research conducted by the Empire, Aria was able to perfectly mimic the mannerisms of the real Aria and stay by Aira¡¯s side.¡» ¡ºYou¡¯ve gotta be joking me¡­ How can that be possible!!¡» ¡ºCalm down. This is a mere fact.¡» ¡ºShit¡­¡» Reito was shaken, but Airis wasn¡¯t finished talking. ¡ºI¡¯ll explain how she ended up as Aria. The empire knew that the first prince of the Baltros kingdom, in other words, Reito, had been born. They planned to kidnap or assassinate you to put an end to the royal line of succession.¡» ¡ºBut, they weren¡¯t able to.¡» ¡ºThat¡¯s right. You were taken away from the king¡¯s side before that was even possible. They decided to have Aria stay with you.¡» ¡ºWhy would they do that?¡» Airis explained coolly,¡ºEven if the king was driven out, Reito was still the royal heir. They wanted to capture you as a political tool¡­ But there was one mistake.¡» ¡ºThe mansion I lived in wasn¡¯t an easy place to steal me out of?¡» ¡ºThat¡¯s right. Even Aria wasn¡¯t able to just take you away from that house. They would have had to use a blimp to flee from the sight or use some sort of magic. She could have slipped through the forest, but that would have been too risky.¡» ¡ºThe Empire has been aiming for me for that long?¡» ¡ºThat¡¯s how important of a person you are. Aria kept an eye on you while regularly maintaining contact with Empire associates infiltrating the kingdom. Four years ago, when your little brother was born, it threw a wrench in everything.¡» Reito checked one more time, ¡º¡­So, it wasn¡¯t the Kingdom who was planning my assassination?¡» ¡ºThat¡¯s right. When the new prince was born, the Empire had no use for you and ordered Aria to finish you off. She had also received an assassination order from the king and was planning to win his trust by carrying out the mission. She had captured his weakness in the process.¡» ¡ºWeakness?¡» ¡ºIf it got out that the king was trying to assassinate his firstborn son and heir, the faith in the king of the people would plummet and the Empire¡¯s prestige would be strengthened. That is the current plan.¡» ¡ºThey weren¡¯t able to get me, though. I ran away,¡»Reito said in a dry voice and laughed. Airis wasn¡¯t finished talking. ¡ºAria had almost lost the trust of the king after failing, but she managed to stay in the kingdom and continued her activities as a spy. After the armed goblin incident, the Empire noticed that there were more people than just the Kingdom resisting them and they sent Aria out to investigate it. After many twists and turns, Aria knew about the existence of an adventurer who was making a name for himself. She eventually realized that it was you.¡» ¡ºSo, what was Aria looking for?¡» ¡ºShe learned about the holy sword. That was the goal of her investigation. She didn¡¯t think it was real. She now verified its existence. I have something to ask you. If I were to tell you where Aria is right now and ask you to murder her, would you do it?¡» ¡ºI couldn¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t kill Aria.¡» ¡ºI figured as much.¡» Reito understood that she would be going after his life now that she knew about the holy sword. But, he wasn¡¯t sure he had the confidence to win if she attacked him. At a minimum, he was going to have to take refuge in another place now that his private residence had been exposed. He ended communications with Airis and put his Extermination Blade away. He went back home to find Kotomin and Erina caring for the elves. They were all capable fighters, but Aria had blown them away easily. Reito had mixed feelings as he helped in the healing process. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Oof¡­ My sincerest apologies. You entrusted us with security duties and now you¡¯re helping us.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, gramps. You just overdid it,¡± Erina said. ¡°Hngh. The day we can¡¯t say anything back to you has come.¡± ¡°Oww!¡± As Kotomin poured water on the wounds she recited some sort of spell. Pale blue magic came out of her palm. She placed her palm on the neck of one of the elves who had passed out and their wounds were healed. ¡°What¡¯s that? Is it a healing spell?¡± Reito asked. Apparently, Kotomin was a Recovery Magic Specialist and could use recovery magic. ¡°Hey now, don¡¯t move! I¡¯m going to apply some recovery medicine on you.¡± ¡°Ngh!?¡± In the blink of an eye, the man¡¯s wound closed up. Reito was watching and remembered the times when he used to have recovery magic applied on him. He scratched his head, ¡°haa¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Now that you mention it, who was that person, bro?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± Reito was sensitive to Erina¡¯s question. She didn¡¯t have any bad intentions, but Reito was unable to sort out his feelings. He grasped his head and stopped treatment, going inside instead. She was dumbfounded at Reito suddenly leaving. Kotomin decided to follow him in after seeing his serious facial expression. ¡°Reito.¡± ¡°Kotomin¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I want to be alone.¡± ¡°Okay, then give Hitomin to me.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± ¡°Purupuru¡­¡± Hearing Kotomin¡¯s words, Hitomin peeked out of Reito¡¯s pocket. She put her hands forward and Hitomin immediately jumped on, heading toward her shoulder to line up with Suramin. Kotomin left the room and Reito sat in his chair. Ullr looked at him through the window. He whimpered. ¡°Ullr¡­¡± He wagged his tongue. ¡°Wah! What¡¯s wrong¡­ Hey!¡± Reito went to the window to pet Ullr when all of a sudden he licked his face. Reito laughed bittersweet as he petted Ullr¡¯s head. He put his face in that soft fur. He hugged him and muttered, ¡°things can¡¯t go on like this much longer.¡± ¡°Woof?¡± ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s a private story.¡± Reito let go of Ullr and used his storage magic to take out the Extermination Blade. He held it with both hands and swung it. ¡°Ha!!¡± The longsword¡¯s blade cut the air and the wind-generated shook the furniture in the house. Reito forgot everything as he swung the sword. ¡°Phew¡­¡± The thoughts came back when he finished the swing. He looked at his own face reflected in the Extermination Blade. He sighed. There had been so many painful events. It was taxing his psyche. But, he was already resolved. He put his sword on the wall and communicated with Airis. ¡ºAiris.¡» ¡ºWhat¡¯s wrong?¡» ¡ºI have a request.¡» Reito said and then told his decision to Airis. ¡ºUnderstood. If that¡¯s your decision, I¡¯ll lend my strength to you,¡»Airis consented. ¡ºThank you.¡» ¡ºThere¡¯s no need to thank me. I¡¯m your ally.¡» Reito put his extermination away and went back to Kotomin. They had finished administering the treatment and were sitting on the ground looking tired. ¡°Bruh?¡± ¡°Reito, are you okay?¡± ¡°Purupuru¡­¡± The two of them and the slimes ran up to Reito. ¡°I would like you to prepare the following moments for me. Further, we¡¯re going to need Gonzo and Dain.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± The two of them looked at each other. They weren¡¯t sure what Reito was planning to do, but looking at his serious facial expression, they assumed that something was going on inside of him. ~ After asking favor from Kotomin and Erina, he took the two girls to the Black Tiger¡¯s Adventure Guild. He also took the elves who sustained injuries back to the inn they were staying at. He spotted Gonzo and Dain at the guild and moved to the sparring ground. There was something he wanted to practice. ¡°What!? Do you know what you¡¯re saying!?¡± ¡°I know what I¡¯m saying. Would it be too difficult for you, Dain?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying it wouldn¡¯t be effective¡­ But, wouldn¡¯t you die?¡± Gonzo, Erina, and Kotomin said to Reito, ¡°What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s all the fuss about?¡± ¡°True. This is too strange!!¡± ¡°Would you listen to a no?¡± ¡°Purupuru.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a favor,¡± Reito replied to Gonzo while lowering his head. Everyone was confused and sighed. ¡°Tell us the situation. What¡¯s making you think about this?¡± Reito shook his head and answered, ¡°I can¡¯t tell you. Or rather, I don¡¯t wanna.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to?¡± ¡°Reito, we¡¯re your friends, right? Right?¡± Dain timidly chimes in. ¡°Why are you phrasing that as a question,¡± Erina said. ¡°Shut up!! If we¡¯re friends, don¡¯t hide anything. If you¡¯re worried about something, talk about it.¡± ¡°I love you guys and trust you. It¡¯s not about that. What I was thinking about doing is something I wanted to do alone. But, it¡¯s not something I can do alone. I need your help.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t you talk about it,¡± Gonzo said, sighing for a second time. Seeing that Reito was being stubborn, his friends decided to help him. ¡°What should we do?¡± Gonzo asked. ¡°For now, I want you to throw this at me,¡± Reito said, using his storage magic to empty out a large pile of rocks. The shapes and sizes were different and there were also mineral ores in the mix. These were gathered by Kotomin and Erina. Reito looked at Dain and Erina. ¡°Dain, just as I requested, if it looks like I can¡¯t dodge the rock, I want you to use shadow magic to force me out of the way. The more we get into the training, I¡¯d like you to fire at me with your bowgun, Erina.¡± ¡°Are you sure about this? My shadow magic isn¡¯t foolproof.¡± ¡°Can I use a training arrow?¡± ¡°No. If it¡¯s not real, I won¡¯t have the right nerves.¡± ¡°If you mess up, you¡¯ll die.¡± ¡°If I am hit, I¡¯ll have Kotomin heal me.¡± ¡°This is the situation where you rely on me?¡± Kotomin puffed her cheeks in dissatisfaction. Gonzo took a stone in his hand and asked, ¡°so, I should throw this?¡± ¡°Throw it as hard as you can. There¡¯s no point if you¡¯re holding back.¡± Reito was surrounded by everyone. He used a piece of cloth as a blindfold and activated ¡°Mind¡¯s Eye.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯m ready to go. Dain, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°If you die, it¡¯s not on me!¡± Dain said and stabbed his wand into the ground. His shadow magic extended toward Reito. ~ Volume 4 - CH 2.5 After a few hours into the training, Reito was completely prepared. He asked Airis Aria¡¯s whereabouts and headed to the place she was hiding out. ¡°Here?¡± ¡ºYes, here.¡» Reito had come to some ruins that looked like an old church. There were no signs of other people or buildings. Reito, carrying the Extermination Blade on his back, opened the door with his shoulder. The inside was brighter than Reito expected. There was a large stained glass window on the ceiling, and although it was already nighttime, light shone in. A woman with white hair and wings on her back was depicted in the stained glass. Curiously enough, the part with her face on it was destroyed. ¡°¡­Is she a goddess?¡± ¡ºNo, she¡¯s an angel,¡»Airis replied to Reito¡¯s mumbling. He looked at the woman and felt a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. ¡°Is this person¡­¡± ¡°Little boy!¡± a voice came from somewhere as he was just about to grasp the truth of the d¨¦j¨¤ vu feeling. He looked to the side to find Aria standing there, clad in all black. Reito thought he would lose it if he saw her face again, but he was taking it surprisingly cool. Unlike the last time Aria attacked him, she had two kodachi (short swords) on her waist. Her pupils were empty. Reito had seen that facial expression before. When he had fled the mansion, she had tried to assassinate him with that very same expression. Reito surmised that she was trying to kill him for real just like that time. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Aria.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that. I¡¯m not your maid anymore.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You are my family. I¡¯ve never thought of you as a maid.¡± ¡°¡­!!¡± Aria¡¯s pupils fluttered at Reito¡¯s words, but she shook her head to the side and drew her kodachi, ready to fight. Reito clutched the Extermination Blade on his back. The two of them moved at the same time and used their battle skills. ¡°Helmet Splitter!¡± ¡°Test Strike!!¡± The metallic sound of their blades striking rang throughout the church. The blades repelled each other. Overwhelmed by the power of the other, Reito and Aria had taken a step back before activating ¡°Leap¡± and launching toward each other. ¡°Whirlwind!!¡± ¡°Parry.¡± Reito swung sideways, but Aria parried Reito¡¯s Extermination Blade with her Kodachi in mid-air. She spun her body and aimed to cut Reito¡¯s head off. Reito ducked his head and avoided the attack before swinging his longsword again. ¡°Spin Strike!!¡± ¡°Wind of the Deceased.¡± The moment the longsword approached Aria, a blast of wind burst through the room even though they were indoors. Aria rode the wind, and Reito realized she was using spirit magic that only elves could use. One time, when Reito was a child, he had fallen off the roof of his mansion, and Aria had used the same magic to save him. Reito aimed for her in mid-air and released some magic of his own. ¡°Fireball!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a waste of time.¡± Aria didn¡¯t flinch. She funneled her wind magic through her kodachi, slicing through the magic attack. Pyro magic was advantageous to use against wind magic, so it was weird that she was able to cut through it. Reito asked her. ¡°What did you just do!!¡± ¡°Only spirit magic can beat spirit magic. Regardless of how well one can use their magic, ordinary human magic doesn¡¯t work on elves.¡± ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t know that. So, that¡¯s why elves are known as the most superior race.¡± She funneled more wind through her sword and got it ready. Reito judged that he had no chance to win with ordinary magic and used his ¡°Gravity Blade.¡± ¡°How do you like this?¡± ¡°Tornado!!¡± Seeing Reito approach from the front, Aria spun her body with full force and swung her kodachi. The power of wind and the power of gravity collided. Reito was stronger. ¡°Aghh!!¡± ¡°Ngh!?¡± One of her swords went flying as she was blown back. Reito also sustained some damage. When their blades collided, the wind power sliced every part of his body. Reito was on his knees, ¡°If I¡¯m using gravity, it looks like wind attacks won¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Air-splitter Slice!!¡± Aria grasped her kodachi and swung down. A large crescent-shaped blade of wind was released from her kodachi. Reito realized he wouldn¡¯t be able to dodge the attack and used a battle skill he learned from Bal ¡ª he turned his extermination blade into mithril. ¡°Strike Blade!!¡± Mithril is a metal with magical resistance properties. He was able to cleanly cut the wind blade generated from the spirit magic head-on. The collision wave rushed through the room and violently shook the stained glass ceiling, cracking it in the process. ¡°How did you!?¡± ¡°Ariaaaaaa!!¡± Reito clutched his extermination blade and used ¡°Full-Body Reinforcement¡± along with ¡°Magic Reinforcement¡± to bring his body to the limits. He drew near Aria. He used ¡°Magic Reinforcement¡± on his ¡°Gravity Blade¡± as well, turning it into a pillar of crimson red flames. Reito pointed the sword and rushed at her but Aria stayed calm. ¡°I knew you would do that, little boy.¡± ¡°!?¡± The next moment, Aria disappeared from his sight. Aria, who had completely mastered assassin skills, completely erased her presence. Expecting this situation, Reito had been drilling his ¡°Mind¡¯s Eye.¡± He felt the faintest of presences coming from the right. Normally, she would have been able to completely kill her presence, but she was tired from all the fighting, and her skills were lacking a certain luster. Reito redirected his swing to the right and stuck it out. ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!¡± ¡°!?¡± Aria instantaneously threw her kodachi at Reito, but he didn¡¯t try to avoid the attack. ¡°What¡­!?¡± Aria was surprised. Reito used his storage magic, generating a black whirlpool. He had sealed the kodachi away in another dimension. Aria, coming apart at the seams, tried one last attack. ¡°!!¡± A voiceless scream reverberated through the church and blood splatter came from her body. She looked at the Extermination Blade that was piercing her body and spit out blood. ¡°Ghaa!!¡± she screamed. Reito was panting in exhaustion. ¡°Wonderful work, little boy,¡± Aria smiled even though she was on the verge of death. Reito remembered the days they had spent together at the mansion and began to shed tears. ¡°Aria¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at me¡­ like this¡­ you¡¯re the one¡­ who chose this.¡± Aria¡¯s face grew limper before the slime attached to her body peeled off. At long last, Reito was able to see her real face. She put her hand out for Reito. ¡°Thank you. I can finally¡­¡± she wasn¡¯t able to say her last words as her strength left her body. Reito tried to grab her hand, but he wasn¡¯t able to before her body had fallen to the ground. Reito let go of his Extermination Blade and ran to Aria. He held her body like a child and cried. He had prepared for this before he came here, but this was still someone he considered important. He couldn¡¯t stop crying over the fact he had to kill her. ¡°No, why. Why did she have to¡­!?¡± He picked up her body and saw something slip out of her chest. Reito picked it up and saw the birthday present he had gotten from Aria as a child ¡ª a small bottle of recovery medicine. There was a crack in the bottle from all the fighting. ¡°You kept it, all this time?¡± When Reito had run away from the mansion, he left behind the small bottle and his mother¡¯s pendant. Suddenly, the small bottle broke into pieces. Reito squeezed the shards of the small bottle, disregarding the blood pouring out of his fingers. Then he saw Aria¡¯s face lying with a peaceful expression. ¡°Tell me¡­ your name¡­¡± After all, Reito couldn¡¯t even know Aria¡¯s real name. Reito continued to shed tears, but Airis¡¯s voice suddenly echoed in his mind. ¡ºReito, get away from there!!¡» ¡ºAiris?¡» ¡ºIn that place, there are a lot of pyromagic stones hidden in large quantities. The church is about to burst into flames!!¡» ¡ºCan I take Aria with us?¡» ¡ºWe don¡¯t have time for that. Aria was the one who decided to put the stones there in the first place. She planned to burn your body after she murdered you.¡» ¡ºAria!!¡» ¡ºWe¡¯ve gotta get out of here! If you were to die here, she would be sad!!¡» ¡ºNgh!!¡»Reito looked at Aria¡¯s corpse before leaving it behind and fleeing from the church. The moment he got out, the church burst into flames and slowly burned away. ~ Reito lost his most beloved family member that day. The only one who knew her real name, whether or not she was obeying the empire, whether or not she loved Reito, was Airis. Reito decided to not ask Airis anything about Aria. He pledged to carry the sin of having taken a family member¡¯s life. At present, he was digging a hole in the burnt-down church. He found the carbonized remains of Aria and buried them. He stuck her kodachi in the ground as a makeshift grave and returned home. He took the shard of the recovery medicine bottle as a memento, putting it in a leather bag. When he was returning home, he noticed he was being trailed. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I found you¡­ Human!!¡± He turned around to see the runaway elf Raikofu in dirty clothes carrying a bow and arrow. He had a nosebleed and was dragging his left leg. Why was he here? Reito didn¡¯t even feel like asking. Raikofu¡¯s clean-cut face was grimacing in pain. ¡°Because of you, I lost everything! It¡¯s all your fault!!¡± ¡°Back off¡­ I¡¯m not in the mood.¡± Raikofu drew his bow, but Reito didn¡¯t even try to run away. Raikofu widened his eyes at Reito¡¯s apparent lack of concern. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Get out your sword!! If you¡¯re going to die, die like a warrior!!¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Wh!?!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not a warrior.¡± Raikofu was skeptical that this man lacking in vigor standing in front of him was the man that managed to defeat him. But then he got angry that this kind of loser had ruined his life and fired his arrow. ¡°Die!! You inferior race!!¡± ¡°What are you looking at?¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± A voice came from behind Raikofu. He turned around to find Reito standing there. Raikofu let out a pathetic scream and fell over. He was trying to run away, overwhelmed by fear. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Ahh!?¡± Reito was in front of him now. ¡°How did you!?¡± ¡°What are you saying, fool!¡± ¡°Ngh!?¡± Reito wasn¡¯t sure why Raikofu was so afraid. He was just using ¡°Leap¡± to jump from place to place. Apparently, Raikofu wasn¡¯t able to see his movement. Reito noticed something, ¡°So that¡¯s what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Wh-, what?¡± Reito ignored Raikofu and opened his status menu to find a new assassin skill unlocked. . . ¡°Shrink Ground¡± was a skill the Vampire Gain had used as well. During his battle with Aria, he had acquired the skill before he knew it. Reito gained a new title. He read the description and laughed at himself. . . This title was perfect for him now. He thought about that and reached for his Extermination Blade. ¡°It¡¯s time for you to die.¡± ¡°Whaa!?¡± Reito swung his Extermination Blade down with great force. Raikofu covered his head. Seeing that, Reito stopped his sword just before it stuck. He punched Raikofu instead. ¡°Just kidding.¡± ¡°What!?¡± Reito squatted down and made eye contact with Raikofu who was dazed. ¡°Try me. Next time, I¡¯ll chop your head off.¡± ¡°Uh, uh¡­¡± Glaring at Raikofu, who had pissed himself, Reito left the scene. Raikofu had sunk to the ground and was holding on to his bow tightly. He weakly let go of it¡ª Volume 4 - CH 3.1 Reito went home and slept like a log. He woke up the next day in the morning and reported to the elves visiting his home that the runaway Raikofu had come back. Time had passed since the first spotting of the Rotten Dragon and it was now day six. Every guild had mobilized its adventurers. All adventurers had received a notification that they would not take a defensive stance but were to go out and subjugate the dragon for themselves. The fact that Reito had managed to procure Caledfwlch played a role in the decision. But, the scout sent out by the Hailstorm¡¯s Maria had brought back a report that the Rotten Dragon had greatly changed. The agent responsible for the scout report was the adventurer Shinobi Kagemaru. He spotted a horde of the undead being fed to the Rotten Dragon in a remote mountain village. Every time the dragon ate, its body changed greatly, and it had grown to be over 30 meters in length. Reading this report, representatives from every guild decided that if they spent time messing around, the dragon would just get stronger. The Kingdom¡¯s defense was reluctantly left up to General Alto, so the adventurers were to experiment with subjugating the Rotten Dragon by themselves. In contrast to his orders, Alto wanted to follow along with the subjugation Corps. He wasn¡¯t able to get the support of the city¡¯s security personnel. The day before the mobilization notification was sent out, the following conversation was had at the guildmasters meeting: ¡°I am the general in charge of this city¡¯s defense. Are you trying to tell me to just sit back and watch as danger approaches the city! Take me with you to the battle!!¡± Alto protested. ¡°What would you even be able to do if you came? Also, don¡¯t fool yourself. We are not soldiers pledged an oath of loyalty to the Kingdom. We have no obligation to follow your stupidity.¡± Alto was overwhelmed by Maria¡¯s ruthless words and reluctantly accepted her strategy. After the conversation settled down a bit more, Bal let out a sigh, ¡°Has the king forsaken us?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not¡­¡± Alto bumbled at his words. Gigan inquired, ¡°Even though his daughter is in danger, he hasn¡¯t sent so much as an envoy over to pick her up. Why?¡± Princess Nao was being rehabilitated in the city. Despite that, the king hadn¡¯t sent anyone to bring her back. ¡°Now that you mention it, this is just a rumor, but, after the new queen came to power, I heard the king has gone a little crazy. Is that true?¡± Bal asked. Alto¡¯s voice changed, ¡°Wh-, What are you saying! Are you insulting our queen?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that, the king I knew wasn¡¯t such a cool-headed person as to not pick up his daughter who was in danger. Ever since the new queen has come in¡­ To be more precise, ever since that new prince was born¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough from you! Retract what you¡¯ve just said!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying what everyone¡¯s thinking. You think he¡¯s crazy too, right? So be it. Just watch the house while we¡¯re in battle.¡± ¡°W-, wait! This conversation isn¡¯t o-¡± ¡°Little boy, this is a job for adults. Don¡¯t rush to your death,¡± Bal kicked him out of the meeting room before he had time to object. The Rotten Dragon policy notification had been sent out. Thirty adventurers of the Black Tiger guild had gathered to participate in the subjugation effort. Bal looked at their faces and began to speak, ¡°All right. Everyone¡¯s here. I¡¯ll explain what our strategy will be going forward.¡± Dain ¡ª who had been called in even though he wasn¡¯t a Black Tiger guild adventurer mumbled, ¡°Pipe down. If you have complaints, save them for later.¡± The 30 adventurers gathered for the Black Tiger guild included people from other guilds as they were short on personnel. Kotomin and Erina along with the elf guards were there as well even though they weren¡¯t adventurers at all. But, they were exceptionally talented, so Bal decided to have them participate in the subjugation effort. Just then, Bal noticed something and asked Dain, ¡°Now that I think about it. I haven¡¯t seen Reito. Where is he?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I thought he would have been here first for sure.¡± Dain glanced at Gonzo and the rest. They all shook their heads. ¡°I dunno,¡± Gonzo said. ¡°Not sure myself. Bro said that he didn¡¯t need a guard anymore. Haven¡¯t seen him since,¡± Erina explained. ¡°I don¡¯t know where he is either. Suramin and Hitomin know, apparently,¡± Kotomin added. ¡°Purupuru¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand their language at all. Where did he go!¡± Bal was lost. Naturally, the Subjugation Corps roster included Reito¡¯s name. They were worried about his disappearance. Actually, he was in the adventure guild. But, he wasn¡¯t on the first floor where the adventurers were gathering but on the second floor in the treatment room. He had a basket of fruits and knocked on the door. He heard a woman say, ¡°come in¡± from inside the room. Opening the door, he found Nao sitting up in the middle of the bed. Reito came to visit her. ¡°Ms. Highness Nao.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Highness Ms. Nao.¡± ¡°You just changed the order!¡± Nao made a joke and laughed a bit at Reito¡¯s words before sitting back. ¡°It looks like I¡¯ve worried you. I heard about it from Ms. Bal,¡± Nao said. ¡°That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard anyone call her, ¡®Ms.¡¯¡± ¡ºNow that you say it, she usually is referred to as just Bal or Guildmaster¡­¡» ¡°You don¡¯t address her as Ms. Bal even though she¡¯s the master of the guild you belong to?¡± Nao was suspicious but brushed it off saying, ¡°whatever!¡± Reito pulled up a chair and sat down. He put the basket he had on the side table. He pulled out a knife and skilfully peeled the fruit. Nao watched the peeling and nervously tried talking to Reito, ¡°Reito, you¡¯re my cousin¡­ no, in this case, my little step-brother.¡± ¡°So it seems.¡± Nao already knew about her relationship with Reito. She and her two younger sisters were adopted by king Baltros. Nao¡¯s real parents had passed away and her father was the brother of the current king. Nao continued, smiling, ¡°let¡¯s drop the formalities. I wanna talk to you.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Reito looked at her. She looked apologetic and bowed her head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I heard about you a while back from father, or, the king. The king said it was a stillbirth, but I noticed that that was a lie.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Fourteen years ago, I saw Ms. Aira holding a baby as she was escorted by a soldier. That lady loved us in place of our mother, who had passed away. But, when the first prince was born, she disappeared from the castle. At the time, I didn¡¯t understand why. But, some years later, I surmised that she had left the castle taking the firstborn prince with her.¡± ¡°You were there at that time?¡± ¡°That time?¡± ¡°Um, never mind.¡± Reito has a memory from immediately after he was born. He also knew how he and Airis had ended up being expelled from the royal castle. However, he didn¡¯t know that Nao had witnessed it all. ¡°After I realized what was going on, I asked the king several times where Aira had gone. He never answered. He married a new woman when I turned 10. That woman already had a child on the way. But, this new woman was awful as a mother.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°One time, she put poison in our food at dinner time. She wasn¡¯t awful to just me but my little sisters as well.¡± Reito didn¡¯t hold back his surprise at Nao¡¯s statement. Nao grit her teeth and clenched her fist as she continued, ¡°that woman put just a little bit of poison in our food and was weakening our bodies. My younger sister was the first to notice the change. Her body had been weaker ever since the new baby was born, and they discovered poison in her body when they took her to a recovery specialist.¡± ¡°But, how did they know it was the queen who did it?¡± ¡°We forced the chef to spill the beans by brute force. I reported that it was the queen to the king. He didn¡¯t believe me. He covered for the queen saying that it was a plot by another kingdom or the Empire. It was at that time that me and my sisters realized that the queen and his new baby were more important to the king than us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s horrible.¡± Nao looked sad as she said, ¡°To be honest, when Aira was there, our family¡¯s relationship was good. Things got crazy when she was driven out, and that new woman came in. The king wasn¡¯t the one who wished for your death.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The king was the one who put out the assassination order, but the queen was the one who told him to do so. She had caught word that Aira had run off with her son into the Forest of Abyss at some point.¡± Reito was shook by the surprising story. He asked Nao, ¡°Why did that woman, I mean, the queen go after me and my mother¡¯s life?¡± ¡°No need to be so formal. The queen hated me too. She went after your lives because she wanted her son to be the one to take the throne undisputedly. She also went after me and my sisters. She even went after her husband, the king.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Even the king¡¯s food had poison in it. Even more poison than we had. She was trying to rule the kingdom with her son.¡± Nao was irritated and punched the table. A few fruits fell from the basket upon impact. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I lost my cool. Anyway, we¡¯ve got to concentrate on that bastard, that dragon.¡± ¡°Nao¡­?¡± ¡°I want to be the one to kill it,¡± Nao said with an extraordinarily pointed look. The entirety of the battalion of knights she led, the Valkyrja Knights, had perished at the hands of the Rotten Dragon. Many of those who didn¡¯t die in battle still hadn¡¯t regained their consciousness. She wanted her vengeance. But, she had woken up the day before the siege against the Rotten Dragon ¡ª her body was still weakened. According to the recovery specialist, it would be a number of days of rehabilitation before she could move again. Nao pleaded to Bal to let her into the Subjugation Corps. Bal refused but gave in to her volition and permitted her to accompany them. While Nao was burning with a desire for revenge, Airis contacted Reito. ¡ºBal isn¡¯t going to bring Nao along. She lied and is going to leave her in the city. She¡¯s preparing for the worst and putting sleeping medication in Nao¡¯s food.¡» Reito wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to that information and decided to change the topic. ¡°So, you know a lot about my mother?¡± ¡°Mmm¡­ Yeah, of course. I saw her several times while I lived in the royal capital.¡± ¡°Really!?¡± ¡°When I came back to the royal capital, I would always report about your situation to Ms. Aira. But, I¡¯m sorry, I wasn¡¯t able to let you see Aira. At present, she lives under the cover of an aristocratic family.¡± According to Nao, when Reito ran away from the mansion, Aira snuck into the royal castle and punched the king in front of one of his retainers. Now she¡¯s living in a separate mansion. That matched the information Reito had gotten from Maria. ¡°So that¡¯s what was going on. Now that you mention it, my little brother, the second prince, what kind of kid is he?¡± Reito wanted to know about his younger brother from another mother who was the reason for the assassination order on him. She looked troubled to speak as she began, ¡°He¡¯s¡­ I don¡¯t know him that well.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know much about him?¡± ¡°The second prince is being lovingly raised in the royal castle. Of course, I¡¯ve seen him a few times, but the last time I saw him was one year ago.¡± ¡°One year ago!?¡± Reito was surprised, so she explained further. ¡°After the poison in the food affair, my sisters and I lived far away from the castle. My sisters are taking care of Ms. Aira at a certain aristocrat¡¯s mansion. I¡¯m sleeping at the Valkyrja Knight¡¯s dormitory, so we don¡¯t live together. Sometimes I go to the royal castle to report things for work, but other than that I don¡¯t really see the prince.¡± ¡°So, I see. I was just a little curious.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have high hopes. Unfortunately, his personality is similar to his mother¡¯s. On the surface, he is polite, but he is arrogant towards those of a lower status than him. I¡¯ve heard rumors he gives absurd orders to his servants and plays around with them.¡± ¡°Is the kingdom doing okay¡­¡± Reito was dumbfounded. He was glad he had been banished. As a result, he was able to peacefully spend time with Aira and Aria. He was probably happier than Nao who had been raised in the castle. ¡°Now that you say it, what are your little sisters like?¡± ¡°You wanna know about them, huh? Well, from my perspective as an older sister, they are quite weird. They are good kids, but¡­¡± Reito thought that Nao was pretty weird herself given that she was a member of the royal family leading a troop of knights on the frontlines, but he didn¡¯t say anything. He wanted to ask for more details, but there was a knock on the door. ¡°Oh, Reito! I thought you might be here.¡± ¡°Bal?¡± ¡°Ms. Bal?¡± Volume 4 - CH 3.2 Bal came inside the room. ¡°Oh, Your Highness. May I borrow him for a moment?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine by me.¡± Bal pulled Reito out of the treatment room. Bal bowed politely to Nao before closing the door and facing Reito. ¡°So, you¡¯re doing a hospital visit?¡± ¡°Yeah, you could say so. She looks a lot better, but she is itching to get revenge on the Rotten Dragon.¡± ¡°Of course¡­ I haven¡¯t told you our strategy plan yet, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The subjugation corps planned to leave today and attack the Rotten Dragon tomorrow morning. Only a select few adventurers had been told the plan in advance and of the Black Tiger members, only Reito had heard. ¡°How¡¯s everyone doing? Everything okay?¡± ¡°No one is calm in this situation. Everyone besides you is getting ready. They¡¯re waiting at the southern gate, so go help them.¡± ¡°Got it. What will you be doing?¡± ¡°I want to persuade the princess one more time. But, she won¡¯t listen to me, so we have to just leave her behind. Why do I have to tell her that revenge is meaningless?¡± Reito requested something from Bal. ¡°Bal, I¡¯m sorry but when you finish with that, can you help me with something?¡± ¡°What in the world could be at a time like this?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a move I want to test. You seem like the kind of person who wouldn¡¯t die even if I killed you, so I think you¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°What does that mean!! You wanna test a new battle skill? Alrighty, then.¡± Bal confusedly agreed and went into the treatment room. After a while, she came back out, and the two made their way to the sparring ground. No one was at the sparring ground. Reito and Bal got their swords at the ready. Reito implemented the Iceclad Sword as well and was going to use two swords. ¡°When did you become a dual swordsman?¡± ¡°Recently¡­ I think? If you get used to it, it comes in handy.¡± ¡°Do you think that cheapass sword will work on me? Although, given that it¡¯s you¡­¡± Bal said, and her facial expression changed. She knew she couldn¡¯t be careless. ¡°Graahh!!¡± ¡°Parry.¡± ¡°Woah!?¡± Reito dodged the attack by redirecting the blow of the longsword with the Iceclad Sword in his left hand. Bal was flustered and retreated a little. She was in a cold sweat that Reito had so easily been able to dodge her attack.¡± ¡°You parried that too easily. I knew you were a fast learner¡­ But you¡¯ve gotten a little overpowered.¡± ¡°Of course. You¡¯re afraid if you pull all the stops on a child like me, you¡¯ll kill me¡­ Ahh!!¡± In the middle of the conversation, Bal picked up the sword and swung it. The speed and force of the swing sent dust rising in the air like smoke. Reito couldn¡¯t see. ¡°Ahh!!¡± ¡°I¡¯m over here.¡± ¡°What!?¡± Bal planned to conceal herself in the dust flying around and attack him, but all of a sudden Reito was behind her. She was surprised, but she swung her sword behind her. This time they were repelled by two swords. ¡°Ngh!? When did you get this strong!?¡± Bal had many years of experience, so she surmised that he was using ¡°Shrink Ground.¡± ¡°Shrink Ground¡± is an extraordinarily difficult skill, and only top swordsmen could learn it. Reito adjusted his Iceclad Sword and Extermination Blade, facing Bal. ¡°I¡¯m over here.¡± ¡°Ho, ho! Bravo!! Now come attack!!¡± She was excited at her pupil¡¯s sudden growth. Reito was calm and he avoided his body getting stiff. He loosened up and grabbed the longsword and broadsword again. After that, the noise of metal clanking could be heard in the sparring ground a number of times. Sparks flew as their swords clashed. The two of them forgot they were fighting for practice and were trying to cut each other¡¯s heads off. ¡°You almost killed me!¡± Bal barely managed to dodge Reito¡¯s attack. She smiled and used another battle skill. ¡°Spin Strike!!¡± ¡°Parry.¡± Reito managed to parry her attack again, but he grimaced. The attack she had done just now was clearly a weak one. ¡ªLet¡¯s talk about Bal. She is the Black Tiger guildmaster. She¡¯s a swordsman warrior. Level 65. In this world, people greater than Level 70 are called heroes regardless of profession. She was near level 70, so she was considered as having a foot in the realm of heroes. There are times when it¡¯s harder or easier to raise your level. It¡¯s easiest to raise it from your 10¡¯s to your 20¡¯s. Once you¡¯re in your late 20¡¯s, it becomes extraordinarily difficult. She became a guildmaster at a young age, but if she hadn¡¯t, there¡¯s no doubt she would be a hero. Bal became a guildmaster to get revenge on the vampire Gain who had killed her parents. As such, there was a time when she belonged to the Hailstorm guild. Part of the reason she joined the guild was out of respect for the lady who raised her in place of her real parents ¨C Maria. While she worked as an adventurer, she gathered information about Gain. However, once Maria knew Bal¡¯s real goal, she told her she didn¡¯t want to do something as meaningless as going after revenge. She told her to stop pursuing Gain. She was indignant and left the guild. She was asked to take over the Black Tiger guild and became its new master. After she became a guildmaster, she used her connections from when she was an adventurer to gather people. She continued collecting information on Gain. As a result, she was almost able to run into Gain a number of times, but he always got away. She wasn¡¯t sure what her life was about. But, thanks to the people who loved her, she was able to get back on her feet. She was thrilled someone was closing in on her abilities like Reito. ¡ªBack to the fight. ¡°Strike Blade!!¡± their voices overlapped, and their swords collided. Thinking about profession and level, Bal should have been stronger, but Reito was able to repel her attack head-on. ¡°When did you get this!?¡± Bal was shocked. ¡°I¡¯m not finished.¡± ¡°Ngh!?¡± Reito had reinforced his physical strength with magic and lunged with his sword. As their swords crossed, Bal¡¯s suspicions were confirmed. ¡°Ahhhh!!¡± ¡°Woah!?¡± Reito¡¯s attacks got stronger and faster the more they fought, and before she knew it, Bal had been blown back. Reito let go of his Iceclad Sword and clutched the Extermination Blade. He rushed toward Bal. At that moment, Bal noticed that Reito¡¯s eyes had turned red, and she ascertained her prediction was correct. ¡°Are those, demon eyes¡­!?¡± ¡°Wahhh!!¡± Realizing it would be dangerous to take the brunt of Reito¡¯s attack, she immediately dropped her sword. When Bal¡¯s broadsword touched Reito¡¯s Extermination blade, it broke in half. ¡°What!?¡± ¡°Hey now¡­!?¡± Bal let out an out-of-character scream. Reito was puzzled by the strange feeling in his hand and stabbed the broad sword into the ground. His eye color turned back to normal. Both of them cooled down as if ice water had been poured on their heads. ¡°What are you doing? Are you trying to kill me? That was dangerous!!¡± ¡°I-, I¡¯m sorry. I was in a groove and¡­ I¡¯m surprised with myself.¡± ¡°You went and broke my sword.¡± Bal complained to Reito who had been able to easily destroy the precious mithril sword that she had used for years. She got up. She had an inkling about what was going on in Reito¡¯s body. ¡°Reito, did you kill someone? Someone close to you?¡± ¡°!?¡± ¡°Based on that response¡­ I was on the money. Who did you kill?¡± Reito stiffened at Bal¡¯s surprising question. She sighed and picked up the broken sword. Based on Bal¡¯s tone of voice, she wasn¡¯t criticizing Reito. ¡°Your swordsmanship wasn¡¯t the same as usual. I¡¯ve seen it somewhere¡­ You¡¯ve gotten the title of Sword Demon, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°How did you¡­¡± I have fought with a few people with the title of Sword Demon. You have similar fighting styles.¡± Bal sat down and gestured to Reito to sit as well. Reito looked at her. ¡°Tell me what happened. It¡¯ll help,¡± she said. ¡°First, tell me why you knew I was a Sword Demon. I want to know what Sword Demon entails.¡± ¡°A little bargaining, eh? Good by me.¡± Bal folded her arms and thought about Reito¡¯s question before saying one word. ¡°Dream.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°Sword Demon was my dream. I lived for revenge, so I wanted a title worthy of that.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Reito thought about Gain when he heard the word ¡°revenge.¡± Bal explained further, ¡°Sword Demon is a special title. When a normal swordsman reaches a certain skill level of swordsmanship dexterity, they get the title of Holy Swordmaster. I got that title in my late teens. ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°But, Sword Demons are different. You can¡¯t get it by polishing your skills alone. There are a lot of theories, but only one thing is for certain. Someone with this title is on par with the people called heroes.¡± ¡°Heroes¡­¡± ¡°The people who surpass Level 70. I have fought with a hero before, but it wasn¡¯t even a competition. I was wrecked.¡± ¡°You fought with someone so barbaric?¡± Reito asked, and Bal laughed. ¡°HA! That guy really was a barbarian. Very true.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Airis¡¯s voice came in his head. ¡ºThe person who defeated Bal was your mother Aira. Apparently, Maria is also at a higher level than her, though.¡» ¡ºWhat¡­!?¡» Knowing his mother was over Level 70, he was shook. He was impressed that the king was still alive after being punched by that kind of person. ¡°Damn. That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve laughed in a minute¡­ What were we talking about? Oh yeah, the Sword Demon thing.¡± ¡°Yeah. What kind of people have become Sword Demons in the past.¡± ¡°For the most part, they¡¯re criminals. Of course, there are a few upstanding people as well. As far as the crucial question of how to obtain it goes¡­ As I said before, I¡¯m not sure. People say you can get it by continuously killing a lot of people. But if that were the case any old serial killer would become a Sword Demon. I think there¡¯s another condition.¡± ¡°Condition?¡± ¡°You have to kill someone close to you. Like a family member. Your closest ally¡­ Maybe you know what I¡¯m talking about.¡± She looked at Reito and sighed, ¡°I¡¯m not asking who you killed or anything dumb like that. I just want to remind you that killing people isn¡¯t something to take lightly.¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± ¡°When people who become Sword Demons continue to kill people, they go crazy. I¡¯ve heard that from a Sword Master, so I don¡¯t know the details. But, I wanted to have a power greater than a Holy Swordmaster so I aimed to be a Sword Demon¡­ Now I ended up like this,¡± she said, self-deprecatingly. Reito didn¡¯t know how to react. But, he knew he had to talk about what he had done. He decided to tell her everything. ¡°I killed the person who raised me.¡± ¡°Tell me about it.¡± Reito put the small details aside and explained how he ended up fighting with Aria. Bal listened to the story and was convinced. ¡°I see¡­ So that¡¯s what happened. Perhaps she came to be killed by you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I mean, that seems like the case. As far as you¡¯ve told me, she was an expert assassin. Despite that, she decided to duel with an expert swordsman like you. She smiled at you in her last moment. I think she understood she would be killed by you.¡± ¡°How could that?¡± ¡°Well, only she knows, and she is dead. But, I think that¡¯s the case. Don¡¯t get it twisted. And live your best life for her,¡± Bal put her head on his chest. Reito opened his status menu and looked at the title of Demon Sword and thought about what Bal had said. ¡°Aria¡­ You didn¡¯t¡­¡± Reito didn¡¯t say the rest. He closed the screen and headed toward where his friends were. Volume 4 - CH 3.3 Leaving Bal, he headed toward the gate where the Subjugation Corps had gathered countless carriages. In addition to the Black Tiger adventurers, there were nearly 200 other people. Reito spotted Ullr in the carriages behind him. ¡°Ullr!¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°Reito, you finally made it! You¡¯re late!! We already finished packing the bags. We¡¯re about to leave,¡± Dain shouted. ¡°We¡¯re sick of waiting!¡± Gonzo yelled. Dain and Gonzo poked their heads out of the covering of the carriage. He went up to them to find his friends there as well. ¡°You were late, bro!!¡± greeted Erina. ¡°Welcome back,¡± Kotomin said. ¡°Thanks. Kotomin¡­ What happened to Suramin and Hitomin?¡± There were no slimes on Kotomin¡¯s shoulders. Gonzo answered for her. ¡°They¡¯re right here!¡± ¡°Purupuru.¡± Gonzo reached his hand out and the two slimes crawled out onto it. Hitomin immediately jumped onto Reito¡¯s head. Suramin leaped onto Kotomin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°These girls were playing with Gonzo. They were doing the Purupuru Dance.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just shaking like you always do!¡± ¡°Pururun!? (How did you know!?)¡± Hitomin purupuru-ed and screamed. Two adventurers came up to them. ¡°Wait a minute, are you the broadsword teenage swordsman everyone is talking about?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that nickname¡­ who are you?¡± ¡°We are adventurers from Hailstorm. We¡¯ve heard there¡¯s a little snot who has been getting cocky and making a name for himself. We didn¡¯t expect it to be an actual child.¡± A young beastman who was some three or four years older than Reito was staring at Reito as he spoke. He carried a longsword at his waist. The elfman next to him jabbed him with his elbow. He was carrying a sword on his back. ¡°Hey, cut it out. This is Ms. Maria¡¯s nephew. Who knows what would happen if we were to injure him.¡± Reito judged that they hadn¡¯t just come to complain to Reito. He was about to ask if they had some business with him before the young beastman reached for the longsword at his waist and laughed. ¡°My name is Gallow. Perhaps you know me as the strongest swordsman of the Hailstorm Guild.¡± ¡°Never heard of you,¡± Reito said, shaking his head side to side. Dain and Gonzo were whispering, ¡°Gonzo, do you know who this guy is? I¡¯ve never heard of him either¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know ¡®im. I heard ¡®Golai¡¯ is the strongest swordsman in the Hailstorm Guild.¡± ¡°Ngh¡­!!¡± A vein bulged in Gallow¡¯s forehead. ¡°Just ignore him. He heard you¡¯re Maria¡¯s relative and just came to say hello. If you run into trouble, just let us know and we¡¯ll relay it to Maria.¡± ¡°Hey, Morimo!! Why are you kissing up to this guy!!¡± ¡°Shut the hell up!! Don¡¯t worry about this guy. He¡¯s just jealous because Maria cares about you.¡± ¡°I ain¡¯t jealous!!¡± Gallow blushed and grabbed Morimo¡¯s shoulders. Somebody came up from behind them. ¡°Gallow, lend me your shoulders!!¡± ¡°Wh-What!?¡± ¡°Huh!?¡± That mystery character jumped on Gallow¡¯s shoulders before spinning in mid-air and landing in front of Reito. It was a young girl with striking blue hair. She had an extraordinarily well-put-together face along with long hair fixed up in a sidetail. She wasn¡¯t as busty as Kotomin, but she had a nice figure with no extra fat. She was either the same age or a year older than Reito. She was carrying a spear with a drill-like tip on her back. ¡°So you¡¯re Maria¡¯s nephew. My name is Mina. Nice to meet ya.¡± ¡°Um, yes.¡± The girl who appeared in front of him had a friendly smile and put her right hand out for a handshake. He was about to put his hand out before Gallow grabbed the girl¡¯s shoulders and angrily pulled her in. ¡°What are you doing! Jumping on my shoulders like that!¡± ¡°Hey now! I was in the middle of a conversation.¡± ¡°Shut up and let¡¯s get back.¡± Gallow grabbed Mina and left. Morimo looked exacerbated as he nodded to Reito. ¡°That guy¡­ Anyway, I¡¯ll be leaving now too.¡± Reito felt like a storm had just passed by him before he heard an order of the adventurer on the leading horse carriage. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get out of here!! Everyone, keep an even distance as you walk!!¡± A countless number of carriages began to move. They were headed toward the mountain village where the Rotten Dragon was. Reito jumped on the carriage too and began moving. The carriage he was on was in the very back. Of course, his wasn¡¯t a horse-drawn carriage but a wolf-drawn carriage. Their strategy this time would depend on Reito, who had the holy sword. Reito wasn¡¯t a swordsman by trade, but his swordsmanship wouldn¡¯t be outdone by Bal. As a result, he ended up being the one to carry the sword. There were guards following along on both sides of the wolf-cart. Amongst them, there were members of the Fang Dragon and Hailstorm guilds. One of the adventurers peeked out from their covered carriage and called out to Reito. ¡°Hey!! Guy!! Are you the swordsman that Gonzo talked about? Gigan told us to make sure nothing happened to you, so don¡¯t worry!!¡± ¡°I have heard about you from Lord Maria. Please, set your mind at ease.¡± ¡°Uh, thanks¡­¡± Meanwhile, inside the carriage, Reito¡¯s friends were discussing a strategy to oppose the Rotten Dragon with. ¡°It¡¯s like I said, we capture the dragon using Mr. Dain¡¯s magic and Reito will use the holy sword to pierce it down. That¡¯s the best strategy, you know?¡± Erina said. ¡°Don¡¯t be crazy! I can pin down a Golem at best.¡± ¡°You really can¡¯t do it?¡± Gonzo was suspicious. ¡°I¡¯ve said before, it¡¯s incredibly difficult to stop a giant enemy with Shadow Magic!! Speaking of which, can¡¯t you do something using elven Spirit Magic or something, Erina?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m a trueborn warrior¡­ It¡¯s difficult for me to attack with Spirit Magic.¡± ¡°Hmph¡­ If only there was water. I could join the fight,¡± Kotomin added. ¡°Purupuru¡­¡± Reito was petting Hitomin as the discussion continued. He was thinking about a plan to counter the Rotten Dragon for himself. He had a plan that he had made consulting Airis, but the probability of success wasn¡¯t particularly high.¡± ¡°I hope things go well,¡± Reito said to himself before the adventurers on the sides of the carriage yelled. ¡°Hey! Stop!! Something strange is going on up ahead!!¡± The noise of something breaking rumbled from the vanguard and then the noise of people screaming could be heard. Reito got his weapon ready and alighted from the wolf-cart, heading for the front. He saw the source of the sound. ¡°It¡¯s a m-monster!! A monster came out of the ground!?¡± ¡°What the hell is this!?¡± ¡°Whaa!!¡± the monster roared as the adventurers screamed. Although there had been no presence of the monster before, it suddenly appeared. Reito was suspicious, but he knew he had to save them. Reito released Ullr from the wolf-cart to which he was fastened and was about to ride him when Gonzo yelled, ¡°What!?¡± ¡°Gon-chan?¡± ¡°Everyone, watch out, a magic ring is on the gr-!!¡± Before he could finish talking, a red-skinned giant appeared from the magic ring on the ground. ¡°O, OGREEEE!?¡± Dain screamed. A three meter tall giant appeared. Its whole body was covered in muscle to the point of absurdity, and it had a horrendous face. Two sharpened blade-like things were protruding from the sides of its head. The adventurers were shook by the appearance of the ogre. The ogre went after them, ruthlessly. Ogres have extraordinarily high battle capabilities and took one low-level adventurer after the next. ¡°Angh!?¡± ¡°Hee!?¡± ¡°H, Help me!!¡± ¡°You idiot, if you can¡¯t fight, don¡¯t come out front!!¡± The screams and shouts of adventurers could be heard left and right. However, Reito and crew didn¡¯t have the leeway to help them and confronted the ogre. It slowly turned its head and looked out. It noticed Gonzo and smiled, reaching both hands out to him. ¡°Ugaa!!¡± ¡°NGH!?¡± Gonzo grabbed his opponent¡¯s outstretched arm and gripped it, comparing strengths. Gonzo had the most arm strength out of Reito¡¯s crew, but he had a strained facial expression. ¡°Gaaa!!¡± ¡°Ngh!?¡± The ogre¡¯s nails dug into Gonzo¡¯s hand, and he screamed in agony. ¡°There¡¯s no way Gonzo is losing!?¡± Dain was shocked. ¡°DIE!!¡± Erina shouted. ¡°Wait!! Leave it to us!!¡± Just as Erina was preparing her bow, the adventurers of the guard envoy sprung into action. They approached the ogre and the members carrying swords and axes swung after it. ¡°Take this!!¡± ¡°Eat blade!!¡± The attack struck the ogre¡¯s back right in the middle. But, a metallic noise could be heard right away and their weapons were repelled. The ogre¡¯s skin was so hard it could repel their metal weapons. The adventurers were in a cold sweat. ¡°What the hell!? How can it be so hard!! What kind of ogre is this!?¡± ¡°Get out of my way!! I¡¯m going to blow it away with magic!!¡± A young magician came front and center, wand at the ready. ¡°Wait, Gon-san is!?¡± Erina stopped the young magician while Dain used his shadow magic. ¡°Shadow Magic!!¡± Dain stabbed his wand into the ground, and a shadow grew from it. It was shaped like a whip and grasped the ogre¡¯s legs. ¡°Ugaaa!?¡± ¡°Ngh!!¡± The ogre¡¯s stance collapsed and Gonzo took the chance to headbutt the ogre. The ogre let go of him. The opponent fell back and the young magician was getting ready to send a follow-up attack. ¡°Flame Arrow!!¡± A blast of fire shaped like a beam of light was released from the tip of his wand, and the ogre took the blast, immediately following over. The ogre was shroud in black smoke. Everyone cheered. An angry roar rung out from the smoke. ¡°Ugaa!!¡± ¡°Wah!? It didn¡¯t work!?¡± Dain, who was well-knowledged about monsters, yelled at the young magician. ¡°Fool!! Red ogres are highly resistant to flame attacks!?¡± ¡°How was I supposed to know!!¡± The ogre looked pissed off as it stood up and chased after Dain, who had made it fall over in the first place. ¡°Gaaa!!¡± ¡°Wha!! H, Help!!¡± ¡°What are you doing, bro!!¡± Erina shouted. ¡°Suramin, ¡®Water Gun!¡¯¡± ¡°Pururu!!¡± Erina fired an arrow and Kotomin used Suramin to release a large wave of water in order to save Dain. The ogre winced as it took the two attacks. Dain used the chance to get away from his opponent. An elf woman adventurer prepared Rapier and flew after the ogre. ¡°Thrust!!¡± ¡°Gwaa!?¡± The women adventurer aimed for its right eye and repeatedly thrust at it, but the ogre covered his right eye and stopped the attack, brushing it away. She clicked her tongue in disapproval before landing on the ground, but the ground was wet from the previous water blast, so she slipped. ¡°Ahh!?¡± ¡°A, Arcana!?¡± ¡°Shit, I¡¯ll help you!¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± The ogre approached the woman adventurer named Arcana and swung its fist. Volume 4 - CH 3.4 Gonzo jumped on the ogre¡¯s back, ¡°Run away!!¡± ¡°Woof!?¡± ¡°S, Sorry!¡± Arcana got up and ran away. Gonzo saw that and wrapped his arms around the ogre from behind and slammed it on its head. ¡°Ahhh!!¡± ¡°Graahh!?¡± The ogre had a sturdy body, but it appeared the attack had worked. A concussion or something had caused it to collapse on the ground. Gonzo took the club in front of him and swung it on its head. ¡°Helmet Splitter!!¡± ¡°Grah¡­!?¡± ¡°Did you get¡¯em?¡± But the ogre¡¯s head hadn¡¯t been destroyed. Reito cheered him on. ¡°Keep it up, Gon-chan!!¡± ¡°Reito!?¡± ¡°Helmet Splitter!!¡± Reito had moved into mid-air and was holding his own Extermination Blade, aiming for Gonzo¡¯s club, which was being swung down. The club hit the ogre¡¯s face, and the ogre, which had previously not flinched at the attack, felt the force of the Extermination Blade. Its face was smashed in and it stopped moving. A few people turned their eyes away from the site. When Reito landed back on the ground, he extended a fist toward Gonzo. ¡°Nice work stopping the ogre.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± he sighed. Gonzo half-laughed and put out his own fist. The two fists bumped. But, things weren¡¯t over yet. ¡°Graah!?¡± ¡°What the shit!!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t insult us adventurers!!¡± ¡°Graaa!!¡± In a separate place, a battle between a few ogres and adventurers was expanding. The elite unit they put out in front to defeat the Rotten Dragon was putting up a good fight. But, the ogres were destroying carriage after carriage, and at this rate, their strategy would be ruined. Seeing that, Reito grasped his Extermination Blade and noticed he was excited despite the situation. His eyes were getting redder and redder. Three Hailstorm adventurers, Gallow, Morimo, and Mina, were fighting with the ogres a ways away from Reito. ¡°Graahh!!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have time for your shit!!¡± ¡°Gallow, you¡¯re going too far out on your own!!¡± ¡°You¡¯re being selfish!!¡± Gallow aimed to slice the ogre¡¯s head off with his longsword, but his blade was repelled. He clicked his tongue and retreated. Mina readied her spear called the ¡°Helix Spear,¡± and launched it at the ogre. ¡°Disturbance Strike!!¡± ¡°Graah!?¡± ¡°Take this!!¡± Mina poked the ogre a number of times with her spear, jabbing into its abdominal region several times. Gallow cheered her on. The Helix Spear was made of a rare material stronger than Mithril called Orichalcum. That¡¯s why it could pierce the firm skin of the ogre. Mina was in a cold sweat over the feel of the spear. ¡°It¡¯s no good. I can¡¯t defeat it with my strength alone. I managed to pierce the skin, but it can¡¯t get past the muscles to the bone¡­!!¡± ¡°What did you say!?¡± ¡°Shit. I didn¡¯t expect it to be this strong!!¡± Morimo put his longsword back in its sheath and pulled out the staff he was carrying on his back, getting ready to use ballistic magic. Elves can use spirit magic, but the force is too strong, so there¡¯s no way he could avoid hitting Gallow who was alongside the ogre. Morimo made sure not to hit the two of them and used beginner wind magic. ¡°Wind Pressure!!¡± ¡°Ngaa!?¡± A whirlpool-shaped magic bullet struck the ogre¡¯s body. The magic had the power to uproot trees, but the ogre used all his might to squash the attack. ¡°Gaaah!!¡± ¡°How did it!?¡± ¡°Ahh!?¡± ¡°Woaah!?¡± Morimo yelled in surprise as the ogre managed to stop the attacks. Gallow, Mina, and the other people in the vicinity were blown away from the wind force generated by the attack and fell over. ¡°Roooar!!¡± ¡°This is not good!?¡± The ogre approached Mina, who had injured its body. Morimo rushed to launch another ballistic magic attack. There was a man leaping over the back of the ogre. ¡°Helmet Splitter!!¡± ¡°NGA!?¡± ¡°What!?¡± The man had swung his broadsword into the ogre¡¯s back, sending blood spreading everywhere. The stout ogre¡¯s flesh had been brutally injured and everyone was surprised. The man who cut the ogre was Reito. After working with Gonzo and the rest to defeat the other ogre, he ran over to rescue them. Reito lifted his Extermination Blade up and sliced the Ogre¡¯s left leg. ¡°Whirlwind Strike!!¡± ¡°Graahh!?¡± He hadn¡¯t managed to make a cross-section of it. But, it did bend in a strange direction. Reito, seeing that, used ¡°Gravity Blade.¡± A scarlet-colored energy wrapped the blade and he slashed at the ogre¡¯s neck. ¡°Spin Strike!!¡± ¡°Graah¡­!?¡± ¡°Wha!?¡± Mina watched the ogre¡¯s head go flying off before her. Reito was drenched in blood and looked at her. Mina was overwhelmed by the scarlet-colored light emanating from his irises, dumbfounded by his superior strength. He had finished his duty and was looking off in the distance. ¡°Okay, next¡­¡± ¡°Uh, umm¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk later.¡± Mina tried to talk to Reito, but he used ¡°Shrink Ground¡± and was off to fight the other ogre in a minute. ¡°Let me get by.¡± ¡°Hey!?¡± ¡°Wh, What!?¡± Reito cut through the crowd as if he was teleporting. However, he stopped partway through, and reached the ogre he was aiming for. But, there was something strange about it. ¡°Grahh¡­!!¡± The ogre had sustained a countless number of sword wounds, and appeared to be in fear, curling up in itself. ¡°You loser.¡± He found Shinobi Kagemaru saying. Shinobi was Reito¡¯s acquaintance. He was holding a blood-smeared dagger in his hand. ¡°You¡¯re finished.¡± ¡°Graah¡­!?¡± ¡°You¡¯re late.¡± Kagemaru had moved onto the ogre¡¯s back and stabbed his dagger into its neck. Reito ascertained he had used Shrink Ground to make that move. He had punctured a blood vessel in its neck and blood came gushing out before falling over. Reito was overwhelmed by Kagemaru¡¯s abnormal strength and went up to him. ¡°Mr. Kagemaru.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to call me ¡®Mr.¡¯ You are my boss¡¯s nephew. No need to be so formal.¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t like talking all polite, I don¡¯t need to?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m out,¡± Kagemaru said with a bow and ran off. He went to rescue some Hailstorm adventurers surrounded by ogres. Reito looked at the situation of the other adventurers. ¡°Thunderbolt!!¡± ¡°Graahh!?¡± ¡°Haa!! I¡¯m gonna burn it from the inside out!¡± An adventurer released a ballistic lightning magic attack into the open-mouthed ogre, giving it damage from the inside out. A different pair of adventurers was challenging the ogre in hand-to-hand combat. ¡°Parry!¡± ¡°Grah!?¡± ¡°Fa Jin!!¡± One of them was focused on defense while the other was working on the offense. The ogre was defeated by their combined attacks. Although they were flustered by the surprise attack at first, they showed their strength and picked off the ogres one after the other. Reito heard a familiar voice. ¡°Shadow Bind!! Alright, I stopped it.¡± ¡°Grah¡­!?¡± ¡°There we go. I¡¯m about to show you my real strength,¡± Erina said. ¡°I¡¯ll help too,¡± Kotomin added. Reito turned around to find Dain, Erina, and Kotomin fighting with a new ogre. Erina was ready to fire her bowgun at the bound ogre. Kotomin had Suramin and Hitomin in her hands. ¡°Certain Kill!! Bullet Storm!!¡± The air in her bowgun was fired off at high speed, penetrating the skull of the ogre. ¡°Water Pressure Gun¡± Kotomin added, releasing water from Suramin and Hitomin. The large water shone blue and pierced the ogre¡¯s heart like a laser. ¡°Graah¡­!?¡± ¡°W, Wow¡­ Why didn¡¯t you use that in the first place!?¡± ¡°D, Don¡¯t be ridiculous. I don¡¯t have the energy for that.¡± ¡°Without a shred of slime in my life¡± Erina said, imitating Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star but replacing ¡°regret¡± with ¡°slime¡±. ¡°Purupuru¡­¡± ¡°I have a lot of slime on my face??¡± Erina and Kotomin were bushed and fell on the ground. Reito figured it would be fine to leave them alone and looked at the remaining ogres. The final ogre let out a big scream. ¡°Grahhh¡­!?¡± ¡°Okay!! I Got you!!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re trying to match strengths, you¡¯ll lose.¡± A few male giants had tied the ogre¡¯s limbs with chains and had tied it down. The ogre tried to desperately to break free, but its strength was no match for the giants. ¡°You think you¡¯re so big! You little shrimp!!¡± the giants taunted. This time, a group of female elf magicians got their wands at the ready and were going to put an end to the battle. Everyone was certain hostilities had concluded and Reito used Shrink Ground to approach the ogre. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Huh!? Don¡¯t just¡­¡± Hey, what are you doing little boy!? That¡¯s dangerous!!¡± ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t that the swordsman from before¡­¡± Reito put his extermination blade on his back and looked down on the ogre. He grabbed his right arm and used ¡°Physical Reinforcement¡± along with ¡°Magical Reinforcement¡± to raise his physical capabilities to the max. ¡°Please release it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. You¡¯ll get killed!?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to get fried, I would let go of it soon.¡± ¡°What!?¡± The giants raised their voices in confusion but were overwhelmed by Reito¡¯s vigors and before long, they had all let go. ¡°Grah¡­!?¡± Reito fixed his sights on the ogre that had stood up and directed the lightning magic in a helix shape around his right arm. Reito used ¡°Magical Reinforcement¡± again pushing the abilities to the utmost extreme. ¡°Lightning Strike!¡± ¡°Grahh¡­!?¡± The next instant, Reito jabbed his fist into the ogre. The impact of the fist ran through the ogre pouring in high voltages of electricity. Its chest caved in and it coughed up blood, falling over on its back. Reito clenched his fist and nodded. ¡°Ouch, that hurt!¡± ¡°What did you just¡ª?¡± ¡°Did you use ¡®Magic Fist¡¯?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way. You¡¯d have to be an expert-level fighter and magician to do that!?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he a swordsman?¡± The other adventurers were in a flurry over his last attack. Reito himself was just thinking that he¡¯s a better match for swordsmanship. Volume 4 - CH 3.5 An hour had passed since the battle with the ogres. The Subjugation Troops were administering care to the injured and repairing the carriages. The reason the ogres had suddenly appeared was that a Magic Relocation Circle was put into place. The Subjugation Troops had been informed that the empire was behind the Rotten Dragon¡¯s resuscitation. Their conclusion was that the empire must have put the Relocation Circle into place. A significant number of casualties emerged because of the ogre attack, but miraculously, no one had died. Roughly a third of the carriages had been destroyed, and with their transportation means reduced, it would be difficult to continue carrying out the strategy. As the troops were deliberating about what to do, Reito reported that he could repair the carriages with alchemy. He stood in front of the carriage and used ¡°High-Speed Shape Change,¡± ¡°Mending,¡± and ¡°Grafting¡± to skillfully restore the carriages. ¡°Whaaa!!¡± ¡°Wow!!¡± ¡°You stole my line.¡± Reito went around repairing all objects in sight. Fixing up all metal and wood objects in a minute, all the carriages were back in shape. ¡°Okay, that should do it.¡± ¡°W, Wow!! I didn¡¯t know you could do this with alchemy!!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡­ You put everything back together!¡± ¡°And you¡¯re supposed to be an unemployed loser.¡± The adventurers were surprised at how fast Reito was fixing things. Erina and crew, who had been looking into the Relocation Circle, had returned. ¡°Bro!! The circle wasn¡¯t made by elves!! They think it was made by humans!!¡± Erina said. ¡°It did seem like they appeared out of nowhere when we were moving¡­ Perhaps they used ¡®Delayed Magic?¡¯¡± Dain added. Reito looked confused at what Dain was saying, so he explained further. ¡°It¡¯s a magic that can be activated on delay. It would have been difficult to time it just right to activate when we pass by. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t Delayed Magic but Remote Control Magic. If that¡¯s the case, I wonder if there was someone nearby who could use the ¡°Remote Control¡± technical skill. The other adventurers looked grim at what Dain was saying. If his prediction was correct, there was quite the dangerous magician amongst their enemies, and they couldn¡¯t be careless as they moved along. Also, if they ran into creatures like ogres on multiple occasions, they might lose all their soldiers before reaching the Rotten Dragon. The adventurers were thinking about what strategy to adopt going forward. ¡°What should we do? Should we separate our forces and send them on separate routes?¡± ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to carelessly scatter our battle capabilities. We are behind schedule for our original strategy. Considering the possibility of moving at night, splitting up would be too dangerous.¡± ¡°Yes, but I think it¡¯s just as dangerous to continue with our previous strategy not knowing how many traps lie ahead.¡± ¡°What were the Reconnaissance Troops doing anyway!! Why didn¡¯t they notice the trap!?¡± The adventurers of the various guilds weren¡¯t able to harmonize and continued their argument. ¡°Like I said!! All we can do is split up and head toward the destination!! The first one that gets there can challenge the Rotten Dragon for themselves!!¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t a race!! What do you think you¡¯re going to do if we separate against a legendary dragon?¡± ¡°What are you, a scaredy-cat?!¡± ¡°What did you call me?!¡± ¡°Cut it out. We don¡¯t want to divide the ranks!¡± Kagemaru tried to make peace, but the other adventurers were irritated. ¡°Shut up!! Don¡¯t think you¡¯re so special just because Lord Maria likes you!! You assassins are only useful for reconnaissance!!¡± A woman assassin chimed in, ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t think I¡¯ll just let that slide!? Just who do you think we are!?¡± ¡°Just give up!! We don¡¯t wanna push things any further!!¡± The argument between the adventurers was getting more intense. The atmosphere in the room was getting toxic. Reito communicated with Airis while they argued. ¡ºAiris.¡» ¡ºWow, you¡¯re saying my name correctly.¡» ¡ºOh, shit. Let me say it again. Ivy-!!¡» ¡ºWhat am I?! A plant?! I swear¡­ You seem better.¡» Airis was glad that Reito was in good enough spirits to make fun of her name. ¡ºSo, you¡¯re stressed about what to do next? Don¡¯t worry about it.¡» ¡ºWhat do you mean?¡» ¡ºThey seem to be talking it out, but, everything is about to be capsized. Look at the sky. There¡¯s not a drop of rain in the sky, right?¡» ¡ºNow that you mention it.¡» Reito looked up at the sky and found grey crowds hovering. Before he could ask about it, he remembered that the Rotten Dragon was ¡°weak to sunlight.¡± ¡ºYou don¡¯t possibly mean¡­!?¡» ¡ºThat¡¯s right. If the sun is blocked by clouds, the Rotten Dragon can move even in the daytime. The Rotten Dragon has already begun moving toward the city.¡» ¡ºThat freaking sucks¡»Reito muttered before asking for a counter-strategy,¡ºWhat are you going to do? Are you going to intercept it?¡» ¡ºThat¡¯s foolish. You should turn back.¡» ¡ºThere¡¯s a low chance we¡¯ll win?¡» ¡ºThe enemy doesn¡¯t just have the Rotten Dragon, but also hundreds of Undead. Thanks to you, the Empire agents who infiltrated the city have been wiped out. So, as a result, they decided to raise an army of the Undead instead.¡» ¡ºHundreds of Undead, and a Rotten Dragon¡­¡» ¡ºTo be honest, there is no chance of winning in the grasslands. You should intercept them in the city and drive them back. The clouds won¡¯t clear up until night, so you should buy time.¡» ¡ºGot it¡­ But, how can we convince the others?¡» ¡ºThat¡¯s the problem, isn¡¯t it. Everyone would be suspicious if you proposed a retreat, right now. If you do it poorly, you might be mistaken for an enemy spy.¡» Reito remembered the word ¡°Reconnaissance¡± that came up when the other adventurers were talking. ¡ºI¡¯ve got it!¡» ¡ºDid you think of something?¡» ¡ºWell¡­ For now, tell me where the Rotten Dragon is.¡» ¡ºYeah, yeah.¡» Reito heard the location of the undead from Airis and ended communications. Reito talked to the adventurers who were arguing. ¡°I will go out and do reconnaissance.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± The adventurers paused as if to say, ¡°what are you talking about all of a sudden!?¡± Kagemaru was the first to react. ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Yes. Things won¡¯t progress as they are now. I should go and do reconnaissance work.¡± ¡°Hey now! That¡¯s the job of assassins. You¡¯re just a swordsman¡­ Or, wait, aren¡¯t you a magician? In either case, can you actually do reconnaissance work?¡± One adventurer asked. Other Hailstorm adventures chimed in. ¡°Right!! You¡¯re just cocky because Lord Maria likes you!!¡± ¡°Dumbass!! That¡¯s Maria¡¯s nephew!?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ S, So what!!¡± The other adventures stopped him, but he was shaken for a moment. Reito asked for Kagemaru¡¯s help. ¡°How about you come along with me, Kagemaru? I¡¯ve heard you¡¯ve seen the Rotten Dragon¡¯s lair a few times. Perhaps you could show me where it is?¡± ¡°No worries.¡± ¡°Reito, take Hitomin with you,¡± Kotomin suggested. ¡°Purupuru¡­¡± Kotomin put Hitomin on Reito¡¯s head. ¡°And of course, Ullr will also come.¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Ullr came to his side and barked happily. Reito got on Ullr¡¯s shoulders and looked around him. The adventurers making complaints before got quiet when they saw the large white wolf. ¡°We should be back in a bit with Ullr¡¯s speed. Everyone else, please be on standby.¡± ¡°O, Okay. J, Just be careful,¡± one adventurer said before Kagemaru replied, ¡°Don¡¯t waste your energy on worrying. I¡¯ll guard the Lord Nephew.¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Ullr barked as if to say it was his job to protect Reito. He glared at Ullr and sparks flew. Reito was planning to have Kagemaru witness the undead army waiting for them pass the plains and have him suggest a retreat. He had no plans to do anything dangerous. ¡°Okay, get on the back. Hold on to my shoulders or waist as we ride.¡± ¡°How absurd. I shan¡¯t be riding that beast!¡± ¡°Grrr!¡± ¡°Be a good boy¡­!!¡± Ullr whimpered and Reito petted its head. Asking how he intended to move, Kagemaru replied he would go by foot. ¡°I¡¯m real fast.¡± ¡°Fast enough?¡± ¡°Let me show you the true power of a ninja,¡± Kagemaru said and crouched, ready to burst off. Reito was dumbfounded, but Kagemaru sprinted off. ¡°Ngh!!¡± ¡°Wow!!¡± ¡°Woof!?¡± Kagemaru had leaped a full 15 meters, landing on his right foot before and bounding another 15. The speed and distance was superior to Reito¡¯s ¡°Leap¡± skill. Reito hurriedly had Ullr run after him. ¡°Oh, shoot! Let¡¯s go, Ullr!!¡± ¡°Wooooff!!¡± Ullr chased after Kagemaru. White wolves are the fastest of all canines, but even he couldn¡¯t catch up with Kagemaru. They were just trying to not lose sight of his body. Kagemaru stopped and looked back at Reito and Ullr. ¡°Hmph¡­¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± He looked triumphant and smiled. Ullr felt provoked and angrily barked, running after him. ¡°You¡¯re going too fast, Ullr!?¡± ¡°Purururu¡­!?¡± ¡°Ahhh! Hitomin is taking on quite the shape from the wind you¡¯re making.¡± Reito held on to Hitomin to make sure she wouldn¡¯t be blown away. ¡°That¡¯s all you got, wolf!?¡± Ullr growled. ¡°Don¡¯t tempt me, fool!!¡± Reito and Hitomin were caught up in Ullr and Kagemaru¡¯s foot race. Volume 4 - CH 3.6 Few minutes after they had departed, they spotted a river, and he had Ullr and Kagemaru stop for a break. He put Hitomin in the river and watched her play happily in it. ¡°Pururun! Pururun!¡± She sung. ¡°She looks really happy. Maybe I should get in too,¡± Reito thought. Kagemaru and Ullr were panting by his side. ¡°G, Give me some water.¡± ¡°Whiinee~¡± Ullr whimpered. Both of them had burned a lot of stamina in their race. Kagemaru, running on foot the whole time, was especially burnt out. He took the mask off his mouth and laid down. Meanwhile, Ullr was drinking water from the river. As far as endurance goes, he surpassed Kagemaru. Reito picked up Hitomin, who had her fill of water, and put her on Kagemaru¡¯s head. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re racing with a wolf. Naughty boy. Water!!¡± ¡°Purupuru¡­¡± ¡°H-, Hey!? Don¡¯t do th-¡­¡± Reito squeezed Hitomin, pouring a large amount of water into Kagemaru¡¯s mouth. ¡°There we go. Show me your body. I¡¯ll use a little recovery magic.¡± ¡°Sh-, I¡¯m not gonna let you¡­!!¡± ¡°Put aside your pride and let¡¯s get started. If I can¡¯t touch your bare skin, the magic won¡¯t work well.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ Also, as I aside before, no need to be so polite with me.¡± Reito ignored him and used the auxiliary Recovery Magic on him. This magic couldn¡¯t heal large damage, but it could easily heal soreness. Kagemaru was able to stand and he took some recovery medicine from his pocket and swallowed it. ¡°That helped. Thanks.¡± ¡°Learn from this, and don¡¯t race with Ullr again.¡± ¡°Got it¡­ You can really run, huh?¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°I feel like you¡¯re becoming friends,¡± Reito commented. ¡°Pururu¡­¡± Kagemaru and Ullr nodded at each other in respect and then shook hands. The next moment, they were on alert. ¡°I sense something¡­¡± ¡°It couldn¡¯t be¡­¡± ¡°Grrr¡­!¡± ¡°Purupuru¡­¡± Reito used ¡°Mind¡¯s Eye,¡± Kagemaru used ¡°Straight Sight,¡± Ullr used his sense of smell, and Hitomin used her perceptive powers to detect something dangerous coming. To try and find out what was behind the presence, they immediately climb a hill on the other side of the river where it seemed like they could get a good view. They saw something more horrific than they thought. ¡°¡­ This is terrible.¡± ¡°What the hell!!¡± They saw an army of countless undead marching through the grasslands. They were mostly goblins, orcs, kobolds, and trolls, but there were also some creatures Reito had never seen before. Further, there was a foul odor drifting through the plains. Looking at the creepy sight, he was in a cold sweat. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡­ What is this? I didn¡¯t see many of them before.¡± Kagemaru was shaken. He had examined things just two days before. In those two days, the Necromancer controlling the Rotten Dragon, Kirau, had used a powerful weapon received from the Empire to put an enormous army of the undead under her control. ¡°There¡¯s a few hundred of ¡®em. If I¡¯m not wrong, even more.¡± ¡°Where is the Rotten Dragon. I can¡¯t see him,¡± Reito replied. ¡°He¡¯s not within our sight range. If it¡¯s as big as the report says, we shouldn¡¯t be able to miss him.¡± Reito used ¡°Far Sight¡± and ¡°Observing Eye¡± to examine the horde of the undead, but he didn¡¯t see anything that looked like the Rotten Dragon. He was suspicious, but he knew staying there wouldn¡¯t make things turn for the better. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here!! We can¡¯t do anything about this by ourselves!!¡± Reito said. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°We can¡¯t stay here, right!?¡± Kagemaru looked frustrated but followed Reito¡¯s advice. ¡°You¡¯re right, we should retreat and regroup. I¡¯m sorry¡­ I was flustered.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get back!! Ullr!¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Ullr laid on his stomach, and Reito carried Hitomin with him onto Ullr. Kagemaru, who also didn¡¯t have his full stamina back, hesitated a bit before opting to ride on Ullr. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Please hold on!! Ullr, get back to everyone at full speed!!¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°Physical Reinforcement.¡± Reito used ¡°Physical Reinforcement¡± to strengthen Ullr¡¯s body. The magic had increased Ullr¡¯s physical abilities, and so he was able to run at a speed incomparable to that of before. ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°Ngh¡­ How is he this fast!? Was he not being serious earlier?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get jealous at a time like this.¡± ¡°Purupuru.¡± Reito felt a strange presence creep up behind him. ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Something evil is¡­ coming!!¡± ¡°Woof¡­!?¡± ¡°Purupuru¡­!?¡± When he looked back, he saw a black shadow approaching. Rooooarrr!! The black shadow and roar got louder as the object became clearer. It was the Rotten Dragon. Fortunately, the dragon hadn¡¯t noticed them yet. Reito could ascertain that there was a living creature riding on the head of the dragon. Reito commanded Ullr, ¡°Go faster! We¡¯ve gotta run!!¡± ¡°Woof¡­!!¡± Ullr ran off at full speed. Volume 4 - CH 4.1 Reito and crew spotted the Rotten Dragon several minutes later. Black clouds were spreading rapidly, even being spotted in the city. Bal and Gigan of the Second Battalion of the Subjugation Troops should be in action by then. They checked the situation realizing their strategy would fail. They were certain the undead were following the cloud to the city. ¡°Hey, hey! What is this!! Why did it have to be today!!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have time to complain. Heaven has abandoned us.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be the magical energy of that cloud, right?¡± Bal and Gigan were talking on top of the city¡¯s defensive wall before Maria showed up. ¡°Don¡¯t say foolish things. If there¡¯s a magician that can control the weather, they wouldn¡¯t be a person at all.¡± Alto came along as well. He ordered his soldiers to defend the city, but he was nervous about the approaching black cloud and came to ask about something. ¡°May I ask the three of you something. I have heard the previous strategy was to attack in the daytime. However, I have also heard that the Rotten Dragon can attack when in a place where the sun is blocked. In that case, could it be that the black cloud approaching the city is the Rotten Dragon?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask just to show off your own knowledge. We have to intercept it here.¡± ¡°Is that even possible?¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t fight, everyone will be killed.¡± ¡°Ngh¡­¡± Alto shut up at Gigan¡¯s words. On the other hand, the three Guildmasters were worried about the troops they had previously sent out. Their initial strategy was to camp out in the grasslands at night and wait for the Rotten Dragon¡¯s appearance. If the dragon noticed the existence of the troops, the people in the first battalion would act as bait and the second battalion would come in for a pincer attack. But, the Rotten Dragon suddenly became capable of moving in the daytime thanks to the moving black cloud. Therefore, the whole plan was thrown into disarray. At that moment, a patrol monitoring the city from atop the defense wall shouted. ¡°Lord Alto, look!! The troops we sent out in advance are retreating!!¡± ¡°What!?¡± Just as the soldier declared, a group of carriages rushed toward the city at full speed across the plains. Bal was relieved to see that sight. ¡°It appears that perceptive bastard noticed something, and they are coming back.¡± ¡°But, that¡¯s strange¡­ Why are they coming back so soon? Even if they had noticed something strange in the air, they are coming back suspiciously soon,¡± Maria said. ¡°The only way to know is to ask them. But, what are you going to do? Do we have a chance to beat the Rotten Dragon if we greet it with an attack?¡± Bal questioned. ¡°It will be quite the ordeal if it reaches the city. Even if we use Barrier Stones to construct a defensive wall, I don¡¯t think we¡¯d be able to hold out for very long,¡± Gonzo commented. Alto proposed to the three of them, ¡°In that case, should we have the masses flee from the city?¡± ¡°Where will they find refuge? It¡¯s dangerous to move the citizenry so carelessly. Please think before you speak,¡± Maria curtly rejected the idea. ¡°Ngh¡­¡± Alto shut up after Maria glared at him coldly. She gave a more reserved command to the soldier. ¡°Order a citizen evacuation. They are to congregate in the city center,¡± Alto commanded. ¡°What!? B¡ª, But¡­¡± The soldier was flustered at Alto¡¯s order. Alto took the soldier along with him and proceeded to work on the citizen evacuation effort. She was glad he had followed her order so obediently. Maria asked Bal about her nephew. ¡°Speaking of which, Bal, I heard you talked to Reito before the troops headed out.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, a little¡­ Nothing that you would care about.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that¡­ Speaking of which, do you have time to take it easy here?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°When the princess notices what¡¯s going on outside, do you think she¡¯ll sit still? Alto is planning to call for an evacuation to the city center. It¡¯s only natural that he¡¯ll stop by your guild and order the evacuation there.¡± ¡°Ahh! Good point¡­¡± Bal ran off. Maria sighed as she watched her disappear. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Thanks to Ullr, Reito and Kagemaru had successfully caught up with the troops and reported that the undead were closing in. He ordered them to retreat. At first, the other adventurers were reluctant, but verifying the spectacle of the black cloud unfolding toward the city, they suspended their attack and rushed back. On account of the ogre attack, they weren¡¯t very far removed from the city and were able to make it back quickly. When Reito and crew reached the city, they held an emergency strategy meeting and had adventurers sent to every gate of the protective wall to defend the area. Reito and crew were ordered to defend the southern gate, and they were watching from on top of the wall. A black cloud completely enveloped their surroundings at high noon, causing the sky to appear to gradually fade into night. It was the perfect opportunity for the Rotten Dragon and undead to strike. Dain, who was on sentry duty, called out, ¡°H¡ª, Hey!! Look at that!! They are already here!?¡± ¡°The undead¡­¡± ¡°Ah! There¡¯s so many!¡± They all raised their voice in response, looking out to see a swarm of the undead parading toward the city. There were more of them than when Kagemaru and Reito first spotted them. They had more likely turned more monsters into the undead as they moved along. Erina looked at the swarm of the undead and shouted, ¡°Wah!? The ogres we defeated before are back!! That¡¯s why I said we needed to burn the dead.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time to cry!! With that number of the undead, it¡¯s like an entire army¡­!!¡± an Elf man said to Erina. Overwhelmed by the large number of the undead, some of the soldiers began to wail. ¡°W¡ª, We can¡¯t do it. It¡¯s impossible with that many of them!!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t whine, you blubber belly!! And you call yourself a soldier!?¡± ¡°You guys might be used to fighting monsters, but we have only fought humans before. There¡¯s no way we can beat those monsters¡­!!¡± ¡°Tsk. Spineless cowards,¡± the adventurers were ticked off at the soldiers¡¯ pathetic remarks. True to their word, the Adventure City soldiers weren¡¯t very experienced with monsters. The ones really in charge of protecting the city were the adventurers. The soldiers only go after petty criminals within the city boundaries. Reito was surveilling the skies, searching for signs of the Rotten Dragon. But, nothing like it could be spotted. ¡ºAiris!! What¡¯s the whereabouts of the Rotten Dragon?¡» ¡ºAt present, it¡¯s on a hill some ways from the city. It¡¯s pretty far away, but the necromancers are about to give the undead the order to attack.¡» ¡ºShit¡­ How many undead are there?¡» ¡ºRoughly 1,000 of them. It appears they plan to destroy the city before the day is over.¡» ¡º1,000¡­¡» Reito was surprised about how few undead there were. Counting the adventurers and the soldiers, they had the advantage in numbers. But, Airis reminded Reito of something, ¡º I¡¯ll say this once, but you shouldn¡¯t underestimate the undead. Their bodies are rotting, so they have less defense than living creatures, but that also means that an attack that would normally paralyze someone won¡¯t cause them any harm. They¡¯re already dead, after all.¡» ¡ºI see, in video games, the undead tend to be stronger than their living counterparts.¡» ¡ºI don¡¯t know about that, but they don¡¯t have any sense of pain and come through with irrational attacks. They use their broken arms to fight from otherwise impossible angles. They might even loosen their joints to increase the range of their attacks. Their weak point is their heads. Is that the same as in video games?¡» ¡º It¡¯s just like Resident Evil.¡» ¡ºIf you¡¯re trying to defeat them quickly, magic is the best approach. But, some weak beginner¡¯s magic like ¡°Photosphere¡± isn¡¯t going to give them much resistance, so watch out.¡» ¡ºGot it.¡» He finished communications with Airis and drew his Extermination Sword. The others saw him and readied their own weapons. The archers and magicians waiting in the city were the first to spring into action. They were readying an attack against the large swarm of the undead approaching the city. ¡°Fire!!¡± When the order came, the soldiers who hadn¡¯t lost their nerve and the magicians began their attack. ¡°Grahhhh¡­!!¡± The goblins were the first group to receive a volley of arrows and magical attacks. The arrows pierced their bodies ¡ª those hit with the ballistic magic exploded. And yet, given that they can¡¯t feel pain, it didn¡¯t matter if their comrades fell over. They just continued toward the wall without hesitation. ¡°Sh¡ª, Shit!! These bastards won¡¯t quit!?¡± ¡°They¡¯re undead!! We don¡¯t have time to complain. Don¡¯t stop the fighting. We¡¯ve got to reduce their numbers!!¡± ¡°Graahh.¡± The march of the undead wouldn¡¯t stop causing the soldiers to be afraid and slow down their attacks. Taking advantage of the slowdown, the goblins leaped and jumped over the moat in front of the protective wall, grabbing the wall and beginning to scale it. ¡°Graaahh¡­.!!¡± ¡°Ahh!! These¡ª!!¡± ¡°Dumbass! Calm down and pierce their heads!!¡± Reito shouted, but his voice didn¡¯t seem to reach the soldiers¡¯ ears, and they continued firing their arrows haphazardly. The goblins didn¡¯t flinch as they took the volley of the arrows. They managed to climb the walls and made their appearance at the top. ¡°Ngraah!!¡± ¡°Eek!?¡± ¡°Go to hell, goblin!!¡± ¡°Grah!?¡± Gallow, who had also been assigned to guard the south wall with Reito, sent one of the goblins flying with a kick. Morimo and Mina, who were accompanying Gallow, were setting up attacks against the goblins. ¡°Spin!!¡± ¡°Collision Slap!!¡± ¡°Grahhh¡­!?¡± Mina spun her spear and sent the goblin flying away while Morimo used the palm of his hand to slap it into the moat. The move ¡°Spin¡± will have different effects depending on the weapon. Broadsword and longsword users spin their own bodies, but the weapon itself is spun for spear users. The force generated is inferior to that of a sword, but it is easier to handle as a result. ¡°Shadow Slip!!¡± ¡°Grahh!?¡± Not wanting to lose out, Dain used his shadow magic to create a shadow whip-like thing, whipping it at the goblins on the wall. The goblins fell down, hitting other goblins on the way down. ¡°Water gun!¡± ¡°Groah¡­!?¡± Kotomin wielded Suramin in her hands, shooting out water. The goblins, attempting to leap onto the wall, were blown back. ¡°Sweeping Fire!!¡± ¡°Aga!?¡± ¡°Woah!?¡± ¡°Ah!?¡± Erina was firing arrows one after another, but it was no more than a drop in the bucket against these goblins. Other archers and magicians were firing away, but they couldn¡¯t stop the advance of the undead, and the adventurers were beginning to be overwhelmed. ¡°Sh¡ª, Shit¡­ they¡¯re only goblins!!¡± ¡°These small fries¡­!!¡± ¡°Right!! These shits!!¡± ¡°Graaaaahhh¡­!!¡± The creatures, who had no sense of pain or fear, continued climbing the wall and attacking the living humans. Even if their legs were cut off, they would crawl with their heads alone. The adventurers cringed at the overly awful nature of the monsters, but Reito jumped over the wall and continued to slice away at them mercilessly. ¡°You should duck!¡± ¡°Wh¡ª¡­ What!?¡± ¡°Graah!?¡± Reito swung his blade at full force at a goblin trying to attack Gallow from behind, splitting its head in half. ¡°That was dangerous, fool-ass!!¡± ¡°S¡ª, Sorry. Things get dangerous when I use the Extermination Blade, huh? Iceclad Sword!!¡± ¡°Woah!?¡± Reito put the Extermination Blade back into the other dimension with his storage magic and pulled out an ice block longsword. He used ¡°High-Speed Shape Change¡± to make the blade vibrate at a super-high frequency and merrily went after the horde of the undead one after the other. ¡°Graah!!¡± ¡°Take this.¡± ¡°Grah!?¡± He stabbed a goblin approaching from behind without turning around, severing its head from its body. The vibrating ice blade could slice through opponents without much strength and had a cleaner cut than the Extermination Blade. Volume 4 - CH 4.2 Reito grasped the ice longsword with both hands and ran, cutting down countless goblins in the process. ¡°Scum!!¡± ¡°Waahh!?¡± ¡°Grahh!?¡± ¡°Grehh!?¡± The other people watching Reito run through the goblins raised their voices in astonishment. On the other hand, Gallow saw Reito and felt a mixture of surprise and insult. ¡°Wh, What is that!! Is he really a magician!?¡± ¡°If you have time to comment, why don¡¯t you help him!?¡± ¡°We¡¯re in the middle of a fight, fool!!¡± ¡°G-, Got it,¡± his friends rebuked him, so he returned to the conflict. The other people watching Reito were riled up. As the remains of the goblins began to pile up, another wave of the undead approached the wall. ¡°Bugggiiiiiiiii¡­!!¡± ¡°Orcs! It¡¯s orcs this time!!¡± A group of undead orcs was walking over the goblin corpses. The orcs leaped over the moat and clung to the walls. Reito saw that but noticed the holes in the enemies¡¯ attack as they climbed the wall. He let go of the ice blade and used magic. ¡°Flame Blade!!¡± ¡°Bugii!?¡± A crescent-shaped flame blade surged through the orcs, turning them into balls of flame. ¡°There we go! Roast Orc!!¡± The adventurers cheered as they watched the orcs fall. Noticing that the orcs were slower at climbing compared to the goblins, they went to greet them with an attack before they could get to the top, pushing them back into the moat. ¡°Take this!! Die!!¡± ¡°Shadow Slip!!¡± ¡°Nun!!¡± ¡°Bugya..!?¡± The orcs were persistent and would crawl back out from the moat. ¡°Someone, fry them in the moat with lightning magic!! Quick!!¡± ¡°Oh, okay. I¡¯m going to go for it!!¡± ¡°Thunder Lance!!¡± The magicians capable of using lightning magic used their wands to launch bolts of high voltage electricity into the water, burning through their rotten bodies. ¡°Bugiiii¡­!?¡± The electricity ran through the undead orcs¡¯ heads and fried their bodies, leaving their remains in the water. ¡°There we go!!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time to celebrate!! The next wave is coming!!¡± ¡°Are you serious¡­ ah!?¡± The more experienced adventurers put down the brief wave of cheering. A vibration ran through the protective wall. It was as if some sort of cannon had blasted the wall. Reito looked at the wall to check what it was, only to see the shards of goblin and orc remains buried into the wall. ¡°Grahh!!¡± ¡°N, No way!! It¡¯s trolls! The trolls are throwing the remains!!?¡± somebody screamed, and everyone looked at the ground. Ten trolls were launching the remains of the goblins and orcs at the wall. The launched remains would slam into the wall, becoming minced meat. But the shock generated was severe, and the wall was beginning to fissure. ¡°This is bad!! I think they¡¯re trying to break the wall!?¡± ¡°What are you doing! Quick! Fire back!!¡± ¡°Shut up!! Do you know how much magic I¡¯ve used! My power is almost¡­¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be the case!¡± The magicians had used most of their magical power and didn¡¯t have the stamina to put up a fight against the trolls. The ballistic magic was big and powerful but consumed a lot of magical energy. It was only natural it would be all used up if they continued firing away. Even if they used Magical Energy Recovery Medicine, their power wouldn¡¯t be restored immediately. They weren¡¯t able to do anything about the trolls. ¡°Archers!! Quick, aim for their heads!!¡± ¡°We¡¯re trying!! But, it¡¯s like their heads are made of stone!!¡± Erina shouted, frustrated. She had fired several shots at the trolls¡¯ heads, but they all bounced off. Despite their attempts to hold them back, the trolls continued tossing the remains at the wall, trying to destroy it. ¡°Grooooah¡­!!¡± ¡°Ahhh!!¡± ¡°What!?¡± The humans standing on the wall got off balance from the collision, and some of them even fell into the lake. There were countless remains stuck to the wall, and the fissure in the wall was only getting wider. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before the wall would collapse. Reito stuck out both hands and used ice to fix the wall. ¡°Ice Block!!¡± ¡°Woah!?¡± A giant ice wall appeared in front of the wall, preventing the bodies from hitting the main wall. Reito used the ice wall as a chance to rush the trolls. ¡°Go to hell!!¡± ¡°Grahh!?¡± The swarm of trolls was squashed as if by a steam roller. However, having created a wall some tens of meters high, he had used a lot of his magical energy. He was sweating all over his body. ¡°Graaahhh¡­!!¡± The wall was disappearing with time, and the trolls he thought were squashed roared out. ¡°Waaahhh!!¡± ¡°Graaahhh!?¡± Another kind of undead appeared and stomped on the trolls¡¯ heads from behind the trolls. It was the herd of ogres that Reito and crew had defeated before. The majority of them had perished or been burnt to a crisp. However, despite being made into the undead, their bodies still looked fresh because they had died only recently. ¡°Shit¡­ These clowns again?¡± ¡°This is a pain in the ass¡­ Even though they are undead, their battle abilities haven¡¯t decreased much.¡± ¡°But, their skin and muscles are missing in areas. Let¡¯s aim for that.¡± Gallow and crew looked uneasy as they had their little strategy meeting. On the other hand, Reito clutched his Extermination Blade and went for Gonzo. ¡°Gon-chan.¡± ¡°Reito, I¡¯m coming with you.¡± ¡°Coming with him?¡± Erina was puzzled at Gonzo¡¯s statement, but Reito surmised what he meant and used some magic. ¡°Ice Block!!¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°Wh-!?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Reito made a pair of ice disks with his magic. This is an old story, but when Reito escaped from the mansion in the Forest of Abyss, he used the same ice disks as footholds. Reito and Gonzo leaped simultaneously, using the ice disks to glide down to the ground. Volume 4 - CH 4.3 ¡°Doh!!¡± ¡°Ngh!¡± ¡°Ehh?¡± ¡°What are you doing, idiot! Get back here this minute!!¡± Dain shouted. ¡°Bro, that¡¯s foolish,¡± Erina added. The two of them shouted. Erina looked worried. ¡°I¡¯m going also,¡± Kotomin added. ¡°D-, Don¡¯t be stupid, girl!!¡± Erina added. Kotomin tried to follow the two of them, but Erina quickly detained her. Ignoring the others, Reito and Gonzo continued. Once they landed, they swung their broadswords and clubs at the hoard of the undead. ¡°Strike Blade!!¡± ¡°Golden Stark Blade!!¡± ¡°GRAAAAHHHH!?¡± A group of kobolds bore the brunt of their attacks and were blown away. There were a few kobolds, ogres, and blood bears. Reito and Gonzo had to take down a few kobolds before getting to the ogre. ¡°Ngh!!¡± ¡°Greek!!¡± ¡°She!!¡± ¡°Graah!¡± Kobolds are known for their quick movement, but perhaps because they were dead, their movements were notably more sluggish than when they were alive, and they couldn¡¯t avoid their large swing attacks. ¡°Grahh!!¡± ¡°There¡¯s an ogre!!¡± Reito shouted. ¡°I got it!!¡± Gonzo said the moment the ogre approached Reito. He clutched his club and swung it with all his might. ¡°Golden Stark Strike!!¡± ¡°Ahh!!¡± Gonzo swung his club at the ogre, attempting to land a blow with its fist. A sharp metallic noise sang out, and it went flying back. Gonzo noticed his arms shaking and winced as he went in for another attack. ¡°Hngh!!¡± ¡°Grahh!!¡± ¡°Wah!?¡± ¡°Gon-chan!?¡± Gonzo immediately used the giant-exclusive skill ¡°Harden Skin¡± in defense. But he broke a few ribs from the impact and coughed up blood. Cough. ¡°Graahh¡­!!¡± ¡°You, b-¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move!!¡± Reito went to save Gonzo with the Extermination Blade in hand, but Gonzo used his club to stand up. Reito was taken aback but left the fight up to him and went to cut down some other enemies. ¡°Groooo!!¡± ¡°Ngh!?¡± Gonzo¡¯s face was struck, and more blood came out, but his will to fight didn¡¯t falter, and he went after the ogre, picking it up. ¡°AHHH!!¡± ¡°Grahh¡­.!?¡± ¡°Helmet Splitter!!¡± Gonzo used the warrior skill to turn the ogre upside down and smash him on the ground head first. But, another ogre went after Gonzo. ¡°Grahh!!¡± ¡°As if!!¡± ¡°Wait!!¡± Reito went to support, and Gonzo stopped. He clenched his fist and punched the ogre approaching him in the face. ¡°Thrust!!¡± ¡°Grah!?¡± He kicked the ogre. ¡°Front Kick!!¡± ¡°Gra!?¡± ¡°Roundhouse kick!!¡± He released a reverse roundhouse kick on the second ogre and jabbed his heel into its forehead, sending it flying away. ¡°Grah¡­!?¡± ¡°Epic¡­¡± ¡°Phew¡­¡± Regardless of how much the ogre¡¯s physical strength had been diminished by being made into an undead, Reito was impressed by Gonzo¡¯s ability to send the ogre¡¯s body flying in hand-to-hand combat. On the other hand, Gonzo looked at his hand and fist only to wince. They were swelling red. ¡°Grahh!!¡± ¡°Ngh¡­!!¡± ¡°Take this!!¡± Gonzo, who had sustained injury, was surrounded by attacking undead. This time, Reito jumped in front of him and swung his broadsword around. Knowing he couldn¡¯t let Gonzo fight anymore, he called the ice disks frozen in mid-air over. ¡°Gon-chan!! Get on the ice disk!!¡± ¡°N-, No¡­ I can still fight!!¡± Gonzo picked up his club with both hands. He expanded his muscles and gave it a hardy swing with all his might. ¡°Golden Stark Strike!!¡± ¡°Wah!?¡± ¡°Graaah!?¡± Swiping through the swarm of the undead, he managed to take down 10 of them. But, he was at his limits and fell to his knees. He grasped his throbbing fist. ¡°Ngh¡­!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it!! Recovery Boost!!¡± ¡°M-, My bad¡­¡± Reito used recovery magic to heal him. The undead didn¡¯t let up in the pause, and a kobold came flying in head-on to attack. ¡°Wooong!!¡± ¡°Now¡¯s not a good time!!¡± ¡°Grah!?¡± Reito didn¡¯t even look up, swung his Extermination Blade, and accurately sliced its head off. After healing Gonzo, he stood up with Gonzo and rode the ice disks back up onto the top of the wall. ¡°Hold on tight!!¡± ¡°Woah, woah, ahh!?¡± ¡°Ouch!?¡± The moment the disk-shaped ice block took lift, Gonzo was off balance and held on to Reito. Reito¡¯s shoulders were in danger of fracturing by the mighty grip strength of the giant. And yet, they managed to get back safely to the protective wall. They immediately ran to catch up with their friends. ¡°Are you two all right!?¡± Erina asked. ¡°We were worried?¡± Kotomin asked. ¡°Shit, don¡¯t get us so worried!!¡± Dain complained. ¡°Sorry, sorry¡­ ngh!?¡± Reito said. ¡°My bad,¡± Gonzo sounded sad. Gonzo held on to Reito¡¯s shoulders as they got off the ice disk. They landed on the wall with Gonzo hanging on to Reito at the waist. The other adventurers and soldiers ran over. ¡°Hey!! You guys are really something!!¡± ¡°And you¡¯re flying in the sky¡­ what kind of magic is that!?¡± ¡°You did a great job too, big guy!!¡± They were praising Reito and Gonzo¡¯s efforts in fighting the undead. They turned around to find Gallow screaming. ¡°Don¡¯t lose your focus!! The battle isn¡¯t over!!¡± Just as he said, over half of the swarm of the undead was still remaining. They had managed to defeat the most troublesome enemies like the trolls and ogres, but they hadn¡¯t defeated all of the undead. ¡°Woonnh!!¡± The remaining members of the undead all mobilized to charge the wall at once. Volume 4 - CH 5.1 While Reito and crew were fighting with the undead at the south gate, there were countless other undead at other gates planning their assaults. The Black Tiger guildmaster Bal was assigned to defend the east wall, and she was fighting with adventurers from other guilds across the wall on a grass plain against the undead. ¡°Oraora!! You¡¯re dead! Don¡¯t get so cocky!!¡± ¡°Ahh!!¡± ¡°Human¡± undead were battling at the east gate. Most likely, starting with the village where the Rotten Dragon lived, they had turned the residents of a few villages and towns into the undead. Although they were originally humans, they were now monsters. Bal mercilessly swung her broadsword through them. ¡°Sh-, Shit¡­ what!?¡± ¡°Wohhh!!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look away!!¡± The adventurers who had hesitated in their attacks were bit at, but Bal came in to slice off the monsters¡¯ heads. The undeads with their heads sliced off fell to the ground, and the adventurers screamed as they backed away from the bodies. Bal yelled at them. ¡°Don¡¯t shrink back just because your opponent used to be a human. If you are careless, you¡¯ll be killed! Remember that!!¡± ¡°Y-, Yes, ma¡¯am!!¡± ¡°Waaa¡­!!¡± Even more undead attacked the adventurers. The human undead were significantly weaker than other monsters, and their bodies were rotten and therefore slower than regular humans. Battle conditions were looking good at the east gate. ¡ô¡ô¡ô At the north gate, the Fang Dragon guildmaster Gigan stood alone in front of the burst open gate. What seemed to be an endless number of skeletons were trying to cross the bridge over the moat. Skeletons are often called mere shadows of human undead. Gigan was waiting for them at the gate as he called to the other adventurers. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid!! Fight these bastards trying to scale the wall!!¡± ¡°Y,- Yessir!! Understood!!¡± ¡°Gigan-sama!! The skeletons are approaching!!¡± The majestic gate was open, and countless skeletons were advancing toward it. The soldiers¡¯ bodies were shaking, but Gigan looked bored with his battle ax in hand. ¡°Humph¡­ You really think you can take down the city with only this many skeletons?¡± Bones were rattling. Gigan waited for the skeletons who busily chattered their jaws as they approached the gate. He was planning to push all the skeletons back by himself. If the other humans knew of his current plan, they might think he was being foolish and oppose it. But Gigan had absolute confidence in his strength and stood firm with a stony expression on his face. If the opponents were humans, they might have been overwhelmed by Gigan¡¯s aura and fled, but they were skeletons who knew no fear, so they rushed to attack him without mercy. Bones were rattling. ¡°Small fry¡­ ngh!!¡± Gigan yelled as the noise of bones being smashed rang out. ¡ô¡ô¡ô The greatest number of adventurers were gathered at the west gate. Maria was charged with defending the south wall and was standing on top of it. She was staring at the massive undead beasts approaching the city with a look of boredom. The ¡°Mamou¡± were approaching the gate. They are monsters similar to mammoths ¡ª these particular Mamou were undead. There were four of them in total. The members of the Hailstorm Guild were split up into groups and were attacking the Mamou. One of the adventurers reported to Maria. ¡°Maria-sama!! Team A fighting with the Mamou is seeing increasing casualties!!¡± ¡°Move out Reserve Team E as reinforcement. How are the other teams?¡± ¡°At present, Team C appears to be in good shape¡­¡± ¡°Right, in that case, you have nothing to do.¡± Maria had divided the adventurers into six teams from A to F. A to D were currently dealing with the situation. To prevent any damage to the wall, she had them out in the field fighting. ¡°Paooo,¡± an elephant-like trumpeting. ¡°This is not good!! Maria-sama, the Pao has cut through Team D and is coming this way!!¡± ¡°The Pao¡­ that¡¯s a subtype of Mamou.¡± She looked at Team D to see an enormous elephant-like monster called the Pao swinging through Team D and coming for the gate. She looked annoyed, readied the blue ring on her pointer finger, aimed it at the Pao, and fired away. ¡°Blizzard.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± A cold blast of wind was released from Maria¡¯s ring the next moment. The other adventurers were surprised, but Maria just sighed, bored. ¡°Tsk tsk¡­ Don¡¯t make me use magic on this shrimp of a villain.¡± ¡°F-, Forgive us!!¡± ¡°I will leave the rest to you. Call me if something happens.¡± Maria, who had frozen the enormous monster in an instant, shook her head as she walked away from the wall. She had other business to attend to. ¡ô¡ô¡ô While the four walls of Adventure City were under siege from the massive hordes of the undead, the Rotten dragon was in a village 10 kilometers away. In a graveyard in the corner of that village was the most potent necromancer in the world, Kirau. She was talking to the row of select necromancers standing in front of her. ¡°You really put up a fight. Are you exhausted?¡± ¡°Y-, Yeah¡­¡± ¡°Kill¡­ Kill me¡­¡± She cackled. The necromancers were all shedding tears of blood and had withered away. They were being manipulated by Kirau like puppets. They were using an extraordinary amount of magical energy to change an enormous number of corpses into the undead. They are attacking Adventure City at present. But, that was a precarious endeavor. The strain of maintaining an army of the dead was putting a lot of toll on the necromancer¡¯s bodies, and as the undead perished, it affected the necromancers as well. Ten of the necromancers in front of Kirau had passed away. The undead they had been operating had all been defeated, and they fainted as a result before dying. ¡°Gngh¡­!!¡± another necromancer passed away. ¡°That¡¯s the eleventh one¡­ perhaps I should move out soon. ¡°Grrr¡­.¡± A growl could be heard from behind Kirau. ¡°Relax. It will soon be your turn,¡± she smiled and turned around to the owner of the growl. There was the massive head of the Rotten Dragon, gazing at her with empty eyes. The Rotten Dragon, who had done nothing but eat for the past few days, had grown to a size of over 40-meters. She was planning to finish things up in the evolutionary process of the Rotten Dragon. ¡°It¡¯s about time. I have no use for you.¡± ¡°Ahh!?¡± She snapped her finger, and the last three necromancers standing raised their voices in agony. She had ordered them all to die. She then commanded the rotten dragon to ¡°eat up¡± with no sympathy whatsoever. The Rotten Dragon slowly raised its head and gulped down the four corpses when she pointed at them. ¡°Roooooar!!¡± After the four corpses were eaten, the rotten dragon¡¯s eyes had a mysterious glow. Its body had changed. Black magic was oozing out of its entire body, and it had covered up its rotting skin. ¡°Hah! Now the world is mine¡­ no, yours.¡± ¡°Raaaaahhh¡­!!¡± ¡°Hehe. Don¡¯t get so excited. There¡¯s no need to wait any longer. Let¡¯s go.¡± She looked at the rotten dragon, which had turned completely black, and determined it would be dangerous to touch it in this state. She used the armband on her right arm. It was one of the ¡°sacred treasures¡± left behind by the first generation of heroes. Kirau whispered something, and the armband absorbed the magical energy. She spread green wings generated from the magical energy out of her back. She looked entirely like an angel. Kirau spread her wings and flew away. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Graaaahhh¡­.!!¡± The Rotten Dragon spread its wings and lifted its enormous body off the ground, with Kirau following behind. They were heading for Adventure City. They planned to trample it with overwhelming force. This was aligning with the will of her commissioner, the Empire, but she didn¡¯t mind. ¡°I can finally kill that eyesore of a woman. If I destroy the city, should I go for the royal capital next?¡± Kirau thought about the current ruler of the Empire as she muttered to herself. The Royal Capital had a troublesome commander-in-chief who had more strength than Kirau. But with the Rotten Dragon, she was confident that she could overwhelm and defeat that enemy. She was determined to attack the royal capital next. Volume 4 - CH 5.2 ¡ªA few minutes before the Rotten dragon had moved out. On the south wall where Reito was, the adventurers used the ice disks as substitute stairs and were on the grassy plain. ¡°Oraa!! Small fry!!¡± ¡°This is for earlier!!¡± ¡°This is our city!! We are going to defend it together!!¡± ¡°Grah¡­!?¡± The undead were being exterminated one after the other by the adventurers. Reito and Gonzo had already defeated the stronger undead. All that was left were the kobolds and blood bears. ¡°Grahh¡­!!¡± ¡°Oraa!! Too slow!!¡± ¡°Do you think you can beat us with those rotten bodies?¡± The undead blood bears tried to attack the adventurers, but they were severely rotten and couldn¡¯t move fast. In their living form, they were fierce villains, but they weren¡¯t very threatening as members of the undead. Dain was surprised at Gonzo fighting them with his bare hands. ¡°Wow, Gonzo!! You might be even stronger bare-handed!!¡± ¡°I use the club as a workout.¡± ¡°It was just a weight!?¡± On the other hand, Erina ran through a group of kobolds with her bowgun and accurately pierced their head. ¡°Random Shooting!!¡± ¡°Grahh¡­!?¡± Kotomin was behind her and had Suramin at the ready, pointed at a blood bear. ¡°Water gun¡­ Revision, ¡°Water Buckshot.¡± ¡°Bwah!?¡± it roared. Suramin fired a wide spray of bullets at the blood bear and shut off its field of vision. It was a weak attack, but it made the opponent afraid. Dain took advantage of the pause to use his shadow magic and swept the bear¡¯s legs. ¡°Shadow Slip!!¡± ¡°Grah!?¡± The blood bear was dripping wet and fell over. Gonzo took his chance to ax-kick the blood bear¡¯s head. ¡°Helm Dropkick!!¡± ¡°Graah¡­!?¡± ¡°Woah, that was nasty¡­¡± Dain said. Gonzo¡¯s heel smashed the blood bear¡¯s head, sending blood flying everywhere, while Dain put a hand over his mouth. They managed to stop the hoard of the undead, but they lost sight of their other opponent. The adventurers were breathing heavily as they realized they had defeated the undead. They looked at each other and cheered in celebration. ¡°We did it¡­ We beat them!!¡± ¡°Hooray!! We won!!¡± ¡°We saved the city!!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let down your guard!! There might be a few of them left¡­ Get back on the defensive!!¡± more experienced adventurers warned the others as they scouted for enemies. Reito reminded the celebrating humans that hadn¡¯t spotted the Rotten Dragon yet, so they tightened up and prepared to defend the wall. Afterward, they noticed something strange. ¡°W-, Wait. The ice Reito made is disappearing?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just melting with the passage of time?¡± ¡°Speaking of which, where is Reito!?¡± The ice disks that Reito had used in place of a staircase had suddenly melted. Reito was also out of sight. The adventures rushed to find him but couldn¡¯t spot him in their surroundings. Everyone looked at his friends. ¡°H-, Hey!! Where is your friend? We wanted to say thanks¡­¡± ¡°True. If he wasn¡¯t here, the wall would have been destroyed ages ago.¡± ¡°That big fella sure helped, but if that kid hadn¡¯t been here¡­¡± ¡°Um¡­ H-, Hey! Has anyone seen Reito?¡± Dain looked at his friends and said worriedly. But, all of them had lost sight of Reito during the battle. ¡°How about you ladies?¡± he asked Erina and Kotomin, but they both shook their heads. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but he took Hitomin with him,¡± Kotomin said. ¡°We were together until he went down into the plains,¡± Erina added. ¡°What!! Are you saying he ran away!!¡± Gallow provoked, to which Dain yelled. ¡°Reito is not the type of guy to run away!! He would never leave his friends behind!!¡± The other humans didn¡¯t think Reito ran away either. But they were suspicious he had gone off somewhere. One of the humans timidly raised his hand. ¡°Um¡­ I haven¡¯t seen Reito. But there¡¯s something else that¡¯s bothering me.¡± ¡°Mina?¡± The spearman Mina had raised her hand. She told everyone what she witnessed in battle. ¡°Um, I saw Reito run off with Ullr in that direction. Someone was riding on his back.¡± ¡°Are you serious!?¡± ¡°He couldn¡¯t have¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way!! No way he would have run away with Ullr!!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that, did I!?¡± The adventurers were uneasy at the prospect that Reito would run away. ¡ô¡ô¡ô The adventurers¡¯ predictions were half-right. Reito did run off with Ullr into the plains at the beginning of the battle, leaving the front lines. He was dashing through the plains with Ullr. He had Hitomin on his shoulder and had Kagemaru following him. ¡°¡­ There¡¯s no need for you to follow me,¡± Reito said. ¡°I can¡¯t just stand back and watch my master¡¯s nephew die.¡± ¡°Purupuru.¡± Reito looked at Kagemaru skillfully grasping onto Ullr and sighed to himself. He had no plan to wrap Kagemaru up in his plan. Before he headed to the South Gate to tell Maria of his plan, she ordered Kagemaru to follow him. Because it was Maria, Reito allowed it. Reito was bringing Kagemaru to the location of the Rotten Dragon. After a while, Airis¡¯s voice rang out in his ears. ¡ºIt moved out.¡» ¡ºOh no.¡» Knowing the enemy had moved out, he looked in the distance cautiously. A few seconds later, he heard a roar that made his hairs stand up. He looked up and saw an enormous beast flying in the sky. ¡°Rooooooar¡­!!¡± The rotten dragon had made its appearance with a blood-curdling scream. Reito was in a cold sweat, and Hitomin scrambled inside his clothes to be safe. The Rotten Dragon¡¯s body was enveloped in dark energy. Reito communicated with Airis. ¡ºAiris.¡» ¡ºHoly shit. That¡¯s not looking good, bro.¡» ¡ºWhy are you talking like Erina!!¡» ¡º That¡¯s what the situation calls for, bro.¡» ¡º Don¡¯t call me bro, bro.¡» Airis¡¯s voice was so surprised that she didn¡¯t sound like herself. Reito could tell the situation was bad from her voice. However, he planned to follow the strategy he made with her ¡ª he couldn¡¯t turn back now. ¡°Well then¡­ Kagemaru. No, allow me to call you Mr. Kage with love.¡± ¡°Wh, why?¡± ¡°Ullr and I are planning to challenge the Rotten Dragon. We are going to lure it to a designated location. I¡¯m sure that woman will get in the way, though.¡± ¡°Her¡­¡± Kagemaru looked at the woman flying in front of the Rotten Dragon. It was Kirau with her green wings sprouting out. She was gracefully flying in the skies. As he scouted her appearance, she was giving off an aura of being a battle-tested veteran. He figured this would be a tough battle. He was ordered to assassinate her if the opportunity showed itself. But he didn¡¯t dare make the attempt. But, he had a chance to win. ¡°Leave her up to me¡­ I have been given permission to use my katana by my master,¡± Kagemaru said and pointed at the katana on his hip. ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the bewitched sword Muramasa¡­ It¡¯s a sacred treasure used by the first generation of heroes. My master picked it up while she was still an active adventurer.¡± To be able to put up a fight against Kirau, Maria gave him the magical sword. It was shaped like a Japanese katana. The bewitched sword Muramasa wasn¡¯t like an ordinary holy sword, it was designed for heroes to be able to pull out their true strength. It had less functionality than an ordinary holy sword. Still, in the right hands, it could wield incredible power, and as such, it¡¯s been dubbed a ¡°sacred treasure¡± and is feared as a ¡°bewitched sword.¡± ¡°But, how is she flying? Is it spirit magic?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I think it¡¯s some kind of magical device. She isn¡¯t just flying on her own.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Look, there¡¯s something massive over there,¡± Kagemaru pointed at the Rotten Dragon before it jumped into action. Reito pet Ullr¡¯s head. ¡°Okay¡­ Let¡¯s go!!¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°Purupuru¡­¡± ¡°Hitomin, stay out of sight.¡± ¡°I pray for good fortune in war.¡± Reito used his storage magic and drew his longsword. Kagemaru got off of Ullr¡¯s back and looked at Reito. Reito was looking at Kirau flying in the sky. He shouted to draw attention to himself. ¡°AGHHHHH!!¡± ¡°WOOOOFFFF!!¡± Reito and Ullr¡¯s barks overlapped, and Kirau and the Rotten Dragon took notice. Reito didn¡¯t let the moment pass and shouted again, ¡°I¡¯m the one who killed Gain!!¡± The moment she heard his voice, Kirau turned toward Reito. Gain was the only man Kirau had ever had any feelings of love for, even if it was in a perverse way. ¡°Rooooaaarrr¡­!!¡± a few seconds later, the Rotten Dragon was ordered to swoop down. Reito didn¡¯t have time to be happy that his strategy had worked. He had Ullr run. ¡°Run away!!¡± ¡°Wooff!!¡± ¡°Raaaahhh!!¡± When the Rotten Dragon landed, there was an enormous vibration. The dragon increased its speed from when it was flying in the air and pursued Reito. ¡°¡­Kill!¡± ¡°Raaaahh!!¡± Kirau had commanded the Rotten Dragon. She had no evidence that Reito had been the one to kill Gain. But the use of his name alone made her think he knew of their relationship. She wanted to check if that was true, but she didn¡¯t have time, so she opted to kill him instead. ¡°Wooff!!¡± But Ullr was faster than she had realized, and she couldn¡¯t catch up. She aimed her wand at Reito from the skies, ¡°Dark Flame¡­!¡± ¡°As if!!¡± A kunai came flying toward Kirau. She was surprised at the unexpected attack, but she merely dodged the knives. ¡°What!?¡± She looked forward finding another man soaring through the sky clad in all black. Kagemaru could use the skill ¡°Mail Carrier¡± to fly through the air. He wasn¡¯t actually flying but running. A shockwave from his legs kept him afloat. ¡°Test Strike!!¡± ¡°!!¡± Kagemaru approached Kirau and swung his kodachi. Kirau stepped back to dodge it, but Kagemaru managed to hit her wand. ¡°Ngh!!¡± ¡°Sh-!?¡± Aquatic magic burst from the magic stone in the wand. Kirau made a sour face and flew further in the sky. Kagemaru was faster, but he wouldn¡¯t be able to travel in a straight line with his ¡°Mail Carrier¡± skill, so she had greater mobility. Moving further up than Kagemaru, she fired ballistic magic at him. ¡°Dark Bolt!!¡± ¡°You¡¯re slow.¡± Lightning Magic had the highest speed magic of all magics. Kirau had set up a deadly attack pairing dark and ballistic magic, but Kagemaru moved quickly to avoid it. ¡°Tsk.¡± She was burning through a lot of magic energy, just controlling the Rotten Dragon alone. She wasn¡¯t able to use particularly potent ballistic magic. She decided to ignore Kagemaru and go after Reito. ¡°I won¡¯t let you get away!!¡± Kagemaru said and approached her from behind. He pulled not the kodachi from before but rather his bewitched sword. Her eyes opened wide at the sight of the red sparks coming from the bewitched sword. ¡°That can¡¯t be¡­!?¡± Kagemaru grasped the bewitched sword, and his pupils glowed red. Kirau felt a sense of danger and cast a spell. She ascertained he could dodge any low-skill attack, so she used an elf-exclusive spell. ¡°Magic Arrow!!¡± ¡°Ngh!?¡± A number of magic bullets were fired from the tip of her wand. Kagemaru intercepted five of the shots with his bewitched sword before using his assassin-exclusive skill. ¡°Shippuken!!¡± He swung his sword with incredible velocity, slicing through all the magic bullets. Ordinary weapons wouldn¡¯t be able to put up a fight against the bullets, but the bewitched sword was able to. Kirau glared at the bewitched sword in frustration. She fired another ballistic magic spell. ¡°Dark Flame!!¡± A black flame burst from the tip of her wand. The attack radius was greater than ordinary ballistic spells. Kagemaru resigned himself to taking the shot. ¡°Parry!!¡± An ordinary human would have been swallowed up by the black flames. Still, Kagemaru spun his body to deflect the attack with his sword. ¡°You¡¯re really annoying¡­ puny human!!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate us humans!!¡± Volume 4 - CH 5.3 When Kagemaru and Kirau were fighting, something was happening on the ground. ¡°Roaaarrrr¡­!?¡± ¡°Boy-o!?¡± The Rotten Dragon that was chasing Reito let out a shriek. Kirau looked away from Kagemaru for a second. He took his chance to stab her with the bewitched sword. ¡°Puncture!!¡± ¡°Ngh!?¡± Kagemaru aimed for her heart, but Kirau put out her right hand to block his sword instantaneously. It was thrust deep into her right arm. The sword¡¯s blade started glowing. ¡°Take this!! Muramasa!!¡± ¡°Ahhh!?¡± The bewitched blade Muramasa was plunged into her body and was absorbing all her magical energy due to the sword¡¯s ability. Kirau¡¯s right arm gradually began to look like a mummy. She put her wand on her right shoulder and then used a kind of wind magic. ¡°Slash!!¡± ¡°What!?¡± A wind blade cut off her right arm. Freed from his bewitched sword, she kicked him in the stomach. ¡°Die!!¡± ¡°Nn!?¡± She had higher physical abilities than humans and was able to kick Kagemaru away, whom also dropped the bewitched sword. She watched it fall and then grabbed her amputated right arm before putting some distance between them. Reito and the Rotten Dragon were expanding their game of cat and mouse. ¡°Rooooarrrr¡­!!¡± ¡°Ullr, run at full speed!!¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Looking back at the fast-approaching Rotten Dragon, he tried using magic. ¡°Flame Bullet!!¡± He launched the biggest flame magic attack he could muster. It hit the Rotten Dragon square in the face.¡± ¡°Wooff¡­!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s no good.¡± Although it had flinched for a moment, there was not a scratch to be seen on its face. Airis communicated with him. ¡ºMagical attacks will have a weak effect at the moment. The rotten dragon is using the magic of the creatures it has eaten. Its body is emanating a dark aura. It¡¯s a kind of cursed armor that usually only necromancers can use.¡» ¡ºLike barrier stones?¡» ¡ºThey both use magic for defense is a point in common. However, barrier stones don¡¯t work on physical attacks. Conversely, the cursed armor works well on magical attacks, but not physical ones.¡» Reito followed Airis¡¯s advice. She inferred Kirau caught word about his holy sword and had procured the armor as a counter-strategy. ¡ºHow can I blast through it?¡» ¡ºIf enough time passes, it should go away on its own. Or you can chip away at it with magic.¡» ¡ºI just gotta wait¡­¡» Finishing communications, Reito jumped off of Ullr¡¯s back. When he landed, he used a wind blast to kill the fall and used his ¡°break fall¡± skill. Ullr glanced at Reito before breaking into a sprint. ¡°Don¡¯t stop, Ullr!!¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Ullr ran off with a bark. Reito put his hands on the ground and used both ¡°Magical Reinforcement¡± and ¡°Earth Block.¡± ¡°Watch your legs!!¡± ¡°Roaar!?¡± The ground around the Rotten Dragon¡¯s feet sank in. ¡°Let¡¯s see if I can kill some time!!¡± ¡°Raaaaaa¡­!!¡± Reito pulled out his Extermination Blade and used ¡°Shrink Ground¡± to approach the Rotten Dragon. ¡°Full-Body Reinforcement ¡ª Gravity Blade¡­ Magical Reinforcement!!¡± Crimson magic coiled up the blade. His physical abilities had increased. He copied Kagemaru and used Wind Pressure to leap. ¡°Woaah!!¡± ¡°Raa!?¡± He leaped twenty meters in the air and swung his sword for the dragon¡¯s head. ¡°Helmet Smasher!!¡± ¡°Raaaaa¡­!?¡± The moment the broadsword hit the dragon¡¯s head, it shrieked. The blade had pierced the cursed armor and stabbed it in the forehead. The dragon¡¯s body was rotting, so it was easier to pierce than a regular dragon. Reito used the sword¡¯s handle as a stepping stone and leaped again. ¡°Iceclad Sword.¡± ¡°Eat this!?¡± The force built up in the Extermination Blade hadn¡¯t disappeared yet. So, he figured a physical attack should be able to get through. ¡°Spin Strike!!¡± ¡°Graah!?¡± He blasted through the armor with his ice blade, stabbing the dragon¡¯s left eye. He let go of the broadsword and used ¡°Ice Block¡± to create a disk in the sky to softly glide to the ground. ¡°Next¡­ Take this!!¡± He drew the longsword in his pocket and generated golden energy around it. The Rotten Dragon¡¯s right eye opened wide at the electric current. ¡°Raaaaa¡­!!¡± The rotten dragon shook its tail to hit Reito. Reito sliced down on the tail. ¡°You little¡­ Ahhhh!!¡± ¡°Raaaa¡­!?¡± The lightning surged and was released at once, conducting through the broadsword into the Rotten Dragon¡¯s flesh. ¡°Raaaaa¡­!?¡± The Rotten Dragon¡¯s roar rang out. Black smoke was rising from every pore in its body. ¡°Grooooohh!!¡± Reito grasped the sword and sent more magic energy into its body. A crack formed in his sword, and it gradually began to burst. He kept conducting electricity into the dragon, and it started falling apart. ¡°Raaaaaa¡­!!¡± His rotten skin started to melt, and its muscles and innards melted away. The sulfuric acid-like blood built up in the Rotten Dragon¡¯s body began to steam, and its body fell apart. ¡°Grrng¡­!!¡± The Rotten¡¯s Dragon body had melted away entirely. The next moment, Reito¡¯s sword burst into pieces. ¡°Wah!?¡± The ice disk under his feet also melted away. ¡°Woof!!¡± Ullr came to a stop before he hit the ground. Reito looked at his sword, which was no more than a handle. ¡°Oh, man¡­ It¡¯s broken. It was so expensive.¡± Ullr whimpered. He threw away the handle and fixed his posture. He looked at the skeletal remains of the Rotten Dragon. ¡°But, we¡¯re not finished.¡± Ullr growled. Reito was in a cold sweat because he felt a cold presence nearby. Ullr also groaned. ¡°RAAAA!!¡± The bone pile of the Rotten Dragon roared. ¡°Just die, you bastard!!¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°Rooooaaarr!!¡± The skeletal remains of the rotten dragon flapped its wings. Reito noticed the cursed armor had mostly melted away. He should be able to use a magical attack on it. ¡°Oh, oh no¡­ My magic¡­¡± ¡°Rooar!!¡± The Rotten Dragon extended its right arm and swept it toward the ground. It hit the ground with an incredible force for a pile of bones. ¡°Woof!!¡± Ullr immediately jumped to avoid the attack, but as he came back down to earth, the Rotten Dragon snapped its jaws at him. ¡°Graah!!¡± Ullr whimpered, but managed to dodge the bite. The Rotten Dragon began generating its crushed armor again. It was also more agile than before because it was only bones. It went after Reito. ¡°Raaaa!!¡± ¡°Shit¡­ How did it just power up!?¡± ¡ºRun Away!! This was part of the plan, anyway.¡» ¡°I know!! Ullr!!¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Reito had Ullr run toward the city in response to Airis¡¯s message. Kagemaru and Kirau were fighting in the skies. Kagemaru was zipping around the skies withstanding his enemy¡¯s attacks. ¡°How dare you hurt my Rotten Dragon¡­ Please die!!¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t me!?¡± Kirau was rapid-firing ballistic magic. Her power hadn¡¯t diminished despite losing one of her arms. She was able to read Kagemaru¡¯s movements before he took them. Kagemaru barely managed to avoid the attacks, but he lost physical stamina by using ¡°Mail Carrier¡± so many times. His speed of movement was significantly slower. At that time, Kirau aimed for Reito. ¡°You too!! Die!! Dark Flame!!¡± ¡°Oh no!? Move, Ullr!!¡± ¡°Woof!?¡± A mixture of dark and pyromagic came out of Kirau¡¯s wand. Ullr managed to dodge the attack. The black flames spread quickly on the ground. Ullr was running to escape the flames, but the Rotten Dragon was approaching rapidly. ¡°Raaaaa¡­!!¡± ¡°Shit¡­ Let¡¯s go, Ullr!!¡± ¡°WOOF¡­!!¡± Ullr ran faster at his master¡¯s encouragement. He was heading for the city. They were carrying out their strategy. Volume 4 - CH 5.4 When Reito lured the Rotten Dragon to Adventure City, Nao was pushing through the crowd in the Black Tiger Adventure Guild. She was armed and trying to get outside even though she was a non-combatant. ¡°Let me go!! I can hear that bastard! It¡¯s here, right!?¡± ¡°Calm down!! Princess!!¡± ¡°Ms. Bal told us to not let you outside!!¡± ¡°Shut up!!¡± Nao was being held back as she proceeded toward the Guild¡¯s doors. The Rotten Dragon roared in the grass planes. She remembered the sight of her troops being murdered en masse. ¡°Princess!! Run away!!¡± ¡°We want you to live!!¡± ¡°Rinon!! Watch after the princess!!¡± In order to save Princess Nao, the troops under her command who had avoided the Rotten Dragon attack were ordered to stop her from going outside. Her sub-commander, Rinon, was back in the city with her. She was almost unconscious when she had originally run away from the Rotten Dragon. But now that she was awake, she remembered the faces of her troops. She vowed to avenge them. Raaaaa¡­!! She had a furious expression on her face, and her beloved broken blade at her hip. ¡°Move!! If anyone gets in my way, I¡¯ll cut off their head!!¡± ¡°Pr-!?¡± ¡°Princess!!¡± They let go of Nao. They had been ordered by Bal, who was on the protective wall now, to not let her out of her room. Though no one dared interfere knowing they would have their head cut off if they got in the way. ¡°You spared me the time of looking for you.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± A woman had appeared in front of her. Nao made a puzzled expression at that person. She couldn¡¯t comprehend why she was here and muttered her name. ¡°Ms. Ai, ra?¡± ¡°You sound just like your cousin. Or should I say, stepbrother?¡± Aira¡¯s younger sister Maria was standing in front of her. Even though she was in charge of defending the western wall, she had also been requested by Reito to head to the gate. Or rather, to carry out their strategy? Maria handed the dumbfounded Nao a sword wrapped in a cloth. ¡°Take this. Do you think you¡¯ll be able to beat the Rotten Dragon with the sword you have now?¡± ¡°Uh, um¡­ um¡­¡± ¡°My name is Maria. I believe we¡¯ve met a few times before¡­ You look flustered.¡± ¡°Maria¡­ Like, the Hailstorm Guildmaster?¡± Although she was confused, Nao took the sword from Maria ¨C her eyes opened wide. Inside the cloth was the most sacred of all the blades she knew, a sharp sword with incredible power. ¡°Is this¡­!?¡± ¡°Use it wisely. You are the one who can draw the most power out of this sword¡­ Okay, I¡¯m off.¡± ¡°You¡¯re off¡­ Where are you going?¡± ¡°To where your mortal enemy is. It¡¯ll burn a lot of magic energy, so I don¡¯t want to use it.¡± She took out a crystal guild card from her pocket. There was a magic circle inscribed on the surface. Nao was curious about what Maria was doing. She put the tool on the ground. ¡°It¡¯s my precious treasure¡­ but, I¡¯ll do anything for my nephew.¡± ¡°What are you¡­ Woah!?¡± ¡°Release!!¡± The circle glowed when Maria said the magic word, and then the crystal broke. The same shape as the magic circle materialized on the floor. ¡°Come to my side. This is dangerous.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­Or, I guess you can stand there. Stargate!¡± Maria said another magic word, and the circle glowed again. Suddenly, the two were surrounded by starlight and floating in space. ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¡°What is he doing!? Is he crazy!?¡± ¡°Bro, we can¡¯t do that!!¡± ¡°Shit!! Is he planning to take us with him!!¡± The adventurers were shouting from the South Wall at the sight coming toward the city. They saw Ullr running away from the skeletal Rotten Dragon with Reito and Kagemaru on his back. Behind them was a flying necromancer. The humans were shouting and raising their voices in anger. Gallow was pissed off and grabbed Dain¡¯s neck. He interrogated him about Reito¡¯s negligent behavior. ¡°Hey!! What is that bastard doing!! Why did he bring that to the city!!¡± ¡°I d-, don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°Calm down. We were gathered to repel the Rotten Dragon in the first place,¡± Kotomin said. Gallow glared at her. ¡°Shut your mouth!! This was the idea all along? To lure a hideous monster here!! We should have fought it out on the plains.¡± No one tried to stop Gallow from talking. Then, two unexpected characters made an appearance. ¡°All of you!! Relax!!¡± ¡°Shit¡­ He really did it. I was opposed to the idea, but we don¡¯t have time to talk.¡± ¡°G, G, Guildmaster!?¡± Gigan and Bal ¨C initially assigned to the defense of other walls ¨C came over. The adventurers were surprised at their sudden appearances. Gigan and Bal were holding shards of crystal in their hands and talking. ¡°Maria never told me she had this kind of useful item,¡± Gigan lamented. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we teleported this far. We talked about it before, but it¡¯s quite a wonderful tool. However, that doesn¡¯t matter right now¡­ You guys!! That boy¡¯s actions are our orders.¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°What are you talking about!?¡± Everyone was shocked at what Gigan said. Bal looked out at Reito. ¡°You fool¡­ Wait, is that person flying!?¡± Gigan and Bal looked in the same direction and were shocked. ¡°I¡¯m also going. I¡¯ll show them that this city belongs to the adventurers.¡± Kotomin said. ¡°What are you going to do against that monster?¡± Dain asked Bal. ¡°Can¡¯t you stop it with your shadow magic? We are going to hit it where it hurts!!!¡± ¡°What kind of¡­ Wahh!?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!!¡± Bal picked up Dain¡¯s body and jumped down onto the plains. Then, they saw two objects shine like shooting stars in the sky. ¡°Tsk¡­ The princess is here too. I guess we won¡¯t be able to do anything.¡± Kotomin said. ¡°A shooting star¡­ I want a bunch of fish to eat.¡± Kotomin wished. Bal smiled ironically. ¡°If that¡¯s your wish, I¡¯ll make you all the delicious fish dishes you want when the battle¡¯s over. Unfortunately, that¡¯s not a shooting star at all.¡± ¡°Then, what is it?¡± Kotomin asked. ¡°A poorly behaved elf,¡± Bal muttered in reply to Kotomin. The two shooting stars descended from the sky onto the grass plain. They came between the Rotten Dragon and Ullr. Nao was enveloped in light and was holding a glowing golden blade. Maria had her hands out toward the Rotten Dragon. ¡°Overmagic ¨C Proto-Aiges.¡± ¡°Raaaa¡­!?¡± A glowing white light emanated from the magic circle in Maria¡¯s hand. The Rotten Dragon collided with the magic circle and was repelled. In addition, its cursed armor completely vanished. Taking advantage of the time bought for him, Reito made Ullr run toward Maria. She looked at the ring on her finger and sighed. ¡°I guess I can¡¯t use this anymore. I really liked it.¡± ¡°Auntie!!¡± Reito called out. Maria had mixed feelings. ¡°Call me, young lady. Okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the young lady here¡­¡± Nao said. ¡°Woah¡­ It¡¯s Nao!¡± ¡°Master¡­ I apologize. I wasn¡¯t able to take down the necromancer,¡± Kagemaru said with a deep bow. Maria put her hand on his shoulder to comfort him. Nao looked at the Rotten Dragon and was confused. ¡°What is that, Reito?¡± ¡°Raaaaa!!¡± It was totally different from the Rotten Dragon she knew. She didn¡¯t even realize it was the same dragon. ¡°Is that woman the necromancer controlling the dragon¡­ by chance? She has some really fairy-tale-like wings for a necromancer.¡± The Rotten Dragon avoided the massive Proto-Aegis magic circle and soared toward Reito. ¡°Roooooar!!¡± ¡°It¡¯s coming!?¡± ¡°Nice try!¡± The Rotten Dragon attacked with its front claws. The magic circle moved like a shield to repel the attack. The Rotten Dragon¡¯s cursed armor came off further. The magic circle had holy magical properties. ¡°Raaa¡­!!¡± ¡°What are you doing! You worthless creature!!¡± The Rotten Dragon roared at Kirau, flying above him in the sky. She was about to cast a spell, but Maria interrupted with a spell of her own. ¡°Shut up, you fly! Thunderbolt!¡± ¡°Ahhhh!?¡± A bolt of lightning was released from her ring and hit Kirau square in the chest. Reito noticed it was more potent than the ¡°Thunder Lance¡± ballistic magic. ¡°Did you just!?¡± Nao shouted, but Maria shook her head. ¡°No, not yet. It¡¯s going to take more than that, it looks like.¡± ¡°Sh-¡­ This elf!!¡± Kirau crashed to the ground but got back up like nothing happened. She took off her cloak to reveal that her clothes had sustained some burns, but her body was unscathed. Maria looked at Kirau. She was impressed, ¡°You just took that hit and lived to tell the tale¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have underestimated my fellow elf.¡± ¡°Shut up!! We¡¯re not in the same category!!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but maybe you shouldn¡¯t be looking at me? Are you good?¡± ¡°!?¡± Kirau turned around. The Rotten Dragon, which had been her servant up until then, had raised its right arm. She had been negligent, and her control of the dragon had grown weaker. ¡°Raaaa!!¡± ¡°Stop!!¡± Right before the Rotten Dragon swung its arm, it froze at her order. She took a sigh of relief and then looked back at Maria. ¡°You¡¯re getting on my nerves¡­ I¡¯m gonna kill you!!¡± ¡°That¡¯s weird. I¡¯ve never met you before, so why do you hate me so much?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at me with your disgusting face!! Don¡¯t get close to me!! Don¡¯t look down on me!!¡± ¡°Rooooaarrr¡­!!¡± Kirau was screaming as if she had lost her sanity. The Rotten Dragon¡¯s cursed armor regenerated, matching her fury. The Rotten Dragon attacked the magic circle again. This time, it wasn¡¯t repelled, but it managed to dig its claws into the surface of the magic circle. Maria frowned and aimed her hands at the magic circle. ¡°I¡¯ll keep the magic circle in place for now but, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to hold out for too long, so please do something.¡± ¡°Something?¡± Nao asked. ¡°Nao, use the sword!¡± Reito shouted. ¡°Whiiiine~¡± Ullr whimpered. Nao was spaced out before Reito pointed to her sword. Nao had the real holy sword Caledwflch in her hand. The longsword Reito used against the Rotten Dragon wasn¡¯t a holy sword but a copy he had made using his alchemy skills. When he repaired the Caledfwlch, he analyzed the material of the holy sword so he could reproduce it. He gained the ability to turn the ordinary knife he always used into a Caledfwlch replica. Although it was a replica, it had the same abilities as the real thing. There was the chance that Reito could copy other holy swords if he had the opportunity to see more of them. Nao was confused at what Reito was saying. ¡°Use this? Is this really that sword? Why does it¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time to explain!! Get ready!!¡± ¡°G-, Got it.¡± ¡°If you could get ready quickly, I¡¯d be happy¡­¡± Bal said. ¡°Raaaaaa¡­!!¡± The Rotten Dragon was encroaching on the magic circle. As it wore away at the cursed armor, it was only a matter of time before it would vanish entirely. Volume 4 - CH 5.5 Nao was grasping nervously onto her holy sword. Reito touched the sword, which he had used so much in practice, and had pulled so many strings to get. He told her how to use it. ¡°Focus on the blade¡­ you just have to maintain the will to attack your opponent. Then, you just have to scream as loud as you can when you attack. If you swing the sword from above, it should work.¡± ¡°Will to¡­ attack?¡± ¡°You have to be totally confident that you will defeat the enemy. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Okay,¡± she nodded at his advice. Nao was a ¡°Knight,¡± the occupation most suited for longsword use. On top of that, she was a member of the Baltros Royal Family and had an aptitude for all categories of magic powers. She had the potential to draw more power out of the blade than Reito. However, unlike Reito, who had elf-blood which made him good at magic, Nao was a pure human and may not have the magical capacity to wield Caledfwlch for long periods of time. They gripped their swords and spoke to Maria. ¡°Auntie, um¡­ young lady Maria!! When we give the sign, cut off the magic circle!! We are going to absorb the magical power into our swords.¡± ¡°Now that¡¯s what I like to hear, a young lady. Got it¡­ But, try to be quick.¡± ¡°ROOOOOAARR¡­.!!¡± The Rotten Dragon¡¯s face had penetrated the magic circle, and the dark magic properties were beginning to permeate the magic circle making it turn black. Kirau was behind the Rotten Dragon, and she cackled maniacally before giving a command to the Rotten Dragon. ¡°Kill!! Kill everything!! Kill all those who dare to defy us!!¡± She was emanating black magic from herself, and her pupils were glowing red as she shouted. If she were an ordinary necromancer, she would have gone crazy after just a few days of controlling the undead. Even though she was in the realm of heroes, it was starting to take its toll on her. ¡°This is getting hard¡­ Are you guys ready?¡± Maria said. ¡°Haa¡­ I¡¯m¡­ losing power,¡± Nao said as Caldewfch absorbed the magical energy. ¡ºShe has a cute voice. The Rotten Dragon¡¯s core is in its head. Aim for that.¡» ¡°Haa¡­ I¡¯m¡­ also losing power,¡± Reito added. ¡ºYou also have a cute voice! I guess you really are siblings!! Or, cousins, I should say!¡» The two of them pointed their swords at the Rotten Dragon¡¯s head as they absorbed the magical energy. They were waiting for the right time to attack. After having absorbed enough magical energy into their holy swords, Reito shouted to Maria. ¡°Now!!¡± ¡°!!¡± Maria wiped her hands to the sides. The huge magical circle disappeared instantaneously. The Rotten Dragon had been furiously trying to break through the circle and lost its momentum in the whiplash. Reito and Nao¡¯s swords approached its skull. ¡°ROOOOOOOOOOOAR!!¡± ¡°AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!¡± The Rotten Dragon tried to swallow the two of them, but Reito and Nao thrust their swords out and at the same time released a collective golden lightning bolt. The lightning came out like a beam of light and hit the inside of the creature¡¯s mouth. The Cursed Armor enveloping its body was blown away from the inside out. ROOOOOOARRR¡­.!? The Rotten Dragon shrieked and roared. The light beam generated by Reito and Nao¡¯s respective Caledfwlchs neutralized its armor entirely. The electricity ran through its body, and all its bones fell apart. ¡°We¡­ did it?¡± Nao fell to her knees. She had expended all her magical energy using Caledfwlch. She looked at the Rotten Dragon standing in front of her. Even though it was a despicable creature who had killed her soldiers, she felt a certain sorrow watching its body turn to dust. She silently watched the Rotten Dragon¡¯s last moments. ¡°Did we beat it?¡± Nao asked again. ¡°No, not yet.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± Nao was surprised. The Rotten Dragon began moving before their eyes. ¡°Rooooaaarrr¡­!!¡± ¡°Wh¡­ why can it move?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Nao was about to run away before Maria grabbed her shoulders. ¡°Leave the rest up to my nephew.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°So that¡¯s what¡¯s going on¡­ Ullr!!¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Reito called out for Ullr. Ullr ran up to Reito and propped him up on his back. They ran toward the Rotten Dragon. ¡°S, Stop!? What are you planning to do!?¡± ¡°Just watch. Believe in your stepbrother.¡± Maria held Nao back and watched Reito riding Ullr from a distance. The scene of them gallantly rushing toward the fight looked just like her older sister Aria. There was no doubt that Reito had Aria ¨C the Battle Demon¡¯s ¨C blood in him. It was only inevitable that he would take up the path of the sword despite being a magician. ¡°Go. You can do it¡­¡± Maria said before Ullr jumped in the air and approached the Rotten Dragon¡¯s head. Reito used Ullr as a platform to leap off of and reached for the extermination blade jabbed in the Rotten Dragon¡¯s head. ¡°AAAAAAHHHHH!!¡± ¡°Rooooooooarrr¡­!?¡± Reito gripped the extermination blade in hand and stabbed it in further. His hands were numb from all the exertion. ¡°Fasten my hand down!!¡± ¡°Pururu!!¡± Hitomin jumped out of his pocket and fastened Reito¡¯s hand to the blade. Reito used his last bit of strength to swing down on the dragon. ¡°Helmet Splitter!!¡± Reito used the last battle skill he had learned from Aria. His pupils had turned red. It was, dare he say, the greatest attack he had ever mustered in his life. He truly looked like a ¡°Sword Demon.¡± ¡°RRRRRRRoooOOOOOAAAAA¡­!?¡± The rotten dragon let out a screech from the throes of death. It was a legendary immortal dragon said to have never been defeated. But, it was now greeting its last moments. ¡°RRROooooooaaaa!!¡± The moment Reito had managed to pierce the Rotten Dragon¡¯s skull, it turned to dust. A stream of black magic was released from its skull and was drifting toward the heavens. ¡°Raaaahhh¡­.!!¡± As the black magic drifted toward heaven, countless living creatures¡¯ faces could be seen. They were the victims of the Rotten Dragon. The souls of those living creatures had been released. Kirau was watching the Rotten Dragon from its side. She started to cry. ¡°How¡­ How beautiful!!¡± She was joyfully watching all the creatures she had killed float to heaven. For necromancers like her, it was a most sacred of sites. She even momentarily forgot her hatred for Reito for killing her underling. ¡°Ngh¡­¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± The Rotten Dragon completely fell apart without its core. Ullr caught Reito, who was falling in mid-air. Nao and Maria were relieved to see he was safe, then turned their attention toward the last enemy remaining. ¡°Let¡¯s take care of business,¡± Maria said. ¡°So, she was a necromancer this whole time¡­¡± Nao said. ¡°Master, leave this up to me,¡± Kagemaru drew his bewitched blade. He had managed to collect it when he was running away. He was about to administer the final blow. ¡°Your fate ends here!!¡± Kagemaru shouted. ¡°You bore me,¡± Kirau didn¡¯t even look at Kagemaru as she waved her wand and stabbed it into the ground. Her shadow grew longer and grabbed Kagemaru. ¡°Ngh!?¡± ¡°Is that¡­ shadow magic?¡± Maria said. ¡°What!! How do you have so much power¡­¡± Kirau had restored her former magical power now that the Rotten Dragon was gone. ¡°I have no business with you. Die!¡± ¡°Nghaaa!?¡± Kagemaru writhed in pain. Maria readied her magic ring and released some holy magic. ¡°Flash!¡± ¡°Wahh!?¡± ¡°Ngh!?¡± A flash of light was released, and the magic binding Kagemaru vanished. The shadow magic was weak to powerful light. Holy magic was even more effective. Kirau grimaced as her shadow magic use was foiled. She got her wand ready and used some advanced magic. ¡°Dark Flame!¡± ¡°Splash!¡± A burst of flame-like that from a flamethrower was released. Maria released a large volume of water from her ring. It extinguished the flames. She used another magic attack from her ring. How about this, ¡°Thunderbolt!!¡± ¡°Sh¡­ Shadow Man!!¡± An incredibly high voltage burst of lightning came from Maria¡¯s ring. Kirau stabbed her wand into her own shadow and produced a human-shaped creature. The shadow, which was now its own entity, protected her from the attack. The electricity surged through it and then dissipated into the ground. ¡°That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen that magic. Is that a kind of shadow magic?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have time to talk. It¡¯s time for you to die. Dark Blast!!¡± Kirau got her wand ready and used another spell. Maria grimaced. The fireball approached her. She pointed her ring at the ground and chanted a spell. ¡°Earth Wall!¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°Take Refuge!!¡± A huge wall of fortified earth rose from the ground and encapsulated Maria and Nao. Kagemaru also sensed danger and used his ¡°Mail Carrier¡± skill to distance himself. Taking advantage of the pause created by Maria protecting them, Kirau used ¡°Wing¡± to fly away. ¡°That¡¯s all I have time for today. But, I will be back!!¡± She shouted one last time at Maria before flying off. The black fireball left behind by her began to swell, reaching a size of three meters before exploding. The energy created was intense. The explosion created a crater leaving only a ring of black flames in its wake. ¡°Whaa!?¡± Nao was panicking. ¡°Relax!! I don¡¯t want you to freak out in this tight space!!¡± Kagemaru was blown away by the aftershock of the blast. ¡°Ngh!?¡± Reito was worried about Kagemaru. ¡°Woof!!¡± Ullr jumped in the air to collect Kagemaru before landing on the ground. Reito was holding on tight to Ullr and glared at Kirau disappearing into the black clouds in the sky. He clutched his Extermination Blade and sighed. ¡°What an annoying lady.¡± ¡ºThings are only going to get more annoying from here on out.¡» Airis let out a deep sigh. There was no doubt that there was going to be a lot of talk about Reito, who had just shown his true powers in front of a bunch of humans. Not to mention the problem of the holy sword and the Rotten Dragon extermination. His initial goal of ¡°living a normal life without standing out¡± seemed impossible. ¡ô¡ô¡ô A few days later, a report that the Rotten Dragon had been subjugated was delivered to the Royal Capital. The residents of Adventure City were asking for emergency aid from the King. The King had a large stack of documents in front of him. They were primarily letters critiquing him for not dispatching anyone to deal with the Rotten Dragon. ¡°His Majesty, There are letters from our subjects. They read¡­¡± ¡°I know what they say!! They are all just critiquing me!!¡± ¡°¡­Yes, His Majesty.¡± A man holding a spear appeared before the King. He looked young on the surface but was actually about the same age as the King. His name was Midoru. He was the general of the Baltros Kingdom. He was lauded as the strongest knight in the kingdom. Accordingly, no one was more popular or had higher strength than him. The King had two other generals, but one was quite young, and the other had a personality issue, so the King avoided calling them and only kept Midoru by his side. The King asked if he had any ideas about how to get the situation under control. ¡°Midoru, what should I do?¡± ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯re thinking too much. There was nothing wrong with your policy to protect the Royal Capital. There are far more residents in our city than in Adventure City. If we had dispatched troops to subjugate the Rotten Dragon and failed, there would have been far greater casualties.¡± ¡°You may be right. I should have at least sent Lamia¡­ She could have taken on the Rotten Dragon, no? ¡°Lamia is a general, but she just turned 16 the other day. She may have talent, but lacks battle experience and couldn¡¯t command a battalion of troops. I believe you did your best. Don¡¯t blame yourself any further.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Maybe you¡¯re right.¡± The King listened to his trusty right-hand man Midoru and was relieved he hadn¡¯t made any errors in judgment. But, that wasn¡¯t the only thing affecting the current situation. The King was losing the trust of the people. Midoru finished speaking with the King and then followed the Queen down the hall of the royal castle. Midoru had a faint smile upon seeing her and bowed his head. ¡°Good Morning, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Oh, General. Did you go to see him?¡± ¡°Yes, I was speaking with the king.¡± The Queen had long flowing silver hair that went down to her waist, and an extraordinarily refined face like an elf. Her pupils were indigo ¨C a rare color even in this world. She was nearly 40 years old but looked no older than 20. Midoru¡¯s heart leaped whenever he saw the Queen. He felt happy just being by her side. The Queen smiled back at Midoru¡¯s giddiness. ¡°General, do you have time? Let¡¯s have some tea and talk.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Should we invite the King, too?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him¡­ I have something I need to ask you.¡± Midoru was suspicious of her intentions, but he followed along anyway. ¡°You have some business with me? May I ask what it is?¡± ¡°I need you to look into a certain boy in Adventure City?¡± ¡°Boy?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ A boy who may be my enemy.¡± The moment she said that, the smile vanished from her face. She looked out in the distance in the direction Adventure City would be. She was concerned about someone who would threaten her position. Volume 5 - CH 1.1 CHAPTER 1 A few days have passed since the Rotten Dragon was subjugated at the hands of the adventurer Reito. Today, emissaries from the Royal Capital were coming to visit the Adventure City Lunot. The three guild masters and General Alto were to greet them. The emissaries promised to bring rewards to those who fought valiantly against the Rotten Dragon. However, they were also ordered to have the holy sword used in exterminating the Rotten Dragon ¨C Caledfwlch ¨C returned. All holy swords have their origins in the era when the Baltros Kingdom was called the Baltros Empire. With the heroes of that age long gone, the property rights have passed onto the Kingdom. As such, Caledfwlch was to leave Reito¡¯s hands. Princess Nao, who had been staying in Adventure City for a while, had returned to the Royal Capital after performing a burial for her lost knights. The Hailstorm¡¯s guild master Maria managed to cover for Reito when he broke into the house of an aristocratic family in Adventure City that had Caledfwlch in their stores. The aristocrats wouldn¡¯t be able to report anything to the king as it would expose that the Kingdom was granting special privileges to the aristocrats. Further, the aristocrats couldn¡¯t say anything to Maria as she was the most powerful person in Adventure City. The Rotten Dragon Attack had caused significant damage to the villages and area surrounding the city in addition to thousands of casualties.. The magical creatures living in the grasslands were wiped out in one fell swoop, and the land they lived on could no longer foster something as simple as weeds. The dragon had sapped all the nutrients from the ground. The people were dissatisfied with the Kingdom for not dispatching reinforcements, but Nao¡¯s popularity had skyrocketed for her contributions in subjugating the Rotten Dragon. Countless adventurers witnessed the sight of her using the holy sword to take on the Rotten Dragon. Although her Valkyria Knights were all vanquished, her support grew with the people as it was well-known that she managed to avenge them. The emissaries invited the adventurers who had contributed the most to the battle against the Rotten Dragon to the Royal Capital where the king was to present them with awards directly. However, Maria made reconstructing the villages destroyed by the Rotten Dragon her top priority, and requested Adventure City to send aid and supplies for those displaced. ¡°Please tell the king precisely how many casualties there were this time. Our first responsibility is thinking of the people, no?¡± The emissary received the message from Maria and was off to the Royal Capital. Maria was busy supporting the adventure guilds of not just Adventure City but the various regions surrounding it. If the emissaries were to talk back, she could give the order to the other adventure guilds not to accept the quests of the Royal Kingdom. Adventure guilds usually handled the problems the Royal Soldiers could not. The Kingdom would be in a terrible situation if the largest guild in the land ¨C Hailstorm ¨C decided not to accept anymore quests. ¡ô¡ô¡ô A few months had passed. Reito and his beloved wolf Ullr were away from the city. He was visiting the Forest of the Abyss with his friends. In addition to meeting Ullr there, Reito had lived there a few years in the past. Reito was muttering to himself on the back of Ullr¡¯s wolf-cart. ¡°It feels like it¡¯s been a long while since we¡¯ve been here. The truth is that it was just the other day, but¡­¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Reito¡¯s pals, Gonzo, Dain, and Kotomin chimed in order: ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve been here. Is this the Forest of the Abyss?¡± ¡°Hey, Reito¡­ you mentioned having a get-rich-quick scheme, so that¡¯s why I came along, but what are we doing in this dangerous forest?¡± ¡°I¡¯m also curious.¡± ¡°Purupuru,¡± the slimes Suramin and Hitomin shook in agreement with Kotomin¡¯s statement. He took his friends here to visit a place he could never visit as a child, so their cooperation would be indispensable in doing so. Gonzo also asked Reito a question, ¡°By the way, what happened to Princess Tina and Erina? I¡¯m curious. I haven¡¯t seen them in a bit.¡± ¡°Erina and Tina went back to the Four Leaves Kingdom. She went back with members of her envoy and Raikofu.¡± ¡°Raikofu? Ah, the elf guy who tried to attack you but didn¡¯t succeed.¡± Erina is a young girl who is the guard of the elven Princess Tina. She was ordered to start working with Reito, but now that the Rotten Dragon had been vanquished, she returned to her princessly duties after having said their goodbyes. When they parted, Erina said the rather deep words, ¡°I believe we¡¯ll meet again soon¡± and then was off. After explaining those things, Dain nodded. ¡°I see. Things have been real quiet around here recently. But um, why are you taking us into this creepy forest?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a treasure in this forest. I wanted to look for it with you guys.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Treasure¡­ I can¡¯t believe the legendary Tuna Mermaid is in this forest.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that! Also, what is a tuna mermaid!?¡± Reito made fun of Kotomin. They looked out at the Forest of the Abyss stretching out before them. The forest featured a large variety of magical beasts, and you could always hear the chirp of some critter or another. For the humans besides Reito who didn¡¯t know much about the forest, it was very daunting. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get going,¡± Reito said while getting down from his wolf-cart. Dain was flustered. ¡°W-, Wait!! Reito!! Don¡¯t just be all easygoing and stuff¡­ Tell us what we¡¯re getting into.¡± ¡°Ahh, right¡­ There are ruins in the depths of this forest.¡± ¡°Ruins?¡± Everyone looked puzzled at Reito¡¯s remarks. Reito remembered when he used to live in this forest. It was two years ago that he moved to this forest with Ullr to look for things to hunt. In the past, anytime he would go anywhere in the forest, he would consult the manager of this world, Airis, beforehand, and she would check if there were any dangerous monsters or the like. At one point, he started concentrating on pursuing seldom seen creatures, and often got lost in the forest with Ullr, not bothering to consult with her. While exploring one day, they stumbled upon a ruin that was lined with buildings that looked to be made out of granite. Reito asked Airis why this elaborate ruin was so deep in the forest. ¡ºThis is a town created by the first generation of heroes and dwarves in the imperial period of the Baltros Kingdom. They worked together at this place to create sacred treasures. The holy swords and other artifacts were all produced here.¡» ¡ºIt was a town created by heroes and dwarfs?¡» ¡ºAfter the first generation of heroes passed away, the emperor came to view this town with suspicion. He was wary of the fact they had produced so many powerful treasures one after the other, and confiscated all the magical instruments and had this town destroyed.¡» ¡ºI can¡¯t believe it¡­¡» ¡ºHe executed the dwarves who developed the sacred treasures, and those who avoided execution lived away from the empire with another species. It was thought that the town was built in the Forest of the Abyss to make it harder for other humans to attack it.¡» The treasures built there included not just Reito¡¯s Caledfwlch holy sword, but also the sacred treasures used by the Necromancer Aira. Reito was impressed. ¡ºBy the way, in order to protect the ruins from outside intruders, a number of artificially created creatures were implemented here for defense. Unlike normal creatures, the creatures here are semi-immortal, so I suggest you don¡¯t do anything rash. I believe it¡¯s too soon for you to be visiting here.¡» ¡ºArtificial creatures?¡» ¡ºThey are kind of like robots. The magical tools are still left behind, but there¡¯s nothing you can do to get them. You¡¯ll need to be above level 50 to make it safe.¡» Reito followed Airis¡¯s suggestion and turned back, but now Reito had honed in his skills, and he had both Ullr and his other friends to rely on. He discussed a plan with Airis before deciding to come back to the forest again. ¡°I¡¯ve lived in this forest before, so don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll guide you. There are some things that worry me in the forest, so I brought you guys as backup,¡± Reito said. Dain looked skeptical. ¡°You said you lived in this forest¡­ But you¡¯re not an elf. How could you get along so well with all these creatures?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a quarter elf.¡± ¡°¡­You did mention that before.¡± Gonzo asked a question, ¡°Isn¡¯t it dangerous to go into the middle of the forest?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. If Ullr is here, most creatures wouldn¡¯t try to attack.¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Ullr gave an energetic bark. It was true that when Ullr was nearby, weak creatures wouldn¡¯t even look in their direction. A Blood Bear or another stronger creature might. But, at any rate, Gonzo or Reito would be able to handle them on their own. ¡°Are you suggesting we might have to camp overnight though? That sounds too dangerous,¡± Dain complained. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have an old hideout I used to live in. If we can get there, we should be fine. Ullr and I will take turns being on watch.¡± After Reito finished explaining everything, Kotomin added, ¡°Suramin and Hitomin will tell us if any creatures come near.¡± The two slimes on Kotomin¡¯s hands vibrated as if to say ¡°leave it up to us.¡± Hitomin had particularly good perception skills. It was very reassuring to have someone with good perception skills when visiting the habitat of magical beasts. Reito reached his hand out to Hitomin. She (she¡¯s probably a girl) climbed onto Reito¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Purupuru¡­¡± ¡°Do you like my shoulder or something?¡± ¡°Purupuru!!¡± ¡°Reito, Suramin is jealous. Put her on your other shoulder.¡± ¡°Right, right¡­¡± Dain asked Reito ¨C who had the two spoiled slimes on his shoulders ¨C a question. ¡°How long will it take to get through the forest?¡± ¡°Ngh¡­ By foot? About a half a day. If it was just me and Ullr, maybe an hour.¡± ¡°Why are you blazing through a forest full of magical creatures?¡± Dain critiqued him. Kotomin told Reito, ¡°If I don¡¯t have water, I won¡¯t be able to maintain my form.¡± Kotomin is a mermaid, so water was a life-or-death issue for her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We will travel along the river, so water shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Gon-chan, are you worried about anything?¡± ¡°Not really¡­ Wait, what about the food?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. There are plenty of critters you can eat.¡± Reito had a deep knowledge of the forest after living here for four years. He knew what kind of creatures there were and what the terrain was like. Reito even knew what mushrooms and wild grasses were edible. Following them, the group reached the middle of the forest. ¡°Don¡¯t get lost, okay? If you get tired, just jump on Ullr¡¯s back.¡± ¡°Can I also get a ride?¡± Gonzo said. Gonzo was a massive giant. Ullr whimpered. Ullr was not in his giant wolf form, so his body was small. Ullr was in the front of the pack, while the slimes were surveilling the perimeter. Furthermore, Reito was using his ¡°Detect¡± skill as they moved along. ¡°This hasn¡¯t changed at all¡­ Wait, something¡¯s off.¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°Off? What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not picking up the presence of very many magical creatures.¡± Half a year ago, when Reito lived in the forest, no matter where he went he could always pick up the presence of multiple animals. However, now, there were no presences at all at the moment. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Do you think something strange has happened?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the Rotten Dragon¡¯s fault? All the creatures in the surroundings were consumed by it. You don¡¯t think they gathered undead from the monsters in the forest too?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Good point.¡± Reito was convinced by Dain¡¯s observation. There were some forest creatures in the mix of the monsters that attacked the town. Reito was about to ask Airis what was going on, but Hitomin nuzzled into his cheek. ¡°Purupuru.¡± ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Reito, Suramin is also shaking. Something must be nearby.¡± ¡°Pururun.¡± Hitomin and Suramin shook at the same time. Reito was confused. He didn¡¯t pick up anything with his ¡°Detect¡± skill. At the bare minimum, there weren¡¯t any hostile animals in his perimeter. Despite that, Suramin and Hitomin were reacting intensely. He surmised that there was definitely something in the area, so everyone took their stances. ¡°M-, Monster!? Where?¡± ¡°Hitomin, where are they?¡± ¡°Pururu¡­¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°What do you mean!¡± There was definitely an animal nearby, but it appeared even Suramin and Hitomin couldn¡¯t determine their location. The group formed a circle with their backs turned to each other to surveil their surroundings. Reito closed his eyelids and used his ¡°Mind¡¯s Eye¡± skill to sharpen his five senses. ¡°¡­Oh! There it is!!¡± Reito could feel someone peeking at them from the trees. He opened his eyes and looked up at the tree branches above him to find a little girl. She looked to be seven or eight years old and she was covering herself in tree branches to conceal herself. She had something that looked like a Rafflesia flower on her head. ¡°Oh no!? Did you spot me!?¡± she said mischievously. ¡°Is that a little girl?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s a dryad.¡± Dain looked up at the little girl and then screamed. She snickered at them. Reito used his ¡°Observing Eye¡± to inspect the girl¡¯s physical appearance. He realized her hair was nothing but green leaves stacked on one other. He also determined that the flower was sprouting directly from her head. ¡°Are dryads¡­ demons?¡± ¡°This one here is camouflaging herself as a human¡­ I read in a book that as long as you feed them they won¡¯t cause any trouble.¡± ¡°Hmph. I feel like that guy over there is saying something rude,¡± she puffed her cheeks in response to Dain¡¯s comments. She seemed capable of understanding human speech. Reito put down his guard as she didn¡¯t appear to be very dangerous. Dain continued, ¡°h- hey!! Does anyone happen to have any recovery medicine? According to the literature I¡¯ve read, dryads love drinks like recovery medicine¡± ¡°Hmm? Are you going to give me something?¡± she said. The dryad plummeted down from the branches. It was quite a fall down but she landed as if it were nothing. She had the body of a child, but her physical abilities were quite high. Reito and crew looked at each other. They checked their bags but shook their heads. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I didn¡¯t bring any with me,¡± Gonzo said. ¡°I also don¡¯t have any on me,¡± Kotomin added. ¡°I use recovery magic, so I never have a chance to use it,¡± Reito explained. ¡°Shit¡­ Of course this happens to be the one day I didn¡¯t bring any,¡± Dain said. ¡°What? Boring!¡± Everyone looked sad. When there is a human who can use recovery magic, it¡¯s common for beginning adventurers to forget to bring other recovery methods to their party. According to Dain, dryads were a sign of good fortune for travelers, and if they had something to offer her, it would guarantee good fortune for the rest of their journey. ¡°Can we just use recovery magic on her instead?¡± ¡°No, no. That¡¯s no good. I¡¯m hungry!!¡± she whined. ¡°Alright, fine. I¡¯m going to administer recovery magic on Suramin and then have her spurt out the water.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Good idea. A real demonic concept,¡± Kotomin said. ¡°Do you really think you will be able to make recovery medicine that way? There¡¯s no way!¡± Dain blurted out. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna drink that!¡± the dryad complained. She ran up to Reito and threw a tantrum, beating his chest. A message from Airis rang out in his head. ¡ºMr. Reito. dryads love honey. Why not give her something stored in your interdimensional pocket?¡» ¡°Honey?¡± ¡°What? You have honey! Pwease give me some!¡± The dryad was drooling tree sap as she clung to Reito. Reito reluctantly handed over a pot of honey that he had collected when he lived in the forest. It was a kind of honey he had collected from a magical creature called an ¡°Enerbee.¡± He opened the lid and the dryad happily took the pot from him. ¡°Yayyy!! Honey!!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a heartwarming sight.¡± ¡°She¡¯s gulping it down. It looks good!!¡± ¡°Haa¡­ The honey I took a year to gather is just gone¡­ Damnit!!¡± ¡°Why do you care? You can just go to town and buy honey anytime, dumbass.¡± ¡°What? Really?¡± The dryad listened to Dain and Reito¡¯s comedic back-and-forth and was smiling as she scooped honey from the pot. After eating all the honey, she shape-shifted. The rafflesia had turned into a tree. ¡°Wow! That was great!¡± ¡°Woah! You drank all of it! There was so much of it.¡± ¡°It was really good. Here, let me give my thanks. 1, 2¡± She handed the pot back to Reito and took a few fruits from the tree sprouting on her head. She put her hands together and started rubbing them. When she opened her hands a few seconds later, a few gems were glittering like emeralds. ¡°Here you go.¡± ¡°For me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who gave me the honey¡­ so I have just enough for you.¡± ¡°I see¡­ thank you.¡± Reito said his thanks and took the jewels she was holding out for him. The gems were sparkling, so he figured they were magical. ¡ºThat¡¯s great, Reito! Those are tree gems. They are a special kind of crystal. They are famous among elves as being protection charms. They also have the effect of reinforcing earth magic skills and attacks.¡» ¡ºWhat¡­ Tree gems?¡» He put away the gems using storage magic. Gonzo put his hand on Reito¡¯s shoulder and looked concerned. Reito looked at him to see what was up when the ground started shaking. ¡°Grrahh¡­!¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you?¡± ¡°Grah!?¡± An enormous bear covered in red fur appeared from between the trees ¨C it was a Blood Bear. Reito gasped and reached for his Extermination Blade. He stepped in front of his cowering friends to confront the bear. ¡°Everyone step back. I¡¯ll handle it.¡± ¡°Are you okay? I could use shadow magic to¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s going to use too much of your strength. I should be able to handle it alone no problem.¡± ¡°Graah!!¡± The Blood Bear didn¡¯t understand human words, but it sensed that it was being underestimated and stretched out its arms threateningly. Reito had his blade at the ready. He swiped the sword in a flash. ¡°Too slow.¡± ¡°Grah¡­!?¡± The blade had sliced the bear¡¯s torso cleanly in half. The dissected bear had a stunned look on its face as it perished. Everyone couldn¡¯t comprehend the speed at which Reito acted. Reito had made great use of the ¡°Sword Demon¡± skill he had gained from his former maid Aria. Volume 5 - CH 1.2 ¡°If I remember right, Blood Bears can¡¯t be handled alone by even B-Rank adventurers. You¡¯re quite the beast, Reito,¡± Dain observed. ¡°What are you talking about¡­ This is nothing compared with the Rotten Dragon.¡± ¡°Yeah, but to kill that monster that fast¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough from you. Help me out, we can make bear soup.¡± He chatted with Dain as he and Gonzo worked to dissect the bear. They had to clean things up quickly so other animals wouldn¡¯t gather at the smell of blood. His ¡°Dissection¡± skill was coming in handy. The two of them kept checking their surroundings as they dissected the bear. The fur of Blood Bears was great for keeping warm. The teeth could be used as blades. The meat was considered a delicacy as a hot pot ingredient. If they used storage magic, it wouldn¡¯t rot, so they did not need to rush. They were carefully taking just what they needed. ¡°That being said, Blood Bears being this close to the entrance of the forest is rare. They usually reside deeper in,¡± Reito pointed out. ¡°That¡¯s because that cow-looking monster is out here,¡± the dryad commented. Reito looked at the dryad humorously. He muttered, ¡°Cow-looking monster. The Minotaurus?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know its name, but it has the face of a cow and is very scary. The creatures in the forest are all shaken up.¡± ¡°Grrr¡­!!¡± Ullr started growling just at the word Minotaurus. Ullr¡¯s parents were killed by the Minotaurus, who was the owner of the forest. Reito was worried about the Minotaurus¡¯s story and had the dryad tell him more. According to her, there had been a large number of Blood Bears attacked by it and so they had changed habitats. As a result, the Minotaurus had been spotted in these parts too. ¡°DID YOU SAY MINOTAURUS? IN THIS FOREST!?¡± Dain was scared. Gonzo was grinning¡­ ¡°The demon that¡¯s famous for its labyrinth. Just hearing the name really gets you going, huh!¡± Reito told Dain, ¡°But, it should be weaker than the Rotten Dragon. It¡¯ll be no problem with your shadow magic.¡± ¡°No, no, no!! How strong do you think my shadow magic is!? It might work on creatures besides the Rotten Dragon, but¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If Reito¡¯s here, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll defeat it!¡± Kotomin added. Reito wasn¡¯t so sure about that. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ But, I¡¯ve got your guys back in a pinch. Ullr, are you up for a revenge match?¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± The last time Reito and the Ullr ran into the Minotaurus, it completely ignored them, not considering them a foe. Since then, Reito had grown as an adventurer, and Ullr had also learned new skills. He was confident the Minotaurus would view them as an enemy this time, and Ullr was prepared to avenge his parents. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving. We can leave the rest to the monsters in the forest.¡± ¡°You¡¯re already leaving? Bye-bye!¡± After finishing dissecting the Blood Bear to a certain extent, Reito said goodbye to the dryad and moved ahead. His goal this time was exclusively to head for the ruins deep in the forest, so he didn¡¯t have time to dilly-dally. That being said, it wasn¡¯t the type of distance they would be able to reach by the end of today, so they would need to spend the night at Reito¡¯s secret hideout. As they headed for the hideout, Gonzo wiped the sweat off his forehead. ¡°Phew¡­ I¡¯m real tired. And I thought I was quite the walker.¡± ¡°Gon-chan, you¡¯re big so it¡¯s probably hard to navigate through the forest. My bad. Should we go slower?¡± ¡°Yeah, that would help.¡± Dain was panting. ¡°K-, Kotomin! Get off Ullr¡¯s back and trade with me!¡± ¡°Let me relax just a little more¡­ I need water.¡± ¡°Purupuru.¡± Kotomin was riding Ullr. She drank her whole water bottle and gave some to Suramin who was on her shoulder as well. Her clothing was actually Suramin camouflage. Suramin looked like she was just riding her shoulder, but in reality, she was covering her whole body. Reito also took a water bottle from his storage magic to give to Suramin. He heard the familiar noise of rushing waters in his ear. ¡°We¡¯re almost at the hideout. Let¡¯s do our best.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Are you serious? I think I can make it¡­¡± ¡°It smells like water.¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± In just a little bit, they would reach the cave behind a waterfall where Ullr and Reito used to live. Even if another monster had taken habitat there, they should be able to drive it out easily. Reito and crew scurried toward the house. ¡°I can see it! It¡¯s my home!¡± ¡°That? You mean the waterfall?¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± It was the cave where Ullr¡¯s former elf owners lived. It was also the place where his goblin¡¯s friend was mauled by Blood Bears, but if they were just staying for one night, there shouldn¡¯t be any problem. Reito took his friends up to the entrance. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s been a while. I hope it¡¯s not in too bad of shape¡­¡± Ullr whimpered. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong boy?¡± Ullr drew near to Reito as they entered the cave. Reito had to stop him from squeezing in any closer. Reito was suspicious about Ullr¡¯s behavior and looked ahead at the cave, smelling a monstrous smell. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Reito, there¡¯s something up ahead!¡± ¡°What? Something?¡± ¡°Purpuru¡­!!¡± ¡°Suramin and Hitomin are trembling¡­ I¡¯m also scared,¡± Suramin and Hitomin were shaking violently because of their perceptive powers. Reito silently drew his Extermination Blade, and Gonzo got his club ready. The next moment, a human-like creature came leaping out of the waterfall splashing water everywhere. ¡°Mooooo!!¡± What had emerged from the cave was a creature that had a man¡¯s body and a cow¡¯s head. In its right hand, it was clutching an ax big enough for a giant. Its wrists had the remnants of chains likely once used to hold it back. It was the master of the Forest of the Abyss, the Minotaurus. Reito and crew immediately took their battle stances. ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­!?¡± ¡°M-, Minotaurus?¡± ¡°Oh my god! I¡¯m gonna piss myself!¡± ¡°Purupuru¡­¡± Ullr growled. Gonzo moved to protect the other humans right away. Dain was getting ready to use his Shadow Magic to restrain the creature. Kotomin had both of her slimes at the ready. Reito and Ullr were already running at the Minotaurus. ¡°Get outta my house!!¡± ¡°Moo!?¡± Reito came down upon the Minotaurus with his Extermination Blade. He was using a combo attack that combined a skill he learned from Bal, Strike Blade, with another battle skill to create a ¡°Stark Blade¡± attack. The Minotaurus swung the ax it had in its right hand. Reito took on the blow with his sword. ¡°Ngh¡­!!¡± Ullr growled angrily. A metallic sound rang out as the ax struck the broadsword. A shockwave unfolded through the area. Reito¡¯s attack that could take down a Blood Bear in one fell swoop was easily stopped by the Minotaurus. More than that, it managed to repel the attack. ¡°Wah!!¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Ullr caught the blown-away Reito on his back. Gonzo rushed toward the Minotaurus. ¡°Golden Stark Blade!!¡± The Minotaurus blasted air through its nostrils. The Minotaurus clutched its ax in both hands and took the blow of the club, the strong vibrations shook both of them. If it were compared to Reito, Gonzo would be far superior in terms of physical strength. But, the Minotaurus was not only able to intercept the attack but to push it back as well. ¡°Moooooo!!¡± ¡°You little¡­ ngh!?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me!¡± Dain was surprised. Dain was fazed that Gonzo the giant lost in a battle of strength to the Minotaurus. He recomposed himself and hurried to use his shadow magic, but Kotomin beat him to the punch. She grasped Suramin and Hitomin and approached the Minotaurus. ¡°Water Gun¡­ Water Bullets!!¡± ¡°Moo!!¡± the Minotaurus said in confusion. Kotomin pulled the trigger on the two slimes releasing a basketball-sized spurt of water. The water bullets collided with the face and left leg of the Minotaurus making it flinch. Gonzo took the opportunity to punch the Minotaurus. ¡°Fist Strike!!¡± ¡°Ngh!?¡± The Minotaurus was bleeding out of its nose after being punched and retreated a little. Fist Strike was also a skill that Reito could use, but a boxer like Gonzo was significantly more apt at using it. He aimed for the Minotaurus¡¯s right leg. ¡°Kick Attack!!¡± ¡°Moo!!¡± His leg swept like a roundhouse kick, but the Minotaurus stopped him with his left arm. He switched the ax to his right hand and swung. Gonzo, who had dropped his clubs, crossed his hands to block the attack, but before the blow landed, Dain had restrained the Minotaurus with Shadow Magic. ¡°Shadow Bind!!¡± ¡°Ngh!?¡± The Minotaurus¡¯s movement was stopped by the shadow transmitted through the ground. Gonzo hurriedly grabbed his club. Reito was on Ullr¡¯s back and approached the Minotaurus fist out. ¡°Lightning Strike!!¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°Moooooo!?¡± Reito combined the beginner magic Electric Shock with Wind Pressure to give a blow to its abdomen. The Minotaurus was blown away with a shriek. It got back up, grabbing its stomach. ¡°Mooo¡­!!¡± ¡°Shit. That¡¯s not going to be enough¡­¡± Volume 5 - CH 1.3 Everyone took their stances again. The Minotaurus glared at Dain, who was restraining it. It snorted. ¡°Why are you looking at me!? Gonzo and Reito are the ones who hit you!?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s mad that it can¡¯t move¡­¡± Reito said. ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡± Dain was hiding behind Gonzo. His shadow magic was surprisingly effective against this demon they were battling against. He wouldn¡¯t be able to restrain an opponent that was larger than him for very much time, but the ability to stop their movements mid-battle was still a big advantage. Also, as far as physical constitution goes, the Minotaurus was smaller than both trolls and Blood Bears, so Dain was able to use the skill tactfully. ¡°Dain, when I give the signal, stop him again. I¡¯m gonna take him down this time.¡± ¡°G-, Got it!!¡± ¡°Ullr, help me out. Let¡¯s avenge your parents!¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Reito grasped his Extermination Blade and stood next to Ullr. Reito and crew were on guard. The Minotaurus clutched its ax again. If Dain could succeed in restraining it with Shadow Magic, they should be able to pin it down with the next blow. Reito got ready for his next attack putting Sword Demon into effect. ¡°I¡¯m still not used to this ability,¡± Reito muttered. ¡°¡­?¡± The Minotaurus was puzzled at Reito who closed his eyes in the midst of the battle. But then it noticed the aura emanating from Reito¡¯s body. The young boy, not even in his late teens, was emanating an aura as if it were life-or-death. The Minotaurus felt a sense of danger and prepared to attack. ¡°Mooo!!¡± ¡°Reito!?¡± ¡°Watch out!!¡± The other humans were screaming, but he flashed his red pupils at the ax approaching fast and grasped his Extermination Blade. ¡°Too slow.¡± Reito swung his blade at a ferocious speed. Godspeed would be an appropriate word for the velocity at which the blade struck the Minotaurus¡¯s blade dead on. ¡°Moooooo!?¡± A sharp metallic noise accompanied the Minotaurus getting blasted away. ¡°Ouch, ouch, ouch¡­ My body isn¡¯t used to this kind of power. Recovery Boost!!¡± ¡°Awe-, Awesome!! I feel like you can defeat it on your own.¡± Reito kept his sword in hand as he recovered. He looked at the Minotaurus laying on the ground. The Minotaurus looked surprised that it had been knocked over by a puny human and got back up immediately for its next attack. ¡°Mooo!!¡± ¡°Hey now! Don¡¯t get sloppy!!¡± Reito calmly parried the Minotaurus¡¯s haphazard ax swings. He continued dodging his opponent¡¯s attacks one after the other. The Minotaurus was half monster and therefore had less skill than Reito. He prepared a counterattack using the sword attack learned from his master in Adventure City, ¡°Strike Blade.¡± ¡°Spin Strike!!¡± ¡°Moo!?¡± Reito spun his body and repeatedly swiped his sword sideways. The Minotaurus blocked it with its ax, but it was quickly losing stamina. Not losing out on the chance, Ullr jumped into action. ¡°Graahh!!¡± ¡°Mooo!?¡± Ullr launched himself into the Minotaurus¡¯s abdomen and knocked it over. It bit into its neck with its fangs and ripped it apart. ¡°Did you get it!?¡± ¡°Not quite!!¡± ¡°Gra!?¡± ¡°Mooooooo¡­!!¡± The moment Ullr¡¯s fangs, which had been sharpened like a blade, dug into the Minotaurus, Ullr got confused. The neck had been hardened an absurd amount, and his fangs couldn¡¯t pierce the surface. ¡°Gaaaa¡­!!¡± Ullr growled. ¡°Mooo¡­!?¡± Ullr continued to try to pierce the skin. The Minotaurus tried to peel him off, but Dain used his Shadow Magic before he could do so. ¡°Shadow Bind!!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Dain¡¯s shadow magic bound the Minotaurus and stopped its movements entirely. Ullr tried to chew into its neck, but the Minotaurus¡¯s ax changed shape. ¡°Moooooo¡­!!¡± ¡°Gra¡­!?¡± ¡°What in the-!?¡± ¡°The handle is¡­ longer!?¡± The ax handle suddenly changed shape and became like a halberd. The Minotaurus swung the halberd at Ullr. ¡°Umph!!¡± ¡°Woof!?¡± ¡°Ullr!!¡± Before the halberd could strike Ullr, he managed to get away. The poor wolf didn¡¯t manage to get a proper bite, so he returned to Reito. The Minotaurus got up, now free to move how it wanted. It swung the halberd up. ¡°MOOOOOOOO!!¡± ¡°THIS IS NO GOOD!! Harden, Unmovable Rock!!¡± Gonzo stepped in front of them and crossed both arms to use his defensive skills. They were hardening skills exclusive to giants. Gonzo closed both arms and took the Minotaurus¡¯s blow with his bare hands. ¡°Umph!!¡± ¡°Ngh!?¡± ¡°Gon-chan!?¡± ¡°Did he just stop it with his bare hands?¡± A metallic noise thundered through the surroundings. It didn¡¯t manage to sever Gonzo¡¯s arms, but it did make a dent in them. The Minotaurus¡¯s arms put all its strength into its muscles to try to cut through Gonzo¡¯s arms. ¡°Moo¡­!!¡± ¡°Ngh¡­!?¡± ¡°STOP IT!!¡± Before it managed to fully sever Gonzo¡¯s right arms, Reito swung his Extermination Blade down on the Minotaurus. His opponent retreated and the halberd fell out of its hand. Blood spurted from Gonzo¡¯s arms. ¡°Nghaaa!!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move!! I¡¯ll heal you¡­¡± ¡°Reito, let me take care of Gonzo.¡± ¡°Kotomin?¡± Kotomin put her hand on Reito ¨C who was about to use recovery magic on Gonzo ¨C to stop him. She approached Gonzo and put her hands into the waterfall to her side. She pooled the water in her hands and rubbed it on his scar. ¡°Ngh!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move¡­ I¡¯m trying to heal you.¡± ¡°So this is mermaid recovery magic.¡± Kotomin was chanting some sort of spell as she waved her water-rinsed hands over the scar. His wound started glowing, and Gonzo¡¯s face looked a lot better. Her recovery magic was faster and enabled him to regain some of his physical strength. Gonzo was surprised, ¡°This is¡­ incredible. I¡¯m all better. It¡¯s like I took some sort of healing medicine or something.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because the water is so clean out here¡­ With normal water, I can only do basic first-aid.¡± ¡°The water?¡± ¡°I can use magic on water to create a ¡®Recovery Liquid.¡¯ I can do recovery magic so long as there¡¯s water.¡± According to Kotomin¡¯s explanation, she was using a kind of spirit magic passed down between mermaids. The purer the water, the more recovery power it had. ¡°Mooooo!!¡± ¡°Wah!! It¡¯s back!?¡± ¡°Tsk!!¡± The Minotaurus had caught its breath while Gonzo was being healed. It swung its halberd at Dain, but Reito stepped into to stop the attack. The weapon¡¯s shape had changed, and accordingly, so did the Minotaurus¡¯s attack style. It sent out a wave-shaped attack instead of swinging it haphazardly. The Minotaurus jabbed the handle of the halberd into Reito¡¯s stomach. ¡°Ooph!!¡± ¡°That was a close one, Reito!!¡± Gonzo shouted. ¡°Mooo!?¡± Reito used all the muscles in his body to repel the Minotaurus¡¯s attack. A shower of sparks flew when his broadsword and the halberd clashed. Reito had weaker arm strength and was trying to avoid entering into a direct sword battle. ¡°Helmet Smasher!!¡± ¡°Mooo!?¡± The Minotaurus used the halberd handle to stop the Extermination Blade, but it was astonished at the strength of the pipsqueak child half its size. Reito managed to overpower the Minotaurus. ¡°You¡¯re finished!!¡± ¡°Mmmoooo¡­!?¡± ¡°WOOOF!!¡± The broadsword swung from below and managed to repel the halberd. Ullr took advantage of the break in action to attack. His opponent strengthened its neck, but Ullr went for the torso instead. Ullr bit the side of the Minotaurus¡¯s stomach and ripped off a piece. He growled fiercely. ¡°Mooo¡­!?¡± a tremendous amount of blood came gushing out of the left side of the Minotaurus¡¯s stomach. ¡°Moooo¡­!!¡± ¡°Is it still trying to fight?¡± ¡°Grrrrr¡­!!¡± The Minotaurus had not lost its will to fight despite the large amount of blood loss. It clutched its halberd and approached Ullr. But, the gash left behind by Ullr was deep, and it was only a matter of time before it collapsed. Ullr whimpered. ¡°Ullr?¡± Ullr turned his back on the Minotaurus and returned to Reito¡¯s sides. Ullr shook his head to the side as if to show his satisfaction. Reito smiled at Ullr. ¡°Got it. If you¡¯re fine with it, I¡¯m okay to let it go.¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°What!? You¡¯re not going to kill it!?¡± Dain was surprised at Reito¡¯s words, while Kotomin and Gonzo looked dumbfounded. ¡°Dain¡­ chill.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The Minotaurus mooed in rage at Reito and crew, who were trying to spare it. ¡°MOOOOOO!!¡± The Minotaurus was furious and would rather be killed than pitied. Reito put his sword on his back and approached it. He looked at the Minotaurus on one knee. ¡°I won¡¯t kill you. You didn¡¯t try to kill us the first time we met, right?¡± The Minotaurus stared into Reito¡¯s pupils before trembling in fear. It felt like it had just made eye contact with a giant demon. The Minotaurus had battled with many a monster and human, but this young boy was the first one to scare it. The Minotaurus slowly got up, ¡°Moooo¡­¡± ¡°H-, Hey¡­ it dropped it!!¡± The Minotaurus dropped the halberd in its right hand and walked away from the scene. Reito watched the Minotaurus fade into the distance as he wondered what to do with the halberd. Airis¡¯s voice rang out in his head. ¡ºThat is a sacred treasure known as an ¡°Ax¡± made by the first generation of heroes. The handle is made with exceptional craftsmanship. It can change its length at will, just like with your ¡°Change Shape¡± skill. The depressions in the blade are embedded with magical gems that allow you to use magic with it.¡» ¡ºA sacred treasure ¨C who would¡¯ve thought?¡» ¡ºThe sacred treasures are not just weapons. The necromancer, Kirau, used a tool to sprout wings from her back as she pleased. The tool absorbed the users¡¯ magic, letting them sprout wings and fly in the sky.¡» ¡ºWow¡­¡» He finished communicating with Airis and then tried picking up the Halberd, but it was heavier than he thought, and he couldn¡¯t move it. ¡°It¡¯s this heavy!? I can¡¯t move it.¡± ¡°Let me try,¡± Gonzo approached and barely managed to lift it up. ¡°Wow¡­ This is really heavy. It¡¯s quite the work of art.¡± ¡°Do you think you could use it as a weapon?¡± ¡°No way. It would be a waste on me.¡± They had no choice but to store the sacred treasure ¡°Ax¡± behind the waterfall. Reito could have put it away with his storage magic, but given how heavy it was, there was a chance it would have gone over his storage capacity. Dain sighed. ¡°Haahh¡­ I can¡¯t believe we made it out of that fight alive. Usually, you would need five or six A-rank adventurers to take down a Minotaurus.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like I said, it¡¯s nothing compared to a Rotten Dragon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­ you¡¯re going to kill me one of these days, Reito.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk about me like I¡¯m the God of Plagues. I might be a god of ill fortune, though.¡± ¡ºWho said you were a god of ill fortune! I¡¯m gonna put a curse on you!!¡» ¡°Sorry, sorry¡­¡± Reito apologized to Airis¡¯s voice at a volume that no one else could hear. The group was about to enter the cave where the defeated Minotaurus had been, but everyone frowned after taking a few steps inside. The inside of the cave was a wreck, and it was littered with the corpses of magical monsters. There was no doubt that this was the work of the Minotaurus from before, and it appeared he was making use of the space as his nest. ¡°Hah¡­ I can¡¯t believe he messed up my hideout. Ullr!! Why did you have to pick up on his scent.¡± Ullr whimpered passively. Dain made a joke, ¡°Yeah, it really makes you wonder why we let him go!! What was the point of that whole fight anyway?!¡± Gonzo looked around the cave. ¡°It looks like we won¡¯t be able to make much use of the place. It would take too much time to clean up.¡± ¡°We have no other choice. It would take too long to change locations¡­ Wait!¡± Reito thought of an alternative hideout. Volume 5 - CH 1.4 Reito and crew left the cave inside the waterfall to head for his mansion which was located deep in the forest. He finally returned to that place where he was born and spent so many years living for the first time in four and a half years. From the intel Airis had given him, no one was living there, and the groundskeeper had long since disappeared. Reito gave his friends a tour of his house. ¡°This is my home. No one¡¯s in it at the moment.¡± ¡°You lived in this luxurious of a mansion? I had heard about it before, but¡­ You really are royalty,¡± Dain commented. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this mansion was just sitting in the middle of the forest¡­¡± Gonzo was surprised. ¡°Wow¡­ It¡¯s sooo big!¡± Kotomin added. ¡°Purupuru.¡± Ullr whimpered. Reito had mixed feelings about the situation, but there was no safer place in the forest than this one. There were rotten and barrier stones to prevent any monsters from sneaking in, so there was no chance they would be attacked. ¡°I¡¯m going to open the door, so just wait a sec.¡± In the past, they would have had to jump the iron fence or use the ¡°Change Shape¡± skill to bend the metal lattices to sneak in, but this time he opened the door of the gate with his key. ¡°Alright, come inside.¡± ¡°Excuse me,¡± Kotomin said as she entered. ¡°Let me get by,¡± Gonzo followed. ¡°Is it really okay to stay here? It is the Kingdom¡¯s property, right?¡± Dain questioned. ¡°I don¡¯t think I need permission to enter my own house¡­¡± His friends went inside before he closed the gate. There were a few magical creatures that would have been able to break through the iron gate easily, but the magic stones protecting the mansion¡¯s perimeter would prevent any creature from trying. The mansion was originally built so important kingdom personnel could hide away or take refuge. As such, the defense measures were thorough. No one was living there at the moment, but that was partly because Reito ran away from the place as a child. The groundskeepers were all suspected of aiding in Reito¡¯s flight. They were called in and interrogated by the Royal Capital. There are skills in this world to see through lies, so they weren¡¯t tortured or anything of the sort. But, the fact they let a child slip through their hands led to dismissal from their posts. They had a similarly ¡°unsavory¡± class status like Reito, so it was difficult for them to find other jobs. Some of them ended up homeless. Others were rehired by Reito¡¯s mother, Aira, to be a groundskeeper for her the marquess under her care. The marquess was her close friend, and so Aira thought it would be suitable. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s been four and a half years since I¡¯ve left¡­ Home sweet home,¡± Reito muttered as he stared at the flower bed. The flower bed had completely withered away, and there was nothing but weeds left behind, but it was the flower bed that he and a maid named Aria had taken care of for so long. He learned his ¡°Cultivation¡± skills and gained knowledge of medicinal herbs through that. He felt sad the plants he had so carefully tended to had died. ¡°I used to practice swinging my sword here every day,¡± Reito said as he approached the well near the flowerbed. He would wash away his sweat with the well water after training with Aria. There was no groundskeeper, so it was considerably run down, but nonetheless, his memories came rushing back to him. He noticed a wooden sword on the ground and picked it up. ¡°I used to train with Aria back in the day¡­ I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s so small.¡± He only had memories of the time he spent with Aria. He felt like she would show up at any moment to welcome him back home. Of course, there was no chance of that. ¡°I¡¯m back,¡± he said unconsciously, even though no one was there. The mansion¡¯s interior wasn¡¯t very run down, and it felt like Aira or Aria still lived there. ¡°Oh, were you playing outside today also?¡± ¡°Little boy!! It¡¯s study time!!¡± Reito imagined Aira and Aria greeting him, and he could feel tears well up. ¡°Reito, it¡¯s okay to cry when you¡¯re sad.¡± Ullr whimpered. ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯m alright.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hold back,¡± Gonzo added. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine what you feel like¡­ But, cheer up¡­¡± Dain added. ¡°Purupuru.¡± Gonzo and Dain added their own consoling words. The slime moved to Reito¡¯s shoulder as if to say, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Don¡¯t cry.¡± Reito smiled at his friends¡¯ reactions. He remembered that he had made some good friends in his little time in this world. ¡°Ahh, speaking of which¡­ There should be a weapons cellar somewhere around here. Let me check if there¡¯s anything good.¡± ¡°A weapons cellar? Why do you have that in a mansion¡­ I guess if a place like exists in the first place, it¡¯s no surprise it would have a weapons cellar too,¡± Dain thought. ¡°Everyone, do as you please. As long as you don¡¯t leave the grounds, you should be safe anywhere you go.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Gonzo confirmed. ¡°I¡¯m going to bathe in the well.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just wander around randomly then,¡± Dain said. ¡°Ahh, one last thing, don¡¯t take anything from the mansion off the premises.¡± ¡°I, I know that!!¡± Dain said, startled. ¡°Also, the black door is off limits. There are things I don¡¯t want you to see¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t want us to see? Like, pee-stains on your childhood futon?¡± ¡°As if!!¡± There was a secret library behind the black door in the mansion. It was the library of a former important Kingdom personnel member who was assassinated. It was a place where the ¡°Dark Secrets¡± of the kingdom were stored. There was a chance the library had been transported away in the time Reito had been gone. But, to be safe, he wanted to make sure no other humans approached it. He left everyone in the living room and headed for the weapons cellar. In the past, Aria made sure no one entered the library and weapons cellar in the past, but now that she was not here, it should be easily accessible. Reito approached the door of the cellar and then communicated with Airis. ¡ºAiris¡» ¡ºWoof!! Oh¡­ you said my name normally. I thought you were going to address me like a dog.¡» ¡ºIn that case, don¡¯t say ¡°Woof!!¡± say ¡°Arf!!¡±¡» ¡ºArf!! What kind of a specification is that?¡» Reito cut the chit-chat and asked her about the weapons cellar. ¡ºIf I open the door, will anything explode? Will any blades come flying at me?¡» ¡ºThis mansion is too important to have any traps that could result in a fire. I¡¯m surprised that you¡¯re coming back here. It might be a good opportunity for you.¡» ¡ºWhat do you mean?¡» ¡ºThere¡¯s a certain weapon hidden in this mansion. The person who hid it was the assassinated kingdom personnel member.¡» ¡ºHold up!? You¡¯re saying someone was murdered in my mansion!? That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard anything about it!!¡» ¡ºYes, it¡¯s true. This home was a place set aside for members of the royal family to hide away. The Kingdom murders people who inconvenience them.¡» ¡ºI didn¡¯t want to know that, to be honest!!¡» Airis ignored Reito and continued, ¡ºAfter you broke out of here, all the items stored in the mansion were taken elsewhere. However, this mansion has a secret compartment that even members of the royal family don¡¯t know about.¡» ¡ºSecret compartment¡­¡» ¡ºThere was another member of the royal family who had an undesirable occupation just like you. That person realized he would be killed in the near future, so he hid the sacred treasure he stole from the Kingdom here.¡» ¡ºI can¡¯t believe that happened¡­ What was his job?¡» ¡ºHe was a beginner magician. It¡¯s a profession that can only use beginner magic like you. It was considered an unfavorable profession at the time, but as time has passed, it is now considered a more favorable one.¡» ¡ºHuh. Who would have guessed things would change like that with time?¡» ¡ºYes. The man got help from his only ally in the royal retainers and managed to bring the sacred treasure here. After he hid the treasure, he was murdered.¡» ¡ºIt sucks that he was killed after all that effort,¡» Reito felt pity for the aristocrat in the story, but he wanted to know more about the sacred treasure. He asked Airis, ¡ºBut, I wish you had told me about that kind of incredible weapon sooner. Shouldn¡¯t we have taken it when left the mansion?¡» ¡ºI could have told you¡­ But it wasn¡¯t something you weren¡¯t ready for at the time, so I stayed quiet. Also, the hidden place is troublesome to get to. I don¡¯t think you would have been able to get there at the time.¡» ¡ºWhat? There¡¯s a place that¡¯s that dangerous in this mansion?¡» Reito explored every nook and cranny of the mansion since he was a baby. He had no idea there was anywhere so dangerous in the mansion. ¡ºOkay. Let¡¯s get to the point. Where is the sacred treasure?¡» ¡ºI¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s something you need right now, though. It might be convenient to have, but that¡¯s about all. It¡¯s not hidden in the weapons cellar. It¡¯s in the garden.¡» ¡ºThe garden?¡» Reito was surprised but hit on where it might be. ¡ºAh, it must be buried.¡» ¡ºYES!! It¡¯s hidden under the surface,¡» Airis confirmed. There is a beginner magic known as ¡°Earth Block.¡± It enables you to modify to surface of the earth ¨C it was possible they dug quite the deep hole using it. Only beginner magicians could use the beginner magic that hid the sacred treasure, so Reito figured that there was no doubt he used it to bury it. ¡ºThere is a flowerbed in the garden, right? It was grown to function as a landmark for the murdered member of the royal family. He put it in a sturdy safe and buried it in the ground.¡» ??¡ºThat makes sense¡­ If it¡¯s underground, it must be far under the surface.¡» ¡ºThat¡¯s right. Only people who can use ¡°Earth Block¡± at a high level would be able to dig it up. It¡¯s roughly 100 meters below the surface.¡» ¡ºI see¡­ Now I know why I never found it as a child.¡» When he was a child, he was often accompanied by Aria, so he had little free time. He would only have been able to dig it up during the night, but even then, he wouldn¡¯t have had the magical capabilities to do so. Further, even if he had managed to dig up the sacred treasure, Aria would have suspected something was going on. And then he would have had to hide it in another place. Reito understood why Airis never told him about it. He asked another question. ¡ºWhat is the sacred treasure called?¡» ¡ºIt¡¯s called a ¡°chain.¡± It¡¯s a tool for binding people.¡» ¡ºChain?¡» ¡ºIt is made out of an alloy called Flame Metal. It used to have a small cross-shaped dagger attached on it, so you could use it both to bind people and protect yourself. If you send magic into the chain, you can use it as you please.¡» ¡ºWow¡­¡» ¡ºHowever, it takes quite a lot of magic to use it. That¡¯s why it¡¯s been stored away as the royal family¡¯s treasure¡­¡» ¡ºI see.¡» Reito closed communications and left the weapons cellar, heading for the garden behind the mansion. The garden¡¯s flowerbed was in poor shape, but the fruit trees Aira had taken such dear care of were still in good shape. Reito put his palm on the tree. ¡°I¡¯m back¡­¡± he whispered. A fruit fell from the tree. Reito caught it before it hit the ground. He smiled in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re saying welcome back, huh? Thank you¡­ Ahh! Sour!?¡± He bit into the tree, but it was much more acidic than he remembered. Reito frowned and approached the flowerbed. He put his ground on the dirt where only weeds grew and used a magic skill. ¡°Earth Block!!¡± After saying the incantation, a fissure formed in the flower bed. The earth to the sides of his palms began to swell up. A hole was forming between them. Reito continued using his magic to dig the whole. ¡°Ngh¡­ This is really tough!!¡± ¡ºKeep going! You¡¯re about 50 meters away.¡» He drew on his elf-blood magical aptitude to give him the strength to continue. Even for a Support Magician like him, 100 meters was quite the feat. If he lost concentration even in the slightest, all the soil would go back to how it was. Reito kept controlling his magic to the best of his abilities. Before long, he had created a pile of dirt that had surpassed the height of the mansion. He spotted something strange at the bottom of the pit. ¡°That must be it!?¡± ¡ºThat¡¯s right!! That¡¯s the safe with the sacred treasure in it!!¡» Reito retrieved the safe before restoring the flowerbed to how it was before. Reito succeeded in getting the sacred treasure. He was able to do it because of the tree stones given to him by the dryad. Thanks to the boost in earth property magic, he was able to dig significantly faster than usual. ¡°Okay¡­ Let¡¯s open this up.¡± He put his palms on the safe and used his high-speed shape change to unlock it and open the lid. ¡°This is the sacred treasure?¡± A glittering silver chain was stored inside. It looked like an ordinary chain, but just as Airis had informed him, there was a cross-shaped dagger on the end of it. ¡°It just looks like an ordinary chain¡­ How do you use it?¡± ¡ºAs I said, you need magic to make full use of that ¡°chain.¡± Why not try using ¡°Gravity Blade¡± with it since that¡¯s a very comfortable skill for you.¡» ¡°I get it.¡± Reito wrapped the chain around his left arm and aimed it at the tree. After setting his sights, he sent magical energy through the chain. ¡°Go!!¡± The chain moved following Reito¡¯s command the dagger at the end of the chain launched toward the tree. Reito intended to wrap the tree with the chain, so he was surprised at what ended up happening. ¡°AHH!? The tree my mother took so much care of.¡± ¡ºCalm down. It¡¯s not like Aira is here. She won¡¯t get mad at you.¡» ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­ I still feel bad.¡± ¡ºOh, wait a second. Try using ¡°Recovery Boost.¡±¡» ¡°Hmm? How?¡± The only recovery magic that Reito was capable of using was called ¡°Recovery Boost,¡± and you had to be at an extremely close distance or touching the person to make it work. He was too far away from the fruit tree to use it. Airis answered Reito¡¯s question, ¡ºTry conducting it through the chain. That specific sacred treasure has a high affinity with holy magic, so you should be able to conduct magic through the chain and into the dagger to recover the tree.¡» ¡°Okay¡­ I feel like you¡¯re talking more than usual. I used to have to open communications for you to talk.¡± ¡ºI have managed to grasp the wavelength of your soul. I might be able to take a physical form sometime soon.¡» ¡°Like, into a skeleton?¡± ¡ºWhy the hell would you say, ¡°skeleton?¡± I would be like a cute fairy or something. Not that it¡¯s possible anywa¡­ But still!¡» Reito sent the ¡°Recovery Boost¡± through his left arm and into the Chain as they made small talk. The chain started glowing, and the daggered tree started glowing as well. The magic appeared to be working. ¡°Wow, this is convenient. Let¡¯s name it the Holy Chain.¡± ¡ºSomething feels risky about that name, but¡­ use it as you please.¡» ¡°Wow, awesome! It¡¯s moving so much!!¡± Reito had operated a number of chains using his ¡°Change Shape¡± skill, but the chain wrapped around his left arm moved itself in accordance with his will. He wasn¡¯t sure what the principle was, but the length of the chain would also extended automatically. The longer the chain was, the more magic energy he would burn, but as a general rule, it should come in handy. He would also be able to float in mid-air using it, preventing any possible fall damage in the future. ¡°This is awesome. I¡¯m gonna show it off.¡± He was satisfied with his new sacred treasure, and he was about to return to the mansion. But then he realized he was curious about what was in the safe. He hadn¡¯t taken a proper look. ¡°What is this?¡± There was a picture left behind in the safe. Unlike on earth, there was no camera in this world, so it surprised Reito that this object existed. The picture was of a group of boys Reito didn¡¯t recognize. ¡ºThat¡¯s a picture of a group of formerly summoned heroes. One of them brought a camera with them to this world, and they took it as a memento.¡» ¡°The murdered member of the aristocracy had some connections with the heroes?¡± ¡ºThat¡¯s right. It feels like a waste to just throw it away. How about you take it?¡» ¡°Good idea. I¡¯ll put it away with storage magic. Alright, let me show off my Chain to everyone. Look at this! It¡¯s cool, right? Tell me you love it!¡± ¡ºYou¡¯re acting infantile for the first in a while¡­ Maybe because you¡¯re back home.¡» Reito went back to his friends and was going to brag about his new sacred treasure. It was time for him to eat, so he used his ¡°Cooking¡± skill to whip something up. Volume 5 - CH 5.1 After spending the night in his childhood home for the first time in years, Reito and his friends headed out toward the ruins in the forest. After walking for a while, they arrived at their destination. ¡°Is this the ruins Reito mentioned?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Watch out¡­ I haven¡¯t been here in two years. ¡°What the hell is this¡­¡± Dain muttered. ¡°All the buildings are so big¡­¡± Kotomin added. Ullr whimpered. ¡°Purupuru.¡± The ruins were surrounded by marble walls. They were about 10 meters tall. There were gates in the wall on all four sides ¨C they were left open. Reito entered the gate and stared at the ruin. Just as Airis said, this place used to be a town, and there were several buildings lined up. Most of them looked like ancient greek buildings, but there were also a few traditional Japanese wooden buildings amongst them. Dain looked at the ruins before muttering, ¡°Who would have guessed that something man-made would exist so deep in the forest? It¡¯s a little out of shape¡­ I bet it hasn¡¯t been used in a couple hundred years¡­¡± Gonzo looked at the ruins and added, ¡°I bet giants lived here. The buildings are huge.¡± ¡°Maybe there were also mermaids,¡± Kotomin noticed the small stream installed in the town. ¡°It looks like there were a lot of people here before¡­ Why would they build a town in such a dangerous place?¡± Gonzo said. Reito had heard an explanation before from Airis, but he thought his friends would be suspicious of why he had such information, so he decided to not say anything. Dain pointed at one of the buildings, ¡°Look at that!! Isn¡¯t that the seal of the empire!? Is this their hideout?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just a building from the imperial era?¡± Reito added. The former Empire¡¯s seal was the same one the former Baltros Empire used. He figured there was no reason to be nervous that an agent of the Empire was nearby. However, it also wasn¡¯t a safe place. Airis said there were five creatures that Reito wasn¡¯t able to deal with in the past on location. Reito called his friends, ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down. The gates are wide open so it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if there are monsters. Keep your eyes peeled as we enter¡± ¡°G-, Got it!¡± Dain said. ¡°Ullr, I¡¯m relying on your sense of smell. Suramin, Hitomin, let us know if you pick up anything.¡± The slimes and Ullr responded to Reito: ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°Purupuru.¡± He let Ullr take the lead as he started moving. The buildings were largely collapsed and evidence of human life had long since vanished. They had advanced a while with the guard up, but they saw no sign of any monsters. ¡°This is weird¡­ There are no barrier or rotten stones and yet there are no monsters,¡± Reito commented. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing for us?¡± Gonzo asked. Dain shook his head. ¡°But it¡¯s just like Reito said, isn¡¯t it weird that there are no monsters around the ruins? Usually, a few goblins or kobolds would be lurking somewhere.¡± ¡°I saw a fish in the river a moment ago, it¡¯s not like there¡¯s no food either,¡± Kotomin added. That detail made Reito nervous. It appeared the monsters in the forest were intentionally avoiding the ruins. Dain trembled as he said, ¡°Wh-, What¡¯s going on¡­ It¡¯s good that there are no monsters and yet I feel so scared¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ We better watch out,¡± Kotomin affirmed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If Reito¡¯s here, he¡¯ll pulverize any villain that crosses our path,¡± Gonzo was confident. ¡°Woof!!¡± Reito spotted a figure in the distance far ahead of them. Reito used his ¡°Far Sight¡± and ¡°Observing Eye¡± skill right away. He spotted a goblin running on the road. It looks like there were a few monsters after all. ¡°I see a goblin. It looks like he¡¯s coming this way¡­ He¡¯s being chased by something.¡± ¡°Wow. So there are monsters after all¡­ What is that?¡± Dain asked. ¡°¡­Something¡¯s strange. How did none of us notice?¡± Dain and Gonzo frowned. The goblin running toward them was terribly afraid of what was coming up behind it. It completely ignored Reito and crew. ¡°What¡¯s up with that goblin?¡± ¡°It looks like it¡¯s running away¡­ Oh, it fell over.¡± The Goblin fell on its face. A new figure appeared behind it. Reito used his skill again to find a human-shaped stone demon behind it. It was a Golem. But, it was smaller than the Golems that Reito knew, and it was considerably withered down. Golems are usually giant creatures, this one appeared to be the size of an adult man. Also, there are a few characteristics unique to thinner Golems. First, their entire stony exterior has wrinkles like a human. Further, they are gray, unlike the usual earth-colored skin of regular Golem. Further, they have red jewels that shine from both of their palms. ¡°Gororoh¡­¡± ¡°He, heeee¡­!?¡± The Golem raised its hand at the fallen goblin. The hand took the shape of a boxing glove. The Golem gave a solid punch to the goblin. ¡°Goroh!!¡± ¡°Hyaahh!?¡± The goblin appeared to be begging for its life, but the Golem punched it in the face again merciselessly. Reito glared at the Golem. ¡°You¡¯re really ruthless, huh? What are we gonna do if it comes after us.¡± ¡°What? Are you? What¡¯s going on? I can¡¯t see anything.¡± Gonzo and Reito had the same Far Sight skill and could see a little of what was going on. But, for Dain, he had no idea. Reito discerned it wasn¡¯t a trivial matter and got his magic ready. ¡°He looks very different from the Golem I know. And he seems really strong,¡± Gonzo commented. It appeared even he didn¡¯t understand the deal with that Golem. ¡°I agree. It looks more dangerous than the gargoyle-looking chumps we fought with.¡± Kotomin tugged on Reito¡¯s sleeve. ¡°I can fight too if we are near a river!¡± ¡°Right, you¡¯re a mermaid.¡± Kotomin headed for a nearby river. The Golem noticed Reito. It enlarged its fist and punched the earth threateningly. ¡°Gorororoh!!¡± ¡°Shit! It looks like it wants a fight!!¡± The Golem ran toward Reito. It looked ready to tackle. The shoulder of the Golem was swollen. Reito realized it could change its exterior as it pleased. Gonzo stepped in front of everyone to take the blow. ¡°You want a battle of strengths? Bring it on!¡± ¡°Gorororoh!!¡± Gonzo stopped the charging Golem head-on. Gonzo had a better constitution, but when the two collided, he was sent three meters back. ¡°Ngh¡­!?¡± ¡°Gororoh!!¡± ¡°Gonzo got pushed back!?¡± ¡°Fight, Gon-chan!!¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°Nghhhghgh!!¡± Gonzo mustered his strength on account of his friends¡¯ support and managed to grab the Golem with both arms. The Golem, who had been restrained by Gonzo, held its enlarged fists above its head and then punched Gonzo with all its might. ¡°Goroh!!¡± Gonzo immediately let go of the Golem after the fierce blow. ¡°Gororoh!!¡± ¡°Nghaaa!?¡± ¡°Gonzo!? Shit. Shadow Bind!!¡± Dain shouted. Dain scrambled to use his shadow magic, but the Golem leaped back before the shadow could grab his ankles. It leaped back more and more, distancing itself. It was unbelievably light on its feet for a Golem. Everyone was stunned, but Reito immediately stuck out his palms. ¡°Water Bullets!!¡± ¡°Goroh¡­!!¡± Reito generated a large water blade in mid-air and fired it at the Golem. The water blade featured ¡°Supervibration¡± and would be capable of slicing a normal Golem in half. ¡°This guy is really strong¡­¡± ¡°Is it really a Golem!? It¡¯s totally different than the Golem¡¯s I know. It¡¯s so fast.¡± ¡°Damn¡­ It¡¯s so strong too.¡± ¡°It looks like I have no choice¡­ Suramin, Hitomin!¡± ¡°Pururu!!¡± Kotomin held both slimes in her hand and aimed them at the Golem. The slimes released a large quantity of water from their mouths. But, the golem ran away before the water could hit it. They understood that the Golem is smart. ¡°Oh man, it¡¯s hiding in the building! Wait, it¡¯s back.¡± ¡°Ngh¡­ I¡¯m out of water!¡± ¡°Purupuru¡­¡± The Golem reappeared once the water stopped. Suramin and Hitomin were considerably shrunken after losing so much water. Kotomin tucked the two away in her chest. The Golem began to move again. ¡°It¡¯s coming this way!?¡± ¡°It looks like it¡¯s not giving up anytime soon. I¡¯m gonna¡­¡± Reito said and drew his extermination balde. It didn¡¯t seem like a good opponent for blade attacks, but there wasn¡¯t time to think about that. Reito¡¯s eyes glowed red as the Golem with dual enlarged fists charged at him. ¡°HAAAAA!!¡± ¡°Gororoh!?¡± The Golem caught Reito¡¯s side swipe with both hands, but it wasn¡¯t able to withstand the surprising force of the swipe and was blown away. A crack ran through its left arm, and the hand that had been hit first was pulverized. Dain cheered in joy! ¡°Hooray!! You did it!!¡± ¡°Good job Reito¡± Kotomin mumbled. ¡°Don¡¯t jinx it,¡± Reito joked. On the other hand, Gonzo was still concerned. ¡°We¡¯re not finished yet.¡± Just as Gonzo said, the Golem got up immediately after sustaining injury to its right arm. The lost right arm extended itself to a marble column. The marble column merged with the right arm. ¡°Is it planning to use the column to revive itself?¡± ¡°Something¡¯s off¡­ I think it¡¯s doing more than just that.¡± Volume 4 - CH ss EXTRA ¡°¡­ I¡¯m bored.¡± A girl was lying down under a clear sky. Or rather, a being who had taken the form of a girl. She wasn¡¯t actually the age of a girl. ¡°I¡¯m mad at the narrator. I don¡¯t care, but¡­¡± the manager of the chasm between worlds, Airis, was mumbling to herself. As a general rule, she had too much time on her hands. Whenever someone fell into the chasm between worlds, she could spend her time getting rid of them. But, that sort of task didn¡¯t look like it would come up anytime soon. Airis looked down. She looked at the human she was observing. ¡°Reito¡­ It¡¯s nighttime, so even you must be sleeping. If I wake you up, I bet you¡¯ll be in a bad mood. Let me go gather some information on the world instead.¡± She was only supposed to be in charge of the chasm, but as an exception, she was also looking out for Reito and the world below. For a pleasure-seeker like her, it was the only thing she had to look forward to. She used the bifocal-like object in her hand and peeked at the world below. ¡°Ho, ho, ho! I see, I see! I can¡¯t believe you would do that. Without physically peeping at the world below, she could have grasped all the information about it in an instant with her angel powers. Despite that, she was using this more indirect method. ¡°This looks like it¡¯s going to be interesting. That snake of a queen looks like she¡¯s about to make a move. I might need to tell Reito about this sooner than later.¡± Airis wasn¡¯t allowed to enter any world besides the chasm. Even if she managed to get into one of the other worlds, she would immediately turn to dust. ¡°Ah, I forgot to eat. Not that I need food anyway¡­¡± Airis put out her right hand and made an apple appear in her hand. She made it pop up in her left hand, carved into the shape of a rabbit. ¡°Nom nom¡­ Yep, it tastes the same as usual.¡± Airis was disappointed at the unchanging taste of the apple. These are the times I wish I had a real body like Reito. Airis was able to create other things besides apples. Sometimes she would manifest video game consoles. She could even manifest humans. But, they were no more than extremely close imitations. She could play video games with the human she created. But, regardless of whether she won or lost, things always went according to her plan. There was nothing more than inevitability. She was just playing with dolls. That caused her considerable pain ¨C that¡¯s why she rarely created anything. ¡°I hope you wake up soon. I should have made him learn a ¡®Sleeplessness¡¯ skill.¡± Airis idly watched the sleeping Reito. She felt frustrated she couldn¡¯t do anything. But, she also felt a sense of excitement at things not going her way. She had intended to give Reito just the right amount of advice. However, there were times when he would defy her opinion and take his own actions. Things didn¡¯t go according to her calculations in the Gain and Rotten Dragon fights mostly because Reito didn¡¯t want to forsake the other humans. She didn¡¯t feel any dissatisfaction with Reito or anything like that. Conversely, she enjoyed the ¡°discomfort¡± of Reito disobeying her orders. In fact, she felt fond of him for providing that ¡°discomfort¡± to her chasm world where nothing interesting ever happened. ¡°No matter how things end up, I will always be watching over you.¡± ¡°Eww¡­ Don¡¯t watch me while I sleep.¡± ¡°What kind of on-the-nose sleep talk is that!?¡± Airis was startled at Reito mumbling as if he heard her words ¨C but that was also something she enjoyed about him. Volume 5 - CH 1.5 After spending the night in his childhood home for the first time in years, Reito and his friends headed out toward the ruins in the forest. After walking for a while, they arrived at their destination. ¡°Is this the ruins Reito mentioned?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Watch out¡­ I haven¡¯t been here in two years. ¡°What the hell is this¡­¡± Dain muttered. ¡°All the buildings are so big¡­¡± Kotomin added. Ullr whimpered. ¡°Purupuru.¡± The ruins were surrounded by marble walls. They were about 10 meters tall. There were gates in the wall on all four sides ¨C they were left open. Reito entered the gate and stared at the ruin. Just as Airis said, this place used to be a town, and there were several buildings lined up. Most of them looked like ancient greek buildings, but there were also a few traditional Japanese wooden buildings amongst them. Dain looked at the ruins before muttering, ¡°Who would have guessed that something man-made would exist so deep in the forest? It¡¯s a little out of shape¡­ I bet it hasn¡¯t been used in a couple hundred years¡­¡± Gonzo looked at the ruins and added, ¡°I bet giants lived here. The buildings are huge.¡± ¡°Maybe there were also mermaids,¡± Kotomin noticed the small stream installed in the town. ¡°It looks like there were a lot of people here before¡­ Why would they build a town in such a dangerous place?¡± Gonzo said. Reito had heard an explanation before from Airis, but he thought his friends would be suspicious of why he had such information, so he decided to not say anything. Dain pointed at one of the buildings, ¡°Look at that!! Isn¡¯t that the seal of the empire!? Is this their hideout?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just a building from the imperial era?¡± Reito added. The former Empire¡¯s seal was the same one the former Baltros Empire used. He figured there was no reason to be nervous that an agent of the Empire was nearby. However, it also wasn¡¯t a safe place. Airis said there were five creatures that Reito wasn¡¯t able to deal with in the past on location. Reito called his friends, ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down. The gates are wide open so it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if there are monsters. Keep your eyes peeled as we enter¡± ¡°G-, Got it!¡± Dain said. ¡°Ullr, I¡¯m relying on your sense of smell. Suramin, Hitomin, let us know if you pick up anything.¡± The slimes and Ullr responded to Reito: ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°Purupuru.¡± He let Ullr take the lead as he started moving. The buildings were largely collapsed and evidence of human life had long since vanished. They had advanced a while with the guard up, but they saw no sign of any monsters. ¡°This is weird¡­ There are no barrier or rotten stones and yet there are no monsters,¡± Reito commented. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing for us?¡± Gonzo asked. Dain shook his head. ¡°But it¡¯s just like Reito said, isn¡¯t it weird that there are no monsters around the ruins? Usually, a few goblins or kobolds would be lurking somewhere.¡± ¡°I saw a fish in the river a moment ago, it¡¯s not like there¡¯s no food either,¡± Kotomin added. That detail made Reito nervous. It appeared the monsters in the forest were intentionally avoiding the ruins. Dain trembled as he said, ¡°Wh-, What¡¯s going on¡­ It¡¯s good that there are no monsters and yet I feel so scared¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ We better watch out,¡± Kotomin affirmed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If Reito¡¯s here, he¡¯ll pulverize any villain that crosses our path,¡± Gonzo was confident. ¡°Woof!!¡± Reito spotted a figure in the distance far ahead of them. Reito used his ¡°Far Sight¡± and ¡°Observing Eye¡± skill right away. He spotted a goblin running on the road. It looks like there were a few monsters after all. ¡°I see a goblin. It looks like he¡¯s coming this way¡­ He¡¯s being chased by something.¡± ¡°Wow. So there are monsters after all¡­ What is that?¡± Dain asked. ¡°¡­Something¡¯s strange. How did none of us notice?¡± Dain and Gonzo frowned. The goblin running toward them was terribly afraid of what was coming up behind it. It completely ignored Reito and crew. ¡°What¡¯s up with that goblin?¡± ¡°It looks like it¡¯s running away¡­ Oh, it fell over.¡± The Goblin fell on its face. A new figure appeared behind it. Reito used his skill again to find a human-shaped stone demon behind it. It was a Golem. But, it was smaller than the Golems that Reito knew, and it was considerably withered down. Golems are usually giant creatures, this one appeared to be the size of an adult man. Also, there are a few characteristics unique to thinner Golems. First, their entire stony exterior has wrinkles like a human. Further, they are gray, unlike the usual earth-colored skin of regular Golem. Further, they have red jewels that shine from both of their palms. ¡°Gororoh¡­¡± ¡°He, heeee¡­!?¡± The Golem raised its hand at the fallen goblin. The hand took the shape of a boxing glove. The Golem gave a solid punch to the goblin. ¡°Goroh!!¡± ¡°Hyaahh!?¡± The goblin appeared to be begging for its life, but the Golem punched it in the face again merciselessly. Reito glared at the Golem. ¡°You¡¯re really ruthless, huh? What are we gonna do if it comes after us.¡± ¡°What? Are you? What¡¯s going on? I can¡¯t see anything.¡± Gonzo and Reito had the same Far Sight skill and could see a little of what was going on. But, for Dain, he had no idea. Reito discerned it wasn¡¯t a trivial matter and got his magic ready. ¡°He looks very different from the Golem I know. And he seems really strong,¡± Gonzo commented. It appeared even he didn¡¯t understand the deal with that Golem. ¡°I agree. It looks more dangerous than the gargoyle-looking chumps we fought with.¡± Kotomin tugged on Reito¡¯s sleeve. ¡°I can fight too if we are near a river!¡± ¡°Right, you¡¯re a mermaid.¡± Kotomin headed for a nearby river. The Golem noticed Reito. It enlarged its fist and punched the earth threateningly. ¡°Gorororoh!!¡± ¡°Shit! It looks like it wants a fight!!¡± The Golem ran toward Reito. It looked ready to tackle. The shoulder of the Golem was swollen. Reito realized it could change its exterior as it pleased. Gonzo stepped in front of everyone to take the blow. ¡°You want a battle of strengths? Bring it on!¡± ¡°Gorororoh!!¡± Gonzo stopped the charging Golem head-on. Gonzo had a better constitution, but when the two collided, he was sent three meters back. ¡°Ngh¡­!?¡± ¡°Gororoh!!¡± ¡°Gonzo got pushed back!?¡± ¡°Fight, Gon-chan!!¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°Nghhhghgh!!¡± Gonzo mustered his strength on account of his friends¡¯ support and managed to grab the Golem with both arms. The Golem, who had been restrained by Gonzo, held its enlarged fists above its head and then punched Gonzo with all its might. ¡°Goroh!!¡± Gonzo immediately let go of the Golem after the fierce blow. ¡°Gororoh!!¡± ¡°Nghaaa!?¡± ¡°Gonzo!? Shit. Shadow Bind!!¡± Dain shouted. Dain scrambled to use his shadow magic, but the Golem leaped back before the shadow could grab his ankles. It leaped back more and more, distancing itself. It was unbelievably light on its feet for a Golem. Everyone was stunned, but Reito immediately stuck out his palms. ¡°Water Bullets!!¡± ¡°Goroh¡­!!¡± Reito generated a large water blade in mid-air and fired it at the Golem. The water blade featured ¡°Supervibration¡± and would be capable of slicing a normal Golem in half. ¡°This guy is really strong¡­¡± ¡°Is it really a Golem!? It¡¯s totally different than the Golem¡¯s I know. It¡¯s so fast.¡± ¡°Damn¡­ It¡¯s so strong too.¡± ¡°It looks like I have no choice¡­ Suramin, Hitomin!¡± ¡°Pururu!!¡± Kotomin held both slimes in her hand and aimed them at the Golem. The slimes released a large quantity of water from their mouths. But, the golem ran away before the water could hit it. They understood that the Golem is smart. ¡°Oh man, it¡¯s hiding in the building! Wait, it¡¯s back.¡± ¡°Ngh¡­ I¡¯m out of water!¡± ¡°Purupuru¡­¡± The Golem reappeared once the water stopped. Suramin and Hitomin were considerably shrunken after losing so much water. Kotomin tucked the two away in her chest. The Golem began to move again. ¡°It¡¯s coming this way!?¡± ¡°It looks like it¡¯s not giving up anytime soon. I¡¯m gonna¡­¡± Reito said and drew his extermination balde. It didn¡¯t seem like a good opponent for blade attacks, but there wasn¡¯t time to think about that. Reito¡¯s eyes glowed red as the Golem with dual enlarged fists charged at him. ¡°HAAAAA!!¡± ¡°Gororoh!?¡± The Golem caught Reito¡¯s side swipe with both hands, but it wasn¡¯t able to withstand the surprising force of the swipe and was blown away. A crack ran through its left arm, and the hand that had been hit first was pulverized. Dain cheered in joy! ¡°Hooray!! You did it!!¡± ¡°Good job Reito¡± Kotomin mumbled. ¡°Don¡¯t jinx it,¡± Reito joked. On the other hand, Gonzo was still concerned. ¡°We¡¯re not finished yet.¡± Just as Gonzo said, the Golem got up immediately after sustaining injury to its right arm. The lost right arm extended itself to a marble column. The marble column merged with the right arm. ¡°Is it planning to use the column to revive itself?¡± ¡°Something¡¯s off¡­ I think it¡¯s doing more than just that.¡± Volume 5 - CH 1.6 The Golem transformed its left hand into a blade and cut down the column. ¡°Are you kidding me!?¡± ¡°Are you serious¡­¡± ¡°Is it going to use the column as a weapon!?¡± ¡°Woof!?¡± ¡°NGHOOO¡­¡± the Golem groaned and swung its right column arm. It made a mad dash toward Reito and then swung his arm down on him. ¡°Shit!!¡± ¡°Get back Reito! You¡¯re going to get hurt!!¡± Gonzo said and stood in front of Reito. The column was two meters long. If Reito took the blow with his broadsword, there was a possibility he would be squashed. Gonzo got his club ready. He used a defense skill. ¡°Immobilize!!¡± ¡°Gororoh!!¡± He swung his club at the column. A loud noise rang out. The shock ran through Gonzo¡¯s entire body, but he was able to withstand it. The Golem tried to stab Gonzo with his blade-shaped left arm. ¡°Gorororoh!!¡¯ ¡°As if!!¡± ¡°Shadow Bind!!¡± Reito repelled the blade with his Extermination Blade and Dain took the chance to bind its legs. His shadow grasped the Golem¡¯s left leg and coiled its way up its entire body. ¡°Goroh!!¡± ¡°Hah!?¡± ¡°No way¡­¡± The golem used its left hand to slice off its left leg. He swung his column-arm using his remaining leg as an axis. ¡°Grororoh!!¡± ¡°Wah!?¡± ¡°Woah!?¡± ¡°Oh no!?¡± Reito and crew lowered their posture to dodge the attack. Gonzo couldn¡¯t stoop low enough and was hit. He went flying away into the nearby river. The Golem spun again, but Reito moved in for the attack. ¡°Gororoh!!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me!! Spin Strike!!¡± Reito spun his body as fast as the Golem and swung his Extermination Blade, repelling the column. The Golem may have had more arm strength, but with his Demon Eye on, Reito¡¯s attacks were stronger, and he managed to blow the column into pieces. ¡°One more coming up!!¡± Reito swung his Extermination Blade further and went in for another Spin Strike. The Golem tried to stop the blow, but the moment the blade hit its arms, they were pulverized. ¡°Gorooooooooh¡­!?¡± ¡°Here we go!!¡± Reito stepped back and ran to get Gonzo out of the river. A water column shot up from the river. Reito and Dain were shocked. An enormous object fell down before them. ¡°Touchdown!!¡± ¡°Ngh!!¡± ¡°Wow, Gonzo!?¡± Kotomin landed holding Gonzo in her arms. She had saved the drowning Gonzo by herself. ¡°Kotomin! Nice work! I can¡¯t believe you can pick up Gonzo. You¡¯re quite the mermaid!¡± She blew a raspberry with a peace sign. The slimes were riding on her shoulder, happy to have drunk water. The slimes leaped onto Reito and Dain¡¯s heads. ¡°Purun!¡± ¡°Oh man!¡± ¡°Pururun!!¡± ¡°Ow, you¡¯re heavy!!¡± The slime on Dain¡¯s head ¨C Suramin ¨C was two times heavier than a normal slime on account of the water. He stumbled a little. Kotomin dropped Gonzo down on the ground and placed her palms on his abdomen. She slowly moved her hands to his throat. ¡°Gonzo, wake up!¡± ¡°Buha!?¡± he gasped for air as water gushed out from his mouth. ¡°Oh¡­ Did you drink too much water?¡± Reito was concerned and rubbed Kotomin¡¯s head. ¡°Good girl, Kotomin!¡± ¡°Nyaa! Thank you!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make cat noises. You¡¯re supposed to be a mermaid¡­ Suramin, lose some weight!!¡± ¡°Pururu.¡± Dain was holding the engorged Suramin in his hand and squeezed her with both hands. Water gushed from her mouth like a watering can returning her to normal size. Reito used ¡°Recovery Boost¡± on Gonzo. They heard the nose of something crumbling in front of them. ¡°Gorororoh!!¡± ¡°Shit, he¡¯s moving again!?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a persistent bastard¡­¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Even though it lost both arm, its left leg, and had cracks all over its body, the Golem persisted to crawl. Dain tried to use his Shadow Magic, but Reito stepped in front of him with his Extermination Blade. ¡°Let me handle it. He¡¯s really annoying¡­ Everyone step back.¡± ¡°Um, okay.¡± ¡°Reito, watch out!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± Reito walked up with his blade when something happened with the Golem¡¯s body. When Kotomin saved Gonzo, a number of puddles were created from the water column she produced. When the Golem touched one of those puddles, its exterior began to melt. ¡°Goroooh¡­!?¡± ¡°Ah, I forgot, Golem¡¯s weakness is water. It works on this as well.¡± ¡°Pururu!!¡± Hitomin, who was sitting on Reito¡¯s head, opened her mouth and sprayed the Golem. Reito pet Hitomin¡¯s head and put his sword on his back. He returned to his friends. ¡°You did it, Hitomin.¡± ¡°Purun!¡± ¡°I saw that. I didn¡¯t know water was their weakness¡­ It was so easily defeated¡­¡± Kotomin added, ¡°next time, let¡¯s leave it up to Suramin and Hitomin.¡± Ullr whimpered. ¡°It¡¯s okay girl.¡± Ullr was licking Gonzo¡¯s face. He felt sad he couldn¡¯t help with the battle. Gonzo smiled and pet Ullr. The Golem they just faced off against was actually stronger than the Minotaurus, but weaknesses were weaknesses. ¡°That being said, that was quite the Golem. We need to retrieve its core, right?¡± Dain said flustered. Golems had a thing called a core, and they had to be destroyed or they would regenerate. ¡°Ah, good point. How annoying,¡± Reito said and approached the water. He noticed something appearing in the distance. ¡°Gorororororh¡­!!¡± ¡°What!? It already revived?¡± A golem whose whole body was red appeared before them. It was the exact same shape as the one that had melted into a puddle, except this one had transformed its arm shape into spears. ¡°What¡¯s up with it¡­ it¡¯s a different color than the other one.¡± ¡°Is it a¡­ subspecies!?¡± ¡°Graaahhh!!¡± Reito immediately readied his weapon and assumed a fighting stance, not being taken aback by the Golem. The Golem made a dash for Gonzo, who was significantly weakened. ¡°Grahh!!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me!!¡± But Gonzo was already sandwiched by the spear arms and was held firmly in place. A pain like a burn overcame his body. The spear was releasing a high temperature. ¡°Graahh!!¡± ¡°Oww!?¡± ¡°Gonzo!?¡± ¡°Get back!!¡± Reito drew his sword to swing them at the spear arms, but his opponent stepped back in retreat before that was possible. ¡°Shadow Slip!!¡± ¡°Graah!¡± Dain used his shadow magic to launch another attack, but the Golem noticed the approaching shadow and stepped back. It didn¡¯t appear capable of doing acrobatic-like movements like the other Golem. Still, it did seem to have horsepower, and its step distance was massive. Reito and Kotomin ran to Gonzo¡¯s side and looked at his wound. ¡°Are you good!?¡± ¡°Mmm, yeah¡­ just a little burnt.¡± ¡°Show me,¡± Kotomin said. She put her hands wetted by the river on his right side. ¡°Let me fix that right up. Don¡¯t move.¡± ¡°Nghh¡­!?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this. Recovery Boost!!¡± Standing on the opposite side as her, Reito used his Recovery Boost. The Golem stood idly by, spear arms at the ready. It appeared to be looking out for Dain¡¯s shadow magic, so it was waiting at a distance outside his magic¡¯s range, silently watching Reito. It appeared to know Gonzo was receiving treatment, but it didn¡¯t dare make any foolish decisions. It was carefully watching Reito, so it was clearly very intelligent. ¡°Sh, Shit! My shadow won¡¯t reach there. It¡¯s too fast at close range, so I can¡¯t grab it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to touch its exterior too. It¡¯s radiating high temperatures. Maybe that¡¯s why it¡¯s red.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s cool it down, then!!¡± ¡°Pururun!!¡± Kotomin clutched Suramin and Hitomin and prepared to fire. If it was a Golem with a hot exterior, not to mention the general vulnerability to water, it should probably melt when hit with water. She had a strategy, but the Golem maintained its distance and didn¡¯t try to move. ¡°It¡¯s just looking at us. And yet, I don¡¯t think it gave up yet.¡± ¡°Maybe it knows not to approach brashly.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ either way, it¡¯s a very annoying candidate.¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Ullr came up looking like he was ready to go. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you think of something?¡± Ullr whimpered. ¡°You think you can catch up with it?¡± Ullr was a white wolf, a monster specialized in running fast. He should be able to get to that nimble Golem in a flash. Reito jumped on Ullr¡¯s back. ¡°Going hunting, just the two of us. It¡¯s just like old times.¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°Are you good?¡± Gonzo asked, his first-aid finished. Reito used his Iceclad Sword skill to grow an ice longsword in his hand. ¡°I¡¯m good. This sword always does the trick.¡± ¡°An ice sword¡­ Don¡¯t let it melt.¡± Kotomin held Hitomin out to Reito and said, ¡°You forgot this.¡± ¡°Purururu!!¡± Hitomin climbed on Reito¡¯s shoulders, affixing herself to make sure she wasn¡¯t shaken off. ¡°Let¡¯s go!!¡± Ullr growled and followed his master¡¯s orders, making a beeline for the Golem. The Golem got both its hands ready ¨C it was preparing a welcome attack. It appeared to have read Reito and crew¡¯s plans. ¡°Graahh!!¡± ¡°Grrrr!!¡± ¡°Go!!¡± Ullr spun in mid-air, dodging their opponent¡¯s attack. Reito held on tight to Ullr¡¯s torso to make sure he didn¡¯t follow off as he released an ice blade at the Golem. ¡°HAAAAAAHHH!!¡± ¡°Graah¡­!?¡± The Golem¡¯s body was sliced open the moment the blade hit. ¡°Graaahhhhh¡­!?¡± The Golem¡¯s head still wiggled and was trying to approach Reito. ¡°Wow. I heard most Golems have their cores in their chest, but yours must be in your head¡­ You can still walk¡­¡± ¡°Graahhh¡­!!¡± ¡°Come on now.¡± The Golem hadn¡¯t lost its will to fight despite being just a head. It was trying to bite Reito. But, Reito had already raised his sword blade and stabbed into the head. ¡°You¡¯re finished!!¡± ¡°Nghaaa!?¡± The moment the blade pierced its head, the light went out in the Golem¡¯s pupils. It looked like a doll whose batteries had run out. The Golem¡¯s head blew apart, and a glowing red jewel was on the tip of the ice blade. More than likely, this was the core that was the origin of the Golem¡¯s power. ¡°This is the core¡­ Ah, man, it¡¯s broken.¡± The crystal had been shattered in two and fell to the ground. You can sell a Golem core in good condition for a pretty penny. Airis rang out in Reito¡¯s head when he was about to pick up the crystal. ¡ºReito, repair that crystal. You should be able to restore it using the ¡°Mending¡± alchemy skill.¡» ¡°What? Why? I just defeated it¡­¡± Reito asked, making sure his friends couldn¡¯t hear. ¡ºThat item is the reason we made this journey. That Golem was the original guard of this town. It¡¯s a manmade weapon. It was made utilizing a special kind of crystal.¡» ¡ºThey? Were weapons?¡» According to Airis¡¯s explanation, the Golems were the invention of the first generations of heroes. They were different from ordinary Golems in that they could shape-shift at will and were exceptional at attacking and defending. They were officially called Battle Golems. Battle Golems were made of a special material called rock ore. It¡¯s said only a weapon made of the legendary material Orichalcum could damage it. However, they couldn¡¯t overcome the Golem¡¯s weakness to water, which would melt them quickly. They dared to keep that feature in place in case the Golems went wild. ¡ºThe magical crystal is extremely powerful as far as magical gems go. If you take it with you, you should be able to use it. Let¡¯s store it for now.¡» ¡ºJust say that in the first place. Why do you always share these things with me after?¡» ??¡º I¡¯m sorry. Even though our soul¡¯s wavelengths have begun to synchronize a bit, it¡¯s still difficult for me to reach you if you don¡¯t start communications first.¡» ¡ºI bet you just wanted to see how I would fare against a man-made weapon.¡» ¡ºNo, I had some things I had to look up, so I wasn¡¯t observing you. I¡¯ll explain more about that later, though.¡» Reito signed and picked up one-half of the crystal. He put together the other half and put them together, using the ¡°Mending¡± skill to repair it. Volume 5 - CH 1.7 ¡°Reito!! Are you good!?¡± ¡°Did you defeat the Golem?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°The Golem, that is,¡± Kotomin jokes. ¡°Woof!!¡± Ullr barked happily and approached as Reito petted him. Reito remembered he didn¡¯t collect the first Battle Golem core. ¡°I want to keep the last guy¡¯s core¡­ Gonzo, are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, thanks to you and Kotomin.¡± Dain was worried, ¡°Um, Reito¡­ I know we¡¯ve come this far, but can we go home? Honestly, I think I can only use my shadow magic three more times.¡± ¡°But, wouldn¡¯t it suck to come this far and not have anything to take back with you? Don¡¯t you need money, Dain?¡± ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡± ¡°After all, you¡¯re showing off in your new robe,¡± Kotomin poked fun at him. ¡°Sh, Shut up!! It¡¯s very effective.¡± After the last battle with the Rotten Dragon, Dain upgraded himself to an anti-magic robe worth 10 gold coins. It had impressive magic-resistant qualities. He had to take out a loan to make the purchase, so he had no money on hand. He was trying to earn money by subjugating monsters. Still, the Rotten Dragon had wiped out so many of the monsters that there weren¡¯t very many quests. That¡¯s why he was super interested in following Reito along to these ancient ruins, where they may be valuable items. ¡°Where is the first golem¡¯s core?¡± Reito asked. ¡°It¡¯s right here. I picked it up,¡± Gonzo said and showed him the core. ¡°Oh, nice job Gon-chan!! Your nickname of Golem Destroyer isn¡¯t just a title.¡± Gonzo handed Reito the Battle Golem core. It was glowing white. ¡º That¡¯s a magical crystal with holy properties. Holy Magic isn¡¯t good for battling, and that¡¯s why it was weaker than the other golems. I suppose it was nothing for you, given the way you defeated the Blood Bear.¡» ¡ºThe weakest one was that strong¡­¡» ¡°What¡¯s wrong all of a sudden, Reito?¡± Dain responded to Reito¡¯s mutterings. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Reito felt flustered that he was noticed and tried to divert Dain¡¯s attention by putting away the cores into his storage magic. Ullr whimpered. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong, Ullr? Reito can do it alone, right?¡± Chomp. ¡°Ouch!! Ow, ow!?¡± Ullr softly bit Reito¡¯s arms. Kotomin looked at Ullr, ¡°he¡¯s trying to say something.¡± Ullr nodded and walked away as if to lead Reito and friends. They figured they had no choice but to follow Ullr. ¡°Pururu.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Hitomin? Do you need to use the bathroom? Wait, you don¡¯t use the bathroom!¡± ¡°Purun.¡± ¡°Suramin also sensed something.¡± ¡°Could it be the Golem from before?¡± Dain put his guard up. ¡°There¡¯s a chance of that¡­ who knows,¡± Reito said before Airis chimed in. ¡º That¡¯s right. There are actually multiple of them, so watch out.¡» Reito determined that the slimes and Ullr must have picked up on more Battle Golems. He put his hand on the Extermination Blade on his back and readied the Holy Chain he didn¡¯t use in his last encounter. Reito felt the ground shake. Gonzo was the first to say, ¡°Hmm? Isn¡¯t the ground shaking?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. It¡¯s not? An earthquake, right?¡± ¡°It couldn¡¯t be¡­¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± The noise of something crumbling rang out from up ahead. He watched the building standing before him turn to dust. They got their weapons ready and were on alert before several monsters appeared from the dust. ¡°Graaaahh!!¡± ¡°Greeeehhh!!¡± ¡°A Golem and a Cyclops?¡± Three battle golems of varying colors and a cyclops clad in red scales appeared before them. Reito had met a cyclops before, but this one seemed to be a head taller than that one. The agitated cyclops grabbed at the black Golem. It seemed the monsters were fighting amongst themselves. ¡°Greeehhh!!¡± ¡°Grraahh¡­!?¡± The cyclops picked up the black Golem ¨C likely with a dark Magic crystal core ¨C and threw it at a column in a nearby building. The Brown and gray Golems formed a shield with their hands and charged. ¡°Graah!!¡± ¡°Greeehhh¡­!!¡± The cyclops got in stance and parried the attack, pushing them back in the process. ¡°Greeehh¡­!!¡± ¡°Graahh¡­!?¡± ¡°That was awesome¡­ That cyclops is gonna beat those Golems for sure.¡± Dain seemed excited, but Reito was observing the fight quietly. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not so sure.¡± At first glance, the cyclops looked to have the upper hand, but the two Golems also didn¡¯t appear to be struggling. The Battle Golems made thorns appear on the bottom of their feat and fixed themselves to the ground. The brown Battle Golem ¨C who likely had an earth magic crystal core ¨C raised its right arm up and released a fish beaming with crimson color magical energy just like Reito¡¯s ¡°Energy Blade.¡± ¡°Grahh!!¡± ¡°Greeh!?¡± The Battle Golem pierced the sturdy scales of the cyclops. The cyclops stepped back, unable to endure the pain, but the other Battle Golem took advantage of the break to push it over. ¡°Graahh!!¡± ¡°What was that!?¡± ¡°¡­Wind?¡± The moment the Battle Golem raised its hand over its head, a tornado appeared. It released the tornado on the cyclops¡¯ biggest weakness, its one eye. The whirling tornado drilled into the eyeball, scooping it out. The scream of the cyclops rang out. ¡°Graaaaahhh!!¡± ¡°Greeehhh¡­!?¡± The cyclops with the smashed eye shook and spasmed violently before it stopped moving. Reito grimaced at that sight while his companions held their breaths. The three Golems looked at Reito and crew. ¡°Graah¡­!!¡± ¡°They noticed us!?¡± ¡°So it¡¯s gotta be like this¡­ Go, Kotomin!!¡± ¡°Yessir!¡± ¡°Pururun!!¡± Kotomin got Hitomin and Suramin at the ready and released a large quantity of water on the battle Golems. The large quantity of water approached the Battle Golems, but the brown one put both hands on the ground and dug up a large pile of dirt. It formed an earth wall. ¡°Grah!!¡± ¡°An earth wall!¡± The wall shielded them from the water. ¡°I can¡¯t believe they avoided that.¡± ¡°Just wait!!¡± The slimes ceased spraying water as Gonzo ran up with a club, smashing it into the wall. ¡°Golden Strike!!¡± ¡°Graaah¡­!?¡± The wall was destroyed in an instant by Gonzo¡¯s one attack. The black and gray Golems were standing there, yet the brown one was nowhere in sight. The earth behind Gonzo began to pile up, and the Battle Golem grabbed his ankles. ¡°Wah!?¡± ¡°Graah!!¡± ¡°It just appeared out of the earth!? Was it tunneling!?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡­ Gon-chan!!¡± Gonzo was trying to get loose from the Golem, clutching his ankles, but he couldn¡¯t get away. The other two attacked him at his most vulnerable. ¡°Get away from my best friend!! Gravity Blade!!¡± ¡°Please get there in time¡­ Shadow Slip!!¡± Reito and Dain used their magic and battle skill to support him. Reito¡¯s Extermination Blade sliced the leg off of one of the Battle Golems while Dain managed to trip the other. The two of them fell to the ground. Reito aimed for a follow-up attack against the brown Battle Golem. He aimed for the head of the Battle Golem sticking up from the ground. ¡°Haaaah!!¡± ¡°Grahh!?¡± The crimson gravity coiled around the blade and poured into the Battle Golem¡¯s forehead. He tried to pierce its head, but the Golem let go of Gonzo¡¯s legs and grabbed the blade. Its arms were lit up with the gravity from its opponent¡¯s blade. He managed to push Reito¡¯s blade back. ¡°Graaaaahhhhh!!¡± ¡°Wahh!?¡± ¡°Reito!?¡± Reito was blasted away with his broadsword. He hurried to compose himself, but the Battle Golem had emerged from the ground completely and was facing off with him. The Battle Golem set its sights on Reito, ignoring Gonzo in the background. The Battle Golem reached out for Reito. ¡°Shit¡­ Helmet Smasher!!¡± ¡°Grah!!¡± Reito used his Stark Blade combo skill to counter, but the Battle Golem easily stopped the attack. A crack formed on its palms from the attack, but no destruction was to be had. Reito couldn¡¯t hide his shock at the Golem¡¯s defensive capabilities. ¡°It¡¯s so sturdy¡­ Take this!! Iceclad Sword!!¡± Reito was a little flustered, but he formed a longsword with his left hand. He used ¡°Super Vibration¡± on the blade and raised the sword. For simple dissections, the Iceclad Sword was superior to the Extermination Blade. Still, the strike was repelled when it hit its abdomen. ¡°What!?¡± ¡°Wh, what!? What¡¯s wrong, Reito!?¡± ¡°¡­It was repealed. Or, repelled by gravity?¡± ¡°Graaahhh¡­!!¡± The Battle Golem was wrapped in crimson magic. The gravity generated by magic functioned as a kind of armor. ¡°You little¡­!!¡± ¡°Grah!!¡± The Battle Golem was going to try and tackle Reito. He was hoping to crush Reito with an underarm grip using gravity. Reito used the Extermination Blade as a shield to block the tackle. ¡°Ngh!!¡± ¡°Grah!!¡± When the Battle Golem collided with him, Reito used ¡°Ukemi¡± and ¡°Resilience¡± to fall safely. But the blast wave generated when they collided sent the two of them flying. ¡°Wah!?¡± ¡°Grah!!¡± ¡°Reito¡­ Ngh!?¡± ¡°Grahhn!!¡± Gonzo tried to help Reito from the sidelines, but the black Golem came swinging. He immediately guarded with his left arm, but the fist was like a boulder, and the wind was knocked out of him. The Battle Golem went in with more punches. Gonzo used ¡°Unmovable Rock¡± and ¡°Harden¡± to maintain a defensive stance. Still, he was getting increasingly tired the more hits he took. ¡°What is going on¡­!?¡± Gonzo was at a loss and called for Dain. ¡°Gonzo!! He is probably using dark magic!! You can¡¯t get hit by it!!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s going on¡­ Ngh!!¡± ¡°Graaahh¡­!!¡± Gonzo understood what was happening when he heard the word ¡°dark magic.¡± Dark magic is usually used by dark magicians and necromancers to warp the senses of living creatures. It had the ability to steal the opponent¡¯s magical energy, and it was likely that Gonzo¡¯s energy was also being sapped up by the Battle Golem¡¯s attacks. ¡°Graaaaahhhh!!¡± ¡°Waaaaahhhh!! You¡¯re coming for us!?¡± The gray Golem approached Dain and Kotomin. It had the same tornado it used to kill off the cyclops in its hands. Kotomin said to Dain, ¡°use your shadow magic, quick!¡± ¡°Th, that¡¯s right! Take this!! Shadow Bind!!¡± Dain poked his wand into the ground and controlled his shadow to grab the Battle Golem¡¯s ankles. The shadow was creeping up the Battle Golem¡¯s legs and was aiming to bind its whole body. The Battle Golem began to struggle. Kotomin got Suramin and Hitomin ready and used ¡°Water Gun.¡± ¡°Take this!¡± ¡°Pururu!!¡± ¡°Graaaahhhh¡­!?¡± ¡°We did it!¡± The large volume of water washed over the shadow-bound Battle Golem. Water splashed in a dazzling performance as Dain cheered. But he noticed something wrong. ¡°Wh, What is that!?¡± ¡°This is unexpected¡­¡± ¡°Graaahhh!!¡± The Battle Golem was using its tornado to blow away the water coming at it head-on. It hadn¡¯t entirely avoided all the water, but most of the water was sprayed around it. It wouldn¡¯t have any fatal wounds. Before long, Hitomin and Suramin had used all the water in their bodies, and the spray finished. ¡°Purupuru¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re out of water. I¡¯m gonna go to the river to get more.¡± ¡°You¡¯re joking me, right!? Do you think we have time for that!?¡± ¡°Graahhhh!!¡± Dain wouldn¡¯t be able to hold out for much longer. If the Battle Golem managed to break free from his restraints, it would come straight for the two of them. Reito had to help Gonzo, or he would be in trouble, but both of them were facing serious opponents. ¡°Shit¡­ Magical Reinforcement!!¡± ¡°Graahh!!¡± Reito amplified the magical energy of his Gravity Blade to send more energy through his sword. On the other hand, the brown Battle Golem changed both of its arms into a sharpened blade shape. It was going to resist Reito¡¯s attack. ¡°Full-body reinforcement!! Spin Strike!!¡± ¡°Grahh!?¡± Reito had strengthened his body as much as he could and struck the side of the Battle Golem with his Extermination Blade. Because he augmented his magical energy, he managed to blow the Golem¡¯s enormous body away. The Battle Golem fell to the ground but got back up immediately. ¡°Grahhhh!!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem to have regenerative abilities.¡± The Battle Golem still had wounds from Reito¡¯s attack. Even though it could freely transform its outer shell, it didn¡¯t seem able to heal the wounds. Also, cracks were forming over its entire body. Reito was still wrapped in gravity, but if he also enveloped the Extermination Blade in magical energy gravity, he should be able to pierce its body. ¡°Grahh!!¡± ¡°Hey now¡­ You¡¯re getting a little bored.¡± Reito calmly avoided the Battle Golem as it wildly punched at him. To prepare for the counterattack, he gripped his Extermination Blade and made his eyes red. Reito used his most potent attack and swung his blade down. ¡°Helmet Smasher!¡± ¡°Grahh¡­!?¡± He swung the blade so fast it left an afterimage and struck the Battle Golem right in the head. It couldn¡¯t stop the blade¡¯s swift movements, and it was sliced firmly into. Gonzo was continuing a furious battle on the sidelines. ¡°Shit¡­ I can¡¯t lose!!¡± ¡°Grahh!!¡± He had thrown away his sword and was fighting bare-fisted. He made sure to not allow his opponent time to punch back and was firing away. ¡°Nghaaaaaaa!!¡± The Battle Golem was punched away by Gonzo¡¯s repeated attacks. ¡°Ngh!!¡± ¡°Grah!?¡± Gonzo took further advantage of its carelessness and grabbed its legs. He then slammed it on the ground using supernatural force. He held on to its two legs and lifted it up, doing a giant swing. Gonzo swung faster and faster as he spun it above his head. ¡°AHHHHHHHH!!¡± ¡°GRAAAAAHHHHHHH¡­.!?¡± ¡°Get wrecked!!¡± Gonzo smashed the Battle Golem into a collapsed building. ¡°Grahhhh¡­!?¡± The shell of the Battle Golem came off of every part of its body except for its head. The black core in the middle of the Golem was exposed. Gonzo threw the Battle Golem up in the air and had it fall on its head. ¡°Helmet Drop!!¡± ¡°Grahh!?¡± The magic crystal went flying from its head, and its body became no more than scattered powder. ¡°Phew. I won. I can¡¯t believe I managed to¡­¡± Gonzo was out of breath. ¡°Good work,¡± Reito picked up the dark magic crystal that fell on the ground as he said some words of encouragement to the dumbfounded Gonzo. ¡°Reito? Did you also finish? Where are Dain and them?¡± ¡°They¡¯re fine, look.¡± Reito pointed in their direction to see Dain binding the gray Battle Golem. Kotomin was holding him up with her palms. ¡°Just a little more¡­ Hang in there.¡± ¡°Just smash your own face in, already!!¡± ¡°Graaaahhhh¡­!?¡± The Battle Golem was smashing its own tornado into its own head. The Battle Golem¡¯s head was demolished. ¡°Graaaahhhh¡­!?¡± The core was cracked, and the Battle Golem collapsed. Dain made an accomplished face as he fell down too. Before his face hit the ground, Suramin made a pillow for him. ¡°I, I did it¡­ I won.¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired¡­ I need to get more water.¡± ¡°Nice work.¡± ¡°That was awesome.¡± Reito and Gonzo joined the two of them and congratulated them. After Reito and crew had defeated the three Golems, they decided to take a break. They didn¡¯t see any more monsters in the area, so they were able to take a little rest. Volume 5 - CH 2.1 A rare guest had come to visit the Adventure City¡¯s Hailstorm guild while Reito and crew were exploring the Forest of the Abyss. The guild master Maria had invited her into her office and had poured some tea as they chatted. ¡°I can¡¯t believe the day came that we are drinking tea together.¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s my line. But I can¡¯t believe you can drink this tea with this strange flavor.¡± Sitting across from Maria was the Black Tiger¡¯s guild master Bal. She made a sour face. They stayed silent as they enjoyed their tea snacks and observed each other. Bal was the one who broke the silence first. ¡°So¡­ I don¡¯t like to beat around the bush. Let¡¯s get into it.¡± ¡°And what would that be? Are you going to come under my guild¡¯s umbrella? ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. That¡¯s the problem.¡± Bal interrupted Maria¡¯s conversation and pointed at her. Maria looked puzzled and waited for Bal to continue. Bal stayed silent for a minute before resolving to continue. ¡°You were mad that I left your guild, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yes,¡± Maria looked sad. Bal scratched her head and continued, ¡°to be honest, I feel bad for leaving without saying anything.¡± ¡°Really? In that case¡­¡± ¡°Just listen¡­ I am being serious right now.¡± ¡°¡­Right.¡± Maria stopped talking and decided to listen to Bal. ¡°¡­I was a brat back in the day. Maybe for you, I¡¯m still just a brat, but even brats have their own problems.¡± ¡°Problems?¡± ¡°When I first joined your guild, I caused so many problems for you and Aira. I ended up working by myself before long¡­ And before I knew it, I ended up all alone.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But, I realized something. You were the one who chose those quests for me¡­ I didn¡¯t think about it. I just executed the jobs. But I was very nervous when I first became a solo adventurer.¡± Bal shared her feelings. Maria was surprised. She didn¡¯t know Bal had felt that way. Bal went on, ¡°the reason I joined your guild was to get revenge on Gain, who killed my parents¡­ But, I knew you thought that was a nuisance.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Maria had her apprehensions about Bal¡¯s revenge efforts. She did her best to ensure information about the man named Gain never reached her ears. But Bal heard about him from an informant and decided to leave Hailstorm with firm conviction. ¡°I couldn¡¯t stand it. The person who I adored, like a parent, had betrayed me. But I understood immediately. You didn¡¯t want me to go down the path of revenge.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Revenge yields nothing good¡­ didn¡¯t want you to know.¡± Maria put her tea on the table and looked at Bal with a severe face. It was the same face she made when Bal first left the guild. It was the face of a parent who didn¡¯t want to say goodbye to her child. ¡°It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want to let you murder him. Sometimes you have a bandit as your opponent, and there¡¯s no choice. But I didn¡¯t want you to live to get revenge. That was painful for me¡­ I was afraid you would lose your raison d¡¯¨ºtre after you carried out your revenge.¡± ¡°I know¡­ But I hated that. That¡¯s something about you I never did like.¡± ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡± Maria thought Bal left the guild because she disapproved of her quest for revenge. But the real reason was a little different. ¡°I just wanted you to acknowledge me. I¡¯m not a helpless child. I wanted to live without your help.¡± ¡°Maybe I was a little overprotective¡­¡± ¡°Yes. You always, always, were behind my actions¡­ I couldn¡¯t take it. That¡¯s why I left the guild.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Bal was taken entirely off guard by Maria¡¯s apology. She might be dumbfounded here and there, but she never thought that she would be apologized to. Maria bitterly smiled at Bal¡¯s astonished facial expression. ¡°I was wrong. When you visited this guild for the first time, I thought of you as my own child. So, I went a little too far.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong¡­ Why are you being so honest? Eww.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of me. I also have things I regret, you know? I foolishly made up the reason you left the guild in my own head. I feel so ashamed of my provocations.¡± ¡°Yeah! You really gotta reflect on that!! You stole a few of my guild members!¡± ¡°But, I set them up with jobs. To be honest, it¡¯s a miracle someone like you who can¡¯t compromise was a guild master.¡± ¡°What¡­!?¡± When Bal first became guild master, she didn¡¯t understand anything about the job and was completely distressed. No matter how skilled of an adventurer she was, giving jobs to other people was something new for her. Maria helped her by giving them jobs on the side. 80 percent of the questions in the Hailstorm Guild were from aristocrats and merchants. They were often high-ticket quests. Maria wanted to expand her own personal network as well. But, ordinary people often went to the Black Tiger guild or Fang Dragon. If Hailstorm had accepted quests from ordinary people, Fang Dragon and Black Dragon would have gone bankrupt. ¡°Shit¡­ Do you always have to interfere!¡± ¡°No. It might have been that way in the beginning, but now you¡¯re doing a great job.¡± ¡°So, you helped us with our difficulties finding people? Even though you took from our guild!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Bal was tired of being angry and sat deep in her chair. Maria looked at her and remembered her time following Aira around as a child. She smiled. ¡°Anyway, did you come to make amends today?¡± ¡°Pfft¡­ I can¡¯t win.¡± Maria reached out her hand for a handshake. Bal was too embarrassed to respond and tried to avoid the situation. Bal cleared her throat and started talking, ¡°Anyway. Now that we¡¯re friends again, I have a request. For you, my friend.¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re really emphasizing the friend part¡­ What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I know what will happen if you reject me, but¡­ Anyway, I don¡¯t need to talk like we¡¯re fighting¡­ I¡¯m the more immature one¡­ Um, what were we talking about?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, you tell me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Him. Him. Your cute little nephew.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± Maria was on the edge of her chair listening to Reito¡¯s story. ¡°What!? You look like you¡¯re going to eat me¡­ You really lose it when you hear about your nephew.¡± Bal thought she was being a dumbass aunt, but she wanted to share information with her. ¡°Recently, you know that many people have visited our city, right? Adventurers and soldiers from other cities. Even martial artists who have never shown their face before.¡± ¡°I read that in the report. After hearing the rumors, they wanted to see the city that defeated the Rotten Dragon.¡± Even though the Hunting Festival was canceled in the city, a large number of tourists were visiting. Many of them wanted the chance to see the face of the adventurer who subjugated the Rotten Dragon. That wouldn¡¯t be a problem, except that the person who defeated the dragon was a bit of a problem. ¡°Princess Nao was the one who defeated the dragon, according to the public¡­ It¡¯s true she did help.¡± ¡°Right. I do wonder why she could use a holy sword, though¡­¡± ¡°But you know who was actually there, right? Who delivered the final blow?¡± ¡°Reito¡­ right?¡± Maria witnessed her beloved nephew defeat the Rotten Dragon up close. She wanted to tell everyone in town about his bravery. Still, when the Rotten Dragon was defeated, the adventurers were ordered to stay silent about it. Maria, who was an S-Rank adventurer, and Nao, who had a holy sword, were to receive the credit. Reito wouldn¡¯t be mentioned. Otherwise, it could put him in peril. The reason lies in his origin story. Reito was the prince of the Baltros Kingdom and was supposed to be missing. He barely escaped assassination in the past. If Reito was known as the one who defeated the Rotten Dragon, the Kingdom would definitely want to know more about him. They might learn the truth, which would put Reito in a bad situation. ¡°No one can know about Reito. You don¡¯t want the Kingdom to take your precious nephew, right?¡± ¡°Of course. I would do a coup d¡¯etat in that situation.¡± ¡°Calm down with the jokes. How much do you love him!¡± ¡°He¡¯s my sister¡¯s beloved son. It¡¯s my kid as far as I¡¯m concerned.¡± ¡°Your lovely sister aside, I¡¯ve never heard the term beloved son before.¡± Bal sighed at Maria, who lost her cool when it came to all things Reito. She remembered when Maria doted on her as a child. Maybe she really liked children. Bal continued. ¡°Anyway, let me get to the main topic. Lately, a lot of rumors have spread through the town. They are saying that it wasn¡¯t you or Princess Nao who defeated the dragon but a valiant swordsman.¡± ¡°Why is that¡­ I bet there was an information leak.¡± ¡°I believe it was the soldiers. On that day, the soldiers on the south wall witnessed a swordsman in the fight. It was far away, so they couldn¡¯t identify who it was.¡± ¡°That was a blindspot,¡± Maria held her head. Reito and crew battled with the Rotten Dragon pretty far away from the protective wall. But, the soldiers with the ¡°Far Sight¡± and ¡°Observing Eye¡± skills witnessed the battle. The good thing is that they couldn¡¯t see it was Reito, but they did know someone used a broadsword to deliver the final blow against the Rotten Dragon. ¡°It¡¯s the talk of the town right now. They think there¡¯s a third hero who defeated the Rotten Dragon. And they know it¡¯s a swordsman who uses a broadsword¡­ Even just that amount of information makes things perilous.¡± ¡°But, there are plenty of swordsmen who fit that profile. You and the giants use that kind of weapon all the time, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like the way you said that. It makes me sound like a giant¡­ Anyway, that¡¯s true, but in this town, there aren¡¯t that many people who use broadswords.¡± The rumors had reached the Kingdom. If they started looking into who that swordsman was, it was only a matter of time before it led them back to Reito. ¡°What a pain. Bal, take credit for killing the Rotten Dragon. That should solve everything.¡± Bal frowned, ¡°it¡¯s no time for jokes! Why do I have to steal the glory of one of my own guild members¡¯ achievements? People saw that I was on the castle wall. I don¡¯t think people will buy my story!¡± Maria was a little irritated with her very valid argument. Bal was a little surprised at Maria, who couldn¡¯t hide her irritation, and she continued talking. ¡°I don¡¯t think it will stay a rumor. Everyone will want to find the swordsman of the rumors. They will ask my guild if we have any broadsword swordsmen. Thirty people came just to ask about it today.¡± ¡°This is bad¡­ We can¡¯t ask everyone to stay silent, and if we don¡¯t do anything, Reito will be discovered. Even if the Kingdom doesn¡¯t send out a search, there¡¯s no doubt that our own master swordsmen will move to find the swordsman who defeated the legendary dragon. If it becomes that much of a commotion, the Kingdom will definitely find out about Reito.¡± ¡°Not just the master swordsmen. Many dumbasses will want to challenge him to a duel. I¡¯m sure the professional informants are already looking into the situation¡­ That¡¯s why I wanted your advice.¡± ¡°Damn. Speaking of which, where is Reito?¡± ¡°He left the city. He took Dain and them with him to go camping. What a carefree guy.¡± ¡°Right, he¡¯s not in town. That¡¯s actually a relief.¡± To be exact, it wasn¡¯t just a coincidence that Reito had snuck out of town ¨C it was Airis¡¯s instructions. He decided to leave after hearing the rumor that people around town were looking for him from Airis. Maria and Bal continued to seriously discuss a way to keep Reito¡¯s identity hidden, but they weren¡¯t able to come up with a good plan and concluded the meeting. Still, the fact that the two guild masters were able to achieve conciliation was a joyous thing, and there¡¯s no doubt Reito had brought the two of them together. Volume 5 - CH 2.2 Reito and crew had entered one of the non-collapsed buildings to take a break after defeating the five Battle Golems. They were getting ready to eat. He had checked with Airis that there was no danger around them, so there was no problem there. They had made hot pot from the ingredients in his storage magic and the monster he had hunted yesterday. Reito pulled out drinking water, too. Everyone was eating together. They planned to continue their investigation after they had rested enough. Dain, Gonzo, and Kotomin, who were eating the hot pot, chimed in one after the other, ¡°Wow¡­ that was delicious!¡± ¡°That was great!¡± ¡°I wish we had had fish¡­¡± ¡°My bad. I¡¯ll bring fishing supplies next time.¡± Ullr whimpered. ¡°Purupuru.¡± Reito was putting away the utensils and bowls as he looked outside. There was no sign of any Battle Golem being nearby. According to Airis, there were 7 Battle Golems assigned to protect this town. ¡ºThe Battle Golem were made out of crystals representing 7 magical properties. The only ones left are the water and lightning property Battle Golem.¡» ¡ºWhere are they?¡» ¡ºThey are on patrol in an area far from where you guys are hiding. They have designated patrol areas, so if you don¡¯t approach the area on purpose, there¡¯s no chance they¡¯ll attack you. However, there are situations where they will track down the monsters that enter the town, so watch out.¡» The first Battle Golem they encountered was a holy magic one that had been chasing after a goblin that was running away. It was an accident that they ran into the Battle Golem. Further, Battle Golems are vaguely able to grasp each other¡¯s location. They are designed to gather when one of them enters battle mode. The second Golem was drawn in by the other one. The cyclops had lost its habitat after being driven away by the master of the forest, the Minotaurus. It just happened to wander into the ruins. Reito asked Airis a question, ¡ºDo I need to get the magic crystals of the other two Golem?¡» ¡ºIf you can, it would be beneficial for you. You can use it to make holy swords, and if you use them right, you might be able to make something more powerful than a holy sword.¡» ¡ºI have no plans to make such a destructive weapon.¡» ¡ºAt any rate, it would be best to get them. Oh, and there are other materials left in the town. We need to get them.¡» ¡ºDain is suffering from hard times financially. Can I share the materials with him?¡» ¡ºOf course, of course.¡» ¡ºThank you, Airis¡­ Wait, shoot. I forgot to think of a silly way to say your name¡­ Darn it!!¡» ¡ºIs it really that big of a deal?¡» After finishing his conversation with Airis, Reito looked at the Holy Chain he had coiled around his arm. He didn¡¯t use it in the battles with the Battle Golems. Maybe he wouldn¡¯t really have much of a chance to use it in ordinary fights. ¡°Purupuru.¡± ¡°Reito, Suramin is bored. She wants to play cards!¡± Kotomin translated Suramin¡¯s words for her. ¡°What, no way. You¡¯re too strong. You always strip me of all my money!¡± ¡°Suramin did that to you! How can a slime even play cards!¡± Dain was shocked. ¡°If you¡¯re really pressed about it, we could play chess or shogi.¡± The heroes summoned to this world brought games from the other world, and as a result, card and board games were widespread. Hanafuda and Mahjong were also popular games. Suramin and Hitomin were highly intelligent and comprehended those games. They were really good at the games too. ¡°Purupuru.¡± ¡°He said he¡¯ll play shogi and not cards¡­ She says she¡¯ll give you a handicap, so bring it on!¡± ¡°You little¡­ You¡¯ve been really bold lately. But Ullr is also really good at shogi.¡± ¡°Ullr can play shogi? Why are our pets so smart!!¡± ¡°I think he only understands half the rules, but he goes off intuition.¡± ¡°Wow, intuition!¡± Gonzo was impressed. Reito pulled shogi out of his storage magic and watched as sparks flew between Ullr and Suramin. Reito was comforted by his pets as he thought about the Battle Golems again. He thought of a new sure-fire skill to use against them. ¡°I¡¯m going to step out. I¡¯ll take Hitomin with me, so I don¡¯t get lost.¡± ¡°Purun?¡± ¡°She¡¯ll go, she says¡­ Where to?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to go on the lookout.¡± Reito took Hitomin and stepped outside, checking his surroundings. He didn¡¯t spot any Battle Golems, so he practiced his skill for a while. He took a breath before returning inside. ¡°I¡¯m back!¡± ¡°Welcome back¡­ I heard quite the commotion out there. Are you okay?¡± ¡°I was just having too much fun.¡± Gonzo yawned. ¡°¡­ You¡¯re being noisy, and I can¡¯t sleep!¡± Ullr whimpered. Reito came back to find Gonzo sleeping. A little ways from him, Kotomin and Suramin, were hugging Ullr and sleeping too. He didn¡¯t see Dain. His bag was still there, so it¡¯s hard to imagine he was very far away. Reito figured he went to use the bathroom and sat down. ¡°Phew¡­ I¡¯m tired. Hitomin, massage my shoulders.¡± ¡°Purupuru.¡± ¡°Ouch¡­¡± Hitomin gave Reito little punches as if to say, ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous!¡± and then went back to Kotomin¡¯s head. Kotomin usually takes care of Suramin and Hitomin, but when she¡¯s not there, Reito ends up taking care of them. They just need water, so it¡¯s not very difficult, and they become your pillow at night. They¡¯re really convenient critters. Reito was carefully raising the two of them. Reito asked Kotomin, ¡°Did Dain go somewhere? The bathroom?¡± ¡°No, he wanted to check out this building. He took his wand, so I think he¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°He said he was out of energy after using his shadow magic so much¡­ So reckless.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he would want to hear that coming from you.¡± ¡°Good point.¡± Reito realized he also does a lot of reckless things. He should have been working hard to live a peaceful and safe life. Still, before he knew it, he was fighting with legendary dragons and taking his friends to dangerous places. He had no right to call other people reckless. He was still worried about Dain being alone and decided to look for him. Reito asked Airis where he was. ¡ºAiris.¡» ¡ºW, Wait!! I¡¯m changing my clothes!!¡» ¡ºUm, sorry¡­ Wait, do you even have clothes?¡» ¡ºAh, man, you got me.¡» ¡ºTell me where Dain is.¡» ¡ºOkay, okay¡­ Um, he is still in the building, but he¡¯s far away from where you are now.¡» Hearing Dain¡¯s whereabouts, Reito went running off after him. Things should be safe, but it was undeniable that there was a chance of an incident occurring. After getting to the place Airis told him about, he found Dain. ¡°Oh, there you are¡­ What are you doing.¡± ¡°Ngh¡­ I can¡¯t get it right.¡± Dain was in one of the corridors. He was holding his wand and striking a pose. Reito thought Dain was performing some kind of ritual, but he was mistaken. Instead, Dain was staring at the black-bound book at his feet and muttering something. ¡°Is it this? No, it¡¯s this!!¡± Reito used his ¡°Far Sight¡± and ¡°Observing Eye¡± skills to see what he was doing. He also used ¡°Concealment¡± and ¡°Soundless Walk¡± to not make a disturbance. Reito, who had nearly erased his presence, peeped at Dain, who was reading the book. ¡°What is he looking at?¡± Dain was looking at a page with an illustration of a wizard boy and explaining how to use some sort of magic in very fine letters. ¡°Here we go¡­ Shadow Bite!!¡± Dain made the same pose as the character in the book and stuck out his wand. A black object shaped like a wolf-head was released from his wand, and the wolf-head crawled on the floor, opening its mouth. Dain looked both shocked and overjoyed. He let out a yell in excitement, ¡°I did it!! I finally succeeded. I can prove myself to Reito and them!!¡± ¡°Congratulations.¡± ¡°AHHHHHH!? R-, Reito!?¡± Dain screamed and looked back at Reito. ¡°Wow¡­ You completely surprised me¡­ Dammit, don¡¯t sneak up on me like that!¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry¡­ But, was that some sort of new trick?¡± ¡°Uh, umm, yes, it was. Did you see that magic I just performed? It¡¯s cool, right!? It was in this book!!¡± Dain gleefully showed off the book. On the cover, it said, ¡°Knowing Magic.¡± The title was somewhat occult and suspicious, but given that Dain was able to perform the magic in the book, it must be the real deal. ¡°That¡¯s not your book, huh? Where did you find that book?¡± ¡°It was on the bookshelf in that room. It has dark magic from around the world. It had been greatly damaged, so I couldn¡¯t see most of it, but the part about the ¡®Shadow Bite¡¯ was still intact.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Reit took the book from Dain and flipped through some pages. Just as he said, the pages were dirty and torn. He couldn¡¯t make out the sentences. Reito closed the book and asked Dain, ¡°Was that magic you just performed shadow magic? It looked like you were making a wolf go flying.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!! According to the book, you shape the shadow into a wolf¡¯s head, and it can bite your opponents. But it¡¯s not an attack move. Instead, it momentarily lowers the opponent¡¯s status.¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s not an attack move!?¡± The wolf shadow looked so strong, so it was a big surprise it had no attack capabilities. Dain made a face in apology. ¡°Instead, it lowers the opponent¡¯s status. Unlike the other kinds of shadow magic I can use, Shadow Bite lets me hold on to the opponent for a while. They continue having a lower status, meaning I can pull away from the shadow and use other shadow magic! It¡¯s quite the skill!¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± One of the unique characteristics of shadow magic is that you use your own shadow, and you usually can only use one spell at a time. Each spell is considerably potent on its own, so it would be a significant advantage to be able to use two attacks at once. It¡¯s impossible to do significant damage with a physical attack using shadow magic. The shadow will disappear if exposed to intense light, but ordinary sunlight wouldn¡¯t make it disappear. Shadow magic exhibits tremendous power in darkness. The shadow¡¯s firing range and magical abilities are significantly increased. Of course, a certain amount of light is still needed. Dain has two kinds of shadow magic that he can use. First is ¡°Shadow Bind,¡± which can bind a single opponent and take away their freedom of movement. It also enables you to move the person like a puppet to some extent. The other is ¡°Shadow Slip,¡± which creates a shadow at a blinding speed and can trip the opponent, causing them to break posture. It can triple multiple opponents in one fell swoop, and it works on super heavy opponents as well. They are both convenient kinds of magic, but they have a weakness in common. The caster becomes immobile. However, the magic that Dain learned, ¡°Shadow Bite,¡± lets the user separate their shadow to release it on their opponent. While in operation, it can freely move. The shadow, which is transformed into a wolf-head, can be moved by Dain¡¯s will, although it¡¯s only for thirty seconds. ¡°You said you can lower the opponent¡¯s status, but how much does it get lowered?¡± ¡°We would have to test it out¡­¡± ¡°In that case, try it on me. Don¡¯t make it hurt!¡± ¡°What!?¡± Dain was surprised. But, it was confirmed that it would be dangerous to use it in battle without testing it first. He was reluctant, but Reito made it clear it was necessary to test it out, so he begrudgingly agreed and prepared to cast the spell. Dain called out to Reito, who had moved about 10 meters away from him. ¡°Alright, here I go!!¡± ¡°Bring it on!!¡± ¡°Shadow Bite!!¡± When Dain cast the spell, a wolf-head-shaped shadow was released from Dain and bit onto Reito¡¯s ankle. ¡°Ngh¡­ Hold on? It doesn¡¯t hurt¡­ Wait!?¡± Reito could feel his strength leaving his body from the area where he had been bitten. He fell to his knees. ¡°Reito, are you alright!?¡± ¡°I, I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m good¡­ but I¡¯m alright.¡± Dain tried to run over, but Reito stopped him. He wanted to check the efficacy of the magic and tried to reach his hand to the wolf head attached to his ankle, but it didn¡¯t look like he¡¯d be able to rip it off. ¡°Ngh¡­ I feel flabby. This is gross.¡± He wasn¡¯t just feeling flabby but was losing all his bodily sensation from the part where the shadow had bit. Reito tried to think of what he could do and used ¡°Photosphere.¡± A ball of light was born from Reito¡¯s palms and made the shadow vanish into mist. ¡°Ah¡­ so it has the same weakness as the other attacks,¡± Reito mumbled, half out of his wits. Gonzo, carrying Kotomin and the two slimes, came into the corridor riding Ullr. ¡°So this is where you were.¡± ¡°We found you!¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± It appeared they used Ullr to follow Reito¡¯s scent. Dain told his friends, ¡°so everyone came here. Were you worried about me?¡± ¡°Of course. We were afraid you would get killed by a monster otherwise.¡± ¡°Shit¡­ The fact I don¡¯t have a comeback makes me even angrier!!¡± Dain sighed. But he was pleased that he learned a new type of magic. He wasn¡¯t sure if his new magic would work on inorganic beings like the Battle Golems. Still, he knew that it would be effective on ordinary monsters. Kotomin and Gonzo chimed in, ¡°Reito, we oughta get a move on.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little past noon. We¡¯ve gotta finish our search soon, or we¡¯ll end up spending the night here.¡± Dain shivered in fear at the thought. ¡°I definitely don¡¯t want to spend the night with those kinds of monsters around.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Let¡¯s move on.¡± The ruins were a safe space that monsters rarely visited. Still, Reito wasn¡¯t in a position to explain that, so he went along with his friends¡¯ opinions. Volume 5 - CH 2.3 Reito communicated with Airis to decide his next destination. ¡ºColonel Airis, do you copy?¡» ¡º What¡¯s up, doc¡­ Actually, I¡¯m not gonna take that joke any further.¡» ¡ºYou said I should look for that special material, but where is it?¡» ¡ºMove to the center of town. There¡¯s a blacksmith who specializes in holy swords, so we can get our hands on ¡°Orichalcum¡± and ¡°Adamantite.¡» ¡ºThose are some really fantasy-sounding metal names¡­¡» Reito ended communications and decided to smoothly get everyone to advance to the center. He looked out for the two remaining Battle Golem as he slipped through the ruin city. ¡°Alright, Ullr, if any enemies approach, let me know.¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°Suramin and Hitomin¡­ Hmm? Where did they go? Are you hiding in Kotomin¡¯s clothes? Come on out!!¡± ¡°Those are mine,¡± Kotomin blushed as she hid her breasts. ¡°The slimes are over here,¡± Gonzo shouted out to Reito. ¡°Purupuru?¡± The slimes were sitting on Gonzo¡¯s shoulders. Reito held out both his hands, and Hitomin jumped into them. Suramin moved onto Kotomin¡¯s head. ¡°You were sticking to Gon-chan¡¯s back. You really like him, huh?¡± Reito commented. ¡°Yup. You guys used to run away from him!¡± Dain tilted his head in confusion, ¡°Huh, that¡¯s weird. They always liked me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re nothing to be afraid of.¡± ¡°What does that mean!? Are you telling me the slimes were making light of me!?¡± ¡°Purupuru (don¡¯t worry about the small things).¡± Reito and crew left the building and headed toward the center. Even if an enemy were to approach, between Ullr¡¯s sense of smell and the slimes¡¯ perception abilities, they should be able to notice them. Reito also had some perception skills, but it would require too much physical and mental stamina to use them all the time. Reito started talking to the slimes, ¡°You guys really help us a lot. Ahh, that¡¯s right. If Suramin eats a magic gem, you¡¯ll split up, right? If I keep giving you magic gems, it¡¯ll become a slime harem, right?¡± ¡°That sounds fun,¡± Kotomin commented. ¡°Purupuru.¡± Kotomin seemed excited about it, but the two slimes shook their bodies in disagreement. It seemed like they wanted all the attention for themself, and they repeatedly slapped their owner¡¯s cheeks. Hitomin had originally split off from Suramin. Their color and personality have come to differ, and they¡¯ve both really come into their own. Reito played with his pets as they moved. They arrived at the foundry. ¡°I feel like there¡¯s something inside, so I¡¯m going to check it out,¡± Reito said before Dain glared at the building before them. ¡°This is a foundry?¡± ¡°Maybe for dwarves. It¡¯s in poor shape, though,¡± Gonzo muttered as he gazed at it. The building was half-destroyed, and there was evidence there had once been a fire. Reito picked up a hammer from the ground, but the handle was weak and broke. ¡°The holy swords were made here¡­¡± ¡°What did you say, Reito?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Kotomin overheard Reito¡¯s mumbling, but he just shook his head. Although it had once been used to manufacture holy swords and sacred treasures, it was clear that the place was no longer used as a foundry as there was not a shadow in sight. Reito and crew split up and made a thorough investigation of the site. ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°Oh, did you find something, Ullr?¡± Ullr called Reito over and was tapping on the floor with his front paws. A stone plank was wedged into the floor. Apparently, it was covering something. Reito was thinking about breaking the stone plank when Gonzo came with a pickaxe. ¡°Reito, let me handle it. I found a pickaxe lying around over there.¡± ¡°Wow, thanks.¡± Gonzo raised the pickaxe and aimed for the stone plank before giving it a strong swing. The tip of the pickaxe dug into the stone plank and cracked. After striking it a few times, the stone plank finally fell apart, revealing the earth¡¯s surface below. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s the earth. Let me handle this.¡± ¡°What are you gonna do?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll use ¡®Earth Block¡¯ to dig up whatever¡¯s buried underneath.¡± Reito moved the stone fragments out of the way and used Earth Block on the ground to start digging up the dirt. A golden box emerged from the ground. It was about five centimeters big and was locked. Reito used ¡°High-Speed Shape Change¡± to unlock it. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s open.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± Gonzo was impressed. ¡°You¡¯re lucky to have alchemy skills¡­¡± Dain commented. ¡°What¡¯s inside?¡± asked Kotomin. He opened the box to find a beautiful crystal ball that gave off a pale light. Dain was surprised, ¡°No way! Is that Orichalcum!? The legendary metal¡­!!¡± ¡°Nice work Reito!! If we sell this, we¡¯ll be able to have fun for the rest of our lives!! We are about to be a really wealthy group of friends,¡± Dain was happy because Orichalcum was a scarce material, but Reito didn¡¯t plan to sell it.¡± ¡°But Dain, wouldn¡¯t it be a waste to sell it?¡± ¡°What are you talking about!? We would be so rich!?¡± Gonzo put his hand on Dain¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Dain, this is Reito¡¯s finding.¡± ¡°B-, But! I know, but¡­¡± ¡°For now, I¡¯ll hold on to it. We can decide if we sell it later,¡± Reito said and put the Orichalcum using his storage magic. He started searching for the Adamantite next. He could have grasped the exact location by simply communicating with Airis. Still, he thought there may be other rare materials here, so he decided to take his time with the search. Dain suddenly shouted. ¡°Gonzo! Bring that pickaxe here!¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Just hurry up¡­ Woah!?¡± Dain took the pickaxe from Gonzo, but it was way heavier than he realized. He managed to get a grip on it. He looked at the handle of the pickaxe and looked at the handle of it. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡­ This handle is made from the branch of the World Tree!! This will give me enough money to pay back my debts!!¡± ¡°The world tree¡­ that¡¯s that super magic-resistant kind of lumber, right?¡± The world tree was famous for its superior quality. The hilt of Reito¡¯s Extermination Blade was also made from it. His friends were busy gathering materials from the site and showing them to Dain. ¡°Dain, what¡¯s this? I thought it was a mirror, but it has a handle on the other side.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a reflective shield!? It¡¯s made of ¡®Reflection Stone.¡¯¡± The Reflection Sword was the name of the weapon Reito had used in the past. It has the ability to repel magic attacks. If it was made of the same material, the reflection shield should be able to do the same. ¡°What is this big mallet?¡± Kotomin brought a massive silver hammer over to him. ¡°That¡¯s not a mallet. That¡¯s a big hammer!! I believe it was a tool used by the dwarves¡­ I¡¯m not sure what it¡¯s made out of.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it!¡± ¡°Wait! You don¡¯t need to throw it away!?¡± Kotomin tossed the big hammer away. ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°Purupuru.¡± ¡°Oh, Ullr, you found something¡­ What is that?¡± Ullr brought over another big hammer the same shape as Kotomin¡¯s, except this one had a golden color. Reito thought it might be made out of real gold, but it was too light for that. It could be held in one hand. He picked up the silver hammer Kotomin threw away, which was also light. Reito showed the golden hammer to Dain. He looked puzzled. ¡°What is that? I don¡¯t know what material it¡¯s made of. It¡¯s hammer-shaped, so I would imagine it was a dwarf tool.¡± ¡°Right. Thank you. There seem to be a lot of things lying around¡­ It¡¯s a treasure pile!¡± Reito muttered before Airis chimed in. ¡º It¡¯s the reason the Battle Golem are guarding the ruins. The Baltros Empire tried to steal the materials from this facility several times, but the Battle Golem held them back.¡» ¡°I see¡­¡± If the empire had tried to collect the materials, there was no doubt the big hammer he held was quite the precious tool. But he didn¡¯t know what it was made of, and no one in his crew could wield such a hammer. Reito thought about ways to use the hammer before talking to Gonzo. ¡°Gon-chan, you said that fighters have a weapon that accompanies their fist-fighting, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true. It¡¯s a weapon called ¡®boxing.¡¯ Why?¡± Gonzo was a boxer, and as a part of his training, he had never used a weapon besides his club. Reito figured it would be better if he had a weapon in fights like the ones they had with the Battle Golem. Hence, he decided to use his alchemy skills to forge a weapon for Gonzo. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m gonna make you a new weapon.¡± ¡°What? How?¡± ¡°Just you watch.¡± Reito brought the gold and silver hammers over to Gonzo. He compared Gonzo¡¯s hands to the big hammers and formed an image for his new weapon. ¡°Gon-chan, I¡¯m sorry, but could you hold your hands out?¡± ¡°Like this? ¡°Yeah, yeah. That¡¯s good!¡± Reito put the golden hammer in Gonzo¡¯s right hand. ¡°What are you planning to do?¡± ¡°Shhh!! I¡¯m concentrating¡­ Hand power!¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s my line¡­ I¡¯m gonna get you for that. Hmph!¡± Kotomin complained, nibbling on Reito¡¯s ear. ¡°Hey¡­ I¡¯m weak there.¡± Reito was interrupted by Kotomin, but he didn¡¯t break concentration as he used high-speed shape change to change his hammer¡¯s shape. ¡°How about this¡­ No, how about this then!¡± ¡°What is¡­¡± The metal coiled around Gonzo¡¯s arms began to harden and formed a weapon that was like a glove. The joints on the wrist and fingers were designed to be easy to move. He made a matching one for the opposite hand with the silver hammer. ¡°Wow¡­ This is cool.¡± Gonzo looked at his new glove weapons. Dain and Kotomin were surprised. ¡°Did you just convert a hammer into another weapon¡­¡± ¡°Nice job Reito¡­ In short, nice Reito.¡± ¡°Why would you shorten it? I¡¯m gonna bite your ears!!¡± ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m not ready for that.¡± Gonzo put his fists together. The two metals collided, and a sharp metallic sound rang out. ¡°Nnghh!!¡± ¡°Wow, cool!!¡± ¡°Reito, I want to try out these bad boys. Can you make something with your ice magic?¡± ¡°Ice Block got it.¡± Reito used an ice block to form a three-meter-tall Golem statue. Gonzo got in stance and then punched through the statue. ¡°Fist Strike!!¡± He was able to easily punch through the statue¡¯s upper body. ¡°Woah!?¡± ¡°Mrow! That surprised me!¡± Gonzo used his left hand to continue punching. ¡°Repeat Strikes!!¡± ¡°Woah, now!?¡± The ice statue was blown into smithereens after the repeated blows. Reito and crew unwittingly applauded after seeing his punches. Reito checked that he didn¡¯t have any bruises on his fists. He looked satisfied as he nodded. ¡°This is awesome. Usually, when I am boxing, I end up bruising my fists¡­ with these weapons, I¡¯ll be alright.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you enjoy them.¡± ¡°But¡­ How do I take them off?¡± Gonzo tried to pull off the globes. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. Let me make them possible to pull off by yourself.¡± Reito made the adjustment so they could be taken off and put on at any time. He hoped Gonzo could use them in the next battle. ¡°This really is a treasure pile out here. I bet there are more items.¡± ¡°True!! Let¡¯s keep looking!!¡± ¡°Dain, do you want to bring the pickaxe¡­?¡± Dain carried the pickaxe with him as he excitedly explored the forgery. Reito and crew also searched for materials. Volume 5 - CH 2.4 ¡°Pururupuru.¡± ¡°Oh, Hitomin, what did you find?¡± ¡°Pururun.¡± ¡°Suramin found something too.¡± The two slimes leaped onto the ground and brought something to them. Hitomin showed Reito a shining blue coin. Suramin showed Kotomin a silver bracelet. ¡°What¡¯s this? I¡¯ve never seen this kind of coin. Is it an Imperial Era coin?¡± ¡°I have seen this bracelet before. It¡¯s a ¡®Magical Armband¡¯ that heightens the user¡¯s magical capabilities¡­ I think.¡± ¡°What? I want that.¡± ¡°No¡­ It¡¯s mine. Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers.¡± ¡°No fair¡­ I¡¯m gonna take it while you¡¯re sleeping.¡± ¡°If you do that, I¡¯m gonna get in the bath naked every time you get in.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that more embarrassing for you?¡± The two went back and forth like comedians while Kotomin put on her bracelet. Reito felt really jealous of her as he put Hitomin¡¯s coin in his breast pocket. He was going to ask Dain about it before he shouted, ¡°Heey!! I found something cool!!¡± ¡°I can hear Dain¡¯s voice¡­ It¡¯s coming from over there.¡± ¡°¡­I can¡¯t believe he would shout in a place like this.¡± ¡ºHe might get killed by a Battle Golem. How carefree of him.¡» ¡°¡­Hmm? I feel like I heard someone else¡¯s voice just now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just imagining it,¡± Reito said to Kotomin. They headed in Dain¡¯s direction. No one but Reito should have been able to hear Airis¡¯ voice, so Kotomin must have picked up on something since she¡¯s so perceptive. Reito and crew moved along. Dain was standing in front of a big building next to the forge. It was a building made from a jet black metal and appeared to be a material storage based on its position. ¡°Everyone, look! What material do you think this building is made out of!?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ Obsidian?¡± ¡°No, you idiot. It¡¯s all Adamantite!¡± ¡°The rare metal!?¡± Gonzo shouted in surprise. Reito was also surprised. He had heard about its location from Airis, but he didn¡¯t think the building itself would be made from it. ¡°It¡¯s really cool, huh!? Shit¡­ If we could just shave off a little bit of this Adamantite, we¡¯d be so rich¡­¡± ¡°Adamantite is the hardest of all the magic metals, after all. It can¡¯t be melted very easily, either. I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s the strongest metal in existence¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s incredible,¡± Reito said before Dain replied instantly. ¡°No shit!! H-, Hey¡­ Don¡¯t you wanna go inside? It¡¯s an Adamantite building. There¡¯s gotta be some incredible treasure inside¡­!!¡± There was an enormous door on the front of the building that even a giant could go through. It had a colossal keyhole and wouldn¡¯t open without the lock. ¡°Reito, do you think you can open this door?¡± Reito shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll try, but don¡¯t expect much from me.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got this, Reito¡­ GO!!¡± Dain encouraged him. Ullr whimpered. Reito put his palms on the door and used his alchemy skills to try to open the lock. With his previous skills, he probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to. But now, using his SP skills, he was able to manipulate even magic metal. Because of that, he managed to change the shape of the Adamantite lock and open the door. ¡°Here we go!!¡± ¡°Woah!?¡± A horrible noise rang out, and everyone was surprised. But, the door showed no signs of opening. He had managed to pick the lock, but they would still need to get inside for themselves. Looking at its build, the door would need to be opened from the inside. Gonzo stepped in front of everyone and pushed. ¡°MOVE DOOR!!¡± The inside of the door gradually began to move. ¡°There we go!! It¡¯s moving!!¡± ¡°Ngh¡­!!¡± Dain was excited as he watched on. Ullr and the Slimes began groaning. ¡°Grrrr¡­!!¡± ¡°Purupuru¡­!!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ullr? Hitomin?¡± ¡°Suramin?¡± ¡°Nghh¡­ Nnnn!!¡± ¡°You did it!!¡± Reito and Kotomin were confused, but Gonzo had managed to completely swing open the door. Ignoring Ullr¡¯s reaction for the moment, Reito peaked inside. It was a surprisingly small space. It didn¡¯t look like very much was stored inside. Reito spotted a humanoid object. ¡°What is that¡­ Woah, what is that!?¡± The object¡¯s eyes lit up like a Golem the next moment. ¡°Did you see that light?¡± ¡°Could that be one of their friends!?¡± Reito immediately put his guard up and backed away. ¡°Ahh¡­ Wait a second. That¡¯s not a Golem.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a Golem?¡± ¡°It seems to be magical, but its core isn¡¯t responding. That¡¯s a¡­ doll.¡± Reito used his Night Vision skill to look inside the room. He was able to see the doll in its entirety. ¡°It appears to be wearing armor¡­ but it doesn¡¯t seem dangerous. ¡°Armor? Are you sure it won¡¯t move!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure¡­ ¡®Photosphere.¡¯¡± Reito created a ball of light and lit up the room. The doll was just a wooden figure wearing armor that looked like it was from the Warring States Period. The doll¡¯s eyes had red gems embedded in them. It appeared to be reflecting the light from the outside. ¡°Wh-, What¡­ I¡¯ve never seen this kind of armor,¡± Dain said, surprised. Gonzo opened his mouth to speak, ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve seen this. It looks like when I visited the Beast Kingdom as a child. The shogun there wore this kind of armor.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ Wait, the helmet part has a name on it. Kuroyasha.¡± Just like the name suggested, the armor was all black. It might have been made from Adamantite, just like the building, Reito thought. ¡°It¡¯s scary¡­ but kind of cool.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Dain was puzzled by Kotomin¡¯s words. ¡°This is the treasure? Looking at the size of it, it wouldn¡¯t fit you, Gon-chan.¡± Reito said before Gonzo shook his head. ¡°Right, this is impossible even for me. It¡¯s also too heavy. This armor is probably for a fully-grown adult man.¡± Gonzo was a giant, but he was still a child age-wise. It would be too heavy for him to wear. Reito tried to put it away with storage magic, but that was also impossible. It was too heavy for his current level. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like we can keep it¡­¡± ¡°But it¡¯s Adamantite Armor!! We should at least take the helmet!! NGHAA!!¡± Dain tried to take the helmet off the doll¡¯s head, but it didn¡¯t move an inch. ¡°Give up. It¡¯s completely fixed onto the doll¡¯s head. They wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything but take the whole thing back home with them, which wasn¡¯t attractive. There appeared to be nothing else in the warehouse, so they decided to leave. ¡°Shit¡­ It would have been such a valuable treasure.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do about it. Can¡¯t you already pay back your debts with that pickaxe?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ Wait!! Can¡¯t you do something with your skills!?¡± ¡°Um¡­ like peeling off a chunk of the helmet and armor?¡± ¡°Why not just change the shape of the whole building? It¡¯s made of Adamantite, after all.¡± Reito put his hands on the walls of the building and used his alchemy skills to the full extent of his capabilities. ¡°Nghaaa.¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°Ho¡­¡± ¡°¡­It looks like clay.¡± Reito was showered with his friend¡¯s bizarre words of encouragement and used ¡°High-Speed Shape Change¡± to stretch out a part of the wall. He used his ¡°Metal Transmutation¡± skill to soften the metal before pulling out his Extermination Blade to slice through it. ¡°Woah!!¡± ¡°Did he just cut through that!?¡± Reito managed to slice off two meters of Adamantite. Once the ¡°Metal Transmutation¡± effects wore off, it would revert back to the original material and become a bar of Adamantite. He would have been able to shave off more, but given he had to carry it back with him, he was already at his limit. Reito used storage magic to put it away into another dimension. ¡°We can split it when we get back. Does that sound good, Dain?¡± ¡°Uh, Um¡­ I¡¯m so glad we¡¯re friends.¡± ¡°But, the building is warped.¡± ¡°It¡¯s leaning to the left.¡± Kotomin and Dain commented as they looked at the warehouse. Just as they had said, the building ended up with a weird shape, but, given that no one was using the space, Reito decided it wouldn¡¯t be a problem. He talked with his friends, and they decided to leave this space. They not only obtained a precious metal, but they also managed to find a World Tree. Once they got back to Adventure City and divided the material, their mission would be complete. ¡°Wait, but what about the ¡®Ax¡¯ sacred treasure? I wanted to take it with me, but I left it in the cave.¡± ¡°Maybe we could come back another time? If it¡¯s that heavy, I doubt any monster could lift it up.¡± Gonzo responded to Reito, ¡°Even a Minotaurus couldn¡¯t handle it with its strength.¡± ¡°Reito, we could have Ain do it when she gets back.¡± ¡°Ah, good idea!! Brilliant even¡­ Alright.¡± ¡°Hahh¡­ don¡¯t startle me by starting a physical relationship out of nowhere.¡± Reito was petting Kotomin¡¯s head. Ain was a cyclops Reito had befriended in the past, and he was now guarding the Elf Princess Tina, separate from the group. The supernatural strength of the cyclops was no less than the Minotaurus. When Ain came back, they should easily be able to retrieve the Ax. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s head back.¡± ¡°Oh man¡­ we have to go into the forest again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I have something from Aunt Maria¡­ or wait, from my big sis,¡± Reito said and pulled out a crystal. The Transportation Spell ¡°Stargate¡± was engraved on its surface. It was a form of magic called ¡°Release¡± that was a type of enchantment. The magic power was contained in a plane of the crystal, and if you said the magic word, its effects would be activated. She dubbed this form of magic ¡°Crystal.¡± ¡°If we use this, we can teleport to any place we can imagine apparently. Let¡¯s get back to the wolf-cart.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the magic tool that the Guildmaster was using during the battle with the Rotten Dragon, right? That¡¯s nice that they gave it to you¡­¡± Dain mumbled in surprise. ¡°I said, ¡®give it to me pwease¡­¡¯ and then they gave it to me.¡± ¡°That easily!?¡± The crystal was a rare item at the moment, but there is work being done to mass produce it. At present, it¡¯s a tool that only magicians can use, and doesn¡¯t work if you don¡¯t have an affinity for the magic contained inside it, but both those points will be improved on. ¡°Well, I¡¯m gonna use it. Everyone, get close to me¡­ ACHOO!!¡± ¡°Hey!? Don¡¯t scare me!!¡± ¡°Sorry, doesn¡¯t it feel like it got cold all of a sudden?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel cold?¡± Ullr whimpered. ¡°Purupuru¡­¡± Everyone surrounding Reito except Kotomin, who was a mermaid, felt like the temperature had suddenly dropped. His breath was visible. Reito looked around to see what was going on before Hitomin began shaking violently on his shoulders. ¡°Purupuru!!¡± ¡°Woah, what¡¯s wrong Hitomin!? Are you taking on humanoid form?¡± ¡°No, I think she¡¯s trying to communicate something.¡± ¡°I think an enemy is approaching.¡± ¡°Purun!!¡± Hitomin and Suramin tucked themselves away in Reito¡¯s clothing. Reito and crew put their guard up and got their weapons ready. Right after, a humanoid object came falling from the sky. Volume 5 - CH 2.5 ¡°Groooh!!¡± ¡°What in the!?¡± A blue battle golem arrived with a loud thud. It was holding two swords that appeared to be made of ice in its hands, so it must have been the ice one. Reito responded quickly to the new enemy. He immediately drew his extermination blade and got ready to attack. ¡°Strike blade!!¡± ¡°Grooh!!¡± ¡°Did it stop the attack?¡± The Battle Golem held back Reito¡¯s attack even though he could slaughter a Blood Bear with one blow. Dain was surprised. Gonzo got on the gloves Reito had prepared for him and punched from the opposite side. ¡°Fist strike!!¡± ¡°Groo!!¡± ¡°It stopped my punch¡­!?¡± Gonzo¡¯s punch was absorbed by the ice shield. The battle golem released its energy and repelled the two of them. The other battle golem had quite the battle abilities, but there was no doubt this one would be an even further troublesome opponent. Reito and Gonzo got back on their feet and looked at their weapons in surprise. ¡°Are they frozen!?¡± ¡°Ngh!?¡± Even though they had only been dealing with the Battle Golem for a few seconds, it had frozen the Extermination Blade and Gonzo¡¯s right fist. ¡°Grooooh!!¡± ¡°Wah!!¡± ¡°Shadow Bind!!¡± Reito was preparing an attack for the Battle Golem when Dain used his shadow magic to bind their opponent. ¡°Groooh¡­!?¡± ¡°We did it!! This time it was successful!!¡± ¡°Nice!!¡± ¡°Reito, Gonzo, come here,¡± Kotomin called out to the two of them. ¡°What are you planning to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to thaw off your frozen weapons with water. They¡¯re brittle otherwise.¡± Reito and Gonzo approached Kotomin, and she put her hands in her pocket, pulling Suramin out from between her breasts. She put her up to the frozen weapons and blasted away. ¡°Suramin, water gun¡± ¡°Purun!!¡± Suramin sprayed the water out and thawed their weapons. ¡°Ahh¡­ that helped.¡± ¡°Hey!? Why don¡¯t you take care of this guy!? While I¡¯m still holding him back!?¡± ¡°Groooooh¡­!!¡± Dain was shouting as he held back the Battle Golem. He had used his Shadow Magic a number of times in battle before, but he had little magic left in him, and he was looking pale. They needed to settle things soon. ¡°Dain, hold on for 10 more seconds!!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t!! 5 seconds is my limit!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s so short¡­ Got it!!¡± ¡°Grooh¡­!?¡± Reito got his Extermination Blade read and used Gravity Blade. He made sure the crimson energy wrapped around his broadsword and he ran up to the Battle Golem before aiming for its head and swinging down. ¡°Helmet Smasher!¡± ¡°Graaahhhh¡­!?¡± ¡°Nice one!!¡± He made sure the broadsword¡¯s blade had pierced its head. The body of the Battle Golem was split in half down the middle. Dain cheered and let go of his shadow magic. The Golem parts fell to the ground. ¡°Phew¡­ That was surprisingly easy. Its movement was quick, but it might have lower defenses than the others. Gonzo shouted at Reito, ¡°don¡¯t let your guard down!! We still haven¡¯t destroyed its core.¡± ¡°I know¡­ Where is it?¡± Reito tried to look for the crystal that might be its core before the Battle Golem remains started moving. ¡°What in the? Did it start moving¡­ no way!?¡± ¡°Shit!! It¡¯s gonna come back to life!?¡± ¡°What!?¡± The remains of the Battle Golem that were cleanly sliced in half by Reito¡¯s attack began to stick back together like a magnet before reaching its original form. The vivisected body got up like it was nothing. The ice golem appeared to have incredible regenerative capacities. The Battle Golem picked up its broadswords and charged at Reito. ¡°Grooo!!¡± ¡°Ngh!?¡± ¡®Reito!!¡± Reito stopped the charging Battle Golem that had its shield out with his sword, but he was blown away by its surprising strength. Gonzo got his fists ready to back up Reito, but the Battle Golem swiped his blade to the side. ¡°Grooh!!¡± ¡°Ngh!?¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Gonzo managed to stop the blow with his fists, but he wasn¡¯t able to completely stop the momentum of the attack and fell over. The Battle Golem tried to levy a follow-up attack, but Ullr came flying in and latched on to their opponent¡¯s leg before he was kicked away. Ullr growled. ¡°Grahhh¡­!?¡± ¡°Relax!! ¡®Shadow Slip¡¯!!¡± Dain released his shadow magic at the Battle Golem, who was staggering. The shadow changed into something like a whip and swept his legs away. Making sure the enemy had tripped, Reito got his broadsword ready and jumped high in the sky. ¡°Helmet Smasher!!¡± ¡°NGHAH!!¡± Reito tried to use the same battle skill as before, but before the blade struck the Battle Golem¡¯s head converted itself into something like a helmet. A shock ran through Reito¡¯s arm when the blade struck its head. ¡°Ngh!?¡± ¡°Reito!?¡± Reito¡¯s arms went numb and he checked to see what had happened to his opponent¡¯s head. There wasn¡¯t a scratch in its head, let alone any actual cut. Apparently its head was hardened when it transformed. The opponent changed its shape more. ¡°Groooooo¡­!!¡± ¡°Did it just transform?¡± Its entire body got smaller and was now the size of an adult man. Reito felt threatened to look at that, and he reflexively clutched his sword to ready his next attack. ¡°What¡­!?¡± ¡°Grooh!!¡± ¡°Shit!! Reito!!¡± Gonzo rushed to stop him, but Reito couldn¡¯t be stopped. The smaller Battle Golem got its shield ready and took a defensive stance. Reito didn¡¯t care and was about to swing his sword down before he noticed a fatal miss. His Extermination Blade that he was trying to hit the shield with was frozen. He tried to stop, but it was too late. The Extermination Blade collided with the shield. ¡°Grooooo!!¡± ¡°Woah!?¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°How did that¡­!!¡± The moment the shield repealed the broadsword, a bad feeling spread through Reito. He watched his sword break at the hilt. The Extermination Blade was hardened to the max level using his ¡°Matter Reinforcement¡± alchemy skill, but it was frozen and was easily destroyed. The Battle Golem tried to send a follow-up attack. ¡°Groooh!!¡± ¡°Sh-¡­ ¡®Shrink Ground¡¯!!¡± ¡°Grooh!?¡± Reito appeared to teleport away. Shrink Ground was a skill Reito learned as a Blade Demon. It used a lot of stamina, so normally he avoided using it, but he didn¡¯t have time to save on energy in a situation like this. Reito, who put distance between himself and the golem, looked regretfully at the Extermination Blade. ¡°Shit¡­ My blade¡­¡± Gonzo jumped out front to tap in for Reito. ¡°Woah!!¡± ¡°Groo¡­!!¡± He fired away with attacks at the Battle Golem, but the shield deflected everything. Now that it was smaller, its speed was increased. Gonzo¡¯s punches were slowly being frozen. His fists were going to break if he kept it up. ¡°Suramin, Hitomin!!¡± ¡°Purupuru!!¡± ¡°Ngh!?¡± ¡°Groooooh¡­!?¡± Kotomin clutched the two slimes and released a large volume of water. Normal Battle Golem had water as their weak point, but the Golem must have been waterproof because its body didn¡¯t melt at all. Reito was at a loss. ¡°There must be something I can use as a weapon¡­!!¡± ¡ºMr. Reito, how about the item you picked up before!!¡» ¡°Ah¡­ That!!¡± Reito used his storage magic to pull out the Adamantite. He put the Adamantite on his Extermination Blade hilt. He used ¡°High-Speed Shape Change.¡± He made sure the Adamantite was fixed to the handle and made the metal part sharper. ¡°Perfect!!¡± Reito made a jet-black broadsword of Adamantite. He clutched his new weapon and headed for the Battle Golem. ¡°AHHHH!!¡± ¡°Grooooh!!¡± He swung with all his might. The Battle Golem tried to swipe back with its own sword, but Reito used another battle skill. ¡°Spin Strike!!¡± ¡°Groh¡­!?¡± The two blades collided, sending their bodies flying back. Reito hurried to get up and checked his blade. His new blade wasn¡¯t frozen at all. Adamantite was extremely durable and had high resistance to magic. The ice that made up the Battle Golem¡¯s body was made from magic. Adamantite would be able to hit its body as many times as Reito wanted without any problems. ¡°This is nice¡­ AHHH!!¡± ¡°Grooh!?¡± Reito was ready for a ferocious attack. His opponent tried to defend itself with a shield, but its ice was slowly chipping away. Everytime he tried to go for the decapitation, the force of the attack got stronger, and Reito¡¯s eyes turned red. Reito was releasing his Blade Demon skills. ¡°Rahhh!!¡± ¡°Grooh!?¡± ¡°C-, Cool!!¡± ¡°Dain, don¡¯t just stand there and watch. Use your Shadow Magic.¡± ¡°Right¡­ I¡¯ll help you, Reito!!¡± Dain was so impressed at Reito honing in on the Battle Golem. Kotomin was more level-headed and gave him advice so he got his wand ready and used his remaining magical energy. ¡°Shadow Bite!!¡± ¡°Groh¡­!?¡± Dain¡¯s shadow took the shape of a wolf and reached for the Battle Golem. He bit into the Battle Golem¡¯s head. It was unclear if it would work on the Battle Golem, but the moment the wolf bit its head, its movements became slower. Taking advantage of the gap, Reito swung his new Extermination Blade and repeated blow after blow. ¡°Helmet Smasher!!¡± ¡°Graohhh!?¡± The Battle Golems head, which previously only had light scars, was pulverized by the strike and ice went flying everywhere. But, the magical core didn¡¯t go anywhere. Reito concentrated his energy into his hands and shot out crimson-colored magical energy. Adamantite had a high resistance to magic, so it couldn¡¯t release gravity. Instead, the gravity was gathering in Reito¡¯s own hands. ¡°Gravity Strike!!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± The broadsword¡¯s blade was released and plunged into the Battle Golem¡¯s chest. He managed to slice the Battle Golem in two. ¡°TAKE THIIIIIS!!¡± ¡°¨C!?¡± The Battle Golem fell to the ground without a noise. The shock of the attack had cracked its body to the core before it was completely pulverized. A new skill appeared on his screen. ¡°Ho¡­ Nice!¡± Reito smiled, but was completely exhausted. He used most of his magical energy to make the Adamantite blade. Reito¡¯s body was slouching. Ullr came over to support him. ¡°Woof!!¡± ¡°Oof¡­ thank you.¡± ¡°Reito!! Get the core!!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I already got it.¡± Gonzo was worried the Battle Golem would revive and ordered him to gather it before then, but Kotomin was holding the glowing blue crystal in her hand. ¡°Hmph¡­ he was the toughest so far.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Purupuru¡­¡± Reito took the crystal from Kotomin and used Storage Magic to put it in the interdimensional pocket. He took a big sigh and sat on the ground. Kotomin petted his head to comfort him. She had released too much water from them so Suramin and Hitomin were on her shoulders deflated. Dain and Gonzo were also beaten. They were all tired from the repeated battles. ¡°That was the sixth Battle Golem¡­ No wonder we¡¯re tired.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe these ruins¡­ I¡¯ve never seen so many golems.¡± ¡°HAND POWER!¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Thank you, Kotomin.¡± Reito and Dain were sitting on the ground while Kotomin was healing Gonzo¡¯s frostbite. Suramin and Hitomin were drinking up water from a bottle returning to their normal size. Ullr picked up the blade that the Battle Golem destroyed and brought it to Reito. Ullr whimpered. ¡°Oh, thanks for bringing it to me. But¡­¡± A crack was in the blade and it was severely damaged. It didn¡¯t seem usable anymore. ¡°I could use my skills to repair it¡­ But I think it¡¯s time to say goodbye. Reito had already made an Adamantite weapon. He wouldn¡¯t be able to use ¡°Gravity Blade¡± anymore, but he learned a new skill anyway. He could use his ¡°Matter Transmutation¡± skill to use ¡°Gravity Blade¡± if he wanted to anyway. He was grateful to the blade for supporting him. He put the blade fragment in a mound in the ground using ¡°Earth Block¡± to create a little grave. ¡°Is it weird to make a grave for my weapon?¡± ¡°No¡­ Giants always mourn for their lost weapons.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± After making the grave, Reito looked at the pulverized Battle Golem. He noticed it had mostly melted away. The Battle Golem¡¯s body was made of ice as opposed to rock. That¡¯s why it could revive so easily. ¡°Phew¡­ Ah, wait. Sorry Dain. I used your Adamantite to make a weapon.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ let¡¯s get out of here.¡± Dain was tired from all the battling too, and had no energy left. He wanted to return to Adventure City as soon as possible. If they returned to the Adamantite warehouse, they could collect more, but if they ran into another battle, they¡¯d have no magical energy left over. ¡°Well then, shall we head back? Everyone gather¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on, Reito?¡± Reito was going to use Crystal, but he felt disappointed in the presence behind him. He looked behind him to see a humanoid object approaching. It was the final Battle Golem. His friends looked behind them too. Volume 5 - CH 2.6 ¡°What is that!?¡± ¡°Its skin is trembling.¡± ¡°This is no good¡­ THAT IS NO GOOD!? EVEN I KNOW THAT!!¡± ¡°Purupuru¡­¡± ¡°Gurururu¡­!¡± Everyone was afraid of the strange appearance of the creature approaching them. Even Reito unconsciously trembled. The new Battle Golem looked like Kuroyasha and looked like a suit of armor. Its body was made of metal and had electric currents running through it. It was holding a large katana. It had the phrase ¡°Complete Set¡± engraved into a crescent-shaped emblem on it. Airis¡¯s voice rang out in Reito¡¯s head. ¡ºThis is the last Battle Golem. It¡¯s wearing armor and a helmet that is a replica of the armor worn by an ancient warrior named the Lightning Emperor. It¡¯s the most powerful Battle Golem.¡» ¡°Give me a break¡­¡± he sighed and drew his Extermination Blade. He glared at the Battle Golem. He was looking at his opponent¡¯s movements. ¡°Grahhhhhh¡­!!¡± The opponent was already in a battle stance and was sending electricity through its katana. If it were electric currents produced by magic, his high-resistance Adamantite sword should have the advantage. Reito activated his Blade Demon powers and ran. ¡°Shit¡­ Why me? I¡¯m just a magician!!¡± ¡°Grooh!!¡± Reito¡¯s eyes glowed red and he was ready for the final battle. ¡°Gravity Strike Blade!!¡± ¡°Groooh!!¡± The moment that Reito¡¯s Extermination Blade and the Battle Golem¡¯s katana collided, a sharp metallic noise and vibration rang out through the area. But both of them didn¡¯t flinch and kept slicing away. ¡°Whirlwind Strike!!¡± ¡°Grahh!!¡± He swept his broadsword to cut the golem, but it stopped the attack, not with its katana but with the scabbard. Reito was surprised at the unconventional defense but immediately raised his sword. ¡°Spin Strike!!¡± ¡°Grohh¡­!?¡± The broadsword succeeded in striking the left arm of the Battle Golem. However, there was only a light scratch on its forearm. For normal opponents, it would have been a devastating slice, but this golem appeared to be sturdier than the other Golems he had encountered. Reito used ¡®Shrink Ground¡¯ to appear behind the golem. ¡°Take this!!¡± ¡°Grah!?¡± He struck the blade into the golem¡¯s back, but it did no more damage than a scratch. Reito fixed his stance and retreated. This gave his opponent an excellent opportunity to attack. ¡°GRAHHHH!!¡± ¡°Woah!?¡± ¡°Waah!?¡± ¡°Is that lightning!?¡± The next moment, a bolt of lightning was released from its katana. Reito focused on running away. The lightning struck a nearby building turning it to dust. If he had been hit by it, he would have been fried. ¡°Grahh!!¡± The Battle Golem set his sights on Reito and continued the lightning strikes. ¡°Wah, shit, relax!!¡± Reito used ¡®Shrink Ground¡¯ to avoid incoming lightning strikes. ¡°Reito!!¡± Gonzo shrieked, but he was afraid that he might end up prey to the lightning strikes, so he couldn¡¯t participate in the battle. The light produced by the lightning prevented Dain from using his shadow attacks effectively. The two slimes had used a lot of water in the previous battle and wouldn¡¯t be able to fire away, so they were just shaking. Their friends were at a loss of how to help Reito. ¡°Relax¡­ GIVE ME A BreAK!!¡± ¡°Shit!! Don¡¯t just jump around carelessly, fool!?¡± Gonzo shouted to Reito who was leaping around to avoid the lightning strikes. There was nowhere to escape in the skies where Reito was jumping around. The Battle Golem charged the katana with lightning before sticking it out. It aimed at Reito and fired away. ¡°GRAHHH!!¡± ¡°What in the!!¡± ¡°Woah¡­!?¡± Reito aimed his arm for the ground when all of a sudden, the sacred treasure ¡°Holy Chain¡± began to move on its own. The ¡°Holy Chain¡± had a cross-shaped dagger on the end of it, which pierced into the ground and anchored him to the ground. Reito managed to avoid the lightning strike. Reito landed on the ground and wrapped the Holy Chain around his arms. He held the Extermination Blade in his right hand and held out his left arm. ¡°Iceclad Sword!!¡± His left hand produced ice the length of the sword while his right hand held the Extermination Blade. He was about to switch to wielding dual swords. He charged the Battle Golem vibrating the Iceclad Sword, and went for the cut. ¡°Here we go!!¡± ¡°Grahh¡­!?¡± ¡°You did it!?¡± The Iceclad Sword¡¯s blade struck the exact same place on the forearm where the light scratch was from before. By hitting the weakened area, a crack formed in the forearm. Reito used the Extermination Blade to levy another attack. ¡°HAAAAH!!¡± ¡°GRAH!?¡± ¡°Woof!?¡± When the blade struck, the shock went through the crack and to the Battle Golem, completely destroying him from the inside out. However, his opponent didn¡¯t lose and it stuck out its left leg, kicking Reito away. ¡°Groh!!¡± Reito coughed. ¡°Reito!? Shit, shadow¡­¡± ¡°Wait!!¡± Dain saw Reito get blown away and was about to use his shadow magic, but Gonzo stopped him. Dain didn¡¯t get why Gonzo would interrupt him, but he immediately picked up on why he stopped him. ¡°Ouch, even just a little whiplash and it hurts.¡± ¡°Grohh¡­!?¡± Reito used his ¡°Holy Chain¡± to wrap up his abdomen as a protective device. He didn¡¯t end up getting hurt that much as a result. Reito wanted to put an end to this battle, so he charged both swords with crimson-colored energy and approached the golem. ¡°You¡¯re finished.¡± ¡°Groooh!!¡± The Battle Golem charged its own sword and wove it. It was preparing a counter-attack. They both leaped forward and crossed swords with all their might. ¡°HAAAAAAAAAHH!!¡± ¡°GRAAAHHHHHH!!¡± A harsh metallic noise rang out several times. The Battle Golem had as much strength as the Minotaurus in just one of its arms, but Reito managed to stop the trunk of the blade and repel it. Gonzo was surprised and froze. This little boy who was so much smaller than him, had so much strength and could hold his ground against the Battle Golem. His body shook unconsciously. ¡°Cool¡­!!¡± ¡°Is that Reito¡¯s real strength?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡­ he must be a real hero!!¡± ¡°Woof woof!!¡± The fact that a boy who was about the same age as them was able to take on the Battle Golem completely shocked everyone, and Ullr was barking in support of his owner. The balance of the swordfight had been shaken up. Reito got his footing first. ¡°Ngh¡­¡± ¡°Grooohh!!¡± ¡°Reito!?¡± The Battle Golem was sure it had victory at hand but was now lashing out in desperation. Reito smirked at the sight. He mustered his last bit of strength to use ¡®Shrink Ground.¡¯ ¡°Too slow!!¡± ¡°Grah¡­!?¡± Reito moved out of the katana¡¯s range and the Battle Golem sliced into the air. Reito had managed to buy himself some time to get behind the Battle Golem. He swung for its neck. ¡°HAAAAAAAAAH!!¡± ¡°Grah¡ª!?¡± The Battle Golem¡¯s head had been cleanly severed off and rolled on the ground. Its core collapsed like a puppet with the strings cut. A new skill appeared in front of Reito¡¯s eyes: Reito took a big sigh and used his final battle skill on it. ¡°Helmet Smasher!!¡± The Battle Golem¡¯s head was completely destroyed by the final blow, and its lightning crystal core was revealed. Volume 5 - CH 3.1 A few hours after Reito had defeated the final Battle Golem, he used the Crystal to get out of the Forest of the Abyss with his friends. They all rode the Wolf Cart that Ullr pulled. They had retrieved much of the precious resources they collected in the ruins. They had more or less satisfactorily pulled off their objective. Now they just had to return to the city and rest for a bit. In the Wolf Cart, Reito was sleeping on Kotomin¡¯s lap while he groaned. ¡°Huh¡­ My body hurts.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you overdid it!¡± Kotomin commented. Dain added, ¡°Why don¡¯t you use ¡®Recovery Boost¡¯ on your body to get better?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have enough magic left, so it¡¯s impossible.¡± After the fight with the Battle Golem, Reito had used too much magical energy, and he was completely exhausted. While Reito was sleeping, his friends were lost in their thoughts. Kotomin was peacefully lending her lap to Reito while Dain was looking at his newly acquired items. Gonzo was lying down in the back while Suramin was on watch, sitting on his chest. ¡°Purupuru.¡± Hitomin pasted itself to Reito¡¯s face. ¡°It feels good and refreshing, but it¡¯s hard to breathe.¡± ¡°Hitomin, come here.¡± ¡°Purupuru.¡± Kotomin put Hitomin in her arms. The Slimes also had a role in their adventure in the ruins. Reito stayed lying down as Kotomin pet Hitomin in her arms. ¡°You did a great job, huh, Hitmomin?¡± ¡°Pururun.¡± ¡°Reito, those are Hitomin¡¯s boobs. Nasty.¡± ¡°These are boobs?¡± Reito was surprised while Dain looked at him and then noticed something and was surprised. ¡°Reito, what¡¯s up with your pupils!?¡± ¡°What? My pupils?¡± ¡°Your right eye is red!?¡± ¡°No way!?¡± Reito pulled out his dissection knife and used ¡°Matter Transmutation¡± to change it into a makeshift mirror. He looked at his right eye, and it was just as Dain had said, red. ¡°Woah, it really is red. I must not be getting enough sleep.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not the color of bloodshot eyes. Are you okay!? Let¡¯s go to a clinic?¡± ¡°What¡­ I don¡¯t wanna get a shot.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hold your hand. Reito wanted to check what was going on so he asked Airis. ¡ºRiiiis!!¡» ¡ºWho could it be!! I thought you would be out of name jokes by now¡­ Don¡¯t worry about your eyes. You are just still under the influence of the Blade Demon¡¯s effects.¡» ¡ºWhat do you mean?¡» ¡ºIn other words, it¡¯s proof you are able to make full use of your Blade Demon abilities. When you fully awake as a Blade Demon, both your eyes glow red.¡» ¡ºWhat, I didn¡¯t know that.¡» ¡ºWhat difference does it make? Mr. Reito¡¯s face was printed on a Wanted poster a while ago, right? Now, if someone recognized you, they might be fooled because your pupils are a different color.¡» ¡ºThat¡¯s true¡­ But I feel like the people I know will be surprised.¡» ¡ºWell, what can we do about it? Nothing is wrong with you, so don¡¯t be worried.¡» ¡ºGot it.¡» After finishing communications, Reito continued staring at his dagger and remembered something. It was the mirror sword that he returned to the dwarf that repaired Caledfwlch for him. ¡°Ullr, stop for a second.¡± ¡°Woof?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I wanted to use the skill I just learned¡­ ¡®Recovery Boost¡¯.¡± Reito had recovered some of his magical energy after resting and used it to heal his body and get off the Wolf Cart. He wouldn¡¯t be able to do much, but he should be able to swing his sword. Reito used ¡®Gravity Strike Blade¡¯ and swung his Extermination Blade with one hand. ¡°Hmph!!¡± Because the gravity was supplementing his magic, he was able to swing it with the right speed. ¡°If I use this skill, it feels like I¡¯m not holding a sword at all.¡± He should be able to use his dual sword style more often now. Up to now, he used the Iceclad sword that he would produce, but compared to a real sword, it wasn¡¯t very durable. If possible, Reito wanted to use the Reflection Sword. ¡°That sword must cost a ton of money, though,¡± Reito thought that no matter how much he saved he wouldn¡¯t be able to afford it. Reito asked Dain just to check, ¡°Hey, Dain. What is a good way to make a ton of money quickly? I want a few hundred gold coins.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ You could sell some magical crystals. ¡ºNO!! YOU CAN¡¯T SELL THOSE¡»Airis shouted in Reito¡¯s head. ¡°Um, is there any other way?¡± ¡°Dain thought about it for a while before continuing, ¡°you could get a high-rank quest? What is your rank?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a C rank¡­ It went up after the fight with the Rotten Dragon.¡± ¡°In that case, I also went up,¡± Gonzo added. All the adventurers involved in the battle with the Rotten Dragon had their ranks increased. That went for everyone, not just Reito and Gonzo. Usually, to get a rank increase, you would have to take a test. ¡°If I were A-rank, maybe I could get all the money at once,¡± Reito said, and Dain nodded. ¡°No shit. How about you take the test?¡± ¡°Mmm¡­ I¡¯ll think about it.¡± He heard Airis¡¯s voice again. ¡ºDid you forget your initial goal of not wanting to stand out very much? I guess it¡¯s a little late to say that.¡» Reito wryly smiled at Airis¡¯s comment. ¡°Do I have to pay money to take the exam?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It costs one gold coin. You also have a lot of prep work to do.¡± ¡°It¡¯d be no problem for you, Reito,¡± Kotomin added. Dain shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ the number of quests after the Rotten Dragon has severely decreased. There aren¡¯t many monsters to put aside for the test. I think the test has changed a lot and it won¡¯t be the same as past years.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so annoying¡­¡± So, it would be difficult to make money quickly, Reito thought. He asked Airis about it to be safe. ¡ºAiris, is there any way I can make money quickly?¡» ¡ºWhy don¡¯t you try participating in some kind of tournament?¡» ¡ºTournament?¡» ¡ºA battle festival. There¡¯s a battleground in the city, right?¡» ¡ºAh, that¡­¡» In the city, there was a building called the Battlegrounds. There were a bunch of monsters gathered by merchants, and adventurers came to battle with the monsters night and day. They called that event a ¡°Battle Festival.¡± Adventurers participating in the Battle Festival usually had the goal of testing their strength and making money in mind. Adventurers who want to participate pay an entry fee. They fight with a monster on a court of sorts, and they are rewarded with significantly more money than the entry fee. If they lose, they lose the money, but they can get treatment from on-site doctors, so there¡¯s no chance of dying. However, you are charged a high treatment fee. It¡¯s an extremely suspect festival, but many adventurers participate in making a little spending money. Ordinary people also go to spectate the fights, and there is a lot of gambling. It¡¯s a sort of tourist spot of the city. Airis continued, ¡ºyou can anonymously participate in the Battle Festival, so you could just wear a disguise.¡» ¡ºI see, how much is the entry fee?¡» ¡ºThe adventurer can decide for themselves. The more you bet, the more money you can get. Of course, the more money you put down, the stronger the monster will be.¡» ¡ºI see. I only have one coin.¡» ¡ºThere¡¯s no way. Haven¡¯t you earned more money?¡»Airis poked fun at Reito. ¡ºI¡¯ve spent it all on premium dog food for Ullr, and Suramin and Hitomin are also addicted to grapes recently. Kotomin fishes her own fish, but yeah¡­¡» ¡ºYou went broke paying for your pets!! You can¡¯t spoil them!!¡» ¡ºBut in all seriousness, there aren¡¯t any jobs at the guild, so my income has been lower. I think it would cost about 300 gold coins to buy the reflection sword¡­ I¡¯ll bet one coin, and then I can keep putting that back into like eight or nine successive rounds.¡» ¡ºIf you do that, you can get 500 coins after nine rounds.¡» ¡ºThere we go!! Let¡¯s do ten rounds! I can become a millionaire!!¡» ¡ºIt would make the managers pass out, for sure.¡» Reito decided to participate in the Battle Festival when he got back to Adventure City. Volume 5 - CH 3.2 While the Wolf Cart was heading back for Adventure City, the Hailstorm guild had five swordsmen come to visit it. They were adventurers working for Hailstorm from various different towns and they were all ¡°Sword Masters.¡± In front of the five of them stood Maria. She had gathered all the swordsmen. ¡°First off¡­ I should say welcome back. Or maybe I should say good work. You all managed to get back safe from your jobs.¡± One of the five of them, an elf youth, sat down in the chair. ¡°It¡¯s true! I worked my ass off. Don¡¯t just boss me around, you know!¡± ¡°Shun!! You are going too far!!¡± One of the older Beastman shouted at Shun. This youth looked to be in their 20¡¯s but they were actually hundreds of years old. Shun didn¡¯t seem to care about the elderly Beastman and put his feet up on the desk. ¡°More important than that, I wanna hear about the Rotten Dragon incident. I¡¯ve heard about it in Battle City as well. I¡¯ve heard you have some incredible tomboy swordsman expert princess living here. And, she subjugated the dragon. Is that right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s half-right. I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s a great swordsman¡­¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s true? That princess really defeated the Rotten Dragon!? I can¡¯t believe it¡­¡± Shun was fully interested. A young girl who was half-covered in a hood looked like she was talking to Maria. ¡°¡­?¡± But it wasn¡¯t the volume that a normal human could perceive. Maria looked at the hooded girl. This girl should NEVER know about Reito¡¯s existence ¨C Maria was cautious. Maria knew that this young girl was actually a member of the Hazuki Household which was Maria and Aira¡¯s original household. While they had never met, Reito had Hazuki blood in his lineage so they weren¡¯t completely unrelated. Maria nodded at the words of the young girl that only she could perceive. ¡°It¡¯s true. Precisely speaking, it was Princess Nao who gave the final blow to the Rotten Dragon with the holy sword¡­ but yeah.¡± Shun and the old beastman raised their voices in surprise. ¡°Holy Sword!? Are you saying she used the legendary magical weapon to fight it!? The ever-prudent kingdom sure is getting audacious¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe the holy sword still exists¡­ I can¡¯t believe it.¡± The young girl, who was blond and striking, opened her mouth. It didn¡¯t look like what she was carrying on her back was a holy sword, but there was some sort of weapon on her back that combined a sword handle with an ax blade. ¡°Lord Maria, I have something I would like to ask¡­ Recently, apparently, there have been rumors about a certain young boy. They say he may be your kin.¡± ¡°Your kin?¡± The hooded girl immediately reacted. Maria felt bitter about the situation, but she used the same excuse as before. ¡°He¡¯s not my kin¡­ he¡¯s just a kid I love as if he were a relative. He¡¯s a good kid, so I keep an eye on him, but because Bal left my guild, he is in the Black Tigers. He has no relation with Hailstorm.¡± ¡°Wow, if you¡¯re saying that much good stuff about him, he must be quite the little brat. I bet Gallow would be jealous.¡± ¡°I see. However, don¡¯t you think it isn¡¯t good for you to interact with the members of other guilds? Especially the Black Tigers¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. While you guys were away, Hailstorm and the Black Tigers had a reconciliation. We have agreed to cooperate with each other.¡± ¡°What!? No way!?¡± all four of them except for the elf-girl said at once in surprise. They had heard that Maria and Bal were on bad terms, and couldn¡¯t believe they had made up so easily. ¡°It¡¯s true. We will not be recruiting members from Bal¡¯s guild. Our relationship just went back to how it used to be, is all.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡­ Bal apologized to you? That¡¯s the biggest surprise since you¡¯ve come back.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°BWAHAHAHA!! Even Bal managed to overcome her pride. That¡¯s something to celebrate!!¡± A figure clad in full plate pitch-black armor in the corner of the room laughed in a big voice. From the tone of voice, you would think he was in his thirties, but since no one had ever seen him, his age and sex weren¡¯t clear. He had belonged there since the founding of the guild and was an old-stock swordsman. Even Maria did not know his true identity. Maria looked at the armored swordsman to talk. ¡°Gorai, I can¡¯t believe you would say this after it¡¯s been so long. I didn¡¯t expect you would show up, to be honest. Did you finish the other quest?¡± ¡°Yep!! Of course, I had a lot of trouble with the fang dragon subjugation¡­ But, they got tired after three days straight of running away. A lot happened, but I managed to subdue them!! At any rate, I lost all my compensation for repairing the three villages I destroyed, but still!! HAHAHA!!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a joke!! Did you take on a dragon by yourself!!¡± Shun said wide-eyed. Gorai, the swordsman clad in pitch-black armor, was sent out to subjugate a dragon called a ¡°Fang Dragon.¡± ¡°Our guild really has the best swordsmen,¡± Maria said. ¡°Stop it!! It¡¯s not that impressive!! HAHAHA!!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Everyone was silent in admiration. Everyone besides Gorai frowned at Maria¡¯s comments. Shun and Gorai glared at each other and reached for the katanas at their waists. ¡°I don¡¯t like hearing you be called ¡®the best.¡¯¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re trying to fight? Fine by me!!¡± ¡°HALT¡± The one to diffuse the explosive situation was Shinobi Kagemaru, who belonged to Hailstorm and who appeared without a sound. Shinobi stood between the two of them. Shun glared at him. On his other side, Gorai was scratching his head. Shun looked ready to kill while Maria calmly told him, ¡°please relax¡­ Do you want to get me angry?¡± ¡°Got it¡­ Ngh¡­¡± Shun retreated bitterly ¨C Shinobi teleported to his side. Gorai moved back to the corner. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that this group would gather together¡­ Has there been some sort of problem?¡± ¡°Is it a new mission?¡± The old beastman and young blonde girl asked. ¡°Before that, let me hear your guys¡¯ story first. I get your regular reports, but I want to hear how you¡¯ve been firsthand,¡± Maria said. Gorai replied first, ¡°well, I¡¯ll start then. As far as the fang dragon goes, there¡¯s no doubt the Empire is involved somehow. In the fang dragon¡¯s nest, there was evidence that its eggs had been stolen. ¡°I see¡­ Perhaps they are trying to fight the Kingdom using dragons again, they are so incorrigible.¡± A large number of Empire personnel perished in the Rotten Dragon incident, but the organization itself still remained. Gorai was looking into the incident of the fang dragon suddenly appearing and attacking villages within the Kingdom¡¯s territory. ¡°Shun, how about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had bad luck. I couldn¡¯t trace Mill¡¯s older sister¡¯s movements¡­ But, the queen who¡¯s now in the Royal Capital seems suspicious.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!! I didn¡¯t fail my mission!!¡± The hooded girl next to Shun made an expression and mumbled something before Shun shouted at her. It reminded Maria of how she used to fight with Bal, and she smiled nostalgically. She asked the young girl next. ¡°Hayate, how have you been?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I see, great.¡± ¡°¡­Um, did you understand that?¡± ¡°No, Jannu. I didn¡¯t understand that.¡± Hayate was the name of the girl in the hood who mumbled something ¨C but her voice was too small, so normal humans couldn¡¯t perceive it. Gorai, Shinobi, and Jannu couldn¡¯t understand it. Elves and Beastmen have far superior hearing, so the three that were present could clearly hear what she said, and looked distressed. ¡°Even the guys behind the scenes have started to move out¡­ This is gonna suck.¡± ¡°They are trying to execute a coup d¡¯etat¡­ We might need to accelerate our plan.¡± ¡°We might not have enough battle power with the personnel we have at headquarters to fight. We also need Princess Nao to cooperate with our plan.¡± ¡°The one who helped fight in the Rotten Dragon battle? How are her skills?¡± ¡°We can talk about that more once I hear from all of you. Jannu, how are you?¡± ¡°There have been no changes in the Sunlight Association. As planned, we were able to import the recovery medicine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. Last is¡­ Loga.¡± ¡°Alright!!¡± Loga was the old beastman who immediately put the bag he was holding on the table and emptied its contents. ¡°Is that¡­ Orichalcum!! Nice job, old man!!¡± ¡°You¡¯re older than me!! It was a pain to get this¡­ Apparently, it was being used in black market dealings.¡± ¡°Did you figure out how they obtained it?¡± ¡°The ¡®Mega Labyrinth¡¯ in Beastland was breached. There was Orichalcum there that hadn¡¯t been dug up¡­ It could have only been taken by a human who could get to the lowest layer. It took all I could do to dig this up.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Nice work!¡± Maria had spent over half a year collecting information to obtain that mineral. With this Orichalcum, she had everything she needed to be able to make a complete Crystal. ¡°What should we do, Lord Maria?¡± Jannu asked, and Maria looked at all of them. ¡°For now, take a rest. Soon enough, I will need all of your guys¡¯ strength¡­ Speaking of which, have you guys heard about the Battle Festival?¡± ¡°That evil event? No¡­ What kind of entertainment is having monsters and humans fight!!¡± ¡°Oh really? I want to enter. I can make good money.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t hear about it¡­ Is it that famous?¡± ¡°I also saw it!! It looked kind of fun!!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Maria was glad she skillfully managed to avoid the conversation becoming about Reito as she watched the five of them discuss the Battle Festival. She sighed to herself. She looked at Shinobi and gave him an order in a small voice. ¡°Shinobi, I leave that kid up to you.¡± ¡°Um¡­ What will Lord Maria do?¡± ¡°I need to head for the Royal Capital. Take care of things while I¡¯m gone.¡± Shinobi silently nodded. Maria looked out the window and clenched her fist unconsciously. There was no doubt that an event that would bring about the Kingdom¡¯s collapse would occur soon. There was no human who could prevent that, and she know that before that happened, she needed to get her own sister ¨C Aira ¨C back. Volume 5 - CH 3.3 It was the day after Reito had returned from the ruins in the Forest of the Abyss. He decided to stop by the Black Tiger adventure guild before heading for the Battle Festival. Reito would have ordinarily carried his Extermination Blade on his back when he did anything, but there was a rumor spreading that the hero involved in the Rotten Dragon incident used a broadsword to subjugate it, so he stored it away in his interdimensional storage. As he walked down the street, he talked with Ullr, ¡°It¡¯s been a while since it¡¯s just been the two of us.¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Normally, he would take Kotomin and Suramin with him, but Kotomin had gone fishing and took them with her. She loved fresh fish and would regularly go to the river to stock up. Dain and Gonzo were acting alone. They were in a different guild than Reito, and the two of them were likely taking separate quests. Reito was greeting the people he saw as he walked by. ¡°Hey!! Are you working today?¡± ¡°Um, yes.¡± ¡°Reito-chan, thank you for taking care of our kid.¡± ¡°Of course, my pleasure.¡± ¡°Big brother!! Let me play with Ullr next time!!¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± He was a familiar sight in the city. Just at that moment, Reito bumped into a familiar group of three people. ¡°Oh, Mr. Reito!! Salutations!!¡± ¡°Oh, Reito-kun!! It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Tsk¡­ It¡¯s you!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see. That¡¯s right¡­ You¡¯re Mr. Morimo, Ms. Mina, and¡­ What was your name again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Gallow!! It¡¯s the easiest name!!¡± The three of them were Hailstorm Adventurers. They had joined Reito in the fight against the Rotten Dragon. They were in the same party, and Mina was a woman. Gallow and crew had likely just got off work ¨C they were carrying sacks that smelled like blood on their backs. Reito figured there was a monster on its way to be dissected. Ullr, with his powerful nose, made a disgusted face and backed away. Mina was smiling, but she looked at Reito puzzled. ¡°Reito¡­ has your left eye always been red?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s true¡­ It wasn¡¯t that color before.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on with your pupils¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just a little tired.¡± ¡°Those aren¡¯t blood vessels.¡± It would take too long to explain, so Reito decided to change topics, ¡°are you coming back from a job?¡± ¡°Um, yes. We were exterminating some monsters that had nested in the sewer.¡± ¡°Goddamnit. Why do we have to do this lowly kind of job¡­¡± Morimo glared at Gallow. ¡°It¡¯s your fault, dumbass!! You kept trying to fight with Shun¡­ You got all of us involved as a result.¡± ¡°Ngh¡­ Sorry.¡± ¡°Shun¡­?¡± Reito tilted his head to the side in confusion at the unfamiliar name. At the same time, he noticed that Gallow¡¯s right cheek had a sword wound in it. ¡°What¡¯s up with that wound? Do you want me to heal it?¡± ¡°Shut up!! I don¡¯t need your pity!!¡± ¡°Gallow, put aside your pride and have him help you. You were pressing your cheek down while you were fighting. It hurts, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just like Mina said. Reito, I apologize, but could you please heal him?¡± Morimo said and put Gallow in a Nelson Hold. ¡°Stop it, dumbass!?¡± Reito sighed, ¡°Recover Boost.¡± Reito approached Gallow and put his hand on his right cheek and used Recovery Magic on it. The wound was sealed and the scar slowly faded away. Mina was impressed and complimented him, ¡°Wow¡­ Great job!! Was that support magic? You were able to heal him so fast.¡± ¡°That was surprising¡­ I would have assumed you were a healing magician with how fast you just did that.¡± ¡°Tsk¡­ Stop exaggerating¡­ Ouch!?¡± ¡°Yep, it looks alright.¡± Reito pinched Gallow¡¯s cheek to make sure it was completely healed. He said some parting words and was about to leave before Mina grabbed him on the shoulder and stopped him in his tracks. ¡°Ah, wait a second, Reito-kun!! Um¡­ I know it might be rude to ask after you just healed Gallow, but would you mind staying by my side for a minute?¡± ¡°H-, Hey! Mina!?¡± Gallow started to get flustered at Mina¡¯s word choice. ¡°What do you mean stay by your side?¡± Reito tilted his head in confusion. Mina gave her bag to Morimo and drew her spear from her back. ¡°Would you mind entering the Battle Festival with me!! If I had someone strong like you watching back, I could feel assured that I¡¯m safe.¡± ¡°Battle Festival?¡± Reito was surprised ¨C he didn¡¯t expect to hear those words here. Gallow was flustered, ¡°w-, wait! Mina!! It doesn¡¯t have to be Reito, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any other magician acquaintances¡­ Also, I think if it were Reito-kun, I would be totally fine.¡± ¡°B-, But¡­¡± ¡°Wait, what are we talking about?¡± ¡°Let me explain. The truth is¡­¡± Morimo cleared his throat before continuing his explanation, ¡°You know the Battle Arena? Recently, they¡¯ve started allowing tag team knockout tournaments. You get a prize for staying in for five rounds. Mina has a certain prize she wants ¨C the Crimson Stone.¡± ¡°The Crimson Stone? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a magic stone that enables the user to enhance their pyro property magic. But¡­ Gallow and I can¡¯t fight with Mina.¡± ¡°¡­Why is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the tournament rules. You need a front guard and a rear guard. We are both front guards. But, there is a limit to the number of prizes, so we think it is better to participate as soon as possible.¡± ¡°I see, so you need my strength as a magician.¡± It¡¯s easy to forget that Reito is actually an inherently rear guard fighter as he is a Support Magician and Alchemist. ¡°Well, now I understand what Mina¡¯s situation is,¡± Reito said and Gallow frowned. ¡°Hey!! That¡¯s Ms. Mina to you. You are younger than her!!¡± Mina stared blankly, ¡°What? I don¡¯t mind¡­ Why are you so mad at Reito? I want to enter the tournament with him!!¡± ¡°Ngh¡­ B-, But.¡± ¡°Just give it up, Gallow. We can¡¯t help Mina here.¡± Gallow made an awkward face and looked away. Morimo comforted him and put his hand on his shoulder. ¡°Besides, the Crimson Stone¡­ I¡¯d like one too. Maybe I¡¯ll join Gon-chan.¡± ¡°What!? What about me!?¡± ¡°Kidding. Kidding. But, I wouldn¡¯t count on my magic too much, okay?¡± He said, but Mina shook her head, ¡°don¡¯t be so humble. I saw how incredible your magic was in the battle firsthand. I have high hopes!! But, before we enter the tournament, I wanna take a bath first¡­ Let¡¯s meet up at the reception of the arena at noon.¡± ¡°Got it. In that case, I¡¯ve gotta go find Gon-chan.¡± ¡°Hey!? You¡¯re gonna be my partner, right!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m feeling a little sick¡­¡± Reito said in a deadpan voice. ¡°Don¡¯t trick me!! Let¡¯s do it!?¡± Mina said. Reito decided on a precise meeting time, and then they parted ways. Reito wasn¡¯t able to make it back to the adventure guild and went home to get ready. ¡ô¡ô¡ô A few hours after they parted ways, Reito was standing in front of a large Colosseum-like building in the northern part of the city. It was the Battle Arena. It was built recently and a large number of spectators were lively inside. There were a large number of people who looked to be adventurers inside as well. Going to the place they were designated to meet up at in the Battle Arena, Mina saw Reito and waved at him. ¡°There you are!! Thanks for coming!¡± ¡°Sorry to make you wait, Mina-chan.¡± ¡°Mi-, Mi¡­? I¡¯ve never had anyone call me ¡®Mina-chan¡¯ before.¡± ¡°You have a similar shaped face as the cat my grandma used to own. So, I¡¯m gonna call you that.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± The reception was crowded. The man in the pitch-black armor was in the front of the line arguing. ¡°What!? You can only participate once a day!?¡± ¡°Leave me alone, master¡­ It¡¯s because you went so crazy that the arena ended up as a wreck. I won¡¯t ask that you pay us for the damages. Just please go home for the day!!¡± ¡°Hmph¡­ I guess I went a little too far.¡± ¡°It looks like quite the contender is here¡­¡± ¡°What!! Um¡­ that¡¯s true.¡± Reito looked at the armored figure as he spoke to Mina ¨C she made a confused facial expression. She tugged on Reito¡¯s hand to head toward a different reception. ¡°Oh, look. It¡¯s open over there. Let¡¯s sign in over there.¡± ¡°What about the participation fee?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll take care of it. It¡¯s only five silver coins for the tag team battle.¡± ¡°Really? You don¡¯t pay how much you want?¡± ¡°That¡¯s for singles. The rules are different in a variety of ways. For singles, even if you beat everyone, there¡¯s no prize. In Singles, you can bring in your own weapons, but in tag teams, you can only use specified weapons. Magicians are allowed to bring in magic stones, though.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Reito thought for sure he could use his own weapons, and he was shocked at what she said. But, he figured he could use Iceclad Sword to produce his own weapon. Reito stood in front of the reception. Mina spoke to the receptionist. ¡°Excuse me!! We would like to enter into the tag team battle!!¡± ¡°I see. Please write your name here. The participation fee comes out to five silver coins.¡± Mina frowned at the receptionist¡¯s cold customer service, but she quickly filled out the form after seeing how many people were waiting. ¡°Okay, is this right?¡± ¡°Yes. This is correct. Is this your first time participating?¡± ¡°Um, yes.¡± ¡°I will explain the rules of team tag battles. First, you are prohibited to bring in weapons. You must use the ones provided by you. There are a few restrictions for magicians, but you are allowed to bring in magic stones. Everything so far was the same as what Mina had told Reito. The receptionist further explained, ¡°Next, in the event you are injured or die in battle, we at the Battle Association take no responsibility. However, in the event you need treatment in the arena, a healing specialist will be dispatched. It costs money, but we also have treatments and recovery medicine available for sale. Is everything okay?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Reito figured that the Battle Association was the organization in charge of managing the arena. The woman discussed the details of the battle. ¡°Next, I will discuss the form the competition takes. The participants will fight with monsters in five battles in a row that have been prepared in advance. I can¡¯t tell you what kind of monster and how many there will be, but there are monsters ranging from low-danger goblins who come in groups and massive ogres who are often alone.¡± ¡°So, we just need to get through the five rounds, right?¡± Reito asked but she shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s a little wrong. You are only allowed one try, and your time limit is fifteen minutes.¡± ¡°Wait, so¡­¡± ¡°During those fifteen minutes, five rounds of monsters will be released. We will be adding more monsters the more the fight goes on, so either you need to defeat the monsters, or you need to make it out alive after fifteen minutes.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± Reito was in a cold sweat, but Mina looked like she already knew that and had very little reaction. When he asked why things are like that, it was because there were too many participants, and they wanted to shorten the amount of time needed. ¡°After the battle starts, whether or not there are monsters remaining, we will release more monsters after a 2-minute break. Conversely, if you are able to defeat all those monsters in that 2-minute window, you should have a little time to rest.¡± ¡°That sounds right¡­¡± ¡°Further, as a general rule, we allow you to forfeit, but we don¡¯t recommend it. A large number of spectators come to the arena and amongst them are powerful aristocrats and adventure guild personnel.¡± The receptionist was trying to imply that if you perform miserably in the battle, your reputation as an adventurer will worsen. Reito and Mina gulped at the threat. She pulled out a crystal ball and held it out in front of them. ¡°Lastly, I will conduct a profession check. Place your hand on the crystal ball.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this? Fortune-telling?¡± ¡°No. This is a magic tool to check people¡¯s occupation.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go first.¡± Mina put her palm on the ball and text came up. The receptionist looked at it and wrote down the occupation on a form with her quill. She seemed to be writing in the profession. Reito went next. ¡°Does this work?¡± ¡°That should be no problem. Your job is¡­ this?¡± The receptionist frowned after seeing his job and looked at Reito as if he were a fool and chuckled a little. Reito remembered for the first time in a while how unprestigious his job was. ¡°I apologize, but are you taking the challenge seriously? I suppose you have already paid your participation fee, so there is nothing I can do to stop you¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ By the way, what is the strongest monster here?¡± ¡°Strongest¡­ I believe it¡¯s the Minotaurus, to my knowledge.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The receptionist was suspicious of Reito who didn¡¯t even wince at the mention of the Minotaurus. Reito hadn¡¯t encountered any other Minotauruses besides the one that was the master of the forest, so he wanted one to show up. ¡°To confirm, are you sure you would like to enter?¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no problem.¡± ¡°¡­Understood. In that case, I¡¯ll show you to the waiting room,¡± the soldier standing to the side took that as his cue to talk. Volume 5 - CH 3.4 ¡°Please come this way,¡± the soldier started walking, so Reito and Mina followed him. The soldier walked to a room in the basement. ¡°All the competitors wait in this room. It¡¯s not separated by gender, so please use the changing room as needed. As a general rule, we keep hold of the weapons you bring, but for participants with a storage stone, you are welcome to keep it in another dimension. However, using the storage stone during the battle to pull out weapons or other tools will result in disqualification.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t use my storage stone¡­ Okay, what about storage magic?¡± The soldier looked confused by Reito¡¯s question. Only people in the unprestigious job of Support Magician could use storage magic. Knowing Reito¡¯s occupation, he responded condescendingly, ¡°¡­there¡¯s never been a participant who could use storage magic in the competition, but given that it is used the same as a storage stone, I would have to assume it¡¯s not permitted. The moment you take something out from another dimension, you¡¯re disqualified.¡± ¡°I see¡­ You can¡¯t take anything out from another dimension.¡± ¡°Yes, well, I believe so.¡± ¡°Understood. Thank you very much.¡± Reito chuckled to himself on the inside. On the other hand, Mina was nervously clutching her spear. ¡°Oh, um¡­ Could I have him store my spear with his storage magic?¡± ¡°No worries¡­ Are you sure you are going to compete with him? He¡¯s a support magician.¡± The soldier said, puzzled. Reito glared at him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with support magicians? Is it against the rules or something?¡± ¡°N-, Not at all¡­ My apologies.¡± The soldier went pale and averted his glance from Reito. Reito didn¡¯t feel like he was making a particularly intimidating facial expression, so he was surprised at the soldier¡¯s reaction. ¡°In-, In that case please step inside. The other competitors are waiting, so watch out. There are often fights between participants before the actual battle.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Ooh¡­ I¡¯m nervous.¡± The two of them were surprised at the size of the room they walked into. There weren¡¯t just seats to sit down and wait, but there were also training tools and battle weapons lined up on the walls. There were also soldiers selling recovery medicines and a middle-aged healing specialist dressed in white on the side. Reito and Mina sat down on one of the countless benches. Roughly 10 participants were sitting on one. They were all in pairs as they were here for the tag team battle. A soldier would come to call in participants when the time came, allegedly, so they had to just wait and calm their nerves in the meantime. ¡°Alright¡­ let¡¯s give it our all, Reito-kun!!¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± Reito was calm compared to Mina who seemed nervous. He was bored, so he decided to look around the waiting room until the battle started. He quietly walked to the stall to check things out. ¡°What are you selling here?¡± ¡°Welcome, we sell magic tools that are allowed in battle here. We have recovery medicine, but it¡¯s weaker than normal recovery medicine, so watch out.¡± Reito looked at the goods up for sale and frowned. They were all poor quality and seemed unusable. He looked at the recovery medicine with his Observing Eye and discovered it was literally watered down. You could expect much from it. Reito talked to a woman in a robe. ¡°And what¡¯s your name, lady?¡± ¡°Thank you for calling me a lady. I¡¯m just a recovery specialist. If someone comes here with an injury before the battle starts, I heal them for a fee. The soldier told Reito, ¡°she always does business next to my stand. She doesn¡¯t have a hospital that she works at, so she makes money anywhere she can.¡± ¡°Really? You¡¯re not a full-time employee?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. If you get injured, I¡¯ll heal you at a discount price. Reito bowed his head and left. He took a look at the weapons on the wall. ¡°Mina, come here. You should choose what you¡¯ll use in battle.¡± ¡°Th-, That¡¯s right¡­ I wonder which one I should choose.¡± Mina quickly got up and the two of them looked at the countless number of weapons lined up. There were two soldiers carrying parchments who noticed the two of them and came over. ¡°Is this your first time? Shall I explain how to borrow the weapons?¡± ¡°Ah, yes please.¡± ¡°Please look here. These are weapons that you can borrow for free.¡± They pointed to weapons in the corner of the wall. They all appeared to be of poor quality. There were bent swords, spears with cracks in the handle ¨C and those were the better ones. Some of them had barely any handle at all. ¡°¡­I definitely don¡¯t want to use those.¡± ¡°These ones are for competitors who just paid the participation fee. However, for an extra charge, we offer high-quality weapons as well.¡± ¡°Where are those?¡± ¡°Right this way,¡± the soldier pointed at a door in the corner of the waiting room and guided the two of them there. The door connected to a weapons cellar of sorts, and it opened to weapons of far higher quality than the ones previously seen. ¡°These are¡­ way different.¡± ¡°Th-, That¡¯s true.¡± Just looking at them, you knew they were top tier weapons, and they were likely better quality than those sold above ground. ¡°These are all weapons crafted by dwarves. They are made from Mithril and Golden Flame.¡± ¡°Ah, like what I gave to Gon-chan.¡± Reito spotted a longsword shining rainbow and tried picking it up. It was lighter than he expected. Next to that was a spear made of Mithril. Mina gave it a test by spinning it around. ¡°This isn¡¯t my spear so it feels a little weird¡­ But, it shouldn¡¯t give me any trouble.¡± The two soldiers said, ¡°In the event you use these weapons during battle, you will be charged the price listed on the weapon after the battle. Is that alright?¡± ¡°The price is engraved on it!?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s true!?¡± On the Golden Flame longsword Reito had in his hand, it said ¡°three silver coins¡± and the Mithril spear said ¡°five silver coins.¡± The higher the functionality, the higher the cost. ¡°By the way, in the event you damage the equipment, you will be charged a repair cost.¡± ¡°How much money do you plan to take from us¡­ what about with the weapons in the waiting room?¡± ¡°No. We don¡¯t charge a repair fee even if they are damaged. Most adventurers choose a product from this room.¡± ¡°You just said product¡­¡± ¡°But, the quality is good¡­¡± Reito was a little surprised, but Mina had already made up her mind. She clutched the spear and said, ¡°I¡¯m going with this one.¡± ¡°Understood. Please write the product number and your name here. The number is written on the side of the price.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a product number¡­¡± The soldier held out the parchment to be signed. The two of them looked at Reito who put his Golden Flame longsword back in place and shook his head silently. ¡°I¡¯m good¡­ I don¡¯t have much money, and I¡¯ll just be covering from the back anyway.¡± ¡°Covering¡­? Magicians aren¡¯t allowed to bring in any wands. Do you have anything on you?¡± ¡°Reito used his storage magic to pull out a magic ring that would amplify his magic capabilities. It was a present that he got from Maria after he came back from the Forest of the Abyss. ¡°Um, well¡­ Yes, magic rings are allowed. But, you are not allowed to swap out the embedded magic stone part way through the battle, so keep that in mind.¡± ¡°Well, I only have two on, so, I¡¯m okay.¡± The magic ring had a crystal he got from Kotomin and the Tree Stone he got from the druid in it. They would strengthen his water and earth property magic but wouldn¡¯t work on all single shot magic like a normal magic stone. Reito and Mina sat on a bench after returning to the waiting room from the weapons cellar. They waited for their number to be called. The line had moved while they were checking out the weapons cellar. People kept coming in and out. ¡°Alright, the weapons are in place¡­ now we just have to wait until it¡¯s our turn. Oh, that¡¯s right!! I¡¯m going to be relying on you in battle anyway, tell me your special magic tricks and special skills now.¡± ¡°My special skills are having fun with slimes and going for walks.¡± ¡°Um, I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s a skill¡­¡± ¡°Jokes aside¡­ I¡¯m just a support magician, so I can only use auxiliary magic. And, beginner magic.¡± ¡°What!? But, you used awesome magic in the last fight.¡± Mina was probably talking about the beginner magic he used during the fight on the wall. He didn¡¯t know how to explain himself to Mina. Perhaps if he explained that he simply maxed out his beginner magic and combined a variety of magic to create new combos, should we be convinced. But, Airis told Reito not to show off his talents. Even if it was a trustworthy friend, he didn¡¯t want to show any of his skills off to anyone he didn¡¯t know that well. ¡ºIf someone notices that your magic is just beginner magic, tons of people will imitate it. So, I wouldn¡¯t go around using it recklessly. It¡¯ll mean big trouble if people know your battle style.¡» ¡ºOkay.¡»¡ªThis dialogue is from when Reito was 8 years old.¡ª The conversation is still burnt into his brain. Reito understood that Airis was right, but if he was going to fight with her, he figured it would be better to share some information. Reito shared information that would be okay even if other people knew it. ¡°Well¡­ I use recovery boost, physical reinforcement, and magic reinforcement¡­ I just have them at a maxed-out skill level. I also have storage magic and beginner¡¯s magic¡­¡± ¡°Wow!! That¡¯s cool that you maxed out your skill level!¡± ¡°Well, I am a magician so it¡¯s easy for me to max out my magic. I also have a few alchemy skills.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ you use that kind of weird magic?¡± ¡°Hey, watch out now, I¡¯ll turn your clothes into bikini armor!!¡± ¡°Eek!? S-, Sorry!! I didn¡¯t mean to insult you, but anything but bikini armor!!¡± She apologized after the threat. But, Mina wasn¡¯t able to hold back her surprise. She had seen Reito¡¯s battle skills and assumed he was a swordsman or a knight. But, both of Reito¡¯s abilities showed that he was part of an unprestigious occupation. His strength came from training since he was a toddler and from Airis¡¯s advice. She helped him learn a lot of skills, and if it weren¡¯t for that, he might have been killed by Aria by his tenth birthday had he lived a normal life. Reito got back to the conversation. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll support you from the rear. If you have trouble, let me know. You can do it!¡± ¡°Um, yes¡­ That sounds right for a support magician.¡± ¡°Hey, from what I¡¯ve heard a while ago, you seem to have made a bad choice in choosing your partner, princess.¡± A middle-aged beastman sleeping next to them on the bench they were sitting woke up and pulled out a cigar before talking to Mina. Reito looked at the cigar and looked at the poster on the wall that said ¡°No Smoking.¡± ¡°Princess, I¡¯m not gonna say anything, but I would quit now. He is a loser, you know his job.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°You got that? You have to choose a partner who is stronger than you. Teamwork is the key in tag team battles. Only the strongest survive. Do you really want this loser as your partner?¡± ¡°Excuse me, but you¡¯re not allowed to smoke here. Reito pointed at the poster to the old man who spoke so condescendingly of him. The man stared at Reito, despising his occupation. He ignored Reito and struck a match. ¡°Don¡¯t get in the way of the adults¡¯ conversation, little boy¡­ You¡¯ve got an attitude, but that¡¯s about all.¡± ¡°In that case, let me give you some advice. If you¡¯re a top-tier adventurer, don¡¯t go around smoking cigars. It¡¯s bad for you¡­ Of course, that¡¯s just advice from a guildmaster I heard.¡± Volume 5 - CH 3.5 ¡°R-Reito-kun?¡± ¡°What!? Are you trying to scold me, you little brat!!¡± When the Beastman was about to stand up, he noticed something strange ¨C he wasn¡¯t holding his cigar anymore. He looked around puzzled before realizing that Reito had taken his cigar. ¡°Cigars are bad for your body, old man.¡± ¡°When did you¡­¡± ¡°While you were talking¡­¡± ¡°How did you¡­!?¡± Even Mina, who was standing next to him, hadn¡¯t the faintest idea how Reito had managed to steal the cigar. Reito, who was done showing off the assassin skills that he had learned from Aria, tossed the cigar back to the Beastman and laughed. ¡°I¡¯m not any old brat. Are you trying to fight?¡± ¡°Haha¡­ It appears I underestimated you. My mistake.¡± The man laughed in a dry voice at the boy half his age and scurried away. Mina was about to ask Reito how he stole the cigar, but the guard in the Waiting Room called out for them, ¡°Number 20!! Reito and Mina, it¡¯s your turn!!¡± ¡°Um, yes sir!!¡± ¡°That was fast¡­ We¡¯re ready!¡± Reito replied. Reito and Mina stood up and were guided by the soldier. The soldier confirmed their number and promptly left the Waiting Room, walking into the corridor. They followed behind him. ¡°The first match will start soon. The moment the gates open, you are to enter. Are you ready?¡± ¡°Yes, sir!!¡± ¡°I¡¯m ready!!¡± ¡°Good luck in battle.¡± Mina clutched her Mithril spear and Reito equipped his Magic Ring. The soldier took a bow before walking away Reito did some light stretching and then slapped himself on the face to get in the zone. ¡°Alright¡­ I¡¯m getting excited!!¡± (Reito said like Goku) ¡°What!? I don¡¯t know if that voice suits you¡­ But, let¡¯s do our best.¡± The gate slowly parted in front of them, and they looked out at the arena before them. It was shaped like a circle. It made Reito think of the pro baseball stadiums he used to go to as a kid. Around the perimeter of the arena was enough seating for about 10,000 people. A few thousand had already taken their seats. A woman¡¯s voice rang out, ¡°Next¡­ We have our third battle of the afternoon section!! How far will our challengers be able to go this time?!! Here they come!!¡± ¡°LET¡¯S GO!!!¡± ¡°They¡¯re gonna get fucked up real quick!!¡± ¡°I bet they are going to last 5 minutes, so I hope they at least make it that far!!¡± The cheers and jeers of the spectators poured in one after the other. Reito and Mina passed through the gate into the arena before the gate slowly began to shut behind them. There were gates in all four directions. They had emerged from the south gate. There was a commentator box in the front row. A rabbit-shaped Beast Girl was holding a magical tool that looked like a microphone. She kicked off her announcement. ¡°Here we go!! It looks like we have a co-ed pair!! And the two of them are in their mid-teens!! One of them appears to belong to the Hailstorm Guild. I also feel like I¡¯ve seen this boy somewhere¡­ The battle begins in 10 seconds.¡± Mina was surprised that the young girl in the commentator box recognized her. Reito looked at the East Gate. He used his perception skill to notice something moving. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go!! Open the gates!!¡± ¡°GREEEEHHH!!¡± A swarm of goblins appeared when the commentator gave the signal. There were 20 in total and they were clad in leather armor and equipped with iron spears. Reito looked at them and thought about the Armed Goblins of the old Empire. He squinted his eyes. ¡°Greeh!!¡± ¡°Greeh!!¡± ¡°Reito-kun, step back!! I¡¯m going to¡­ Ah!?¡± ¡°Greeh!!¡± Mina charged the swarm of goblins, but they moved out of her way before she could get a swipe at them. Reito, who didn¡¯t have a weapon, aimed straight ahead. He figured that would make it easier to take them down. The Goblins are very intelligent monsters and some of them even know how to use weapons like humans. However, they weren¡¯t very blessed with skills in picking up on danger. ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Greahh!?¡± ¡°Greeeh!?¡± Reito let out a small yell before sticking out his fist. He sent the first goblin that came running at him flying. The other goblins looked stunned and stopped in their tracks. ¡°Yeah¡­ If it¡¯s just goblins I don¡¯t need to use Physical Reinforcement.¡± ¡°Greeh!!¡± ¡°Hey now!!¡± Reito dodged the attack of a goblin who snuck up from behind. He picked up the spear of the first goblin that he blasted away. ¡°It¡¯s a spear¡­ I¡¯ve never used it, but, ¡®Thrust¡¯!¡± ¡°Greegh!?¡± Reito used the skill he developed in his fight against the Battle Golems to stab one of the nearby Goblins in the back. Mina looked at him and squinted. ¡°W-, Wow!! You can also use a spear?¡± ¡°No, but¡­ Ah man, it¡¯s broken.¡± ¡°Greeh¡­!?¡± The handle of the spear, likely of shoddy material, snapped in half after piercing the goblin and its leather armor. Reito reluctantly dropped the spear and got ready to fight bare-fisted, but the surrounding goblins appeared to pick up on the difference in strength between themselves and Reito and didn¡¯t dare approach him. ¡°What¡¯s this!? What do we have here? The young boy everyone thought was a mere magician has pierced a goblin to death!? Is he some sort of guard?¡± ¡°H-, Hey!! I didn¡¯t know there was a rule change!! Are two advanced guards allowed to participate together!?¡± ¡°Give me back my money, damn it!!¡± ¡°There we go!! Go all the way!!¡± Many of the spectators had bet on how far he would go. Some of them were happy with the results while others were angry. Mina didn¡¯t feel good being bet on, but she picked up her spear and swung. ¡°Rotation!!¡± ¡°Grah!?¡± ¡°Greh!?¡± ¡°Ooh¡­¡± The goblins were sliced down one after the other. It looks like Hailstorm only has skillful adventurers after all. Mina used another battle skill. ¡°Piercing Frenzy!!¡± ¡°Grahh!?¡± Mina¡¯s spear pierced the heads of five goblins dead on. The two of them persisted without any trouble before finally taking down all the goblins. The spectators roared and the announcer girl¡¯s voice rang through the arena. ¡°Wow!! They managed to defeat all the goblins in the blink of an eye!! It¡¯s a record for the day!! However, two minutes have passed. It¡¯s time for the next monster to be released.¡± As if responding to her words, the North Gate was opened and a swarm of kobolds appeared. ¡°GRAAAHH!!¡± ¡°Kobolds¡­ Wait, what is on their arm?¡± Do they have claws¡­?¡± 8 kobolds had appeared in the arena, and they were all equipped with steel claws on their hands. The kobolds charged after Reito and Mina. ¡°Graaah!!¡± ¡°Grooow!!¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°Hey now¡­ let¡¯s retreat for a second.¡± Reito used the swordsman¡¯s ¡°Dodge¡± skill to avoid one kobold after the other. Mina swung her spear to try and control them, but they wouldn¡¯t stop. ¡°Ngh¡­ Reito-kun, sorry!! I¡¯m the front guard. I¡¯m supposed to be protecting you¡­!!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re used to defending¡­!!¡± ¡°Groow!?¡± When Reito punched the kobold in the stomach as he dodged its attack, a new skill appeared in his field of vision. Reito was surprised that he managed to learn a new skill under these circumstances, but he figured it was because he was engaging in hand-to-hand combat. ¡°I see. It increases the strength of my counters.¡± ¡°Grann!?¡± ¡°What? Maybe I have more physical combat talent than I realized.¡± When Reito smashed the face of the kobold behind him with his elbow, he learned a new skill. Reito was a little surprised before he tried imitating the same footwork he saw Gonzo use. ¡°How about this?¡± ¡°Grann!?¡± He was able to acquire the skill with the kick. He was surprised at his unexpected talent and turned the kobold into a punching bag. ¡°Fist Strike!!¡± ¡°Grahoo!?¡± ¡°Bullet Strike!!¡± ¡°Gragh!?¡± ¡°Headbutt!!¡± ¡°Groowl!?¡± ¡°Woahhh!?¡± The last one wasn¡¯t technically a battle skill, but the crowd went wild watching him run through the goblins in hand-to-hand combat. However, Reito was getting tired of fighting in a way he wasn¡¯t used to. Mina, not overlooking that, helped ward off the kobolds with her spear. ¡°Reito-kun!! Don¡¯t overdo it!! Leave it up to me!!¡± ¡°Got it¡­ Ouch, I really got cocky.¡± Reito hid behind Mina and used ¡°Recovery Boost¡± to regain his strength. Mina was left alone to fight. She skillfully turned her energy toward defeating the kobolds. ¡°Grah!!¡± ¡°Take this!!¡± ¡°Grahh!?¡± She pierced the final kobold¡¯s arm and took it down. But, too much time had elapsed and the next monster was about to be released. ¡°Here we go!! Two minutes have passed. They won¡¯t have time to take a breather. The next monster is coming out!!¡± ¡°Greeeeeh!!¡± After the kobolds, five orcs appeared. They didn¡¯t have any weapons, but they appeared to be larger specimens with red fur in patches. Mina noticed that and told Reito, ¡°Those orcs seem to be from another region. Watch out!! We don¡¯t know if they fight like normal orcs!!¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Reito was on guard and got in position to use his magic. He thought about using ¡°Ice Block¡± to make some sort of makeshift weapon before the orcs began leaping. ¡°Greeehh!!¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°Huh!?¡± Orcs are usually slow and sluggish monsters, but the orcs in the arena were hopping 6 meters in the air before coming back down. Reito dodged them to the left and right. They slammed into the ground forcefully when they landed before leaping again. ¡°Greeh!!¡± ¡°Woah!?¡± The orc did a flying kick. Reito got his hands ready and used a defensive battle skill. ¡°Parry!!¡± ¡°Greeh!?¡± Reito parried the orc with his left hand and its huge body fell to the ground. He fixed his posture and stuck out his palms. ¡°Wind Blast!!¡± ¡°Grahh!?¡± The attack repelled the right hand of the orc and sent it flying. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was due to the ¡°Counterattack¡± skill he had just acquired, but it was a stronger attack than usual. ¡°That¡¯s convenient¡­ Hey now, ¡®Lightning Strike¡¯!!¡± ¡°Nghh!?¡± Reito enveloped his right arm in an electric current that formed a tornado. He punched the orc sneaking up from behind him and sent it flying away. The orc¡¯s entire body was fried before dying. Reito approached another orc and clenched his fists. ¡°Bullet Strike!!¡± ¡°GRAHHHH!?¡± Reito planted his feet firmly on the ground and spun his entire body, starting with the ankle, then the knee, then the joints, his abs, his chest, his shoulders, his elbow, and his forearms, delivering a knockout punch. It was the pride of his punching skills. He usually fought with a sword, so he had few chances to show it off. ¡°H-, Hey!? Is he really a magician!?¡± ¡°Are you sure he¡¯s not a martial artist!?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen that kind of battle skill.¡± Reito¡¯s battle skills shocked the spectators. He didn¡¯t like his magician status being questioned, so he decided to show everyone that he truly was a magician. ¡°Ice Chain!!¡± ¡°What¡¯s this!?¡± Numerous ice daggers appeared around Reito. The spectators were awed at the never before seen magic. Volume 5 - CH 3.6 Reito released the ice daggers on the three orcs surrounding Mina. ¡°Mina!! Jump back!!¡± ¡°G-, Got it!!¡± ¡°Here we go!!¡± ¡°Greeh!?¡± The moment Mina jumped back, the ice daggers were sent flying one after the other. The orcs noticed something dangerous approaching and tried to dodge it by jumping up. But that ended up backfiring on them. Reito was capable of changing the ice dagger¡¯s trajectory at will. ¡°You think I¡¯m gonna let you go!!¡± ¡°Graaaah!?¡± Reito changed the trajectory of the daggers and stabbed the orcs in mid-air. The orcs¡¯ bodies were pierced by the daggers and they fell to the ground. It was a gruesome sight. A few audience members diverted their eyes from it, but the majority of them were bloodthirsty and were thrilled. ¡°Good one!! Kill them all!!¡± ¡°Go all the way!!¡± ¡°Shit!! You dumbass orcs!! You made me lose all my money!!¡± Reito looked at the first orc he sent flying. He was the last one standing and hadn¡¯t lost the will to fight even though all his friends had been defeated. The Orc leaped, getting ready for an attack. ¡°Greeeeeh¡­!!¡± ¡°This is bad!! He¡¯s not¡­ Reito-kun?¡± Mina was about to warn Reito but he was nowhere to be seen. The Orc who had leaped in mid-air was suspicious that he was nowhere to be found on the ground. ¡°Greeh!?¡± ¡°Leave the leaping¡­ to me!!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Reito had jumped further up in the air than the orc. ¡°Lightning Strike!!¡± Reito punched the orc with the crimson magical energy and electric current built up in his right arm. ¡°Graaaaaah¡­!?¡± The orc released its final shriek before the thunderous sound of the orc being squashed into the ground rang throughout the stadium. The spectators covered their ears. Reito landed and Mina ran over. ¡°Wh-, What was that!? I¡¯ve never seen or heard of that battle skill.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like I have time to explain,¡± Reito said calmly. The West Gate was about to open. The young girl announcer shouted, ¡°This is incredible. We¡¯re in the fourth round. But, things are about to get real. Their next opponent is the Red Oooooogre!?¡± ¡°RAAHR!!¡± A giant figure with red skill forcefully broke through the door. Reito and Mina immediately assumed their battle stances. Reito asserted that this opponent would not be a good one for hand-to-hand combat and he fashioned an ice sword. ¡°Iceclad Sword!!¡± ¡°What¡¯s this!? Reito has prepared a sword of ice!! What is this guy¡¯s job!!¡± Reito used Hyper Vibration before rushing toward his opponent. Mina cautiously held her spear. She had run into a red ogre before and had fought it with Morimo and Gallow, but she wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat this one without Reito¡¯s help. ¡°Phew¡­ This one¡¯s a little scary, huh?¡± ¡°You think so?¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­ You¡¯re cool as always. But, I¡¯m not as weak as the last time we met.¡± Mina laughed at Reito who was unshaken. She clutched her spear and let out her war cry before charging. The Red Ogre swung its right arm at the charging Mina before swinging its fist. ¡°Fngh!!¡± ¡°Spear Helix!!¡± Mina was undaunted and spun her spear, thrusting it at him. The spinning spear plunged into the ogre¡¯s fist and its skin burst, carving out some of its flesh. ¡°Grahhh!?¡± ¡°How about that!!¡± ¡°Hey now¡­ Very cool!¡± Reito was very impressed by Mina¡¯s spear attack. She had definitely grown since the last time they fought together. She wasn¡¯t just at a higher level, but it was clear her dexterity had greatly advanced as well. Reito faintly smiled and decided to get in an attack himself. ¡°Next, allow me!!¡± ¡°Grahh¡­!?¡± The Red Ogre watched Reito approach and hurried to cover his face with his left arm. But, Reito managed to slice off the ogre¡¯s left arm. ¡°I¡¯m going to cut off your arm!! Psyche, make it your leg!!¡± ¡°Grahh!?¡± Reito cut off its left leg entirely and began slicing away at the rest of the ogre. Severe hemorrhaging was coming from the ogre¡¯s wounds and it was holding on to its left foot while hobbling on one knee. ¡°Groooooan¡­!?¡± ¡°Umph¡­ I feel bad for it.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s put it out of its misery. So it doesn¡¯t suffer.¡± ¡°O-, Okay.¡± Reito and Mina got their weapons ready and looked at the ogre¡¯s terrified expression. They took pity on it and ended its life so it wouldn¡¯t suffer anymore. ¡°Spear Helix!!¡± ¡°Helmet Splitter!!¡± ¡°Grahhhhh!?¡± The Red Ogre let out its final shriek of pain as its head and heart were pierced. Red Ogres were more dangerous than any of the opponents they had faced so far. But, they were easily able to defeat it. It fell trap to the fact that Reito and Mina had the numerical advantage. ¡°What¡­ No way. It¡¯s dead?¡± the announcer said. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡­ They finished that ogre off so quickly¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on here¡­¡± ¡°I got really lucky!! Now just get this fifth round out of the way!!¡± The spectators and young girl announcer were overwhelmed by the display of strength. But there was still more battle to be had, and they couldn¡¯t let their guard down before the final round. Reito consulted with Mina, ¡°There was a red ogre in the fourth round¡­ you don¡¯t suppose something terrible is going to show up next?¡± ¡°Probably¡­ But we¡¯ve got time. Let¡¯s get ready¡­¡± They had only wasted 30 seconds in defeating the Red Ogre and had just about a minute to get ready. Reito used his perception skill to see what was coming next. ¡°It¡¯s weird¡­ I feel like something awful is about to come out of the North Gate.¡± ¡°What, really? We should still have time¡­¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s something bad.¡± Mina was wiping the blood stuck to her spear while Reito let go of his ice sword and got ready to fight. His perception skill picked up something strong.¡± ¡°Well then, let¡¯s open the gate. Will they be able to survive this round¡­ Hmm? What¡¯s this!?¡± ¡°What in the? The door¡­¡± ¡°I feel like that was fast.¡± The North Gate opened from the inside even though it was 30 seconds ahead of schedule. The spectators and the announcer were in surprise. The door, which had been pushed open so slowly, suddenly went flying off. Volume 5 - CH 3.7 ¡°GRAAAHHH¡­!!¡± The door was destroyed and the roar of a monster rang out. A Blood Bear covered in red fur from head to toe burst through. However, while ordinary blood bears are over five meters tall at maturity, this one was only two meters tall. It had some sort of full moon symbol on its chest. ¡°Grrrrr¡­!!¡± ¡°This is the last opponent!?¡± ¡°A blood bear? It should be less dangerous than the Red Ogre¡­ But it has a strange aura to it.¡± Even the announcer seemed to be surprised at the appearance of the Blood Bear. She shouted, ¡°Wh-, What is this!? The last opponent is a Blood Bear!? Nobody informed me about that!!¡± ¡°Hey, what the hell?! Why is the last opponent so small!?¡± ¡°I want my money back!!¡± ¡°You got this!! Finish it off!!¡± But, Reito felt some unspeakable danger coming from the monster in front of him. His Blade Demon instincts told him not to approach it carelessly. ¡°Alright¡­ Leave it up to me!!¡± Mina said. ¡°Wait!?¡± Mina got her spear ready and charged the Blood Bear. Reito tried to stop her but she ignored him and used the same skill she used to pierce the Red Ogre¡¯s heart. ¡°Spear Helix!!¡± ¡°Grahh!?¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± Contrary to his expectations, her spear easily pierced the Blood Bear¡¯s heart and it stiffened before falling over as the spear made it to its heart. Everyone was dumbfounded. Mina pulled out the spear and looked confused. ¡°Why did it just? That was so easy¡­¡± ¡°What? No way? That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°I think¡­¡± Reito used his ¡®Observing Eye¡¯ to look at the Blood Bear. There was no doubt that it was dead. He looked at the gate to see if any other monster was coming through it, but he didn¡¯t see anyone and didn¡¯t detect anything. Everyone was perplexed by how easily things were finished up. Reito noticed something strange about Mina¡¯s spear. ¡°What¡¯s going on with your spear?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°What¡­ even though you stabbed the creature, there¡¯s no blood on it.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Mina looked at her spear and noticed there was no blood sticking to it. The two of them looked back at where the Blood Bear¡¯s corpse was and saw something unbelievable. ¡°GRAAAH¡­!!¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°How did it¡­ !?¡± The Blood Bear¡¯s body had gotten back up. It was swinging its arms at them. It was faster than any Blood Bear they had ever seen and if it managed to hit them dead on, they would have been done for. ¡°Wind Blast!!¡± ¡°Parry¡­ Woah!?¡± Reito put out his palms and created a wind blast attack wave. Mina wasn¡¯t able to successfully use a defensive battle skill. It was as if the bear¡¯s arm¡¯s trajectory had changed. Her spear was destroyed. The Blood Bear noticed that and charged her. ¡°Gaagh!!¡± ¡°Shrink Ground!!¡± ¡°Ahh!?¡± Reito tried to put Mina on his shoulder and teleport away, but he wasn¡¯t able to do it successfully carrying another human and he moved to the left. He wasn¡¯t able to teleport again and the two of them were blown away by the Blood Bear¡¯s follow-up attack. ¡°Grahh!!¡± ¡°Shit!!¡± ¡°Reito¡­ what!?¡± Reito and Mina were knocked onto the ground of the arena. If he hadn¡¯t learned Resilience and Break Fall, they would have broken some bones. ¡°Ngh¡­ Are you good, Reito-kun?¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright¡­ I think. What am I touching?¡± ¡°Hey!! That¡¯s my butt¡­ You little!¡± Reito let go of Mina and scoped out the Blood Bear. He noticed the scar of the spear remaining like a windhole, but no blood was coming out of it. ¡°Grahhh¡­!?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± The blood bear didn¡¯t come after the two of them, but just looked at its surroundings with empty pupils. It walked around as if it couldn¡¯t see. The moment it touched the corpse of one of the kobolds, it swung its right arm. ¡°Grahh!!¡± It lifted up the kobold¡¯s dead body after swinging at its flesh before discarding it. Everyone was dumbfounded by the blood bear¡¯s puzzling behavior, but it appeared the blood bear hadn¡¯t pinned down Reito and Mina¡¯s location. Taking advantage of not being noticed, Reito tried to repair their wounds. ¡°I don¡¯t get what¡¯s going on¡­ But, let¡¯s heal. ¡®Recovery Boost.¡¯¡± ¡°Ahh, that¡¯s warm.¡± Their wounds slowly sealed up, but the moment he used magic, the bear charged them. ¡°Grahh!!¡± ¡°What!? Why is it charging us!?¡± ¡°So annoying¡­ Dirt Block!!¡± ¡°Grngh!?¡± Reito dug out the dirt from the bear¡¯s legs and collapsed its posture. Reito hurried up the healing and communicated with Airis. ¡ºAchoo.¡» ¡ºJust use my name at this point.¡» ¡ºGive me some information please.¡» ¡ºDammit¡­ It looks like the Blood Bear is being controlled by a necromancer.¡» ¡ºSo it is a Corpse Puppet, then.¡» ¡ºThat¡¯s right. The necromancer is definitely not as strong as Kirau, but they are pretty good. They are using a Dead Spirit Stone (a dark magic stone necessary to produce a puppet like this) to move it. Usually, it¡¯s installed in the heart of a creature, but it appears to be in the head of this Blood Bear.¡» ¡ºWhat difference does that make?¡» ¡ºThe source of its power is in the stone. Usually, it¡¯s best if it¡¯s in the heart to evenly distribute the magical energy¡­ As a result, this bear has no limits on its arm strength, but its sense of vision and smell are considerably weaker.¡» ¡ºThat¡¯s why it didn¡¯t know where we are.¡» But, in that case, why did it grasp their location when they used Recovery Magic before. With the cheers of the audience, it seems unlikely it would have heard their voice. ¡ºWhy did it notice us before, then?¡» ¡ºBecause you used Recovery Boost¡­ or more specifically, you used holy magic before. As you know, spirit puppets tend to have an aversion toward holy magic. It felt a threat to its own power and attacked you.¡» ¡ºSo that¡¯s what¡¯s going on. So, if I were to use my Holy Chain to bind it and then use Recovery Boost on it¡­ Wait, damn it¡­ I¡¯m not allowed to use my own weapons in the arena.¡» ¡ºThat¡¯s right. Your two choices are to touch that Blood Bear¡¯s body and use Recovery Magic or to destroy the Dead Spirit Stone in its head.¡» ¡ºGot it. Thanks.¡» Reito looked at the Blood Bear crawling out of the ground and thought about how to defeat it. He noticed the goblin¡¯s corpse lying on the side of the Blood Bear. ¡°Graaahh!!¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The Blood Bear touched the goblin¡¯s corpse when it emerged from the ground and sent it flying away as if it were a piece of garbage. When Reito saw the corpse flying in the air, he remembered the child goblin from the Forest of the Abyss who shared some fruit with him. It valiantly faced off against a bear in order to save itself, only to be blown away and die. After having the flashback, Reito¡¯s eyes got red. ¡°Stop!!¡± Reito concentrated his power in his right hand and produced an ice block broadsword. He aimed for the bear¡¯s head and swung with all his might. ¡°Grah¡­!?¡± ¡°AAAAAHHHHH!!¡± Reito sliced the Blood Bear in half dissecting the ¡°Dead Spirit Stone¡± in its head in the blink of an eye. Volume 5 - CH 4.1 CHAPTER 4 The arena went silent. No one understood what was going on. One moment they saw the young boy approach the bear and the next, the bear was sliced cleanly in half. ¡°What¡­ What was that?¡± ¡°How was the Blood Bear defeated? What?¡± ¡°Is it¡­ dead?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­ It didn¡¯t appear to be dead when Reito approached it¡­¡± The young girl announcer was just as confused as everyone else. ¡°Hey, hey!!! What?¡± Shun, watching from the front row of the battle arena, was able to perceive Reito¡¯s motions. He was able to see Reito cleanly slice the bear in half ¨C it gave him goosebumps. ¡°Impossible¡­ That little shit!? How did that little brat¡­!?¡± Despite his harsh words, Shun was smiling on the inside. You would have thought the young boy had experienced ten lifetimes the way he fought. He was both terrified and fascinated. ¡°Maria¡­ how did you not hear that this guy was in the city?¡± he mumbled to himself, staring at the boy with the glowing red pupils. ¡°Why would you hide him¡­ I don¡¯t care, but¡­¡± Shun smiled and stood up from his seat. The spectators around him were suspicious of him. He left the arena, ignoring their glances. ¡°After the battle, I bet he¡¯s gonna come out from there¡­ I should wait and talk to him.¡± He burnt Reito¡¯s face into his memory and waited for him by the arena exit. Shun wasn¡¯t the only one who was watching Reito¡¯s actions. Another Sword Master, who was a young girl, had been blowing a raspberry at him. ¡°Hehe¡­ He seems interesting. He¡¯s got my attention.¡± She slowly got up and left the stands. She ran through on the road that led to a corridor on the outside of the stands only to bump into Shun. ¡°Hey¡­ Oh, it¡¯s you.¡± ¡°Well, hello there.¡± ¡°Ngh¡­ I don¡¯t have time to talk to you. Get out of my way!¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line. I don¡¯t have time to play today. Why don¡¯t you get lost?!¡± ¡°¡­Brat.¡± Shun glared at the young girl, unable to hide his disgust. The young girl looked at him coldly before letting out a small sigh. She talked to the blue gem installed in her rapier. ¡°We can¡¯t do it now. It¡¯ll stand out too much¡­ But, it¡¯ll be our turn soon.¡± She petted the rapier as if she was a mom doting on her precious child. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Reito and Mina went back to the Waiting Room after winning the battle. A woman greeted them at the reception. She looked taken aback and presented them with a tray that had the main prize and extra prizes on it. ¡°Wow¡­ We did it!!¡± ¡°Wow¡­ We also get quite a lot of prize money!¡± Reito and Mina took the small bag of prize money and Crimson Magic Stone. Reito put the stone on his magic ring and Mina carefully fastened the bag of money on her hip. The two of them had achieved their goal. Reito asked the receptionist, ¡°That was surprisingly easy. Am I allowed to participate again?¡± ¡°Unfortunately not¡­ Once you win one time, you¡¯ll have to wait a fixed period before participating again.¡± ¡°What? Why didn¡¯t you tell us that in the first place.¡± ¡°My apologies¡­ I should have explained better.¡± The woman lowered her head and apologized. She didn¡¯t forget the explanation, she just didn¡¯t think they would win everything and didn¡¯t bother to explain it. She didn¡¯t think she¡¯d need to. ¡°The Crimson Stone strengthens pyromagic, right?¡± Reito asked and Mina nodded, saying, ¡°Yep! It also doesn¡¯t break as easily as normal magic stones. It¡¯s like a gem and is very beautiful.¡± She looked like she wanted the stone as an accessory. A lot happened in the fight, but he was glad to get a chance to review his fighting strategy and said thank you to Mina. ¡°Thank you. You helped me a lot. I think I got a little stronger because of you.¡± ¡°Wh-, What? Really? Don¡¯t make me blush. That attack you did on the Blood Bear was awesome. I didn¡¯t see it happen.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± Mina complimented Reito, but Reito was only able to do that because of a bad memory he had. Mina was a little confused, but she told him something she remembered, ¡°Reito, are you free? Would you like to eat lunch with me?¡± ¡°Lunch¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I have four starving pets at home. I gotta get back.¡± ¡°What? Reito-kun have pets? What kind of pets?¡± ¡°A wolf, two slimes, and a mermaid.¡± ¡°What!? I said pets.¡± Kotomin wasn¡¯t technically a pet, but he gave her food when he fed Ullr and the slimes, and he played with her in much the same way, so she was not that different from a pet. ¡°Mi-chan, do you have any pets?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that nickname¡­ Pets¡­ I want to own a pet, but it¡¯s hard to find time to take care of them properly as an adventurer.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°But, if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to come over and feed Ullr sometime. I love dogs.¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re like a dog yourself?¡± ¡°What does that mean!?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re a cute girl.¡± ¡°Um¡­ Don¡¯t make me blush!¡± Reito was only half joking, but she did have dog-like ears, and she looked like a tail would suit her. After accepting her offer to feed Ullr someday, he left the arena. ¡°Well then, I¡¯m going home. My dog has got to be hungry.¡± ¡°Thank you so much for everything today!! Let¡¯s fight together again soon!¡± ¡°No worries!¡± They waved goodbye to each other as he rushed down the hall to leave the battlegrounds from the front entrance. He heard someone shouting. ¡°You¡¯re useless!!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± He heard the voice coming from behind a door that had a plate reading ¡°Employees Only.¡± He heard something breaking. Reito was suspicious and moved to the door to check it out. ¡°Shit¡­ When you fail, we lose big-time money! What the hell was that battle? How did that brat win?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry!!¡± Hearing the words ¡®battle¡¯ and ¡®brat,¡¯ Reito figured they must have been talking about him and he checked to see if anyone was following him before using ¡°Stealth¡± and ¡°Soundless Walk¡± to eavesdrop. It appeared he was shouting at an employee of the arena. He figured it must have been the monster tamer of the arena. Between the singles and the doubles, three people managed to win!! One of them was a master swordsman too. He made a real mess of the Singles. ¡°But, but¡­ Didn¡¯t we end up making a bunch of money from the spectator¡¯s bets on that brat?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I can¡¯t believe that brat managed to survive¡­ He won so easily that everyone is going to think there was some cheating going on. We even made his final opponent a blood bear.¡± ¡°But, that blood bear was¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear any excuses!! Shit¡­ We are out of crimson stones now. We need to get a new prize¡­If it¡¯s something too cheap, no one will want to fight.¡± Reito heard some footsteps approaching the door from the inside. It appeared the person who was getting yelled at was about to come out. Reito stayed hidden and a few seconds later, the door opened. The yelled-at person walked away on the opposite side of the corridor. ¡°I feel like I saw the dark underbelly of the arena¡­ That being said, who was the one controlling the blood bear?¡± ¡ºIt was a necromancer, but he¡¯s a full-time magician employed by the arena.¡» ¡ºFull-time? A necromancer?¡» ¡ºNot all necromancers are the kind of criminals you¡¯ve run into.¡» Reito was convinced by what Airis told him. He just assumed all necromancers were bad people. But, technically manipulating the corpses of dead monsters wasn¡¯t a crime. ¡°Well then, I gotta get back¡­¡± Reito walked toward the exit before Airis said, ¡ºOh, wait a minute. Don¡¯t exit out the front door. You should use the Employees Only exit to leave.¡» ¡ºThe Employees Only exit?¡» ¡ºAn obnoxious person is waiting for you at the front door. Just follow my lead and don¡¯t release your ¡°Stealth¡± and ¡°Soundless Walk¡± skills until we get out.¡» ¡°Understood.¡± Reito followed Airis¡¯s advice and opened the Employees Only door, and went inside. Just a moment ago, he perceived multiple bodies in the room, but he didn¡¯t see anybody. ¡°Where¡­ am I?¡± ¡ºThis is the room where they keep the monsters they use in battle. Do you see the staircase that leads to the basement? If you go down there, you will find a cage where they keep the monsters. When there¡¯s a battle, the Monster Tamers come down here and bring them out.¡» ¡°That sounds annoying.¡± Reito felt sympathy for the Monster Tamers and continued down the corridor to the exit. He managed to get outside without being spotted by anybody. He succeeded in slipping out of the Battlegrounds without incident and rushed home. ¡°Oh!! Hey, you!! I saw you in that battle! That was awesome!!¡± ¡°Um, thanks.¡± ¡°Next time, you should try doing Singles!!¡± A handful of passers-by called out to Reito. They seemed to be spectators from the battlegrounds. He was waving at people without giving it any thought before he spotted a familiar armored figure. ¡°Is that¡­?¡± ¡°Phew¡­ I was about to get banned from that arena. Might have overdone things¡­¡± The armored man (assuming he¡¯s a man from his voice) mumbled to himself as he walked. The passers-by tried not to look at him and kept their distance.¡± ¡°Woah, is that the Swordmaster of Destruction!?¡± ¡°Ahh!! He¡¯s gonna crush me.¡± ¡°Ahh, it¡¯s just the old man of Destruction.¡± Reito overheard the conversation, and it seemed like the majority of the people were afraid of him. Reito felt like he had heard the title Swordmaster of Destruction. It must have been an employee at the battlegrounds who said it. It must have been the man who won the singles. The man carried an onyx broadsword on his back. On the flip side of the sword, there was a unique engraving. Reito realized it was the exact engraving as the one on the holy sword Caledfwlch. ¡°Is that¡­ a holy sword?¡± ¡ºCorrect. The sword he¡¯s carrying is as powerful as Caledfwlch. It¡¯s the holy sword ¡°Durandal.¡±¡» Airis¡¯s words rang out through Reito¡¯s brain. He was dumbfounded by the armored figure bearing his holy sword for all to see. The man known as the Swordmaster of Destruction mumbled himself as he trudged along. Reito did not chase after him and went straight home instead. He had a feeling that it would be troublesome to get involved with that guy. Volume 5 - CH 4.2 ¡°I¡¯m back¡­¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Ullr nuzzled Reito as he petted his head, but then Reito pushed him away because he was getting crumbs on him. He decided to eat later. He figured he would practice the new skills he had acquired today until Ullr finished eating. Suddenly he heard the noise of horse hooves approaching his house. ¡°Hey!! Is my little brother there?¡± ¡°Little brother!?¡± Reito looked up in response to the familiar voice to find the kingdom¡¯s first princess Nao in white armor straddling a white horse. She was Reito¡¯s cousin and also his step-sister. ¡°It¡¯s been a while¡­ I¡¯m glad you¡¯re doing well.¡± ¡°Are you doing good as well, Nao?¡± ¡°Yeah, I am feeling fine¡­ that being said, I still have dreams about it at night.¡± She looked tired as she laughed. The Rotten Dragon slaughtered the troops under her command, and she hadn¡¯t quite gotten over it yet. She seemed a lot better, but she was still much thinner than before. But she was much more lively than when she first encountered the Rotten Dragon. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did you just come to see me?¡± ¡°No, I just had something to report. After the Rotten Dragon incident, I dissolved the Valkyria Knights. There were personnel shortages, and my dad¡­ Or, um, under His Majesty¡¯s request, I am forming a new troop. ¡°Really? Congratulations.¡± Reito welcomed her into his house and heard more details from her. ¡°Publicly speaking, everyone thinks that the adventurers of Adventure City subjugated the Rotten Dragon and that I was the one who led the troops. Most people don¡¯t believe the part that I used a holy sword to defeat the dragon, however.¡± ¡°How did the holy sword strategy work out?¡± ¡°The kingdom has put it away under strict isolation¡­ It¡¯s a fake forged by a top craftsman. The real thing is stored elsewhere. After the battle, Nao retrieved the holy sword that Reito used, ??Caledfwlch, and took it back to the royal capital. However, she had only taken a fake that Maria had equipped her with. And, Reito had been involved in the procurement of that fake. The holy sword she used was made by a skilled Dwarf blacksmith who had a contract with the Hailstorm guild. Reito used ¡°High-Speed Shape Change¡± to engrave the same mark as the real Caledfwlch. Nao brought back the fake to the kingdom because it might be used for evil by the Queen. According to Maria, that was highly likely to be the case. Reito and Nao have been nearly assassinated by the queen before, so they didn¡¯t doubt it. The real holy sword had been safely stored away and would not be used for evil. It wasn¡¯t the case that Nao didn¡¯t feel any guilt at all for fooling the king and queen, but Maria had persuaded her that they couldn¡¯t allow the queen to have the sword, so she consented to the plan. The Holy Sword was not a weapon that anyone could make use of. For example, Caledfwlch can only be used by Level 70 and up adventurers with an affinity for lightning magic. But, Reito used his alchemy skills to be able to use it by force. In that same vein, it¡¯s greatly possible that there have been people who don¡¯t match the conditions but have used the holy sword. Nao had been asked by the king how she retrieved the holy sword. She told him that she had got it from Maria. As a result, Maria was summoned by the King for a one-on-one meeting. She was interrogated fiercely about why she had been in possession of the holy sword. Usually, the property rights of all holy swords belonged to the Kingdom, and it would have been a major problem if she had been in possession of one. But Maria proudly responded, ¡°you surely don¡¯t think it¡¯s the real thing, right?¡± She made no more excuses, sticking to that story. Naturally, the chief vassals of the kingdom felt a sense of antipathy toward her response and tried to have her punished. But, the following words out of Maria¡¯s mouth silenced everyone. ¡°Are you aware how much of my strength I put into the defense of Adventure City?¡± The Rotten Dragon incident was no longer shrouded in mystery thanks to Maria, and even those angry with her shut up. Maria also blamed the Royal Capital for not sending in reinforcements to help in the battle. ¡°Alson, what would the commoners think if something were to happen? In spite of the fact that you guys didn¡¯t really do anything, punishing the person who contributed the most in the battle would make them lose confidence in the Kingdom. I¡¯m sure the aristocrats I¡¯m in contact with wouldn¡¯t sit back and say nothing.¡± Maria was highly influential as she was the one who, in effect, ran Adventure City and had an extensive network of aristocratic connections. Many aristocrats residing in Adventure City had good relations with her. It would mean the kingdom¡¯s collapse if they were to do something to her. ¡°I¡¯m going home now. I will formally apologize for the holy sword incident¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± She leisurely made her departure from the kingdom, leaving behind only a hollow apology. Nao explained that Maria¡¯s attitude made some of the chief vassals want to punch her in the face, but the soldiers held them back. ¡°Phew¡­ It¡¯s good that Maria managed to use her influence to get out of that situation. I was in a cold sweat. But now, the holy sword is safely stored away. By the way, what are you going to do? Your troop was disbanded, right?¡± ¡°As I said, the King has permitted me to form a new one. The Valkyria Knights were no more than a security envoy in many ways¡­ They were just there to protect me from monsters since I utterly detest them.¡± Reito remembered the first time he met Nao. She was cowering from a monster called a ¡°Sandworm¡± that had appeared out of nowhere. Reito couldn¡¯t believe that she was a knight. That being said, the Valkyria Knights spent most of their time tracking down bandits and human criminals. Nao explained her hatred of monsters, ¡°when I was young, I was attacked by a monster, and now I¡¯m afraid of them¡­ But, thanks to the Rotten Dragon, I don¡¯t like them, but I learned how not to fear them.¡± ¡°Ho, ho ho! Ullr, how about you walk toward the princess?¡± ¡°Woof!¡± ¡°Hmm? What are you trying to do?¡± Reito tried having Ullr, a monster himself, approach her, but she didn¡¯t seem afraid in the slightest and embraced Ullr¡¯s head instead. It appeared she had completely gotten over her aversion toward monsters.¡± ¡°So, what exactly do you mean you will make a new troop?¡± ¡°First, I¡¯m going to recruit members¡­ I have a decent amount of funds, so I should be able to hire members that I approve of firsthand. Some people from my security envoy will join, but I want to get about fifty more members.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that something that soldiers would decide on?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­ there aren¡¯t many soldiers in the kingdom that I trust. Most of them have already pledged loyalty to the queen. I don¡¯t want to let that kind of person join my troop so easily.¡± She explained that she was in Adventure City for that reason ¨C to find trustworthy soldiers whom she can evaluate for herself. ¡°I will be using the city as a base of operations. Can I hang out with you when I have free time?¡± ¡°Sure. Make sure you bring me a little gift.¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Nao had decided she would stay in Adventure City, and Reito decided he would lend her a hand as necessary. ¡°¡­By the way, I¡¯m curious. What happened to your right eye? It looks like it keeps changing color.¡± ¡°Um¡­ That¡¯s not important. Let me serve some tea!! Just wait.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it¡­ Wait! What are you doing!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting some tea from another dimension.¡± Reito was using his storage magic to divert attention from his pupil. He pulled out a small jar and opened the lid. He made sure steam was rising from out of the pot. Storage Magic can only hold things with fixed shapes, but if the item is stored in a tightly-sealed container, it could also store liquids. Time doesn¡¯t pass in the interdimensional realm, so it wouldn¡¯t get cold. ¡°You¡¯re a Support Magician. I completely forgot¡­ But I heard you also use a sword. Is that true?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s weird for a magician to use a sword¡­ I guess you would have to if you¡¯re unable to learn attack magic.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not really like that¡­ Here¡¯s some tea.¡± ¡°Thanks¡­ Ooh, nice smell.¡± Nao smiled and took a sip. ¡°Ahh¡­ That hits the spot. You must be using quite a nice tea.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a gift from my aunt, Maria¡­ or should I say from my older sister. She said it increases your magical abilities if you keep drinking it.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a nice present¡­ Speaking of which, have you heard that Ms. Aira used to go on adventures?¡± ¡°Yes. She was called a Sword Princess and Fist Demon.¡± Reito¡¯s mother maximized her sword and hand-to-hand fighting skills and held the two nicknames. She was called the Sword Princess because of the dance-like elegance with which she could wield a sword, and she was known as the Fist Demon for her ability to leave her opponents covered in blood with her punches. ¡°Are you a swordsman, Nao?¡± ¡°Hmph. I¡¯m a knight! Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s rude to ask me that question?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. My Nao is the one who was afraid of the Sandworm.¡± ¡°What a jerk!! Alright, if you are going to go that far, I¡¯ll show you my skills!! Let¡¯s fight!!¡± ¡°What¡­¡± Nao was indignant and pointed her finger at Reito. Reito had just finished battling and wanted to rest, but he had few other chances to measure his swordsmanship against real swordsmen and wanted to know how strong Nao was as well. ¡°Alright. I won¡¯t go easy on you just because you¡¯re my big sister.¡± ¡°Hey¡­ Can you call me big sister again?¡± ¡°No. Why are you blushing so much¡­?¡± ¡°Hehe¡­¡± The two of them continued battering as they moved to the garden. Ullr watched the two of them, looking puzzled. Volume 5 - CH 4.3 Reito used his storage magic to pull out the blade he made from Adamantite. Nao pulled out two swords which glittered like a rainbow. ¡°Wait, is that made of Fire Gold?¡± ¡°Yeah, my other sword broke¡­ so I refurbished it.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re embezzling funds from your new troupe.¡± ¡°N-, No!! I bought this with my own spending money,¡± Nao flusteredly denied Reito¡¯s claim. She was suspicious of Reito¡¯s sword too. She composed herself, and the two faced off, swords at the ready. Reito clutched his broadsword, and Nao had her two blades in hand. She looked different somehow. ¡°Boost.¡± ¡°Woah¡­¡± She must have used some sort of skill to boost her strength because her muscles had swollen up. It was the first time Reito had seen that skill. He also used magic to boost his strength. ¡°Physical Reinforcement.¡± ¡°Are you ready?¡± Nao made the first move. She brandished her sword and spun her body. ¡°Spin!!¡± ¡°Ngh!!¡± ¡°Woof!?¡± Nao used Reito¡¯s favorite move, ¡°Spin,¡± on him. ¡°You little!!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even try!!¡± He parried the attack with his extermination blade. She smiled and floated in the air, swinging her sword from above. ¡°Whirlwind!!¡± ¡°Woah!?¡± Reito dodged the attack, but the rapid-fire attacks had broken his posture. He tried to regain his composure, but she wouldn¡¯t relent. ¡°Take this!!¡± ¡°Parry!¡± Reito swung at Nao, who was in mid-air, but she used her two swords to dodge the attack and continued spinning before landing on the ground. She was as lightweight as a beastman, and Reito couldn¡¯t hide his struggle. She smirked. ¡°How you like them apples? I¡¯m pretty good, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty surprised, to be honest. Alright, I¡¯m not holding back anymore.¡± ¡°Hey¡­ What!?¡± Reito planted his foot into the ground and swung his sword with every muscle in his body. He used the ¡°Strike Blade¡± skill that Bal had taught him to swing at a terrifying speed. If the swing had landed, the fight would have been settled. ¡°That¡¯s not all!!¡± ¡°W-, Wait!!¡± Reito was planning his follow-up attack so Nao could do nothing but concentrate on dodging the attacks. The fight would be over if she didn¡¯t manage to dodge the attack. Reito delivered attack after attack that should have been the ¡°Final Blow.¡± ¡°You¡¯re finished!!¡± ¡°Ngh¡­ Boost!!¡± ¡°Woah!?¡± Nao dodged the attack coming head-on so fast it left behind a blur. Reito peeled his eyes while Nao swung at him. ¡°I win!!¡± ¡°Shrink Ground.¡± ¡°What!?¡± Reito managed to vanish before Nao¡¯s blades could strike his neck, and he put his Extermination Blade toward her neck from behind. It was as if he had teleported, and Nao couldn¡¯t hide her surprise. She realized that she had lost. ¡°I think you mean I win,¡± Reito said. ¡°Um, yeah¡­ But how did you just do that!? How did you get behind me¡­¡± ¡°I used a skill called ¡®Shrink Ground.¡¯ It¡¯s a combination of ¡®Leap¡¯ and ¡®Stealth,¡¯ I think.¡± ¡°I see¡­ I feel like Ms. Aira used it back in the day. It was Nao¡¯s first time seeing ¡®Shrink Ground.¡¯¡± Of course, few people could use the skill, so her reaction was natural. But, Reito was also about her Boost skill, ¡°You also used a new skill ¨C boost. What was that?¡± ¡°Hmm? Ohh¡­ Boost is a Martial Artist skill. It was hard to learn, but it¡¯s handy.¡± According to her, it was a skill that let the user increase their movement speed and was backward compatible with the ¡°Swift Legs¡± skill that Reito had also memorized. It was a skill she had learned by chance when she had been practicing running every day. She¡¯s not quite sure how she picked it up. ¡°I can boost my speed many times over for a moment, and my opponent¡¯s move looks slower while I¡¯m using it. So, I thought I completely understood your movements¡­ I didn¡¯t think you would be able to disappear and reappear behind me¡­¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s different from Shrink Ground¡­ It seems hard to learn.¡± ¡°I still didn¡¯t think a magician would be able to beat me¡­ I guess I should be praising you. You¡¯re outstanding, Reito.¡± Nao gave Reito his praises. Reito was surprised she so gracefully accepted her defeat, but he also realized he needed to train more after the fight. ¡°I wonder if our skills are different because of the weapons we use.¡± ¡°Of course. Using a Broadsword versus a dual sword will make a big difference in battle. You didn¡¯t know that?¡± ¡°I know. I was just saying.¡± Even though it was the same group of battle skills, it made sense that the kinds of weapons made their movements different. For example, with the simple skill of ¡°Helmet Smasher,¡± which entails swinging a sword down on someone, it would be very different depending on the kind of weapon. You just use all your strength for longswords and broadswords, but for Nao¡¯s dual sword technique, you have to bring the swords in at an angle from the left and the right. There¡¯s a difference in the impact of the force. For dual swords, the number of moves increases, but the force in each hand is lesser. For longswords and broadswords, there are fewer moves, but you can put all your strength into one sword. ¡°I heard you learned how to fight from Bal. But you fight very differently,¡± Reito said. ¡°I only learned the basics from her¡­ I didn¡¯t copy her style. I am jealous of you in that sense.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Nao wasn¡¯t able to copy Bal as she had Giant¡¯s blood in her and could handle more intense and larger-scale swordcraft. She was jealous that she couldn¡¯t use a broadsword like Reito. ¡°Now that you say that, what did you need? You said you need to report something to me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ I need to tell you something. Let¡¯s go inside and talk.¡± ¡°¡­Got it. Ullr, keep watch.¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Nao looked around. Reito had Ullr keep a watch on the garden, sensing Nao¡¯s concern. The two of them headed inside his house before Nao pulled out a golden magic stone from her pocket and put it on the table, waving her palm over it. ¡°Release,¡± she said, and a vortex of black magical energy appeared above the stone. Nao faced her palm at the stone, and a wooden box popped out of the energy cloud. She quickly grabbed it. ¡°Phew¡­ That was close.¡± ¡°But, the stone has a crack in it.¡± ¡°What!?¡± She was using a storage stone with the same magical capabilities as his storage magic. It might seem convenient at first class, but compared to storage magic, there are more weight limitations and quantity limitations. However, it was a cheap and replenishable item. It is one of the reasons Support Magicians are treated with disdain. Nao was sad, ¡°Ah man. I just bought a new one, and now I¡¯ve gotta buy another. Anyway, that doesn¡¯t matter!! Take this!¡± ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Try opening it.¡± Reito stared, puzzled, at the wooden box Nao gave him. He felt like he had seen it somewhere before. He thought about it before realizing it was the same shape as a wooden box Aira had given him as a child. He heard the lid open. ¡°Is this¡­!?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s a Holy Light Stone only permitted for use by members of the royal family.¡± Inside the wooden box was a gem that looked like a diamond. It was a tremendously rare stone. It was a magical crystal called a gem that had been processed and called a Holy Light Stone. Usually, only members of the Baltros Royal Family would be allowed to possess it. Reito looked suspiciously at Nao. She grabbed his shoulders in firm resolution. ¡°This is my Holy Light Stone. I¡¯m going to entrust you with it for a while. ¡°I¡­ Why?¡± ¡°The Holy Light Stone is a national treasure, but also a dangerous stone with tremendous power. We must avoid it falling into the hands of the queen. That¡¯s why I want you to take it.¡± Reito couldn¡¯t hide his confusion at the sudden request. Nao continued with a stern expression on her face. ¡°The only people permitted to carry the Holy Light Stone are the King, the Queen, and those in line for the royal throne. I am only allowed to possess it because I used to be in line for the throne six years ago.¡± ¡°Six years ago¡­¡± ¡°Yes. Before they had another child, I had succession rights.¡± When the Baltros Kingdom¡¯s heir turns ten, they must perform the Ceremony of Royal Succession. Nao had done that ceremony before the current heir was born. The queen was opposed to her performing the ceremony, but they had no male heirs, so Nao was next in line. She was given the Holy Light Stone as proof of having undergone the ceremony. However, the queen realized she was pregnant a few days after the ceremony. While Nao did have the right to succession, the queen thought her son was the rightful heir to the throne. There were those who supported Nao¡¯s ascension to the throne, but they were a minority. Consequently, until the King¡¯s son was old enough to undergo the Ceremony of Royal Succession, they would have to wait, and Nao would remain the legal successor. If nothing happened before the prince turned 10, he would undergo the ceremony and be proclaimed the royal heir. Nao looked bitter. ¡°I wonder if the King really wants the other son to be the royal heir ¨C although he would never say anything about it. It¡¯s just I don¡¯t want their son to be the heir. The queen will use him to rule the kingdom.¡± ¡°Is she really that dangerous? I¡¯ve never met her¡­¡± ¡°I never want you to meet her¡­¡± Nao looked quite serious, so Reito didn¡¯t question it. Reito put the Holy Light Stone in another dimension using his Storage Magic. ¡°Anyway, I understand. I¡¯ll take the stone. What should I do if the Kingdom asks for it back?¡± ¡°As long as the prince doesn¡¯t undergo the ceremony, it¡¯s fine. Even if he¡¯s the King, he can¡¯t break the rules of succession. If we can¡¯t resolve the issue in four years, we¡¯ll be done for.¡± ¡°Four years¡­¡± Once the Prince in the Royal Capital underwent the ceremony, Nao would lose all inheritance rights, and the stone would be taken away. They needed to prevent the queen¡¯s plot, so Maria and Nao had been preparing something. ¡°Anyway, sorry for the heavy story¡­ Will you ever come back to the Royal Capital? I know it¡¯s dangerous now, but I¡¯d like you to see Aira.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right, my mother is in the royal capital¡­ Did you talk to Maria-Sama about it?¡± ¡°Maria-Sama doesn¡¯t feel right¡­ Anyway, she said she was happy to know that Aira was safe.¡± ¡°Can you see mother, Nao? Did you tell her¡­¡± ¡°No, sorry¡­ Before reporting to Aira, I left the Royal Capital. Because of the Rotten Dragon incident, everyone knows my name, so there¡¯s been more support for me ascending to the royal throne.¡± ¡°Ah, man¡­¡± ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t want the royal throne. I just want to stop the current prince from becoming the king. It¡¯s too dangerous for me to stay in the royal capital. I¡¯m afraid of getting got by an assassin.¡± ¡°Assassin?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ve got a bodyguard named Shinobi following me. He¡¯s excellent¡­ I want to fight him one time.¡± After the Rotten Dragon incident, Nao and Maria spent some time in the Royal Capital. Shinobi had kept guard and turned away several assassins from the queen. You need an assassin to fight assassins, and he was the best man for the job, so Maria had him stay with Nao. ¡°That was a long story. I¡¯m going to head back now¡­ If you need anything from me, come to the Hailstorm guild. I¡¯m using it as my headquarters to recruit members.¡± ¡°Got it. Stay safe.¡± ¡°Yeah. Watch out for the Holy Light Stone.¡± Nao finished her story and left. After staying for so long, there was a chance an assassin might be waiting for her somewhere. Nao was straddling her white horse as she waved at Reito. ¡°Take care! See you soon.¡± ¡°Bye-bye!¡± ¡°Woof!¡± She looked like a gallant knight on her horse. Reito saw her off and knew she was in quite a tricky situation as he watched her leave. They wanted to help her, but he was also banished from the kingdom and couldn¡¯t make any big waves¡­ This is old news. ¡°¡­Speaking of which, where are Kotomin and them? Maybe she was caught by a fisherman? She might be on a plate being served up right now¡­¡± ¡°Hey, now!¡± ¡°Purun!¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re safe.¡± Kotomin had a large basket of fish on her back and had just gotten back home. Behind her were Suramin and Hitomin. They appeared to have been very successful in fishing, and she handed the basket to Reito. ¡°Keep this somewhere.¡± ¡°I feel like you¡¯re using my storage magic as a refrigerator.¡± After defeating the Rotten Dragon, Reito had passed level 60, and his Storage Magic capacity had significantly increased. He wouldn¡¯t have any trouble storing the fish. Reito tried to put the basket away before feeling something in the bottom of it. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s this? Kotomin, what¡¯s in the basket? You went to the river, right? How many fish did you get?¡± ¡°I might have gone a little too far.¡± ¡°¡­I guess we¡¯ll have takoyaki today.¡± ¡°Yay!¡± He was dumbfounded by how carefree Kotomin was and started preparing lunch. Volume 6 - CH 1.1 In the Adventurer City of Lunot, the largest adventurer guild is the ¡°Hailstorm¡± guild house. In it, a man named Shun, a member of Hailstorm and known as one of the ¡°Swordmasters,¡± was heading to the guildmaster¡¯s office, clearly in a foul mood. He had taken an interest in the underdog young boy, Reito, and had been lying in wait for Reito to return after his battle in the arena. However, with advice from Airis, who was watching Reito¡¯s activities from the gap between worlds, Reito secretly left the arena without being detected by Shun. Unaware of such circumstances, Shun had been waiting endlessly for Reito to emerge from the arena. Since Reito never appeared, Shun reluctantly returned to the guild. He immediately went to the guildmaster¡¯s office to directly question Maria, the guildmaster of Hailstorm, who had a grasp on all information concerning the adventurer city. Shun opened the door to the guildmaster¡¯s office without knocking. ¡°Hey! Is the lady here?!¡± ¡°¡­What do you need?¡± Maria, sitting at her desk working on documents, raised her eyes to look at Shun. As Shun was about to tell her his business, he instantly felt something was off and glared at her. He then realized that the person he was facing was not Maria herself. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re Shinobi, aren¡¯t you?!¡± ¡°Uh, you noticed quickly.¡± As soon as Shun called him ¡°Shinobi,¡± Maria¡¯s voice changed into that of a man, and her manner of speaking also became completely different. ¡°Stop using that voice and tone with that appearance! It¡¯s giving me the chills!¡± The person standing in front of Shun right now was not Maria, but an assassin named ¡°Shinobi Kagemaru¡± who belonged to the Hailstorm guild. He used an ability called ¡°Disguise¡± to perfectly transform into her. At first, Shun was almost fooled, but he had keenly picked up on the subtle differences in their voices. Feeling inwardly disgusted by Kagemaru¡¯s perfect impersonation of Maria, Shun reluctantly spoke to him. ¡°If you¡¯re disguised as her¡­ does that mean the lady has slipped away somewhere again?¡± ¡°She¡¯s gone to the royal capital this time. She¡¯s not planning to return for at least two weeks.¡± ¡°Damn, of all times¡­ Hey, is there a swordsman who became famous in this town while I was away?¡± ¡°What do you think this place is? There are countless people like that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh! I saw him at the arena! A brat with a red right eye!¡± ¡°Red¡­?¡± Kagemaru tilted his head at Shun¡¯s words. Shun had known Kagemaru for quite some time. From his reaction, Shun realized that Kagemaru really had no idea about the person he was talking about. However, Kagemaru was actually acquainted with Reito. He just wasn¡¯t aware that Reito had awakened the power of the ¡°Sword Demon¡± and had turned his right eye red. As a result, Kagemaru shook his head and replied. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have no idea who you¡¯re talking about. What¡¯s so special about that guy?¡± ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be nothing if you¡¯re this upset. We¡¯re friends, after all, so just tell me.¡± At Kagemaru¡¯s urging, Shun reluctantly began to speak. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t tell anyone, alright? An incredible kid showed up at the arena. And, he was with an adventurer named Mina from our guild.¡± There were others in Hailstorm called ¡°Swordmasters¡± besides Shun. In order not to let them know about the red-eyed boy¡ªReito, Shun tried to deceive them by saying only that much. However, Kagemaru didn¡¯t let it pass, and he sharply glared at Shun. Even though he had changed his voice and tone back, Kagemaru still had the same appearance as Maria. Shun felt as if he was being scolded by Maria, and he reluctantly told Kagemaru everything that had happened at the arena. Upon hearing the entire story, Kagemaru realized that the boy Shun had seen at the arena was Reito. A slight change in Kagemaru¡¯s expression could be seen, but Shun, engrossed in the story, missed his unusual behavior. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s why I¡¯m looking for him. Let me know if you get any information.¡± ¡°Hold on, what do you plan to do when you find this boy?¡± ¡°What do you think? I¡¯m going to challenge him to a fight.¡± ¡°¡­Know your place. Do you intend to disgrace the dignity of the Hailstorm adventurers?¡± ¡°Shut up¡­ Lady Maria herself often repeated petty pranks against Bal¡¯s kid, didn¡¯t she?¡± Bal was the guildmaster of the adventurer guild ¡°Black Tigers,¡± to which Reito belonged. After losing her parents, she had been raised by Maria as a surrogate parent. ¡°According to her, it¡¯s her way of expressing affection.¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to see his reaction if we told him that.¡± Since Maria was absent and Kagemaru didn¡¯t know any information, there was no further business. Shun, having said everything he wanted to, stood up and was about to leave the Guild Master¡¯s room. Kagemaru was about to speak up to stop Shun from searching for Reito, but he thought better of it, realizing that nothing he said would stop Shun. Almost all of the adventurers belonging to the Hailstorm guild revered Maria, and Kagemaru was no exception. However, Shun was different. Although he was an adventurer belonging to the Hailstorm guild, his position was somewhat special, and he did not admire Maria as the others did. That was why Kagemaru had stopped himself from saying, ¡°Reito is Maria¡¯s nephew.¡± As he was about to silently see Shun off, Shun turned around as if he had remembered something. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right¡­ there¡¯s one more thing I wanted to ask. Where did Jannu and Loga go? I haven¡¯t seen them since this morning¡­ Gorai was in the arena as usual.¡± Jannu, Loga, and Gorai were fellow Swordmasters like Shun. Kagemaru answered honestly. ¡°Those two are still here. They are testing each other¡¯s sword skills.¡± ¡°I see¡­ So, they don¡¯t know about that kid yet?¡± The other Swordmasters didn¡¯t know about the red-eyed boy yet¡ªin other words, there were no obstacles now. Realizing this, Shun grinned. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t do anything reckless.¡± Seeing Shun¡¯s grin, Kagemaru cautioned him. ¡°Shut up.¡± No matter what anyone said, Shun¡¯s thoughts wouldn¡¯t change. It was only a matter of time before the rumors of the boy¡¯s success in the arena reached the other Swordmasters. In that case, he would fight the boy before they could take action. Shun strongly vowed in his heart to find that boy by the end of the day. ¡°Wait for me¡­ you little demon.¡± He referred to Reito as a ¡°little demon.¡± Shun¡¯s body trembled every time he remembered Reito¡¯s performance in the arena. In his eyes, Reito appeared as a giant ogre in human form. An ogre was not a particularly rare monster. Shun himself had defeated Red Ogres several times on his own. Nevertheless, the moment Shun saw the ogre¡¯s phantom in Reito, he felt genuine fear. He believed that he couldn¡¯t overcome this fear, his path as a swordsman would come to an end. With that conviction, Shun set out to find Reito¡¯s whereabouts as soon as possible. ¡ô¡ô¡ô The time was late at night when everyone was fast asleep. At such an hour, Reito was standing in his own garden. His beloved wolf, Ullr, was by his side, observing as his master diligently practiced to learn a new skill. Reito heard the voice of Airis, the world¡¯s administrator, inside his head. ¡ºIt feels like it¡¯s been a while since I last taught you how to learn a skill. Well, I think you¡¯ll be able to learn this one relatively quickly.¡» ¡°I¡¯m counting on you, partner.¡± Reito said that, then covered his eyes with a cloth and sat down in the center of the garden. Around him, there were the ¡°Photospheres¡± that he created, with their brightness suppressed. Reito was currently practicing to learn a perception-type skill called ¡°Magic Detection.¡± It was also the perception ability that he had possessed since the birth of Suramin and Hitomin, his slimes. According to Airis, with training, even Reito could learn it. He had plenty of Skill Points (SP) saved up, so he could learn it immediately if he used those. However, Airis generally had Reito learn skills on his own if he wanted to acquire them. This was not only to avoid wasting SP, but also because skills learned through self-effort were easier to handle than those learned using SP. When learning skills with SP, it takes time to become accustomed to handling them at first. Therefore, Airis actively had Reito undergo training when learning skills, especially when it came to ability skills like ¡°Magic Detection.¡± ¡°Phew¡­ Doing this reminds me of the time when I learned the ¡®Mind¡¯s Eye¡¯ skill in the forest.¡± As the blindfolded Reito spoke, Airis replied telepathically. ¡ºThat was a tough skill to learn, wasn¡¯t it? Wasn¡¯t it the skill with the longest training period among the skills you¡¯ve learned, Reito-san?¡» ¡°Mind¡¯s Eye¡± is a skill that allows the user to grasp the position of living creatures by sharpening their senses other than vision. Reito also wore a blindfold when learning this skill, and after a long period of training, he finally managed to acquire it. Remembering those days when he was engrossed in training in the forest, Reito tried to locate the photospheres floating in the air, created by his own magic power. While Reito can freely control anything he creates with magic through his will, he cannot accurately grasp their position when his vision is sealed. Among the perception-type ability skills, Reito has already learned ¡°Detect Presence.¡± However, this skill only allows him to detect the presence of living creatures, so he cannot perceive objects created with magic. Meanwhile, the ¡°Detect Magic¡± skill he was trying to learn this time was, as the name suggests, the ability to sense the presence of magic power. If Reito could grasp the position of the photospheres floating around him, he would naturally be able to learn the skill. Reito sharpened his focus. ¡ºDon¡¯t think about anything. Just concentrate silently. Clear your mind of distractions and sense the magic power that is definitely present around you.¡» ¡°I know¡­¡± As Reito listened to Airis¡¯s advice, he unconsciously realized that he was straining his ears. He shook his head and focused his awareness on his sense of touch instead of his hearing. It was pointless to try to capture the soundless photospheres with his sense of hearing. Reito reached out with his palm, trying to find the photospheres by touch. ¡°No, it¡¯s not here¡­ Oh, it¡¯s over here?¡± Ullr whined. Ullr tilted his head as he watched his master fumbling around trying to find the photospheres. However, Reito gradually got closer to the position of the photospheres and finally enveloped a sphere with both hands right in front of Ullr. ¡°This is it!¡± ¡ºThat¡¯s the spirit. Now try to capture the position of all the photospheres at once.¡» Having somewhat gotten the hang of it, Reito turned his body toward the direction where another photosphere was floating. This time, he accurately determined the exact position and collected the photosphere. With each repetition of the training, Reito became better at pinpointing the position of the photospheres and eventually became able to sense magic power completely. The moment he grasped the last photosphere, the skill acquisition screen appeared in his completely dark field of vision. ¡´You¡¯ve acquired the Tech Skill: ¡°Detect Magic¡±¡µ ¡°Alright!!¡± Having successfully learned the ¡°Detect Magic¡± skill, Reito removed his blindfold. ¡°I managed to learn it relatively easily this time.¡± ¡ºWell, it¡¯s a skill that any top-class magician would learn, so the difficulty in learning it isn¡¯t that high. With this, you can finally consider yourself a top-class magician.¡» ¡ºIs that so¡­¡» ¡ºBut, it¡¯s quite rare for someone at your age to learn ¡®Mind¡¯s Eye,¡¯ ¡®Detect Presence,¡¯ and ¡®Detect Magic¡¯ You should be proud of yourself.¡» According to Airis, ¡°Detect Magic¡± is an ability that every magician above a certain level has mastered. While it¡¯s not a particularly rare skill on its own, there are hardly any people who have also learned the skills ¡°Detect Presence¡± and ¡°Mind¡¯s Eye,¡± which are professional skills for assassins. In other words, now that Reito had acquired a full range of detection skills, there were hardly any opponents who could match him in the field of perception. With his current abilities, he could now determine the position of someone with skills on par with Aria, who was once Reito¡¯s caretaker and a top-class assassin. Although he was a bit tired from the training, Reito was excited to have learned a useful skill for future battles, and his fatigue seemed to have vanished. Airis, concerned about Reito, spoke up. ¡ºWell, are you going to rest for today? You must be tired from working hard at the coliseum, right?¡» Reito had been fighting monsters in the coliseum earlier that day. However, he shook his head. ¡ºNo, I want to learn that skill. Will you help me?¡» ¡ºYou mean ¡®Interception¡¯? Are you sure you¡¯re up for it? Learning this skill is really tough. Even for you, Reito, it won¡¯t be easy to learn.¡» ¡ºIf that¡¯s the case, I want to learn even more¡­ I¡¯m not that young anymore.¡» Reito was about to turn fifteen. In this world, there¡¯s a deep relationship between the ease of learning skills and age. To put it simply, once someone turns fifteen, the speed at which they learn skills significantly slows down. There were several skills that Reito wanted to learn before turning fifteen, so he couldn¡¯t afford to waste time. ¡ºUnderstood. In that case, let¡¯s make use of that person¡­ They¡¯re conveniently approaching us right now. Do you understand the plan?¡» ¡ºUh¡­ Are we really doing that?¡» ¡ºDon¡¯t complain. Now, hurry up and prepare.¡» ¡ºAlright, alright¡­ I¡¯m not exactly thrilled about this.¡» Ullr whimpered. Seeing Reito talking to himself more than usual, Ullr tilted his head again. Reito patted Ullr and activated his storage magic. Then, he took out a fur cloak made from the hide of a monster called ¡°Mamou¡± that he had defeated when he saved the Elf Princess Tina in the past¡ª Volume 6 - CH 1.2 In a corner of Adventurer City, deep into the night. Shun walked down the street with a bottle of sake in hand. After leaving the guild, he had been trying to find clues about the boy he had seen at the coliseum, so he had been waiting in ambush near the guild for Mina, who had participated in the match at the coliseum with Reito. However, Mina never returned to the guild. Shun considered asking various people in the adventurer city, but there was a risk that the other Swordmasters would learn about the boy¡¯s existence if he moved around too conspicuously. He thought about various things and finally questioned an information broker about the existence of a ¡°boy with a red right eye,¡± but only ended up paying a high fee without obtaining any useful information. ¡°Damn it¡­ Where is that brat?¡± Unable to hide his irritation, Shun took a big gulp of his drink. No matter how much he drank, he couldn¡¯t forget the sight of the coliseum during the day. Especially, the image of the boy who had bisected the Blood Bear at the end of the match sobered him up. It was his first experience being so interested in someone he had just met, and Shun tightly gripped the bottle, causing it to crack, as he couldn¡¯t sort out his feelings. Having emptied the bottle, he decided to go home for the day. At that moment, he suddenly felt a presence and looked up at the sky. He saw a person moving on the rooftops of the buildings. At first, he thought it was a nimble Beastman or an Elf moving on the roofs, but something was off. Shun looked at the person with suspicion. ¡°What¡¯s with that guy? Pretending to be a phantom thief or something?¡± For some reason, the person was covered in a fur cloak, and their face was hidden by a stone mask. Shun¡¯s face contorted at the bizarre appearance, but he was even more surprised to realize that the masked person was approaching him. ¡°Hey, hey, I don¡¯t know what this is about, but are you targeting me? Ha, perfect¡­ saves me the trouble of looking for someone to take out my frustration on.¡± Shun judged that the masked person was some sort of thief and threw the alcohol bottle away, reaching for the hilt of the Japanese sword he had at his waist. The Japanese sword he was equipped with was a replica of a weapon brought into this world by a hero who had been summoned from Japan in the past. Although it was made using the knowledge and techniques of this world¡¯s blacksmiths, it was undoubtedly a rare weapon. His Japanese sword was called ¡°Kurogane,¡± and its blade was made of an alloy of steel and mithril. Its blue blade was a distinctive feature. There were many people who tried to defeat the Swordmaster Shun to raise their fame. Sometimes, swordsmen who had lost to him in the past and harbored a grudge would launch a surprise attack. Therefore, Shun was not disturbed even if the suspicious person who appeared before him was targeting him, but rather provoked them. ¡°Huh? What are you looking at? You wanna get killed?!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Hearing Shun¡¯s words, the masked person descended from the roof to the ground. Seeing the easy landing, Shun judged the person to be a highly agile Beastman swordsman. Convinced that the person¡¯s target was indeed him, Shun slowly approached the masked person, hand on the hilt of his sword, and spoke. ¡°You¡¯ve been watching me, haven¡¯t you? Are you a thief? Or are you one of my stalkers?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The masked person shook their head without saying anything. ¡°Don¡¯t shake your head. Then what do you want from me? Well, you¡¯re probably just another idiot who wants to defeat me and make a name for themselves. Fine, I¡¯ll entertain you to pass the time!!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± At Shun¡¯s words, the masked person bowed their head and pulled out a ¡°wooden sword¡± that had been tucked into their waist, flipping their cloak. Shun, who was about to draw his sword, was dumbfounded for a moment when he saw the weapon and immediately became furious. ¡°You¡­ What¡¯s with that weapon? A wooden sword for training?! Are you mocking me?!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The masked person shook their head again and readied the wooden sword as if to show it off in front of him. Shun frowned at his opponent¡¯s actions, but then an unexpected event occurred before his eyes. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°What¡­ What are you doing?!¡± The moment the masked person pressed their right hand against the wooden blade they were holding in their left hand, the entire sword shone brightly, and eventually, the blade turned black. It had been entirely made of wood until now, but when the masked person pressed their palm against it, it seemed to Shun that it had changed into a different ¡°metal.¡± Facing the masked person who had changed the wooden sword into a metal one with a mysterious ability, Shun drew Kurogane from its scabbard. He had been showing a relaxed attitude just moments ago, but now he was paying the utmost attention to the masked person who used an unknown ability, glaring at them with a serious expression. ¡°Interesting¡­ I don¡¯t know what kind of trick you used, but you intend to challenge me with a sword?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Alright, bring it on!!¡± As he spoke, Shun charged and swung his blade down at the masked person¨D¨D ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¨D¨DFacing the attack from Shun, the disguised and masked Reito used his Matter Transmutation skill to transform the wooden sword into adamantite and blocked the blade. A metallic sound echoed, and Reito activated a defensive technique to repel the attack. ¡°¡¸Recoil¡¹¡± ¡°Tch!!¡± The sword vibrated violently for a moment, and Shun¡¯s blade was deflected. It was a defensive technique that both Bal and Reito¡¯s adventurer companion Gonzo could use, and it was useful when their blades were locked together. As his blade was deflected, Shun immediately launched the next attack. ¡°¡¸Rabid Thrust¡¹!¡± ¡°Whoa¡­¡± Shun activated a spear technique with the same name as the one used by the adventurer Mina, who is a lancer in the Hailstorm guild. Shun unleashed a series of thrusts with such speed that afterimages were created. In response to the continuous attacks, Reito calmly read the trajectory of the strikes and changed his footing to evade them. ¡°What¡­!?¡± ¡°¡¸Whirlwind¡¹¡± ¡°Damn!!¡± Shun was taken aback as Reito evaded his thrusts. Seizing the opportunity, Reito swung his blade horizontally. However, Shun quickly pulled out his own scabbard to block the attack, barely avoiding a direct hit. Judging his opponent to be no ordinary person, Shun took a defensive stance with his sword and scabbard gripped in both hands. His arm was numb from the shock of blocking Reito¡¯s attack. In terms of sheer strength, Reito had the advantage. ¡°Ugh¡­ You¡¯re stronger than I thought.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t scratch your head and act embarrassed!!¡± Shun was surprised by the strength that seemed impossible coming from his opponent¡¯s small stature. He quickly scanned the area, spotting a broken piece of a sake bottle at his feet. Picking up the fragment, Shun threw it at Reito¡¯s face. ¡°Take this!¡± ¡°Tch!¡± Reito deflected the shard with his sword, but in doing so, a brief opening appeared. Grinning, Shun abandoned his scabbard and slashed at Reito with his sword. Reito, realizing he wouldn¡¯t have time to swing his wooden sword, thrust the hilt forward instead. ¡°Hmph!¡± ¡°What!?¡± The hilt of the wooden sword caught Shun¡¯s descending blade. Astonished by Reito¡¯s unexpected reaction speed, Shun couldn¡¯t react to Reito¡¯s swift kick to his abdomen. Reito wanted to continue his attack but remembered his true purpose and stopped. Struggling but determined, Shun stepped back a few paces and readied his sword once more. ¡°Ugh¡­ Cough! Damn you¡­ That was a pretty good kick.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Fine by me! ¡®Thrust¡¯!¡± With his fighting spirit undiminished, Shun activated a technique and thrust his sword forward. The speed of this thrust was faster than his previous ¡®Rabid Thrust¡¯ technique. Seeing the incoming attack, Reito decided to jump forward. (Now!) Reito closed his eyes and activated his ¡®Mind¡¯s Eye¡¯ ability, sharpening his senses as he moved forward. Faced with Shun¡¯s blade approaching his face, Reito activated his ¡®Evasion¡¯ and ¡®Counterattack¡¯ skills. He dodged the thrust by slightly tilting his head to the left and then activated a technique with his wooden sword. ¡°¡¸Spin¡¹!¡± ¡°Guhaa!?¡± Reito¡¯s swung blade hit Shun¡¯s side with perfect accuracy. Pouring more force into it, Reito sent Shun flying. Simultaneously, a screen appeared in his vision, notifying him that he had acquired a new skill. ¡´You have acquired the Technical Skill: ¡°Interception¡±¡µ ¡°Alright!¡± By simultaneously activating the ¡®Evasion¡¯ and ¡®Counterattack¡¯ skills, Reito acquired the new composite skill, ¡®Interception.¡¯ ¡®Interception¡¯ is a skill that allows him to use an opponent¡¯s attack to deliver a powerful counterattack. With Airis¡¯s advice, Reito planned to learn new skills by utilizing Shun. Now that his goal had been achieved, the remaining problem was that Shun wouldn¡¯t back down. Not knowing Reito¡¯s side of the story and that he had no reason to continue fighting, Shun launched an attack. ¡°You¡­ brat!!¡± ¡°Wha!?¡± Reito took a heavy blow to his side from the attack. Shun¡¯s ribs were likely fractured from Reito¡¯s previous attack. A normal adventurer would have lost consciousness. Reito was surprised, but he quickly realized that Shun¡¯s movements were slowed by his injuries. He immediately reached out and touched Shun¡¯s body. ¡°¡¸Wind Blast¡¹!¡± ¡°Guhaa!?¡± The moment he activated the technique that directly impacted his opponent¡¯s body, the injured Shun was blown nearly five meters away. Reito observed for a while, but Shun showed no signs of getting up. It seemed that he had lost consciousness. Reito thought he might have gone too far, but he concluded that he had to go this far to knock Shun out. He bowed his head to the fallen Shun in gratitude and apology for using him for his own purposes. Reito approached Shun and held his hand over him. ¡°¡¸Recovery Boost¡¹¡­ This should heal you in a short while.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ W-what are you doing¡­ And what¡¯s with the healing magic? Aren¡¯t you a swordsman?¡± To Reito¡¯s surprise, Shun woke up almost immediately. Reito panicked for a moment but noticed that Shun still showed no signs of getting up, meaning the damage hadn¡¯t fully recovered. ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry¡­ Excuse me!¡± Reito quickly left the scene. ¡°Wait¡­ Ow, ow, ow! It¡¯s not completely healed!?¡± Left behind, Shun tried to chase after Reito in a hurry, but as soon as he tried to move, a sharp pain struck his side. The effects of the support mage¡¯s healing magic would not be fully realized unless given some time. In the empty nighttime Adventurer City, Shun¡¯s protest echoed in vain. Volume 6 - CH 1.3 Having barely escaped from Shun, Reito arrived home, took off his fur cloak and the mask he bought at the stall, and jumped onto Ullr¡¯s sleeping body in the garden. ¡°Here I come!¡± ¡°Kuun¡­?¡± ¡°Phew¡­ Your fur is as soft and fluffy as ever.¡± Reito lay down, using Ullr¡¯s sleeping body as a pillow, and remembered the times when they used to sleep outdoors like this. He thought about falling asleep right away, but he couldn¡¯t sleep, as if his eyes were wide awake. ¡°Maybe I got a little too excited¡­ Sorry for waking you up.¡± ¡°Woof!¡± Ullr let out a protesting cry, as if to say that was exactly the case. To appease Ullr, Reito stroked its head and stayed by its side until it fell asleep. After making sure Ullr was sound asleep, Reito left his home. ¡°Maybe I should do a little exercise.¡± Reito activated his storage magic to retrieve his Extermination Blade and carried it on his back as he moved to a deserted place. His destination was an open space at the end of a back alley. A long time ago, when Reito first visited this city, he encountered a thief there. He checked that no one was around and jumped onto the roof of a building. His level had increased considerably, so he was able to jump using only his raw physical abilities without activating his physical enhancement support magic. ¡ºAlright, this should be a good spot. No problems, right, Airis?¡» ¡ºWell, there are no people around.¡» After confirming with Airis, just in case, Reito drew his Extermination Blade and tried to hold it with only his right hand. However, since he had recently transformed the blade into adamantite, its weight had increased, making it difficult for him to handle it with just one arm. ¡°Whoops¡­ ¡®Gravity Strike Blade¡¯.¡± The moment Reito let crimson magic power flow into his palm, the weight of the Extermination Blade disappeared. He had manipulated gravity using his magic. With the sword in one hand, Reito swung it around effortlessly. The advantage of using gravity-manipulating magic was that it allowed him to use any weapon, regardless of its weight. He activated ¡°Iceclad Sword¡± on his other arm, creating a blade of ice. ¡°Today, I¡¯ll practice dual-wielding. I hope I can do it well¡­¡± Although he had used dual-wielding in combat several times, it had always been with a combination of longswords, and he had rarely swung a greatsword like the Extermination Blade with just one arm. The reason was that even with enhanced physical abilities, the Extermination Blade¡¯s weight was too heavy for Reito to handle. However, thanks to recently learning a new battle skill called ¡°Gravity Strike Blade,¡± Reito was now able to swing the Extermination Blade with just one arm. Imitating the movements of his cousin Nao, who excelled in dual-wielding, he practiced the technique. ¡°Haah!¡± As Reito tried to recreate Nao¡¯s movements while swinging both swords, he realized that he couldn¡¯t move as freely as her. After all, Nao used a ¡°cutlass,¡± not a ¡°broadsword¡± or a ¡°longsword¡± like Reito. Since their weapons were different, it was difficult for Reito to perfectly imitate Nao¡¯s fighting style. Deciding this, he resolved to create a style that suited him better. First, he needed to check whether he could activate battle skills while wielding weapons in both hands. Holding a greatsword and a longsword in each hand, Reito tried using basic battle skills. ¡°Helmet Splitter!¡± The moment he activated the skill, Reito raised both the Extermination Blade and the longsword high above his head and swung them down simultaneously. When using ¡°Helmet Splitter¡± with only a greatsword or a longsword, he would swing down with both hands. The speed and power were weaker when swinging down with one hand each, compared to using both hands. ¡°Whirlwind!¡± Next, Reito tried activating a skill that involved swinging both swords horizontally. His arms crossed, swinging the swords from both left and right directions. Like the previous ¡°Helmet Splitter,¡± the sword speed and power were weaker, but the attack range was extended. ¡°Spin Strike!¡± Furthermore, Reito activated a battle skill that involved rotating his body and slashing at his opponent. In the next moment, his body made a clockwise rotation, using both feet as the axis. The momentum of the rotation quickly swung both swords. The movement was similar to when he had only one sword, and the speed and sword pressure increased with each rotation, just as before. ¡°Thrust!¡± This time, he activated a recently learned combat technique. As he did, Reito thrust both his swords forward. Due to the difference in blade length, the greatsword had a longer reach. ¡ºFor now, this is all I¡¯ve got¡­ Actually, I¡¯ve only ever used these four combat techniques in battle. I¡¯ve learned a few others, though¡­¡» ¡ºIt¡¯s not like having more techniques necessarily makes you stronger. It means that you¡¯ve mastered these skills, Reito.¡» ¡ºTrue.¡» The number of techniques used in real combat doesn¡¯t necessarily pose a problem. Moreover, Reito had developed a sword technique called ¡°Stark Blade,¡± which strengthened his combat techniques by combining them with the ¡°Strike Blade¡± techniques he had learned from Bal. Thanks to this powerful sword technique, Reito could fight on equal terms with stronger opponents. However, the Strike Blade technique, which uses the entire body¡¯s muscles, is highly incompatible with using weapons in both hands. In other words, Reito cannot use Stark Blade while dual-wielding. Therefore, he needed to devise a new strategy for fighting with two weapons. ¡ºAny good techniques, Aiemon?¡» ¡ºWho¡¯s Aiemon¡­? Well, how about learning the ¡®Shippuken¡¯ technique?¡» ¡º¡¯Shippuken¡¯? What kind of technique is that?¡» As Reito tilted his head, Airis explained in detail. ¡ºIt¡¯s literally a speed-focused sword technique. It¡¯s also a technique that beastmen can easily learn.¡» Even though it was a speed-focused technique, Reito couldn¡¯t quite picture what it would be like. He decided to ask how to learn it anyway. ¡ºHow can I learn it?¡» ¡ºWell, you should learn some martial arts skills first. I¡¯m sure you can easily learn them, Reito.¡» ¡ºMartial art skills? ¡­Alright.¡» Reito let go of his weapons and began to follow Airis¡¯s instructions. First, he used the ¡°Ice Block¡± to create a human-shaped ice figure. Then, he covered his fists with chunks of ice, like boxing gloves. ¡ºIt looks like we¡¯re going to learn a lot this time. Let¡¯s start with the basic ¡®Fist Strike¡¯ technique.¡» ¡º¡¯Fist Strike,¡¯ huh¡­? What was that again?¡» ¡ºRemember when Gonzo was fighting? Do you recall the technique he used while battling the Battle Golem?¡» ¡ºI see, that one¡­ Got it, I¡¯ll give it a try.¡» Having not used it for a while, Reito had almost forgotten about the ¡°Fist Strike¡± battle skill he had learned. Airis told him that by continuing to use it, he could acquire a new skill. Reito thrust his fist toward the ice dummy, striking its face. A small crack appeared on the dummy, but it wasn¡¯t enough to destroy it. Remembering how Gonzo had fought the other day, Reito immediately struck with his left fist as well. After repeating this motion several times, a screen finally appeared before his eyes. ¡´You have acquired the Technical Skill: ¡°Rapid Punches¡±¡µ ¡°Alright!¡± ¡°Next, please repeatedly use the ¡®Rapid Punches¡¯ skill,¡± Airis instructed. With clenched fists, Reito repeatedly punched the ice dummy. ¡ºEek! Ah, it broke¡­ I need to make it more durable.¡» ¡ºKeep it up. You won¡¯t be able to learn ¡®Shippuken¡¯ unless you learn the next battle skill,¡» Airis reminded him. ¡ºI got it.¡» Reito prepared a new ice dummy and continued using his battle skills to punch it. However, before he could learn a new skill, the dummy broke again. With no other choice, Reito created another ice dummy. He repeated this process, gradually grasping the usage of battle skills and techniques. First, he thrust his right fist with the ¡°Fist Strike,¡± followed by the ¡°Rapid Punches¡± technical skill with his left fist. By repeating this process, Reito was able to unleash a flurry of punches at an incredible speed. ¡°Oraoraoraoraoraoraoraa!¡± ¡°That battle cry sounds a bit dangerous!!¡± ¡°Atatatatatata! Hoataaa!¡± ¡°That one isn¡¯t much better!!¡± While jokingly shouting, Reito continued punching. After destroying more than a dozen ice dummies, the ice boxing glove around his fist shattered. Simultaneously, a screen appeared in his vision. ¡´You have acquired the Battle Skill: ¡°Gale Thrust¡±¡µ ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve learned something new¡­¡± ¡´You have acquired the Technical Skill: ¡°Balrage Rush¡±¡µ ¡°Huh? Two of them?¡± Reito tilted his head, checking the contents of each skill one by one. The former seemed to be a higher-level version of ¡°Fist Strike,¡± while the latter was a technical skill that could be used after initially activating the former. Airis was also surprised by this and openly expressed her admiration. ¡ºI¡¯m amazed. I didn¡¯t expect you to learn two skills¡­ You¡¯re truly remarkable, Reito.¡» ¡ºIs this good enough?¡» ¡ºWell, you¡¯re all set. Since you¡¯ve just learned them, why not try them out to see what kind of battle skills they are?¡» ¡ºAlright, let¡¯s do this.¡» With clenched fists, Reito cast ¡°Earth Block¡± magic to create a human-shaped clay dummy before using his newly learned battle skills. He had hurt his fists from punching the hard ice repeatedly, so he applied ¡°Recovery Boost¡± magic to both hands as well. ¡ºHealing complete¡­ First, let¡¯s try ¡®Gale Thrust¡¯!¡» The moment Reito activated the skill, he thrust his fist at a much higher speed than the regular ¡°Fist Strike,¡± piercing the clay dummy¡¯s face. Both the speed and power surpassed that of ¡°Fist Strike.¡± Reito then activated ¡°Balrage Rush¡± in succession. His fists moved at a speed that created afterimages as he launched a barrage of punches. The clay dummy crumbled away in an instant. Reito was astonished by the result. ¡ºWow¡­ This is incredible.¡» ¡ºRemember not to use this in a street fight or something. You might kill someone¡­ That being said, I wonder why you were born as a Support Magician. If you were a swordsman or a martial artist by now¡­¡» ¡ºEnough of that.¡» Although Airis expressed her sympathy, Reito didn¡¯t want to question his profession any longer and answered curtly. Reito¡¯s professions were ¡°Alchemist¡± and ¡°Support Magician,¡± both of which were considered underprivileged in this world. Everyone in this world is born with a certain profession, which cannot be changed. Though one can learn skills from other professions through hard work, only a small portion of them can be acquired, and specialized skills remain unattainable. Reito brushed off the dirt sticking to his fists and inquired about the method to learn the main skill called ¡°Shippuken.¡± ¡ºSo, from the sound of the name, should I just activate ¡®Gale Thrust¡¯ while holding a sword?¡» ¡ºThat¡¯s right. However, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to be that easy.¡» ¡º¡­Well, let¡¯s give it a try.¡» Although dawn was approaching, Reito was so engrossed in learning the battle skills that he had forgotten his fatigue. He gripped his Extermination Blade and activated ¡°Gravity Strike Blade¡± just in case, before using the battle skill he had just learned. As soon as he used the skill, the Extermination Blade was unleashed at an unprecedented speed, and a shockwave-like gust of wind was generated. Reito himself was surprised by the speed, and it seemed that sufficient speed and power could be expected even without using the ¡°Strike Sword¡± technique. ¡°This is amazing¡­ Alright, what happens if I activate ¡®Gale Thrust¡¯ and the ¡®Thrust¡¯ battle skill at the same time?¡± Although the newly learned ¡°Gale Thrust¡± and the already learned ¡°Thrust¡± have different weapons, the action of thrusting an arm to attack is the same. Reito decided to test whether he could activate the two battle skills simultaneously. As he thrust out his right arm, an even faster blow was generated, with the sound of slicing wind echoing all around. Shortly after, a screen appeared in Reito¡¯s field of vision. ¡´You have acquired the Battle Skill: ¡°Shippuken¡±¡µ ¡ºAlright, I did it!¡» ¡ºI was going to teach you another way, but I never thought there would be a method like that¡­ That was very creative.¡» He had merely combined the battle skills haphazardly, but he had successfully learned the desired battle skill by sheer luck. Reito also figured out how to enhance the ¡°Thrust¡± battle skill. He decided to include this sword technique as a composite sword technique called ¡°Piercing Impact.¡± ¡ºShippuken!¡» Reito activated the newly learned battle skill. The Extermination Blade was swung at a speed that created afterimages, generating a mild shockwave. This battle skill differed from ¡°Strike Sword,¡± which utilized the whole body¡¯s muscles for impact; it appeared to involve swinging the sword with only the necessary muscles, so although the speed was fast, it was inferior to ¡°Strike Sword¡± in terms of power. ¡ºThe power is a bit weak, but it¡¯s not bad for one-handed use¡­ Alright, let¡¯s head home for today.¡» ¡ºGood work.¡» Having learned multiple battle skills and technical skills in a single day, Reito decided to return to his home satisfied. In the end, he stayed up all night, but he achieved significant results. As Reito stored the Extermination Blade in another space using storage magic, Airis called out to him. Volume 6 - CH 1.4 ¡ºAh, wait a minute. Reito, could you please have a more serious ¡®communication¡¯ session with me?¡» ¡ºAlright, but¡­¡» ¡ºI¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s fine if we just have a short conversation like this, but¡­¡» For short conversations, there is no problem, but for longer conversations, Reito needs to initiate the communication. Time stops during the communication, but it consumes Reito¡¯s mental energy, so usually, Airis is the one who starts talking. However, this time, it seemed that a longer conversation was necessary. Reito communicated with Airis and spoke to her in his mind. ¡ºI¡­I, what was it again? Well, Ai-Ai is fine.¡» ¡ºDon¡¯t forget my name already! And please don¡¯t call me that, it sounds like a panda.¡» ¡ºSo, what do you need?¡» ¡ºAh, yes. I wanted to talk to you about your abilities.¡» ¡º¡­The SP thing?¡» Reito had a hunch about what Airis was talking about. Recently, he defeated the legendary monster, the Rotten Dragon, raising his level to 65. As a result, he also gained 30 SP. With these points, he could learn new skills and also enhance some of the abilities he already possessed. Since there were many possibilities, Reito had decided to carefully consider how to use his SP and had been postponing its use. Airis continued the conversation. ¡ºYou have already enhanced some of your abilities, such as your unique skills and abilities related to your profession.¡» ¡ºBy the way, what happens if I raise my Alchemist level? Will my abilities be enhanced even more?¡» ¡ºIn that case, the amount of magical energy used would decrease, and the activation speed would be slightly improved.¡» Reito¡¯s alchemist abilities, ¡°Material Transmutation,¡± ¡°High-Speed Shape Change,¡± and ¡°Super Matter Reinforcement,¡± had been enhanced using SP and were originally called ¡°Metal Transmutation,¡± ¡°Shape Change,¡± and ¡°Matter Reinforcement.¡± On the other hand, the unique skills ¡°Magic Power Recovery Speed Up,¡± ¡°Magic Power Capacity Expansion,¡± and ¡°Magic Effect Up¡± had their abilities enhanced, but their names remained the same. At first glance, it seemed insignificant, but using SP provided Reito with significant benefits. In particular, ¡°Magic Power Recovery Speed Up¡± was very useful, allowing Reito to recover magic power faster than ordinary people, even when it ran out. ¡ºPlease think about how to use your SP this time. Whether to learn a new skill or enhance existing abilities.¡» ¡ºUmm¡­¡» ¡ºYou¡¯re learning skills relatively easily now, but there are still many difficult skills to learn due to your profession, and as you age, it will become more challenging to acquire skills. You can also save your SP and learn them later¡­¡» ¡ºAlright, let¡¯s use it.¡» ¡ºWow, you made that decision quickly! Are you sure!?¡» ¡ºThere¡¯s no use worrying about it¡­ This time, I want to enhance my support magic.¡» Reito decided to use his SP to improve his support magic, which would allow him to be even more effective in battles and other situations. With a clear goal in mind, he felt more confident and motivated to continue his training and gain even more power. Reito decided to use his SP on the abilities of a Support Magician that he hadn¡¯t enhanced yet. He asked Airis about the results of enhancing the abilities. ¡ºWhat happens if I enhance ¡®Muscle Boost¡¯?¡» ¡ºIt will evolve into a skill called ¡®Limit Boost.¡¯ It allows you to greatly enhance your physical abilities all at once. However, the rate of enhancement will automatically change according to your physical condition.¡» ¡ºWhat does that mean?¡» ¡ºSpecifically, ¡®Muscle Boost¡¯ can only enhance your physical abilities by about three to four times, while ¡®Limit Boost can enhance them by six to seven times. If you train your body, you might be able to enhance it even more. Oh, but the increased physical strain won¡¯t be improved, so be careful.¡» ¡ºWow¡­¡» Reito thought about Airis¡¯s explanation for a while. It was tempting to have his physical abilities enhanced even more, but the increased physical strain made him hesitate. ¡ºWhat about ¡®Magic Boost¡¯? I¡¯m actually most curious about this one.¡» ¡ºIt becomes a skill called ¡®Enchantment Boost.¡¯ It doesn¡¯t directly enhance the original ability but adds a new effect instead. Up until now, ¡®Magic Boost¡¯ could only enhance magic, but with ¡®Enchantment Boost,¡¯ you can infuse magic power into weapons and tools.¡» ¡ºI feel like I¡¯ve been doing something similar already¡­¡» ¡ºNo, ¡®Enchantment Boost¡¯ allows you to control the attribute of the magic power you infuse. For example, you activate your ¡®Gravity Sword¡¯ and ¡®Gravity Strike Blade¡¯ by sending earth-attributed magic power into the sword, right?¡» ¡ºYeah.¡» ¡ºWith ¡®Enchantment Boost,¡¯ you can, for example, send fire-attributed magic into a weapon, and the blade will be engulfed in flames. Additionally, you can freely generate flames or electricity from your body without using a weapon.¡» ¡ºWow!¡» Until now, the attributes of the magic power Reito could infuse into his sword were limited. However, it seemed that by learning ¡®Enchantment Boost,¡¯ he would be able to imbue his sword with various attributes of magic power. Reito was excited about the addition of a new ability but was also disappointed that his abilities wouldn¡¯t be dramatically enhanced. ¡ºWhat about ¡®Recovery Boost¡¯?¡» ¡ºIt becomes ¡®Ultra Recovery Boost.¡¯ The healing speed simply increases significantly. It consumes a large amount of magic power, but you will be able to heal physical injuries instantly.¡» ¡ºIt¡¯s simple but seems very convenient.¡» Unlike the other two enhancements, ¡®Recovery Boost¡¯ only improved the ability to heal more quickly, but the increased healing speed was amazing. After listening to the explanations of the enhancements for the three support magics, Reito was deep in thought when Airis continued as if remembering something. ¡ºOh, and you can also enhance your storage magic.¡» ¡ºAh, I see. So the storage magic is also supporting magic.¡» said Reito, realizing he had forgotten about it. Reito double-checked the details just to be sure. ¡ºHow will the storage magic be enhanced?¡» he asked. ¡ºIt will evolve into Spatial Magic.¡¯ The name sounds a bit cooler, doesn¡¯t it? You will be able to retrieve non-solid objects from other dimensions,¡» Airis explained. ¡ºNon-solid objects, huh?¡»Reito repeated. ¡ºYes. Not only that, but the range of the storage magic will become unlimited. Previously, the storage magic could only be activated within Reito¡¯s immediate vicinity, but with spatial magic, you can create a black vortex anywhere within sight and even fix it in place if necessary,¡» Airis continued. ¡ºThat sounds amazing, but will the weight limit increase?¡»Reito asked. ¡ºNo, unfortunately not. It depends on the user¡¯s magic capacity,¡»Airis replied. The enhanced storage magic was attractive, but the fact that the weight limit did not increase was disappointing. Reito thought for a moment and then made a decision. ¡ºAlright, I¡¯ll enhance all four support magic,¡» he said. ¡ºAre you sure? Once you use it, you can¡¯t go back,¡» Airis warned. ¡ºI don¡¯t care!¡» Reito declared. ¡ºAre you a Chinese martial artist or something?¡»Airis joked. After ending the communication with Airis, Reito opened his status screen and spent SP to enhance his support magic. He had finally enhanced all of his job¡¯s abilities. ¡ºWow, it changed all at once,¡» Reito said, looking at the four support magic descriptions that had changed and the reset proficiency levels. When a skill evolved, the proficiency level would be reset, so the only way to increase it was to use the skill diligently. ¡ºI¡¯ll try it out another day¡­ I¡¯m sleepy,¡» Reito yawned, feeling mentally exhausted from the communication with Airis. He decided to go home and rest his body. The next day, Reito was in the training grounds at the Hailstorm Guild. There, the rough-looking Shun was giving sword guidance to junior swordsmen. As a Swordmaster, he was tasked with instructing adventurers who used swords on a rotation basis during his stay at the guild. Today was his turn. Shun is currently taking out his frustrations on his juniors under the guise of sword instruction. ¡°Hey, Gallow! What happened to that energy you had the other day? Get up already!¡± ¡°P-Please, spare me!¡± ¡°Tch¡­ Just when I thought you had grown a bit, you go back to being a useless coward.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Holding a wooden sword, Shun spits out his words at Gallow, an adventurer who he had knocked to the ground. Shun doesn¡¯t bother hiding his irritation as he raises his voice to call out for the next person he will instruct. ¡°That¡¯s enough! Next one, step up!¡± ¡°Eek!¡± The scream came from a woman among the adventurers present. Besides Shun, the only people at the training ground were female adventurers, and all the male adventurers were lying on the ground. Upon hearing the voice, Shun regained some of his composure. ¡°Oh¡­ There are no men left. Sorry about that. That¡¯s enough for today.¡± ¡°Phew¡­¡± As soon as Shun put away his wooden sword, the women around him breathed a collective sigh of relief. Shun had made a promise to himself that he wouldn¡¯t raise his hand against women. He had sworn that he would only point his sword at men, except for his swordmaster or fellow Swordmasters. At that moment, a male beastman named Loga, who had been watching Shun¡¯s instruction, finally raised his voice in anger. ¡°Shun! Enough already! What have you been doing since you came back late?¡± That was the Swordmaster Loga shouting. Shun shouted back at him. ¡°Shut up! Today is my turn! Let me do what I want!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not how it works! I won¡¯t tolerate you needlessly beating up your comrades just because you¡¯re in a bad mood!¡± The male swordsmen lying on the ground looked at Shun with resentment. Shun let out a sigh and realized he had lost himself for a moment. ¡°Phew¡­ That¡¯s enough for today¡¯s instruction. Whoever lost to me needs to run around the city¡¯s walls ten times!¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡± ¡°Thanks for your hard work.¡± With those words of appreciation, Shun left the training ground. ¡°Thank you for your hard work¡­¡± Once Shun was out of sight, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The healing magic users who had been waiting nearby hurriedly approached and began treating the injured adventurers. During training, unless the injury was severe, healing magic users were not allowed to intervene, not even for minor bruises, according to the rules. ¡°Are you okay, Gallow?¡± Mina, a fellow adventurer in Gallow¡¯s party, asked with a worried expression. ¡°It hurts¡­ Damn it, that guy.¡± Gallow stood up while cursing. Then, Morimo, another member of the party, arrived. ¡°Shun was really out of control today. I never expected him to use ¡®magic sword¡¯ in a practice match¡­¡± Gallow was the only one who had managed to push Shun to the point of using his trump card, the ¡°magic sword,¡± but he was still defeated with a single blow. While Gallow was considered to be one of the top swordsmen in the guild, the title of ¡°Swordmaster¡± could not be achieved through swordsmanship alone. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely beat him someday¡­ Agh!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself, idiot!¡± ¡°Enough already. I¡¯ll heal you, so don¡¯t move!¡± As Morimo and Mina restrained him, Gallow received treatment for the wound on his right arm. The wound caused by the ¡°magic sword¡± was a beautiful and sharp cut, as if made by a sharp blade, but he had never been directly hit by Shun¡¯s slash. He had only fallen down due to the force of the ¡°magic sword¡± blow and had no other external injuries. ¡°By the way, why was Shun so grouchy today?¡± Mina reacted to Morimo¡¯s words. ¡°He¡¯s been acting strange since yesterday. He came back late and suddenly started giving combat instruction, which is unusual. He usually skips his shifts.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. Geez, the wound is too clean. It heals too quickly.¡± As soon as the healing potion was applied, Gallow¡¯s wound quickly closed up. This only served to highlight the incredible power of Shun¡¯s ¡°magic sword.¡± Gallow clenched his wooden sword and stood up. ¡°Damn it! They¡¯re all making fun of me¡­ Morimo, train with me!¡± ¡°What? Don¡¯t overdo it¡­¡± ¡°Shut up! Mina, help me too!¡± ¡°Wha¡­ I¡¯m off duty today, though.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll treat you to dinner tonight, so come with us!¡± ¡°Fine¡­ but just a little, okay?¡± Reluctantly agreeing to go out to dinner after hearing that it would be treated for her, Mina then saw Morimo tap Gallow¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Hey, Gallow. You¡¯ll treat me to dinner too, right? It¡¯s not fair if it¡¯s only for Mina.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ yeah, I got it.¡± ¡°Alright, you said it! Hey, everyone!! Gallow says he will treat us to dinner if we train with him!!¡± Morimo shouted. ¡°Hey, what the hell!?¡± Gallow tries to hold back Morimo, who is blurting out ridiculous things, but he can¡¯t stop him due to his superior physique. The swordsmen who have been frustrated by Morimo¡¯s words react to them. ¡°Is that true, what he said?¡± ¡°A real man never goes back on his word, Gallow!!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take revenge for what happened last time!¡± ¡°Damn it¡­ Alright, come at me, you punks!!¡± ¡°Y-You said it, you bastard!!¡± Everyone in the area attacks Gallow, and he fights back with a wooden sword. Witnessing this scene, Loga lets out a deep sigh. On the other hand, he is worried about Shun¡¯s condition and decides to ask him about it later. Volume 6 - CH 1.5 After returning home, Reito takes a nap until the afternoon, then rides on top of Ullr and heads to the adventurer¡¯s guild to take on a suitable request and confirms how much his strength has grown by facing monsters. ¡°Hey, everyone! How are you doing?¡± ¡°Oh, Reito-san!¡± ¡°Welcome back, Reito-san!¡± When Reito enters the guild, the adventurers greet him one after another. Feeling like he has become a popular celebrity, Reito returns their greetings while checking the bulletin board where request papers are posted. He finds a request paper with the name of a nostalgic place, ¡°Ymir Mine.¡± He checks the contents of the request paper. ¡°Recently, a group of Great Horned Orcs has settled in the Ymir Mine. They are destroying wildlife and plants, treating the mine as their habitat, and if left unchecked, nearby villages and towns under reconstruction could suffer damage. Please help us exterminate them.¡± ¡°Is this okay?¡± Reito was about to tear up the request form when someone spoke from behind. ¡°Hey, are you really going to take on such a simple request? You can handle something with a higher difficulty, can¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What¡­ Ogre!?¡± ¡°Who are you calling an Ogre!?¡± As Reito turned around, he saw Bal standing there. It had been a while since they last met. Recently, Bal had been going out a lot, and the receptionist often complained that ¡°the Guild Master has a pile of documents that need to be done,¡± but she didn¡¯t seem to care at all. ¡°Anyway, have you properly looked at the reward section?¡± ¡°Reward¡­? Oh, this is not money but an item?¡± ¡°The reward is a Wind Magic Stone, a magic stone that enhances the power of wind-based magic.¡± That¡¯s what was written on the reward section of the request form. It was a rare magic stone with the same effect as Reito¡¯s possessed Crimson Magic Stone and Crystal Stone, and a valuable item. Although it was rare for a request to offer a magic stone as a reward, it was generally not a loss for non-magicians to obtain one. If deemed unnecessary, they could simply sell it, so adventurers who complained about receiving magic stones as rewards were basically nonexistent. In fact, rare magic stones were popular as negotiation materials with magicians. Bal warned Reito, ¡°If you take on that request, you should be careful. Actually, a while ago, a group of adventurers who took on that request discovered that there were far more Great Horned Orcs than anticipated and barely escaped with their lives.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t it dangerous to leave them be?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know about Great Horned Orcs? They¡¯re a higher breed of orcs, but they eat anything. They¡¯re dangerous because they¡¯ll even resort to cannibalism when their food supply is depleted, even if it¡¯s their own comrades. Most likely, a monster tamer brought them in for a hunting festival but couldn¡¯t control them and let them escape outside.¡± ¡°How irresponsible¡­ pets should be taken care of until the end!¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think they¡¯re exactly pets¡­ Anyway, you don¡¯t have to take on that request if you don¡¯t want to. If they run out of food, they¡¯ll destroy themselves. Plus, warnings have been given to nearby village and town residents, and adventurers are escorting them.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t it better to defeat them rather than leave them alone?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­ I don¡¯t want you to attract too much attention.¡± As someone who was entrusted with watching over Reito by Maria, Bal didn¡¯t want him to draw any more attention to himself. Although Reito understood her feelings to some extent, the problem needed to be resolved as soon as possible from the perspective of the person who made the request. Reito peeled off the request form and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take this on.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± asked Bal. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Besides, if we complete this request, it should cover the cost of feeding Ullr nicely.¡± ¡°Are you going to eat it!?¡± exclaimed Bal. Reito had decided to take on the request as a good opponent to test his abilities. ¡ô¡ô¡ô After making some preparations, Reito and Ullr headed to the Ymir Mine. Thanks to the fast-moving white wolf, they arrived at their destination in about an hour. Reito recalled his battle with the vampire Gain at the Ymir Mine. ¡°Have I grown since then¡­?¡± he wondered. ¡°Woof!¡± ¡°I know, let¡¯s go.¡± There was no time to waste in reminiscing. Reito and Ullr climbed the nostalgic mountain path of the mine. Along the way, they found many bones of monsters, including some skulls that seemed human. There was no doubt that the Great Horned Orcs lived in this area. Reito activated spatial magic and took out his Extermination Blade, which he carried on his back. ¡°Ullr, let me know if something comes close.¡± ¡°Woof¡­¡± ¡°Huh? You can¡¯t smell anything because of a strange odor? ¡­ You¡¯re right. There¡¯s a weird smell.¡± Normally, Reito could sense approaching monsters relying on Ullr¡¯s sense of smell, but for some reason, a strange smell was spreading throughout the mine, and Ullr¡¯s nose wasn¡¯t functioning properly. Although Reito didn¡¯t notice at first, when he concentrated on his sense of smell, he realized that there was a sweet smell like flower nectar. ¡°What is this smell?¡± ¡°Woof¡­¡± ¡°Is it not a bad smell? If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s fine¡­ Oh, maybe I should ask Airis at times like this.¡± To determine the source of the strange odor, Reito attempted to communicate with Airis. At that moment, his ¡°Detect Presence¡± skill was activated, and he immediately drew his Extermination Blade and looked toward the path they were about to take. Then, gradually, the figure of a monster became visible. ¡°Pyuiiiii¡­¡± A monster that looked like an orc appeared while yawning. However, it was taller than a normal orc by a head, and its fangs growing from its nose were abnormally long. Reito determined that this was the ¡°Great Horned Orc¡± written in the request form. The Great Horned Orc hasn¡¯t noticed them yet. Reito activated Composite Magic to draw its attention, but just before doing so, he stopped and looked around. He found a rock of just the right size. It was about the size of the Great Horned Orc¡¯s head. He placed his palm on the rock and activated Space Magic. ¡°Now, let¡¯s see how it works.¡± A black vortex like a black hole was created right above the rock, and it lowered, completely swallowing the rock. Reito confirmed that he had successfully stored the rock in another dimension, then turned his attention to the Great Horned Orc, activating his ¡°Far Sight¡± and ¡°Observing Eye¡± skills to aim at it. ¡°Here it comes!¡± ¡°Gaahhh!?¡¯ ¡°Woof!?¡± A space magic vortex appeared above the Great Horned Orc, and the rock that was stored earlier fell from it, hitting the Great Horned Orc squarely. The Great Horned Orc couldn¡¯t react to the rock that suddenly fell on its head and was hit perfectly. The Great Horned Orc fell unconscious with foam coming out of its mouth. Reito clenched his fist in satisfaction that his plan had worked and approached the unconscious Great Horned Orc with his Extermination Blade. ¡°Take this!¡± ¡°Gugyaaa!?¡± Reito mercilessly thrust his great sword into the head of the fallen Great Horned Orc. He confirmed the Great Horned Orc¡¯s death, then sheathed his Extermination Blade. He checked to see if the Great Horned Orc had anything in its possession and then hurried on. ¡°Oh, by the way, there was a stream around here¡­ Let¡¯s make a quick stop, Ullr.¡± Ullr whimpered. Ullr tilted his head at Reito¡¯s words about stopping at the stream. They had prepared drinking water before they left, but Reito¡¯s purpose this time was not just to get water. ¡°I thought of a way to use Space Magic.¡± Ten minutes later, after taking care of business at the creek, Reito climbed the mountain path with Ullr and eventually reached the mining site at the top of the mountain. The contract for the quest stated that the number of Great Horned Orcs was estimated to be around 20 to 30, but, in fact, there were many more Great Horned Orcs than that. ¡°Skree!¡± ¡°Kreee!¡± ¡°Skree!¡± The sound of the Great Horned Orc could be heard from all over the mining area. Reito and Ullr looked around while lying on the ground. There were fifty of them as far as the eye could see. The Great Horned Orcs were making a lot of noise and were feeding on the carcasses of the monsters they had presumably collected from around the mine. ¡°There are a lot more than I expected. Stay sharp, Ullr.¡± Ullr whimpered. While activating his ¡°Stealth¡± and ¡°Soundless Walk¡± skills, Reito observed the Great Horned Orcs. Ullr also followed his lead and stayed flat on the ground. Fortunately, the horned orcs seemed to be having a human-like feast and showed no sign of noticing them. There were also a large number of wooden crates scattered around the Great Horned Orcs that were probably taken from the wagons of the merchants. Some of them were using desks and chairs that may have been inside the crates. Dismayed by the unexpectedly large number, Reito continued observing them and noticed some rail cars near the mine. Several were left with broken wheels, and although it would be possible to hide inside, there was no way to get to them. It would not have been impossible to break through the mine head-on, but if the horned orc escaped from the mine in the middle of a battle, he would find himself in a troublesome situation. ¡°Hmm? Is that what that smell was?¡± Ullr sniffed. A large number of flowers with distinctive blue petals were stacked up in a pile of crates in the mining area. Their fragrance filled the mining area. ¡°I believe that¡¯s Magic Power Herb¡­ It was a plant that Aria used to grow.¡± Reito remembered that Aria had grown medicinal herbs to promote magic power recovery when Reito was still living in the forest mansion. The flowers were slightly darker in hue than the ones she had grown, so it is possible that they were a different species, but for the time being, there was no doubt that the flowers were the source of the sweet fragrance that enveloped the mine. Reito saw eight Great Horned Orcs that were relatively close to him. They were sleeping, perhaps full from eating a lot. Volume 6 - CH 1.6 ¡°All right, let¡¯s take them down first. Ullr, when I give the signal, you¡¯ll bark at them to intimidate them.¡± ¡°Woof?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just believe me¡­ I think this should do the trick. Reito used ¡°Ice Block¡± to fashion an ice spear. ¡°Let¡¯s try this out. Enchantment Boost!¡± ¡°Woof!?¡± The moment he invoked ¡°Enchantment Boost,¡± Lightning Magic flowed into the ice spear through Reito¡¯s palm. Normally, when ¡°Enchantment Boost¡± is applied to Ice Block magic, it just makes the ice colder, but this time, since the lightning attribute magic power was sent through it, an electric current gushed out from the ice spear. ¡°Alright, that worked. Next, we use this and, Ullr¡­ now!!¡± ¡°WOOOOF!!¡± Ullr barked at Reito¡¯s signal. ¡°Hmm!?¡± the orcs were surprised. The Great Horned Orcs in the mining area looked at them. The sleeping ones also woke up. But before they could start moving, Reito activated his spatial magic. ¡°Take this!!¡± ¡°Nghhhh!?¡± From the black vortex of spatial magic, a large quantity of water was released, exceeding the ¡°one ton¡± that had been collected during the prior stop at the creek. The water engulfed the bodies of the Great Horned Orcs that Reito had targeted and drenched them. After checking the situation, Reito used his ¡°Throwing¡± skill to throw an ice spear into the water. If he had thought it through more, there was no need to throw the ice spear since he could have simply controlled the ice created by the Ice Block magic at will. The spear was thrown, and thanks to the ¡°Accuracy¡± skill, it took the course that Reito had aimed for. Soon the spear fell into a puddle of water at the Great Horned Orcs¡¯ feet. The next moment, the puddle was electrified. ¡°Screeeee!?¡± ¡°Kree!?¡± ¡°Scree!?¡± The water-covered Great Horned Orcs screamed as they were hit by the electric shocks, and other orcs who saw the scene were startled and scurried to get away from the puddle. ¡°All right, let¡¯s go, Ullr!!¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Reito and Ullr ran toward the mine at his signal. Reito had his Extermination Blade at the ready and used the ¡°Shrink Ground¡± skill to slice down orc after orc. ¡°Spin Strike Blade!!¡± ¡°Grah!?¡± ¡°Gree!?¡± He cut off the bodies of two Great Horned Orcs with a rotating motion. He sensed another orc approaching from behind with his ¡°Detect Presence¡± skill. He turned around and swung his Extermination Blade. ¡°Skreee!!¡± ¡°Whirlwind Strike!!¡± He sliced the body of the opponent, who jumped at him from behind in half. Then, in order to seriously engage in combat, Reito activated ¡°Limit Boost¡± to increase his physical capabilities. ¡°Limit¡­ Boost!!¡± At the moment of using the magic, a slight outpouring of holy magic gushed into Reito¡¯s body. Even after all this time, Reito learned for the first time that ¡°Muscle Boost¡± auxiliary magic was holy magic. Magic energy surged through his body as he herded the orcs together. ¡°Helmet Smasher!!¡± ¡°Skree¡­!?¡± He swung his broad sword before his opponent could react, slicing the huge body of the Great Horned Orc in two. The body, sliced cleanly down the middle, fell to the ground. Reito could not hide his surprise at the lack of response. He then realized that his body was stronger than before, and this time he slashed without activating his battle technique. ¡°Take this!!¡± ¡°Skreee!?¡± ¡°You little!!¡± ¡°Scraa!?¡± Every time he swung the Extermination Blade, another orc was sliced down or stabbed. Before even 40 seconds had passed, most orcs were turned to corpses lined up on the ground. ¡°Grahh!!¡± ¡°Scree!?¡± ¡°Skre!?¡± Not to be outdone, Ullr cloaked his body with a blade of wind like the mythical Sickle Weasel, slashing at the orcs¡¯ vital points without fail and running around to ensure he didn¡¯t miss even a single orc. Most of the Great Horned Orc herd had just finished eating a large amount of food, so their bellies were bloated, and their movements were noticeably sluggish. Reito and Ullr were relentless in their pursuit of the orcs. ¡°You¡¯re the last one!¡± ¡°Screeeee!?¡± Reito held out his Extermination Blade toward the last one and unleashed a new technique that combines the warrior technique ¡°Gale Thrust¡± and the swordsman¡¯s war technique ¡°Thrust.¡± ¡°Phew¡­ That was the last of them.¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Ullr, who was bathed in the spurts of blood from the orcs, rushed to Reito¡¯s side, who had made it through the battle harm-free. ¡°Hey, get cleaned up before you lick me!! Stop it, you silly boy¡­¡± Ullr whimpered. Reito, with a wry smile, took out a cloth and wiped off Ullr¡¯s face. More than fifty orc carcasses were strewn around. More than half a year had passed since they escaped from the Forest of the Abyss. Compared to when they were living in the forest, both had definitely grown, and Reito, in particular, had gotten much stronger. They had also mastered various skills and had perfected their own unique swordsmanship by utilizing the ¡°sword fighting¡± technique that Bal taught them. ¡°We really have come a long way¡­ Ouch!?¡± ¡°Woof!?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t felt this in a while. After the ¡°Limit Boost¡± effects wore off, all the physical burden came onto his body at once. Reito sat there, not caring that his clothes were stained, and let out a sigh. Reito recalled the first time he used ¡°Muscle Boost¡± magic as a child. At that time, he could not bear the physical load and collapsed. After several years of increasing his ¡°Muscle Boost¡± proficiency to the limit and further training his own body, he was now able to withstand the physical load, but the evolved ¡°Limit Boost¡± increased his physical capabilities even more than before, so the load on his body also increased. ¡°Ouchhh¡­. ¡®Recovery Boost!!¡¯¡± The holy magic rushed into Reito¡¯s palm. He pressed it against his own body. His body was filled with holy magic, and it glowed like a cocoon. The intense pain disappeared in just a few seconds. ¡°Wow¡­ This is incredible. I¡¯m already healed.¡± ¡°Woof?¡± Reito could not hide his surprise at the instant disappearance of the pain. The recovery speed of the ¡°Super Recovery Boost¡± was several times faster than that of the normal ¡°Recovery Boost.¡± But on the other hand, the amount of magic power being drained had also increased, and just standing up made Reito feel dizzy. ¡°Wow¡­ I used a lot of magic. It looks like I can¡¯t repeatedly use this.¡± Ullr licked him. ¡°I¡¯m okay¡­ I should have brought Kotomin if it was going to be like this. If Kotomin, a mermaid who can handle recovery magic, had been brought along, she could have easily treated his injuries and sore muscles. Although the role of recovery will basically be left to her in the future, the recovery power of ¡°Super Recovery Boost¡± could not be underestimated. If he was seriously injured, it was reassuring to know that he could recover on his own. ¡°I¡¯m glad I got to check the efficacy of the new auxiliary magics. We have to be careful when activating the ¡®Limit Boost and Super Recovery Boost,¡¯ although the disadvantages may disappear as we increase our proficiency.¡± ¡°WOOF!!¡± ¡°Hey, you surprised me. When did you get such a loud bark? It used to be a polite little woof.¡± Ullr whimpered, a little sad. Since the two of them were alone for the first time in a while, Ullr rubbed his body against Reito¡¯s in an attempt to get the attention he used to do. However, Ullr¡¯s was covered in orc blood, so he couldn¡¯t get too close. Reito sighed and decided to wash Ullr¡¯s body in the creek later. ¡°I¡¯m going to collect the horns from the orc carcasses. The meat could be used for Ullr¡¯s meal. We¡¯ll be taking a lot of it home with us today.¡± ¡°Woof!¡± ¡°Hmm? Ah, the rail car¡­¡± Ullr dexterously pointed with his paw at the abandoned rail car with the broken wheel. ¡°Oh, I see. If we fix the wheels, we might be able to use it as a cart. You¡¯re a smart guy¡­ I¡¯ll take this crate with me while I¡¯m at it. I don¡¯t know if the owner is still alive.¡± Using Reito¡¯s alchemical abilities, the rail car was repaired. With a few modifications, it could carry luggage like a carriage. Reito checked inside the crate filled with a large amount of magic grass and decided to take it with him as well, just in case. The crate had some emblems engraved on its surface. If submitted to the guild, there was a high possibility of receiving an additional reward. ¡°I¡¯ll collect the fangs then. Ullr, you stay on watch.¡± ¡°Woof!¡± The crates of magical grass were stored away with spatial magic. They used the Dismantle skill to take the horns of the orcs and as much meat as they could carry as proof of their defeat. The luggage and crates of magical grass that could not be carried due to capacity constraints were carried by repairing and modifying the rail car. In this way, Reito returned to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild with more results than requested. ¡ªBut this decision by Reito brought about a further situation. Early the next morning, a guild official visited Reito at his home in a state of panic. Volume 6 - CH 1.7 ¡°What the hell?! I haven¡¯t even eaten breakfast!¡± ¡°Just come on! There are a hell of a lot of people here at the guild!¡± Half-awake, Reito was escorted by a guild official to the guild building. Despite the early morning hours, a good number of adventurers had gathered there. When they saw him, they rushed over. ¡°Hey, what the hell!?¡± ¡°You really messed up?¡± ¡°Huh? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Get out of our way!! Move!!¡± A guild official chewed out the adventurers who swarmed them and made them move out of the way. The official led Reito to the guild leader¡¯s office and asked him to enter. He knocked on the door and entered, wondering what was going on. ¡°Huh, Goo monin¡¯,¡± Reito said, half-awake. ¡°Hey, you finally made it. I¡¯ll let her explain everything.¡± ¡°Oh! Young man, you saved my trading company¡¯s life!¡± A woman of the Beastmen, a beast with cat ears, walked up to Reito. She was probably in her late twenties. The woman, who had distinctive cat eyes, smiled and asked for a handshake. Reito tilted his head in confusion but agreed to the handshake. ¡°My name is Ferris. Thank you for your help in recovering our trading company¡¯s cargo from the orcs.¡± ¡°Trading company¡­?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that? Maybe you don¡¯t know them. Have you at least heard of the Dalton Trading Company?¡± Reito thought about it for a while and then remembered. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ Oh, yes. I believe that¡¯s the city¡¯s grimoire store.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! We¡¯re the magic ware dealers.¡± ¡°Reito, this is the owner of the Magic Power Herb you brought back.¡± Bal¡¯s explanation finally made it clear to Reito what was going on. Apparently, this woman had come to thank Reito. Reito hadn¡¯t expected the owner to visit so soon. The woman, who introduced herself as Ferris, gestured that he sits on the sofa facing her. ¡°Anyway, thank you very much for your help. Thanks to you, we were able to get back our precious goods. Well, it¡¯s too bad that almost half of it was devoured¡­¡± ¡°Hah?¡± Reito thought, ¡°This person talks in such a weird way.¡± Ferris noticed the confusion and explained further. ¡°Are you curious about my accent? I¡¯m sorry, this may be unfamiliar to people from this part of the world, but where I come from, this is the normal way of speaking. ¡°I see.¡± She seemed to be speaking in dialect. Reito continued. ¡°So, what brings you here today?¡± ¡°I was gonna send a messenger to invite you, but I¡¯m busy with other things at the moment, so I thought I¡¯d come to thank you in person. Please accept this first.¡± Ferris took the pendant off her neck and placed it on the desk. At first, Reito thought she was going to give the pendant to him, but apparently, this was a pendant made with a ¡°Storage Stone¡± attached. A large wooden box appeared on the desk from the pendant. ¡°This is our way of saying thank you. I thought money would be better, but the truth is that we watched your performance in the arena the other day. So I thought maybe you would be happier with this rather than money.¡± ¡°What?¡± Her words puzzled him, but he opened the crate. Inside the crate was his most-wanted item. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a Reflection Sword!?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be serious!¡± Bal chimed in from the side. Inside the wooden box was a long sword in a familiar scabbard. Reito exclaimed in surprise, and Bal, who was sitting next to him, could not hide his agitation. Bal hurriedly reached for the longsword and pulled it out of its scabbard to check it. The beautifully shining blade was revealed, just like a mirror, and it was indeed a real Reflection Sword. This sword was a sword that Reito had borrowed as a temporary replacement for the holy sword Caledfwlch when he asked a certain blacksmith to restore it. The blade, sharpened like a mirror, has the power to repel any kind of magic. ¡°It¡¯s real, and this is the old man¡¯s seal right here.¡± Bal was shocked. ¡°Old man¡­? I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re talking about, but that is an item that we recently bought at our store. An old man of the small-bearded Dwarf tribe, who was in need of money, brought it to me and asked me to buy it for him, even if it was cheap. It seemed to be a very valuable item, so I bought it for 30 gold coins.¡± ¡°Old man¡­ were you really so pressed for money?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Ferris¡¯s explanation was so simple that Bal¡¯s grasped her head, and Reito was dumbfounded. It turned out that the Reflection Sword was indeed the property of a small-bearded Dwarf who was Bal¡¯s acquaintance who liked to drink and that he had sold it to the Dalton Trading Company for one-tenth of its rightful price because he was strapped for cash. ¡°I can¡¯t accept this expensive of a present,¡± Reito said before Bal shouted at him. ¡°What the hell are you talking about!? You can get this famous sword for free!! Just take it!!¡± ¡°Based on your reaction, I¡¯m going to assume this sword is worth quite a lot.¡± But Ferris smiled as if anticipating these words and pulled out a folding fan from somewhere, and tapped her palm. Then she opened her narrow eyes slightly and looked at Reito with yellow pupils that could be seen through the gaps between her eyelids. ¡°I have a favor to ask of you, Mr. Reito. Oh, please take that sword. I was going to give it to you no matter what you said, so you can use it as you like. I won¡¯t shamelessly ask you to return it later, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Haa¡­ So what is it that you want to ask me to do for you?¡¡You want to ask me to do something for you as an adventurer?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s what it is. It¡¯s not the usual job of defeating demons or escorting a group of merchants. I want you to represent our trading company and take part in the first annual ¡®King of Combat Tournament¡¯ to be held in the arena soon.¡± ¡°King of Combat Tournament?¡± ¡°Hey, hey¡­ Are you really going to hold such an event?¡± Reito tilted his head in confusion at Ferris¡¯s words, and Bal looked dumbfounded as if she had an idea what she was talking about. According to Ferris¡¯ explanation, a large-scale tournament was going to be held in the city in the near future as an alternative to the ¡°Hunting Festival¡±. She also said that they were planning to use Reito¡¯s recent popularity in the arena to make a big publicity campaign and hold a martial arts tournament in which only those who have performed well in the arena will be able to participate. ¡°The best adventurers from each guild, as well as people from other guilds in other cities, have already decided to participate in this festival to determine the king of the fighting game, known as the ¡®Combat Tournament.¡¯ And our own merchants¡¯ escort was scheduled to participate as well, but he was so reckless before the competition that he got injured.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a big screw-up.¡± ¡°Many people from all over the world will gather to watch the games. Naturally, some of them are leading aristocrats and state officials. It¡¯s not every day you get to see a real battle between adventurers, and this is a great opportunity to recruit skilled people. Every country is looking for talented people at this time of the year.¡± ¡°I see. You want me to participate in the tournament?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the ticket. I want you to fight as a representative of our business association.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. He is an adventurer from our guild.¡± Bal chimed in. Before Reito could reply, Bal told her no in a tedious manner. Since he had a deal with Maria, she could not let Reito act in a way that would be too conspicuous. Besides, it was strange that Reito, who belonged to the Black Tigers, should participate as a representative of the Dalton Trading Company. If Reito were to perform well in the competition, it should be the Black Tigers, not the Dalton Trading Company, that gets the credit. Ferris, however, reacts as if she had anticipated Bal¡¯s words. ¡°I thought you¡¯d feel that way. Just like Maria said, you¡¯re really prudent.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°My apologies. I have also brought this on behalf of the company.¡± Ferris handed a letter to Bal. Bal suspiciously examined the letter. Her eyes opened wide when she saw the sender. She snatched the letter and read its contents. ¡°There¡¯s no way!?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Reito asked, but Bal didn¡¯t hear him and kept muttering to herself. ¡°Shit, she didn¡¯t even¡­ Ahh, damn it!! Got it!! Reito, do what she says!!¡± ¡°Huh!?¡± ¡°Pleasure doing business!¡± Reito was astonished by Bal¡¯s sudden change of opinion. Ferris put away her fan. Reito was confused about Bal¡¯s sudden change of opinion and stole a glance at the sender of the letter, which read ¡°Maria¡± on it. ¡°Our Dalton Trading Company has recently signed an exclusive contract with Maria¡¯s guild. We are to sell all of our merchandise to Mr. Reito at a 30 percent discount.¡± ¡°What the¡­?¡± ¡°Damn, that woman¡­ So, you¡¯re really trying to poach Reito.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s something that Maria has thoroughly thought through. Also, Reito saved our company a fortune with his good deed the other day. We won¡¯t treat him badly at all.¡± ¡°I know. I know, I know¡­ don¡¯t pick on our young man.¡± ¡°Of course¡­¡± The conversation proceeded quickly and smoothly, despite Reito¡¯s inability to grasp what was going on. Ferris asked in confirmation: ¡°So, is it correct to say that Mr. Reito will be representing our Trading Company at the Combat Tournament?¡± ¡°Um, yes?¡± Thus, without understanding the situation well, Reito decided to participate in the Combat Tournament as a representative of the Dalton Trading Company. When Reito shook the right hand offered out by Ferris, it was met with a surprisingly strong grip. She opened her narrow eyes wide for a moment to see how Reito was feeling and then smiled. ¡°Well, I hope you don¡¯t mind if I¡¯m only here for a short time.¡± ¡°Oh, yes, ¡­¡­, I have one question. What¡¯s your dialect?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the dialect ¡­¡­? I¡¯m not sure what you mean, but are you asking about our tone of voice? As I told you earlier, this is our local way of speaking.¡± ¡°Oh, I see¡­¡± ¡°Well then, Guildmaster of the Black Tiger, I¡¯m going to need to borrow Mr. Reito for a moment.¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t hurt him. He¡¯s expensive to repair.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t treat people like objects.¡± ¡ºYour accent is slipping.¡»Airis made fun of his sudden accent change. Reito left the room as Ferris led him along. Volume 6 - CH 1.8 Ferris led him out of the building to a carriage parked in front of the guild. The carriage was one of the most lavishly decorated ones that Reito had ever seen, and the horses pulling it were not ordinary. ¡°This is our carriage. What do you think?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s an amazing carriage¡­ Is this a unicorn, by any chance?¡± ¡°Heh, you know about unicorns? You truly are an adventurer! You know a lot about a species that don¡¯t exist in this region.¡± ¡°Neigh!¡± Ferris patted the back of the white horse, pulling the carriage, and the white horse, which was about two times larger than an ordinary horse, whinnied. It had a beautiful white horn on its forehead, a beautiful coat that reminded one of the gods, and above all, a sharp look in its eyes. Ferris talked about the horse to Reito, who could not hide his excitement at the sight of the unicorn so famous from the fairy tails he grew up with. ¡°The first time I saw her, I thought she was a little girl, and I was surprised to learn that she was a unicorn. Our lives have been saved by her many times.¡± ¡°Neighhhh! ¡°Hey, don¡¯t interrupt me while I¡¯m talking!¡± The unicorn licked Ferris¡¯s face and glared at Reito as if to tell him to stay away from her. Reito sighed at the attitude of the unicorn as he approached the carriage. ¡°Are we going to ride around in these carriages?¡± ¡°Oh, wait! Don¡¯t carelessly touch the carriage!¡± ¡°Hee-hee-hee!¡± Before Ferris could stop it, the unicorn let out a yelp and, tearing off its tether, approached Reito, thrusting its horn out of its forehead. But Reito¡¯s eyes glowed red, and he conversely extended his palm toward the horn. His eyes discolored as he reflexively exerted his ¡°Sword Demon¡± power. With both hands, Reito grabbed the protruding horn and held the unicorn¡¯s body in place while blood oozed from his palms. The unicorn¡¯s eyes widen in astonishment, not expecting anyone to be able to catch its attack. She saw Reito with a look of rage on his face. ¡°Woah¡­ That was close?¡± ¡°Hnn¡­!?¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s calm down!! Same with you, Yuniko.¡± Ferris hurriedly intervened between Reito and the unicorn. The unicorn, who was called ¡°Yuniko,¡± stepped back as if frightened. Ferris was surprised by this attitude. She had known Yuniko for a long time, but this was the first time she had seen her so frightened. New Tech Skill Acquired: Intimidation ¡°Oh, I learned a new skill¡­ Cool.¡± The new skill screen popped up in Reito¡¯s field of vision before he calmed down. His eye color went back to normal. Reito glanced at the unicorn and asked, ¡°Can I get in?¡± The unicorn winced a little. ¡°Yuniko?¡± Yuniko fearfully nodded its head. Ferris couldn¡¯t hide her surprise. Unicorns are intelligent creatures, and depending on their training, they even reach the level of understanding human language. And while unicorns can understand human language, she did not expect them to readily accept someone who held them back like that. ¡®Well, let¡¯s go. Can I get in?¡± ¡°Well, yes¡­ Mr. Reito, please don¡¯t pick on my Yuniko too much.¡± ¡°I almost got skewered.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about that.¡± Ferris hung her head in shame in response to Reito¡¯s good point. However, normally, she would not try to stab people with her horns, even though she would normally be a little rough with a person who approached the carriage. She felt a touch of uneasiness. (Maybe I brought in someone so bad that Yuniko is on guard?) While considering that Yuniko¡¯s immediate offensive action may have been based on her judgment of Reito as a threat, Ferris nevertheless invited him into the carriage. Volume 6 - CH 2.1 CHAPTER 2 A dozen minutes passed as the carriage rocked along. During the ride, Reito received an explanation from Ferris about the magical wares she handles. Reito also had some magical wares in his possession, but apparently, her store carried several hundred kinds of magical tools. She sold magic tools for use by ordinary people as well as adventurers. ¡°Um¡­ Does Ms. Ferris manage all the magical ware stores in Adventure City?¡± Reito said, and Ferris nodded fervently. ¡°That¡¯s right. After all, we are the official merchant of that Hailstorm guild master! I will not allow anyone who does not belong to our guild to open a grimoire store in this city!¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting used to that accent¡­¡± According to Ferris, all the grimoire stores that have set up shop in adventure city belong to her trading company. The Dalton Trading Company, which Ferris is a part of, was originally created by a small-bearded dwarf tribe named ¡°Dalton,¡± who lived hundreds of years ago. This person named Dalton apparently ran a general store in the days when the Kingdom of Baltros was still an empire, but an encounter with a certain person led to the acquisition of a large amount of money, which he used to establish a trading company that dealt only in magical tools. The Dalton Trading Company is currently run by Ferris. It is not that she is a descendant of Dalton. Instead, she was originally just a merchant. She happened to pick up a baby unicorn when she was a child and named it Yuniko. She raised it, and they traveled to various places. She then sold the goods she acquired during her travels, and before she knew it, she had become famous as a merchant and joined the Dalton Trading Company. A few years later, after having distinguished herself among the many merchants, she made a grand announcement that she would take over the Dalton Trading Company after the then-president decided to retire. Since the Dalton Trading Company is a meritocracy, no one could stand against her, who was the most powerful merchant, and as such, she successfully assumed the position of chairwoman. Ferris looked at Yuniko, who was pulling the carriage, and said affectionately, ¡°I¡¯m very proud of you.¡± ¡°We have come this far, thanks to Yuniko. She is our lucky white horse.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°But for this year¡¯s festival, we can¡¯t rely on Yuniko. That¡¯s why I¡¯d like you to play a big role for the Dalton Trading Company.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± When Reito urged her to go on, Ferris began to speak slowly. ¡°The truth is, it¡¯s a troublesome situation¡­ Some of our merchant guards are unhappy about having adventurers participate in the arena as representatives of the merchant society in lieu of themselves. Most of them are pathetic and can¡¯t do well in the arena, but there is one person who is¡­ vehemently opposed to the idea.¡± ¡°And, who would that be¡­? ¡°He was originally a good enough player to be chosen as a representative for the pits, but he has some personality and age problems¡­ so I hired Mr. Reito on short notice.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying he¡¯s not happy with me?¡± ¡°Well, yeah. That¡¯s about right.¡± It was easy to imagine the person would be frustrated with him. Reito said to Ferris, ¡°I understand. Please let me see that person, and I will persuade him.¡± ¡°Really? That would be very helpful¡­ Oh, but could you please avoid violence as much as possible?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Ferris hastily added that it was likely things would require hard measures. She did not believe that the issue could be resolved through discussion. While they were talking, the carriage stopped and arrived in front of a large building. Reito got off the carriage and looked at the building. It was a building so large that it reminded him of a skyscraper. Although it was made of brick, the exterior of the building appeared to be constructed with a high rise in mind. Ferris proudly explained, puffing out her chest, ¡°This building was designed in response to a proposal from an otherworldly person who helped start the Dalton Trading Company many years ago. This adventure city was called the ¡°Imperial City¡± during the imperial era, and this building is the only historical structure that has existed since the imperial era! ¡°Wow¡­ from the imperial era.¡± Reito learned for the first time that Adventure City was the capital in the days of the Baltros Empire. Ferris pushed Reito, who was astonished by the building¡¯s size, onwards. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go inside. First of all, let me show you around the various parts of the building.¡± ¡°Ms. Chairwoman! You¡¯re back!¡± Just as Ferris was about to give a cheerful tour of the interior of the building, a man wearing armor appeared from the doorway and approached her with a devilish expression on his face. The moment she saw the man¡¯s face, Ferris had a troublesome expression on his face. Looking at her face, Reito predicted that the approaching man might be the ¡°escort¡± person who had just been mentioned. ¡°Ahh¡­ Grohl, you¡¯re up already? Also, at such an inconvenient time.¡± ¡°Ferris!!! Today is the last straw! I won¡¯t let you get away with it! Why am I not representing you?!¡± The man called ¡°Grohl¡± did not hide his indignation as he approached Ferris. ¡°I was right,¡± Reito mumbled to himself. Ferris shook her head in a good-natured way and turned to Reito to speak. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of him. This is the man I was telling you about earlier, the one in charge of the company¡¯s escort team, Grohl.¡± ¡°What? This loser is¡­ Excuse me, this gentleman, who is he? When Grohl saw the look on Reito¡¯s face, he had a quizzical expression on his face. He did not expect that the person she brought in as a representative of the company instead of himself was such a boy. Ferris answered Grohl¡¯s question. ¡°You should greet him, too. This is the adventurer who will be representing our merchant association.¡± ¡°What? This brat?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a talented guy. Age has nothing to do with it.¡± Grohl¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment, and he immediately tried to grab Reito by the collar. ¡°You bastard!!¡± ¡°Hey, now.¡± Reito took a step back to dodge him. ¡°Get back here!!¡± Grohl blushed in embarrassment and tried to reach for the longsword equipped at his waist. Seeing this, Reito activated his spatial magic and pulled out the Extermination Blade. Seeing this scene, Grohl and Ferris looked up in astonishment. They were overwhelmed by the sharpened onyx blade and the size of the sword. ¡°What the hell? What is that?¡± ¡°Is it a Storage Stone? No, it¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just Storage Magic.¡± ¡°Storage magic!?¡± Grohl and Ferris both shouted at the same time while Reito answered them coolly. Grohl was momentarily taken aback when he heard the term ¡°Storage Magic,¡± but then he realized that Reito was a ¡°Support Magician¡± and burst out laughing. ¡°Ha-ha-ha! You¡¯re a Support Magician, aren¡¯t you? And you¡¯re pretending to be some kind of swordsman?¡± Ferris¡¯s eyes also widened in surprise. ¡°Wow, what a surprise. I wish Maria had told me before¡­¡± ¡°Is there a problem with Support Magicians?¡± ¡°No, no. Not at all. It¡¯s just¡­¡± Ferris hurriedly shook his head at Reito¡¯s question. For Ferris, who had witnessed Reito¡¯s ability firsthand in the arena, it did not matter if his occupation was ¡°Support Magician. However, Grohl, who was unaware of his abilities, yelled at him in a petulant manner. ¡°You are a disgrace! I don¡¯t know what kind of tricks you¡¯ve been using, but you¡¯ve got the nerve to cheat the chairman of the board of directors and represent the company in the tournament! Get the hell out of here before I decapitate you!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be dictated to by someone who has been replaced by this disgrace,¡± Reito said. ¡°What the hell?¡± ¡°Mr. Reito, stop.¡± It was too childish a provocation, but Reito gripped the hilt of his Extermination Blade, challenging his opponent. Grohl smiled at him and slowly drew his longsword and held it at the ready. ¡°Let¡¯s duel¡­ for the representative of the company. You¡¯ll have a fair and square fight with me!¡± ¡°Oh no~. I knew it would come to this.¡± Ferris put her hand on her forehead and moaned. Reito wanted to, but there was something that bothered him, so he asked a question. ¡°A duel. By the way, what do you mean by fair and square?¡± ¡°That¡¯s obvious! It¡¯s a pure contest of swordsmanship! Well, what does it matter if it¡¯s someone like you that can¡¯t even handle magic?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s possible that my second job is actually a Great Magician?¡± ¡°Hmph! I know that a Support Magician can only be a support magician as their main job! And that the secondary occupation of a Support Magician cannot be the occupation of a regular Magician!¡± ¡°Oh, I see¡­¡± It was information that was new to Reito. At that moment, Airis¡¯s voice played in his mind. ¡ºI forgot to tell you. A Support Magician is a primary occupation only. And that man is right. A person who is a Support Magician will never be a regular Magician with a secondary profession. Because Alchemist is not a normal profession¡­¡» Having now learned the small talk about his profession, Reito was curious as to why Grohl was strangely familiar with the Support Magician¡¯s profession, but he thought that perhaps it was common knowledge in this world that he just didn¡¯t know about. In battle, Reito often utilizes his abilities as a Support Magician and Alchemist, which puts him at a great disadvantage when it comes to pure sword competition. But for some reason, Reito did not feel threatened by the man in front of him, Grohl. ¡°I don¡¯t mind. It¡¯s a good opportunity to show Ms. Ferris what I can do.¡± ¡°Hmm! I¡¯m not sure how long you can keep that composure. Don¡¯t regret your cockiness!!¡± ¡°Oh¡­ sounds good. Let¡¯s make this quick.¡± Ferris, no longer bothered to stop them, led the carriage away. With a smile to spare, Grohl drew his long sword, and Reito clutched the hilt of his Extermination Blade still on his back. Volume 6 - CH 2.2 ¡°Hmph. That¡¯s your battle stance!? Are you an amateur!?¡± ¡°Ngh!!¡± Grohl snickered when he saw Reito¡¯s stance and lunged forward to slash at him. Reito pulled his retreating sword from his back and slammed it against his blade. The two swords collided, and the large metallic ring drew Ferris¡¯s attention, who started to watch the fight. Reito thrust his broadsword at Grohl¡¯s neck in return. Growl¡¯s face got tense, and he was upset at the sight of his broken sword. ¡°That¡¯s impossible¡­ how did you break my Mithril sword so easily¡­!?¡± ¡°Are we done yet?¡± ¡°Nice job!! In that case, Reito is the representative!¡± ¡°Wait a minute! Please, wait!¡± As Ferris applauded and tried to approach him, Grohl abruptly stopped her by letting go of his longsword. He then turned his attention to the great sword that Reito was equipped with and let out a cold sweat. ¡°Where the hell did you get this great sword from¡­? No, no, it doesn¡¯t matter! One more time! One more time!¡± ¡°What? Please give it a re-¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t lose that fight! I lost because of my weapon!¡± ¡°Is that the case¡­¡± Grohl spit out a desperate line of dialogue, but Reito noticed that the mood was different from his earlier one. Deciding that the man was not mistaken, he agreed to Grohl¡¯s challenge. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s change weapons and try one more time.¡± ¡°Um¡­ thanks.¡± Grohl hung his head in shame. ¡°What? You¡¯re going at it again?¡± Reito asked Ferris, who looked dumbfounded, for a favor. ¡°Ferris, could you furnish us with some weapons?¡± ¡°What, me!?¡± ¡°Ms. Chairwoman, please. I would like to fight on even ground!!¡± ¡°¡­Um, okay, but only once!!¡± Ferris went into the building to look for some weapons. In the meanwhile, Reito put his Extermination Blade in his storage magic, and Grohl had completely changed his attitude. His eyes were shut, and he was silent. After a while, Feris brought a servant carrying new weapons for them to use. ¡°Here you go~!¡± ¡°Please, use them.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Ferris¡¯s servant brought two iron longswords, which he held out to Reito and Grohl, respectively. Perhaps he was unable to prepare a broadsword, or perhaps it was Ferris¡¯s arrangement, knowing Reito¡¯s abilities. Reito took the longsword, and after confirming that they were ordinary iron swords, he turned to face Grohl. ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡± ¡°Will this weapon work for you?¡± Grohl asked. ¡°I used to use longswords.¡± ¡°I see¡­ let¡¯s go!¡± Grohl gripped his long sword, and this time, he stepped forward forcefully and drew his sword. Unlike the previous attack, this move was befitting of a first-rate swordsman. Reito, clutching his long sword, swatted away his opponent¡¯s sword in the same manner as before. A metallic sound echoes through the air, and the long swords collide with each other. This time, Grohl¡¯s sword is not destroyed, and they continue to exchange strikes again and again. Grohl raised his long sword, clutching it with both hands above his head, and swung it down with great force. This is a sword technique very similar to ¡°Helmet Splitter.¡± Reito repelled the attack with his blade. In response, Grohl started kicking. ¡°Kick Strike!!¡± ¡°What the¡­¡± Reito raised his own right leg to catch the sweeping leg and managed to avoid being blown away. Grohl smiles in elation and unleashes his best fighting technique. ¡°Whirlwind!!¡± ¡°Helmet Splitter!!¡± Grohl swung his sword sideways, but Reito swung his sword down from the front, and the blades collided. Then the blade in Grohl¡¯s grip was smashed, and Reito¡¯s swinging blade was at his neck, just like in the earlier fight. ¡°You did it again.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± This time it was completely settled. Grohl smiled, and Reito bowed to him for his fair and square match. The only reason Grohl objected to the earlier match was that he was frustrated that he had lost because he had been careless and failed to show his ability, and he did not think he could beat Reito from the beginning. Nevertheless, he wanted the rematch because he was not satisfied that he couldn¡¯t show his abilities in front of an opponent who was stronger than he was. It¡¯s what made Grohl a true warrior. After finishing the match, Grohl bowed to Reito with a refreshed expression, and this time he turned to face Ferris and apologized. ¡°Ms. Chairwoman¡­ I apologize for causing you so much trouble.: ¡°After wasting two of your precious¡­ weapons equipment. I¡¯ll make sure I take it out of your paycheck.¡± ¡°Ha! And I¡¯m sorry for¡­ my repeated rudeness, Mr. Reito! ¡°Oh, no¡­ don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Grohl also apologized to Reito, and after retrieving the broken weapon, he bowed to them once more and moved into the building. At first, Ferris wondered what was going to happen but was relieved to see that the problem had been resolved without incident. Volume 6 - CH 2.3 ¡°Well then! Let me start by showing you around the first floor. There are a lot of people I need to introduce you to.¡± ¡°Introduce?¡± ¡°My secretary and husband.¡± Ferris guided Reito into the building. Many people were inside the building, and a woman in a maid¡¯s uniform stepped forward gracefully and bowed. ¡°Welcome home, Ms. Chairwoman.¡± ¡°Thank you¡­ We just got back now.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ it¡¯s another maid beside Aria.¡± ¡ºDon¡¯t act like someone who has just entered a maid cafe for the first time!¡»Airis made fun of Reito. Ferris watched with amusement as Reito was a little overwhelmed by the many servants. She then introduced him to the tallest of the maids, who appeared to be the oldest. ¡°This is Alice, my secretary.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Alice. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Hi, hi¡­¡± For a pretty name, the woman was muscularly built. She was very tall, perhaps a giantess. Her overwhelming presence made Reito back away and Ferris laugh. ¡°Alice, if you put your face so close to his, he¡¯ll be embarrassed. Back up a little.¡± ¡°I beg your pardon. And thank you for the help you gave my husband earlier.¡± ¡°Husband¡­?¡± Reito thought she was talking about Ferris, but the way she said it was not quite right. Then Ferris added. ¡°She¡¯s talking about Grohl. They¡¯re a couple.¡± ¡°A couple!?¡± ¡°They have a child.¡± ¡ºAre you serious?¡» Even Airis, who is supposed to know everything about this world, was also astonished. According to Ferris, Alice, and Grohl are a mature couple with two grown children. Both are now on their own, and both are under the care of the Dalton Trading Company. Reito asked Alice with a shy smile, ¡°Are you also a warrior?¡± ¡°I used to be an adventurer in the past. But when I married my husband, I stopped being an adventurer and devoted myself to being a housewife. Now I work as a secretary for Ms. Ferris.¡± ¡°The Giant Tribe has a hard time losing muscle mass¡­ she don¡¯t work out anymore, but she still has trouble with her arms being as thick as our heads,¡± Ferris said, and Alice blushed in embarrassment. ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing¡­ But this is actually less muscle than I used to have.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Even at this point in his life, he can¡¯t help but imagine Alice¡¯s younger days. She must have had enough muscle mass to look like a pro wrestler. He also wondered if Grohl might be a muscle fetishist. Shaking his head to clear away the distractions, Reito decided to concentrate on his work for now. ¡°Where is my darling?¡± Ferris asked, and Alice responded. ¡°The master is back in the laboratory on the top floor. The product you are looking for is already here.¡± ¡°He is working as fast as ever¡­ Oh, that¡¯s right. The Magic Healing Herb that Mr. Reito retrieved for me was originally material for the magic tool he is developing. I was going to have him thank Reito for that.¡± ¡°Do you want me to call him down now?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll call him myself later. Can I ask you to get that other guy for me for now?¡± ¡°Yes. Yes, I¡¯ll have him ready for you right away.¡± Alice looked to the other maids, who immediately moved to bring in a long desk and a wooden box. The maids placed the desk in front of them, placed the crate on top of it, and opened the lid. When Reito saw what was inside, he tilted his head. Inside the crate was a shiny silver powder. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a magical tool called Silver Sand. It¡¯s a liquid made from a special herb mixed with sand.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ it¡¯s beautiful.¡± Reito peeked inside with deep interest before Alice said, ¡°Would you like to touch it? It¡¯s safe to touch.¡± ¡°May I?¡± ¡°Please.¡± Alice held out a pair of gloves. He took the gloves from her large palm and put them on. Then, Reito touched the Silver Sand inside the crate through the glove. Reito was surprised at the unexpected lack of feeling. The glove sank into the sand as easily as water, and he quickly pulled his hand out. At first glance, it looked like nothing more than shiny silver sand, but each particle was too fine to sink as easily as water. ¡°How do you use this?¡± Reito asked, and Ferris explained. ¡°Well, there are many uses, but the most common use is hair dye. You see, Mr. Reito, if you look at your gloves, you know what I mean.¡± ¡°What? Wow, when did that happen!?¡± When Reito looked at his gloves, he found that they had the Silver Sand stuck all over them, transforming them into gloves that glowed silver. ¡°Is this hair dye?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If you put silver sand on your hair, it makes it look like silver hair.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t it easy to peel off?¡± Reito asked the obvious question. Alice responded, ¡°Not quite. This silver sand has the property of hardening when it is put in water. So when you use it, you put the hair dye in water and soak the whole hair. That way, it won¡¯t fall out, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ Then, on the contrary, how do I remove the silver sand?¡± ¡°In that case, it can be easily removed by covering it with hot water. After being drenched with silver dust mixed with water, some of our customers use a hand towel dipped in hot water to remove the excess silver dust from their heads.¡± ¡°I wonder what kind of material hardens with water and can be removed with hot water¡­¡± Reito wondered about the nature of the silver sand as one of the maids brought a tub bucket of water. ¡°Please, try using it.¡± ¡°Proof is better than theory. Let¡¯s see if it works.¡± ¡°Oh, yes¡­ how does this look?¡± When Reito plunged the glove into the tub, the Silver Sand hardened when it touched the water, transforming into a shimmering glove as it was pulled up. But only the surface turned silver, and the glove did not seem to harden or cool in any particular way. ¡°Oh¡­ this is great.¡± ¡°The only drawback is that it comes off easily with hot water, but other than that, it¡¯s quite popular. In fact, even Bal of the Black Tigers uses a different type of Red Sand than this Silver one.¡± ¡°What, Bal dyes her hair!?¡± The fact that Bal¡¯s red hair was dyed was a surprise to Reito. But then he realized that he had never seen anyone with red hair other than her, and it wasn¡¯t so strange. ¡°This type of hair dye, including Red Sand, is very popular. Silver Sand is a recently developed product, but it is quite beautiful, isn¡¯t it? That¡¯s why I want you to use it.¡± Volume 6 - CH 2.4 ¡°What?¡± Reito tilted his head in confusion, not understanding what Ferris was talking about. Ferris explained further: ¡°Maria-san told me that she didn¡¯t want Mr. Reito to stand out from the crowd. If you dyed your hair with this Silver Sand, applied some simple makeup, and changed your clothes, no one will recognize you.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Reito frowned, but surely, if he became too famous, the chances of people in the kingdom finding out about him were high. Reito was in a position where his life was in danger from the royal family, and it would be bad to have rumors about him circulating. Given this, it was certainly possible that Reito might need to disguise himself. But then, he wondered if it would not have been a problem if he had not participated in the Combat Tournament in the first place. When he wondered if Maria had other intentions, Ferris said, ¡°You¡¯ve heard the rumors, haven¡¯t you, Mr. Reito? You¡¯ve at least heard of the great swordsman, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Oh, you mean the one who was active in defeating the¡­Rotten Dragon?¡± It is officially reported that Maria of the Hailstorm Guild and Princess Nao were the two who slayed the Rotten Dragon. However, in Adventure City, a rumor was spreading that there was another hero on the spot who wielded a broadsword and that this person had slain the Rotten Dragon. The rumor was correct, and the identity of the great swordsman was Reito. However, Maria had covered up the story and made sure that the kingdom did not hear about Reito. Ferris nodded and continued her story. ¡°That¡¯s what I mean. There are a lot of people in this city right now who are wondering if this hero really existed.¡± It was true that tourists and skilled martial artists were gathering from all over to confirm the rumor that a swordsman handling a broadsword had contributed the most to the defeat of the Rotten Dragon. Because of this, Reito was unable to yield his broadsword in public, and he had no choice but to look for a weapon that he could equip in its place. Ferris said with a twinkle in her eye: ¡°I want Mr. Reito to use this hero story to become a popular figure. As a representative of the Dalton Trading Company, I want you to win and win and win and let the world know that our company has such a skilled man as its escort!¡± ¡°You mean you want me to pretend to be a¡­ hero and take part in the tournament?¡± ¡°You can do that, can¡¯t you? Maria has actually told me about this hero.¡± Ferris said with a smile. Apparently, she has been told some of the circumstances by Maria. If Reito plays an active role in disguise, the rumor will spread that the identity of the great sword hero is Dalton¡¯s bodyguard, and Reito will be able to live in dignity if he takes off his disguise. Also, there would be no loss for Reito even if he did not perform well at the Combat Tournament. It will cause trouble for the company, though. For Reito, it sounded like a good deal. ¡°Well, we would like them to win, but we don¡¯t want to go that high. But we also don¡¯t want our representative player to lose in a disgraceful manner, so we will do everything we can to help!¡± ¡°Please put this on when you participate.¡± Alice brought before Reito a new garment tailored to his size. She also offered him a black hair wig and a new tub of water for dyeing his hair. Reito decided to ask Airis about his opinions. ¡ºAiris¡­¡­ what should we do?¡» ¡ºI think we¡¯re going to have to take this on. The more prominence you get in the tournament, the more people will know that you¡¯re not the hero of that great sword.¡» ¡ºI see¡­¡» He maturely decided to wear the equipment Ferris had provided. ¡°Well, let¡¯s have Mr. Reito take off his clothes first.¡± ¡°Hey, I thought you had a husband already!¡± When Reito made a deliberate gesture to cover his chest, Ferris approached her, wagging the fingers of both hands. ¡°Heh heh heh ¡­¡­ young boys have such beautiful skin.¡± ¡°Here you are, sir, in the changing room.¡± Alice intervened nonchalantly and led the way to the changing rooms. There seemed to be a changing room exclusively for staff members, and they changed there first. ¡°Here¡¯s what you¡¯re wearing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s kind of black all over, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Is it?¡± He was given a black garment and chainmail, also in black. While wondering if he would have to pay for it if he broke it, Reito put on the chainmail and put on his clothes over it. At that time, Reito remembered the ¡°Chain,¡± a sacred weapon he had acquired the other day. Reito invoked spatial magic, took out the ¡°Chain,¡± and wrapped it around his waist in place of a belt. With his current attire, it is not noticeable in terms of color. He then puts on a wig. His hair was strangely long in the back, so he gathered it back with a hair clip. ¡ºI think it¡¯s like this. How¡¯s that?¡±¡» He asked Airis. ¡ºYou look good. Now all you need is to dye your hair and disguise your face, and you¡¯ll be perfect.¡» ¡ºI should have brought Suramin or Hitomin.¡» The slimes made it easy to change appearance. Having finished changing for now, Reito opened the door to the changing room. Outside, Ferris and Alice were already waiting, nodding in satisfaction when they saw Reito¡¯s outfit. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not bad, is it?¡± ¡°It looks good on you.¡± ¡°Thank you very much¡­¡± ¡°Please, have a seat here.¡± As Alice put on the gloves, the maids who had been waiting by her side ran out and brought in the crate that she had just brought in. She first put the gloves in the Silver Sand, then rubbed them through Reito¡¯s hair. He was sitting in a chair. With dexterous movements of her large palms, she dyed only his hair. ¡°Please let me know if you are in pain.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°Oh, my God.¡± ¡°She does a pretty good job, doesn¡¯t she? I also have Alice dye my hair when I have noticeable gray hair¡­ TMI?¡± When Reito checked his hair, it was dyed silver beautifully. All that remained was to apply water, which would fix the silver sand on his hair and finish the dyeing process. The maids, who had prepared a water bucket, soaked a hand towel with water and gently rubbed Reito¡¯s hair with the cloth. ¡°Let me know if you have any pain.¡± ¡°You¡¯re gonna get your face a little wet.¡± ¡°Ohhhh¡­¡± He felt as if he had walked into a beauty parlor without knowing it. Eventually, Reito¡¯s hair dye was finished. ¡°All done.¡± ¡°Oh, silver hair gives a different impression. The only thing left now is the face.¡± Ferris was looking closely at Reito¡¯s face. ¡°The way you say that makes me sound like I have an ugly face.¡± ¡°I think only makeup won¡¯t be enough. How about wearing a mask?¡± ¡°No, no, no! That¡¯s too obvious! Ferris shook her head at Alice¡¯s suggestion. Then she looked at Reito¡¯s face, thought about what she could do to help, and clapped her hands as if she had just remembered something. ¡°I¡¯ve got it! You know that magic trick eye patch? We can use that. That way, we can hide the redness of Mr. Reito¡¯s eye and give him a new look. What do you think?¡± ¡°Oh, come to think of it, the color of his eyes would give him away.¡± Currently, Reito frequently changes the color of his eyes under the influence of his ¡°Sword Demon¡± title. And his eyes have been turning red more frequently recently. If Reito in disguise becomes famous, it is not impossible that some people will notice the common eye color and come across Reito¡¯s existence. Ferris instructed the maid to bring an eye patch. ¡°Mr. Reito, can you put this on?¡± ¡°Sure, but I don¡¯t know if I can fight well with one eye closed¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. That¡¯s what magical tools are for.¡± Reito took the eye patch that was given to him and had no choice but to cover his right eye. However, somehow, his right eye, which was supposed to be blocked, was able to see the scenery through the eye patch. It was as if he had been fitted with a pair of glasses without glasses. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s cool, right? I made it up as a trick for children. I don¡¯t know how it works, but I¡¯m pretty sure you can cover one eye with it, right?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s a little uncomfortable, but¡­ it¡¯s no problem.¡± ¡°Now, I just need to do a little make-up and¡­¡± Ferris instructed the maid to apply makeup to Reito¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯ll do it. From today onward, Mr. Reito will be the representative of our Dalton Trading Company, the ¡®Black and Silver Swordsman¡¯! The combination of silver hair and black clothes is enough to make you stand out!!¡± Satisfied, Ferris nodded, and Alice and the other maids applauded. Reito checked his own appearance in the hand mirror. ¡°¡­Now that you mention it, this isn¡¯t a disguise. It¡¯s cross-dressing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s cute, so why not?¡± ¡°Hmm, well, it¡¯s less likely to give me away.¡± If we disguise ourselves so well, Reito thought, there is no danger of being noticed. Ferris continued. ¡°Now all we need is a name. We can¡¯t let him compete under his real name, so how about¡­ Rena?¡± For some reason, I feel like that¡¯s a very familiar name for me. ¡ºI think it¡¯s because it was the first name Aira tried to give you as a newborn, Reito.¡» Airis¡¯s voice echoed in his brain. I didn¡¯t know that ¨C Reito was lost in thought and deep emotion. ¡°No, but Rena is a bit conventional¡­ so let¡¯s name this place Luna, after the guardian goddess of our trading company!¡± ¡°Luna¡­¡­?¡± Alice gave a supplementary explanation to Reito, who tilted his head puzzled. The Dalton Trading Company worships as its guardian god an otherworldly being named ¡°Lunot-sama,¡± who was a friend of the first chairman, Dalton-sama. It is said that thanks to this person, we overcame many crises and grew to become the best company in the empire. ¡°Huh, Lunot¡­ it may be a coincidence, but I have a relative with the same name.¡± ¡°Hm? Relative¡­? ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing.¡± The otherworldly being had the same name as a boy relative who was a good friend of Reito¡¯s when he lived on Earth. And, although Reito reacted to the fact that he had the same name as him, he figured he shouldn¡¯t share that information with anyone. Anyway, it was decided that when Reito competed as a company representative, he should go by ¡°Luna.¡± Ferris speaks spoke to Reito: