《I Got a New Skill Every Time I Was Exiled, and After 100 Different Worlds, I Was Unmatched (WN)》 CH 1 ¡°Hey, Ed. You don¡¯t have to come back tomorrow.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I had moved to a new base and had been going to a tavern for the past two weeks. There, I was suddenly greeted by a man wearing light armor who was acting as a scout. His nose was as red as ever, but the look on his face when he was drunk looked a bit different from usual and he didn¡¯t seem to be enjoying himself. Confused, I asked, ¡°Umm, what do you mean ¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just what it says. I said we don¡¯t need you anymore.¡± ¡°No, no, no. All of a sudden you said something like that. ¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not sudden. We¡¯ve talked about this many times without you. I mean, this is our consensus.¡± ¡°¡­.. Are you sure about this?¡± I looked around with an enquiring look at my fellow tablemates. But the girl in the neat priest¡¯s uniform looked away awkwardly, and the sorceress with the pointy hat sighed in exasperation. ¡­ ¡°Yu,Yuusha-sama?¡± ¡°¡­ Oh, it¡¯s true.¡± Finally, a young man wearing expensive armor approached me¡­he told me this with a bitter look on his face. ¡°Hey, Ed. You were definitely a talented person. That¡¯s why I invited you to the party, and everyone was so happy to see you. And your work in the first few years was really great, too. You¡¯ve helped me, you¡¯ve taught me. There are so many things I can think of now.¡± ¡°Then¨D¨D¡± ¡°But!¡± As if to interrupt my words of insistence, he replied with a strong tone. ¡°What about you these days? You¡¯ve been slacking off on the work you¡¯ve been assigned, and you¡¯ve been playing around with the time you used to spend doing independent training. While everyone is improving their skills for the tough battle ahead, only you, ¡­, are still the same as when you joined.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but choke up at the painful words of the hero. But no one around me would defend me even if they saw me like that. Well, it was only natural. As I was told earlier, this conclusion must have been reached after many discussions. ¡°Ha, ha, ha. So then I ¡­.?¡± ¡°Hai, yes. Ed ¡­. you are expelled from the hero party.¡± His voice was dismissive, as if he was talking to himself and his friends. When I heard this, I turned my head ¡­ and shouted. ¡°Yosshi ~ya~a~a~a~a~a~a!!!¡± <> ¡ªCondition met. Ten minutes remaining until return. "" ¡°Ed!? What¡¯s going on?!¡± ¡°Why are you so happy? Have you lost your mind?¡± For some reason, I shouted with joy, and the hero and the sorceress called out to me. I excitedly patted both of them on the shoulder. ¡°No, no, no. I¡¯m sane, okay? It¡¯s just that I finally got my wish. Oh, yeah. Would you mind taking this before you leave?¡± With that, I reach out into the empty space. Then my hand was sucked into a black hole in the air, and I pulled out a bunch of papers from it onto the table. ¡°W-What is it?!¡± ¡°What, are you saying that you have dimensional storage!? You have a skill like that!?¡± As the name implied, dimensional storage was a useful skill that allowed you to store large quantities of goods in another space. As far as I knew, there were only three people in this world who possessed this skill, and unfortunately, none of the members of the hero party possessed dimensional storage. But this wasn¡¯t a normal dimensional storage. It was a banishment skill called [Stranger¡¯s Box], and its effect was to retain its contents even across worlds. ¡­. Well, that¡¯s enough for now. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so!? If you have that kind of skill, there are so many ways to utilize it¨D¨D¡± ¡°Well, First. You should read this.¡± ¡°This is a ¡­ instruction manual, right?¡± The hero muttered as he looked down at the bundle of papers I had given him. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve been thinking about it. I¡¯ve put together a list of efficient training methods and ways to acquire new skills based on the information I¡¯ve gathered from the battles I¡¯ve been in. So I hope you can use this as a reference for whatever kind of growth you seek in the future.¡± ¡°¡­ Ano, there¡¯s this magic I¡¯m supposed to be able to learn that has a name I don¡¯t know.¡± In contrast to the sorceress who was reading my manual with a questioning look on her face, the priestess who was reading my handwritten manual with a serious expression raised her small hand and asked me a question. ¡°Oh, it can be learned by releasing this and that which are sealed around the world. The conditions, the effects of the magic, and how to use it effectively are all laid out on a separate sheet of paper, which I hope you¡¯ll read later.¡± With the banishment skill [Rainbow Glasses], one could see a glimpse of the potential of what powers the person they see would gain ¡°in the future¡± and how much they would be able to do. Of course, it would take a lot of effort on your part to make that happen, but if combined with the training plan mentioned above, I believe they would be able to reach their desired future. ¡°Yeah, ¡­?¡± ¡°Hey, Ed. What¡¯s this all about?¡± While the priest girl was puzzled, the scout called out to me. When I turned around and looked, I saw the face of an old man slapping the paper in his hand and staring at me with an intense look. ¡°What¡¯s with this ridiculously elaborate map? It even has hidden passages and traps that I didn¡¯t notice?¡± ¡°It¡¯s like a parting gift. It¡¯s only a map of where we went together, but I thought it might be useful.¡± ¡°What? What are you talking about? There¡¯s no way you can draw a map of a place you¡¯ve never been! How did you get this?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, yes. Don¡¯t worry about those details. I¡¯m leaving the party now.¡± For your information, the map was created by duplicating what appeared in my brain with the banishment skill [Auto Mapping] also with the banishment skill [Copy and Fake]. With this skill, I was able to duplicate what I was seeing right now, only it looked exactly the same, but there was nothing wrong with that, since looks were everything when it came to maps. When I first got this, I thought, ¡°What am I going to do with it if it only looks the same?¡± But there were plenty of things that could be used normally if they were made to look the same. Yes, very convenient. ¡°¡­ Sorry ¡° ¡°What!? What is it, Yuusha-sama?¡± And then, suddenly, Hero sitting in front of me bowed his head, rubbing his forehead against the table. ¡°I had no idea that you were doing all this work without my knowledge. ¡­. Please forgive my lack of insight. I¡¯m sorry, Ed. This is something you accumulated by yourself without people knowing. I can¡¯t believe I denounced you for not realizing such a natural thing. ¡­¡± ¡°Haa¡­ I dropped the ball as well. You¡¯ve been doin¡¯ way better of a job than I have and yet here we are scoldin¡¯ ya. Heck, you¡¯re even young enough to pass as my own dang son too¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really sorry¡± ¡°No, no, no, no! Please raise your head! I didn¡¯t mean to do that! It¡¯s just that you¡¯ve all been so good to me, and I wanted to be of some use to you after I¡¯m gone. ¡­¡± ¡°You idiot. Of course we are retracting that. You guys don¡¯t object to that, do you?¡± The sorceress said, with a dumbfounded look on her face at my words. She looked around, and the other three nodded hastily. ¡°Of course. Ed, I¡¯m ashamed to ask you again. With us¨D¨D¡± ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t come back anymore. Sorry.¡± ¡°¡­. ¡­. ye, yeah. That¡¯s right. It¡¯s just too convenient to expel you once and then bring you back now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that, but ¡­, whoa!?¡¡The time ¡­!?¡¡Well, that¡¯s it then! I¡¯m looking forward to seeing you all defeat the Demon Lord! Please do your best!¡± I raised my hand and bade farewell to the sad face of the hero and hurriedly ran out of the tavern. Fortunately, the sun had already gone down, but even so, it would be bad if the thing went off in a place where there were many people. Even though I would never come back, it would be better not to cause any unnecessary commotion. ¡°¡­¡­ Huh. Okay, this is about as good as it gets.¡± After turning a couple of times down a random alleyway, I finally found myself in a dark and empty place. With less than a minute to go, I thought again about what I had left behind. ¡­ Okay, nothing. Ò»Three ¡­ two ¡­ one ¡­ world transfer is in effect. A voice that only I could hear said this, and at that moment, I finally succeeded in escaping from this world. (T/N: No schedule for this one yet, I am still looking for an editor for this novel. I mtled it and edited as much as i could and also took help from fellow tlers. If you notice any problem do comment. I hope you like it. Have a good day everyone) CH 2 < > ¨CWorld transport complete. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been here.¡± Having safely returned to the ¡°White world,¡± I walked over to the table next to me. I sat down on a plain white chair that I had no idea what it was made of, and it felt nice and fluffy, gently enveloping my buttocks that were used to hard wooden chairs. ¡°One year this time. It took rather a long time. ¡­.¡± In front of me stood an unsupported white wall about two meters high, with a large number of doors attached to it. The wall was short at first, but now I had to turn my head to see the left and right edges. ¡°I¡¯ve done my best, haven¡¯t I? Don¡¯t you think so?¡± There were a total of 100 doors lined up. This meant that I had been expelled from the party 100 times in 100 different worlds. It was a really stupid number that no one could be proud of,¡­, but it was also a number that was absolutely necessary for me to return to my world. ¡°¡­..You said it yourself. In order for me to return to my original world, I need to join 100 hero parties in 100 different worlds and be banished 100 times. Now that I think about it again, it doesn¡¯t make sense. If you¡¯re asking me to save the world or help the heroes, why do you want to be banished? Well, even if I asked you, you probably wouldn¡¯t answer.¡± God doesn¡¯t speak. In fact, after all this time, I had never heard the voice of God either. I was living a peaceful and ordinary life when I was suddenly summoned to this place, and all I had in front of me was a white book. Yes, of course, it was just a white cover, but that doesn¡¯t mean it was completely white inside. There were more details about what I needed to do ¡­, or in other words, the conditions I had just described, and the wall in front of me was still small and there was only one door. If I passed through that door, I would be transported to another world. And then I was expelled from the party of the brave. ¡­ To be exact, I was returned to this place by achieving the condition that ¡°you will be expelled after you have been a member of the party for more than six months or after you have been recognized as a member of the party by gaining a certain level of trust.¡± Once the door was opened, it could not be opened again, and instead, there would be more doors next to it. ¡°But I did make it through that mysterious condition. It took me about a hundred years, but I did it. Then you could create a little more of a celebratory mood, or something like that, you know?¡± While making such a light remark, I glanced at the figure in the mirror next to the table. What I saw was an ordinary young man, a little over 170 centimeters tall, with short black hair and a medium build. Every time I returned to this ¡°white world,¡± my body would return to the state of being 20 years old when I was summoned here. In addition to that, the shortest time I spent in the other world was seven or eight months, and the longest was about three years, which meant that I¡¯ve been repeating my early twenties for about a hundred years. It was strange, that my body, which normally would have become a saggy old man and had a lot of wisdom, had not grown much from what it looked like before. It could be said that my mind was being dragged down by my body, or it could be said that there was no room for growth since I was still treated as a 20 year old kid by the people around me. ¡­. Anyway, I¡¯ve been living a long time, but my mind was still of a young man. So, I never said such enlightened words in such a place. I can¡¯t think of any auspicious thoughts such as, ¡°Thanks to you, I was able to grow both physically and mentally¡±. I don¡¯t want to be in the good graces of a god who kidnapped people and made them do unintelligible forced labor for 100 years. ¡°¡­ Well, whatever. Anyway, I followed your instructions. Then you¡¯ll have to fulfill your promise this time.¡± The crystal ball that sat in the middle of the table with a solemn atmosphere shone brightly, as if in response to my reluctant words. This was a sign that I would be given a skill as a reward for being successfully expelled from the other world. ¡°Are you still going to give me something? If you can give it to me, I¡¯ll take it.¡± I had taken the liberty of naming them ¡°banishment skills,¡± and they were basically all super useful. Without them, it would have been much more difficult to infiltrate a hero party in 100 different worlds, and it might have taken hundreds of years more. ¡°The first world, before I got all my banishment skills, was like hell. ¡­So, what is it this time?¡± I shuddered as I remembered, and then I slowly placed my hand on the crystal ball. Then a mysterious divine power flowed into me. ¡­. What? ¡°Well, that¡¯s another ¡­ big skill. I can see a future where it¡¯s left to die in storage, though. ¡­¡± AD I don¡¯t think I¡¯d use a one-time skill with a limited number ¡­ of uses, even if I was driven on the edge. If I were to sort through the Stranger Box, there must be dozens of magic potions lying around that would cure anything if you weren¡¯t dead. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Eh?¡± It was not that I had awakened to some strange power, but that there was nothing else in the world that moved except me,¡­., and even the wind was not blowing, so I could somehow feel when something appeared. ¡°¡­. left?¡± The number of doors to new worlds were increasing all the time on the right side. In other words, the further to the left you go, the more likely it was to be able to get to the first world, but if something appeared further to the left than that, then ¡­.. perhaps!? ¡°¡­¡­.. is increasing.¡± Next to the door of 001 that I passed through for the first time, a door of 00 has appeared. It was a door that was never there before, a door that predates the beginning of ¡­. In other words, this must be the door that leads to the world I came from. ¡°I can go back¡­?¡± I can go home. Yes, I can return. I can go back to my original world, the one that was unreasonably taken from me 100 years ago. I can go back. I can go home. ¡­ ¡°Hey, God? It¡¯s been about 100 years since I came here, but is it still 100 years in the original world? If that¡¯s the case, I think my family and friends are all dead. ¡­¡± The lifespan of a human being was roughly sixty years. Some noblemen who ate good food could live to seventy or eighty, and in some worlds it was possible to extend one¡¯s life with magic, but at least there were no powerful people or great wizards in my world, so no one would survive. ¡°Well, you know, you¡¯re God, so you can adjust things to your liking¡­Will you not do it? Oh, or are you telling me to use my last skill here! Oh come on, that would be petty as hell!¡± AD There was a possibility that I could manage this situation by using the skill I had just been given. But that would be a waste of time, if you ask me. Because the 100 years I lost were 100 years that I dedicated to God, or that were taken from me. Giving up my rights in order to make up for it would be like taking all the money I get for my work as an expense, and no matter how good-natured I was, I couldn¡¯t easily accept that. Thud! ¡°Whoa!?¡± When I tried to argue with him, I suddenly heard a noise behind me. I turned around, startled, and looked underneath my feet where the noise had come from. ¡­.There, on the floor, was a book with a white cover that looked like something I had seen somewhere before. ¡°Oh, you mean read this. What¡¯s that under the ¡­. number?¡± When I looked up from the book and looked at the door again, I saw that another number had somehow been added below the world number engraved on it. ¡°This is the amount of time that has passed in that world since I left it ¡­.. That means ¡­.¡± The door to the original world that was 00. The other number engraved below it also had a clean line of zeros. ¡°No time has passed since ¡­? Does that mean I can go back to that moment when I was brought here!?¡± Then, truly, this was the end. My long journey ¡­. through countless worlds and being expelled from the brave party over and over again would end when I pass through this door. ¡°Okay, then now is the time to make a ¡­¡­ triumphant return to my world !¡± Just as I was about to turn the knob on the door to the original world, An additional book fell from the sky, hitting me squarely in the brain. CH 3 ¡°Kuu¡­ What the hell?¡± Although my body was invincible in the other world due to a large number of banishment skills, in this ¡°white world¡± where all skills were ineffective, I was just a human being. If I get hit in the head by a thick book, it would hurt and I would get teary-eyed. I crouched down, holding my head, and looked down at my feet. ¡­ There was an additional book that had just fallen on my head¡­ It looked like the same plain white book, but I don¡¯t think the contents were the same. ¡± ¡­, You mean I should read. Oh?¡± I picked up the white book and opened the cover. The book itself was a hollowed-out box with a delicately crafted gold key inside. ¡°A key? Is that how you use it?¡± It was a box with no name, but there was a text written on the back of the cover. According to it, this was a ¡°complete banishment commemoration¡± service. ¡­.There¡¯s got to be another name for it, right? Oh well. So, the important thing is ¡­ [You can use this key to open the door to any world you want. By using this key on the door of that world, you will return there. The key will disappear and the door to the world will open. Now, revisit your most memorable places and get motivated to return!] ¡°Yeah, what is this service I don¡¯t want ¡­.¡± It was like I just wanted to drink some water because I was thirsty, but it came with a mountain of set meals. Do you know, God? An unrequested service mentality was just an imposition, you know? ¡°Huh, okay. This condition can be achieved by going to the appropriate world and coming back immediately. ¡­ So, what do I do?¡± If I wanted to leave right away, I could go through any door. If that¡¯s the case, I could just open the 001 door that¡¯s right next to it¡­The memories that came back to my mind made me stop moving. ¡°¡­ I had a hard time.¡± The first door, the first world. A mediocre miscellaneous mercenary¡­A handyman who mainly dealt with the extermination of dangerous magical beasts rather than people¡­I had finally reached the point where I could be called a full-fledged professional, but of course, my true ability was not that great. The first banishment skill that I received was ¡°Accidental Flagmaker,¡± which I received for the shitty reason that I was forcefully summoned from the world I was born into, and I was able to join the party of the hero, but that only gave me a chance. I didn¡¯t have any special skills or abilities that would earn the trust of the people, so I struggled to keep up with the hero party for at least six months to avoid being kicked out. ¡­ As a result, we ended up traveling together for a year and a half. Yeah, I did a good job. I didn¡¯t know how I was going to get back here after being expelled in the first place, so I took a lot of care to make sure I was expelled in a safe place, just in case. ¡­ Well, that was ruined by an incident. ¡°In the end, I didn¡¯t stay in one world longer than that until the end. ¡­. So what happened after I was gone?¡± I looked at the number engraved below the door number, and it seemed that about ten years had passed since I was banished from this world. In ten years, the Demon King would probably have been defeated and the world would be at peace. ¡°So, does that mean that the hero is now king? Ugh, I don¡¯t want to meet him. ¡­¡± The laughter of a proud hero popped into my head. I thought this was one of those things because it was the first world, but being a prince of the greatest country in the world and a hero at the same time was too much to aim for. Well, it sounded like the heroes were chosen by the gods, so any god that would forcefully summon people would have definitely targeted them. ¡°Oh, well. I¡¯m probably stronger than you right now, and even if you¡¯re the king, you¡¯ll never see me. If I¡¯m going to go through all this trouble, it would be a shame to leave right away, so I¡¯ll just do some sightseeing in the capital and then go home.¡± If they sold hero-themed buns or something, I¡¯d buy a few. With such a feeling of lightness, I inserted the key into the door of the 001 and twisted it until I heard a click. Then the shiny gold key began to fade, and even at a glance, I could see that it had lost its power. ¡°I see, it will break if I use it one more time. Now, let¡¯s see what the world looks like after 10 years.¡± As I stepped out of the door, the door behind me disappeared and I was thrown out into a familiar meadow. Remembering my vague memories, I turned around and saw a rather large town behind me. ¡­. Oh, there it was. I tried to activate all of the banishment skills that I¡¯d been able to use since entering the other world. The first was [Invisible], which allowed me to create a powerful physical barrier, and the second was [Magia Soap], which absorbed and nullified attack magic. I think I¡¯ll set them ¡­¡­ to always be active. I reached into the Stranger Box, took out a well-maintained steel sword, and fastened it to my waist. It was not that I didn¡¯t have holy swords and magic swords, but they were designed to be used by the strongest people in the world, so they were not a good match for an outsider like me. In this respect, it was wonderful to see that it was just a sword without any special characteristics. It never stood out as strange because it existed in every world and everyone uses it, and Even across the world, that way of looking at things does not change. The irony was that the mere fact that it was a piece of steel made it more reliable. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I like steel that¡¯s been forged properly. No matter how I use it, it always fits perfectly in my hand. ¡­¡­ Maybe I¡¯ll make a few more of these if there¡¯s a forge to rent.¡± There were probably 300 of these in the Stranger Box, but a stockpile was never too much to ask. I could make money quickly now. ¡­¡­ Hmm? ¡°What is that?¡± I tilted my head and muttered to myself. Because the town that I could see from a distance seemed to be in a state of chaos. ¡°Oh, my God! No way were they attacked by a magical beast!?¡± I hurriedly activated my banishment skill, ¡°Hermes Dash,¡± and the town that I had seen in the distance quickly approached. When I got there, I found that half of the stone walls covering the town had collapsed, and almost all of the buildings inside had collapsed as well. ¡°Wait a minute, wasn¡¯t this supposed to be a big town? Then what is this. ¡­.¡± Judging from the weathering of the broken buildings, it must have been a year or two since the town was destroyed. So the first thing that came to mind was a war between humans. ¡­¡­ ¡°Hey, You!¡± And then a voice unexpectedly called out to me. I turned my head to look at him, and an old man in ragged clothes, carrying a large bag on his back, appeared from the shadows of the rubble. ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡± ¡°What do you mean? ¡­. No, it¡¯s more like, if you know, tell me. Why is this town destroyed?¡± ¡°What? What are you talking about? It¡¯s been two years since this town was invaded and destroyed by the Demon Lord¡¯s army.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Ha?¡± The suspicious old man¡¯s words made me raise my voice in a dumb way. ¡°The Demon Lord¡¯s Army?! Is the Demon Lord still alive?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like they¡¯re just alive, the Demon Lord¡¯s army has been on the rampage for over ten years now. How remote are you from the countryside to ask such a thing now?¡± ¡°All this time¡­¡­? Not remnants or anything, but for the past ten years, they are ruling ¡­¡­?¡± That meant that the Demon Lord had not been defeated. Then what about the hero? What about the prince that shitty prince who snubbed me so much ¡­¡­? ¡°Hey, hey. Then there was ¡­. ten years ago, what about the hero? What happened to him?¡± ¡°Of course, he¡¯s long dead. It¡¯s been five years.¡± ¡°Dead ¡­¡­ Alexis is dead ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­?¡± The brave and princely figure of Alexis, who had been smiling broadly in my memories, shattered with a cracking sound. ¡°T-then¡­. what happened to the rest of the hero party?¡± ¡°Of course, they¡¯re all dead. Isn¡¯t that obvious?¡± The old man¡¯s voice sounded confused. The only thing I could do was stand there stunned ¡­. at the words that could not be misinterpreted in any way. CH 4 ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I ignored the old man who was still trying to talk to me, and left the place in a staggering way. There was no destination in sight. I just couldn¡¯t sit still and kept walking aimlessly through the rubble. ¡°Dead ¡­¡­, dead ¡­¡­¡­¡­, all dead ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± It was a strange feeling. It was only one of the 100 hero parties I had been a part of. It was only a year and a half out of a hundred years of activity. The death of a person who, if I hadn¡¯t crossed the world, would have been no more than a friendly shopkeeper. ¡­. Somehow, that weighed heavily on my mind. ¡°Alexis ¡­¡­ Gonzo ¡­¡­ Tia died ¡­¡­¡­¡­?¡± The names and faces of my former comrades who had been swept away and relegated to the corners of my memory came flooding back to me in clarity. Alexis¡¯s face looking down at me with his soft blond hair brushed up, Gonzo¡¯s face showing off his muscles, and Tia¡¯s annoyed face trying to act like a sissy were burned into the back of my eyelids. If I had just forgotten who they were I wouldn¡¯t have felt this way, but I couldn¡¯t ¡­. do that. ¡°Ha, ha, ha. ¡­¡­ What, am I that compassionate? They were the first ¡°ex¡± people to exile me, remember? So why this ¡­.?¡± For example, if this had been 100 years later and everyone had died of old age ¡­, well, Tia was an elf, so she would still be alive, but ¡­ she would not have felt this way.. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d have felt this way if she had died.The embarrassment was in the distant past. If I had just offered one of my favorite foods at the grave and put my hands on it, I would have thought it was just a matter of reminiscing about the past. And even if I hadn¡¯t been expelled from the heroic party, the outcome would still be the same. It would have been a different story if it was the current me, but back then, I was so weak that I could barely carry my luggage when I really tried, so there was no way I could affect the war situation. Then, this was a reality that I should accept. As an outsider who had suddenly returned to the world, the right thing for me to do would be to accept the end of the story without saying a word, express my condolences, and then quickly return to my world. I know that. But whether I could accept ¡­. was another story. ¡°Appear, [Akashic Compass].¡± I muttered to myself as I thrust my right hand lightly forward, palm up. Then a cross-shaped metal frame, about the size of two clenched fists, appeared on my hand, and a light flickered in the center of the blank in search of the object I needed to find. ¡°I am looking for ¡­¡­ Alexis the hero.¡± As I said these words, a white mist appeared in the empty frame, and Alexis¡¯s pompous face appeared on it¡­, but it just fizzled out and disappeared. That meant that the hero Alexis did not exist anywhere in this world. ¡°If ¡­., then where did the Hero Alexis ¡­ ¡­ die?¡± Biting my lip, I entered a new command. Then, inside the empty metal frame, a place I had never seen before appeared, followed by a cluster of blobs that turned into an arrowhead-like shape, indicating the location of my destination. ¡°Gonzo ¡­ ¡­, where did the warrior monk Gonzo die?¡± A slightly different question, but my banishment skill, Akashic Compass, showed the same scene. That would mean they both died there. Then again, so did Tia. ¡­. ¡°Where did Tia die?¡± With the feeling of coughing up blood, I asked a third time. The smile of Tia that suddenly emerged made me feel like crying. ¡­¡­ The blur disappeared without forming anything. ¡°Gone? She¡¯s not dead ¡­¡­!?¡¡W-Where, where is Tia!?¡± I shouted angrily, and my banishment skill pointed in the direction of Tia¡¯s location. At that moment, I was running as fast as I could. Taking into account the possibility that Tia was being held captive by the Demon King¡¯s army, I didn¡¯t forget to activate the [Mirage Shift] banishment skill. I could only use it once a day, and it was only valid for an hour, but no one would be able to find me while I was using it, and I could slip past people and walls as I pleased. However, it was not a panacea. In this state, I couldn¡¯t interfere with anything, and I couldn¡¯t slip through ¡­ things that were rooted in the world with a certain mass, such as the ground or mountains. Well, thanks to that, I won¡¯t be falling headfirst to the bottom of the earth, and I could use that property to run on water, but that was not important right now. ¡°Hah ¡­¡­ Hah ¡­¡­ Hah ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I ran, I ran, I ran. Through the trees, the ruins, and everything in my path, I just ran straight to where Tia was. I ran, I ran. Faster than a warhorse, faster than a flying dragon. I ran over mountains, rivers, and valleys, and when the effective time of the [Mirage Shift] was almost up, ¡­¡­ the needle like an arrowhead finally disappeared from the [Akashic Compass]. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean Tia was dead. It meant that I had reached my destination. ¡°Ha ¡­ ha ¡­ ha ¡­¡­¡­ here ¡­¡­?¡± After catching my breath, I dispelled [Mirage Shift[. As soon as I did, the feeling of the wind and the smell of my surroundings came back, and I couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°¡­. At any rate, it doesn¡¯t look like the situation is as dangerous as it could be.¡± I was in a fierce hurry to run, but what surrounded me was a deep forest, not a fort of the Demon King¡¯s army. And the place in front of me was not a cold prison, but a rather rundown but warm wooden hut. In other words, there was no need to rush at all. I mean, if I jumped into someone¡¯s house with that kind of momentum, I¡¯d be a suspicious person. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s a problem. Did I get anything suitable¡­?¡± Ò»Feeling calm at once, I put my hand into the Stranger Box,, and rifled through its contents. I knew I would need at least one souvenir if we were to meet again after 10 years. Tia was fond of sweet fruits, so something like that ¡­. might be around the corner. What I pulled out of the black hole was a bright yellow citrus fruit. Actually, they were from a different world, but I didn¡¯t care about the details. I stuffed about five of the citrus fruits into a suitable woven basket and knocked on the door of the house after catching my breath once again. Knock ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­?¡± Knock, knock. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ hmm?¡± I repeatedly knocked on the door, but no one seemed to come out. However, there were definitely signs of human presence in the house, and the fact that the Akashic Compass had disappeared here made it certain that it belonged to Tia. ¡®Well, but sometimes you just can¡¯t get out right away.¡± I could think of many reasons why she couldn¡¯t answer the door right away, such as she was working on something she couldn¡¯t let go of right away, or she was taking care of something. So I kept knocking patiently, but it was strange that there was no response after about ten minutes. No, I thought it was pretty stupid of me to stick around for ten minutes, but I couldn¡¯t really leave a note which said ¡°see you later¡± in such a remote place, can I? It would be too sad to leave her with just a souvenir after coming all this way, and more than anything, I wanted to at least see her face. ¡°Hey, Tia? Are you there?¡± After giving up on the surprise reunion, I finally called out Tia¡¯s name. But still there was no response from inside the house. ¡­. This is not a good sign, right? ¡°I¡¯m afraid of ¡­ dying alone. Okay, then this is a legitimate action. It must be.¡± After arming myself with theories and good excuses, I gently opened the door. Fortunately or unfortunately, the door was not locked, and it opened with a squeak. ¡­¡­ The room, which showed signs of life, was empty, however. ¡°This way, ¡­?¡± Stepping into someone else¡¯s house without permission. I opened the door that I thought would lead to her private room, fully prepared to get down on my knees at the barbaric act. ¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±. ¡°You¡¯re sleeping!?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but shout out at the look on Tia¡¯s face as she slept comfortably in the middle of the day. CH 5 ¡°Huh!? Who are you?¡± When I shouted right next to her while she was sleeping, she woke up. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and looked at me, her eyes gradually widening. ¡°H-hey. Long time no see?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Lies. What? Am I still asleep?¡± ¡°No, I think you¡¯re awake?. I mean, it¡¯s been¨D¨D¡± ¡°Ed!¡± Tia jumped up and hugged my neck. But unfortunately, that soft (delusional) feeling couldn¡¯t be felt due to the effect of the [Invisible] banishment skill that kept deploying. Ah, what a disappointment! I quickly disabled my skill ¡­, but that¡¯s not the point. ¡°Ed! Ed! Why? How!? How did you end up ¡­ I mean, are you even alive?¡± ¡°Calm down! Calm down! First of all, get off me ¡­. What do you mean I¡¯m alive?¡± Tia asked me with tears in her eyes as I hurriedly pulled myself away from her. ¡°Because after you left the party, I didn¡¯t hear about you returning anywhere. ¡­ I thought you were dead. ¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I see. No, it¡¯s okay. I didn¡¯t go back to the town right away, you know? It won¡¯t look good to be banished from a hero¡¯s party, so I changed my name and other things to live secretly. ¡­.¡± Subtly averting my gaze, I proceeded to tell the false story that I had just made up. In reality, I had just been sent back to the but I couldn¡¯t explain that. An unbelievable truth always defeats a trustworthy lie. ¡°Oh, I see. ¡­ Good, I¡¯m really glad ¡­¡± Ah, I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, but why do I feel so guilty? Is that what this is? Should I spit out a curse word to God for not telling me whether I can tell about the [Banishment Skills] or not beforehand? ¡°Ah, yeah. Here¡¯s a souvenir for you.¡± In an attempt to distract Tia from her crying, I held out the woven basket in my hand. Then Tia looked up, picked up the contents and tilted her head. ¡°Are these Oren berries? I¡¯m flattered, but we don¡¯t have a bath to wash them in this house.¡± ¡°A bath? No, these are peeled and ready to eat. ¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re eating Oren¡¯s berries!? It¡¯s so sour. It¡¯s so sour that it¡¯ll make your mouth puckered like this!¡± Then, Tia¡¯s mouth twitched and her face tensed up. Even though she was much older than me, the expression on her face was just so cute. ¡­?¡¡I wonder if we would be about the same age now? Well, I didn¡¯t feel that way at all. ¡°That¡¯s why we usually wash them in the bath, okay? It makes it smell so good and it makes the skin glow! Are you sure you want to eat ¡­?¡± ¡°No, no, no, this is the one that¡¯s not sour. Try it and see if you like it.¡± ¡°Ehhhh~, ¡­ well, if you insist, I¡¯ll just have a bite. ¡­¡± She grabbed a handful of Oren berries from the woven basket on the side table, peeled them and put the contents in her mouth. She then chewed on it fearfully. ¡­ ¡°What!? ¡°Eh, What!?¡± When her face squeezed tightly, I hurriedly removed the peel off a bunch of Oren fruit and ate it. Sure, if it got too ripe to the point where seeds formed, it would turn sour but¡­This should be sweet. ¡­¡­ Hmm? ¡°What? It¡¯s just plain sweet.¡± ¡°Fufu~! Yay, you got fooled!¡± ¡°What!?¡± Tia chuckled at my puzzled expression. The look of satisfaction on her face was indescribably hateful ¡­., but after 100 years as an adult, I would never get angry over something like this. ¡°Hahaha, Tia. That¡¯s a bit immature, don¡¯t you think?¡± Even if my temples were quivering, I would not be angry. Even if someone poked me on the cheek, I was not angry¡­. ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you!¡± (T/N: MC saying both lines) ¡°Fufu, I don¡¯t mind this much. I used to play with you like this all the time, didn¡¯t I?¡±¡± ¡°Ò»I think I one-sidedly got being played.¡± ¡°Really? I thought I was being cute.¡± ¡°What the hell!? You¡¯re making fun of a naive teenager. How much did I ¡­¡± ¡°How much what?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Tia was, for lack of a better word, a very close ????? woman. I had never had any experience with women at the time, so the repeated and casual contact with them made me inwardly perturbed. But Tia treated me like a little kid, or at best a little brother, and I tried my best to control myself so that I wouldn¡¯t ¡°misunderstand¡± her. It was a good thing that Alexis, who was very good looking, was with me, because I was certain that she would never fall in love with me. ¡°You haven¡¯t changed at all. You¡¯re the same woman who got me kicked out of the hero party.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± I said sarcastically, and Tia¡¯s expression instantly clouded over. Oops, I think I¡¯d gone back to being a kid at heart. This wasn¡¯t a mature response. ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s not that I have a grudge against Tia. It is true that at the time I was a burden for the hero¡¯s party, and the cause of the problem was ¡­ partly my fault.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No, no, no, no, no, no,! I mean, I¡¯m sorry. It was ten years ago, and I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m bringing it up now. ¡­.¡± I hurriedly apologized to Tia, who had just changed her face from crying to smiling and then back to crying again. But Tia stared at me with a sad look in her eyes. ¡°Then¡­Then why did you come? I thought you were here to blame me.¡± ¡°Blame you?Why?¡± ¡°Because ¡­ I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s still alive.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I felt a tightening in my chest. The past that had come back too vividly seemed to overshadow the reality even more intensely. ¡°¡­. ¡­ I don¡¯t blame you, If you say that, then I¡¯m just as guilty as you for irresponsibly straying away from the hero¡¯s party.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¨D¨D¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. Anyway, I don¡¯t blame Tia, and I don¡¯t think I deserve to. I just ¡­ want to hear the story. What the hell happened to you after I left? How did Yuusha-sama ¡­¡­ Alexis died?¡± When I asked her quietly, Tia twisted her face in pain and turned over. No one would want to remember what it was like when their friends died ¡­., much less when they were the only ones who survived. But I want to know about it. I¡¯d been a member of the hero¡¯s party, even if only for a short time, and I had the right and duty to know about it. But ¡­ ¡°Is it still hard for you? You don¡¯t have to talk right now¡­¡± ¡°No, no, no. I¡¯ll tell you now. ¡­. If I don¡¯t tell you now, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll regret it. But it¡¯s a bit of a mess here, so can we go to the other room? I can make some tea and ¡­¡­ I¡¯d like to change my clothes.¡± ¡°A-ah. That¡¯s right. That¡¯s right.¡± Since she had woken up earlier, Tia was wearing shiny pink pajamas. The fabric was a little too high quality for this room, but considering Tia¡¯s ability as a spirit wielder, it was only natural for her to have this level of taste. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you in the other room.¡± ¡°Un. I¡¯ll be there as soon as I change my clothes.¡± When I left the bedroom, I sat down at one of the four square tables. After a few moments of waiting, Tia appeared, dressed in her familiar youthful grass-colored traveling outfit. The long hair, which resembled Oren¡¯s berries that we just ate, was not as dazzling as gold and gave a sense of warmth, while the slender body, at 160 centimeters tall, was ¡­. thinner than before.? I think she had gotten thinner than before, but I wasn¡¯t stupid enough to ask a woman about her figure. ¡°Hello. I¡¯m going to make some tea. Can you wait a little longer?¡± ¡°Of Course!.¡± ¡°What are you saying? Fufu~¡± Tia laughed a little happily at my exaggerated use of the word ¡°Of Course¡± and chest thumping. Again, in a few moments, a white porcelain tea set was on the table, and the cup was filled with steaming red tea. ¡°Are? Is this tea from ¡­.?¡± ¡°Oh, you remember? Great, great.¡± ¡°Mmm.¡± It was the same tea I had first been served by Tia. I shot a frustrated glance at Tia, who leaned over and patted my head. Tia sat back down, sipped from her cup,¡­, and let out a small breath. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll tell you. I¡¯ll tell you what happened to us after you disappeared. ¡­.¡± An old story with a definite bad ending that benefited no one. Tia¡¯s words echoed quietly in the cool air of the room, which was so different from the warmth of her palm. CH 6 Chapter 6: - The Untold Story Of "After" ¡°After you left the party, we immediately tried to find a replacement for you, but ¡­. that didn¡¯t work out.¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡± This was the first time I¡¯d ever heard of this. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this, but carrying luggage is a job that can be done by anyone with a minimum of strength and stamina. If it¡¯s a party of heroes, I¡¯m sure there will be people who want to work for free, right? ¡°You see, You left because we were near the front lines of the battle against the Demon King¡¯s army, right? Maybe that¡¯s why we had all these people who didn¡¯t really want to be baggage handlers, but wanted to battle and show off themselves. ¡­¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s ¡­..¡± The look on Tia¡¯s face reminded me of that moment, and I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as well. I was working with Alexis and the others, but to tell the truth, I was not officially recognized as a member of the hero party. This was because while Gonzo and Tia were contributing to the battle and sharing the profits, I was a hired hand who was paid a certain amount of money to do the job. So, for example, when everyone was invited to a party of nobles or had an audience with the king, I basically stayed at the inn. I wasn¡¯t looking to make a name for myself, and I had no complaints about that, but if someone was capable of fighting on the front lines, they¡¯d use the baggage handler as an opportunity to show what they were capable of, to show that they could do it. It was quite possible that someone may be interested in becoming a member of the hero party ¡­ if Alexis and the others wanted to do so. ¡°But what we wanted was a baggage handler, so we were troubled by people asserting themselves like that. Sometimes there were people who forced their way into the battle, and after about a month of hiring everyone, Alexis got angry and kicked them out. And after about four of them, I couldn¡¯t recruit any more here, so I had no choice but to retreat to a larger town and hire a professional porter. ¡­¡± ¡°What? And that didn¡¯t work?¡± ¡°Yes, ¡­ you see, you were so desperate to do things for us. That¡¯s why we thought it was normal. ¡­ One day, when we asked the porter that Alexis had hired about it, he said, ¡®My job is to carry the luggage, not to do chores or take care of others. If you want me to do that, you should hire your own servant or maid.¡¯ Alexis was so furious that he simply kicked him out.¡± ¡°Oh. ¡­¡± Right after I joined the party, I did everything I could think of to prevent Alexis and the others from abandoning me. Even after six months had passed and the conditions for leaving the world had been met, I didn¡¯t know that I would be able to return to the in ten minutes if I was banished, so I worked even harder to make sure I would be banished when Alexis and the others returned to a relatively safe area near the royal capital. And I realized that I had become attached to traveling with everyone. That¡¯s why I continued to do everything I could to help everyone until the end. ¡­. It was not the same as asking a paid professional to do the same thing. There was a fundamental difference between working hard for one¡¯s fellow man and providing service to one¡¯s employer for a salary. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. It¡¯s just that we misunderstood you on our own. But by the time we realized our mistake, there were no more porters who would accept our request. It was painful to hear the rumor that ¡®even though he is a hero, he is still a prince of a great country, and he may be naive and selfish¡¯. It¡¯s not like it was a total lie. I couldn¡¯t just sit in the back forever, and I was wondering what I was going to do when ¡­. a man came to me and asked me to help him. He said, ¡®I can carry all the baggage and do all the chores, so please let me work with you.¡¯ It was a good deal for us. So Alexis accepted it, and we worked with him to continue our adventure. ¡­. but ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­¡­.¡± When she had said that much, Tia¡¯s expression twisted painfully. The way she bit her thin lips tightly, I couldn¡¯t help but have a bad feeling about it. ¡°After a long, long time, we finally made it past the border, and there was a grassy plain on the other side of the border. There, as if waiting for us, was a huge army of the Demon King¡¯s army. But we were prepared for that. We were well prepared for it, but the porter ¡­ ran away.¡± ¡°¡­..eh? Ran away?¡± I couldn¡¯t understand the meaning of the words, so I asked back. Because it is, isn¡¯t it? ¡°How did he ¡­¡­ escape? You came through the demon world, didn¡¯t you?¡± I understood the feeling of being scared by the demon lord¡¯s army in front of me and wanting to run away, but there was no way a porter could return alone to a place that a party of heroes had spent a long time traversing. In response to my question, Tia¡¯s expression became even more distorted. ¡°Do you know what a transfer crystal is?¡± ¡°Yeah. You know the ones where you register a location in advance and when you break it, it moves to that location?¡± ¡°Yes. We had prepared a number of them as a means of escape in case of emergency, but since they trigger on their own when cracked, you don¡¯t carry them around during battle, right? That¡¯s why we left them all in the hands of the porters who carried them. ¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Yeah, no way. No way!¡± ¡°Yeah. That person used the transfer crystal. To be honest, I didn¡¯t know what happened when I saw him disappear in a blue light with all the restorative potions and magical tools we had prepared.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s ¡­¡­.., so what happened?¡± As I choked on my words, Tia gave me a withered grimace. ¡°What? We couldn¡¯t do anything about it. Aside from our weapons and armor, all we had on us were a few emergency healing potions. Even so, we fought desperately, but there was nothing we could do in front of the Demon Lord¡¯s army of thousands. We quickly fled to the border of the demon world and fought for a while while hiding. ¡­ But in the end, the demon beasts nesting in the border of the demon world also drove us away, and we had to return to the grassland where we first left. So there we were, ready to die, and I thought I¡¯d finally get some epic spirit magic ¡­, and then Alexis said ¡­.¡± Tears spilled from Tia¡¯s eyes. Her voice trembled along with her clenched little fists, and yet she continued to speak stoutly. ¡°Alexis hid only one transfer crystal. Unlike me and Gonzo, Alexis was God¡¯s chosen hero and prince,¡­, the only one who really can¡¯t be replaced, so he wanted to make sure that he was the only one who could escape in case of emergency,¡­. But yet, ¡­¡­ he used it on me! ¡®I¡¯m a hero, how can I be so uncool as to abandon my friends and run back? I¡¯m sorry.¡¯ He shoved the transfer crystal into my hand and smashed it with the hilt of his sword just like that. ¡­. I didn¡¯t have time to say anything, and Alexis¡¯ tall, pompous face was laughing. ¡­. I- ¡­ I- ¡­.!¡± As she continued to spill out her tears, Tia let out her pent up emotions. I couldn¡¯t even begin to guess what Tia was feeling when she said these words, as she had been with them longer than I had, and had thrown herself into a life and death battle. ¡°U ~u~u¡­¡­ uwaa¡­¡­¡­¡­. uwaaaaaaaa!!!¡¯ I could only watch in silence as Tia laid face down on the table and cried like a child. (T/N: I have decided to post the isekai and the romcom on alternate days. I¡¯ll post 3-4 chaps of both per week + any additional Kofi chapters. I got my exams coming again so can¡¯t commit to daily release of both. Hope you guys understand. Thanks for the support so far!) CH 7 Chapter 7: - Even if It¡¯s a Forced Smile, It¡¯s Much Better Than a Crying Face ¡°¡­ Are you fine now?¡± ¡°Yeah. Sorry, Ed. Thank you.¡± Tia sniffed and laughed, her eyes red and swollen. The look on her face was too painful, but still Tia started to tell me the rest of the story. ¡°I came out of a secret room in the castle of Notland. The soldiers of the castle seized me when I was distraught, and when I finally calmed down, the king heard what had happened and said with a very scary look on his face. ¡®You didn¡¯t come back. I¡¯m going to pretend that the hero¡¯s party was wiped out when they crossed the demon border.¡¯ At first I almost yelled at him for saying such a thing, but when I saw the king¡¯s sad face, I lost the will to do so.¡± ¡°I see. ¡­ Well, yeah. I can see how that would be a reasonable decision.¡± Alexis¡¯s last action was a selfish and wrong choice. If the Hero Alexis was still alive, he could have gathered new friends, reunited the hero party, and set out to defeat the demon king again. However, for the sake of his own pride, Alexis saved Tia. It was a choice that no one with power should ever have to make, as he weighed the future of the world, the lives of his friends, or his own pride and he chose the latter. But, but. How in the world could one deny the desire to help others even at the cost of one¡¯s own life? I could never ridicule Alexis as a self-centered idiot for making the worst choice as a hero and acting more like a hero than anyone else at the same time. However, that was because I had worked with Alexis for a while, and the world was different. Alexis made a foolish choice, and Tia was saved in Alexis¡¯ place. There were plenty of people who would have slammed Tia with righteousness and justice, saying, ¡°It would have been better if you had died,¡± and above all, Tia herself felt a strong sense of remorse. If he had announced Tia¡¯s survival, he would have had to bear the malice of both himself and others, and Tia, whom Alexis had risked his life to protect, might have taken her own life. In that light, the king¡¯s decision was very appropriate. ¡°Hmm? Then you live alone in this remote place. ¡­.¡± ¡°Yes. To hide my survival from the world. Especially since I¡¯m an elf. Five or ten years won¡¯t change my appearance at all, so the only thing I could do was to hide myself away in a completely inhospitable place. I couldn¡¯t even participate in the three expeditions ¡­¡± ¡°Expeditions?¡± ¡°Huh? You don¡¯t know? In order to rescue Alexis, the allied nations centered on Nortland sent an army to the Demon Realm. However, they could not break through once, and on the contrary, the battle with the Demon King¡¯s army became worse due to exhaustion of the force ¡­ That is not the current situation. Where were you really that you didn¡¯t know even though I knew it?¡± ¡°No, no! Well, that¡¯s the thing. It¡¯s even more remote than this place, or rather, it¡¯s really a countryside where you can¡¯t get any information. ¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s that! Fufu¡­ Haha, I¡¯ve talked to you for a long time and I¡¯m a little tired.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I made you recall your painful story forcefully.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. I wanted to talk to Ed too. ¡­. I mean, after all this time, how did you get here? There¡¯s really only a few people who know where I am, you know?¡± ¡°Ehh!? No, actually, you know, I got some kind of magic tool that helps me find people. So I tried to find out about Alexis and the others, but there was no response from ¡­. the two of them. ¡­¡± ¡°So ¡­, Alexis and the others are really dead after all.¡± Unobserved events could not be confirmed. Tia did not confirm the death of Alexis or Gonzo because she was forcibly transferred while Alexis was still alive. But now, I¡¯d come to visit her at her own place, which no one was supposed to know, and I¡¯d told her the compass didn¡¯t react. That meant that my actions had confirmed their deaths. ¡°Gosh, ¡­, I ¡­ feel bad now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. In fact, I felt rather refreshed. Well, I knew they were both dead at that time. Well, then I guess I¡¯ll just have to¨D¨D¡± <> Tia was about to say something, but her words were interrupted by a loud stomach rumble. Instantly, Tia¡¯s face turned slightly red up to the tips of her pointed ears. ¡°Ha, haha ¡­ this is, you see, different, okay? It¡¯s just a little mistake ¡­¡± ¡°Hey, hey. So? Do you want something to eat?¡± ¡°Eh? You¡¯re making it for me?¡± ¡°Well, yeah. I¡¯ve got all kinds of ingredients with me, so as long as it¡¯s not too outrageous, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. Hmm, but you know, ¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? What? Don¡¯t be shy, okay?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just that I haven¡¯t had much of an appetite lately, so I can only eat soups and things like that.¡± ¡°What? You just let your stomach growl like that?¡± ¡°Ed no Baka!¡± Leaning forward lightly, Tia¡¯s fingers pinched the tip of my nose. What atrocious violence!¡¡But I¡¯m not going to give in to this, okay? ¡°What¡¯s with the smirk?! You¡¯ve been such a bad boy, Ed ¡­Oh yeah! That stew you made me a few times before! Can you make that for me?¡± ¡°Stew? Yeah, sure.¡± ¡°Yeah! Then, please.¡± ¡°Yokai. Please wait a moment, Ojo-sama.¡± ¡°Umu! Good luck!¡± Tia smiled happily at me as I stood up from my seat and made a stylish bow. I¡¯m sure she was not calm inside, but it was a good sign that she was behaving cheerfully, even if only in appearance. ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case, I¡¯d better get to work.¡± As I walked to the kitchen, I stuck my hand into the Stranger¡¯s box and fished out the ingredients I had thrown inside. Let¡¯s see, if we¡¯re talking about a stew, we¡¯ll need milk, butter, flour, ¡­. ¡°Hey, hey, Ed? Your hands seem to be disappearing, or is it my imagination?¡± ¡°Hahaha, what are you talking about, Tia? How can a human arm disappear?¡± ¡°Of course not. But it¡¯s been disappearing and reappearing for a while now, and the ingredients keep popping up.¡± ¡°Well, I am cooking, so I need ingredients. Or what?¡¡Are you asking me to cook the air?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not, but that¡¯s not the point!¡± ¡°Hahhahhahhahha!¡± ¡°Mou~!¡± I started laughing, and I couldn¡¯t ¡­. hear Tia¡¯s pouting voice from behind me. That¡¯s right, I was now a magician who was dedicated to cooking. I never thought that it would be too much trouble to explain, or that she would forget if I filled her up and gave her a nap. Now, let¡¯s take this milk out of the ¡­¡­ Magi Stocker(State preserver), which had not expired, right? There was a limit to the amount of magic that could be used to preserve the state, and it was time for a complete check. ¡­¡­ No, ma¡¯am, you don¡¯t know how many hundreds of them there are, do you? ¡°GYAOOOOOOOON!¡± ¡°Huh!?¡± Suddenly, I felt a vibration from outside the house, as if a large, heavy object had fallen. A moment later, the sound of a high-pitched animal cry echoed. ¡°GYAOOOOOOO!¡± ¡°What the hell!? Oh, hey, Tia!¡± I followed Tia out of the house as fast as I could and went outside too. And there she was¡­ ¡­. ¡°Dragon!?¡± ¡°GYAOOOOOOO!¡± It was unmistakably the king of demonic beasts, a dragon, with a body covered in red scales and a fierce cry. CH 8 Dragons. It was a race that reigned at the top of all magical beasts. From their strong scales and huge bodies, they possessed overwhelming power and boasted bogus strength, which at the same time, allowed them to fly and breathe using their overflowing magical power. The higher species could even understand human language, making them truly literal monsters. There was no glint of intelligence in his eyes, so he was probably a lower-ranking Lesser. Wait ¡­. Why was there a dragon here in the first place? ¡°Hey Tia! Why are there dragons down here? Aren¡¯t these things usually up in the mountains?¡± Dragons ¡­, especially the lower species, usually lived at the top of the mountains. It was said that immature dragons were unable to control the heat emitted from their huge bodies and So they regulated their body temperature by exposing their hard scales to the cold air, which was why they never liked to come to these humid forests. But when Tia turned around, she threw out a different question in an impatient voice instead of the answer that I was looking for. ¡°Ed! Why did you come out here!?¡± ¡°Why, of course, when you hear screaming like this¨D¨D¡± ¡°GYAOOOOOOO!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk later! We have to take care of this guy first!¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± Despite the desperate look on Tia¡¯s face, I replied calmly. Sure, dragons were formidable foes, but right now, a Lesser Dragon wasn¡¯t much of a threat to me. I drew my sword from my waist and stepped in front of it as if to protect Tia. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take this place¨D¨D¡± ¡°The blade of the silver moon that twists and spins the wind is the blade of the green moon, and the feathers of the six pairs of spirits in three directions are the feathers that harden and drop the dull light! Gather together, surround yourself, and dance! In the name of Lunartia, manifest the [Tri-Edge Stream]!¡± ¡°GYAOOO¨D¨D¨D¨D¡± Thump! Before I could utter a nice line, the wind blade created by the spirit magic chanted by Tia easily cut off the neck of the extremely thick dragon. ¡°¡­? Seriously?¡± As I cautiously approached the dragon, which was lying on the ground, spewing blood from its severed flesh and sending up a cloud of dust, I poked at its severed head with my sword.Mm, it is definitely dead. ¡°Hah ¡­ hah ¡­ hah ¡­..¡± ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa, Tia! How much stronger have you gotten since I¡¯ve been gone!¡±¡± At least in the time I knew Tia, she wasn¡¯t strong enough to instantly kill a dragon, no matter how lowly it was. Her breathing seemed to be erratic, but it was rather normal considering her power. ¡°Hah ¡­ hah ¡­ hah ¡­..¡± ¡°Wow, what a cut! It¡¯s So clear. Scary! Can this be prevented by [Invisible]? No, it¡¯s magic, so I¡¯d have to use [Magia Soap]? I don¡¯t think I want to try either at all. ¡­.¡± ¡°Hah ¡­hah¡­ hah ¡­ hah ¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Tia?¡± I was trying to be cheerful, but Tia¡¯s breathing didn¡¯t settle down for any length of time. I was a little worried and turned around to see that Tia, who had been standing there shakily, was about to collapse. ¡°Whoa!? Are you okay!?¡± Tia¡¯s body, which I supported, was frighteningly light. Even though many elves were skinny, this one far exceeded that limit. ¡°Tia? You ¡­?¡± ¡°Ha¡­Ha¡­. sorry, Ed. I¡¯m just a little tired. ¡­ Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll calm down soon. ¡­¡­.. Hah, hah ¡­¡­ Hah ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Yeah, I¡¯m fine now.¡± With that, Tia pulled away from me and stood on her own feet. I couldn¡¯t take Tia¡¯s word for it because her face was still pale. ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t look okay at all?¡± ¡°Mou~. It¡¯s fine, It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been in a battle, and I was a little overzealous because I was in front of Ed. ¡­. I don¡¯t care if that makes you worry about me, hehehe ¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really sorry. I¡¯d really like to help you, but can I go rest in my room for a bit until the food is ready?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. ¡­.¡± ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll be looking forward to Ed¡¯s home-cooked meal.¡± As soon as she said that, Tia walked back to the house unsteadily. I couldn¡¯t help but be worried about her, but if you ask me what I could do about it, there was nothing in particular. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Ah, Mo~! I don¡¯t have a choice!¡± After a bit of pondering and scratching my head, I returned to Tia¡¯s house and washed my hands thoroughly before standing in the kitchen. The dragon¡¯s corpse was put away in my stranger¡¯s box. If I left the corpse of a bleeding magical beast lying around, other magical beasts would gather around like idiots. ¡°But what was that all about, ¡­¡­?¡± I thought back to what had just happened as I cooked. Indeed, Tia¡¯s symptoms were very similar to those of someone who had consumed a large amount of magic power in a short period of time. There should be nothing unnatural about it, since she used such a large amount of magic, but something inside me kept telling me that I should not underestimate it. ¡°But I don¡¯t think I can get it out of her by asking her. ¡­ Then I have no choice but to get a little serious.¡± With a wicked grin on my face, I started to change the ingredients in the stew. Personally, I liked large pieces of meat and vegetables in my stew, but she said she doesn¡¯t have much of an appetite, so I think she¡¯d rather have a thick soup-like stew that¡¯s meltingly delicious. The decisive factor was the milk. I put away the regular milk that I had originally planned to use and replaced it with a top quality one that I got on my tour of other worlds. Fufufu, I never thought I¡¯d see the day when I¡¯d have to break the seal on this thing. ¡­ I unanimously rejected the suggestion that I should drink it because it was an ingredient. Oh, and by the way, I had some phoenix meat. If you cut it up into small pieces and cook it well, it won¡¯t be too bad for digestion and should give you strength. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s really a phoenix, but at least the meat would serve the purpose. I added a good amount of other things that seemed to be good for nourishment, and cooked it thoroughly in a magic pot that could cook dozens of times faster than normal when the lid was closed. I sipped the resulting white stew¡­. ¡°Muhaa!¡± It was delicious. Overwhelmingly delicious. The heat that reached my stomach after passing through my throat spread throughout my body, and I could feel it warming up my entire body. It was not a magic potion, however, so it didn¡¯t force your body to heal. Magic potions could be dangerous in a very subtle way. There were many cases of weak people such as newborn children and elderly people who used powerful recovery medicines, only to find that their bodies couldn¡¯t keep up with the effects of the medicines, making them even worse. ¡°Un, perfect! Hey, Tia! It¡¯s ready!¡± I called out to Tia as I stirred the contents of the pot, but she didn¡¯t answer for some reason. Hmm? ¡°Tia? Hey, Tia?¡± I walked up to the bedroom door and knocked lightly, but there was no response. Is it possible that she got tired and fell asleep? Then I could just let her sleep on it and reheat it when she wakes up. ¡­ ¡°¡­ Tia, coming in? I couldn¡¯t get Tia¡¯s dizzy face out of my head, so I said no and opened the bedroom door. There she was, in the middle of changing her clothes, wearing only her underwear. ¡°Tia ¡­..¡± ¡°Eh!!? Kyaa! Ed no ecchi!!¡± Tia, noticing my confused expression, turned around and let out a cute scream. But I didn¡¯t care about that and stepped into the room. ¡°Wha-What!? Why are you entering my room? Isn¡¯t that the part where you say, ¡®Sorry!¡¯ and leave?¡± "" ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Without answering Tia¡¯s words, I slowly approached her, staring at her naked body. ¡°Ed? Hey, you look scary, okay? Please, get out of the ¡­kyaa~!?¡± As I closed in on Tia, I grabbed her wrist and stared at her body even more. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off the shocking sight. ¡°Tia ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ed¡­¡­¡± As if she had given up, Tia turned her face away from me with a sad look in her eyes. I fought back the urge to squeeze my hand and tried to formulate the next words. ¡°How the hell did this happen ¡­?¡± Her glistening white skin was etched with countless wrinkles and stains, and her bony body showed signs of impending death. About 120 years old¡­ Tia¡¯s body, which should still be quite young for an elf, had dried up like an old man just waiting to die. (T/N: Started my membership for this novel. Get access to 2 advanced chapters every Sunday!) CH 9 Chapter 9: - Responsibility Is Not Something That Is Forced Upon You. It¡¯s Something You Have to Fulfill. ¡°This¡­. is the second time that Ed has seen me naked.¡± Tia¡¯s laugh reminded me of the past, but now was not the time to dwell on those memories. ¡°Answer me, Tia. What¡¯s this all about?¡± ¡°All right. I¡¯ll explain it to you¡­. But first, can I get changed?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Tia¡¯s gaze landed on the fancy pink pajamas she was wearing when I arrived. I picked them up and lifted her arms as gently as I could before starting to dress her up. ¡°Um, Ed? I thought I said, ¡®Wait until I finish changing.''¡± ¡°Ah!? Tha-that¡¯s right. That¡¯s right. Sorry.¡± ¡°Fufu~, That¡¯s okay. I couldn¡¯t get dressed by myself anyway. Can you just get me dressed and then put me on the¡­ bed?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The face of Tia, smiling mischievously, was as young as the day we met. However, that youthfulness remained only till her neck up¡­ and no further than the wrists and ankles, the parts that were usually visible. I wondered why she bothered changing into the clothes she wore when she was still at the hero¡¯s party? Perhaps those clothes were the least revealing of her skin. ¡°That¡¯ll do. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, princess.¡± ¡°Eh!?¡± I easily picked up Tia and carried her to the bed in a princess carry. Then, I laid her down quietly and pulled the covers over her, so she wouldn¡¯t get cold. I pulled out a small chair nearby and sat down next to Tia, who was in a strangely good mood, buried up to her neck in the covers. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see the day when Ed would do something like this for me. 10 years goes by so fast for an elf, but 10 years for a human is different.¡± ¡°Haha. Yeah, I guess so.¡± The average lifespan of an elf was about three hundred years. Humans, on the other hand, had a lifespan of about seventy years. The difference in the sense of their time was more than four times greater than ours, so there was no way to make up for the difference. ¡°So, how did your body become like this? What the hell happened to you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­. Didn¡¯t I just tell you? The porter escaped, and we fought like hell.¡± ¡°¡­ Ah.¡± When I saw Tia¡¯s face sinking after she had regained her smile, I naturally let out a weak voice. And seeing me, Tia, for some reason, brightened up her expression a bit and continued talking. ¡°That¡¯s when I used the secrets of spirit magic. It is a magic that is only passed down among elves and can only be used by elves. Using it to explosively increase the power of spirit magic, I fought the Demon Lord¡¯s army¡­.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that your body paid the price for using it? But that was a long time ago, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Really? It¡¯s only been about five years¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No, five years is a long time. I mean, you¡¯re still suffering from the cost of magic from five years ago!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that there¡¯s anything left. It¡¯s just that this is what happens once I pay the price¡­.¡± Tia cut off her words and looked troubled. However, this didn¡¯t fool me, as I continued to stare into her eyes, and eventually, she let out a small breath as if she had given up, and continued to speak. ¡°Fu~¡­The price is your life span. When one mixes one¡¯s life with magic and uses spirit magic, it multiplies its power many times over.¡± ¡°¨D¨D!!¡± It was one of the worst guesses that came to my mind. I managed to stifle my voice that was about to yell at her, and Tia, still smiling, spoke further. ¡°Fufufu~, I knew I¡¯d get that look¡­. But I had no choice, you know? If I hadn¡¯t done that, I would have been beaten and killed right there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ well, maybe it is, but¡­¡­.. no, wait. Wait a minute. Could it be that the magic that killed the dragon earlier was also¡­¡­!?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes. I used my lifespan to do it.¡± ¡°STOP SCREWING AROUND!!!!!¡± This time, I couldn¡¯t take it anymore and yelled at her. ¡°WHY!? Why did you do that!?¡± "" ¡°Because if I hadn¡¯t, Ed would have been in danger, you see?¡± ¡°¡­.? Me in danger¡­? ¡± Of course. In ten years, you¡¯ll probably have gotten a little stronger, but there¡¯s no way you can beat a dragon.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Ah, ah ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± At the sight of Tia¡¯s startled face, my entire body relaxed and I slumped back into my chair. Right, right. You¡¯re right. There was no way that I, who was banished from this world, could become strong enough to face a dragon in only a span of 10 years. Did I reduce Tia¡¯s lifespan because I was ignorant of such an obvious thing¡­!? ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Why are you apologizing? I just wanted to help you, so you didn¡¯t do anything wrong, okay?¡± ¡°No, no. No, it¡¯s not¡­¡­.¡± Tia tilted her head curiously at my apology, which I squeezed out like I was coughing up blood. But no, that wasn¡¯t it. I could have easily defeated a dragon like that. What the hell am I doing? How pathetic do I have to be to give Tia such a hard time when she¡¯s in such a bad state!? ¡°Ah! I¡¯m sorry. In case you¡¯re wondering, it wasn¡¯t the magic that made me this way earlier, okay? It¡¯s been like this for a long time.¡± ¡°But I¡­¡± ¡°Mou~ It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t care! Just the fact that you got here in time is enough for me.¡± ¡°Just in time. ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. I got to see Ed again while I was still alive.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Tia¡¯s hand slowly reached out to my cheek as I trembled, desperately trying to hold back my tears. The feeling of her hand was so gentle, but cold. ¡°I can tell. I know it¡¯s almost time and I¡¯m going to be with Alexis and the others soon. That, in itself, doesn¡¯t scare me. People live and will eventually die. It¡¯s a natural part of life. However, there was something that bothered me. If, by any chance, Alexis and the others were alive and still waiting for my help, I couldn¡¯t just die quietly and use these pajamas to control the magic around my body to keep me alive all these years. But that¡¯s all over now. Thanks to Ed, I know that the place where Alexis and the others are waiting for me is not the Demon King¡¯s castle, and I was able to finally talk to you¡­. Now, I have no more regrets¡­.¡± ¡°DON¡¯T SAY THAT! We¡¯ve only just met again!¡± Tia¡¯s hand gently stroked my hand as I screamed like a selfish child. ¡°Fufu~. I¡¯d love to listen to Ed if he¡¯s being selfish, but this is all I¡¯ve got¨D¨D£¡£¿¡± <> Interrupting Tia¡¯s words, there was another loud noise that came from outside the house. The impact was nothing compared to the previous one, and I rushed to get out. "" ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°Tia!? What the hell?¡± ¡°I¡¯m coming with you.¡± ¡°What? What are you talking about? Tia, you need to stay here and rest¨D¨D¡± ¡°Take me with you.¡± Tia¡¯s fingers tugged at the hem of my clothes. I could not shake her fingers, even though they were weak. ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t want to be alone.¡± ¡°¡­ Okay.¡± With Tia in my arms, I walked out of the house. Then, there was a huge metal giant waiting for me. So huge that I had to look up. ¡°Oh no, the Adamant Golem¡­!?¡± The Adamant was the hardest metal in the world. Its black and purple glow, which made it impenetrable to any attack, had the strength that simply could not be defined as hard and heavy. If such a thing took a distorted human form, it would be able to beat the dragon to death while it was humming. ¡°We¡¯re not even in the mine and it¡¯s a goddamn natural golem! It¡¯s like the dragon from earlier. What the hell is going on?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ed. It¡¯s probably my fault.¡± Tia, who was in my arms, answered, looking apologetic. ¡°In order to help me live as long as possible, I¡¯ve placed magic circles around my house to gather magic power. I think that dragon from earlier was attracted to it and came here, and this golem¡­ was born from the influence of it, perhaps?¡± ¡°No, no, no, that¡¯s crazy!? If this is the kind of thing that gets attracted, you¡¯re not going to live very long¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m usually fine because I sleep. But today, Ed came over and I have been up all day¡­.¡± ¡°Oh¡­.¡± So, you were saying this was my fault, too. I understand, yes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry, Ed. I¡¯m sorry I got you into this mess¡­. I would have used up everything I had left just to get you out of here¡­.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to.¡± Tia looked like she was about to cry, and I laughed lightly before lowering her body to the ground. That¡¯s right. If it was my fault, then I should take the blame. I had the power to do so now. ¡°Watch this, Tia. This is the power I¡¯ve acquired since I left¡­ the hero¡¯s party. Now, come on, scrap iron! I¡¯ll banish you from this world with my own hands!¡± The golem just silently swung its huge fist down at me as I smiled fearlessly. CH 10 A downward fist from an overwhelmingly huge body that was taller than the ceiling of Tia¡¯s house. If I took such a thing head on, even if I were a Hero, I would be flattened in one blow. ¡­. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, scrap iron? Is this only what you¡¯ve got?¡± No matter how hard it swung its fist, he couldn¡¯t put a scratch on my body. A heavy blow that doesn¡¯t even contain a soul would be like a breeze in front of my [Invisible] banishment skill. However, the weight difference between me and the Adamant Golem was several hundred to several thousand times ¡­¡­ it was too ridiculous to compare. Even if the attack didn¡¯t connect, under normal circumstances, the impact alone would have blown me beyond the horizon. But it didn¡¯t happen. After taking dozens of fists to show off the skill, I used a new banishment skill here. ¡°Is it time? Then, it¡¯s ¡­. payback!¡± I moved inside the gap between its fists, and jumped and kicked the golem in the stomach. Then, with a roar, the huge body of the golem staggered and fell to the ground. This was the [Orbit Reflector], a banishment skill. This was a counter-skill that accumulated the damage you took and returned it directly to your opponent. If this was activated, even the impact itself could be nullified as before, so it could be used for defense. <> ¡°Oh, I knew you¡¯d rise. ¡­¡­¡± The golem, which was supposed to be down with its head up to the sky, stood up, making the distinctive sound of metal scraping against metal. It must have been a considerable impact, but there was only a small dent on its body that could not be seen unless you looked closely. ¡°I¡¯ve always been a fan of hitting hard guys, but I guess my strength isn¡¯t enough. Well, I knew that.¡± I kicked him to the ground because I needed a little time. I put my hand into the [Stranger¡¯s Box] and pulled out the hilt of my silvery white sword. Yes, just the hilt. This sword had no blade. It will be made now. ¡°Here we go, buddy. Blood Sword Rensou.¡± I held my left hand at face level with my fist clenched tightly, and slammed the hilt of the sword in my right hand against my left wrist. The tip of the hilt pierced my wrist, and my blood was sucked up into the hilt. Then, I held my sword up again, and a bright red blade extended from the hilt. <> ¡°Oops, did I keep you waiting? It looks like you¡¯re all set, so let¡¯s get this over with.¡± The adamant golem, fully on its feet, punched me again. What, you were one of those idiots? Well, if something were to be inserted poorly, the density would decrease and the strength would decrease. I think it was one thing to be all about punching, but it was another thing to be able to use ¡­. ¡°Ha!¡± Exhaling a short, strong breath, I dodge the golem¡¯s fist once more and stepped into its path. He anticipated it and this time threw a kick, but ¡­ it was too late. Without shouting out the name of my special move, I silently swing my sword down. The momentum of the swing blew away the sheath of the bloody blade, and all that remained was an invisible blade. The blade was thin above all. It was too fragile to withstand even a gentle breeze, and even if left alone, it would destroy itself in the blink of an eye. However, its thinness enabled it to cut through everything. It could pierce the connection between things and cut through any physical object. The ¡°Sword of Thin Life,¡± created by the effects of the [Engineering Master Smith] banishment skill, and the sword techniques I developed during my long journey through other worlds. If the two were to be combined¡­ <> ¡°Nothing is unbreakable!¡± I watched as the huge body of the golem, which had been split off into two, crumbled to the ground as I took a quick swing with the Sword of Thin Life before returning it to the [Stranger¡¯s Box]. ¨D¨DIn addition, there was no point in swinging the hilt because the blade shattered as soon as it sliced through the golem. It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s cool. ¡°Phew. We¡¯re done, Tia.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Tia?¡± I called out again to Tia, who was looking at me with a dumbfounded expression. Her eyes widened and she finally answered me. ¡°Ed ¡­¡­ Ed was so strong ¡­¡­?!¡± ¡°Well, yeah! I¡¯ll tell you something, I wasn¡¯t always strong when I was with Tia, you know? After I was expelled from the hero party, I trained again and became stronger.¡± ¡°I see. I see. ¡­¡­ Hey, Ed?¡± ¡°Hmm? What?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re so strong, then maybe you¡¯ll be able to ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°No, no, no. That¡¯s what I¡¯m most worried about. What¡¯s that? Ah, it¡¯s tough even for me to defeat a Demon Lord you know?¡± I¡¯d been to over a hundred different worlds, but I¡¯d never faced a demon lord before. Well, it was only natural considering that I was kicked out of the party in the middle of every episode. (T/N: Episode meaning before they could reach demon lord he was kicked.) The foundation of my strength was my banishment skills ¡­ and the power that God gave me. If they were blocked, I was just a piece of shit, so as long as I couldn¡¯t deny the possibility that the Demon Lord had such abilities. If I were to be too arrogant to believe that I could win, I would easily be caught unprepared. However, if it was the Demon Lord who was messing with Tia, I would have no objection to getting a little fired up and punch him in the face. ¡­¡­ ¡°I want you to take me across the border.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. I want to go to ¡­ the place where I last left Alexis and the others. I want to end up there, too¨D¨D¡± ¡°DON¡¯T SAY ¡°LAST¡±! Last ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..!¡± ¡°Fufu, that¡¯s weird. Why do you look like you¡¯re about to cry? ¡°That¡¯s,¡­ I don¡¯t know, either!¡± I retorted to Tia who laughed. Oh yeah, I didn¡¯t know anything. I didn¡¯t know, but I ¡­¡­ I couldn¡¯t stop crying. ¡°So, what do you think? Of course, if you can¡¯t do it, you can turn it down, and even if you do, I can¡¯t offer much in the way of compensation. ¡­. Oh, how about these pajamas I¡¯m wearing? I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll fetch a decent price if you sell them.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need that! No, I don¡¯t. I really don¡¯t want it.¡± If the effect I¡¯d just felt was true, then surely the pajamas Tia was wearing were worth a lot of money. But I didn¡¯t know what to do with my friend¡¯s (a woman) freshly removed pajamas. But carrying it around in a stranger¡¯s box was a possibility, and if you asked me to throw it away, that would not be possible. I already had more than I could imagine, okay? Yeah, I definitely didn¡¯t want it. ¡°Boo, that¡¯s mean!¡­Then, no?¡± Tia stared at me with moist, lustrous eyes. Mo~ It¡¯s hard to say no to this, unlike the determined look in your eyes just now. ¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Ffffff Fineee¡± After a long hesitation and a long sigh, I finally broke down. I might not be able to extend your life, but I could make your wishes come true. So, the choice was already made from the beginning. ¡°But you have to absolutely listen to me, okay? Also, if I don¡¯t think you can do it, I¡¯ll turn around halfway through, okay?¡± ¡°Yay!! Thanks Ed!¡± Tia said with a smile like a flower blooming. But she didn¡¯t stand up and jump on me anymore. I desperately tried to look away from this fact, picturing in my mind what I would need for the journey and comparing it to the contents of the [Stranger¡¯s Box]. Thus, the last journey of Tia and I began in a rush, not even waiting for the night to pass. CH 11 Chapter 11: - And So the Journey Ends, and the World Closes Quietly. ¡°Wow, that was easy!¡± ¡°Thank you for that.¡± I carried Tia on my back as I ran through a magical area infested with vicious magical beasts. Although it was crazy to move through the demonic area at night, the greatest threat to me now was not the magical beasts that I could deal with, but the flow of time that would not allow me to even stop. ¡°Ah! Ed, over there!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Elves had excellent night vision. Looking from Tia¡¯s point of view, who was strapped to my backpack, I could see countless eyes glittering between the dark trees¡­, and I immediately changed course. That would be true. In a world full of magical beasts, there was no point in fighting every single one of them. If the path was blocked by force, I would take care of it, but if it was not, it was obvious that it would take less time and effort to avoid it. It was a strange feeling. The last time I came here, this place was a place to hide and breathe under crushing pressure at night. ¡­. I never thought I¡¯d be able to run through it with such confidence. ¡°Fufufu~, well, that¡¯s where I¡¯ve got you.¡± I could not use the [Mirage Shift] because it had not been a day yet, but to begin with, it only worked on me, so I could not use it with Tia on my back. ¡­. Or rather, if I did, Tia would fall to the ground and stare at me with tears in her eyes as she rubbed her bottom. However, if I used the [Hermes Dash] to move fast, I could leave most demonic beasts behind, and even if I moved erratically, I wouldn¡¯t lose track of my destination with the [Akashic Compass]. Therefore, we were boldly running through the area infested with magical beasts. ¡­ ¡°No, isn¡¯t it too damn far? I mean, isn¡¯t it too big?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s big. If it was so easy to get through, the Kingdom¡¯s army would have already invaded the Demon Lord¡¯s castle.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡± The Demon Territory was ten times bigger than I thought it would be. Certainly, if we were to try to get through here normally, a large amount of supplies would be essential. Besides, if we were to get out of here, even the porters would have had a hard time. She probably traveled with Alexis and the others for a longer period of time than I did, gaining their trust and supporting each other as they made their way through this demonic realm. Even with that much experience, could people truly trust each other? I didn¡¯t have an answer to that question, as I had always been forced to abandon and be abandoned. ¡°¡­ Speaking of which, what happened to that porter that got away?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe he got caught?¡± ¡°I see. Yeah, I guess so.¡± The king of Nortland, a great nation, knew the truth, so there was no way he could have missed the person who had abandoned his son, a hero. He was probably captured in secret ¡­ and it would be pointless to think about what happened to him after that. ¡°Oh, I think we are nearly there. The roots of the trees are starting to look different.¡± ¡°¡­ Are you sure?¡± I had no idea if it was the density of the trees or if it was the protrusion of the roots. I kept running, thinking that if Tia said it, then it must be true, and eventually, the growing sensation of the trees opened up so much that even I could see it. After more than ten hours of running through the night, with several breaks in between, the trees finally disappeared from sight, and what we saw was a vast grassland. ¡°It should be right here. ¡­ Tia?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.Put me down here¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± After I lowered her from my backpack, Tia stood straight on her feet and walked unsteadily through the meadow. She looked around to make sure, and eventually approached a nearby rock that was as high as her waist. ¡°He¡­ ¡­ Here. This is where Alexis gave me the transfer crystal.¡± ¡°Then, ¡­ ¡°Yeah. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ I¡¯m back. Guys, I¡¯m finally back. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± She sat down on the ground, her voice trembling as she slumped against the rock. Now, she had finally arrived at the place where she had been forced to leave her friends behind. ¡°Alexis, Gonzo, ¡­. do you know? Ed, the one we kicked out, is the one who brought me here, you know? Ed has become incredibly strong. ¡­. Fufu~¡± As Tia leaned her back against a rock, she looked up at the sky. As I looked up, I saw a red light beginning to rise from the base of the twinkling stars. ¡°¡­ Hey, Ed. Do you remember? Remember when I ¡­ we banished you.¡± ¡°Of course I remember. I¡¯ll remember that, after all the accusations.¡± At Tia¡¯s words, I chuckled and shrugged my shoulders. The reason why I was kicked out of the brave party was because I peeked at her while she was changing clothes. But, of course, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I was called by Tia to go to the tent, and there Tia was changing her clothes. Tia screamed out loud in panic, and forcefully complained to Alexis, ¡°I can¡¯t be with someone who peeks at me while I was changing my clothes,¡± and as a result, I was expelled from the hero¡¯s party. ¡°¡­ At that time, I kept thinking. I thought that if the enemy got stronger and the fighting got harder, we wouldn¡¯t be able to protect you anymore. That¡¯s why I kicked you out. I deliberately let you peek at me and complained to Alexis ¡­ because I knew that if I didn¡¯t, you would die.¡± ¡°I see. Well, that¡¯s true.¡± I was really weak at the time. In fact, in the latter half of the trip, I felt my life was in danger countless times, and I thought to myself that I was just lucky to have survived until I was banished. ¡°But it was a mistake. Ed is strong enough now that he doesn¡¯t need me to protect him.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not¨D¨D¡± No, it¡¯s not. My strength was due to the banishment skills I received with each world I was banished from, and the time I was given to train for a hundred years, while always remaining in a young body. There was no way that I could have continued my journey without being banished and still be on par with what I was now. ¡°Ed.¡± ¡°¡­ What?¡± ¡°Thank you. Thanks to you, we were all able to get together again. And I am sorry. I guess I have to leave you behind again, along with everyone else.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡­ I- thank you for carrying me ¡­ my soul so far. You were truly ¡­. the best porter I¡¯ve ever had. ¡­.. ¡­..¨D¨D¨D¨D¡± With one last small smile, Tia¡¯s eyelids slowly fall. When her eyes closed in contrast to the rising sun, that was the true end of my adventure in this world. The story of the end that I was never supposed to know, after I was banished. Now, there was nothing more I could do. Now that I had fulfilled my duty to my former comrades, all I had to do was to use the key to return to the and from there to my own world ¡­ where I belonged. Ò»What kind of face should I make when I see the them again after a hundred years? From their point of view, it would probably be a few hours at most, so they would probably give me a strange look. It was easy to make money now. Do I give my parents a house or a farm? A glass of good wine for the idiot Taruho would be enough. Maybe I should send some jewels along with a bouquet of flowers to the receptionist, Ashia-chan, who used to be the flower of the higher class. Yeah, I know. If I returned home now, I could do anything. I could slay all the strong magical beasts I want, I could become a nobleman, I could even start a country. Anything, anything.¨D¨D ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Hey, God? Is this part of your calculation? Sure, I¡¯ll get in. I¡¯ll dance in the palm of your hand until there¡¯s a hole in it!¡± As I touched Tia¡¯s still-warm hand, I raised my fist to the sky. And so I used the last banishment skill I got after being banished from a hundred worlds. It allowed me to make a direct appeal to the gods and make any wish come true, depending on my mood¨D¨D ¡°Take it all! [Unlimited!]¡± A pillar of light rose from my raised right fist. It broke through the clouds, transcended the world, and carried my wish through to God. ¡­ At that moment, my consciousness sank into total darkness. (T/N: MC and Tia in the illustration and Romcom will be posted tom.) CH 12 Chapter 12: - The 101st Prologue ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­?¡± In front of my eyes, a completely white world suddenly unfolded. There was no way I could have recognized the scene, and I hurriedly looked around, revealing my stupefied expression. ¡°What!? What is this place!? Ah, eh!?¡± When I looked to my right and left, all I saw was a blanket of white. I mean, even the top and bottom were white. If I couldn¡¯t see the sky, does that mean I was inside some kind of building? Am I trapped? Kidnapped? Why me? How? ¡°¡­ Wait, wait, wait. First, let¡¯s calm down and assess the situation.¡± Just a moment ago, I was exterminating a clawed mole. The extermination of vermin from the fields was an important job for the miscellaneous mercenaries, and I stepped into the forest to smash the nest of the claw mole. ¡­ ¡°¡­ ¡­ Yosh, it turns out I don¡¯t know what the hell is going on here.¡± In the countless forests I entered, there was no way there could be a facility like this, and I had no idea who could do something like this, or who would want to do something like this to me. If I had to guess, I¡¯d say it¡¯s God¡¯s plan. ¡­ I wanted to snicker and say, ¡°Gee, I¡¯m an idiot,¡± but I doubt that would be the most appropriate thing to do. ¡°Haaa ¡­¡­ Umm, Are you looking at me? If so¡­, I would be very grateful if you could give me some minimum guidelines on how to proceed here¡­¡± The place was empty, but I tried to talk to him anyway, just in case he was watching me. Not that I don¡¯t resent the unreasonableness of the situation, I wouldn¡¯t want to have to fight with someone who could do this for the next 100 years or so. Thud. ¡°Oh! What is this?¡± Suddenly, I heard a sound behind me. I turned around, trembling and shaking, to find a white table with a white book on it. What is this white background? Honestly, it was hard to see, or rather, it hurt my eyes a little. ¡°Well, I guess that means I should read it.¡± I picked up the book and opened it. Fortunately, the words were properly written in black ink inside the white book. As I read through it, it seemed that I had been expelled from my original world. And to return to the original world, I need to travel to 100 different worlds, join the hero party of each world, and then be expelled. ¡­ Yes, it was crazy to say the least. ¡°You¡¯re crazy to say the least. What the hell were you thinking?¡± I was so astonished and dismayed that I could even express my thoughts in words, but Nanika ¡­.I¡¯d call him God for convenience, who heard my question, but didn¡¯t say anything. But it seemed that he didn¡¯t respond to me in any way. A wall appeared in front of me, seeping out of the white landscape, and there was a door with a plate that said ¡°001¡± on it. By the way, when I went behind the wall, there was no door, just a wall. Apparently, there was no back entrance. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but I guess I¡¯ll just have to go there. Well, before that, ¡­¡± As I was about to put my hand on the knob of the door, I turned my attention to the crystal ball that had somehow appeared on the table while I was reading. According to the book, if I touched this, I would get some kind of nice skill. ¡°Come on¡­, you know I¡¯m just a small-time mercenary, right? I don¡¯t have the ability to join any kind of hero party, so you¡¯re going to make up for it here ¡­, right? Oh!?¡± As I placed my hand on the crystal ball with anxiety, a mysterious heat flowed into me. At the same time, what entered my mind was about the [Flag Maker] ability and its effects. ¡°¡­Just having it will trigger it automatically. Will I be more likely to get into trouble, whether it be good or bad? Is this how I¡¯m supposed to enter the hero¡¯s party? Yeah, can¡¯t it be something as simple as a power that made me strong enough to be invited into the hero¡¯s party?¡± What¡¯s with this twisted ability? Well, it would be just like a true God to ignore people¡¯s will and bring them to a place like this. ¡­ Huh? ¡°¡­ Another one? Gosh!¡± Another wave of heat flowed into me. But the intensity was nothing compared to the previous one, and my whole body was tormented by tremendous pain. ¡°Guaaaaaaaaa!?!?!?¡± It hurts! It hurts! My head is cracking! My blood is burning! I can¡¯t withstand this kind of force! ¡°Aaahhhhhhhh!!! Uahhhhhhhhh!!!¡± I collapsed onto the white floor helplessly, screaming and sprawling in pain. I felt my throat ripped open and was dripping blood, my eyes were bloodshot to the point of popping out, and my whole body was numb and jittery as if struck by lightning. ¡­Pain like hell. The pain was unbearable akin to the ultimate torture that could even make one confess how much hair the king had on his ass. Along with this searing pain, an unknown memory, which I¡¯d never seen nor heard before, but unmistakably mine, flooded into my head. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ah¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± In a strange world, I was traveling with someone, ¡­ and he kicked me out, and I came back here. Every time I repeated it, my head hurt like it was going to explode. At the same time, the power I didn¡¯t know I had grew. Three, four, ten, twenty¡­ Worlds I¡¯ve visited kept on increasing, the pain increased, and my soul screamed. Over fifty, over seventy¡­, the limits of my endurance had long since been exceeded, but I still continued to accept the surge of power. ¡°Guu, uh ¡­ uuuuuuuuuu ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ !!!!!¡± Why? Why am I fighting so hard? Why am I clenching my teeth to the point of shattering, clenching my fists to the point my nails are digging into my flesh, and enduring this ¡­ kind of power that is unworthy of me right now? I didn¡¯t know. I had no idea. I want to throw it away right now, but the ¡­ first memory that came into my mind is laughing in my face. The first memory that came into my mind laughed at my face. The ¡°good¡± me, the one with the beautiful girl I¡¯d never met, shouted with a smile that made me want to cry. ¡ªDon¡¯t give up. Then, we can change our past and our future. ¡°Ku¡­ so¡­ Gyaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!¡± I shouted one last time, loud enough for the whole world to hear. At the same time, my soul was burned out and ¡­¡­ there, I¡­ returned. ¡°Haha, hah, hah¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ e, e e e, e e e e e¡­¡­¡­¡± My body had used up all its strength, and I couldn¡¯t even move a finger. But my mouth naturally burst into laughter. The last banishment skill that came to my brain, [One More Game]. Its effect was quite simple: ¡®Start over from the beginning with all your memories and experiences.¡¯ The ability of this banishment skill was only to transfer over, so I couldn¡¯t use it one more time ¡­, but that was fine. If I could use it all over again, I would probably be stuck in a never-ending loop and live a lousy life. ¡°Haaa ¡­¡­¡­¡­ haaa ¡­¡­¡­¡­Good.¡± After taking a deep breath, I stood up with renewed energy. I was bruised all over from my rampage, and my teeth were chipped from clenching too hard, but once I crossed the world, this level of injury would be taken care of with my [Banishment Skill]. That was why I stood in front of the door with my aching body. The walls that used to be ridiculously long were now much shorter, and the 101 doors that used to be lined up were now only one. The world of 001¡­ the first world where Tia and her friends were. ¡°No matter whether I cry or laugh, the second time will be the last time. Then, we all must be able to laugh, or else it would be useless, right?¡± I know I could do it now. I could turn that shitty ending into a future where we all toast each other with our stupid faces on. ¡°Yosh, here comes the second round! I¡¯ll use my strongest power to fight the demons and Be ¡­ expelled nicely!¡± I grinned and opened the door, and without hesitation, I stepped into the nostalgic world for the second time. (T/N: Will be going a break till March 6th. Will resume posting after that. Need some time to settle some things. Thank you for the support so far :D) CH 13 Chapter 13: - It¡¯s Better to Regret Something After You¡¯ve Done It Than to Regret Not Doing It. In Other Words, When in Doubt, Do It All. After passing through the door, I found myself in a nostalgic meadow. There was a familiar meadow right after I passed through the door. This was my third time in this world after all. ¡­ But, before I get too emotional, I had some things I had to do. As I was checking to see if my powers had really been transferred, I couldn¡¯t help but let out a grunt. The reason was that the [Auto-Mapping] skill only showed the area around me. ¡°Oh, so knowledge doesn¡¯t get transferred along with the skills? It¡¯s probably more useful to know that I haven¡¯t been to a place yet because I won¡¯t mistake it for having been there before. ¡­ No, wait!¡± I impatiently thrusted my hand into the [Stranger Box]. However, no matter how deep I plunged my hand into, my fingertips only grasped the empty space. ¡°NOOOOOOOOOOO!¡± I let out a tragic cry as I crumpled to the ground. No, indeed, ¡°memories and experiences¡± didn¡¯t include goods. If so, it was only natural that the contents of the [Stranger Box], which for the most part would be still unusable, would be empty. But the sense of loss was immeasurable. ¡°Damn, I was so proud of my collection too¡­.¡± With a heavy sigh, I started walking towards the town as planned. Unlike the first time, however, I walked up to the red dot that appeared in [Auto-mapping] and pulled out my sword, which I¡¯ve had on my hip since my original world, and quickly hunted the horned rabbit. ¡°Fu~, I guess I¡±ll be able to pay the town tax now. I can sell the meat if I dismantle it. ¡­. But that¡¯s okay.¡± The price of horned rabbit meat was negligible compared to the amount of effort required. Also, I already knew that there was no point in making a few pennies here. ????? After that, I continued walking down the street and soon reached the first town where I first met Alexis and the others. I gave the guard at the entrance a rabbit instead of an entry tax, and passed through the gate without any problems. Now, all I needed to do was wait for Alexis and the others to arrive here. ¡­ Hmm. ¡°What should I do?¡­¡± As I walked through the lively streets of the city, I was quietly lost in thought. The question, of course, was whether the reunion with Alexis and the others would be the same as the first time. Ò»The first time I met Alexis, I was scurrying around the streets of a different world that I had never been to before. I bumped into him, and he said, ¡°How dare a commoner like you bump into me, a hero!¡± When I heard Alexis say that, I thought, ¡°He¡¯s the Hero. If I miss this opportunity, I may never see him again!¡± I clung desperately to his leg. After some persuasion, Alexis finally hired me as a porter. If I did the same thing this time, I should be able to join the hero party as a porter in the same way¡­ but, that won¡¯t work. Even if I became a member of the group from such a lowly position, I would not be able to gain enough power to influence the future of Alexis and the others. ¡°Then, I¡¯d need to promote myself¡­ The problem is how.¡± One was to promote myself as a ¡°porter,¡± which was something Alexis and his team were lacking right now. I had the [Stranger Box], and that made my talent as a porter unparalleled and overwhelming in this world. If I demonstrated this, it would be possible for me to join the hero¡¯s party without licking their boots and flattering them. On the other hand, a porter was only a porter. Alexis was not a fan of the attitude that overstepped his boundaries. If I insisted ¡°Actually, I can fight!¡±, there was a risk that I would simply be disliked before I could show my abilities. I would be expelled from the hero¡¯s party before the designated time. ¡­ or rather, I would be expelled right away. Tia told me that the porter they hired after I left did that and got fired for it. ¡°Mmm. If I am looking for stability and to extend my stay, I guess I¡¯ll go this way. ¡­¡± I looked at the stalls giving off a nice smell and slightly regretted that I should have hunted down one more horned rabbit to make some change. My mind wandered to another possibility. Another possibility was ¡­ to sell myself as a swordsman. Losing the [Sword Of Thin Life] was quite a blow, but it didn¡¯t mean that my sword skills, which I had trained for 100 years, diminished. Previously, I was like, ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is, but anyway, it¡¯s insanely strong.¡± The strength of Alexis, which I had only understood as ¡°the best of the best,¡± should now be enough to match me. But it was not only a good thing here, either. Alexis and his party were not recruiting combatants, so no matter how good I was, there was a chance I would not be invited to join the party. As far as I knew, ¡­, or rather until the very end, Alexis didn¡¯t seem to gain any more friends, so I could foresee that this route would lead to the worst possible outcome, where no matter how much I tried, I couldn¡¯t become one of them before I was banished. ¡°Hmmm. Which should I choose, a porter or a swordsman?¡­¡± I stopped at a corner of the main street and continued to ponder. Unlike the first time around, I was not stranded at the entrance gate, so I still had some time to spare, but that didn¡¯t mean I could think for hours. Once I made my choice, it was difficult to change my mind. If I made a strong impression at the beginning, that image would stick with them no matter what I did afterwards, so I could only be either ¡°a porter who could fight quite well¡± or ¡°a swordsman who could carry a rather large amount of luggage.¡± ¡­ Hmm? ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Ah, I see.¡± The thoughts that I had been mulling over in my head were all jumbled up and eventually came together to form into one thought. Hmmm¡­ I see. So that¡¯s how it works! Then¨D¨D ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï ¡°Look, isn¡¯t that the Hero Alexis?¡± ¡°Oh, my God, yes! So cool. ¡­¡± ¡°I never thought I¡¯d be able to see the Hero with my own eyes. ¡­¡± ¡°¡­Fu~¡± Alexis ignored the shouts of praise from the commoners who passed by him with a relaxed expression. He understood that his reputation as a Hero would be enhanced if he showed a resolute attitude and did not react to every single word he heard. (Good grief, I¡¯m just blessed with birth, looks, talent, ability, wisdom, and God¡¯s favor. Common people are exaggerating as usual.) With a leisurely smile on his face, Alexis rambled on inwardly. He never doubted that he was a chosen one, and he took it all for granted. For Alexis, the prince of the great nation of Northland, who received the light of God¡¯s blessing on his body the moment he was born, it was as natural as breathing, so there was no need to be humble or demeaning. The people around him had no questions or complaints about his attitude. If an ordinary person did the same thing, they would be accused of being unprincipled. However, it was natural for Alexis, who was recognized by everyone as special, to desire special treatment. Therefore, if the special Alexis walked down the middle of the main street, even the large carriages would wait by the edge for Alexis to pass by. If Alexis wanted something, whatever it was, it would definitely be in his hands. He was truly a special being chosen by the world and by God. However, as if to block the way of Alexis, a single figure suddenly appeared in front of him. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ What? Who are you?¡± ¡°Hello, my Hero friend. I was wondering if you might be looking for someone to fill a position. Would you be interested in the best porter and strongest swordsman?¡± ¡°What?¡± In front of him, an ordinary, dull young man talked to the special Alexis in a casual way. Alexis raised an eyebrow at the man who didn¡¯t treat him as someone special. ¡­ But, the man, Ed, grinned and put his hand on the sword on his hip. (T/N: Little update: Break extended till March 10th. Something happened irl) CH 14 Chapter 14: - Victory Is Not About Winning, It¡¯s About Achieving an Objective. ¡°Hello, my Hero friend. I was wondering if you might be looking for someone to fill a position. Would you be interested in the best porter and strongest swordsman?¡± ¡°What?¡± I grinned and Alexis gave me a skeptical look. He was a gentle man of twenty-four with soft blond hair. Alongside his cool appearance, he also had a commanding presence. He was about two fingers taller than me. If we stood side by side, I bet Alexis would feel bigger than me. ¡­ Just him being there was enough to overwhelm others. The very image of a hero. Yes, this feeling. I missed it. With that thought in mind, I slowly wrapped my hand around the hilt of the sword I wore on my waist. Yes, there was no need to hesitate. If I had two strengths, I should appeal to both of them. ¡°¡­ Just to warn you, though. I don¡¯t know what you think you¡¯re doing, but if you do pull your sword out, I won¡¯t show any mercy, okay?¡± ¡°Of course. However, if you don¡¯t, you won¡¯t know how strong I am, will you?¡± ¡°Hah ¡­ I get it. It¡¯s one of the roles of a hero to let a misunderstood man like you know the reality. There¡¯s no such thing as being too strong.¡± In response to my provocation, Alexis sighed and pulled out his sword. His tone was more polite than the first time we had bumped into each other unexpectedly, but I had traveled with him and I could tell. This was a guy who was really pissed off. By the way, if I suddenly drew my sword in the street, the guards would come flying at me in a blink of an eye and take me down. The only exception to this was when the person I was facing was Alexis. The title of ¡°Hero¡± he carried with had a myriad of privileges as well as obligations, one of which was the need to demonstrate one¡¯s strength by accepting challenges from any and all people at any time. This duty, in theory, existed to ¡°prevent those without power from using the title of brave to do as they please,¡± but in fact, by ¡°giving everyone the opportunity to defeat the brave.¡± By ¡°giving¡±, it became a message from the countries that ¡°You can¡¯t legally sue and seize the strongest and bravest of the hero, so if that¡¯s what you think, you¡¯re on your own.¡±¡­. Well, that was it. ¡°Then, as a thank you for accepting the match, I¡¯ll give you the first move, hero?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ He~e?¡± The edge of Alexis¡¯ lips lifted at my words. Oh, he really is pissed off, huh? He has to be. If I did not get my abilities recognized in front of a crowd of people like this, I would not be able to join the hero¡¯s party as an equa¨D¨D!? ¡°Oh, shit!¡± ¡°¡­ Do you want to stop now?¡± I barely blocked Alexis¡¯ sword with my own, as he closed in on me in an instant with no sound and no movement. Yes, barely. Because ¡­ (Oh man, this iron sword is even shabbier than I imagined!) The iron sword I held in my hand was the one I used when I was an ordinary mercenary in my original world. It was reasonably priced and had reasonable performance. It was impossible for my iron sword to take Alexis¡¯ sword¡ªa holy sword that apparently used to be stuck in a rock somewhere¡ªhead on. (Ugh, if I was unable to block a perfect strike by even a hair, my sword would break in an instant, What should I do?) ¡°¡­, what¡¯s up? Will you come from there this time? ¡° ¡°Hmm? Ah, yeah. Yeah, ¡­ well, I¡¯ll go lightly then.¡± This time, I slashed at Alexis, who couldn¡¯t possibly know my inner turmoil. However, my sword¡¯s stance was not one of killing the enemy, but one of being very careful not to break the sword. As I unleashed a barrage of wild strikes, Alexis defended with his holy sword. ¡°Nice speed ¡­, but as the saying goes, the blows are too light. You¡¯ve got to be kidding me.¡± ¡°No way! But you see, ¡­ I can¡¯t let the hero get hurt, right?¡± ¡°I mean, how could someone like you hurt me? You mean you really believe you can hurt me?¡± Ah, Alexis got really pissed. This might be a bit of a bad idea ¡­ in terms of swords. ¡°Very well. If you have that much confidence in yourself, ¡­ let me show you a part of the power of the hero!¡± As soon as he said that, Alexis, who had taken a large distance from me, raised the holy sword above his head. Then, a light slowly appeared on the blade, and Alexis, who was holding it at a high level, swung the sword straight down on the spot. ¡°Take that, [Moonscraper]!¡± ¡°What?!¡± You Idiot?! If I dodge this, it¡¯ll hit the civilians behind me!, I won¡¯t avoid it. Since his magical power made the slashes fly¡­, that was, the essence of the technique was a physical attack, it could be easily nullified by using [Invisible]¡­¡­ No, I see. In this form! ¡°Huh!¡± What flew at me was a slash as round as a crescent moon. Therefore, I held my sword at a lower stance and swung it like I was scooping up. Then, the shining blade suddenly changed its trajectory upward and passed over my head, and was sucked into the blue sky. At the same time, my iron sword, which I loved in my original world, snapped with a high-pitched sound. It was quite a close call, but it managed to get the last job done. ¡°What were ¡­ you thinking!!! What would have happened if I hadn¡¯t prevented¨D¨D¡± ¡°Huh. What a foolish thing to say. Do you think I don¡¯t think that much?¡± ¡°Hahaha! That¡¯s right, kid!¡± As Alexis brushed his blonde hair back, I heard another familiar voice from behind me. I hurriedly turned around and there stood a shirtless, muscular, middle aged man with a huge body measuring 190 centimeters and a shining head. He must have been over 40 years old, but his body showed no signs of weakening. ¡°If it was a serious blow from the hero, I don¡¯t see how my muscles could be damaged by such a small attack! I¡¯ve put up a barrier around the perimeter just in case the kid does something crazy.¡± ¡± old man Gonzo No .., the warrior monk Gonzo-sama!¡± ¡°Oh, what? You know me too, kid? If you know me, you should put some muscle on your poor body right now. Faith is muscle!¡± ¡°Yeah, ¡­ no, I¡¯ll pass on that.¡± I wonder what it was. It had been almost a hundred years since I had seen him, and yet I didn¡¯t feel any discomfort at all in this exchange. I think the fact that it was the first hero¡¯s party I joined left a strong impression on me. Of course, there was also the intensity of the person himself. ¡°Mou~! What are you two doing?!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± It was the third new voice I heard. My body involuntarily stiffened at the words of my last companion, who I hadn¡¯t seen in a hundred years and a day. She had a petite body of about 160 centimeters and sunny yellow hair that was slightly redder than Alexis¡¯ blonde hair. Her jade-green eyes were filled with the curiosity of life, and just staring into them made my chest tighten as if it would burst. ¡°Alexis! I was wondering why you didn¡¯t come back. What are you doing here?!¡± ¡°Ha~, look what you got to say, ¡­¡­, as usual, I¡¯m just giving the common people who don¡¯t know their place a little taste of my awesomeness.¡± ¡°What¡¯s little!!? You even used the power of the holy sword ¡­. Hey, you. Are you okay?¡± Alexis shrugged his shoulders as he sheathed his holy sword, and Tia replied in a stunned voice before approaching me. That worried look in the corner of her eyes was a face I had seen countless times during the adventure that began and ended here. ¡°Tia ¡­¡± ¡°What? How do you know my name? Do I know you by any chance?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but call out her name, and Tia tilted her head in confusion. Even though it was the second time for me, it was the first time for Tia. I hurriedly came up with a good excuse. ¡°Ah!? No, that¡¯s ¡­ The friends and the party members of the Hero¡¯s party are admired by everyone. I mean, I know the names at least¡­¡± ¡°Ah©`, I see. That¡¯s right. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m keeping my name a secret. Well, let me introduce myself again! I¡¯m Lunartia, a spirit magic user who¡¯s on a journey with Alexis to defeat the Demon Lord. Nice to meet you!¡± ¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯m Ed ¡­, a traveling swordsman and porter.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re Ed! Nice to meet you, Ed. ¡­ Aside from being a swordsman, you¡¯re also a porter?¡± I shook hands with Tia, which she held out to me with her face tilted in a cute way. When my fingers intertwined with her slender fingers, I could feel a definite warmth in my palm. Ah, she¡¯s alive. Tia is alive and smiling. ¡­ ¡°Eh!? Wait, wait!! Why are you crying!?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I placed my hand on my cheek as Tia¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Evidently, I had been crying without knowing it. ¡°No, this is ¡­¡­ Ah, see! I didn¡¯t expect the member of the hero¡¯s party to call me by my name, and I was so happy that I burst into tears.¡± ¡°Ehh, that¡¯s it?!! W-What should I do? W-What am I supposed to do?¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯m sure it will stop soon, don¡¯t worry about it. Oh, but, yes, ¡­. if you want ¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That, ¡­, could you say my name one more time, please?¡± ¡°Name? Okay ¡­ Ed?¡± ¡°¡­. Yes!¡± ¡°Fufu, You are funny, Ed!¡± Tia smiled innocently at me, and I smiled back as best I could while tears distorted my vision. CH 15 ¡°Fu~ ¡­ I¡¯m sorry for that. I¡¯ve calmed down now.¡± ¡°Oh, great. So, what were you and Alexis doing? You weren¡¯t really having a fight, were you?¡± Alexis¡¯s protesting voice came from behind her, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t get into a fight with this guy!¡± but she didn¡¯t intend to respond to it. ¡­ It was a very wise decision. ¡°Ah, yes. In fact, I was wondering if I could be included in the hero¡¯s party that I¡¯ve been longing for, so I asked the hero to check my abilities.¡± ¡°Is that so? It¡¯s true that if you can match Alexis, you¡¯re strong. ¡­ Hmm©`but we¡¯re not really worried about the strength of our party.¡± Tia creased her brow and replied to my words. That reaction was to be expected. I didn¡¯t panic and continued with my words. ¡°You are right. So¨D¨D¡± ¡°But that¡¯s okay! I have a feeling that Ed and I will get along just fine!¡± ¡°Porter ¡­ What?¡± ¡°Hey, Alexis! Can I have Ed as a friend?¡± (T/N: Y¡¯know guys I am liking Tia) ¡°What!? What kind of selfish thing are you saying!? I¡¯ve been explaining to you many times that if we add more people in our team now, we won¡¯t be able to work together and we¡¯ll become weaker!¡± ¡°I know that, but why don¡¯t we train together!? You don¡¯t mind, do you, Gonzo?¡± ¡°Yeah? Ah, I don¡¯t mind. I don¡¯t care how weak you are now, I¡¯ll mold your body into a fine muscular one with my hands!¡± ¡°Two against one, then! I¡¯m Ed¡¯s friend, all right! Nice to meet you, Ed!¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Nice to meet you. ¡­?¡± What just ¡­ happened? I was thinking of various strategies to join the hero¡¯s party, but I realized that I had already joined the hero¡¯s party. ¡­? ¡°Eh? Are you really sure you want to do this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure. Hey, Alexis?¡± Puzzled, I asked, and Tia, smiling, turned around and called out to Alexis. However, it was extremely unusual for Alexis to have a bitter expression on his face, even though he was in a public place. ¡°Haa. I know there¡¯s nothing I can say to you at a time like this. I don¡¯t strongly disagree with you joining us, because you certainly seem to have a minimum level of ability, but ¡­ What are we going to do about the supply problem? Didn¡¯t we discuss that it¡¯s time to start thinking seriously about making expeditions away from our towns and bases?¡± ¡°Ah, I see. That¡¯s there too ¡­¡± Alexis¡¯ bitter words caused Tia to think about it. At this time of the year, Alexis and her team had completed most of the missions that could be accomplished in a day or a few days, and they were thinking of taking on smaller dungeons that would take a week or ten days to complete. However, if they were to operate without supplies for that long, they would have to carry a reasonable amount of water and food, and they would need people to take care of that. Until now, each of them had been carrying their own food and water, but if they had to carry that much food and water on their own, it would interfere with the battle. ¡°U-Um! C-Can I carry your luggage?¡± Then that was why I was here to step in. Or rather,I had been planning to do so from the beginning, so it was not surprising. But Alexis gave me a suspicious look at my proposal. ¡°You? You seem like a pretty good swordsman, but you¡¯re not going to tell me that you can carry all of our stuff and still move as well as you did just now, are you?¡± ¡°No way! Actually, I have a useful magic tool. Here, this is it.¡± I¡¯d been using it since I was a miscellaneous mercenary, just like the iron sword, I put the hilt of my broken and useless iron sword in the bag¡­, Pretended, but actually stored it away in the [Stranger Box]. Then, of course, the sword, which was not supposed to be in the small bag, slipped away and disappeared into another space, and Alexis and the others¡¯ eyes widened in astonishment. ¡°What!? Oi-kun, what the hell is that ¡­?¡± (T/N: Forgot Mc¡¯s Name and called him ¡°Oi-Kun¡± ,Oi=hey) ¡°As you can see, it¡¯s a strange bag that can hold a lot of stuff, despite its appearance. For some reason, if anyone other than me uses it, it seems to revert back to a normal bag, so I can¡¯t sell it or give it away. ¡­ But if I use it, there¡¯s plenty of room to fill it with all the supplies in town, right?¡± If I had explained that it was a magic bag that could be used by anyone, he would have commandeered it with his heroic authority, but if it could only be used by me, it would not only be meaningless, but he would have lost a big opportunity to carry a tremendous amount of luggage. Hehehe~, what are you going to do, hero? If you want this substandard cargo-carrying ability, bring me ¡­ into your party, though I¡¯ve already joined. ¡°Wow! Ed, you have such a great magic tool! You did it, Alexis! Isn¡¯t this the solution?¡± ¡°Gah-hah! That¡¯s right. Carrying heavy loads is also a good way to grow muscles, but being able to carry a large number of adamantine pieces with you so that you can train anytime, anywhere is really appealing! I¡¯ll have them brought over from home later, please, kid!¡± ¡°Ah, yes. As you please.¡± Yeah, I¡¯d never heard of it in the first round, but old man Gonzo had one of those? Sure, you could carry it because the weight of the contents became negligible, but ¡­ you still needed to exercise your muscles. ¡°¡­ Ma, okay. It certainly seems to be an extremely useful magical tool. I¡¯ll leave it to you to carry our bags. In the meantime, here¡¯s ¡­ it.¡± I caught the piece of metal with one hand as Alexis flicked it with a pang and sent it flying. Then I opened my hand and saw that there was silver ¡­ no, gold coins inside!? ¡°U-Um, Yuusha-sama!?¡± ¡°So, go buy as many supplies as you think we¡¯ll need. You don¡¯t have to return the excess.¡± ¡°What? But these are gold coins, right? Are you sure you didn¡¯t make a mistake?¡± The average income of a commoner in this world was about 80 copper coins per day. 100 copper coins were equal to 1 silver coin, and 100 silver coins equal to 1 gold coin. When it was my first time around here, I only received one silver coin. Well, of course. You could not just suddenly hand over a large sum of money to someone you didn¡¯t know. So, I thought it would be the same this time. ¡­ What is this? ¡°There is no mistake. But if you can carry as much as you want, it¡¯s more efficient to buy in bulk than to buy little by little, right? There¡¯s no such thing as the strongest swordsman in the world with me around, but if you¡¯re ¡­ the best porter, show me what you¡¯re capable of.¡± ¡°¡­ I understand. I will do my best to live up to your expectations.¡± I politely bowed and responded to Alexis, who snorted. I see, so this was a test. How will I use this money, what will I buy, and how much will I buy? This was a test of my ability as a person who managed ¡­ supplies, and not simply as a porter. "" Fufu, okay. I accept your challenge! I haven¡¯t carried a pack for a hundred years! I will make sure you are fully and completely prepared for your journey and make you squeal in comfort! ¡°Let¡¯s go, then! See you later, you two!¡± ¡°¡­ Yes?¡± In a very casual way, Tia excitedly pulled my arm. It seemed that shopping was with two people ¡­ Why? CH 16 ¡°Big things- ? Big things- ? Shopping together with Ed- ?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± It was strange. How could this have happened? As Tia took my arm firmly and sang cheerfully, I tried to talk to her while hiding my inner confusion. ¡°¡­ just now, the hero called for something, was it okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I was just trying to be mean Ed anyway! Ed is one of us now, so you don¡¯t have to suffer through more hardships.¡± (T/N: Mean as in tagging along forcefully) ¡°Ha~ ¡­¡± Indeed, my usefulness was unquestionable as I showed off my skill with a sword and the storage capacity of the [Stranger Box]. But Alexis wasn¡¯t satisfied with that and tried to test me further. ¡­. That plan had been destroyed in seconds by the cheerful elf here. I mean, what the hell was this? The fact that the achievement of seeing Alexis¡¯ barking face was achieved in an instant was okay, but the problem was Tia¡¯s attitude. ¡°Um, Tia-san?¡± ¡°Mou~.¡± When I called her name, Tia, who should have been in a good mood, instantly puffed out her cheeks and pouted. ¡°Eh!? W-What is it!?¡± "" ¡°Name! Why are you calling me like a stranger when you called me ¡°Tia¡± earlier? You can just call me Tia like normal. And the way you talk!¡± ¡°Eh? But we¡¯ve only just met. ¡­!?¡± As I said this, Tia¡¯s fingers squeezed my mouth. ¡°Who are you to talk about such things? Why don¡¯t you call my name?¡± ¡°Ouch! This hurts like hell! I understand. ¡­ Okay, Tia. Is that okay? ¡°Umu! Passed!¡± Tia took her fingers away from my mouth and nodded with a big smile on her face. I knew Tia very well, and that was¡­why I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling of discomfort. ¡°Hey, Tia? I¡¯m going to ask you one more time, why are you being so nice to me when we¡¯ve just met?¡± ¡°Eh, what¡¯s that? Did you think I was cold?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. It¡¯s just that you¡¯re much more friendly than I expected. ¡­¡± It was true that Tia was sociable and shy, but that didn¡¯t mean she was stupid enough to trust someone she had just met unconditionally. The first Tia I knew would have said, ¡°Have a good day! Good luck!¡± and waved and cheered me on, but she would not have come with me. The discomfort was such that I suspected that even Tia had inherited her memories of the future. ¡­ The memory of it gave me a burning sensation of frustration in my chest. ¡°Really? If you ask me, sure, ¡­ hmm, Why?¡± In spite of my concern, Tia tilted her head and started to wonder. Although we¡¯d only known each other for a year and a half, if she was still acting like this, she wouldn¡¯t have inherited any memories. But then there was no explanation for her attitude. ¡­ What? ¡°You know, we elves live a lot longer than you humans, right?¡± ¡°O-Oh?¡± Suddenly, Tia started to talk to me about something that didn¡¯t seem to have anything to do with me, which made me confused. ¡°The longer you live, the more things you experience and ¡­ the more things you forget. In fact, I¡¯ve been alive for over 100 years, and I don¡¯t know how much I¡¯ve forgotten. But it¡¯s only natural that I¡¯ve forgotten. Fufu~¡± The small smile on Tia¡¯s face was as adorable as a young girl¡¯s. However, deep in her eyes, I could see the depth of a person who had undoubtedly lived a long life. I understood, having experienced it myself, that 100 years was a long time to live. ¡°But you know, there are some memories that you never want to forget, right? We elves carve those memories into our souls.¡± ¡°Soul ¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah,of course. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m doing anything really special, you know? I just hold it gently in my heart and burn it strongly into my mind. Like a slice of time that is cut out and preserved so that it will never fade even after hundreds of years. When I do that, strangely enough, I never forget. But if the feelings are too strong, they will remain burned into your soul even after you die and are reborn,.. That¡¯s why, sometimes, I feel nostalgic for sights I¡¯ve never seen before or people I¡¯ve never met before. When I saw Ed¡¯s face when he suddenly started crying earlier, it reminded me of a story I heard somewhere.¡± Are the dead really reborn? I didn¡¯t have the answer to that question, but I couldn¡¯t deny it because I was a being who had memories and experiences of the far future burned into my soul. However, I had indeed met a few people who had experienced what Tia had just described. It wasn¡¯t limited to elves, but it would be foolish to point that out. ¡°I see, soul memory ¡­, I¡¯ve certainly heard that story before.¡± ¡°Right? So maybe, just maybe, before I became me, I met and was friends with someone when Ed wasn¡¯t Ed, right? I don¡¯t really know myself, but ¡­ hehehe.¡± ¡°Yes, ¡­ that¡¯s quite an honor.¡± I couldn¡¯t find anything more to say to Tia¡¯s shy face. There was nothing more to say. The future that awaited us was marked with a predictive line. It had already been proven that it was possible to change that line at will. Then, there was nothing to worry about. I should do everything in my power to impose the future I wanted on this world! ¡°Come on, Ed! Forget that. Let¡¯s go shopping. I don¡¯t care how short tempered Alexis is, but we can¡¯t keep him waiting too long, okay?¡± ¡°Hey, hey, hey! Can you really call a hero short tempered?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay! We¡¯re the only ones who can say that. If you want, Ed, why don¡¯t you try calling Alexis by his name? I think he¡¯s going to look really funny, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°I think¡­ I¡¯ll refrain from doing that for a while longer¡± Tia¡¯s attitude could be mistaken, but we had only just met. Old man Gonzo probably won¡¯t mind, but I think Alexis would seriously frown. That would certainly be interesting, but I would rather not be disliked by the hero himself since I have only joined the party. ¡°Well, eventually, I¡¯ll get them to acknowledge me so I can call them by their names. I¡¯m going to have to work hard on shopping for that.¡± ¡°Right. So, what are you going to buy, Ed? Well, if you got a gold coin, I think you can buy most things. ¡­¡± ¡°Fufufu~,I¡¯ve thought about that. I know exactly where the stores are that sell supplies.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± I said with a smug look on my face, and Tia gave me a small round of applause. I hadn¡¯t planned to end up being just a porter from the start, so I had a plan drawn up in my head to be able to take charge of all the supplies. Well, I didn¡¯t think I would have to carry that out on the first try, but if I had gold coins in my pocket, I could handle it. ¡°So, first, we¡¯ll turn down the street by the dried fish shop on the side of the main street, then take the third corner to the left, and it¡¯s the third store from the back, on a back street!¡± ¡°Dried fish, on the side ¡­. huh? What¡¯s that store? I don¡¯t know anything about it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little known place on the road. I don¡¯t know if it is because people don¡¯t know about it, or if it is because no one knows about it that there are good products lying around for cheap prices. ¡­ I don¡¯t know how they manage their business but they are somehow managing it.¡± ¡°Wow, that sounds kind of interesting! I was going to show you around, but if that¡¯s the case, maybe I can get Ed to show me around?¡± ¡°Leave it to me, Ojou-sama. I¡¯ll take you to a nice, weird and smelly store. ¡°Nice and weird and stinky ¡­?¡± I took Tia¡¯s hand, her long ears twitching with curiosity, like a kitten, and pulled her along. The hands I held were just as warm as they were on that day,¡­, but this time, the warmth never went away. CH 17 Chapter 17: - Why Is It So Much Fun to Answer a Question About Winning? ¡°I¡¯m home!¡± ¡°¡­We¡¯re back.¡± When we entered the room in the most luxurious inn in town, we were greeted by the stern face of Alexis. That would be the kind of face I¡¯d get if he had given a test to a newcomer, but their fellow examiner ignored it and went along with the newcomer in high spirits. ¡°Welcome back, Tia. So, how did it go?¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± ¡°¡­ I see. Well, I didn¡¯t expect that kind of thing from you from the start, so it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Mou~! Look, Ed! Alexis is acting so mean right now as soon as I¡¯m back. See?¡± ¡°Ha ha, ha ha ¡­¡± Alexis shook his head in annoyance, and Tia puffed out her cheeks as much as she could and looked at me. However, the best I could do was to give her a bitter smile. ¡°So, let me check your work. Shall I?¡± ¡°Okay. Should I put it here?¡± ¡°Yes, of course. As long as you haven¡¯t bought anything that could get ruined.¡± Alexis grinned at me, but I didn¡¯t really pay attention to him as I reached my hand into my bag and took out the items I had purchased from the ¡°Stranger Box¡± that I had secretly activated. ¡°The first thing we need is food. According to Tia, we won¡¯t be leaving town any time soon, so we¡¯ve only purchased preserved food this time. We have enough food that lasts for three months, and another batch of food that would last us a year.¡± A pile of food accumulated on the fluffy carpet. For four people, including me, this was a considerable amount of food. ¡°Hmm, well packed.¡± ¡°I did my research carefully. It was a bit expensive, but I bought it from a big store I trust.¡± Cheap was not always good. The only people who would buy food, something that was directly related to life, at a stall for a pile of money would be naive monks or people with strong stomachs who wouldn¡¯t die even if they ate rocks. Not that I didn¡¯t have that kind of banishment skill but I was not going to use it because I¡¯d seriously cry if I was the only one chomping on a rock while everyone else was eating normally. ¡°So, next is ¡­ this!¡± Avoiding the pile of food, I took out a large magic tool, this time, with a thud. It was a large, chunky, waist-high device that was not intended to be carried, of course. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Let¡¯s not dwell on the fact that it¡¯s obviously huge, and bigger than the mouth of the bag. But what is this? It looks like some kind of magic tool?¡± ¡°Fufufu, This¡­ is a magic tool that produces water!¡± ¡°Water?¡± I said with a smug look on my face, but Alexis blatantly frowned at me. ¡°What do you mean? Tia provides the water for our party, so we don¡¯t need it, right? Didn¡¯t Tia tell you?¡± ¡°No, I did! I said so many times, but Ed insisted on buying it! It cost us fifty pieces of silver!¡± ¡°¡­ Why did you buy it then?¡± ¡°Of course. First of all, since you probably don¡¯t know this, let me explain. 50 silver coins for this magic tool, even though it is used, is unbelievable. If you buy a new one, it usually costs ten times as much.¡± ¡°What!? It¡¯s that expensive!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. As long as you have enough mana, you can produce water infinitely. I hate to say it, but even Tia, who works the same way as this tool, realizes how useful her powers are, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ well ¡­ yeah. Water is heavy.¡± Yes, the water was heavy. In spite of this, people needed a lot of water to survive, and that was why before these things became popular, large scale human living areas were limited to the waterside. ¡°But if it¡¯s the same as Tia¡¯s magic, then we don¡¯t need it, do we? You¡¯re not going to tell me that you bought ¡­ to resell it and make up the difference, are you?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not! It is true that this thing also consumes magic power, but there is no problem if you put the required amount into a magic stone beforehand. This means that by imbuing the magic stone with mana while we are in a safe place, we can reduce the consumption of mana when we are in a dangerous place. In addition, if Tia-san were to get injured or if the party were to be split up for any reason, we could secure a certain amount of water in any location with this. I think it¡¯s quite fortuitous that I was able to get this for only fifty pieces of silver if we plan to be away from the city for a long time.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ I see. You certainly have a point.¡± Alexis nodded after hearing my explanation, and I inwardly made a victory pose. Although it was hard to tell from the outside, his expression meant that I got a very high evaluation. Well, this was a serious bargain. When I found this in that shady store where I happened to get lost the first time around, I bit my teeth at the thought of having only one silver coin in my hand. Even then, I¡¯d come back here and tell Alexis, ¡°That was definitely a useful tool.¡± But at the time, he was like, ¡°Why do we need it when we have Tia?¡± I couldn¡¯t refute those words and as a result, I couldn¡¯t buy it. And that led to a tragedy later on. ¡­ But that was a long time ago. Incidentally, in case they didn¡¯t sell this, I was thinking of buying a large number of water bottles and filling them with water to carry around as an alternative, but I honestly didn¡¯t want to do that because it would be extremely complicated to maintain and manage the water bottles. It wouldn¡¯t be funny if I mistook the old one for the new one, and drank a year old water bottle and had a stomach ache. ¡°The rest are small consumables. I was told that everyone already had their own camping gear, so I refrained from buying it this time. If you want to buy a new one because it¡¯s getting worn out, I can prepare a new one after hearing your requirements, though.¡± ¡°No, we don¡¯t need to go that far. I don¡¯t do day-trip adventures all the time, you know.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to know. And finally, ¡­¡± Then I took out an iron sword with a dull shine. I traded in my beloved sword, which had been broken, for ¡­ five copper coins, and got ¡­ a new partner. ¡°Oh, you bought a sword as well?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It would be foolish to leave a warrior of my caliber idle.¡± Even though I just joined today, I was already a member of the hero¡¯s party. Then, my strength was the party¡¯s strength, and the expenditures for the weapons I needed to fight should come out of the party¡¯s funds. If I hadn¡¯t procured a weapon out of unnecessary modesty, saying, ¡°I can¡¯t buy my own weapon with the money I¡¯ve been given¡­¡± Alexis would probably have cursed me for it. ¡°But from the looks of it, it¡¯s not a very good quality sword. I honestly thought you were going to pour most of the money I gave you into buying your sword. ¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about that, but I have a better method this time, so it¡¯s just a makeshift for now.¡± ¡°Better way?¡± ¡°Yes. I have a great offer for you to practice your expedition, learn to fight along with me, and get some great armor as well. ¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s hear it. What is it?¡± I grinned at him like a crooked merchant, and Alexis said with a slight twitch. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go to Atorumtein ? There¡¯s a great treasure there.¡± Yes, but this was a trick. I won¡¯t pull my weight. Since It was my 2nd time, I was six months ahead of the ¡­ world. CH 18 ¡°Ah. This is Ato ¡­ What was it again?¡± Tia asked. ¡°Atorumtein.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it! Atorumtein!¡± Next to me, Tia was happily looking around the town, smiling. From behind us, Alexis, who had gotten off the carriage, had a complicated expression on his face. ¡°Save your excitement for later. Ed, are you sure this is where the treasure is?¡± ¡°Oh, yes, the treasure! Ever since you said, ¡®You¡¯ll see when you get there!¡¯ I¡¯ve been curious about it for so long!¡± Tia exclaimed with joy. ¡°Gahahah! Don¡¯t be so hasty, you long-lived elf. There must have been some circumstances with the kid that kept him from telling us, right?¡± Old man Gonzo said, laughing. ¡°Of course. However, it¡¯s not something we can talk about here, so would you mind if we booked an inn and¡­ Talk about it there?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind. How about you, Alexis?¡± ¡°Hmm. You¡¯re right, standing around here and talking about it is not very elegant. That¡¯s fine with me.¡± ¡°Me too!¡± ¡°Well, there you go.¡± With the whole party in agreement, we walked through the town of Atorumtein. The people walking through the streets were bustling, but there were only a few stalls, indicating that this was not a town that catered to outsiders. ¡°Wow, all those chimneys! Are they all blacksmiths? Then, surely, they must have some awesome weapons.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, Tia. There are no weapons in this town, aren¡¯t there?¡± ¡°Eh, why!? E-Ed?¡± ¡°Ah, the hero is right this time. It¡¯s true that this is a town of mines and blacksmiths, but what can be mined here is silver. So, what they make here is mainly tableware.¡± ¡°Eh. Ah, so maybe the treasure is some kind of legendary tableware that can make any food taste good?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! If we can improve the taste, maybe even the little boy can have a taste of my muscle pills?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s a little ¡­ Well, anyway, we¡¯ll talk about it in detail when we get to the inn.¡± ¡°Yes, Ed-sensei!¡± Tia said, excitedly. By the way, what the old man Gonzo called ¡°Muscle Pill¡± was a highly concentrated pill that only contained the nutrients necessary for muscle growth. The taste of blood and fat that slowly dissolved in the mouth evoked a nausea that was incomparable to that of ordinary poisons, and was not something that a person with a proper sense of taste could eat. In addition, when I was made to eat it when I didn¡¯t know anything about it, I threw up as hard as I could and couldn¡¯t taste anything for about three days. I definitely won¡¯t eat it the second time around. ¡­ After such dangerous and amusing chit-chat, we arrived at the inn before long. Unfortunately, there was no such thing as a luxury inn that Alexis could book, but we got a room at the best inn in town and we looked at each other again. ¡°Then, please explain.¡± Alexis said, after closing the door. ¡°All right. Then, ¡­ I obtained this information from a reliable source, and it seems that this silver mine is inhabited by rock worms.¡± ¡°Rockworms ¡­!?¡± Alexis was taken aback by my words as I slowly started to speak. Of course. Rockworms were mineral-eating magic beasts that would shorten the life of any mine quickly if targeted by them. In addition, the areas it had devoured were filled with holes, and there had been many cases of large-scale collapses due to people not noticing the presence of rockworms. This Atorumtein was no exception. If left unchecked, the mine would collapse in about three months. By the time we visited the town six months later on my first visit, it was a dark place of hopelessness and despair, abandoned by those who had lost their jobs. ¡°Hey, Ed, are you sure you can trust that information? It couldn¡¯t have been a joke, right?¡± ¡°Of course. The other party is a living magic beast, so I wouldn¡¯t go so far as to say that it is devouring the mines at this very moment. However, there is no doubt that it is using the silver mines of Atorumtein as a feeding ground.¡± ¡°Then, why did you keep this information from us?¡± ¡°It¡¯s to make sure we kill the rockworm ourselves. If, for some reason, the information were to leak out, it would be a disaster in more ways than one.¡± ¡°¡­ Mithril.¡± I grinned inwardly at Alexis¡¯ bitter expression as he muttered. But beside us, there was one long-eared elf girl who couldn¡¯t keep up with the conversation. ¡°Hey, hey? I don¡¯t understand, but what does that annoying magic beast have to do anything with mithril?¡± ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t know, Tia? Tia, do you know what mithril is?¡± Surprised, I asked. ¡°What ¡­ Mithril is mithril, right? Because of the high rate of transfer of mana and a high capacity for mana, most of the best magic tools and weapons with magic enchantments are made of mithril.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about that. ¡­ I¡¯ll tell you what. Mithril is a mutation of silver that has been exposed to mana for a long time.¡± ¡°Really?! So, maybe all the silver in this mountain, where strong magic beasts live, has been turned into mithril!?¡± Tia creased her forehead when I looked at her with a troubled expression. I don¡¯t know if I should say this ¡­ She¡¯d find out soon enough anyway. ¡°If you add mana to silver, it becomes mithril. That¡¯s true, but ¡­ in reality, it needs to be exposed to very strong magical power all the time, from morning to night, to become mithril. So, it¡¯s not enough to have a magic beast living nearby. You will need to expose it to the magic beasts mana for a long time. ¡­¡± ¡°¡­ so what?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ Rockworms eat ore. But not all of the ore they eat is digested and absorbed. The remaining ore continues to be bathed in Rockworm¡¯s mana in its belly, and over the course of decades, it turns into mithril. In other words, ¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­!? Wait, I don¡¯t want to hear it!¡± ¡°Mithril is the undigested poop of rockworms.¡± (T/N: LMAO didn¡¯t expect this) ¡°NO! I don¡¯t want to hear it!¡± The reality was so cruel that Tia squeezed her long ears shut with her hands and shook her head in disgust. Well, yeah. If you hadn¡¯t heard about it before, it was a natural reaction. For the record, we didn¡¯t see it the first time. We asked the people of this town to dismantle the corpses in order to give work to those who lost their jobs. Later, we were given a lump of mithril, but all we were told at the time was that it came from this mine. ¡°How, I didn¡¯t know mithril was such a ¡­ thing¡­¡± Tia muttered. ¡°There are mithril mines that change with natural environmental magic, though. In that case, it would be more like a regular mithril mine, and that should be much more productive for the world as a whole.¡± ¡°T-then! The mithril I¡¯ve been touching is not magic beast¡¯s poo, is it ¡­? ¡°Uh, maybe.¡± Realistically, the majority of mithril products on the market should be made from mithril mined and processed. If it was a normal commercially available product, it would definitely be that one. ¡°But that¡¯s exactly the kind of treasure we¡¯re after this time, you know?¡± I added. ¡°Eh ¡­Eh? W-What do you mean¡­?¡± ¡°Fufufu ..The lodged feces in the belly of a rockworm is the perfect lump of pure mithril that can never be obtained from a mine! That¡¯s the treasure we¡¯re after, and the material for our new weapons!¡± ¡°NOOO!!!!!¡± Tia¡¯s heartbreaking cry echoed throughout the room of the inn. But this was the one thing I couldn¡¯t give up. If they want to think about the future after ¡­¡­ I was gone, they absolutely need it. ¡°Gahahahah! It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s shit or not, as long as it makes you stronger!¡± ¡°No! I don¡¯t want a poop weapon. ¡­¡± ¡°Give up, Tia. A weapon made of pure mithril would certainly be a strength multiplier.¡± I said. ¡°Ugh¡­ then Alexis would get it too, right?¡± ¡°Hahaha, I have this holy sword.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not fair! Hey, Ed! You wouldn¡¯t do something so horrible, would you?¡± ¡°Leave it to me. I¡¯ll prepare the best weapon for you.¡± ¡°Uwaaaaaa!!¡± I patted her on the shoulder with the biggest smile I could muster, and Tia started to cry as she bit on the absurdity of the world. After that, I was harassed in the most insidious ways, such as having my ears and cheeks pulled and my knees snapped from behind, but ¡­ five days later, We finally decided to enter the mine to kill the rockworm. CH 19 Chapter 19: - Not Everything That Enters Our Mouths Is Delicious Food. ¡°Ugh, this is the most unpleasant job I¡¯ve ever had in my life¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got to switch it up! Your muscles are crying.¡± ¡°Muscles don¡¯t cry!¡± Adjacent to the town of Atorumtein was a large silver mine. The dark, cold tunnels of the mine were filled with the strange conversation happening between Tia and Gonzo. ¡°That¡¯s enough from both of you. So, Ed, are you sure this is the right direction?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± I nodded confidently to Alexis, who asked me while making a dismissive remark to Tia and Gonzo, who were arguing with each other. I was holding a map in my left hand, and on my right hand, which I had curled back into a ball, the familiar banishment skill [Akashic Compass] was present. For this mission, I confided in Alexis and the others about the [Akashic Compass], one of the countless banishment skills I possessed. Knowing the existence of this, and having done a fair amount of verification ¡­ and searching for the clues hidden all over town¡­ Alexis made the rather reckless decision to ¡°close the mine for one day and evacuate all the workers¡±. They really took action. The authority of the hero was seriously impressive. Incidentally, the reason I didn¡¯t tell them about [Auto-Mapping] and had a borrowed map in my hand was because the military value of an accurate map was too high. Even if we were not talking about this aspect, if that ability was inadvertently leaked somewhere, there was a possibility of kidnapping or assassination. Well, if something like that were to come along, we would either beat them in a second or run away in a second. ¡°The fact that it can even detect the location of magical beasts in the mountains makes it a very useful magical tool indeed. It is inconvenient, though, that it can be used only by you. ¡­¡± Alexis said. ¡°Ed has so many things; like that bag. where the hell did you find it?¡± Tia asked. ¡°Haha. Well, that¡¯s a secret. ¡­ Let¡¯s take that path to the left. The compass seems to be pointing that way.¡± We walked quickly through the unoccupied tunnels. Since this was a place where people had worked until yesterday, there was no chance of strange magical beasts attacking us by surprise, and we knew exactly where our target was, so our vigilance was at a minimum. Then, with minimal physical and mental exhaustion, we went deeper and deeper ¡­ and eventually arrived at the end of the tunnel. ¡°Hm. Dead end.¡± ¡°What are you going to do, Ed? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to dig a hole from here to Rockworm¡¯s place?¡± Tia questioned while looking at the dead end. ¡°Gahaha! Looks like it¡¯s my turn to show off my muscles!¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m going to ask you to postpone that option forever. ¡­ And there¡¯s no need to dig a hole. See?¡± I grinned at Tia and tapped on the rock face at the end of the road, lightly passing over old man Gonzo, who was showing off his muscles. Yeah, this one won¡¯t collapse so easily. Then ¡­ ¡°Sei!¡± I kicked as hard as I could at the rock wall. But of course, a mere kick didn¡¯t do anything to the rock wall. ¡°Ed? What are you doing?¡± Confused, Tia asked. ¡°What, you wanna dig holes with your muscles? Hmph, fine. Sometimes it¡¯s our duty as elders to let the young muscle do the work!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I said! Sei!¡± Two or three kicks and still no change on the rock wall. ¡­. Yes, there were no changes ¡­ not a single pebble fell, even though I was kicking as hard as I could. So, the shock accumulated again and again, and eventually Alexis sighed, right at that moment. ¡°This¡­ How is it!¡± My last kick shook the mine with a slight wobbling of my feet. I returned the impact that I had accumulated through my banishment skill [Orbit Reflector] in a single stroke. It was not, however, something that would shatter the rock wall and make a huge hole. It only shook and conveyed the impact. ¡­.That was enough. The vibration, which was different from the one I gave, was rapidly approaching us. ¡°We¡¯ve caught the fish! They¡¯re coming out!¡± ¡°All members, ready for battle!¡± Alexis shouted. Alexis drew his holy sword at the same time I hastily took my place, and old man Gonzo stepped forward. His naked upper body, still without armor or even clothes, was boiling bright red, and steam was about to spurt out at any moment. ¡°GYUOOOOOOOO!!!!¡± ¡°HOOOOOO!!!!¡± With a squeal, a rockworm mouth so large that it could swallow Tia whole came flying out. Old man Gonzo took the jagged teeth, which could chew up even hard ore, head-on in the flesh. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Ed!¡± ¡°ORA!¡± After confirming this, Alexis and I split to the left and right and ran past the rockworm. When we reached the wall, we thrust our swords deeply into the rockworm¡¯s body. ¡°GYUOOOOOOOO!!!!¡± ¡°Heh~ You ain¡¯t gonna get away from here.¡± I snickered. ¡°Tia!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it!¡± If it tried to move forward, old man Gonzo would get in his way, but if it tried to pull back, the sword me and Alexis had thrust into him would become a wedge that would cut his own mouth in half. Tia, in response to Alexis¡¯ call, unleashed her all-out spirit magic against the rockworm, which was desperately flailing about in a desperate attempt to retreat. ¡°The red lance that glistens with red flames, the four-fingered spirit arm that pierces with dull light! Penetrate, tear, burn and extinguish! In the name of Lunaritia, manifest [Volcanic Lancer]!¡± As soon as she finished her chanting, two bright red spears of flame slipped past Gonzo¡¯s side and pierced into the mouth of the rockworm. Moreover, the spear didn¡¯t fly in a straight line, but instead curved in all directions to match the shape of the rockworm¡¯s body, flying inside its body to burn it completely from head to buttocks. ¡°GYUOOOOOOOO!!!?!!!?!¡± The pain was so intense that the rockworm pulled itself into the hole, not even willing to tear its mouth open. The body was torn open, but only a small part of the huge body of the rockworm was exposed. In human terms, it would be like being cut in two from the neck up, but unfortunately, the head of a rock worm was not a vital part of the body, so even though it was extremely painful, it would not kill it. Tia¡¯s magic was not powerful enough to completely burn the rock worm¡¯s entire body. If this kept up, the rockworm would be able to escape into the rocks and enjoy a relaxing vacation in a place where we couldn¡¯t touch it. ¡­ ¡°Sorry, you¡¯ll have to wait until another time for your vacation.¡± ¡°Ed!?¡± Tia called out to me from behind as I jumped into the mouth of the rockworm without hesitation. I ignored it and activated the [Hermes Dash]. Taking advantage of the fact that everything around it was soft flesh, I forced my way through the body of the rock worm, and when I reached the middle of the body, I found a part of the wall of flesh that was raised. ¡°I stand by my earlier statement. You can rest ¡­ forever! Blood Sword Refinement!¡± With the knife at my waist, I slit my right wrist and thrust the blood that flowed out that turned into a blade into the area of the varicose vein. Then, the whole area vibrated ¡­ and the movement stopped. ¡°Ehe~. The hilt is gone, so I can¡¯t make the Sword of Thin Life, but I can make this one. There¡¯s nothing it can¡¯t pierce! I win, you worm.¡± While healing the wound on my wrist with the banishment skill [Regenerate], I announced my victory quietly, alone in the belly of the scorching, foul-smelling magical beast. CH 20 ¡°Ed!? Hey, Ed!?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to call me that many times. I can hear you.¡± ¡°Ed!!¡± As I slithered up and out of the leaning rockworm¡¯s body, Tia immediately jumped on my body, which now smelled very foul. ¡°Ed, you idiot! Why were you so reckless!¡± ¡°No, I was not reckless. I knew Tia¡¯s magic had burned the rockworm¡¯s organs, so I knew it wouldn¡¯t melt, and in this condition, it wouldn¡¯t fill the hole I¡¯d dug.¡± ¡°Fill? A hole?¡± ¡°Yeah, of course, right? If the hole that this big guy went through was still there, the mountain would collapse in no time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. But how?¡± ¡°Hm? Rockworms only eat ore, right? But ore exists with soil. In other words, the soil exhausts¨D¨D¡± ¡°¡­ I understand. That¡¯s enough.¡± I explained to her as she requested, but for some reason, Tia gently turned her head away and distanced herself from me. Ugh, how unreasonable. ¡°And? How did it go?¡± Alexis asked. ¡°Fufufu~, that¡¯s of course ¡­ this way!¡± Alexis looked at me with a dumbfounded look on his face, but I smiled broadly and pulled out a shiny silver metal lump from the [Stranger Box] in my bag. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s beautiful! B, but this ¡­ thing. ¡­¡± Tia exclaimed. ¡°Hmmm. For such a huge magical beast, it¡¯s only this big?¡± Old man Gonzo muttered. ¡°No, it¡¯s enough. I¡¯ve never seen a pure mithril ingot before.¡± I placed a huge lump of pure mithril on the ground. It probably weighed about 50 kilos in my hand. ¡­To put it simply, it was a big catch. ¡°Alexis said he¡¯s never seen ¡­ this kind before, so how much is it worth?¡± Tia asked. ¡°Hmm? It¡¯s unprocessed material, so this alone won¡¯t fetch that high a price, but it¡¯s not something that money can buy. If you¡¯re rich enough to have a blacksmith¡¯s connections who can handle this, you could buy an entire castle, you know?¡± ¡°What!? That much!!?¡± Tia, surprised to hear the price, made a funny sound and poked the mithril lump with her finger while muttering, ¡°Even though it¡¯s that thing ¡­ even though it¡¯s that ¡­¡±. With such childish Tia behind me, I continued to discuss the matter with Alexis. ¡°Therefore, Yuusha-sama. It¡¯s difficult using this guy as it is, however¡­¡± "" ¡°I know. I will introduce you to a renowned blacksmith on my side. In that case¨D¨D¡± ¡°No, that would not be necessary. But would it be possible to rent a workshop somewhere for a week or so?¡± ¡°¡­ does that mean you also have a connection?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t say that. How should I say it ¡­ Actually, besides being a porter and a swordsman, I have a little bit of confidence in my blacksmithing skills.¡± Cheats, here we go. Don¡¯t forget your a hundred years of experience, okay? ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï ¡°Ho-ho, this guy¡¯s good.¡± Alexis looked at me with an indescribable expression on his face, and through his connections, I was able to rent a small workshop in Atorumtein. I tried to give Alexis some of the pure mithril lump as a thank you for his help, but he said, ¡°You found the magical beast in the first place, and now you want me to take the credit for it?¡± I was told while ruffling my hair, so the whole thing was still in my [Stranger Box]. ¡°The furnace is well taken care of and the tools are all there. ¡­ This isn¡¯t a spare or anything. It¡¯s a place someone uses on a daily basis, right? Was it really safe to borrow it?¡± ¡°Yes, no problem. We have received sufficient compensation from our heroes, and ¡­ above all, that rockworm! If that thing had not been exterminated, this town would have suffered an irreversible catastrophe. When I think of how grateful I am for that, this is nothing.¡± The person who was unlocking the workshop and giving me a tour said so with a smile as I checked the rooms. Well, while Alexis was a man who didn¡¯t hesitate to use his power, he was also a man who didn¡¯t wield power except when necessary, so I doubt that Alexis forced him into renting it. Also, Considering that the owner could brag about how well he was paid or how he ¡°lent his workshop to a Hero,¡± it was even possible that it was more of a ¡°me-me-me¡± competition. ¡°Then, if there is anything missing, please contact the government office. If it is general consumables, you may buy them on the tab. I will pay you later.¡± ¡°No, no, I can¡¯t ask you to go that far! Thank you very much. Now, I will use it with great care.¡± With that, I bowed my head and the person who guided me left the workshop, leaving the key behind. Then, I was the only one left in the workshop, not ¡­. alone. ¡°So, what are you going to do now?¡± ¡°What I¡¯m going to do is, I¡¯m going to process this guy. ¡­ Are you sure you want to look?¡± Tia stared at me with sparkling eyes as I began to prepare for the forge. ¡°I can¡¯t speak for you, but this isn¡¯t something I enjoy watching, okay?¡± ¡°Ara, that¡¯s not for you to decide, is it? I decide if it¡¯s fun or not! So don¡¯t worry about it, Ed.¡± ¡°Hah ¡­ well, that¡¯s okay. It can get really hot, just in case, so don¡¯t push yourself too hard, okay? Also, while I¡¯m concentrating, I won¡¯t respond to your calls, so you can lock the door then and leave at random.¡± ¡°What? What will Ed do if I lock the door?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that.¡± It was not like it was a treasure room in the castle, so a key to a workshop like this was nothing. Of course, if I were seen ¡°doing something¡± I would be considered a trespasser. However, this time, it was well known that I would be renting this place, so I would not be reported for making a little mess at the entrance of this workshop. ¡°Whatever, hey ¡­ Ed can really do anything.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do everything. There are plenty of things I can¡¯t do. ¡­ my hands always fail me.¡± Tia¡¯s smile suddenly overlapped with the last smile I saw her give that day. I don¡¯t know if there was any point in worrying about a future that had not yet come and would not be reached again,¡­ but that bitter memory will never leave me. ¡°¡­ Ed?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing. Well, then, let¡¯s do it!¡± Shaking my head, I fired up the furnace and took a lump of pure mithril out of the [Stranger Box]. Mithril did not require very high temperatures to melt, but temperature control was extremely important to maximize the properties of mithril. ¡°If it¡¯s too hot, it will vapourize unnecessarily, and if it¡¯s too cold, it will melt unevenly. If we had a magic furnace, it would be easy. ¡­¡± The magic furnace, a treasured item desired by blacksmiths all over the world, was capable of adjusting heat with magic power. However, this technology did not exist in this world. I suppose it would be possible to make one using my banishment skills, but since I didn¡¯t remember every detail of the blueprints of the magic furnace, it would be virtually impossible. Therefore, I carefully placed the coal in the furnace. [Master Smith] was effective in controlling the temperature of the furnace, but if I relied on my skills, I wouldn¡¯t be able to make a really good product. (T/N: Master smith=A skilled artisan who can learn by watching and imitating.) ¡°¡­ Okay, that¡¯s good.¡± When the time was right, I poured the mithril lumps I had obtained into the furnace. Soon after, molten mithril was dripping from the mouth of the furnace and I slowly hammered away at it. Build it. Build the future. Change the end. I will build the weapon that will open up our destiny, so that I will never have to lose my friends again, with my own hands, deviating from our destiny. I put my soul into each and every stroke. No matter how skilled I may be with my banishment skills, it was not an easy task. However, I had not the slightest intention of cutting corners. Thinking of Tia¡¯s face that day, my hand never trembled even if I had to strike 10,000 times. The best. The strongest. I just kept on hammering the mithril. CH 21 The first half will be from Tia¡¯s point of view. The sound of thump, thump, thump echoed through the air. The strong, high-pitched sound made my ears clench at first, but now that they were used to it, it tickled my ears like joyful music. Strong, weak, high, low. Each one echoed through the world like the sound of a baby¡¯s birth, then quickly melted away. I enjoyed listening to the music with fascination. Clang, clang, clang. It was a human boy, much younger than me, who played it single-mindedly. He fought evenly with the hero Alexis, had strange tools that even I have never seen or heard of, and he was now absorbed in blacksmithing. How in the world could someone who had lived only 20 years have such skill and tools? Mysterious, mysterious, very mysterious. No matter how much I stared at him, I could not stop being intrigued, and I kept staring at the boy. Ting, ting, ting. When the boy saw me for the first time, for some reason he suddenly started crying. When I first saw this boy, for some reason, I felt a sense of nostalgia that made my heart tighten. (T/N: Awww) I don¡¯t know, but I don¡¯t hate him. He always surprised me, amused me, and made me laugh. So, just being with him like this warmed my heart. My heart was dancing to the sound of hammering. Clang, clang, clang. I danced to it. My father back home once laughed at me and said, ¡°Your ears are more eloquent than your mouth,¡± but I found it useful in times like these. If I swayed gently to the sound, I could dance happily even while sitting down. Clang, clang, clang. I wonder how much this young boy would surprise me this time. Hiding my mouth, which was about to curl up, I waited patiently for the right moment. Clang, clang, clang. Like the sound of bells announcing happiness. As if to awaken a slumbering child. Tap, tap, tap¡­Tap, tap, tap¡­Come, child of steel. The mischievous child filled with Edo-chi¡¯s feelings would be unveiled ¡­ soon. ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï ¡°Fuuuuuuuuuu ¡­¡± I let out one deep breath and finally relaxed my shoulders. It was the morning of the sixth day in the workshop. I finally finished forging all my weapons. Since today was the last day I could rent this place, I could say that I was just in time. ¡°Are you done?¡± ¡°Yeah, I am.¡± I felt energy draining out of my body. I grinned and answered Tia¡¯s voice, who had been watching me the whole time. ¡°I mean, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d seriously be watching this all the time. ¡­¡­ What was so fun about it? ¡°It¡¯s hard to put into words what, but at least I wasn¡¯t bored, right? For me, it probably went by rather quickly.¡± ¡°Yeah. ¡­?¡± Except for when I was eating and sleeping, the rest of the time I was just hammering away, you know? I really couldn¡¯t understand the sense of time of ¡­ long-lived species that six days like that went by so fast. Maybe it was like spending the day just staring out the window on a rainy day. ¡­ I think I understood a little bit of what she meant. ¡°So, Ed. What have you made?¡± ¡°What do you mean? You¡¯ve been watching me, so you know what I did, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Hmmm. I only saw you, Ed. I didn¡¯t watch what you were making, okay? Because if I saw it, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised when I came face to face with the finished product.¡± ¡°Ehhh ¡­???¡± I could understand if you were watching the mithril change shape over time, but what was really fun about ¡­ watching me, especially if nothing had changed? If it were the other way around and I was staring at Tia the whole time ¡­ Huh? I may never get tired of it. No, but Tia was a beautiful girl, and I was like an average brother around here, you know? Ahh, I can¡¯t figure it out. ¡°Well, in that case, let¡¯s clean up here, and then we¡¯ll go to Alexis and the others. After that, we¡¯ll show them off.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s so exciting! I¡¯ll help you clean up.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± With the help of Tia¡¯s excited hands, we quickly put away my tools. After making sure the furnace was properly cooled down, I closed the door and returned the key, and arrived at Alexis¡¯s room again. Well, his room was the biggest and best room every time, and that was all that mattered. ¡°Hey, Ed. Did you make it? ¡­ Is that why you showed up at my doorstep?¡± ¡°Ahh. The best product is complete.¡± I confidently noded to Alexis, who brushed back his fuzzy blonde hair. The first thing I did was to take out a pair of gauntlets with a dull, glossy color. ¡°First of all, this is for Gonzo¡­.-sama.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm? A gauntlet? It¡¯s a very unusual shape. ..?¡± ¡°Yeah. Isn¡¯t it useless as armor if your hands are exposed so much?¡± ¡°Hahaha. You¡¯re right, Tia; but this is fine.¡± I reassured her. While the Gauntlets worn by old man Gonzo usually covered from the wrist to near the elbow, The hand was almost invisible, the fingers were completely bare, and the only metal part was the back of the hand. This didn¡¯t protect the fingers and disqualified it as an armor, but for ¡­ Old man Gonzo wearing this, it would be the best solution. ¡°Gonzo-sama¡¯s fist is much sturdier than a piece of metal, so we cannot expect mithril to be effective in reinforcing it. So, this is an adjustment to maximize the power of his fist. Gonzo-sama, would you like to try it out and put some magic into it?¡± ¡°Like this? Ohhhhh!?¡± When he poured magic power into the gauntlet according to my instructions, the dull-colored gauntlet glowed white, and his fist was enveloped in a pale light. The result was a combination of strength as an armament and strengthening by magic power by stretching pure mithril-like nerves through the well-forged steel. Incidentally, this would not work with ordinary mithril. In order to achieve the same effect, the ratio of mithril would have to be greatly increased, making it more of an ornament than a piece of armor, which would have made it difficult for him to use. ¡°My fists are glowing!? Have my muscles finally reached the realm of glowing!!?¡± ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know that realm, but by efficiently converging the magic from the entire arm, you should be able to increase the power of your fist close to a double. Try it later.¡± ¡°What!!? All right, then, let¡¯s go give it a try!¡± ¡°What!? No, later. ¡­¡­¡± Before I could stop him, old man Gonzo burst out of the room. He had a really big smile on his face and his head was shining, so there was no point in chasing him. ¡°¡­ Haa~. Don¡¯t worry about Gonzo. So, Ed. That wasn¡¯t the end, was it?¡± Alexis said. "" ¡°Oh, yes. Then, this is the next one.¡± I then took out a thin rapier in a dazzling white scabbard. The scabbard was a practical item, so there were no glittering decorations, but the beauty of the material alone made it a gem that was more eye-catching than any work of art. ¡°A thin sword? Surprisingly, I thought you would use a regular sword.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? This is Tia¡¯s. Here.¡± ¡°What?¡± Tia was surprised for some reason, and I handed her the thin sword. However, Tia only stared at it in her hand and didn¡¯t pull it out. ¡°Ah, Tia? Well, can you pull it out for me?¡± ¡°Ah!? Yes, of course. Well, excuse me. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Tia unsheathed the thin sword without making even the slightest sound, even though it was not lubricated with oil. The blade has a quiet silver sheen, and Tia looked like a hero in a painting,¡­ if she hadn¡¯t left her mouth open so dumbly. ¡°Beautiful ¡­.¡± ¡°Right? And of course, it ain¡¯t just a thin sword, either. Try using some simple spirit magic?¡± ¡°Y, yeah¡­. wow!¡± Perhaps she used chantless wind magic. The blade of the thin sword was enveloped in a pale green color, and the wind swirling around the blade was faintly visible¡­ ¡°What?!! What!? A lie!? For such weak magic, I can see the wind properly ¡­!?¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. How¡¯s that?¡± The overwhelming affinity with magic and the retention of magic power that resulted from the use of pure mithril as a material made it possible to use spirit magic, which fundamentally could only be used by flying, as if it were normal magic, to stay on the sword and use it for attacks. ¡°With a standard magic sword, you can only attack with the attribute it comes with. However, if you combine it with your spirit magic, you can attack with the attribute you need at that time. The sword itself is rather fragile, so be sure to have some kind of spirit magic, even if it is weak, in it before attacking. Also, don¡¯t forget to put on a magic enchantment that increases durability when you stop at a suitable town before using the sword in earnest.¡± ¡°What!? Even if I don¡¯t impart the enchantment of increased durability, it can still be used in this state!?¡± ¡°I designed it that way. As long as it is one of the known attributes, you can use it however you like¡± The combination with spirit magic was only a sword¡¯s ability, so it was a separate category from the enchantments to the sword itself. However, for this reason, the strength of the blade was quite low because it was built completely with mithril only. If it was to be used in actual battle, it would easily break or bend without either an increase in durability or the next best thing, an increase in sharpness. As I explained these things, Tia, who had finished listening to me, carefully put it into its sheath. ¡°Thank you, Ed. I¡¯ll take good care of this.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Tia hugged the thin sword as if she were holding a baby, and I smiled back at her with a sense of satisfaction that I had accomplished what I had set out to do. CH 22 ¡°Okay, this is the last one.¡± With that statement, I took out the last piece of armament from my bag via the [Stranger Box]. But when they saw it, their eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Eh, what¡¯s that!?¡± Surprised, Tia asked. ¡°A straight sword without a blade ¡­ or rather a mithril stick? Hey Ed, how does this work?¡± Alexis asked. I was holding a shiny silver sword ¡­ at least shaped like one. It was a mere square stick in the shape of a sword, but as it was, it could only be used to strike like a club. ¡°This¡­ I can¡¯t swing this around indoors, so why don¡¯t we join Gonzo-sama and try it out?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good! I want to use my sword more properly too!¡± Tia said. ¡°Hm, fine. Gonzo will find out about it soon enough anyway.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s that then.¡± We easily settled, and left the inn and walked around town. We followed the commotion out of town and found old man Gonzo screaming and swinging his fist right next to the town wall. ¡°There he is. Hey, Gonzo!¡± Tia called out to him. ¡°Mm? Oh, it¡¯s you, guys! What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Fufu~. Ed gave me a nice sword too, so I¡¯m here to try it out!¡± ¡°Oh, yeah! Hey kid ¡­ No, Ed! This thing you gave me is really nice! It fits in my arm as if it were an extension of my own muscle!¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s good to know.¡± I knew it would be okay because it was built specifically for the old man by combining several banishment skills, but it was still a relief to get his approval first. ¡°Ed! Ed! Look! Water puffs and pours! Fire goes boom!¡± ¡°Hahaha, yeah.¡± And beside the old man, Tia was also excitedly wielding the rapier I gave her. It was a picturesque scene of training, where she was applying spirit magic of various attributes and checking the response and effects, but to me, it looked like a child having fun. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll give it a try too.¡± ¡°Oh, yes! How do you use that mithril stick?¡± A mithril stick ¡­ No, it was not wrong, though. But it was the only time they would call my sword that. ¡°Fufuf~, Watch me ¡­ come out my wings, silver-winged sword!¡± I raised the mithril rod ¡­, or silver winged sword, and shouted, and a silver feather grew on one side of the blade. At the same time, the other side of the sword sharply reduced in volume, eventually transforming itself into a single-edged straight sword with six feathers. ¡°What is that!? That¡¯s not fair! It¡¯s so cool!¡± Tia exclaimed. ¡°No, it¡¯s not unfair. It¡¯s definitely cool, though. This sword can grow any number of feathers on one side of the blade like this so that the angle of the blade on the other side can be adjusted.¡± I said. If the sword had six or so pieces, it was about the size of an ordinary sword, and if it grew to its maximum of 12 pieces, it would become a very thin blade, not far from a sword of thin life. If it reached that level, it would be able to cut through most things with a single sword stroke. ¡°Hmmm. I know it¡¯s great, but why did you make it that way?¡± Tia asked. ¡°The thinner the blade, the more fragile it becomes. If the blade chips every time you cut a small fish, it will be difficult to repair it. You could use a spare sword for everyday use, but since you made it, you want to use it for everyday use, don¡¯t you?¡± Alexis also questioned, ¡°Certainly!¡± It would be a shame not to use this sword that I have poured my heart and soul into. Especially since it was just made, I needed to use it on a daily basis to get used to it, or I might not be able to use it to its full potential when the time comes. ¡°Ugh, I want to use this sword right now ¡­, but not until the magic enchantment is done, right?¡± ¡°Ah. Unlike the one I gave to Gonzo-sama, Your rapier is made entirely of mithril. If you use it before you enchant it with magic to increase its durability, it will break rather easily, don¡¯t you think?¡± What was enhanced when silver became mithril was its affinity for magic, so even if the strength was slightly increased by the passage of magic power, its durability was not even close to that of iron. It won¡¯t be a problem if it was used to cut through soft flesh, but if she went crazy and hit a bone, she would cry and wail. ¡°Ughhhh ¡­ E, Ed, can¡¯t you do magic enchantments?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do it. I can¡¯t use magic.¡± ¡°Ughhhhhhhh ¡­ Alexis-!¡± Tia ran toward Alexis with a look on her face as if she had just been deprived of her favorite treat. Surely, she was probably going to ask him to introduce her to a highly respected enchanter. If there was still any reason not to enchant it at the appropriate store because she really want to use it right away, it should be fine to leave it alone. ¡°Well then, I guess I¡¯ll try a test cut too.¡± After looking away with a wry smile at Tia¡¯s back as she ran towards Alexis, I took a fistful of coal from the [Stranger Box] and released it into the air. The coal rose about a meter higher than my head, and then gravity brought it down and¡­ I cut it off with my silver-winged sword. ¡°Huff!¡± There was a gurgling sound and the coal shattered. It was cutting at least, but ¡­ well, that was what a blade of normal thickness would do. I closely observed the blade in the area where it hit the coal, but there was no chipping of the blade. ¡°Good, good,. Then next time, ¡­12.¡± With the silver-winged sword in his hand, I activated [Master Smith] and sprouted a pair of wings on its back. Then the blade, thinned to its limit, shined like a mirror, and with just the slightest pry of the finger, it seemed as if it would crack. ¡°Nice ¡­ Huff!¡± The newly extracted coal was thrown into the air again and slashed in the same way. This time, however, a high, clear sound was heard, and the coal was completely cut in half without a single small piece spilling out. I picked it up and slid my finger across the cross section, and it was smooth as if it had been carefully polished by a skilled craftsman. ¡°All right! This will cut at least steel. The important thing is that the blade is ¡­ ah, I knew it would be like this.¡± As a compensation for the tremendous sharpness of the blade, the blade was so chipped that it could be seen at a glance ¡­¡­ or rather broken off. This was no longer about the swordsmanship, but the strength limit of the material, so there was nothing that could be done about it. But that was to be expected. If all the feathers were recovered and returned to the mithril rod, and then the feathers appeared again, a beautiful blade without any chipping would be restored. ¡°The amount of mithril consumed is also in line with calculations ¡­ ¡­, so even at its thinnest, it should be usable for about 10000 times. It¡¯s not bad for a makeshift.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Alexis, who had been coming this way before I knew it, heard my muttering and let out a small voice. He picked up the piece of coal that had fallen at his feet and narrowed his sharp eyes slightly as he looked at the cross-section of the coal. ¡°It¡¯s a brilliant cut. I didn¡¯t realize that you, who have a sword skill that rivals mine, are also such a good blacksmith. ¡­ How many cards do you have hidden in your hand?¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯m not that great of a¨D¨D¡± ¡°Ed. I¡¯m a Hero.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The quiet, yet forceful tone of his voice left me momentarily at a loss for words. That was something I¡¯ve never been able to achieve in the end, because I just kept¡­ on being banished and never made it to the end. ¡°My eyes are not blind, you know? If you can make even a sword this good in time ¡­What kind of perfect sword are you aiming for?¡± ¡°Ah ¡­ yes, that¡¯s right. A sword that can cut anything.¡± ¡°Hm, anyone can just say it, but it¡¯s a tremendous goal that I don¡¯t see coming to be realized. But you made it happen, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­ Why do you think so?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it yourself? A sword that boasts such sharpness was just ¡®Makeshift¡¯. If that¡¯s the case, if you call it a prototype, or even a makeshift, you have already made a better sword than the one I have, haven¡¯t you? You couldn¡¯t complete it this time around because you didn¡¯t have enough time or materials¡­ Is that the reason?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ either, I suppose. Because neither can be bought with money.¡± Some of the materials needed to build the Sword of Thin Life were not available in this world. It would take a lot of time to make that hilt. I already knew how to make it, but for that reason, I also understood that there was no way to make it in this world. ¡°Well, ¡­ ¡­ hey, Ed. I have something to talk to you about. Can you come to my room tonight by yourself?¡± ¡°Is there something you want to tell me ¡­.?¡± ¡°I have something I want to tell you ¡­ and you alone. Come visit me when everyone else has gone to bed. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± ¡°Y, Yes. ..?¡± He said this with a troubled look on his face, which was unusual for the always aloof Alexis. Alexis walked away without waiting for my answer. I didn¡¯t want him to look at me like that, I don¡¯t have a hobby for that¡­ I couldn¡¯t even joke about such things. ¡°What the hell ¡­?¡± My mumbling, my head full of question marks, melted away in the wind and into the world without being heard by anyone. CH 23 ¡°Come in.¡± It was after midnight, when everyone had gone to bed. Knocking on the door with a lantern in my hand, I heard Alexis¡¯ voice coming from the other side. I asked permission and went inside to find Alexis in the dimly-lit room, who was, for some reason, well armed. ¡°Excuse me. ..?¡± For a brief moment, I thought to myself, ¡°Oh, what have I done!?¡± But it soon disappeared. Even if I was going to give a rude person a beating, I would not go out of my way to invite him to my room in the middle of the night. But then, why was he fully armed? ¡°Hmm. I understand your confusion, but first calm down. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to do anything to you.¡± ¡°So, uh, what do you want from me?¡± ¡°Hm. The thing. ¡­ is this.¡± With these words, Alexis held out the holy sword, the weapon of a hero who always carried it close to him. ¡°Uh ¡­?¡± ¡°Would you mind picking it up and taking a good look at it?¡± ¡°Eh!? Are you sure!?¡± I received the holy sword from Alexis and pulled it out of its sheath. I had seen him fighting with it countless times, but this was the first time I touched it, as Alexis was extremely averse to anyone but himself touching the holy sword. Hoho, is this the holy sword that was said to have been made by God ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­? ¡°Y, yeah I think it¡¯s a very good sword, like a quintessential holy sword, ¡­¡± ¡°A good sword, huh? That¡¯s exactly right. Then, let¡¯s change the way I ask. Ed, is that a ¡®great sword¡¯ in your opinion?¡± ¡°That¡¯s ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± The holy sword I actually held was indeed a great sword. It was made of steel, mithril, adamant, and other metals used for different purposes, and I would guess that it would take much more work just to hammer one of these swords than to hammer 100 ordinary swords. It was the pinnacle of craftsmanship. It was the fruit of skill and passion, no less than the [Sword of Thin Life] that I had created in the past. However¡­ ¡°Hmm, I knew you could tell. Yes, it is undoubtedly a great sword, but it is not ¡­ a holy sword. It is the ultimate sword made by human hands, but it is not a miraculous sword created by God.¡± (T/N: YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO) ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Alexis smiled faintly as he said this, and I too was at a loss for words. I didn¡¯t think that the sword Alexis was holding was not a holy sword. ¡­? Does that mean that Alexis didn¡¯t have the holy sword during the first time too? ¡°Um, so where is the real Holy Sword?¡± ¡°At least, for me, I don¡¯t know. But it is a problem that I am a Hero and I don¡¯t have the Holy Sword. I had no choice but to use that sword, pretending that it was the Holy Sword for a long time. ¡­ Hey Ed, the weapons you built for all of us were truly amazing. So, I thought to myself if you could make a better sword than this one.¡± ¡°It¡­ could be done with time and materials, though.¡± While the fake holy sword was extremely well made, this was only a general-purpose straight sword. If I fully used my banishment skills to create a weapon that suited Alexis, I could create a sword stronger than this. ¡°I see. Then ¡­¡± Hearing my words, Alexis kneeled down on one knee on the spot. I was astonished that the noble Alexis would do such a thing, and he lowered his head even further. ¡°Please, Ed. For my sake, ¡­ for me to be a hero, will you hammer a sword like yours for me?¡± ¡°No, no, no, no! Oh no, please stop! You¡¯re not like that, are you!?¡± ¡°My defeat is the defeat of mankind. Therefore, I must always be the strongest and the best. I must always be above everyone and cut down every obstacle that pours down on me with my own hands! I would do anything to live up to that great role.¡± ¡°But¨D¨D¡± ¡°Ed, you know what I¡¯m talking about. You are younger than I am, yet you have acquired such skill with swords and blacksmithing, and you know the duties of those who are loved and empowered by God. I am special. I can have anything I want. If I want, I can make anything come true. That is why I must achieve the peace that everyone wants from me, and the future full of hope that everyone desires. In order to continue to be the ideal hero for everyone, I must ¡­¡± When Alexis said no more, he even bent his knees and pressed his head against the floor. ¡°Please. Make me a true ¡®Hero¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I was left speechless when he got down on his knees. This time, however, it was not because I was surprised, but because I was stunned by my own immaturity. In the first round, Alexis was nothing but a prince and a hero, no matter how far he went. He looked down on everyone but himself and acted like a ¡°Hero chosen by God¡±. ¡­ That was my impression of Alexis. That would certainly be true. But he was never just that. He was a man who was aware that he was special and made every effort to be worthy of being special. When you think about it, it was only natural. Someone who was just getting stronger and better with his power would never throw away his own life at the last minute to save his friends. The first man I met on my journey to the otherworldly exile was not a hero because he was chosen by God, but because he was so truly a hero that God had no choice but to choose him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t accept that request. My sword is not fit for a hero.¡± ¡°Gosh.. isn¡¯t that just a bit too much arrogance?¡± At my words, Alexis looked up and stared at me with a bitter expression on his face. But I respond to his angry gaze with a smirk. ¡°Oops, don¡¯t get me wrong. I mean that there is a much more appropriate sword for a hero to use than the one I used. Show yourself, [Akashic Compass].¡± In response to my call, a cross-shaped metal frame, about twice the size of a clenched fist, appeared over my hand. Yes, the sword I made was not enough for Alexis the Hero. Because it was, wasn¡¯t it? Of course a sword created by God himself was greater than a sword forged by a human being who had been given the power of God! ¡°What I am looking for is ¡­ the real Holy Sword. Where is it?!¡± At this question, a white haze sprang up in the metal frame. A sword I had never seen before appeared on the screen, and as soon as it disappeared, a red compass pointed in the right direction. ¡°Ed! Wasn¡¯t that just to locate ¡­ the magical beasts! No way, no one knows the location of the real holy sword ..!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone, okay?¡± The ability to know the whereabouts of any object was too valuable to be used along with [Auto-Mapping]. So I wanted to keep it to just ¡°locating the location of a magic beast I know¡± ¡­¡­ but this one time, it was special. ¡­¡­ Because I was stronger, Alexis revealed his true feelings that he couldn¡¯t speak to a mere porter. Then, it would not be manly not to respond. Also, if I get the real holy sword, Alexis would definitely be stronger than he was right now,.. and that future would be a lot further away. ¡°So, my Hero? Do you need the best swordsman, the best porter, the best blacksmith, and a fortune teller with a 100 percent accuracy rate? I¡¯ll take any job now for a very reasonable price, okay?¡± ¡°Hmph, all right. The ¡°reward¡± for me is to defeat the Demon King and save the world. I will give you the honor of fighting with me.¡± ¡°Fufu~,That¡¯s quite an exorbitant reward. Then again ¡­¡± I grabbed Alexis¡¯ arm, who had been sitting on the floor for a long time, and made him stand up. This time, I bowed to him reverently. ¡°I will lead you to victory! I look forward to working with you, my hero friend¨D¨D¡± ¡°Alexis.¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°You said you would do me the honor of fighting with me. I won¡¯t allow a mere porter to call me by name, but if we were to be friends-in-arms. Take care, Ed.¡± ¡°¡­Ah. I¡¯m on it, Alexis.¡± I clasped back his hand firmly. On this day, Alexis finally recognized me as a true friend. CH 24 With the new goal of acquiring the true holy sword, we immediately began to move. However, since I knew the location of the holy sword with my [Akashic Compass], all we had to do was to go in the direction indicated by the compass. Two weeks had passed since we left the town of Atorumtein. We saw a holy sword standing on the ground in front of us. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s really stuck in the stone. Amazing,¡± I exclaimed. After passing through a deep, foggy forest, in the center of the open space that emerged, there was a stone protruded like a pedestal. Then, there was a sword that seemed to be a holy sword stuck in it. It didn¡¯t show a trace of rust even though it had been exposed to the wind and rain. ¡°I mean, how could it be in a place like this and we haven¡¯t found it until now? I didn¡¯t see any reaction in my body either?¡± Alexis asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, but the whole forest was under a spell of deception,¡± Tia said. ¡°What? On the contrary, wouldn¡¯t that stand out?¡± I asked her. It was like shouting out that something was going on, that the whole area was covered with illusion-type magic, even though it was just an ordinary forest at first glance. I couldn¡¯t think of a reason why no one would check out such a place, but Tia answered my question with a grin. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s very noticeable. However, when the magic of the forest was broken, another magic would be triggered. This time, on some of the trees. Also, it seemed that it was leading those who thought they had broken through the illusion to a lake that looked like it might have something. See, we just passed it, didn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh, yeah, ¡­¡± Tia¡¯s words reminded me of a lake we passed by on the way here. A perfect circular lake filled with clear water with not even a single fallen leaf in spite of being in the middle of a forest. It was obviously suspicious, but my [Akashic Compass] told me that there was no holy sword there, so we passed by without examining it. ¡°If you see something like that at the end of the Lost Forest, anyone would think there¡¯s some secret there, right? In fact, it seemed to be filled with the power of spirits, so I think the water had a special power. I think if you made a recovery potion out of it, it would be highly effective. But I think the power of the spirits interfered with it and made it impossible to get to this place. If you hadn¡¯t led me here and I didn¡¯t know there was more to it, I probably wouldn¡¯t have noticed it either.¡± ¡°I see. After getting past the first illusion, there are rewards that are well worth it. But, if you get it, you¡¯ll never get to the real deep end. ¡­ That¡¯s a trick.¡± I muttered. I don¡¯t know where was the one who set this up, but it was quite vicious .. or cunning. Not even allowing the Hero to reach this place was a bit too much, though. ¡°Hey, Alexis. Didn¡¯t you know anything?¡± ¡°¡­There is a pure spring hidden deep in the forest. In its innermost depths lies the power of the Hero in eternal slumber.¡± ¡°There is!? Then, go look for it!¡± I said, shocked. ¡°I looked for it at the bottom of the lake ¡­ And this is what I found.¡± As I pouted, Alexis pulled out a jade pendant on a gold chain from around the neck of his armor and showed it to me. ¡°It has the power to heal the wounds of those who wear it. I¡¯ve never been here myself, but the fact that the survey team brought this back to me completed the story. I had no idea that the real holy sword lay beyond that. ¡­¡± Alexis giggled tiredly, and I was speechless as well. Well, yeah. I know. If we ourselves went through the difficulties, explored as the lore stated, and got such a nice treasure, We would be satisfied with that. .. Really, whoever thought of this was really malicious. Why were they even trying to trick the Hero? ¡°Well, that¡¯s it. Stay strong?¡± ¡°Hmph! I don¡¯t need you to tell me what to do!¡± I patted his shoulder but Alexis snorted and pushed it away. Hmmm, pretending to be cheerful is fine. ¡°¡­ Ed, when did you really get so friendly with Alexis? Why so much all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Fufufu~, Tia. Time is of the essence in male friendship, right?¡± ¡°I agree. You get naked, do muscle to muscle contact, and from that moment on you are muscle buddies!¡± ¡°Ehhh, did Ed and Alexis really do that ¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so! Don¡¯t be so cocky, old man!¡± ¡°Gahaha! Muscle solves everything!¡± After Alexis recognized me that day, I started having normal conversations with him. Then, the old man Gonzo heard this and said, ¡°How can a man who speaks normally with Alexis speak politely only to me! My lonely muscles will cry!¡± So, now I talked casually with all the members of the hero¡¯s party. ¡­¡­ but of course muscles were not involved or touching each other. As someone whose body rewinded back in time every time I returned to the I had a longing for a well-trained body, but that was a different story. ¡°Anyway, Quickly come here, Alexis!¡± I urged Alexis. ¡°Mm¡­¡­ no, you¡¯re right. Hey, Ed, why don¡¯t you pull it out for me to try?¡± ¡°What!? Me? I don¡¯t mind.¡± At Alexis¡¯ suggestion, I grabbed the hilt of the holy sword that stood out against the stone and pulled it with all my might. But, of course, the holy sword was unaffected, and the question was, ¡°Do I actually have the aptitude to be a hero?¡± Something like that won¡¯t happen. ¡­ Furthermore, using the [Stranger Box] and other banishment skills, it seemed possible to just get it, if not pull it out, but I would not lose my manliness. No, though I would consider it if Alexis by any chance couldn¡¯t pull off the Holy Sword. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ pull it out.¡± ¡°I see. ¡­¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯m next!¡± Old man Gonzo said. ¡°Oh, I want to try it too!¡± Tia also chimed in. With Alexis a little relieved for some reason, old man Gonzo and Tia also tried to pull out the holy sword, but they both failed to pull it out. ¡°Noooo, even my muscles can¡¯t pull it off. ¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that, but it¡¯s not surprising. Here, now it¡¯s Alexis¡¯ turn!¡± I said, while looking at Alexis. ¡°Oh ¡­¡± Alexis stood in front of the holy sword and put his hand on the hilt as Tia cheerfully gave up her place. Taking a deep breath, he then applied pressure on his hand and ¡­ ¡°It moved! Great, it¡¯s slipping out!¡± ¡°Whoa! Hang in there, Alexis!¡± ¡°Go! Do it! You can do it, Alexis!¡± ¡°Oh, shut up! Just shut up and watch me for a minute! Hooo, Haahhhhhhh¡­.!!¡± Slowly the holy sword was pulled out, little by little, and soon the tip of the sword left the stone. When Alexis raised the holy sword, which was finally revealed in all its glory, his body was suddenly enveloped in light. ¡°This ¡­!? Power is overflowing in me¡­!?¡± ¡°Hey, hey, what¡¯s that floating around there?¡± Surprised, I said pointing to where Alexis was. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s true! Alexis is floating!¡± Tia said. ¡°Is that what the muscles of the Holy Sword are capable of, to levitate in the air that even an eagle can¡¯t do?¡± ¡°The Muscles of the Holy Sword¡­?¡± I looked at Alexis, who was floating in the air, even if it was only a few centimeters, with a shiver in my heart at old man Gonzo¡¯s words that even inorganic objects require muscles. It was as if Alexis was wrapped in a cocoon of light, but the light was gradually absorbed into Alexis¡¯ body, and soon after all the light was taken in, Alexis¡¯ body fell to the ground with a thud. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hey Alexis. You okay?¡± I asked. ¡°¡­ yeah, no problem.¡± Saying this, Alexis swung the holy sword sideways toward a nearby tree. The trajectory of the sword became a shining blade, and about three trees as thick as an adult¡¯s torso were cut down together. ¡°Whoa!? Was that [Moonscraper]?¡± ¡°No. I was not conscious of anything, I just swung the sword. ¡­ I see, so this is the true power of the Holy Sword and of the hero.¡± Alexis stared at the hand holding the holy sword. His expression was filled with joy and exuberance that couldn¡¯t be hidden, was different from the usual Alexis, who looked like a child who had received a new toy. ¡°I will need to become proficient with this power for a while. As it is now, there¡¯s a chance that I might unintentionally hurt you guys. But once that¡¯s over, ¡­¡± After saying that, Alexis broke off and turned his powerful gaze on us. ¡°Yosh. We¡¯re going to get through the demon lord¡¯s domain and defeat the Demon King in one swoop!. I know We can do it now!¡± Alexis said. ¡°Oh, we¡¯re finally going!¡± Tia exclaimed. ¡°With Ed here, surely we can make it now! Hey, don¡¯t you think so, Ed?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. Yeah.¡± I smiled vaguely at the three of them, who were getting excited. Surely, with such strength, we could at least get out of the demon¡¯s territory. and there was no way an incident like in the first round would happen because I was here. ¡­ (Yikes, If I missed this chance to get exiled, I won¡¯t ever get it again!) This was a problem I couldn¡¯t share with anyone, and I was left to contemplate it inwardly. CH 25 ¡°Alexis, left!¡± ¡°Haahh, no problem! [Full Moon Scraper!]¡± While cutting down the demonic beast in front of me, Alexis, nodding at my warning that I raised just in case, unleashed a technique with the power of the holy sword. The technique, which used to send out slashes like a crescent moon, now fired out a round, shining white and silver light bullets that blasted away anything in their line of fire, whether it was a tree or a demonic beast. ¡°I knew it would be awesome, though the real Holy Sword ¡­ is clearly not as easy to use.¡± Alexis said. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t deny that. But hey, there¡¯s nothing wrong with it. ¡­ right?¡± I replied. ¡°Right!¡± We were engaged in a fierce battle in a vast forest called the Demon Border, which separated the realm of humans from that of the demon race. In the human world, wielding a sword like this would cause too much damage to the surrounding environment. However, in a place like this, it did not matter how much damage was done, because the dense magic power that it accumulated would return it to its original state within a few days. (The reason why the holy sword was sealed was because it was absolutely too powerful. That¡¯s not a good thing to have as your first weapon.) I know that getting a great weapon was a part of the Hero¡¯s strength, but I also understand that if a person was suddenly given a power too strong for his/her stature, he/she would grow distorted by it. I thought it was a mysterious act by someone malicious, but they were completely right to limit the ability to handle this power to only those who had developed enough competence and thoughtfulness to break through that magic riddle. ¡°Ed! Alexis! I¡¯m done here!¡± ¡°Gaahah! I¡¯m 100 years too early to let a little fish like this block my muscles!¡± ¡°Oh, I see. Well, let¡¯s take a little break.¡± I said. Tia and Gonzo, who had just finished defeating the remaining monsters, arrived, and I took the camping equipment from the [Stranger Box] and laid it out in a suitable manner. Thanks to the magic tool I bought before, we could produce water as much as I wanted, and we had plenty of food to eat. It had already been about a week since we entered the demonic forest, but there was still more to go and we needed to save as much as we could. ¡°¡­It¡¯s been six months now.¡± Although it was impossible to make a fire, a magic tool would be enough to generate heat. Alexis, sipping his after-dinner tea, suddenly muttered. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t met you six months ago,¡­, I wonder where we would be now and what we would be doing?¡± Alexis continued. ¡°Hmm? Well, ¡­ it¡¯s just a guess on my part, but I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ll probably be around Toruta by now, killing pirates?¡± I said ¡°Toruta? Oh, come to think of it, I did hear something about pirates running amok in that area not too long ago. ¡­As usual, you¡¯re a man with detailed information.¡± ¡°Hehe, well.¡± Alexis chuckled, to which I replied with another vague smile. That was because I remembered most of what I did in the first round. Well, now that things have changed so drastically, I really only ¡°know¡± about the past ¡­, or is it the future? It only served to make me nostalgic. ¡°Six months, six months. ¡­ I wonder. It feels like Ed and I have been together much longer than that, and yet it¡¯s only been six months.¡± Tia said. ¡°Gahahah! Sometimes a day spent together is more memorable than ten years of just passing each other. The length of time is of no importance. Unless it is as dense as my muscles!¡± old man Gonzo also chimed in. ¡°Ugh, it sounds like he¡¯s probably trying to say something nice, but I just can¡¯t accept it honestly because of his muscles. ¡­¡± I replied. ¡°What did you say!? Muscles are great!¡± ¡°The old man is still the same. ¡­ Look Tia, the meat here is cooked nicely.¡± ¡°Yay!¡± Old man Gonzo, as usual, and Tia was smiling and they were chomping on the meat. I looked at them, and they looked at me. Their eyes were filled with deep trust, not the kind of look you would give to a mere porter. It was a warm and honorable feeling, but it was also what worried me at the moment. (Seriously, what am I going to do ¡­¡­) In order for me to leave this world, I must be recognized as a member and be expelled from the hero¡¯s party. Since we have been working together for six months, I have already achieved the condition of ¡°being recognized as a member of the party,¡± but to be honest, the condition of being expelled from the party was much harder to achieve because they trust me too much. First of all, I rejected any attempt to betray them out of my head. If I was going to do that, I wouldn¡¯t have done the second round in the first place. On the other hand, it was also difficult to cut corners on work so as to be expelled. To be trusted deeply means that even if I cut corners, it won¡¯t be because I was ¡°slacking off,¡± but would be ¡°something is going on, or you are not feeling well?¡± and they would be more concerned. (Should I try to peek at Tia while she¡¯s changing clothes like I did before? No, but that was just an act of concern for me, so I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t kick me out if I happen to peek now. ¡­) If I persistently peek around while saying ¡°gehgehgehgehgeh¡±, I would get kicked out someday, but that was too roundabout and too disgusting. Also, I could put up with them being angry or disliked, but if Tia really cried, I would be hurt beyond recovery, so it was not good for me because it would hurt me in a way I could never recover from. (I guess I¡¯ll just have to lose one of my legs, then, won¡¯t I?) If I were to lose a leg, I would not be able to continue my journey. We have prepared transfer crystals for the return trip for us, so I would probably be sent back with it. However, it was also difficult to intentionally injure myself to the point of losing my leg. Ideally, if I were aware of the enemy, let it catch us by surprise and lose my leg in the process of protecting someone else, but there was no way that such a convenient situation would be available to me anytime soon. (It¡¯s not good to be acknowledged too much. Somehow ¡­¡­) ¡°Hey, Ed?¡± ¡°Hmm? What is it?¡± As I was lost in thought, Tia suddenly spoke to me. I turned my head to look at her, and her round jade eyes were staring at me. ¡°You¡¯ve been thinking about something for over a month now, haven¡¯t you? Isn¡¯t it about time you talked to me about it?¡± ¡°Eh!? W-what are you talking about? I have n-no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Hmmm ..?¡± Tia hit the nail on the head, but I still played it dumb, and she sounded displeased with me. ¡°Well, okay. But am I really that unreliable?¡± ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, but that¡¯s not true.¡± I patted Tia on the head, and her cheeks puffed out in response. ¡°Mou?, you are treating me like a child again! I¡¯m about eighty years older than you!¡± ¡°Haha. I see.¡± In terms of mental age, I¡¯m a little over 120 years old, you know? A girl 20 years younger than me should be a child, don¡¯t you think? ¡°You are so cute. Do you want some candy?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want it! Hmph, Ed¡¯s mean!¡± I smiled a little sadly inwardly at Tia, who turned away, revealing her anger with a pout. (Thanks, Tia.) No matter how things turned out from here, the time to say goodbye was near. As long I didn¡¯t know what would happen after we defeated the Demon King and if the hero¡¯s party ¡°disbanded,¡± I must be expelled before that time no matter what, so no matter how long we¡¯ve been together up to this point, we¡¯d probably only be together for another two months or so. I would have to repeat such farewells 100 times from now on. I didn¡¯t know if I would be allowed to come back here afterwards to see the ending again, but ¡­ there won¡¯t be at least a third round. Then, this time, I want to say goodbye with no regrets and have a sorrow-free ending. For that, I must do what I can do now to the best of my ability. (Well, for the time being, let¡¯s think about it after we get out of the demonic forest. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s beyond that, and maybe there¡¯s something that will get me exiled easily.) I muttered to myself inwardly, as if to say to myself, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to bury my bones in this world?¡± I crushed that idea quickly. And if I devoted myself to the battle to forget it, we would finally succeed in becoming the first human beings to go past the demonic border. "" ¡°This is ¡­¡­!?¡± ¡°Oh, no, why!?: ¡°¡­ haha, so this is what happens in the end?¡± Before us stood an army, filling the land. CH 26 The whole chapter is from a Third person perspective this time. ¡°Fufufu~ Welcome, my hero and their friends. We have been waiting for you.¡± A large number of the Demon King¡¯s army was deployed to surround the hero¡¯s party as they emerged from the demon¡¯s border. A large, lanky demon warrior in shiny jet-black armor stepped forward and elegantly called out to the heroes. Alexis, the hero, responded to the words of the man while holding up his holy sword. ¡°This is quite a generous welcome. How on earth did you know we were coming?¡± ¡°Ha! A funny joke. Do you really think, after all that violence you caused in the demonic forest, we would have not noticed your presence?¡± ¡°¡­ Well, that¡¯s true.¡± The fighting ability and strength of the heroes had improved dramatically thanks to Alexis acquiring the true holy sword and weapons crafted by Ed, but their growth was not in the direction that could deceive the eyes of demons that lurked the demonic world. There was no way to get through the demonic forest without a fight, so it was only natural that their presence would be detected. Alexis knew this. He wanted the time that was being created by this conversation, and Ed, who had been staring at him, realized exactly what Alexis wanted and took the transfer crystal out of the [Stranger Box] and held it in his hand. All that was left to do was to shatter it and all of them would teleport away from this place ¡­ The Demon detected Ed¡¯s movement and twisted his mouth in amusement. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, you can¡¯t use the transfer crystals. We didn¡¯t want you to come all the way here and run back without even crossing swords with us. I had to make a few adjustments.¡± ¡°We are not going to run away. It¡¯s just that the demon lord¡¯s army, which is supposed to be ¡°heroic¡±, has outnumbered us by so much. How afraid are you of me? If you¡¯re this afraid, why don¡¯t you just shiver and hide behind your Demon Lord or whatever he is called.¡± To be precise, ¡°their means of escape was blocked,¡± but there was no obligation to tell them the truth. He was not obliged to tell them the truth. Alexis continued to provoke him, hoping to create even the slightest opening, while his whole body was full powered. If their escape route was blocked, the only thing left to do is to defeat the enemy with all their might. Because they had been deprived to escape from here, they could only concentrate their strength to fight. ¡°Behind Maou-sama huh¡­ this is amusing. If I were to hide behind him, I would be easily extinguished by the black flames. I cannot let such a shameful act happen, so ¡­ I¡¯ll take your heads here!¡± ¡°Everybody, get read¨D¨D¡± ¡°Wait, Alexis.¡± Just as they were about to begin the deadly battle, a voice suddenly stopped Alexis. The owner of the voice leapt in front of the heroes and turned his back on them as if he were standing in their way. ¡°Ed? What are you doing?¡± ¡°Alexis. What is your purpose?¡± Ed asked. ¡°¡­ What¡¯s with you all of a sudden? That¡¯s getting through here with everyone¡¯s strength¨D¨D¡± ¡°No! That¡¯s not it. Your ¡­ A hero¡¯s purpose is to defeat the Demon Lord! Then, we shouldn¡¯t be wasting our strength on a bunch of small fries in a place like this.¡± ¡°¡­Do you have any ideas?¡± Alexis asked. ¡°Of course. From now on, I¡¯ll use my trump card and make a hole in that army and create an opening for you. Then you, ¡­¡­ you¡­ the hero¡¯s party. Run through it in a straight line.¡± ¡°¡­ what are you talking about? Ed? What about you!?¡± Tia, with a look of deep confusion on her face, asked about the content of the plan that suddenly came out of her friend¡¯s mouth, which could hardly be called a strategy. Nevertheless, the response that she received was not at all appropriate. ¡°Me? Well ¡­¡­ that. I¡¯ll follow after I get these guys out of the way.¡± ¡°Lies! You cannot fool me with such a lie!¡± ¡°¡­ Ed, are you going to be the bait here? Isn¡¯t that the job of the elder me?¡± old man Gonzo said. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. Old man¡¯s defense and recovery magic will be absolutely necessary in the future. Tia¡¯s spirit magic, which can respond flexibly to any situation, is also necessary. I mean, isn¡¯t that how the original heroes¡¯ party was formed in the first place?Then it¡¯s logical that even a ¡­ kid would know that I¡¯m the right person to be bait here.¡± ¡°No! That¡¯s not true! Ed is one of us! Why are you saying that now?¡± Despite Tia¡¯s cries, Ed never looked back. He then removed the bag from his waist and tossed it to Alexis with his back turned to him. ¡°It¡¯s packed with the finest potions. Sorry, it¡¯s out of my control now, so what you see is what you get. Use it wisely. ¡­ Well, If it¡¯s you, Alexis, I don¡¯t need to tell you that,¡± ¡°Ed, you¡¯re ¡­¡± ¡°Alexis ¡­ No, Yuusha-sama¡­ I am sorry, but I would like to end my contract as your porter. Therefore, would you be so kind as to formally expel me from the hero¡¯s party?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly! Do you really think I would do such a thing!?¡± ¡°¡­, please. Otherwise, Tia won¡¯t be understand, right?¡± Ed, who had been looking forward all along, looked back for the first time at that moment. Seeing the bitter smile on his face, Alexis clenched his fists so hard that it started bleeding. ¡°No! Don¡¯t! Alexis, please! No!¡± ¡°¡­ Gonzo, put Tia on your shoulder. We don¡¯t want her to get out of control.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong ¡­? Hey, let go of me! Put me down!!!!¡± At Alexis¡¯ command, Gonzo lifted Tia¡¯s body up. Tia resisted with her hands, but there was no way that Tia could escape from Gonzo with pure muscle power. ¡°Ed, you¨D¨D¡± ¡°No! No! No!¡± ¡°From the hero¡¯s party¨D¨D¡± ¡°Stop! Stop it! Please, please, please!¡± ¡°¨D¨DI expel you!!!!¡± ¡°EDDDDDDDDDD!!!!¡± ¡°¡­ Thanks.¡± The next moment, Ed¡¯s skin turned reddish-black and a red mist covered his body. The smell of iron rust began to waft in the air around them. Alexis and Gonzo frowned at this more than ever, and Tia spilled large tears from her wide-open eyes. ¡°Goooooooooooo!!!¡± With a roar, Ed¡¯s figure disappeared. At the same time, a Red flash ran through the Demon Lord¡¯s army, and a path colored with blood opened up in front of Alexis and others. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go¡± ¡°OOOOOOH!¡± ¡°NOOOO!!! EDDDDD!!!!!!¡± While the Demon King¡¯s army stopped moving in confusion, Alexis and his party ran along the path single-mindedly. Halfway through the path, the surrounding Demon King¡¯s army came to their senses and attacked, but they were all knocked away by a blow from the holy sword, and they just kept running forward as fast as they could. Heat was power. It was common knowledge that extremely powerful physical enhancements would result in a corresponding increase in body temperature. However, there was no way that a person¡¯s body could be safe from such a high temperature that his or her blood would boil and vaporize. Risking his life, he exerted more than his full strength for a short period of time. They all understood at a glance that it was that kind of tactic that Ed took, being the bravest and strongest out of all. I ¡­ I also ¡­! Again someone important to me sacrificed their life¡­. to protect me, and saved my life. Memories that should not be there made Tia¡¯s soul scream, and tears continued to fall from her eyes. ¡°Damn, we¡¯re so close to breaking through. ¡­¡± ¡°Urghh, It can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll take this¨D¨D¡± ¡°Put me down. It¡¯s all right now.¡± A minute was shorter than the blink of an eye in a life of more than a hundred years, but longer than an eternity in the midst of enemy lines. Tia, who had spent that much time in grief, got off Gonzo¡¯s shoulders and stood bravely, not even wiping her eyes. ¡°The tower of the half-moon that rises to convey the overlapping winds, and the voice of the spirit of the four elements that gather the light of the and turn it around! Turn around and blow it away! In the name of Lunaritia, manifest [Stormbringer]!¡± A huge tornado materialized in front of Tia as she finished her chanting. However, Tia did not shoot it at the enemy, but cut it open with the thin silver sword entrusted to her by Ed. ¡°Dwell! Sword of the Silver Spirit!¡± A green light appeared on the blade of the sword that cut through the magic, and a smaller tornado covered the area around it. The moment Tia swung it sideways, the unfurled tornado swept away the army that had been standing in a fan formation. I really want to go back to Ed right now. I would even be willing to fight shoulder-to-shoulder and die for it. But I can¡¯t do that. If I trample on the wishes of my friends who risked their lives for me, I will continue to regret it for the hundreds of years of my life that will follow until my death. Therefore, Tia, who had let out all her regrets in tears, bit her lip so hard that it bled, and uttered. ¡± ¡­Let¡¯s go, Alexis. We have to go and defeat the Demon Lord.¡± ¡°Yeah, right.¡± ¡°Gahahaha! Both of you, go wild to your heart¡¯s content. Since we left our back to that guy, I will stop everything that comes from the front with my muscles.¡± With renewed determination, the hero¡¯s party, now back to three, ran towards the Demon Lord¡¯s castle. Even though Demon Lord¡¯s army had over 10,000 troops, there was not even a single one chasing after them. CH 27 ¨D¨DConditions met. 10 minutes until your return. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± I told Alexis that I was really grateful to him for banishing me from the Hero¡¯s party. Yes, I was. I was grateful. At first glance, it was a desperate predicament ¡­¡­, but that was why I was able to get myself expelled in a very natural way. The result was many times better than betraying them or anything like that, and because I was banished¡­ I could use my wild Joker¡¯s card to cut through the demon lord¡¯s army. (Activate, [Blood Engine.] ) The moment I activated the banishment skill in my head, my heart leaped with a thump. The accelerated heartbeat pumped blood throughout my body at such a rate that it burned through my veins. At that moment, all my abilities were raised a hundredfold. Yes, 100 times. If that ridiculous multiplier a child were to use¨D¨D ( [Hermes Dash] ) ¡°Hahhhhhhh!!!!!¡± With a yell, I plunged straight into the Demon Lord¡¯s army. Even if it was a mere high-speed movement skill, if its strength was increased by 100 times, it would become a killing blow that could turn everything it touched into minced meat. I ran through the Demon Lord¡¯s army and moved sideways so as to not hurt Alexis and the others who were coming this way, and then returned to my original position while plowing through demon lord¡¯s army again with the [Hermes Dash]. Then, there I saw the important-looking demon man from earlier flying and giving instructions to his subordinates. ¡°¡­HA-HA!! W, What are you all doing?! Chase after the Hero¨D¨D¡± ¡°I ain¡¯t gonna let you!¡± ¡°Guhah!¡± The demon warrior rolled on the ground, his heavy armor rattling as he was hit in the back of the head by my flying kick. He hit a tree and stopped moving¡­ Yosh, This person was a little unconcerning. ¡°Come on, I need my refill! You guys will have to put up with the Grim reaper¡¯s tailbone chasing after you!¡± I said. This time, instead of using the [Hermes Dash]. I jumped into the Demon Lord¡¯s army. Even with my normal speed, if they were to collide with me, they would be blown away, but that won¡¯t be enough. ¡°Ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora!!!¡± (T/N: Jojo reference, right, guys?) I swung the fake silver-winged sword I created using [Copy And Fake] with all my might. The reason I didn¡¯t use the real one was that if I were to use it with my current strength, the mithril club would snap even without any feathers. The strength of the real silver-winged sword was moderately good, however, besides being a fake, it was even more fragile than the real one. However, if I continued producing fake ones after each swing, there would be no problems in killing the demon lord¡¯s army. Keep knocking them down and knocking them down and knocking them down. ¡­ was not as efficient as I thought. If I couldn¡¯t beat them then¡­!! ¡°Gahhhhhhhh!!!! BLOOD SWORD! Hahhhhhhh!!!!!!¡± I used my fake silver-winged sword to cut off my own right arm just below the elbow. The ever-increasing blood production turned into a column of blood, and obviously more blood flowed out of my body than my entire body¡­. If I could remold it with my skills, a 20-meter-long blood blade would be created on my right arm. ¡°DIE DIE DIE DIE!! ALL OF YOU DIE!! Every last one of you, DIE!!!!¡± A deadly typhoon with a diameter of 40 meters was blowing around my body. Everything it touches was ripped, smashed, blasted and crushed, and what was life just a moment ago was being transformed into a pool of blood and flesh at a tremendous rate. "" ¡°Ha¡­ Ha¡­ okay, that¡¯s about it.¡± Eight minutes passed as the dance of death continued. The Demon Lord¡¯s army, which had been alive and fighting for so long, had vanished, and a carpet of guts and blood was laid out on the reddened earth with no space in between them. ¡°Alexis and the others ¡­ are gone now.¡± Using the skills [Akashic Compass] and [Auto Mapping], I confirmed that Alexis and the rest had left this place. I patted my chest with relief. The only reason I was in trouble was because I was being constantly attacked by an army of close to 10,000 troops, which was sapping my strength. Alexis and his team wouldn¡¯t have any problems dealing with a small number of them in a normal situation. I had taken care of any lingering worries, so the news of the successful defeat of the Demon Lord would spread around the world soon. Although I was disappointed that I won¡¯t be able to see it through to the end, there was nothing I could do about it. ¡°I have a little extra time. Hmmm, what shall I do? ¡­¡± During the effect of the banishment skill [Blood Engine], the effect of all banishment skills was enhanced, and my arm was already back to normal with the power of [Regenerate] which had been multiplied by 100. It was the same with physical strength, so if I started running right now, it was not impossible to take a last glance at Alexis and the others, but ¡­ ¡°Ugh. ¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. There¡¯s still you.¡± The demon warrior, who had forgotten all about me because I had kicked him off to the demon¡¯s border, shook his head lightly and then looked at me. ¡­ and stopped moving. Well, I get how you felt. You would never have imagined that all your subordinates would be wiped out and annihilated by a single person like me, without killing anyone. ¡°¡­ What? What the hell are you?¡± He asked. ¡°What, you ask? Am I a porter? No, I have already been fired from that. In the end, who were you? Since you waited for us to finish talking before, why don¡¯t I atleast hear you say your name?¡± ¡°Me? I am the strongest in the Demon Lord¡¯s army¡­ ¡­¡± His knees gave a crackling sound as he spoke. His body, tormented by despair, had lost all will to fight. ¡°Ha. What is the strongest doing in such a hideous state? ¡­ I am just a nameless soldier. But if you bastard were to die in exchange for my life, there would be no greater victory.¡± ¡°Ho? What? So you can understand that after all?¡± He said and continued. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Even though it¡¯s hidden by the spurt of blood, I can easily see that your body is not in an ordinary state. You send out the Hero in exchange for your life¡­ I will say that your determination is admirable. Oh, Maou-sama. I have succeeded in separating the greatest threat here from the Hero, Even though I let the Hero pass through. For that achievement, please forgive me for my incompetency. ¡­¡± The demon warrior then placed his sword to his neck and said. ¡°You have no more strength left in you. This is the sword that you made me wield. As an honor to a great warrior, I offer you this head ¡­ I¡¯ll go ahead and look forward to meeting you again.¡± (T/N: If you don¡¯t get it he means meeting him again in after life when Ed dies) His hand flashed and his head dropped to the ground. After watching him die, I suddenly realized where I was. "" ¡°I see, I¡¯m at ¡­.¡± On the side of a waist-high rock, just past the magic circle. This was where Alexis and the rest died in the first round ¡­ and where I took care of Tia. I never thought my end would be here too. ¡­.Fate? Or was it divine irony? Either way, it was a great story. ¡°¡­ Right. Let me just leave you with this.¡± I took the real silver-winged sword from the [Stranger Box] and thrusted it into the ground. If I didn¡¯t leave any traces behind, Tia and the rest would be looking for me for decades. Even if the Demon Lord was defeated and the world became peaceful, I wouldn¡¯t want her to keep searching for me, who doesn¡¯t exist, because that would be futile. ¡°Good luck, Alexis. You should be able to beat the Demon King with ease. Old man Gonzo, too, be moderate with your muscles. I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t listen to me even if I tell him. Hahaha.¡± Soon I would disappear from this world. However, unlike the first round, I¡¯d done all I could do here. The rest was up to Alexis and the rest who were still alive in this world, and it would be needless for me, an outsider, to worry about it. ¡°Which reminds me, In the end I made her cry this time, too.¡± Tia¡¯s face came to mind as we parted ways, and I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. I wanted to bring back a smile to her face, so I challenged this world a second time, but to make her cry at the end. I guess I was still inexperienced. If by any chance I came back to this world after another 100 years, she would really be pissed off. With that rapier, there would be no need for her to resort to such forbidden magic that used her lifespan, and I would be able to see Tia again, matured for her age. ¡°¡­ Take care, Tia.¡± Time passed, and my heart was beating loudly, telling me to pay the price for my power. But before my heart could burst at the end , and pop off¨D¨D ¨D¨DThree ¡­Two ¡­One ¡­World transfer executed. My body became light and I was banished from this world. CH 28 ¨CWorld transfer complete ¡°¡­ ¡­ Ha~¡± I breathed a sigh of relief upon my safe return to the familiar white world. Upon checking myself, I found that not only was there no blood on my body, but the clothes themselves were different. On my waist, I wore the iron sword that was broken when I fought Alexis, and on top of my worn out clothes, I wore a common leather armor, which was a bit worn out. ¡°Yosh!, A-¡­.. yes, as usual.¡± I lightly moved my arms and legs and stuff to check the feeling, and they felt weak as usual. I was only there for half a year, but I was moving around a lot this time, so I had built some muscles and other things. Yes, my body restored back to normal as soon as I returned here. Not rejuvenated or returned, rather it gets ¡°Restored¡± to the state I was in when I first came here. The muscles developed during the adventures in other worlds would disappear, and so would the effects of any self destructive skill used there. No, more like it was amazing that I could use a skill that would kill me, with virtually no risk at all. It was a bit of a waste that it could only be used as a last effort before leaving that world, but it was still more than enough to break any anxiety, like it did this time. Perhaps, if I were to do the same without using [Blood Engine], just how troublesome would it be?¡­. Yup, all hail brute force. ¡°Now then, let¡¯s learn the banishment skill I¡¯ve been waiting for!¡± It was foolish to think back on those I left behind regretfully, since I sent them off believing in them. I turned my attention to the crystal ball sitting on the table to change my mind. Then, the crystal ball glittered invitingly ¡­ Is this, by any chance, something promising? ¡°Since I inherited all the skills from the first round, I was honestly prepared for nothing. ¡­ Is it a new banishment skill? or Will it power up my existing skills?¡± With great anticipation, I touched the crystal ball. But unlike in the past where power flowed into me instantly, this time I felt nothing. ¡°¡­ Huh? What¡­ Owww!?¡± Rolling on the table as if to mock my unintentionally teary eyes was the same white ¡­ Huh? Not White? ¡°Arghhhhh ¡­ Why do you always drop it on my head every time!!!? Are you harassing me? Are you harassing me!!!¡± Rubbing my aching head, I picked up a brown leather-bound book. It was the first colored existence I had seen in this world, except for myself, yet at first glance, it looked like an ordinary book. ¡°What¡¯s this¡­ {Records Of the Hero¡¯s Story} ?¡± I opened the book, which was titled as such in gold foil, and looked down at the contents briefly. And as soon as I realized what the book was about, I read it with full concentration. Without missing a single word, I continued to turn the pages, losing track of time, as if I were engraving each and every word, and finally arrived at the final chapter. The contents¡­ ¨D¨DThe 101st World {Records Of The Hero¡¯s Story}, last chapter, {The Three Heroes and The Apostle Of God} Thus, after defeating the Demon Lord, the heroes made a triumphant return to the capital. But then, Alexis, the Hero, said, ¡°We had our fourth companion. Without him, we would not have been able to defeat the Demon King. He is the true hero and the hero who should be praised.¡± In response to this, the king of Northland issued a worldwide appeal to discover the identity of the ¡°fourth hero,¡± but for some reason, no information on his person was ever gathered. There was no trace of him anywhere until the moment he met the heroes, and his existence was indicated only by sightings of him during the six months he was a member of the heroes¡¯ party and by the armaments that the heroes held in their hands. Finally, it was concluded that the fourth person was ¡°An Apostle, a divine warrior sent by God to help the heroes save the world,¡± so it was decided that he would be worshiped as the ¡°Three Heroes and the Apostle of God.¡± ¡°¡­ I see.That Alexis, did he properly defeat the Demon Lord?¡± After reading everything, I slammed the book shut, closed my eyes and looked up to the sky. Behind my closed eyelids, I could see Alexis and the others fighting hard after I left, and I felt proud of their victory and a touch of sadness that I was not there to witness it. ¡°What the hell. I knew you could do it.¡± I opened my eyes and my gaze turned toward the 001 door. Although it would never open and connect to the other world, my face naturally smiled at the thought of the peaceful world beyond. ¡°Well, it was a good result for a first try. Now, all I need to know is what Tia and the old man are up to.¡± The book told the story of Alexis¡¯ journey from his departure to his triumphant return, but since it was written solely from the perspective of the Hero, it did not delve much into Tia or old man Gonzo¡¯s perspective. It described how they worked as companions of Alexis, but it did not provide any other personal information or information about their personal activities. ¡°It says here that they made a safe and triumphant return, so they couldn¡¯t have been seriously injured or killed, right? If that were to be the case, then there should be some description of a big state funeral or something like that.¡± There was no reason to fake his death, so Tia in this cycle should not live in solitude. If that were the case, she would not be weak and limp from the magic that shaved her lifespan by half, and she would live a peaceful life¡­ ¡°Hmmm¡­ ¡­ impossible? If she was a member of the hero¡¯s party that defeated the Demon Lord, and moreover a beautiful unmarried young elf, the world would not remain silent. I could imagine Tia, fed up with the mountain of visits and offers of marriage, retreating to the countryside with her ears perked up. .. Oh, so it is true that karma comes back. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see what happens 100 years from now.¡± After completing another round, there was no guarantee that I would get that key again. Besides, at that point, it was possible that I would be more interested in the other world. Nevertheless, If I were to see her again¡­ I would try my best to keep up with her whining. ¡°I¡¯ll have to prepare some nice souvenirs, ¡­ Well, let¡¯s get going then.¡± I stood up with the book in my hand and saw that a white bookshelf had appeared behind the table before I knew it. The {Records Of The Hero¡¯s Story} would fit perfectly in there, and with the way things were going, it looked like maybe all 100 books would fit in here. This was a very tempting collection. ¡­ No, surely, I would keep getting these books as long as I keep being exiled from other worlds. ¡°See you.¡± After patting the back of the book, I walk to the door of 002 with renewed energy. There was the door numbered 001 right next to it, but my mind was no longer stuck there. My friends, of whom I should be proud, accomplished what they had to do. Then it was my turn. In order to bring the remaining ninety-nine worlds to a happy ending, I tightened my grip on the door knob¨D¨D ¡°Kyaaa!¡± ¡°Whoaa?!¡± A massive weight, which I had never felt before, fell on my head. What? Is there a rule in this world that everything would appear above my head? Isn¡¯t that a bit harsh? Rather, What!? It¡¯s really heavy, seriously, what is this? I tried to touch the top of my head, which was crushed, and just as I thought, I touched something soft. My head was slapped and at the same time, I heard a familiar voice. A little later, the weight moved away from the top of my head, and when I finally raised myself up, I saw ¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..?¡± In this world where I was supposed to be the only one, there was a presence other than me that was more out of place than anything else. An elf with hair as yellow as the sun and jade green eyes filled with curiosity stood before me, her long ears twitching. ¡°Tia!? What the¨D¨D?¡± ¡°Ed!!!¡± Before I could even say a word, Tia jumped on me. A tornado of question marks swirled above my head. ¡­ ¡°Ed¡­ Ed¡­! I got to see you. I finally got to see you¡­.¡± I smiled and hugged her, accepting her tears and snot as she pressed her face against my chest, crying and grimacing. CH 29 ¡°Are you settled now?¡± ¡°Yeah. ¡­¡± Tia, her eyes bright red and swollen, answered while wiping her face with a cloth. My leather armor got rather sticky, but I would call this one an honorable wound. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for startling you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve done something similar.¡± ¡°Similar ¡­? Oh, I see. When we first met!¡± ¡°Yes, yes. So, now, we¡¯re even.¡± ¡°Yeah! Fufufu~, I miss it.¡± Tia finally smiled at me as I joked with her. I would love to just sit back and enjoy our reunion, but before I do, there was something I really wanted to ask her. ¡°So, Tia. How the heck did you get here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s ¡­ this.¡± With these words, Tia took out a Silver piece of metal with a dull shine from the bag tied to her waist. The shape of the metal looked vaguely familiar,¡­ Hmm? ¡°Ah!? Is that ¡­¡± ¡°Yes, the feathers of the ¡°Silver Winged Sword¡± that you left behind with me. I was given one of the six feathers as a special gift. I was initially thinking about using it as a catalyst for exploration magic to locate the place where Ed died and bring your body back, if at all possible. ¡­ but Surprise!! Because the response I got was that Ed is alive! I instantly got busy from there! I knew you were alive, but I had no idea where you were. I thought I had searched the whole world, but there was no trace of Ed anywhere, and my search magic only showed that you were far, far away. ¡­ So, as a last resort, I used forced transfer magic.¡± ¡°Forced¡­ Then, you just fell on your ass on my head¡­ Ouch!?¡± < > Tia chopped my head with her cheeks puffed out. ¡°You can¡¯t talk like that to a lady! Mou~! Fufu~, but I am glad I met you safely. I used a secret elvish art, passed down to each generation. But it was a bit heavy on the consumption of mana¡­¡± ¡°Secret art, that¡¯s a big¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¡± Tia¡¯s carefree laugh and the meaning of her words permeated my brain after a moment¡¯s delay. Knowing what it was, the blood drained from my body, and I grabbed Tia¡¯s shoulders tightly and stared her straight in the face. ¡°How many years? How many years did you use!!?¡± ¡°¡­Ah, I see. I knew Ed would know about it.¡± ¡°I knew it? What do you mean, ¡®I knew it¡¯? What¡­.?¡± I questioned her with a fearful look on my face, but Tia quietly smiled back at me. Her eyes, which had a hint of melancholy in them, narrowed slightly, and her small mouth began to bloom with words like a bud unfurling. ¡°When I was on my way transfering here¡­ No, more like it was only a moment to transfer here, but anyway, a memory of me that wasn¡¯t mine flooded into my brain. The memory of me kicking Ed out, Alexis helping me escape from the place where I said goodbye to Ed, surviving alone ¡­ and then reuniting with Ed, who took care of me at the end. I see. I knew that wasn¡¯t a dream. ¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a dream. No such past exists! There¡¯s no such thing ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ed¡­ fufu, yeah, I know. Ed changed it so it doesn¡¯t exist.¡± Gently, Tia wrapped her hands around my neck and hugged me. Her long ears tickled as they grazed my cheeks and her hot breath lingered on my neck. ¡°I know Ed is always there for me, then and now. ¡­Thank you, Ed.¡± ¡°Ha!¡­ Ha! I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about! I don¡¯t know, so don¡¯t worry about anything.¡± I pulled Tia away and turned my back on her. It wasn¡¯t that I was embarrassed or anything. ¡°Ah! What, Ed, by any chance, are you embarrassed?¡± ¡°I am not embarrassed!¡± ¡°Ahh. I see! Here, here, look at me, Ed? I¡¯m gonna pinch your cheeks, okay?¡± ¡°Uzzah! Annoying! Don¡¯t cling to me, you¡¯re annoying!¡± ¡°Aww, Ed is so adorable!¡± ¡°Shut up! And? What are you going to do now?¡± I asked Tia, restraining myself as much as I can from tugging on her ears and making her teary-eyed. Then Tia answered, looking around at the white world with a curious look on her face. ¡°Well¡­ at first, I thought I would leave after thanking you, but this is a different world, right? So, Ed will visit more worlds, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true. Wait, You don¡¯t mean¡­!?¡± ¡°I thought I¡¯ll go with Ed together. After all, It sounds fun! I told everyone close to me when I came here that I might not be coming home for a while, so I can do a little bit of an otherworldly adventure!¡± ¡°All right¡­ Or rather, in the first place, can Tia even come with me to other worlds?¡± ¡°What, I can¡¯t go!?¡± ¡°Well, we won¡¯t know that until we try. ¡­¡± Naturally, I had never brought anyone into this world before, nor had I ever taken anyone out of it. Only God knew if it was possible or not, but I was afraid to test it out on the spot. If Tia was the only one left here, that was still fine, but if she was transported separately to a different place than me or even a different world than mine. There were too many possibilities of her transferring to a different world than mine, and no matter how much I want to, I won¡¯t be able to help her. ¡°Hmmm. We¡¯ll have to give it a try, can¡¯t we just take the easy way out and try ¡­. Hm?¡± As I frowned, I suddenly saw the crystal ball that gave me skills. There was still a flicker of light in it, but it didn¡¯t show any reaction to me. ¡­ Eh, you¡¯re lying. You don¡¯t mean¡­? ¡°Hey Tia. Can you touch that crystal ball for a second?¡± ¡°This? Okay. ¡­ Wow!? What¡¯s this!?¡± The moment Tia placed her hand on the crystal ball, the light scattered and absorbed into Tia¡¯s body. Perhaps this is what it was like, objectively speaking, when I learned the banishment skill? If that was the case, Tia would be picture perfect for this, I don¡¯t think it would suit me anyway. ¡°Hey, hey, Ed? I felt something hot inside my body, and then I saw some strange word in my head? Letters? Something like that came to my mind!?¡± ¡°O-Oh, I see. So, what are the contents?¡± ¡°Contents?! Let¡¯s see, ¡­¡­ it¡¯s called [Shake Hand]. The effect is that you and the person you are holding hands can cross any world ¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ huh?¡± How opportunistic. I had never seen such a terrible discovery in my life. I mean, this was definitely what I wanted, then what is the meaning of this? Is this part of the great God¡¯s plan to look down from the heavens and enjoy the little human beings moving right and left? ¡°Hey, hey, Ed! What is this ¡­.? This means I can go to other worlds with Ed, right? Wow, so exciting! What would the other worlds be like?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. huh.¡± I would have sworn at the sky, but seeing Tia¡¯s innocent and excited face, I couldn¡¯t say anything. I never thought that I would have a companion on this journey, but ¡­ well, if this was the price and reward for changing the end result, I was more than willing to accept it. Nevertheless, confirmation was important. It was really annoying when people later say, ¡°I didn¡¯t hear you say that¡±. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tia. I¡¯m sorry to interrupt your excitement, but we¡¯re not going out there to play, okay? We have to be a part of a heroic party in every world we go to, and we have to be banished from all of them, right? There will be things that will make you feel bad, and there will be dangers¨D¨D¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine! Because I¡¯m with Ed! The two of us can overcome any danger together, and I won¡¯t be lonely If I get kicked out of the party!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the foundation on which you trust me so much¡­ Well, okay.¡± I was strong enough to protect Tia alone. Together with Tia, we could be even stronger. There were many times when I wished I had a woman who knew what was going on, and it was reassuring to know that I was with someone I could trust and had my back to. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go, Ed! What do you want me to do?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be in such a hurry. Well then, Ojo-sama, Give me your hand.¡± ¡°Mm! Take care of me!¡± I respectfully bowed to her after reaching the 002 door, and Tia happily held out her hand to me while puffing out her chest. I held her hand tightly and we took the step into a new world together. (T/N: And This marks the end of Volume 1. No chapters in april, Sorry. I got my exams coming up April need to prepare for them. Thanks for reading and the support so far. I¡¯ll continue it as soon as I am free.) CH 30 ¡°¡­ Here.¡± The 002nd world. We landed deep inside a forest. At the same time, memories of what I experienced in this world during my first round started bubbling one after another. Since this was one of the earliest worlds I visited, everything left a strong impression on me and I seemed to remember even the minor details rather well. ¡°Wow! We are in a different world! But is it any different from the world we were in? It just looks like a normal forest.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not every day you see a world that at a glance looks different from other worlds, you know? If that were the case, we wouldn¡¯t be able to operate properly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. But it¡¯s a bit of a shame. ¡­¡± Tia¡¯s long ears drooped down as she gave me a bitter smile. However, it was a little too early to take such an attitude. ¡°Fufufu~. No need to feel disappointed, okay? Soon, you¡¯ll understand the difference.¡± ¡°Really? What! I¡¯m looking forward to it!¡± Tia¡¯s jade green eyes sparkled with curiosity as I grinned at her. While chatting with Tia, I felt a presence, rustling through the vegetation and approaching our location. Then, what appeared was a petite being, only about as tall as my chest. This young man with a round face like a dog and covered with fluffy brown body hair was the Hero of this world whom we were to accompany this time. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? What is it with you people?¡± He asked. ¡°Excuse me. We¡¯re¨D¨D¡± ¡°KAWAI!!!!¡± ¡°Wafuu!?¡± ¡°Hey, Tia!?¡± Tia ran past me at the speed of the wind as I was about to greet the Hero. She jumped on Yuusha-sama¡¯s body and began to touch and feel all the hairs on his body without saying anything ¡°Ehhh!? What are you suddenly doing?!!¡± Hero exclaimed. ¡°What¡¯s this!? Hey, Ed, what¡¯s this child!? He¡¯s so cute! So fluffy and fuzzy!?¡± Tia exclaimed. ¡°Stop it, you idiot! You¡¯re being rude!¡± I replied to her. ¡°Eh, come on. It¡¯s Onee-San¡¯s privilege to adore her little one, you know?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not! Because that person is not a child!¡± I said. ¡°Really? But look, doesn¡¯t it feel good here? Here, here, Guriguri~¡± ¡°Wafuu!! No, not there! I get all tingly when you stroke me there!¡± ¡°I knew it! Fufu~, It feels so fluffy!¡± ¡°Wafuu!?¡± ¡°A, Mou~ It¡¯s a mess! Never mind that, Just stop your hand! Get off him! Here, stay!¡± I separated Tia, who continued to touch and feel the body of the Hero. Then, the Hero, who had been lying on the ground this whole time, got up dazedly, gasping with his tongue out. ¡°Ughh, that was a terrible experience¡­.¡± the Hero said. ¡°I apologize on the behalf of my companion. This is the first time she has met a Chemonian, and she got carried away. ¡­ Look Tia, you apologize too!¡± ¡°Uuu~, I¡¯m sorry. It was so cute, I just had to ¡­¡± I held Tia¡¯s head down and apologized, she also apologized to him with an apologetic voice. Tia just had a tendency to go berserk whenever she came across something cute. It didn¡¯t mean she lacked common sense. ¡­ Yes, I wish Reason-san would work on her. ¡°I, Is that so? Then, it¡¯s all right. I have a big heart! But you can¡¯t do the same to anyone else! If a hairless man gets hit, he will be seriously injured!¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯ll be careful ¡­¡± (Hey, Ed? What¡¯s hairless?) (I¡¯ll explain it all later. Wait for now.) Tia whispered to me with her head down, and I answered in a whisper as well, raising my head to look at the face of the hero. Thank God, I knew he was a good guy, but he really doesn¡¯t seem to be mad at us. If I¡¯d pissed him off here and he hated us or something, I would have seriously wondered what we were going to do after this. ¡­ ¡°By the way, are you by any chance the hero candidate, Waffer-sama?¡± (T/N: Literal translation is ¡°Waffle¡± and in japanese it is ¡°Waffuru¡± So I went with Waffer) ¡°Hmm? That¡¯s right. You¡¯re hairless, but you know your stuff.¡± ¡°Oh, I knew it! If you don¡¯t mind, I was wondering if we could join you for a while?¡± ¡°Mm. All right! If you just want to come along, you can do as you please!¡± ¡°Thank you very much. Then we will accompany you.¡± We were easily allowed to accompany him, and I held out my hand, palm up, to Waffer. This was the Chemonian equivalent of a handshake, in which a higher-ranking person would place his or her palm on the hand of a lower-ranking person, thereby clarifying the relationship between the two and establishing friendly relation. ¡°What are you? You are a hairless man, yet you know what you are doing? Alright. If that¡¯s the case, help me a little along the way! Now, come on!¡± It was what we showed by our actions, not our words, that mattered. Waffer was in a good mood and started to lead us when I put his puffy paw on my palm. Three steps behind his wagging tail, we followed him. (So, Ed. You¡¯re going to explain it to me, right? What is that kid? How did you know about that kid?) When we finally managed to get alone, Tia suddenly brought her face close to mine and whispered to me. In my First round, I would have been captivated by seeing Tia¡¯s beautiful face so close to mine, but since this was my 2nd round and I was the strongest and invincible, that wouldn¡¯t work anymore¡­ Though It did startle me a bit. (All right, all right. I¡¯ll explain step by step. First of all, I know a lot about it¡­ However, it¡¯s pretty much the same as that strange dream Tia had. Nothing more.) (¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­) Tia clearly looked dissatisfied with my explanation. But I didn¡¯t want to burden her with any more explanations, so I ignored her and continued with my explanation. (And Waffer is a chemonian. As you can see, it¡¯s more of a human and animal together, or ¡­. well, a bipedal, talking animal.) (Does that mean he¡¯s a beastmen? I thought that kind of thing only existed in stories.) (In Tia¡¯s world, yes. Oh, but don¡¯t ever call them beastmen. It¡¯s a derogatory term used by humans to refer to Chemonians as ¡°imperfect beings who couldn¡¯t become people,¡± so if you say it in the wrong place, you¡¯ll get into serious trouble.) (Uuu, yeah. ¡­ okay, I¡¯ll be careful) (Okay, okay. ¡­ And not that it¡¯s a substitute for having Chemonians, but there are no elves in this world. So don¡¯t introduce yourself like you¡¯re not human, you¡¯re an elf, or you¡¯re over 100 years old, okay? Because they¡¯ll think you¡¯re crazy.) ¡°WHAT!?¡± Tia exclaimed ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Waffer asked. ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s nothing. Don¡¯t mind it.¡± I replied. ¡°Really? Then, it¡¯s all right.¡± "" Suddenly Tia raised her voice, and I hurriedly fooled Waffer, who turned around. When I had succeeded in doing so and we started walking forward again, I patted my chest in relief and glared lightly at Tia. (Idiot, what are you raising your voice at?) (Because I can¡¯t believe the elves are gone! I¡¯m here all right!) (I know, I know, but Tia ain¡¯t from this world, right? Anyway, if anyone asks, you can go to ¡­ ah, yes. It has to do with the way you look, and then you introduce yourself as a human female of about 18 years old. Okay?) (I¡¯m younger than Ed!? I¡¯m the Onee-san here! No, I would never be younger than Ed!) (Haa¡­. got it. Then make it 21 years old. When I go back to that I¡¯ll be back in the body of a 20-year-old, so that makes you older, right?) (Mou~¡­ got it. Then, I¡¯ll compromise on that.) Tia nodded reluctantly at my persuasion. I didn¡¯t know why she was so obsessed with being older. I mean, if she was so obsessed about it, she should behave a little more maturely. ¡°Hey, you two! It¡¯s time to get to town!¡± ¡°Ah, yes!¡± And then Waffer called out to us, and we broke off our private conversation. The sun was shining and the noise of people was coming from beyond the trees, and Tia¡¯s long ears twitched at the sound of it. ¡°Fufu, my first time in e¡­¡­ eh¡­¡­ town! I¡¯m soooo excited! Come on, Ed! Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go!¡± Tia said excitedly. ¡°Whoa! I can¡¯t help it. If you¡¯re gonna act older, you need to relax a little more,¡± I told her. ¡°Wafu-fu! It¡¯s good to have energy!¡± Tia suddenly pulled my hand and started running, and I chuckled as we took a short run together and ran through the rest of the forest in one go. (T/N: My Exam got delayed till june :¡¯ ). I¡¯ll atleast finish 2nd World Arc before I really go on a break. Also for those confused about number of volumes right now the Light Novel only has 1, and it covered about 29 chapters. Each world arc is approx 15-16 chapters so if we go by that, it would probably be 2 worlds in one volume. Just a guess. Happy reading everyone!) CH 31 ¡°Wow! Look, look, Ed! There are all kinds of people here!¡± ¡°I get it. I get it. Calm down.¡± Entering the town of Chemonia and seeing the wide variety of Chemonians living there, Tia was excited to see so many of them. Although I was okay for now because we were holding hands, I feared that the moment I let go of her hand, she would dash off towards them. ¡°Well, then, Ed and Tia. I¡¯m going to rest today as soon as I find an inn, and tomorrow morning I will be going to the hunting shack to get a proper job. What about you guys?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. We¡¯re kind of in the same boat, so I was hoping we could join you for work tomorrow. ¡­¡± ¡°I see. Then meet me tomorrow morning at the hunting shack here in town! See you later!¡± ¡°Yes. See you tomorrow.¡± As I watched Waffer¡¯s back as he walked away while waving at us, Tia tugged at the hem of my shirt tightly. ¡°Hey, Ed. Why are we meeting tomorrow morning? If we¡¯re gonna be in the same party, shouldn¡¯t we have rooms at the same inn?¡± ¡°Ah, that. It is true that I offered to accompany him and was allowed to do so, but from Waffer¡¯s point of view, we are just along for the ride and not his friends yet. So, he won¡¯t take care of our accommodations, and if we don¡¯t show up tomorrow morning, he¡¯ll probably do the job on his own.¡± ¡°I thought it was odd how easily he agreed to let us join him. So, that¡¯s how it is. Then¡­¡± ¡°Mm-hmm. The real work starts tomorrow. Where we will demonstrate what we are capable of doing and have Waffer officially recognize us as his friends.¡± Chemonian was basically a meritocracy. Not saying that the weak had no rights, but there was no doubt that the strong had a wide range of rights. Waffer, in particular, was a Hero candidate ¡­. In other words, he was not yet a hero, but was in the process of seeking strength to be recognized as one, so if he could prove that he was a strong warrior, he could easily be made a member of the group. ¡°¡­ Are? But the old ¡­ no, Ed in the dream world was weak, right? What happened at that time?¡± ¡°Ugh!? That¡¯s, well, ¡­ I did a lot of things cleverly.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± I did my best to turn my face away from Tia, who was looking at me with a wonderfully annoying smile on her face. Incidentally, in the first round in Tia¡¯s World of Dreams , I mistook Waffer that suddenly appeared for a magical beast and attacked him, but was beaten to a pulp in seconds. The moment he identified himself as one of the Hero candidates, I got down on my knees and requested to accompany him, and he looked at me with pitying eyes and allowed me to accompany him¡­ or rather he protected me, which was how I reached the city. I know it sounded pathetic, but at the time, I had no choice. There was no way that I, a common mercenary, would be able to beat Waffer that was a candidate for a hero, and also a Chemonian with physical capabilities greater than a human. It was funny that Tia, who jumped at the first sight of a Chemonian, exclaimed how cute he was. I generally¡­ expect it to be the standard¡­ mistakes made in youth were just a statute of limitations after 100 years, don¡¯t you agree? ¡°Ed! You¡¯re thinking of something uncool, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Gooooo!? H, How?¡± ¡°Fufu~. I can see what Ed is thinking! But I think that kind of uncoolness is cute too, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not happy about this in the slightest. ¡­ Well, never mind. We¡¯ll get a cheap hotel for the time being, and then we¡¯ll go exploring the town, as you are so eager.¡± ¡°Yay! Wait, cheap hotel? I have some money, you know?¡± Tia produced a shiny silver coin from the bag at her waist and showed it to me. I gently grasped her hand and pushed it back, shaking my head slowly. Incidentally, for some reason, currency could be used as it was in most of the world, just as language could be understood. There was something like a large copper coin in denominations of 10, or in poorer places there may be something like an iron or stone coin below copper coin, but that was about it. ¡°We should avoid standing out too much before we become friends with Waffer. We humans ¡­ or in this world known as hairless are supposed to be few and far between around here, so if they know you¡¯ve got some odd money, they¡¯ll attack you, okay?¡± ¡°Oh, really? From the outside, it looks peaceful and the public order isn¡¯t that bad.¡± ¡°Ah, well, it¡¯s not about the town so much as it is about the conflict between the humans and the Chemonians. Just as well, I¡¯ll give you a quick rundown of the area as we walk around town.¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± I lightly coughed while looking at Tia, who stood next to me and gazed into my face, and then began to talk. ¡°First of all, let¡¯s see, ¡­ To give you a rough idea of this world, there is a realm in the west that is ruled by the Demon Lord, in the center is the Chemonian country, where we are present right now and people like us, i.e., humans, live in the east side. Then what happens?¡± ¡°Eh? How ¡­¡­ by that lineup, does that mean the Demon Lord is attacking the Chemonian country?¡± ¡°Yes. They are attacking only the Chemonian countries. The human nations are aware of the existence of the Demon Lord, but they are basically ignoring him because they are not being attacked. They seem to be providing some sort of light ration support, but, well, that¡¯s only on the surface. The humans don¡¯t understand the threat of the Demon Lord at all, but rather think of the Chemonians as nothing more than shields to protect them. In contrast, the Chemonians are fighting hard to defend their own country, but there is nothing interesting about the existence of a human nation that is just sitting idly and carefree in the background while they are spilling their own blood. The base physical abilities of the Chemonians are higher than humans, but there are plenty of strong human beings as well. The Chemonians are demanding such a force, but there is no way the human side would agree to their demands as they themselves are not in the line of fire, and, as a result, both have sides have a delicate relationship, ostensibly joining forces to fight the Demon Lord, but behind the scenes, both sides look down on the other.¡± ¡°Wow, I ¡­ don¡¯t know what to do about that.¡± Tia raised her eyebrows at my explanation with an indescribable expression on her face. ¡°We can¡¯t really do anything about it. Even if the Demon Lord is defeated, there is the possibility of a war between humans and Chemonians afterwards. ¡­ That¡¯s for the rulers of this world to figure out, not for us, ordinary, otherworldly people, to do anything about it, so don¡¯t worry about it. To return to what I was saying before, the Chemonians are fighting the Demon Lord and his army on a daily basis, but there will be a match in two months to decide the strongest ¡°hero¡± to break out of this stalemate. Waffer is one of the contestants ¡­¡­, which means he¡¯s a hero candidate.¡± ¡°I see. So, we just need to help Waffer-san become a hero?¡± ¡°That¡¯s about right. Well, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll win even if we leave him alone.¡± ¡°Yeah. ¡­?¡± Tia sounded puzzled at my words. I understood that feeling, but it was almost a given that Waffer would win and become the Hero. ¡°No, it¡¯s obvious, isn¡¯t it? The reason we are trying to be friends with Waffer because I know he¡¯s going to win and become the Hero. All I did in the first round of the World of Dreams was to carry the baggage that Alexis trained me to carry, so as long as he doesn¡¯t do anything too weird, he should be able to win.¡± ¡°I see. Then what are we supposed to do?¡± ¡°Hmmm. If I had to guess, I¡¯d say cheering?¡± ¡°¡­ is it okay to be that relaxed?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing better to do. We¡¯ll cheer Waffer on, so that he can comfortably become a Hero and be expelled from the party at the right moment. That¡¯s what we¡¯re supposed to do in this world.¡± ¡°Something¡¯s different from what I thought ¡­¡± Tia, who was probably expecting to have a great adventure in another world, was obviously disappointed with her long ears drooping. I could understand that feeling, but I chuckled and patted Tia on the head. "" ¡°Don¡¯t be so disappointed. It is worthwhile enough to support those who are doing their best, isn¡¯t it? There are ways we can support each other now that we¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Our unique support? Is that ¡­?¡± ¡°Fufufu~, We¡¯ll have to wait and see what happens.¡± I had no intention of letting myself be carried away by inertia, thinking that as long as I could save Tia, that was all I needed to do. Since I was starting over, I had to be greedy. (Watch me, ¡­, or rather, you¡¯re watching, right? I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m going to do whatever I want, okay?) I threw a grin along with a challenging glance toward the clear blue sky. CH 32 After that, I spent the day buying a few more supplies and looking around town with Tia, as promised, and the next morning dawned. When we showed up at the hunting shack ¡­ the country¡¯s equivalent of a meeting place for miscellaneous mercenaries or an adventurer¡¯s guild, Waffer approached us as soon as we entered. ¡°Oh! You two, this way!¡± Turning towards the direction of the voice, I saw Waffer there, waving his hand among countless Chemonian warriors. Waffle was quite small, so I was honestly grateful that he called out to us from the other side. ¡°Good morning, Waffer-san.¡± Tia greeted him. ¡°Good morning, Waffer-san! I¡¯m sorry, are we late?¡± I asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. But thanks to getting up a little bit earlier, I got a pretty good commission.¡± He said proudly, and showed us the request form while wagging his tail. ¡°Eh? A Damagumo?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There aren¡¯t many strong Kuronuri around here, so there weren¡¯t many three star requests. So, what kind of requests did Ed and his team get? For a hairless, it¡¯s probably one or two stars, so that would be¨D¨D¡± ¡°Um, Waffer-san. If you don¡¯t mind, we¡¯d like to accompany you on your request.¡± Waffer, who was happily trying to be helpful, looked at me with an intense look on his face the moment he heard my words. ¡°Accompany me? Damagumo is rated a difficulty of three stars. Can Ed and his team beat it?¡± ¡°Yes, We are confident. Right, Tia?¡± ¡°Of course! Ed and me what kind of¡­ isn¡¯t it, hmm, Kuronuri? Because I can beat them!¡± Although I had crammed in the minimum knowledge yesterday, I had not been able to give her any real-world experience. Nevertheless, I was convinced there would be no problems because I knew Tia¡¯s strength and the strength of the enemy named Damagumo, but Waffer, who had no way of knowing all this, pondered with a serious expression on his face. ¡°Wafumu¡­ I don¡¯t know how good Ed and his team are, so I can¡¯t form a party with you right now. So, the reward for defeating the enemy will only be divided after I have seen how the two of you fight. The hunting certificate would be mine, and if I feel like you two are going to be a burden and slow me down, I¡¯ll let you go back to the town on your own. If you are willing to accept this, then you may accompany me.¡± ¡°I understand. No problem.¡± I replied. ¡°¡­ Are you sure? Tia too?¡± Waffer asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Wafuuu. I understand. Then, without any delay, let¡¯s go hunting! Are you two ready to leave?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Then, we¡¯re off!¡± It seemed that we had already received the request, so we left the hunting shack we had just entered with Waffer and headed further out of town. Soon after that, we deviated from the road and proceeded through the forest, and soon after, a sprawling Black something appeared in front of us. ¡°Hey, Ed. That¡¯s ¡­!¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s Kuronuri.¡± In this world, there were ordinary animals, but there were no magical beasts that aggressively attacked people like in my world and Tia¡¯s world. Instead, there was the Kuronori, a creature that posed a threat to people. The common characteristic of the Kuronori was that its entire body was covered with an insect-like shell, and its eyes were the only part on its black body that shone with a suspiciously golden color. The Kuronuri we were dealing with this time was named Damagumo. It had a small, round body with eight thick, long legs, making it almost a spider-like Kuronuri, if I had to say so. ¡°Waffer-san. To let you know what we can do, do you mind if we take care of that one?¡± ¡°Hmm? It¡¯s fine. If by any chance it looks like you are about to die, I¡¯ll help you. But, at that time, you¡¯ll have to say ¡°Help me¡±, okay?¡± ¡°Hahaha, then please do it. Tia, I¡¯ll go first, so watch that guy¡¯s moves closely.¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll be ready to cover you in case you need me.¡± ¡°Yay!¡± With Waffer calm and ready and Tia behind me, I pulled out the steel sword I carried at my waist. Although there was still some pure mithril left in the [Stranger Box] it was impossible to make the ¡°Silver Winged Sword¡± again in such a short period of time, and I wanted to use it to make the handle for the [Sword of Thin Life] so I didn¡¯t want to waste it. The main reason for this was that there was no need for a weapon like that against an opponent of this caliber in the first place. ¡°So, I¡¯ll go easy on you, you black bastard!¡± I lowered myself and ran towards Damagumo. We were in the middle of the forest, and if I were even a little careless, I could easily get my foot caught in an overhanging tree root, but I was not an amateur to screw up like that. Damagumo also didn¡¯t stand still as I came towards him in a straight line. He raised one of his legs and tried to pierce me with his pointed toe, but ¡­ too slow. ¡°Haaaaah!¡± I held the momentum of his thrust with my right foot and swung my sword to slice him up from the lower left, and Damagumo¡¯s leg, which was supposed to pierce me, flew through the air with a cracking sound. Nevertheless, it still had seven legs left. Three more, which it raised while supporting itself on all four legs, were coming toward me, but its body surface was covered with a shell, leaving no room for a direct attack or any other attack. ¡°Sweet!¡± With the centrifugal force from the previous slash intact, I spinned around and sliced off two additional axial legs of the Damagumo. Suddenly thrown off balance, Damagumo¡¯s attack missed me and his legs got stuck in the ground, taking advantage of that I proceeded to cut off two more in the split second it took to pull it back. ¡°Oh, you want to run away? Tia!¡± In an instant, Damagumo, having lost five legs, realized his disadvantage, thrusted his remaining legs into the surrounding trees and attempted to flee upward. Of course, I could have stabbed through its main body from below, but this was the part where I handed over the show to my partner. ¡°On it! Release, [Wind Edge]!¡± Tia released the magic that was in her silver spirit¡¯s sword while I was fighting, without a change. The magic unleashed from the sword transformed itself into countless small blades of wind and attacked Damagumo¡¯s body and sliced through his body in one go. Even though it was 10% less powerful because it was in the sword, it was still Tia¡¯s magic, who was an active member of the hero¡¯s party. With all of its legs cut off and a large number of cuts on its round body, Damagumo fell to the ground with a thud and immediately stopped moving. ¡°Yay! That¡¯s great, Tia!¡± ¡°Fufufu! That¡¯s roughly what I can do!¡± I raised my hand, and Tia smacked it and laughed. When we turned our heads, Waffer, who had been watching us the whole time, was also happy, wagging his tail and showering us with words of praise. ¡°You are both amazing! Ed¡¯s swordsmanship was pretty good, but Tia¡¯s was even better! Is that the kind of magic the hairless use?¡± ¡°Yes. Well, technically, it¡¯s spirit magic.¡± ¡°Wafu? Is this Spirit magic different from ordinary magic?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¨D¨D¡± ¡°Ah, well, there it is! Tia is a terrific magician! So, what do you think? How good are we?¡± I asked Waffer this while lightly holding Tia¡¯s mouth as she looked at me with a slightly resentful gaze. No, because I really didn¡¯t want to have a long discussion about the different types of magic here. ¡°Of course, You are both very capable at doing what you do! However, it¡¯s a bit of a hassle to go back and register the party, so how about we just go through with the request today and register the party properly next time?¡± ¡°Thank you very much. Then, please. Tia¡¯s okay with that, too, right?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s okay, however.¡± Tia nodded her head in agreement as I asked her opinion while removing my hand from her mouth, while looking at me with scornful eyes. Ahh, this is gonna be bothersome later¡­ It could not be helped, I¡¯d listen to her complaints tonight. ¡°Then, keep up the good work and keep exterminating the Kuronuris!¡± I said. ¡°Alright!¡± ¡°Ah ¡­¡­ Mou~, although spirit magic and normal magic are different¡­.¡± While smiling at Tia, who puffed out her cheeks, we reached an agreement for the time being. Well, well, now we have passed the first hurdle. CH 33 ¡°Two Damagumo in front!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it!¡± I found a jet-black, foot-long black ball lurking in the shadows in the dense forest, and in my words, Waffer ran towards him. Naturally, Damagumo sensed him and tried to stab his long leg into Waffer, but that level of attack would not work on Waffer, who was certain to eventually become the Hero. ¡°Sweet!¡± Waffer, reading the movements of the opponent¡¯s attack, dodged the random thrusts made by the legs, gliding through them with minimum movement necessary. He then dived into the chest and struck Damagumo¡¯s small body with a right palm strike. ¡°Waffer!¡± Instantly, the back half of Damagumo¡¯s body popped off. The impact was transmitted to its body and it was blown up from the inside. ¡°You¡¯re next! Wafuu!¡± It took two of them to fight us, but still they were unable to do anything and if one of them was knocked down, the other one was helpless. The remaining Damagumo¡¯s body was blown off, and the battle was¡­ still not over. I felt a tingling sensation on my neck. A third Damagumo, moving silently through the trees with its long, dexterous legs, poked its leg out at me from above my head, a blind spot, but I was prepared for it. ¡°Humffff!¡± When [Invisible] was activated, I won¡¯t even get a scratch if I get hit by anything, but that didn¡¯t mean that I had the right to hit the target, either. I slightly turned my head and the Damagumo¡¯s leg went past the side of my face, and I grabbed it with both hands and slammed it into the ground. ¡°Sorry, sorry. It was too good of an opportunity to miss. Well, I¡¯ll leave you at that.¡± The impact of the slam momentarily halted Damagumo, taking advantage of this, I stomped on it with my left foot and thrusted my sword into it. With this, all three were killed, and this time truly the battle was over. ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Ed!¡± ¡°No, no, not as much as Waffer-san. You are much strong after all.¡± ¡°Wafufu! Not so much!¡± Waffer smiled bashfully while wagging his tail when I praised him. He looked proud with his small body bent, but he was actually good at what he did. Well, he was a candidate for Hero. ¡°Ahh, So cute ¡­ I want to cuddle and mooch ¡­¡± Tia said. ¡°Ugh! Well, that¡¯s not good. If anyone knew that I was stroked and fondled by a hairless man, they would look down on me.¡± ¡°Tia, hold it down. It¡¯s just common sense, okay?¡± ¡°I know! Oh, but I want to use that ¡°hunting certificate¡± thing! May I?¡± Tia asked ¡°Wafu? I don¡¯t mind. Here¡± Waffer was a little taken back by Tia¡¯s prey-like eyes, but still, at Tia¡¯s request, he took off the hunting certificate from around his neck and handed it to her. Taking it, which was made of a strange, shiny material like an insect shell and was large enough to fit in the palm of her hand, Tia hurriedly approached the Damagumo that she had knocked down. ¡°Hey, Ed, what do I do with this? Do you stick them together?¡± Tia asked. ¡°I don¡¯t see the need to touch it directly. Just bring it a little closer to it and¡­ See.¡± ¡°Ooooh!¡± Tia brought the hunting certificate close to Damagumo¡¯s corpse, and soon after, a black mist-like substance was sucked into the hunting certificate from Damagumo¡¯s body. After about five seconds, the absorption stopped, and Damagumo¡¯s body crumbled into pieces and vanished without leaving any trace. ¡°It¡¯s strange. Is this really a living thing?¡± ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t know. For the time being, it seems to be defined as a living thing because it¡¯s moving. Even if you don¡¯t use the hunting certificate on the corpse, it would disappear after 10 minutes if left unattended because it¡¯s just pitch black inside, and it doesn¡¯t have any internal organs or muscles.¡± I said. ¡°Kuronuri is not a life born naturally, but an existence conjured up by the Demon Lord. That¡¯s why they don¡¯t do much other than attack people.¡± Waffer told her. ¡°Is that so? Then, what about food and sleep?¡± ¡°Hmm? The only thing the Kuronuris do when they find you is either knock you down or run away, so no one bothers to look into such things.¡± Waffer said. ¡°Hmmm¡­ Ah, thank you for this.¡± Tia, curious about everything, returned the hunting certificate to Waffle, shaking her head thinking about Kuronuri. After absorbing the black mist, we could take the hunting certificate back to the hunting shack and immediately know what and how many animals we killed. It was very convenient. But, we would not get any meat or materials from the Kuronuri, so there would be no secondary profit to be made¡­ Still, it was overwhelmingly advantageous as there was no need for dismantling and transportation. Well, that was only because I¡¯d been to several different worlds. In this world, this was common sense, so there was nothing convenient about it. ¡°Now then, let¡¯s move on to the next one! When we return, you will be rewarded with delicious bone meat!¡± Waffer said. ¡°Meat on the bone! Let¡¯s go for it, yay!¡± I said. ¡°Oh ¡­ but wouldn¡¯t it be easier to eat if the bones were removed?¡± Tia, who had no idea about what we were talking about, tilted her head lightly, but regardless, the hunt went on smoothly after that. After finishing the job, I gobbled up the meat and the next day, we officially formed a party with Waffer¡­ Three days after that. ¡°Hmmm, it¡¯s about time Kuronuri¡¯s numbers start to dwindle. ¡­¡± Unlike the first round, I was strong and Tia joined me, and by utilizing [Auto-Mapping], we were able to efficiently hunt all the Kuronuri. On the third day, we had almost completely hunted down all the Kuronuris in the area. Of course, the Kuronuri were not like normal animals, it was impossible to wipe them all out, and if left unchecked, they would multiply on their own from somewhere, but even so, it wasn¡¯t like they multiplied by the hundreds every day. If they did, the World would have fallen into the hands of the Demon Lord long ago. ¡°This is not training. It¡¯s much earlier, but we have to figure out how to get to the next town,¡± Waffer said. ¡°Waffer-san, may I have a word?¡± I called out to Waffer, who was muttering to himself. As a matter of fact, this situation was created by me, and its purpose was to make this proposal. ¡°Actually, I know a place that¡¯s perfect for training ¡­ if you¡¯d like we can go there.¡± ¡°Wafu?! Is there such a place?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a place where people usually don¡¯t come to, so making money¡­ is impossible to do like we are doing right now. But if you use the traveling expenses earned here to buy food and other things and train there, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll become very strong.¡± ¡°Wafuu! That¡¯s great! I would love to go!¡± ¡°I see! Then, I¡¯ll take you to the next destination, we can leave at¡­¡± ¡°Tomorrow! Tomorrow is good! I want to train as soon as possible and become as strong as possible!¡± ¡°I understand. Then we will leave tomorrow before noon.¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it!¡± At my invitation, Waffer wagged his tail and laughed. Fufufu, unlike some princes, Waffer was still a simple ¡­ no, no, he was a straight and honest Hero. Now, the second step has been accomplished. Now, if we could improve our abilities there, we would be able to reach our final goal as well. ¡­ ¡°¡­ ¡­ I feel like Ed is about to do something evil.¡± ¡°What? Don¡¯t you talk to me like that, Tia! I¡¯m just doing my best to be helpful to Waffer-san!¡± ¡°Hmmm? Well, I certainly don¡¯t think Ed would really do anything to trick and trap people. But then you¡¯d better do something about that grin of yours, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Noo!?¡± Tia¡¯s slender, white fingertips poked the tip of my nose, and I involuntarily put my hand on my cheek. It seemed that the corners of my mouth had turned up without me knowing it, but¨D¨D ¡°I can¡¯t help it, you know? If my hard work leads to a happy ending, then of course it¡¯d make me smile.¡± ¡°Fufufu~. As expected, Ed is still Ed.¡± ¡°Hey, what are you two doing! Let¡¯s quickly get out of here today and get ready to leave tomorrow!¡± Waffer called out to us. Beyond Tia¡¯s gentle smile, Waffer, who had started heading back to town before I knew it, waved his hand and called us both. ¡°Yes, We¡¯re coming! Let¡¯s go, Ed!¡± Tia said. ¡°Yes, yes. You are a very impatient Hero,¡± I said. I grabbed Tia¡¯s outstretched hand and we started walking again. The goal this time was¡­ to get a head start again, right? (T/N: Tia is Waifu, period) CH 34 Waffer was wagging his tail excitedly as we walked along this roadless path for three days. Waffer¡¯s tail dangled limply when we finally arrived in front of the training ground. ¡°Hey, Ed. Is this the place?¡± Well, I understood that feeling. After all, what we had in front of us was nothing but a natural stone wall. ¡°Sure, the Kuronuris around here are a little stronger, but not enough to bother coming all the way down here to fight them.¡± ¡°Haha, don¡¯t be so hasty. I¡¯ll open it now.¡± ¡°Open ¡­?¡± As Waffer tilted his head, I placed my hand on the stone wall and started examining its surface. Pretty sure it was around here¡­ Oh, is this it? ¡°Woahhhh!? What is this!?¡± Tia exclaimed. ¡°The wall is moving!?¡± I inserted my finger into the small hole in the wall. Furthermore, I pushed the protrusion in further, the stone wall opened up with a sound. At the far end was a passageway that had obviously been maintained by human hands. ¡°The wall! The wall opened up!?¡± Waffer exclaimed. ¡°What is this? Hey, Ed, what¡¯s this?¡± Tia asked. "" ¡°Fufufu. Don¡¯t be surprised yet. Come on, Tia, Waffer-san, please come inside.¡± I bowed respectfully like a good butler, and two people with both puzzled and curious faces walked slowly in front of me. Of course, I followed right behind them, and after about a minute¡¯s walk, we arrived at an open space. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived! This is our secret training ground.¡± ¡°Ed, Ed! What the hell is this place! What kind of training can you do here?¡± Waffer asked. ¡°Don¡¯t be in such a hurry, I¡¯ll have it ready in no time.¡± I calmed Waffer with my hand, who was shaking its tail so forcefully that it looked like it might break anytime, and made the necessary arrangements. On the other hand, Tia was looking around the room with her eyes full of curiosity¡­ Well, there was nothing dangerous here. ¡°Here we go. Then, Waffer-san. Try crossing that line there. Tia, don¡¯t step in the line, okay?¡¡It¡¯s not safe to get involved.¡± ¡°Here? I understand.¡± Apart from Tia, who waved her hand without turning around, Waffer followed my words and crossed the line drawn on the floor. Then, a black line extended from a metal box enshrined in the back of the room and rose up in front of Waffer. ¡°Kuronuri? No!?¡± Kuronuri¡¯s figure trembled and shook, changing its figure into that of Waffer. The moment the transformation was complete, the Kuronuri Waffer attacked the real Waffer. ¡°Wafuu!? This is¡­ strong and fast!!¡± ¡°That thing is a Mikagami. It is a kuronuri that copies the appearance and abilities of the enemy it confronts. I mean the last person that you can beat is only you. ¡­ How¡¯s that? Isn¡¯t this a great way to train?¡± ¡°Surely, this is great!¡± Two Waffers were fighting fiercely in front of me. While I was watching the intense fight, Tia came up next to me, perhaps having finished examining the room. ¡°It¡¯s an amazing Demonic beast ¡­ copying the appearance and power. Isn¡¯t it a Kuronuri? Is this okay?¡± ¡°Hmm? What do you mean by okay?¡± ¡°I mean, if it¡¯s as good as you are, that means there is a 50% chance of losing to it, right? It would be different if his opponent was a human being, but it¡¯s a Kuronuri. Won¡¯t it kill him if he loses?¡± ¡°Ah, that. For that¡­ Oi, Waffer-san, I am sorry! But can you step outside of the line for a moment?¡± ¡°Wafu? I understand! Hahh!¡± He bounced off the Black Waffer with a powerful palm strike and came back to us. Naturally, the black Waffer also chased after the black waffle, but it stopped just before the line. ¡°What?¡± Tia said, shocked. ¡°And, well, that¡¯s how it goes. There is a limit to the length of the mimicry¡¯s tentacles that the Mikagami can extend, which is just before this line. So, if it gets dangerous, you can basically get away by crossing the line. Oh, hi, Waffer-san. Thank you very much.¡± ¡°No problem! Then I¡¯ll go back to my training!¡± I thanked him, and Waffer jumped back over the line. Then the game resumed, which was worth watching, but unfortunately, I still had some explaining to do to Tia. ¡°There are other limitations, for example, Mikagami cannot attack at long range. To be precise, it can reproduce weapons that are used in close combat, such as ¡­ swords and spears, but it can¡¯t reproduce shooting and throwing weapons like bows and gravel. I think it¡¯s because a person can¡¯t just detach a part of himself and launch it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, I suppose. But then, what about magic?¡± ¡°Only humans can use magic in this world. Neither Chemonians nor Kuronuris can use magic. Moreover, each Mikagami only has one pseudo tentacle, so if more than one person is involved, they can easily attack the main body while one of them is attracting the tentacles. Why¡¯s that? That¡¯s because, though Mikagami is a fearsome and powerful enemy when confronted alone, but if more than two people attack it at once, it¡¯s a more manageable foe. And even if you defeat that tentacle, unless you defeat the main body, the tentacle will revive again and again ¡­Right? It¡¯s the perfect training ground for Waffer-san, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°So, that¡¯s how it is. I¡¯m convinced. ¡­ I¡¯m just a little disappointed that it doesn¡¯t seem to work for me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not impossible, but it doesn¡¯t make much sense.¡± Tia trained by sealing off her spirit magic the same way I trained for a situation where I would lose an arm or a leg. It was not meaningless in terms of being prepared for emergencies, but it was usually more meaningful to train to prevent them from happening. ¡°Oh, yes. Just to let you know, in case you are in trouble, try to cut the black line extending from the mimic tentacles rather than to cut the tentacles themselves. If you cut through it, the tentacles will stop moving. And the main unit is in the metal box by the wall. It¡¯s protected so well that you can¡¯t even accidentally knock it over, so basically it¡¯s fine, but if you really attack it, it will probably break, so be careful.¡± ¡°I get it. Hmmm, I know it doesn¡¯t mean much, but I still want to fight! Hey, hey, Waffer-san! After you beat it, will you let me fight the next one?¡± ¡°Alright! It¡¯s more fun to be strong together than alone! Besides, it¡¯s also training to see how others fight!¡± ¡°Yes! Then, it¡¯s me next, and then Ed!¡± ¡°Oh, me too?¡± "" ¡°That¡¯s right! I know you can be serious if you fight against yourself, and I want to know how strong Ed really is!¡± Tia said. ¡°Ah, yes. I see. ¡­ Well, I¡¯ll do my best.¡± I subtly mumbled a few words while looking into Tia¡¯s eyes, brimming with expectation. It was obvious, but there was no way that a Kuronuri, who was incapable of using magic, could imitate the banishment skill, a fragment of God¡¯s power. So, a normal fight would end with me winning even more one-sidedly than Tia. ¡­ (No, I see. Sometimes it¡¯s good to check my raw strength once in a while and work out, right?) While there was nothing I could do about my physical body, I had accumulated countless skills and techniques over the past 100 years. It was not a bad idea to study and familiarize myself. ¡°Yoshi. If that¡¯s the case, maybe I¡¯ll show you something cool for a change?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with you, Ed? I thought you looked reluctant, but now you¡¯re ready to do it? Then, how about fighting other people¡¯s Mikagami after you finish fighting with your own? Just a while ago, the black Waffer-san didn¡¯t cross the line and disappeared, that means you can do it too, right?¡± Tia asked. ¡°Hmm? I can do it.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good! Wafufu, I will prove that I am the strongest by knocking them (the Mikigamis) both off their feet!¡± Waffer said. ¡°Ara, I won¡¯t lose either, you know? Hey, Ed?¡± Tia called out to me. ¡°Fufufu, let¡¯s show him our level.¡± I responded with a grin to the motivated duo. From that day on, the three of us began our hellish training. CH 35 ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± With a quiet, stagnant breath, Waffer took his stance. Confronting him was a human swordsman, dyed all black. The moment the sword was raised and swung downwards smoothly. ¡°Wafuuuu!¡± Exhaling briefly, Waffer dodged it. The tip of the sword sliced off some of his brown hair, but what it got in return was a priceless opportunity to attack. ¡°Hahhh!¡± Mikagami had taken the shape of me. Waffer hit him with a powerful palm strike to his belly. The black, shiny back burst open, and Mikagami¡¯s mimic tentacles melted away. ¡°I did it! I finally defeated Ed!¡± ¡°Oooh!¡± Tia, who was watching from the side, applauded Waffer who was shouting with joy. I slammed my own hand into Waffer¡¯s hand as he crossed the line back over to us. ¡°Hahaha, you finally got me.¡± ¡°I finally did it!¡± I chuckled, and Waffle wagged his tail around with a smug look on his face. "" Mikagami, who had copied my appearance, was, to be frank, quite strong. It wasn¡¯t because he had used the banishment skills, but simply because the sword skills I had honed over the past 100 years were of a very advanced level. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean the Mikagami could perfectly imitate my sword skills. But instead, my weakness of not being able to train my body because it rewinded every time was counterbalanced by the inexhaustible physical strength of the inhuman thing, both Tia and Waffer were always miserably defeated by my Mikagami. ¡°Really, I didn¡¯t expect the hairless Ed to be so strong. But thanks to you, I have become strong again! Thank you, Ed!¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I mean, the only reason you¡¯re stronger is because Waffer has been training seriously, right? It¡¯s not like I did anything.¡± ¡°But Ed brought me here! Simple Kuronuri could not have made me this strong!¡± ¡°Ah, well, there¡¯s certainly a place for that.¡± The experience gained from training who stopped just before killing, and from a serious match against an opponent who was coming to kill you and who was okay to kill you was very different. And of course I thought so too, which was why I originally brought Waffer to somewhere that normally nobody would know about. ¡°But was it really a good idea? It¡¯s pretty well equipped, and isn¡¯t this Ed¡¯s family¡¯s secret training ground?¡± ¡°Fufu. It¡¯s fine. What¡¯s the point of a training ground if it¡¯s not used by people who want to get stronger and stronger? I was hoping someone like Waffer would use it.¡± ¡°Ed¡­I swear to you that I will continue to do my best to live up to that sentiment!¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m counting on you.¡± Waffer strongly showed off his paws, and I patted him on the shoulder with a smile. After training here and knowing that me and Tia were really strong, there was no longer a hierarchy between Waffer and us. The attitude on Waffer¡¯s part didn¡¯t change that much, but at least me and Tia started calling ¡°Waffer¡± without honorifics. (Hey, hey, Ed. By the way, how were we really supposed to get here?) Tia sneaked up on me as Waffer moved away to wipe the sweat off his face. I couldn¡¯t help but respond to her curious jade eyes with a bitter smile. (Ah, yeah. There was a bit of a nasty incident after Waffer became a hero. That¡¯s when we¡¯ll be introduced to this place by the people involved. I think the time frame is about three months away.) Waffer, who felt his own powerlessness due to a certain incident, was given permission by a family member who was deeply involved in the incident to train here. At that time, Waffer just kept on fighting himself to the death, and all I could do at that time was to patch up his wounds and prepare a little nourishing food for him as he spent his days training recklessly without taking a break. ¡­ (What? Is that okay? If the place was under someone else¡¯s control, you would have had to ask permission, right?.) (Fufu. Alright, Tia. There¡¯s a saying that goes like this ¡­ ¡®Sin is only definite the moment it is exposed, and if no one knows about it, it is not a sin.¡¯) (Yeah. ¡­) Tia quickly moved her face away from me as I flashed her a wicked grin. (It¡¯s okay. The world doesn¡¯t revolve around nice things. In the first place he is getting the reward in advance.) (In advance?) (Ah. If the incident that triggered it itself doesn¡¯t happen, we won¡¯t be able to come here. And, since no one would be hurt because of this incident, it wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing to be rewarded for that early in the game, don¡¯t you agree? It¡¯s not like it¡¯s going to diminish. Or does Tia think it¡¯s better to leave it alone, knowing someone is going to get hurt, and then fix it after someone gets hurt?) (That¡¯s¡­ Muu, true.) Tia, with a troubled look on her face, nodded her head while her ears twitched. For many people, if a stranger showed up out of the blue and said, ¡°I took care of it before misfortune struck you. So, please reward me.¡± They would only think of them as some insane robber. But I knew the future from the first round. Of course, I couldn¡¯t be absolutely certain that the same thing would not happen as I was not a god. But so far, nothing had changed in the future in the areas where I had done nothing. Then, I shall be shameless. I would prevent misfortune before it happened, even if they called me greedy and a cheater. And I¡¯d take my reward with pride. I want the people I was involved with, the people I wanted to help, to have a happy ending. (If you start worrying about this kind of thing, you¡¯ll have a hard time in the future, you know? Because eventually you¡¯re going to have to sneak into a castle without permission, take the treasure ¡­, or even trick people.) In my mind, many bitter experiences of the first round were coming up. Not only the ones I couldn¡¯t save because I wasn¡¯t strong enough. Also, there were many things I abandoned or gave up in order to return. Yes, I was only a human being after all. I always looked out for myself first, and I was not the kind of person who could realize everything I wanted. ¡°¡­ Ed.¡± ¡°Tia!?¡± Suddenly, Tia hugged my head to her chest. The floral fragrance wafting through the air startled me and I screamed. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Because Ed is not alone anymore. I am with you. I will help you. I¡¯m going to do my best so Ed doesn¡¯t have to look like that!¡± ¡°¡­ haha.¡± "" ¡°Mou~~! Why are you laughing!?¡± ¡°No, Tia, I really will rely on you whenever I need you. Yes, that¡¯s right. With you, there¡¯s so much we can do together to the point we might get lost. Keep up the good work, will you?¡± ¡°Fufufu~! Leave it to your Onee-san!¡± Tia let go of the arm that had been holding my head and proudly puffed up her chest. I couldn¡¯t help but smile seeing such a dependable side of her. ¡°Fu~~, I feel so refreshed¡­ Wafu? What¡¯s the matter with you two?¡± ¡°No, no. It¡¯s nothing. Leaving that aside, Waffer, isn¡¯t it about time?¡± And then Waffer came back to us and asked me, waving his hand in front of my face. ¡°Eh? Time for what?¡± ¡°Oioi. Didn¡¯t we talk about this? It¡¯s almost time for the hero selection process.¡± ¡°Aah! I, I didn¡¯t forget about that, you know!? It just slipped my mind for a moment.¡± ¡°Did you forget it on purpose or not, which one is it¡­.¡± ¡°Uu! Ed¡¯s mean!¡± Tia said. Tia with her flushed face, smacked me on the head with her fist. Hehehe, a blow of this magnitude is nothing against my banishment skill, [Invisible]. ¡°Wafufu, you two really get along. Surely it¡¯s time to move now, but what are you two going to do?¡± ¡°Of course, We¡¯re coming with you. We want to make sure we see Waffer become a hero.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be there! I¡¯ll be cheering for you a lot!¡± Tia said. ¡°Thank you both! Well, now that I¡¯ve defeated Ed, we¡¯ll leave in the morning!¡± Once again, a clean consensus was reached and our next destination was decided. Come now, this was probably the biggest turning point in this world. (T/N: For readers waiting for the romcom, It will resume soon.) CH 36 ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a huge crowd,¡± Tia said. ¡°Well, of course. The selection of the Hero is a big event.¡± Three days before the start of the competition, we arrived in the big city of Punir, where the selection was to take place. The liveliness of the town was unmatched by any other town we had passed through. Even the main street, where only 10 people could walk side by side, was so crowded that it was impossible to walk freely. ¡°Is this going to be okay? Our accommodations and all? I bet all of the inns are full, right?¡± Tia asked. ¡°It¡¯s all right! You are both my friends, so you can stay at the same inn!¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s a relief,¡± Tia said. ¡°So, let¡¯s report our arrival first. I don¡¯t wanna be even more late as I already am,¡± I said. ¡°Wafuu! Then, let¡¯s get to the arena right away!¡± Waffer led us to the arena in the center of town. The arena, which boasted over 500 years of history and could hold 100,000 people, grew more impressive the closer we got to it. Just looking up from below, I couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s really amazing,¡± I said. ¡°Fufu~, it sure is overwhelming when it¡¯s this magnificent,¡± Tia replied. ¡°Oi, you two! This way!¡± When Waffer called, we went through the line of people who wanted to watch the show and went through the side door into the office. Soon after, a woman¡ªwho appeared to be a clerk, a beautiful, white, fluffy-haired, dog-type chemonian¡ªapproached us. ¡°How may I help you, sir? This is our office, so if you would like to view the show, you can go to the reception desk at the front,¡± she asked. ¡°No, not that! I am Waffer! I am a brave candidate recommended by Burute-sama!¡± ¡°I beg your pardon. We have verified your letter. Would you please come to the reception desk?¡± ¡°I understand!¡± A chair was recommended, and Waffer wrote his name and pressed his paw against the paperwork that was held out in front of him. By the way, there were two species of Chemonians, one with long, thin fingers like humans, and the other with hands that were more like animals, like Waffer¡¯s¡­ In short, there were two species with hands that were not suitable for holding tools, but in both, various forms of tools had been developed so that there was no shortage of food, drink, or pens to hold. Now, Waffer inserted a ring-shaped fixture between his short fingers. It enabled him to be able to attach a pen and write without gripping it with his fingers, and he actually dexterously scribbled his signature on documents. ¡°Is this okay?¡± ¡°Yes, thank you. Now then¨D¨D¡± ¡°Oioi, even a little guy like this is a hero candidate?¡± Then, unexpectedly, a voice came from the back of the office. We turned our heads at the direction of the voice. Standing there was a large man of nearly 190 centimeters. A Chemonian with very short-cropped, shiny black body hair. ¡°Huh? Who are you?¡± ¡°What? You don¡¯t know me!? The first hero candidate, Master Doben-sama!¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t know a single thing about you!¡± ¡°Ugh! Hey, you¡¯ve got some balls¡­¡± The man who identified himself as Doben approached Waffer, who was plainly agitated without malice. The two were as different in size as an adult and a child, but Doben bent down and stared at Waffer¡¯s face up close¡­ his mouth forming a grin. ¡°¡­ heh, you¡¯re strong, huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only natural. I¡¯m a candidate for the hero, so there¡¯s no way I¡¯m weak.¡± ¡°If you were just a hero candidate pushed by the higher ups, I¡¯d have punched you in the face right here, but if you¡¯re really strong, I ain¡¯t got no problem with that! Waffer, you say. I look forward to fighting you!¡± ¡°And so am I! I¡¯m going to make you bounce with my paws!¡± ¡°Keh, you son of a bitch!¡± Despite his rough language, Doven left the office laughing happily. As I watched him go, Tia sneaked up on me. (Hey, Ed. That guy¡­) (Ah. That guy¡¯s pretty strong.) Ò»In the first round, my eyes were not sharp enough to accurately assess the strength of the Chemonians, a race different from humans. Now, I could see it clearly. (Probably as strong as Waffer) (Eh? But isn¡¯t that strange? Now, Waffer is much stronger than Waffer in the dream world, right?) Tia wrinkled her eyebrows at my words and asked me a question. Yes, being as strong as Waffer, who trained ahead of time with the knowledge of the future, meant that Doben was much stronger than Waffer in the first round when he hadn¡¯t trained. In fact, in the first round, Waffer was greatly upset when he was told to ¡°go home before you embarrass yourself¡±. (How on earth did he win? Ah. Is it something like the awakening of hero powers happened?) (I wish that were the case. ¡­ I¡¯ll tell you in detail later.) ¡°Here you go!¡± With Waffer back after completing the formalities, Tia and I broke off our private conversation. However, the look on Tia¡¯s face made it perfectly clear that she was not convinced, so additional explanation would be necessary later. Well, it was convenient, since I was planning to tell her in the first place. ¡°So, what are you going to do now?¡± I asked Waffer. ¡°Yes. For now, after going to the inn and dropping off my luggage, I¡¯d like to ask Ed and his companion to be my training partner! Three days of basic training alone would dull my sense of competition!¡± ¡°Of course. Tia¡¯s alright with it, too, right?¡± ¡°What!? Uh, yeah. Okay.¡± ¡°Good! Now we can beat that Doben or whatever he¡¯s called!¡± Waffer, wagging its tail and talking big, was honest to the end. I was impressed that he made it this far without being corrupted, but ¡­ this was the way he worked. This purity was the essence of Waffer, in my opinion. After that, we walked through the town again. This time, we did it together, and settled down in a less luxurious but more solidly built inn. That night, there was a small knock at my door, and when I opened it, there was Tia, clad in a thin nightgown. ¡°¡­ Am I just in time for a night crawl1?¡± ¡°You fool! Just get in the room! Quick!¡± ¡°Mou~, I am just joking¡­ Ow oww.¡± I invited Tia into the room, rubbing her reddened forehead after getting a poke to the head. I had already anticipated she would come, so I offered her a cup of tea from a pot kept warm by a magical device, and she took a sip and shivered. ¡°Fuu~~ So calming. It gets a little chilly at night.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you are dressed like that. Why are you even dressed like that?¡± It would be one thing if I had suddenly visited her room, but since she came over here, there was no reason to wear a nightgown. Why not just wear normal clothes? "" ¡°? Because we¡¯re going to bed right after this, right? Then. it would be a hassle to change every time.¡± ¡°No, so why didn¡¯t you just wait and get dressed after we were done talking?¡± ¡°No. Then I won¡¯t be able to lie on the bed even though I¡¯d be in my room.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. I see. ¡­¡­¡± Apparently, in Tia¡¯s mind, relaxing in her room was more important than showing me her nightgown. Well, yeah. I mean, it was very Tia-like, but as a girl who¡¯s probably around¡­ marriageable age, I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s appropriate¡­ ¡°¡­ I¡¯m telling you, the only time I dress like this is in front of Ed, okay? You¡¯re like a little brother to me. ¡­ But look, tell me more about what you said during the day! Why Waffer and that do, do ¡­¡± ¡°Doben.¡± ¡°Yes, Doben! Did he beat this Doben?! Ed never tells me the important stuff until the last minute,and it¡¯s been bugging me!¡± ¡°No, because if I tell Tia, it¡¯ll show up on your face. ¡­ and you are not very good at pretending that you don¡¯t know, right?¡± ¡°Guuu~. ¡­¡± At my words, Tia became fiercely reluctant. It depended on the content, but basically, Tia was not good at lying. She was more than a little unreliable when it came to sharing secrets that could be embarrassing if they were discovered. ¡°I-I¡¯ll do my best. ¡­¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯m counting on you. I¡¯ll tell you this time. I¡¯m going to need Tia¡¯s cooperation.¡± As I watched with a bitter smile as Tia frowned, her ears twitching, I began to talk about Waffer, Doben, and the future involving the two of them. CH 37 ¡°Three days from now, there will be a knockout competition among 16 participants in this arena. The first day eight matches will be held in the first round; on the second day, 4 matches will be held in the 2nd round; and 2 matches will be held in the 3rd round. The third day will be the finals, and if you win there, you will be recognized as a Hero, and after that, a ceremony will be held,¡± I said. ¡°Eh, it¡¯s a winner-take-all. But wouldn¡¯t that put one at a disadvantage if faced with unfavorable opponents?¡± Tia asked ¡°According to the higher ups, ¡®A man who loses just because they were matched against an unfavorable opponent cannot become a Hero¡¯. Well, they have a point.¡± A situation in which a brave man was relative was always a piece of nonsense. Besides, it was natural for the Demon Lord¡¯s side to analyze and take countermeasures against the only one Hero in the world. In other words, if someone couldn¡¯t win against someone stronger than them, they were definitely not fit to be a Hero. ¡°But wouldn¡¯t it be better to make them all heroes? I think we would be stronger if we all worked together,¡± Tia said. ¡°I think part of the reason for choosing a Hero is that they want to have someone who can be a symbol of hope and can help to unite people¡¯s hearts and minds. I mean, they¡¯re not going to kill each other in the selection process, the rest 15 will continue to fight the Demon Lord¡¯s army as usual.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah, that¡¯s true. I¡¯m sorry for diverting you. Go on.¡± I nodded lightly at Tia¡¯s words and continued the conversation. ¡°Yes. And¡­ Ah! Okay. First of all, I¡¯m going to say this as a prerequisite. Sure, at that time, Waffer was not as strong as other candidates, but by no means am I saying he is weak, okay? After all, he was even chosen as a Hero candidate. Why, he won the three games leading up to the final as usual with some leeway. I don¡¯t have anything to say about this one, but the ¡­ issue was the final, i.e., the fight with that Doben. Doben was clearly stronger even then. I don¡¯t think the other hero candidates who fought against him were a match for Doben, or rather, they were all stronger than the hero candidates Waffer had defeated.¡± ¡°¡­ Does that mean there was someone behind the scenes trying to make Doben lose?¡± Tia asked with a mysterious look on her face, and I quietly shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t have the time or ability to look into it at the time. It is possible that it was really a coincidence¡­ but anyway, Doben and Waffer met in the finals¡­ and Waffer won. There were rumors circulating that he had not fully recovered his strength from a series of battles against strong opponents, or that he was injured in a way that could not be seen from the outside, but these were just rumors. Waffer fought with all his might and won the title of Hero by his own strength¡­ at least, that¡¯s what I thought¡­¡± ¡°The way you put it, you mean it wasn¡¯t, right? Gosh, I don¡¯t want to hear it even though it bothers me so much¡­.¡± Tia frowned blatantly and her ears drooped. I understood the sentiment, but unfortunately, the lecture was compulsory. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m going to have to force you to listen to me, okay? Three months after Waffer became the Hero, a village was attacked by a large number of Kuronuris. Naturally, me and Waffer rushed over there ¡­ and there was Doben. Waffler offered to fight with him, but Doben stubbornly refused. As a result, half of the village was destroyed, and many people were killed or wounded. Doben was also killed there, and the surviving villagers ¡­. of that village, where Doben was born, told Waffer a story he did not want to know. He heard that Doben lost the finals of the selection round because they took his family hostage and demanded that he ¡®lose to Waffer.¡± ¡°What!? Something like that!!!?¡± With a bang, Tia slammed the table and stood up abruptly. The impact caused the tea in the cup on the table to spill and splatter, and I wiped it lightly, trying to sound calm as I did so. ¡°Calm down. I know how you feel, but it¡¯s the past ¡­ or rather it hasn¡¯t even happened yet. Waffer was horrified when he heard the story. He was an honest and pure guy. Knowing that the title of hero was not handed to him, but offered to him by hands covered with dirt¡­ In addition to this, the village suffered numerous casualties, and even led to the death of Doben. He couldn¡¯t cry. He could not even repent. He was not allowed to stop, confess his sins, or even commit suicide. The villagers, who at first told the truth with the intention of taking revenge, were completely taken aback by the sight of the pathetic Waffer. Then, Waffer, who was stunned for a while, barely recovered even if only in appearance, and spoke wistfully of his own helplessness¡­ The villagers, who sympathized with him, told him about the training ground with that Mikagami that Doben¡¯s family used to use. So? You wouldn¡¯t choose to know about that through legitimate means, would you?¡± ¡°Yeah, right. That¡¯s too much¡­.¡± Tia muttered in a deep, quiet, somber voice. Knowing Waffer, who was always so energetic and positive, it was only natural that this would happen if I shared his feelings. ¡°Waffer trained at that place for about two months, like he was one step away from committing suicide. The result of that was an even stronger Waffer than the current one, but ¡­ In return, Waffer stopped laughing. He always looked somewhat sad and lonely¡­. After a while, I left the party in front of a labyrinth that only Chemonians could enter. So, I don¡¯t know what happened after that. Did Waffer manage to defeat the Demon Lord? What happened to the world? ¡­ I don¡¯t think it ended too well.¡± ¡°Right¡­.¡± Tia¡¯s head, which was looking down, was perhaps remembering the events of the first round of the Dream World. A future in which no one would be happy, which had been brought about by the slightest misstep. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. It¡¯s an act of God to do something about something we don¡¯t know, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m not so conceited as to say that Waffer and this world were unhappy because of me, if I do say so myself. But not now. We know what happens, and we can even turn this shit ending around.¡± ¡°R¡­Right! So, what exactly are we going to do about it? What should I do?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t panic. The most critical part of the sequence of events is the incident at the finals of the Hero Selection Committee, which is the reason why Waffer and Doben are at odds with each other. But if that is eliminated, there is a possibility that Waffer will not be able to beat Doben. That¡¯s not good for us¡­.¡± ¡°What!? You wouldn¡¯t let them threaten Doben, would you?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not out of the question to change the target slightly and then have them threatened.¡± The problem was telling them (The new target) to ¡°lose to Waffer¡±. In other words, if I threatened them to lose the match before that, then they would not be able to reach Waffer. That way, Waffer would almost certainly win, and the feud with Doben would almost, if not completely ¡­disappear.¡­ ¡°Ed?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me that grim look. If we want to be sure, that¡¯s one way to go. But in the event, if Waffer loses, we¡¯ll have to give up on him and join another Hero¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Waffer will win!¡± Tia emphatically assured me, even though she had no evidence to support her claim. If I had been alone, I would have played it safe and compromised. Every uncertainty should be eliminated, and the priority should always be oneself. But now, I was not alone. If this was the result of being greedy and whining like a crying child, then ¡­. this time was also no different. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. If we believe Waffer will win, all we have to do is find out who or what is threatening Doben and stop them. And after that, ¡­ we¡¯ll both be cheering for Waffle as hard as we can.¡± ¡°Ed!¡± I said with a grin, and Tia jumped up from her seat. Her arms around my neck felt soft but warm, and when she rubbed her cheek against me, I could smell her gentle, flowery fragrance. ¡°I knew it, Ed really is Ed after all! Together, we can make everyone happy!¡± ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± Kicking off the dark shadows that would make things easier if we used them, we aimed for a future that was only bright. I did not yet know how much effort it would take to do so, but the price for the smiles of Tia and Waffer, my two friends, was such a bargain that I might start worrying about going bankrupt. Nevertheless, we would show no mercy. Fufufu~ I¡¯d take it all this time, too. CH 38 ¡°Hey. Isn¡¯t that Doben-kun right there?!¡± The next day, I went to town¡­ as I called out to Doben, pretending I met him by chance. I had no one with me right now, and it was more convenient for me to be alone at this stage. ¡°Who are you? Why are you acting so friendly to me?¡± ¡°What? Have you forgotten already? I was with Waffer yesterday, remember?¡± ¡°Ah? Ah, yeah. There was a hairless guy near him. Oh, that was you. So? What business does a hairless have with me?¡± Doben, who was about a head taller than me, stared at me with a terrifying look on his face. An ordinary human would have pissed his pants seeing that look and ran away saying, ¡°N-N-No, I-it¡¯s n-nothing!!¡± But for me, this was no big deal. Doben waved his hand as if shooing off a bug, but I clinged to him annoyingly. Then, Doben gripped my hand firmly without hiding his irritation. ¡°You. What the hell are you doing? Just because I approve of Waffer doesn¡¯t mean I approve of you, got it?¡± ¡°Look, you¡¯re so stiff! That¡¯s the hard part, Doben-kun! We are all hero candidates, so we should get to know each other better!¡± ¡°Keh! I never intend to get along with you, and you¡¯re not one of them in the first place! Enough of this die¡­.!!?¡± Doben squeezed my hand with the intention of crushing it. However, my hand didn¡¯t even budge, and Doben looked astonished. ¡°YOUU!?¡± ¡°Oh my. What¡¯s the matter, Doben-kun? Your hands are so gentle, like you are picking flowers. Are you, perhaps, asking me to dance with you?¡± ¡°¡­Alright. I am going to win this fight. Come on.¡± Doben had a blank expression on his face, but he smiled at me and started to walk away. Naturally, I followed after him, and we arrived at a place that looked like a deserted square. It was perhaps one of the training grounds assigned to the participants of the competition. ¡°Right here. We won¡¯t be disturbed and there is no one to stop us. Well, no one would complain if I beat up a hairless guy who got cocky in this town.¡± ¡°That¡¯s scary! Then, let¡¯s do it before they come!¡± I didn¡¯t draw my sword. I leaped close to Doben¡¯s chest and thrusted out my fist. Doben dodged it with a nimble maneuver and dropped an elbow on top of my head. ¡°ORAA!!¡± ¡°Hyuu. That¡¯s so scaryy! You really are a Hero candidate.¡± ¡°Shut up! This time, I¡¯m coming at you from this side!¡± Doben was the type with long fingers like a human, and like me, he was a swordsman. There were several swords on the side walls, as it was a training ground. However, Doven also jumped toward me without taking them in his hands. ¡°Guuu! Damn! So fast!¡± ¡°I am not yet finished!¡± The difference in size was only about two inches, but in terms of weight, he was probably twice as heavy as I was. A mere physical blow to the head would send yesterday¡¯s dinner spewing out of my mouth, his sharp claws would easily puncture my body, and his powerful kicks would break my bones and mess up my internal organs. That was only if I took it head on. I continued to avoid Doben¡¯s attacks with paper-thin distance, while simultaneously hitting him. ¡°Ggh! Damn it! How can a puny and skinny fist like yours hurt so much?!¡± ¡°Fu. That¡¯s because I train regularly!¡± That was a lie. With my physical ability, my hand would normally be more broken than the one I was hitting. I was able to do it because of my banishment skill [Orbit Reflector] which reflected the impact back on Doben¡¯s body. However, it was not a complete lie. If I really wanted to win, I could just use [Invisible] and only stand, not even a stick would be able to hit me. But I only used that for the handshake earlier, and now it was turned off. In other words, I had to hit him dozens of times, including with cheats. However, I was walking a tightrope where even one hit from the other side would end the fight, this was made possible by the skills I have developed. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Yuusha-sama? Are you asleep already?¡± ¡°Screw you! There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to let a hairless man like you defeat me!¡± Still, I dared to fight against the odds. All I needed now was for Doben to recognize my strength. So¨D¨D ¡°Geehaa!? Doben took his sword and unleashed a side swipe, hitting me on the side of my head. A chill ran through my body joined together by an unpleasant sound. My stomach could no longer take it anymore and I finished hurling all the contents onto the ground. At the same time, my consciousness rapidly faded into darkness. I was prepared for this, but ¡­ this guy was tough ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ ?????? ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. ha?!¡± ¡°Yo. You awake?¡± As I regained consciousness, a voice called out to me from the side. As I raised myself from the ground, I found that Doben, who was also sitting on the ground beside me, was wiping his sweat from his upper body. ¡°Damn, I guess I lost. ¡­ Ow ow ¡­¡± ¡°Oi, don¡¯t take it too hard, okay? I¡¯ve used a recovery potion, but you didn¡¯t have one.¡± ¡°I see. Well, that was fun.¡± ¡°Fun? Heh, that¡¯s pretty gutsy for a hairless guy. Oi, what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Me? Ed.¡± ¡°I see. Ed ¡­ I¡¯m Doben.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know. So, Doben, I¡¯m feeling a little hungry. Why don¡¯t you come and have dinner with me?¡± ¡°Huh!?¡± A guy, who had just thrown up from an injury, invited a guy, who just beat him up, to dinner. Doben made a hysteric sound ¡­ and laughed happily. ¡°Hahahahaha! You¡¯re a funny guy! Fine, I¡¯ll go. It will be my treat. Eat as much as you like!¡± ¡°You sure? If you say that, I¡¯m going to order the most expensive meat.¡± ¡°Order what you want. In exchange, the drinks I will order will be paid by you, as promised, okay? What would it be¡­? I heard there¡¯s a fifty year old bottle of old monkey wine ¡­¡± ¡°What!? Screw you! You can build a mansion with the cost of that wine!¡± ¡°What¡¯s this? You¡¯re a man and yet you¡¯re going to take back what you once said?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a limit to how far I can go!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice. Then, I¡¯ll just settle for a random store on the main street,¡± he said. Doben stood up with a bitter smile and held out his hand to me. I grabbed it firmly and stood up, and no further words were needed. ¡°Let¡¯s go, then! Wait. I guess it¡¯s not very appealing for two guys to have dinner together. Let¡¯s go to a place with beautiful sisters, shall we? I recently found a place with a white, fluffy-furry girls¡­¡± he said. ¡°What am I supposed to do with that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think you should just pet them. You hairless guys like that, don¡¯t you? I know it.¡± ¡°Yeah. ¡­?¡± It was the height of tactlessness to beat with overwhelming force. Carefully selecting and narrowing down the skills to use and adjust them so you could fight with all your power, and still lose without any major injuries. I was not afraid of pain. I was not afraid of defeat, and I¡¯d done it so I could walk side by side with Doben. Now that I¡¯ve achieved my goal for now. ¡­ ¡°I love the tail! I love the fluffiness, especially when their thin, long tail is all curled up. I just can¡¯t get enough of it!¡± ¡°Haha. ¡­¡± The only thing I could do was to smile vaguely in response to the endless talk about his sexual fetishes, which I did not understand in any way. CH 39 ¡°Doben!¡± ¡°There you are, Ed.¡± The ice between us was broken the day we beat each other up. So, the day after tomorrow, I arrived at the meeting point where Doben was waiting for me.The reason for this was to introduce me to Doben¡¯s family, who came here to support him, ¡­ who were going to be used as hostages to threaten Doben. ¡°Sorry, did I keep you waiting?¡± ¡°No, I just got here myself. And you are ¡­¡± ¡°I have seen you, but I never talked to you before. Is it fine with you? I¡¯m Tia. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯m Doben.¡± Doben greeted Tia next to me in a somewhat appropriate manner. To Doben, who had no idea that Tia was a master of spirit magic and who had lived more than 100 years, she looked like a helpless girl younger than me, so it was no wonder she was treated that way. ¡­ ¡°Mou~! Again, Onii-chan greeted someone like that!¡± From behind Doben, a pure white cat-like girl who looked nothing like him shouted. Doben¡¯s face frowned after seeing and recognizing the owner of the strong-willed face and voice. ¡°What is it, Mimir? What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± ¡°Everything! That¡¯s why Onii-chan has no friends and no girlfriend!¡± ¡°Ugh! T-That¡¯s not true! I just don¡¯t want to hang out with weak people¨D¨D¡± ¡°Yes, yes. No excuses. Really¡­ I feel sorry for you, Onii-chan. I am the sister of this rowdy brother of mine, Mimir. Please take care of me.¡± The girl named Mirmir cut off and ignored Doben, who was stammering and picked up the hem of her skirt and bowed. It was not a nobleman¡¯s bow, but it was quite a dignified gesture. ¡°This is extremely polite. I¡¯m a friend of Doben¡¯s, Ed, and this is Tia.¡± ¡°I am Lunaritia. You can call me Tia. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Yes, Ed-san and Tia-chan.¡± ¡°¡­ Wait. Why is Ed ¡®san¡¯ and I¡¯m ¡®chan¡¯?¡± ¡°What? Because Ed-san is older than you, right? Or rather, isn¡¯t Ed-san your brother and you¡¯re his sister?¡± ¡°No! I¡¯m Ed¡¯s Onee-san! In the end, I am a hundred ¡­¡­ Mmmphffff!!!?¡± ¡°Hahahaha! That¡¯s right. I¡¯m 20 and Tia is 21, so Tia is older than me, if only slightly. Right, Tia?¡± After quickly covering Tia¡¯s mouth, I looked into Tia¡¯s face at an angle that Mimir and the others couldn¡¯t see and said, ¡°You know what I mean, right?¡± and appealed to her. Then, Tia gave a small nod while pouting her lips in obvious dissatisfaction, and I slowly removed my hand. ¡°¡­ That¡¯s right. I¡¯m the Onee-san anyway!¡± ¡°Is that so? Sorry, I¡¯m not a hairless ¡­¡­ the age of human beings is difficult to understand. I can tell when they¡¯re a little more wrinkled though,¡± Mimir said. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s hard for us too to tell how old the Chemonians are either,¡± I replied. ¡°By the way, how old are you, Mimir-chan?¡± Tia asked ¡°Me? I am 14 years old. By the way, My Onii-chan is 21.¡± ¡°Really?! You are not even an adult and yet you are so clever,¡± Tia replied. ¡°That¡¯s because, well, my Onii-chan is like this.¡± Mimir replied with a wry smile to Tia who was impressed with Mimir. Doben, beside her, said, ¡°Who is this!!¡± protested, but no one heard him complain. Yes, yes. I know what you mean, Doben. In times like this, we don¡¯t have a say. It was wise to just shut up and let it slide, okay? ¡°Is Mimir-chan the only one with you? Did you face any danger along the way?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. My father and mother couldn¡¯t come because they had to work, but my Onii-chan came to the village to pick me up.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. What? He is a good Onii-san,¡± Tia said. ¡°Yes! He is blunt and easily misunderstood, but he is really very kind!¡± ¡°Fufufu, I see.¡± ¡°Hehehe, how¡¯s it going? Kind Onii-chan?¡± I asked him. ¡°Tsk! Shut up.¡± As Tia and Mimir happily chat with each other, I poked him with my elbow, and Doben turned his face away. At first glance, he looked grim, but my keen eye didn¡¯t miss the loosening of his lips. ¡°Don¡¯t be so shy. Family is a good thing. ¡­ take good care of it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you. As long as I live, Demon Lord or not, I won¡¯t let anyone touch my sister.¡± Doben¡¯s casual but determined words seeped into my heart. Ah, I was certainly sure of it. That was why you protected your sister and fought to the death even if you had to throw away your title as a hero, which you had longed for so much. ¡­ I would never forget that determination. Then, we parted after we finished our meal together. After seeing off Mimir, who smiled and waved, and Doven, who still looked grumpy¡­ but actually seemed to be enjoying himself. Tia and I returned to the inn together and sat facing each other in my room. ¡°Are you sure this was a good idea?¡± ¡°Ah. I¡¯ve seen what I need to protect, so as long as I¡¯m in this town, I won¡¯t lose track of Mimir. Also, since I have you, I should be able to protect her even if I have to be a little forceful when the time comes. However, once the selection process starts, it is basically forbidden to contact Mimir.¡± ¡°If I¡¯m with you, the enemy might change his plans and move differently ¡­ right?¡¯ I nodded deeply to Tia, who said with an impatient look on her face. If Tia was with me, I would not know if Mimir would be kidnapped or not. If the ringleader decided it would be too difficult, it would take a sudden turn of targets which would become more difficult to handle. ¡°I don¡¯t want to scare them off if I can help it. However ¡­¡± ¡°Well, that depends on when I can get on the mastermind¡¯s tail. If I find out early enough, I can deal with them before they do anything, but then I would be left wondering how I can admonish someone who hasn¡¯t done anything.¡± ¡°Ugh ¡­ Some words of Gonzo are flowing through me now¡­¡± ¡°No, Tia. That temptation is one you should absolutely never give in to.¡± In my brain, too, old man Gonzo was striking a muscular pose and saying, ¡°Gahahahah! Why don¡¯t you just think about it after you beat up the suspicious ones!¡± He insisted, but I couldn¡¯t do that. In that world, there was a good chance the privilege of Alexis might help us out, but if I did the same thing in this world where I had no connections, it would basically be an invitation to the prison. ¡°We know there¡¯s going to be an incident, but we can¡¯t do anything about it until it actually happens. ¡­¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. We know what¡¯s going to happen, but we¡¯re not gods or anything. We¡¯ll do the best we can. That¡¯s all we can do.¡± We know what would happen, but we¡¯re not God or anything. We would do the best we can do. That was all we could do. ¡°I know! I understand, but ¡­ I can¡¯t think of a solution for it to that extent yet.¡± I gently stroked Tia¡¯s head as her ears drooped in frustration. ¡°That¡¯s all right. You are fine the way you are, Tia. Even I ask myself, ¡®Are you sure you want to do this?¡¯ If you just tell me how you feel, I can keep on checking on you. Me and Tia are different. We are together because we are different. Let¡¯s work hard together and make a future where Waffer, Doben, and even Mimir can smile.¡± ¡°Ed ¡­ Yeah, I agree. Let¡¯s go for it!¡± I patted Tia on the head as she regained her energy, and looked out the window of my room. Now, from here, it was a race against time. The time for the hunter, who waits and waits without being noticed, so as not to miss the decisive moment. I didn¡¯t know who or what was making us go through all this trouble, but ¡­don¡¯t think you could get away with it, okay? CH 40 The first half is in the third person. Clack clack With his toenails hitting the stone floor, Doben walked down the long hallway that led from the waiting room to the playing field. With each step down that dark, cold passageway, Doben¡¯s heart was filled with many thoughts. The opponents that he had met in the three matches so far in the selection of the hero of Chemonian ¡­ were all strong. However, it wasn¡¯t enough. Even though he knew it was extremely disrespectful to his opponents who had worked so hard, their strength was just not enough from Doben¡¯s point of view. It made Doben realize that he would have been more enthusiastic about the match against the Hairless Ed that he had fought before the competition began. (It¡¯s not that they were weak. I am just strong. I know that in my head. ¡­) What if he had been chosen as the brave one because all of his opponents were like that? Doben shuddered at the thought. The title of the strongest Hero, which he had longed for so long, would become a mere trinket. (Well, there¡¯s no need to worry about that.) After thinking that much, Doben grinned. Yes, that was not going to happen. Because the person he was about to fight, ¡­ Waffer, was definitely a strong man in his own eyes. With him, he could fight with all his might. If he won, he would be proud of his strength, but if he lost¡­ (Ha! I¡¯d be a fool to think about what would happen if I lost!) He always aimed and hoped only for victory. That was why Doben left all unnecessary thoughts behind and headed for the exit¡­. ¡°So? Who are you?¡± Doben called out to the man standing in a place where no one but himself should be, without hiding his wariness. Then, the man, who was wearing a cloak over his eyes, revealed his wrinkled face. But he was not an old man. He was just a kind of chemonian whose facial skin had wrinkles and was sagged, regardless of his age. ¡°It is my first time seeing you, Doben-sama. You are well known.¡± ¡°Hou, you know me? Then, get out of here right now. I¡¯m in a good mood, so I¡¯ll let you off the hook.¡± ¡°No, no, not so fast. I must insist that you stop here.¡± Saying this, the slack-faced man pulled something out of his pocket. Doben looked at it suspiciously, but his eyes immediately widened in shock. ¡°You, what did you do!!!?¡± The man was holding a cheap red flower ornament. Doben knew better than anyone that his sister still treasured it, even though it was given to her nearly 10 years ago and she no longer wore it these days. Doben quickly snatched the ornament from the man and grabbed him by the neck with his free hand. However, the man¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change even though Doben¡¯s fangs bared and his face was menacing. ¡°Calm down, Doben-sama. If you put so much force into it, you might break that ornament, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Che. What are your demands?¡± When told implicitly that his sister would be harmed, Doben released the clothes he was holding on to. ¡°Fufu~ It appears that you are not so smart. It¡¯s a simple request. I hope Doben-sama loses his next match.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Of course, you can¡¯t lose in a very obvious way, can you? After you have fought competitively in your own way, please create a suitable gap and lose in a natural way. Ideally, it would be in a way that would give credibility to rumors that you were fatigued from the matches up until yesterday, or that you were actually injured.¡± ¡°Does that little guy¡­ Waffer know this?¡± ¡°No way! It¡¯s precisely because he doesn¡¯t understand this kind of bargaining, we¡¯re working behind the scenes.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ I see.¡± It was a small relief for Doben. The safety of his sister and the title of hero were not worth comparing in the mind of Doben. It was too much to bear to see his cherished title turned into something so insignificant. But he swallowed all his anger and was about to nod his head, hoping that the Hero born at the end of the farce would be innocent. ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s it!¡± Despite being in such a tense situation, Douben could only look again in shock at the tension-free voice that suddenly came from behind him. ****** ¡°Yo, Doben. How are you?¡± ¡°Ed! Where the hell did you come from? ¡°Now, now. Does it matter now?¡± Doben opened his big mouth and asked that question, to which I responded with a gesture. By the way, I was here from the beginning, using my banishment skill [Mirage Shift]. A while ago, I had confirmed that there was some suspicious activity happening with Mimir with [Auto Mapping] and the [Akashic Compass], so I assumed that the culprit ¡­ or at least someone related to him would contact him here. Still, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d catch such a big fish as the ringleader¡­ but as I said before, I was putting that to rest for now. ¡°There¡¯s only one thing I need to tell you right now. Tia is taking care of Mimir-chan, so there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°What!!?¡± ¡°Ridiculous!? There is no way such a thing is possible! No, I¡¯m not saying that with a high combat power, recapture itself is impossible, but in such a short time, such a thing¨D¨D¡± ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t care what you think. What do you say, Doben? I¡¯m sure Tia will have Mimir-chan here in ten minutes ¡­. until then, why don¡¯t we just lock ourselves in the restroom?¡± It was already past the time for the match to start, and the venue was beginning to buzz somewhat with talks about Doben, who was not coming out. However, it was not said that you should fight ignoring nature¡¯s call. It may be frowned upon somewhat, but if given a suitable reason, he won¡¯t be disqualified for being 10 minutes late. "" At my suggestion, Doben laughed happily and shook his head. ¡°No, I ain¡¯t gonna do it. If you say so, I¡¯ll just believe it.¡± ¡°I see. Then, go for it.¡± ¡°W-Wait! Wait, Doben! If you believe this man¡¯s false words and win, your sister would be¨D¨D¡± ¡°She¡¯ll be fine.¡± As Doben turned and tried to walk away, the man with wrinkles shouted impatiently. But Doben didn¡¯t even look back, and strongly asserted. ¡°Why?!! Why do you believe the words of a hairless person so much!? According to our research, you two have only just met!? Yet how could you!!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a given.¡± Doben, who had been walking at a rapid pace, stopped and raised his clenched right fist high to the sky. ¡°Because we¡¯re friends.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Leaving the trembling and shaking wrinkled man behind, Doben started walking again. When his body eventually disappeared behind the light, a loud cheer echoed through the aisles. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s cool. But why did you do this? Was it for profit after all?¡± The wrinkled man who had lost all of his moves¡­ I asked Minister Brute, who had recommended Waffer as a hero candidate, in a casual tone. Brute started to talk with a disappointing look on his face and his shoulder slumped down. ¡°Doben is indeed strong, but he is too brusque. How can we appoint a man who may not even obey the king¡¯s orders at a critical moment as a Hero?¡± ¡°I see. I can¡¯t help but think that he¡¯s a candidate for the Hero because of his strength, but he¡¯s not a good candidate if he actually becomes a hero. That¡¯s certainly a problem to deal with.¡± ¡°If you understand that, then why!?! If you know that, why did you interrupt me? You hairless people have no business in another country, much less in a country where you were working with Waffer-kun!¡± ¡°Hmm? No, I¡¯m not trying to get in your way, am I? If anything, I¡¯m rooting for Waffer.¡± ¡°Then, why did you interrupt¨D¨D!!?¡± I used my body to shove the screaming Minister Brute into the wall. ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s in the way! You know what? Waffer is strong. He can become a hero on his own without any tricks like this! You¡¯re the one who¡¯s trying to shit all over his path! You know what face he will make when he finds out that he became a hero by such means!¡± ¡°¡­ personal feelings are irrelevant. As a person involved in the state, the only thing that matters is the good of the country and the peace of its people. And I will do my utmost to make sure that the truth does not get out. You are not wrong, but you and I are in different positions.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. The difference in position ¡­ is certainly true. I¡¯d run away to another country in a heartbeat if the head of a country started seriously using the word ¡®believe¡¯. But that¡¯s why I believe in them! Take away all the stupid little tricks, and we can truly understand each other and come to the best possible ending.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ you. What the hell are you?¡± Brute called out to me as I was about to walk away. ¡°Me? I¡¯m an outsider, a hairless, Doben¡¯s friend and Waffer¡¯s buddy. Watch me. My friend, your friends are indeed strong, but my friends are better than them. Don¡¯t you dare mess with my Waffer!!¡± With that said, I walked down the aisle into the darkness. From here, I was going to walk back to the public aisle to get out of sight and then meet up with Tia and ¡­ Damn, I got a lot of work to do! Too bad I won¡¯t be able to see the game. ¡­ ¡°Good luck.¡± Not to either of them, but to both my fighting friends. I muttered to myself and then blended into the darkness. CH 41 ¡°Then, let¡¯s have a toast to the inauguration of Waffer as a Hero!¡± ¡°¡±Cheers!¡±¡± We clinked wooden mugs together in the corner of the biggest bar in the town of Pounir. We had taken the liberty of renting a private room, so we didn¡¯t have to worry about the eyes of other people here. After that, when I joined Tia and the others and returned to the arena, the match was already over. So, I couldn¡¯t see the fight between Waffer and Doben in person¡­. ¡°Oh, here, here. I dodged this with a paper thin margin and stepped in, which affected the subsequent attack and defense.¡± ¡°Yeah. If he had stepped back as quickly as he could at this point, I would have hated it very much!¡± ¡°Really!? Damn, but that wouldn¡¯t have led to the next attack, would it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¨D¨D¡± A magical tool that recorded images. I had secretly set it up in advance to make sure I didn¡¯t miss it, and we would be able to look back on the fight. Waffer and Doben and I were excitedly discussing the game from our seats, while Tia and Mimir were beside me, drinking their drinks with a delicate look on their faces. ¡°Mou~ I don¡¯t understand ¡­ what¡¯s so great about it, but ¡­¡± ¡°As expected it¡¯s difficult for Mimir-chan to understand. It¡¯s not so bad looking at it, but I¡¯m sure I would be beaten in the blink of an eye If I actually had to face him, you know?¡± ¡°Really!? Tia-san, you are so strong. ¡­ Hah, I knew my Onii-chan was amazing.¡± I glanced toward Tia and Mimir and overheard them talking about it. By the way, ¡°getting defeated in the blink of an eye¡± didn¡¯t mean Tia was weak, but that she didn¡¯t stand a chance in a match that was focused on close range with no prior use of support magic. ¡°But it¡¯s still amazing. Hey, Ed, where the hell did you get this?¡± ¡°What? No, I just bought this from a random peddler, so I don¡¯t know the details¡­.¡± Suddenly asked by Doben, I replied with a subtle expression on my face. This thing I was using this time was bought during my trip with Alexis and the others, so I was not sure if there were similar magical tools in this world. I had never heard of it, at least not in my first round, so it probably didn¡¯t exist. ¡°Not from the country of hairless? I¡¯ve never been to one, but I¡¯ve heard that in hairless countries there are lots of useful tools like this!¡± Waffer said. ¡°Really? Che, I¡¯d like to go there at least once if they didn¡¯t give me that condescending look,¡± Doben replied. ¡°Hahaha ¡­.these advanced magical tools are often made by individuals, so I just happened to get lucky,¡± I said. ¡°Hmmm, I want to be lucky too!¡± Waffer said. ¡°Oh! It¡¯s good to be lucky, isn¡¯t it? After all, when you¡¯re lucky, everything works out, right?¡± Doben replied. ¡°That¡¯s so awesome!¡± ¡°¡±Hahahahahahahahaha!¡±¡± ¡°Mou~ you¡¯re way too drunk, Onii-chan! Waffer-san, you too! I can¡¯t help it.¡± Waffer and Doben, who had gotten friendly and drunk, looked at each other and laughed as I made a fool of myself. There was not the slightest hint of animosity between the two, and Mimir didn¡¯t look gloomy as she looked at them. I guess Tia did a good job on that side. Yoshi yoshi. At this rate, we would be able to overcome the last hurdle. And so, after a pleasant victory celebration, we returned to our respective lodgings, to our respective rooms. But tonight, Tia sneaked into my room again. ¡°What? Call¨D¨D¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Come in.¡± ¡°What a bummer.¡± Smiling at Tia, who lightly brushed me off with an apologetic look, I made my usual cup of tea and put it on the table. ¡°But still, that was a really great match between the two of them.¡± ¡°Yeah. I didn¡¯t expect Doben to be that strong.¡± ¡°Hey, Ed, what would you have done if Doben had won?¡± ¡°Hmm? In that case, We would have had to accompany Doben. He would surely accept the two of us if we honestly told him ¡®We have a reason why we have to accompany the Hero.¡¯ ¡° ¡°In other words, you were fine with either of them winning? That¡¯s very smart of you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s natural, don¡¯t you agree? I¡¯m not stupid enough to take a gamble without insurance.¡± It was true that I was rooting for Waffer and believed in him, but that didn¡¯t mean I was just a fool not to be prepared for any unexpected outcome. That was the case if it were just me; but now that Tia was with me, it was even more logical to work it out so that I could win no matter which side I bet on. ¡°So, I think we got this one figured out, but what about that other dude?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I just knocked him out like Ed told me to, so I don¡¯t think he¡¯s in any trouble.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine then. I don¡¯t think they¡¯re going to try to make a fuss about reputation, because it¡¯s public backstage, and if that¡¯s the case, this will solve the problem.¡± ¡°So, was there someone important working behind the scenes?¡± ¡°Ah. The minister Brute, who recommended Waffer as a hero candidate, was the mastermind behind it. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d get to meet him, though.¡± There was no reason for Brute himself to be the one to negotiate with Doben in that situation. In fact, considering the possibility of being attacked by an angry Doben, it was only natural to send an appropriate messenger. And yet, Brute was there. Perhaps it was his own sincere intention as a ¡°person who is loyal to the nation even if it means getting his own hands dirty.¡± Well, I didn¡¯t feel sorry for him, and I didn¡¯t think he would want me to feel sorry for him, because it was just a matter of self-satisfaction. ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t think they¡¯re going to do anything more since Waffer has become a Hero. So, the last remaining obstacle is ¡­¡± ¡°The Kuronuri attack on the village where Doben was born.¡± I nodded with a mysterious look on my face at Tia¡¯s words as she put down her teacup. ¡°It would be best if we could prevent the attack itself, but that¡¯s not going to happen. As I said before, I don¡¯t remember the exact date and time, and there¡¯s no reason to let Waffer stay in the village with us. But we can¡¯t stay separate from Waffer, either.¡± Waffer, now that he had become a Hero, must now go around the country and solve various problems. Under such circumstances, we couldn¡¯t let him stay in a small village in the countryside for a long period of time without a reason, and if I and Tia went off on our own, we didn¡¯t know what kind of decision God would make. If it was nothing, or just that the count didn¡¯t go forward for the amount of time we were away, it wouldn¡¯t matter, but we did not want to reset the count or, conversely, be deemed ¡°expelled¡± and deported just for being away. Even though I¡¯d like to leave eventually, I won¡¯t be able to sleep peacefully if I was sent back when I knew the enemy was coming in this world. ¡°Can¡¯t we take out the Kuronuri beforehand, or fortify the village?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just absurd. We still don¡¯t know the laws that govern the outbreak of Kuronuri, so it¡¯s impossible to defeat them in advance, and the village is protected¡­.. What would Tia do if a stranger came out of the blue and said, ¡®Let¡¯s fortify the village¡¯?¡± ¡°What would I do? Well¡­ I would kick them out.¡± ¡°Right? That¡¯s the answer.¡± If someone who was only an acquaintance of Doben¡¯s created something that was not needed currently in the village, at best they would be kicked out by the entire village, at worst they would be caught and put in jail, and in some cases, they might even be killed. On the other hand, there was no way I could build a wall or a turret secretly, nor could I operate it alone, so I could not think of a way to make the ¡°village being attacked¡± itself not happen. ¡°I¡¯ve already prepared for an attack, so even if they are attacked, it shouldn¡¯t be serious. So, in reality, it is just a matter of adjusting where Waffer is going and being as close as possible to the village around the time of the attack.¡± The world was full of irrationality, and there were some things we could not change, even if we knew the future. But even if we couldn¡¯t change the beginning, we had proven that we could change the end. ¡°We have a little more than two months before it happens. If we and Waffer train hard in the meantime, the Kuronuri raid won¡¯t be a big deal.¡± ¡°I agree. The moment they attack, let¡¯s get together and fight them back!¡± Tia also clenched her fists in front of her chest and fired up. If all went well, we would only have a few more days left to stay in this world. We would make it all the way to the end. CH 42 ¡°¡­ used¡± It had been three months since Waffer officially became a hero. I honestly didn¡¯t know if the timing was the same as during the first round because I had changed a lot of things¡­ but finally, the time came. Luckily, we were now in a small town inn. It didn¡¯t mean we were in the middle of doing a job from where we won¡¯t be able to move quickly. I jumped up and immediately ran out of my room and knocked somewhat roughly on the door of Tia¡¯s room. ¡°Oi, Tia! Wake up!¡± ¡°Mou~ ¡­ what, Ed, at this hour ¡­?¡± ¡°The warding stone I gave Mimir was used. Perhaps the village is being attacked right now.¡± ¡°What!?¡± At my words, Tia¡¯s sleepy eyes widened in surprise. However, it was only for a moment. I knocked on the door of the room of Waffer next door, leaving Tia to get ready right away. ¡°Wafuu ¡­ wha-what is it, Ed, it¡¯s still nighttime ..?¡± ¡°Listen, Waffer. Probably, the village where Mimir ¡­ Doben¡¯s sister lives is now being attacked by the Kuronuris.¡± ¡°What do you mean? Explain in detail.¡± Waffer, who was also sleepily rubbing his eyes, was instantly awakened by my words. Accepting his serious gaze directly, I continued to explain further. ¡°Among the strange tools I bought from a peddler was a ¡®warding stone¡¯ which could be smashed into the ground and breaken to create a kind of wall that would keep the Kuronuris out for a short time¡­ I gave it to Mimir when we parted after the selection tournament, and it has just been used. I know you have a lot of questions, but I want you to get ready to help them right away. Will you go with me?¡± ¡°Naturally! I, being a Hero, would never abandon my own people!¡± Without asking why or how, Waffer nodded vigorously and immediately began to get ready. Yeah, I knew this guy was great. In order to live up to this trust, I must do everything in my power to bring about the best possible outcome. I returned to my room, quickly prepared myself, and the three of us left the inn together. Normally, the town gates would not be open because it was late at night, but there was no problem there with Waffer¡¯s heroic privilege. ¡°Ed, do you know where it is?¡± ¡°No problem. It¡¯s this way.¡± After that, I led the way and we ran through the night. Taking full advantage of the [Auto-mapping] sometimes taking somewhat large detours on city streets, sometimes running through the woods at our peril, traveling the shortest distance in the truest sense of the word, which was faster than charging down a straight line. ¡°Ed¡­ we¡¯ll make it, right?¡± Tia asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But there¡¯s nothing more we can do about it.¡± The response from the warding stone I gave to Mimir disappeared from my banishment skill [Akashic Compass] about three hours ago. Normally, it would take at least half a day for a messenger from the village to rush to the nearby town. From there, it would take at least a day to a day and a half for it to reach Waffer¡¯s ears through the guild or whatever, no matter how fast. But we were ignoring all that time and suddenly heading out to the field. With a day and a half advantage, I could only assume ¡­that it would be fine . ¡°Hey, Ed, is Doben in that village?¡± Waffer asked ¡°Hmm? Ah, he ¡­ should be.¡± I had never been to Doben¡¯s village, so I could not confirm this by [Auto-Mapping]. But if he was there during the first round, it was unlikely he would not be there this time. At least we still had Mimir¡¯s response ¡­ meaning, they were still alive, so we would be able to fight against a large number of Kuronuris. ¡°Then, there is no problem! He should be able to defend the village until we arrive!¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± Waffer¡¯s words, which did not disrupt due to ragged breathing even after all this running, made me smile a little. We continued running, and after a while we could see a large number of Kuronuris ahead of us. ¡°Amazing, so many¡­ What are we going to do, Ed?¡± Tia asked. ¡°It¡¯s obvious, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to take them all down and push through!¡± Tia grinned at me when I asked her, and me and Waffer plunged straight into the large army of Kuronuris. I was not even afraid of these numbers, considering the time I ran into Demon Lord¡¯s army of nearly 10,000 to get Tia and the others out of there. ¡°ORA ORA ORA ORA! Get out of the way, you little bastards!¡± Using the banishment skill [Copy and Fake] I increased the number of steel swords, and disposed of each sword for every Kuronuri that I cut down. This way, no matter how many enemies there were, I didn¡¯t have to worry about depleting my weapons, and I could just cut down everything in sight. ¡°Eat it! Paw Fist Impact!¡± Next to me, Waffer pressed his dazzlingly shining paw against the Kuronuri, and a shockwave of light radiated out from it, annihilating or frightening the surrounding Kuronuri. It was a feat made possible by the fact that the ¡°Holy Sword¡± inherited by the heroes had been incorporated into his body as the ¡°Holy Fist¡±. ¡°Even I! The Half-moon that rises above the greenery and conveys to the winds, the voice of the spirits of the four kinds and eight spirits to gather the light and twist it! Gather around, revolve and blow! In the name of Lunaritia, manifest the [Stormbringer]!¡± Tia, who finished chanting while we in the vanguard were clearing away the Kuronuris, casted her magic into the sword she hanged at her waist. ¡°Dwell! Sword of the Silver Spirit! Both of you, avoid it!¡± As we moved to the side in response to the warning from behind, the blade of the powerful wind born from Tia¡¯s sword whipped through the writhing Kuronuri herd in front of us with tremendous force. After the winds had calmed down, it became more visible and there was only a ¡°former¡± forest left. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s terrible¡­.¡± Waffer said ¡°But all the Kuronuris were obliterated at once!¡± I replied ¡°Fufufu~! How about it? Let¡¯s get in there while we still can!¡± Tia said. ¡°Oi Oi!? What¡¯s with you, such incredible motivation, huh?¡± I shouted. I called out to Tia, who was running head first without us, the vanguard of the group. Then, Tia caught up with me and smiled happily at me. ¡°Of course! At that time, I could only wield my power to escape, leaving my precious friends behind. But now I can use this power to clear a path to protect my friends! I wouldn¡¯t be lying if I say this motivates me!¡± ¡°Haha, I see.¡± ¡°I can still strike! I¡¯m going to blow that whole forest of Kuronuri out of the sky!¡± ¡°¡­ No, you can¡¯t do that.¡± While calmly pouting at Tia, whose motivation was out of control, we ran smoothly into the village. Soon, we saw a wooden fence and discovered a hole in one corner of it. ¡°There¡¯s a hole! Let¡¯s jump in!¡± ¡°I shall stay here and keep the enemy from coming inside!¡± Waffer said. ¡°Okay! Tia, come with me!¡± We passed Waffer, who stopped and turned around, and Tia and I entered the village through the opened hole. Proceeding through the village while relying on the updated [Auto-Mapping] we saw about five Kuronuris in front of us and a girl covered in a thin film of light in the center of the Kuronuris¨D¨D!? ¡°Kyaaa!!¡± With a crackling sound, the film of light shattered. Finally, the obstruction was gone, and the chemonian inside saw a mantis-like Kuronuri about to swing its scythe. ¡°I won¡¯t let you do it! Tia!¡± ¡°Leave it to me!¡± I created a sword in the air using [Copy and Fake], and Tia¡¯s spirit magic shot it out. The Kuronuris were stabbed by the steel swords that suddenly flew towards them, and they hurriedly turned their faces toward us¡­ ¡°Oi Oi. You can¡¯t look away, okay?¡± I instantly closed in and, using my sword, cut off Kuronuri¡¯s head. After cutting off all five of them, I finally took a breath and looked back behind me. ¡°E-Ed-san ¡­! Why ¡­!¡±¡± Mimir looked at me with tears in her eyes, her head probably full of fear and questions. But what we needed in this situation was not long-winded explanations. ¡°We¡¯re here to help. You¡¯re safe now.¡± With a smile, I patted Mimir¡¯s head. Under my gentle touch, Mimir, who finally let loose, began to cry loudly. ¡°U-Uwa¡­ ¡­ Uwaaaaaaaaaaa!!!¡± ¡°Oops. I¡¯m sorry, Tia, but you¡¯re going to have to take over here, in case her voice attracts any other Kuronuris.¡± ¡°Understood. What about you?¡± ¡°That would be, of course, helping my friend ¡­ clean up afterwards.¡± There was no such thing as a one-sided defeat now. We were going to win, and have a happy ending. (T/N: The title might change later as it was quite confusing, need to confirm with a few people) CH 43 Leaving Tia there, I ran through the village to the fence on the other side. Fortunately, this one was not breached, but the sight of countless Kuronuri biting and scratching at it was not something that could be left unchecked. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go so far as to call it a close call, but it¡¯s pretty bad¡­. Hahhh!¡± I stabbed them through the gaps in the fence with my sword. But with the swarms of Kuronuris coming in one after the other, it seemed that this was not enough to buy me any more time. ¡°It¡¯s no good. If I do it little by little I can¡¯t make it©`¡­ Oi! Who¡¯s there?!¡± ¡°Here!¡± As I called, I heard a voice coming from the other side of the fence where the Kuronuris were. I proceeded towards the voice, cutting through the sword, only to find a Chemonian man standing there, his entire body covered in blood, holding his sword. ¡°Hairless!? What are you!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a friend of Doben. I¡¯m here to help, along with the Hero Waffer!¡± ¡°With Waffer-sama?! Come to think of it, I think Doben-san said there was a hairless guy working with the Hero¡­ I see, that¡¯s you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I said. Use it!¡± Saying this, I took a recovery potion from my waist bag and tossed it to the man. But the man who received it stared at the vial with a puzzled expression on his face. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a recovery potion.¡± ¡°Like a nutritional supplement? Nhhh ¡­ UOOOOOOAAHHH??!?!!?¡± The man who gulped down the contents of the vial shouted in surprise. He still looked bloody, but I could hear the vitality returning to his voice. ¡°Oi Oi Oi Oi, What kind of thing is this? The pain in my body just vanished?!¡± ¡°I told you it was a restorative, didn¡¯t I? You¡¯ve heard of it, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! Wow, hairless can make stuff like this on the fly¡­. amazing.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you three bottles of the same one. Can you still stick around?¡± ¡°Leave it to me! If you go around along the wall, you¡¯ll find the others, so give them this too, if you can!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± I gave him three more restoratives and left the place, clearing the way with my sword again. By the way, the restoratives I gave him were a small part of the large quantity I couldn¡¯t physically give to Alexis when I left him. I didn¡¯t know if there were any similar quality potions available in this world but it was not something I was unwilling to give away in this situation. The expiration date was about a year, so even if I kept it, it would only deteriorate. ¡°Hey, anybody home?!¡± ¡°Over here!¡± Like that, I circled the perimeter of the village, defeating enemies as I went. Of course, I met up with Waffer again on the way, and after confirming that everything was OK, I went further¡­. ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t see Doben. What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked the man in front of me, a Chemonian with drooping ears, when I had made what seemed like a full circle. I thought I would see him on the way, but I couldn¡¯t feel Doben¡¯s presence anywhere. ¡°Do-Doben-san is fighting further away from us. He said that if he took the bait and drew the Kuronuri away, we could manage to protect the village¡­.¡± ¡°Tch. So that¡¯s the reason!¡± Careless. Sure if Doben was to defend the village alone, his range of attack would be limited. Nevertheless if only one person stood out and continued to attract the enemy, he could greatly reduce the density of Kuronuris attacking the village. I handed the man a recovery potion and immediately activated [Akashic Compass] to locate Doben¡¯s position. Knowing Doben was the only one there, I went there at full speed using [Hermes Dash] flicking off Kuronuris along the way. ¡°Doben!¡± ¡°Whoa!? Ed!?¡± Doben shouted hysterically as he jumped into the center of Kuronuri, where the density was clearly different from the other places. The fact that he seemed composed even though he was surrounded by so many of them, made him fit for the Hero¡¯s role. ¡°You. What are you doing here!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to help! Waffer is on the other side, Tia is in the village! The nine fighting around us are safe!¡± Ignoring the questions posed to me, I told him just what he needed to know. Then, Doben bared his fangs and grinned viciously. ¡°Good news! You know what to do!¡± ¡°Obviously, right? We¡¯re friends!¡± I grinned at him too, and no more words were needed. All that was left was to protect each other¡¯s backs and cut down the Kuronuris around us. ¡°HAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!¡± With a howl, Doben¡¯s sword sliced through several Kuronuris at once. That powerful blow would be difficult even for me to take head on without [Invisible]. However, because of its power, the gap created after the attack was also large. A flea-like Kuronuri, large enough to be held in one¡¯s arms, jumped at our defenseless backs, but I was not so naive¡­. to let it pass through. ¡°Blow away!¡± Instead of cutting them down, I hit them with the hilt of my sword, and the fleas that were blown away hit the surrounding Kuronuris, knocking them out of their positions. I did nothing else and Doben, using the opportunity created, used the same wide range attack he had used before. This was our first time fighting together. And yet we both knew what we had to do. Both of us were first-grade swordsmen, so it was only natural that we could read each other¡¯s movements. Doben, who had the power, would control the situation, and I would fill in the gaps. The impromptu duo turned everything in sight into a storm of tyranny ¡­. and finally, the wave came to an end. ¡°Hah ¡­ haaa ¡­ is it finished, haa ¡­?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± I quickly checked our surroundings with my banishing skills while my back was towards Doben, who was breathing heavily. There were no ¡°Living Kuronuris¡± within a 500-meter radius¡­ which meant that the enemy had been defeated. ¡°Hah ¡­ hah ¡­ phew. Let¡¯s go back to the village.¡± ¡°Roger. I¡¯ll take care of the perimeter.¡± Doben, now breathing steadily, took the lead, and we headed back to the village. We soon reached the fence, and though it was covered in scars and tatters, there was no sign that it had been breached. ¡°¡­ What happened to the others?¡¯ ¡°Maybe in the village? Like you, they are probably worried about their family.¡± ¡°Ah, I guess you could say that.¡± Doben nodded and went straight into the village. Naturally, I followed him, and a large number of villagers were gathered in what appeared to be the square where Mimir had been. ¡°Hey, you guys! Are you alright?¡± ¡°Doben-san! We¡¯re fine, some people got hurt, but no one died!¡± ¡°And the injured were healed by the hairless sister over here! She is amazing.¡± ¡°Ah, ahahahahaha ¡­.¡± When the villagers moved to the side, I saw Tia, surrounded by children and old people, with a subtly perplexed look on her face. From Tia¡¯s point of view, she just used the supplies she had on hand, so I guess she didn¡¯t feel like she was very useful. ¡°Good work, Tia.¡± ¡°Ed! I¡¯m not at all tired. I just used the healing potion I had on hand to treat the wounded.¡± ¡°But still. I know kuronuris didn¡¯t have any chance to come in because Waffer and others did a perfect job, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that Tia was protecting the people inside the village.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Tia-san! Thank you!¡± When I called out to Tia, Mimir, who was listening by my side, thanked her. With those sparkling eyes, even Tia, gave in and smiled broadly. ¡°Doben! ¡± ¡°Waffer¡­!¡± And then Waffer¡¯s voice came from across the crowd. The crowd on that side also parted, and Waffer and Doben slowly made their way to the center of the crowd where we were. ¡°Glad we made it in time.¡± ¡°¡­ Ah, thank you for saving us. Thank you, Hero Waffer.¡± Doben extended his arm with his palm facing up. But Waffer grabbed his hand and turned his wrist sideways. Doben¡¯s eyes widened seeing this, and he nervously opened his mouth. ¡°I-Is it okay?¡± ¡°Of course it is. Me and Doben are friends! Oh, and of course, so are Ed and Tia! You are all my friends and comrades!¡± ¡°¡­ you¡¯re a very honest Hero.¡± The hands that were shunned in the first round, even knowing that they would give up their lives, were now clasped together as equal friends. Ah, yes. This was the ideal scene I was aiming for, the end point of our journey in this world. The day of separation was near. That was why I was determined to keep the image of the two heroes firmly etched in my mind. (T/N:- A little form to comment on the Translation Quality. If possible please answer it : D :- Quality ) CH 44 Chapter 44: - Those Who Join and Those Who Leave. They May Have Left Their Hearts, but They Have Not Left Their Feelings. After fending off the Kuronuri attack, we set about restoring the village quickly. Fortunately, there was no major damage to the buildings, but the wooden fence surrounding the village was so battered and damaged that it could no longer be managed with minor repairs and had to be almost entirely rebuilt. While standing guard around the perimeter, the trees that fell in this battle were carried, processed, and combined to make a fine wooden fence. It was at times like these that I was tempted to use [Copy and Fake] but it was frustrating that I couldn¡¯t use that for the fence because the durability would be reduced by a lot. Nevertheless, on the second day, a messenger from this village brought a group of warriors to support us, and with the greatly increased manpower, we were able to set up more robust defenses than before in just one week. .. And today, we were finally leaving. ¡°I¡¯m very grateful for all your help¡± Doben said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m a Hero!¡± ¡°Ed-san, Tia-san. Thank you very much,¡± Mimir said. ¡°Hahaha. It¡¯s fine. How many times will you thank us?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If you keep thanking us so much, we¡¯ll be even more embarrassed.¡± We smiled and replied to Doben and Mimir, who were seeing us off on the behalf of all the villagers. When one was a member of the Hero¡¯s party, they got used to being thanked on a daily basis, but still, this kind of heartfelt gratitude made me feel embarrassed. ¡°Hmm. However¡­. Yeah! If you¡¯re that grateful, would you mind doing one thing for me as thank you?¡± ¡°Hmm? What is it, Ed? What do you want? I¡¯ll do whatever that¡¯s possible for me¡­¡± ¡°Promise?¡± I grinned at Doben¡¯s words and turned my attention to Waffer. Then, Waffer stepped forward and extended his hand straight toward Doben. ¡°Doben, I need you to come with me!¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ EH?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the dumb look? You said you¡¯d do anything, right?¡± ¡°N-No!? I told you but¡­ I have to carry this village¡­ Owww!?¡± Mimir kicked the confused Doben¡¯s buttocks as hard as she could¡­ somehow, I felt my buttocks tightening up too, but it was probably just my imagination, so I didn¡¯t care. I should not care about it. ¡°Mou~! What are you talking about, Onii-chan! It¡¯s just a coincidence that you were here this time, and you¡¯re usually outside the village, so it¡¯s the same thing, isn¡¯t it!? Or are you just going to sit in this village for the rest of your life until Waffer-san defeats the Demon Lord!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean to, However¡­ but, because, I ¡­¡± Doben, stammering, looked at Waffer, his tail hanging limply. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ the guy who was defeated by Waffer, right¡­.?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true! It¡¯s true that I won that match and became a hero, but that was only for that time! Or is Doben a gutless crybaby for whom losing one time meant he lost for the rest of his life?¡± ¡°No, of course not! Next time we fight, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll win!¡± ¡°Then, victory or defeat is just merely a process! The next match should be a cooperative competition to see who will defeat the Demon Lord!¡± ¡°Waffer¡­ Che, I can¡¯t help it if you go that far.¡± With a bitter smile, Doben didn¡¯t take Waffer¡¯s outstretched hand, but instead ¡­ hugged his shoulder. ¡°The handshake will be held off until then. The last one to win gets to put his hand out¡­. how¡¯s that working out for you?¡± ¡°Wafufufu. I¡¯m not going to lose!¡± A large Doben and a petite Waffer were hugging each other¡¯s shoulders. At first glance, the scene looked threatening, but the wagging tails and shining smiles were absolutely delightful. ¡°I¡¯m so happy for you, Mimir-chan.¡± ¡°Yes, Tia-san! Uwa~ my Onii-chan finally has a friend ¡­¡± ¡°Oi, Mimir, you¡¯re still talking like that! Even I have a friend or two¡­.¡± ¡°Eh? Who?¡± ¡°Ehhh!? That¡¯s, you know ¡­ those vigilante guys and ¡­¡± ¡°I think those guys are scared of you and respect you out of fear, Onii-chan. However, aren¡¯t they a bit different from friends?¡± ¡°Ugggghhhh ¡­ Oh, that¡¯s right, Ed!¡¡See, even this guy¡¯s a friend of mine! Right?¡± ¡°Me!? Well, yes, but ¡­¡± ¡°Uuu. Good for you, Onii-chan. You now have two friends. ¡­¡± ¡°Che!! Don¡¯t give me that look!¡± ¡°I¡¯m so happy for you, Ed. You¡¯ve made a friend.¡± Tia said. ¡°Eh? Why are you dragging me into this mess? Stop, Tia! Don¡¯t look at me like that!¡± We laughed, joked around, said goodbye to each other, and then we set out on our journey. The power of Doben, the newest addition to the team, was unparalleled. After that, we overpowered the Kuronuri attacks that began to occur in various places and gathered information about the Demon Lord. ¡­ Then, finally, the time came. ¡°From this point forward, only Chemonians are allowed to enter this sacred place.¡± Waffer said. ¡°I see. Then that¡¯s it for me and Tia.¡± At first glance, it appeared to be just an entrance to a cave. But beyond that, there was a mysterious space where something was said to exist that was necessary to enhance the power of the Hero and defeat the Demon Lord. But I didn¡¯t know what was beyond that. It was the same in the first round, and now it was the second round, and again, this was our final stop. ¡°Che! Oi, Waffer, can¡¯t you do something about it!? There¡¯s no way after coming this far we can discard these guys!¡± Doben asked. ¡°I know what you mean, and I feel the same way. But since we don¡¯t know how long this ordeal will take, we can¡¯t ask Ed and his companion to wait forever.¡± Waffer said. ¡°Then why don¡¯t we party again when the ordeal is over?! How about it, Ed? I¡¯ll send a message to the hunting shack when we¡¯re done, and then we can¨D¨D¡± Doben said. Doben was trying his best to get us to stay, but I quietly shook my head. ¡°Sorry, Doben. It was fine with you and Waffer, but we humans can¡¯t stay in this country for long by ourselves. We are unwanted guests after all.¡± ¡°Considering you two¡¯s strength, you wouldn¡¯t have to deal with all that! Waffer, with your title of the Hero¡­ or no, go to my village! Mimir is there, she¡¯ll welcome you with open arms!¡± ¡°No. If we settle down in the wrong place, we may be framed for massacring the villagers, and it may be used as an excuse for war. We can¡¯t involve your sister in that.¡± ¡°No way!? That¡¯s ¡­.¡± ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t think all Chemonians hate people that much, or that they are all bad people. But it¡¯s also true that there are some ¡­ extremists, and there are limits to what individuals can do to deal with them. Well, we¡¯ll just sneak back to the human kingdom and look forward to the good news of your defeat of the Demon Lord.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Damn it!¡± I wryly shrugged my shoulders, and Doben kicked the ground as hard as he could. ¡°¡­ I have to admit, before I met you guys, I too had a little discrimination against hairless in my heart. So, I can¡¯t deny what you¡¯re saying. ¡­ Damn, damn it! What the hell is this? I¡¯m just a little guy who can¡¯t even guarantee a safe place for his friends!!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not Doben¡¯s fault. It¡¯s just that a mere traveler can¡¯t do anything about the inter-species problems that have built up over the years. But yes¡­.¡± I cut him off and looked up at the sky. The sky seen through the trees was clear and blue, and the color must have looked the same to both humans and Chemonians. ¡°If you guys defeat the Demon Lord and become famous, just remember once in a while that there are others like us. Maybe then the barrier between humans and Chemonians will break a little.¡± ¡°I understand. In the name of Waffer the Hero of Chemonian, I swear to you that I will never forget Ed and Tia.¡± ¡°Me neither! I ain¡¯t got no title to swear by, but I wouldn¡¯t forget the face of a friend!¡± ¡°That¡¯s good enough. Then ¡­¡± ¡°Waffer!¡± And there, Tia, who had been staying quiet all this time, suddenly jumped on the Waffer. ¡°It was a pleasure traveling with you. ¡­ Take care.¡± ¡°Thank you, Tia. Now, you can stroke me around a little bit, okay?¡± ¡°Fufu¡­¡± Waffer jokingly said, Tia chuckled and squeezed his arms. And like that, they hugged for about 10 seconds, and then Doben was next. ¡°And Doben. Be good to your sister.¡± ¡°Ehh, I don¡¯t need you to tell me that. But¡­ thanks.¡± ¡°Yeah. ¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why, Waffer, we would like a clean farewell.¡± I told Waffer, making sure that Tia, who had left Doben, was back beside me. Then, Waffer¡¯s tail wagged once and his round eyes looked straight at me. ¡°Ed and Tia, you¡¯re both removed from the party. Thank you for your help.¡± ¡°Thank you. Good luck, you two.¡± I gripped the offered hand and shook it firmly, and Waffer and Doben disappeared into the cave without looking back. We looked away, looked at each other and nodded, and Tia and I also firmly held hands¡­ and soon our existence was completely banished from this world. CH 45 Chapter 45: - I Knew We''d Succeed But I Didn''t Expect We''d Overdo It. ¡°Ph ¡­ Phew. We made it safely this time.¡± After a light feeling of intoxication, we returned to the as usual and checked my neck, shoulders and other parts of my body as I was accustomed to. Mm, of course the body was back to normal this time, too. I would be impressed if I had spent more than a few decades and got younger, but six months or a year since I was 20 years old, I could only feel disappointed over the loss of my muscle strength and stamina¡­ ¡°¡­ Tia? Are you okay?¡± ¡°Y-yeah. I¡¯m fine. ¡­¡± ¡°If you feel something wrong with your body, just tell me, okay? Nevermind, I can¡¯t help you even if you tell me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really fine. Unlike Ed, in my case, even going back ten years doesn¡¯t change things that much.¡± ¡°I see. As expected, being over 100 years old is different ¡­ Owww!!¡± Tia¡¯s kick bursted mercilessly into my ass. ¡°Why!? An elf and 100 years old is not old or anything?!!¡± ¡°Whatever! Ed no baka!!!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get it¡­.¡± I rubbed my bottom with tears in my eyes, not knowing why she was angry. It was really unreasonable, but ¡­ Well, Tia seemed to be feeling a little better, so I guess it was okay. ¡°So, how was it? Your first time in another world?¡± ¡°Yeah. It was a lot more normal than I imagined it would be ¡­ but a lot more fun and happy and ¡­ a little sad.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°¡­ Ed is amazing. You¡¯ve done this a hundred times, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I guess. Well, you get used to it. There are good encounters and bad encounters, fun times and hard times. There were worlds where I wanted to stay there forever, and there were worlds where I just wanted to go home right now¡­ If there is anything I can say from my experience, it is to enjoy ¡­ with an open mind. We are just strangers to any world who come out of nowhere and stay only for a short time¡­ We should enjoy our short time as strangers. I think it¡¯s best to spend as much time as you can so you can remember, ¡®Ah, that world was fun,¡¯ don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°I see. ¡­ I guess. I see.¡± Tia smiled and replied to me as I said it carefree. It looked like she was pretending to smile, but that was because of the wonderful memories of Waffer and his friends. If that was the case, we should be happy. ¡°But I wonder what happened Waffer and others after that? Even if it¡¯s a good memory, I¡¯m still concerend about it¡­¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s all right. Watch me ¡­¡± I turned around and looked at the table and there it was, a flickering crystal ball. If it was the same as last time, then if I touched it, that book would ¡­ What was it? Anyway, that thing should fall down. Then, that was exactly why I carefully reached to the crystal ball and ¡­ here it comes! I quickly turned my body around, perfectly anticipating God¡¯s behavior. But no matter how long I waited, what I was looking for didn¡¯t fall, and my head remained unharmed. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..?¡± ¡°What are you doing Ed?¡± ¡°Huh? No, there should be a book on my head ¡­¡± ¡°Ah!? Hey Ed, there¡¯s a book!¡± Puzzled, I looked towards where Tia¡¯s voice was, and saw a book on the table with the title {Records Of the Hero¡¯s Story}. Eh, why? Wasn¡¯t it supposed to fall on my head? I mean, if it was okay like this, why had it been raining on my head all this time!? Were you harassing me!? Was that it, you were harassing me!!? ¡°Result book ¡­? What¡¯s this? Hey, Ed, can I read this?¡± ¡°¡­. Uh, yeah. Go ahead.¡± Feeling something that I couldn¡¯t quite put my finger on, I read the heavily leather-bound book with Tia. Unlike with Alexis, Waffer¡¯s description before we met was less, and after that, we skimmed it because we and Waffer were working together until we reached halfway through the book. I read with immense concentration from the part where we parted ways at the cave ¡­ And when the words ¡°final chapter¡± appeared, I gulped and read each word letter by letter without pausing. The 002nd world {Records Of the Hero¡¯s Story} Final chapter {The Kingdom Of Edortia} Thus, the Demon Lord was defeated by the hero Waffer and the hero Doben, and the threat of the Kuronuri slowly decreased from the world. With the extra military power and vast lands of the Demon Lord¡¯s domain, as well as the power of the heroes who defeated the Demon Lord, some Chemonians started a movement saying, ¡°We should take this opportunity to defeat the humans and unify the world with the power of Chemonians.¡± But Waffer the Hero responded, ¡°I was able to defeat the Demon Lord because I had an irreplaceable human friend. I will never forget that debt of gratitude and the love of my friends forever!¡± The hero Doben made a similar statement, and the momentum of the war quickly faded away. Furthermore, when a Chemonian hero said that he recognized the existence of humans, a movement was born for both sides to recognize each other¡¯s existence, and with the support of the people¡¯s will, the world¡¯s first country where humans and Chemonians coexisted, Edortia, was established in the vast territory of the Demon Lord. Waffer, the Hero who became the first king of Edortia, and Doben, who became the general, served as his right hand man. Although the two men who devoted their lives to the reconciliation of the two races were never reunited with their ¡°friends,¡± their pure feelings were still engraved in this country where humans and Chemonians laughed together. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s amazing. I knew he would be able to defeat the Demon Lord, but I didn¡¯t expect him to become a king¡­¡± ¡°Hey, hey, Ed. The name of this country is ¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it. Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± I was glad Waffer and his friends felt the same way as we did, but to have our name used in the name of their country was just ¡­ something, eh? What do you want me to do? No, it didn¡¯t mean I was not happy, okay? I felt honored, and I knew those guys did their best, there were many things I thought about, like how they remembered our promise. ¡­ but the name of the country was something ¡­ ¡°Or rather, if we had stayed in that world, we¡¯d be like a major figure in the country, wouldn¡¯t we?¡± I said. ¡°Given the country¡¯s origins and political standing, Waffer and Ed would have been joint kings. Fufu. How about you, Ed? Too bad you didn¡¯t get to be king?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, I don¡¯t want to be king, even if they ask me!¡± A king of a newly emerging country that kept getting stared at by two major powers would melt my stomach in seconds, you know? I could never choose to give up my freedom in exchange for a little luxury and to live together with people. Well, that was why I had a lot of respect for Waffer and Doben, who apparently chose to do it and did it. If I had been there, I would have wanted to help, but as far as I could tell from reading ¡­ this, everything was already past. ¡°¡­It was just a few moments ago for us, but behind that door, decades have already passed.¡± Tia said. ¡°Well, it looks like it. But isn¡¯t that usual for a long-lived species like Tia?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s to that extent. But yeah sometimes 10 years or so pass by before I realize it.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s pretty much the same thing. ¡­ Well, okay. Here, Tia.¡± I called out Tia and closed the book and tucked it away in the bookshelf. The bookshelf with two books lined up was still a bit empty, but that was why I was determined to line up the best history on all of these books. ¡°Then, let¡¯s move on to the next world.¡± ¡°Ah, wait, wait! Let¡¯s see¡­ ¡­ Yeah!¡± As I got up from my seat, Tia hurriedly touched the crystal ball and then followed me. ¡°So? What world is next?¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­ what was it like? I mean, Tia, did you get any skills again?¡± ¡°Fufufu, it¡¯s a secret! I¡¯ll tell you later.¡± ¡°What? Now I¡¯m curious! Tell me now.¡± ¡°No! It would be a shame to end all the fun all at once! Come on, come on, let¡¯s go! The new world is calling us!¡± ¡°Yeah yeah. Let¡¯s get going.¡± Holding Tia¡¯s hand tightly, I opened the newly emerged 003 door. The first step we took in search of new encounters and new adventures disappeared into the light once again. (T/N: Give me 2-3 days to prepare for the 3rd world. Hope you all are enjoying it so far.) CH 46 Chapter 46: - The Ruffian Who Showed up, I Won''t Say Who He Is ¨CWorld transfer complete ¡°Owww!¡± The 003rd world. We emerged in a small, dark¡­ No, narrow! Too tight! What on Earth is this? ¡°Wh-What is this place!? Ed, I am in pain here!¡± ¡°Idiot! Don¡¯t move, Tia! I¡¯m in severe pain, too!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know anything! Ah mou~~! Ughhhhi ¡­!¡± We were tightly packed in a mysterious enclosed space, with our small bodies folded up. Yeah, what the hell? I didn¡¯t experience anything like this during my first round¡­!? ¡°Ggh! Ah, yeah¡­. Hey, Tia, calm down first.¡± ¡°If this is how it is supposed to be, I¡¯m going to blow it away with my magic! Bind the wind¨D¨D¡± ¡°Wait, wait, wait, wait! Stop it, Tia! It¡¯s alright!¡± I felt a sharp pain in my head and at the same time I remembered where I was, and I hurried to stop Tia. If she used a big magic spell here, we would surely be thrown into the sea. However, my body was also not free. I was supposed to come alone, but when two people were crammed into a tight space like this, no matter how petite Tia was, there was no way there would be any gap. ¡°In the name of Lunaritia¨D¨D¡± ¡°Stop! Can you really please stop, Tia-san!?¡± ¡°Is this it? Oi, come out obediently, you stowaways¨D¨D¡± ¡°[Stormbringer]!¡± ¡°Ehhh!?¡± The lid of the closed box was opened, and Tia¡¯s spirit magic exploded in the face of the old man who peeked in¨D¨D ¡°Hey, are these the stowaways?¡± ¡°Yes, Nee-san.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not ¡°Nee-San¡±, it¡¯s Captain!¡± ¡°Heggh!? S-Sorry, Ane ¡­ Captain ¡­¡± Tia and I are forced to sit upright in the center of the large deck. Tia and I were forced to sit on the floor in the center of the large deck. Our hands were tied, our weapons were taken, and we were surrounded by about 20 men and it was a desperate situation. And in front of us, another old man was being slapped on the head by a beautiful woman in gorgeous, stylish clothes. I knew that the captain of the ship was a redheaded woman who looked to be in her thirties, with ample breasts and buttocks that were on the verge of bursting. ¡°Well, that¡¯s all right. You both, what are your names?¡± The woman asked. ¡°I¡¯m Ed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Lunaritia. I ¡­. I¡¯m sorry for being so violent out of the blue. ¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t mind. When you see our men¡¯s ugly faces, it¡¯s natural to want to scream.¡± ¡°That¡¯s cruel, Nee-san!¡± ¡°I told you to call me Captain!¡± ¡°Goha!?¡± The captain threw a knife¡­ the handle part of course, but¡­ it struck the protesting man directly in the forehead. Wow, that sounded rather nasty. Looked painful. ¡°So? What kind of a stupid idea you had for you to stow away on my ship? If things go wrong, I¡¯ll just throw you overboard. ¡­¡± The captain of the ship opened her hands and showed them to us. Yes, we were in the middle of the open sea, with no land in sight. If so, this ship was the same as a small country, and I spoke politely to the captain, who believed she held our life and death in her hands. ¡°First of all, I apologize for our rudeness in coming on board your ship without your permission. But we have our own circumstances. ¡­ would you be willing to let us stay on the ship for six months?¡± I said. ¡°¡­You, are you deaf? I¡¯m asking you about your situation.¡± Captain asked. "" ¡°I am sorry, but we cannot answer that question. If we tell you that, you¡¯ll be involved in our affairs, too.¡± I replied. ¡°Hou? Is that what you¡¯re saying? You want me to let a guy who is obviously in trouble and has come on board without permission, without asking why, stay on this ship? Do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡± The Captain Lady, who was looking down at us from above, glared at me with penetrating and chilling eyes. The intimidation I felt was proof that this woman had indeed earned her captain¡¯s position with her abilities¡­ but there was not enough murderous intent and madness in her eyes to scare me. ¡°By no means. Because¨D¨D¡± I put strength into my arms and cut the rope that bound me. Of course, this was impossible with my brute strength, and this was because Tia had secretly cut a slit in the rope with spirit magic. When I regained my freedom to do so, I stood up on the spot and clenched my fists. I wasn¡¯t that good with this, but it was just enough to face them. ¡°With my fist, I will prove my usefulness to you.¡± The Captain Lady shuddered looking at my vicious smile. The look of amusement on her face at the smell of violence, as I expected ¡­, but that was okay for now. ¡°Ha! You sure are talking big! Hey, you guys, let¡¯s see if that boy is a man of his word!¡± The Captain commanded. ¡°Yes, Captain!¡± At the Captain¡¯s words, three old guys surrounded me first. But their faces had a loose grin and none of them had drawn their weapons¡­. In other words, I was being looked down upon. ¡°Hey, Lad, I¡¯ll baptize you to be a man of the sea¡­.?¡± Before the old man could finish his words, my fist slammed into his stomach. I had activated [Hermes Dash], for a split second, and no one was able to notice my movement. ¡°¡­One.¡± ¡°Y-You!! What¨D¨D¡± The surprised old man placed his hand on the sword at his waist, but it was too late. Before he could pull it out, I rushed in and hit him again with the [Hermes Dash], which caused another old man to roll on the floor. ¡°Two.¡± ¡°Da, damn it!!! Hey, somebody, join me! I¡¯ll chop you up and feed you to the fishes!¡± At the sound of a panicked third man¡¯s voice, the rest of the men surrounded me like prey and pounced on me. But still, it wasn¡¯t enough¡­ danger for me. ¡°Ggh!¡± ¡°Geehaa!?¡± ¡°What!!?¡± One by one, men were sunk by my fists. The [Hermes Dash] could only move in a straight line, but it was impossible to stop my advance for those who were not calm enough to notice this and who did not have the minimum ability to cope with this speed. ¡°What the hell is going on? Somebody do something about this guy!¡± ¡°O, Oi, brat, stop! Do you not care what happens to this woman!?¡± Hearing this voice from behind me, I turned around to see a dull, shiny knife pressed against Tia¡¯s neck. It was a common way¡­ ¡°Oi oi, That¡¯s a bit too much, don¡¯t you think?¡± I said. ¡°What the hell are you talking about? It¡¯s too late for that¨D¨D-¡± ¡°Nope, Not you.¡± Denying the man¡¯s misunderstanding, I chuckled and turned to my partner, who was sitting on the ground with her head facing down. The chanting, which could be detected by the movement of her mouth, was more than a little powerful. ¡°¨D¨D Manifest, [Vortex Aura] !¡± Instantly, a huge tornado appeared around Tia, easily blowing away the man who was holding a knife against her. The men on deck were in an uproar at the sudden appearance of the tornado, which lasted less than a second, and Tia smiled smugly when she saw it. ¡°Fufufu~. How¡¯s that? Sorry, but I¡¯m not a woman who needs to be protected, okay?¡± ¡°Glad to see that you were careful. I was afraid you¡¯d get serious and cut the ship in half.¡± ¡°I would never do something like that!? What does Ed think I am?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the same tomboy who didn¡¯t listen to me earlier when I told her to wait and instead fired off a spell, right?¡± ¡°Ggh! That¡¯s why I¡¯m ¡­ sorry.¡± I said while grinning at her, and Tia turned away from me while twitching her ears. Nonetheless, it would be pitiful to tease her too much, so I turned to the captain again and gave her a beautiful bow, like an aristocrat. ¡°Do you like it? Did I meet the captain¡¯s expectations?¡± ¡°Hahaha! I see, I see. Well, if you are that strong, you certainly have your uses, even if it brings trouble, alright. Listen up, you guys! From today on, these two are your friends, newcomers! Anybody who has a problem with that, come forward!¡± The captain¡¯s words were loudly proclaimed, and no one openly objected. Even if there were, it would only increase the number of people rolling on the floor, of course. ¡°Yoshi yoshi. Well then, I¡¯ll tell you my name again. I am the captain of this ship, Rebecca. Let me welcome you all aboard the pirate ship Scarlet.¡± ¡°Thank you, Captain.¡± ¡°Thank ¡­ Eh, Pirate ship!?¡± As I grabbed Rebecca¡¯s extended hand gripping, Tia¡¯s hysterical voice seeped into the wide blue sky. (T/N: I accidentally tled the wrong chapter for romcom. Except two chapters tomorrow.) CH 47 The captain was so pleased with us that we were supposed to go straight to work for her on the pirate ship Scarlett¡­¡­ but¡­¡­¡­¡­? ¡°How did we get into this¡­?¡± Tia asked. ¡°She sure is in a good mood.¡± I said. I was currently next to Captain Rebecca in her chair, holding and waving an awfully big leaf and blowing a cool breeze. On the other side of the chair, Tia was doing the same thing, and her face was naturally bewildered as well. ¡°Errr, Captain? Is this ¡­?¡± I asked. ¡°Hmm? Well, I¡¯ve heard that the Royalties do this kind of thing. So, I thought I¡¯d give it a shot, at least once.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got some refined taste.¡± I said. ¡°What, you don¡¯t like it?¡± Rebecca stared at me, and I responded with a vague smile. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, but I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be made to do this¡­.¡± So, for my part, I was ready to polish up the deck to the point where my feet would slip, or secretly indulge my self-satisfaction by peeling vegetables in long, thin strips without shredding them, so I felt confused by this treatment. No, really, what¡¯s going on? I assumed the difference would be just enough to be treated like a guest because we showed our ability, but I didn¡¯t see the point of making us fan a leaf, right? ¡°Well, I was just trying to do something that just came to my mind. You wouldn¡¯t want the same thing to happen to you as you did to the men you defeated, would you?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s true.¡± Usually only beautiful men and women who were made to serve like this. I couldn¡¯t imagine being fanned by an old man who was proud of his skills with his sweat flying all over. I could already smell the stench, and in every sense of the word, it seemed like a bad idea. ¡°Ugh, I absolutely hate it. ¡­¡± Tia said. ¡°Ahahahaha!¡± Tia, perhaps thinking of such a scene, frowned openly and her ears drooped down. Rebecca seemed to be laughing happily when she saw our faces, but after she finished laughing and drank a glass of wine, she took a breath and then slowly started talking to me. ¡°Haa¡­ So? What¡¯s the reason you guys rolled up here?¡± Rebecca asked. ¡°No, like I said¡­¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s just you and me now, right? If I pretend I didn¡¯t hear it, that¡¯s the end of the story. Is it still not enough to hide it?¡± ¡°¡­ is that why you especially did this?¡± ¡°Well, I won¡¯t deny that I¡¯ve always wanted to try it.¡± I see, you are leading a band of ruffians. If they go this far and don¡¯t say anything, there¡¯s a good chance they¡¯ll be kicked out of the stones¡­. hmmm? ¡°Well then, between you and me¡­¡­ I don¡¯t mean to say this, but don¡¯t you think Tia is quite an attractive woman?¡± I said. ¡°Fuehh?!? E-Ed, what¡¯s with you all of a sudden!¡± ¡°Hmm? Yeah. Not sexy, but she is surely beautiful like a work of art. In addition¡­ Nevermind, I¡¯m not going to tell you this one.¡± Rebecca said. ¡°Even the captain!? Or rather, what is it that you don¡¯t want to tell me?!¡± ¡°Ah, yes, yes. we¡¯ll get to that later.¡± I told her. ¡°Ed!?¡± I restrained Tia, who had a perfect blend of embarrassment, upset, and anger on her face, with my hand, and continued talking to Rebecca. I was still being slapped on the back, but I didn¡¯t care about that¨D¨D ¡°It hurts! I get it! I¡¯ll tell you later!¡± ¡°Mou~! Definitely?¡± ¡°Good grief¡­Anyway, she caught the eye of a rather nasty bigwig. The trouble with people with power is that you can¡¯t solve their problems by punching them in the face. However, we are not going to leave ourselves open to being attacked. I¡¯ve been getting a lot of help laying the groundwork through my contacts, but if Tia is taken into custody before we get the results, there¡¯s nothing we¡¯d be able to do, so we¡¯ve taken refuge here.¡± I said. ¡°I see. So, that¡¯s why you are on my boat. It is true that no one will come after you on the sea, and we, who have been outlaws from the beginning, cannot be suppressed by public authority. But that is only on the premise that I will not sell you. We are pirates. Didn¡¯t you think we¡¯d just drop everything and jump at the small change in front of us, rather than take the risk and try to make a big profit?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see about that when the time comes. I gave up and resigned myself to my luck¡­¡± Once there, I cut off my words, swapped the big leaf into one hand, and with my free hand, clenched my fist and thrust it forward. ¡°I¡¯m just going to knock you out and take this whole ship.¡± Rebecca gave me a blank look as I said this with a smirk on my face. But then, just as quickly, she started laughing out loud, clutching her stomach. ¡°Kuhahahahahah! Good, good! It¡¯s nice to be able to let your youth take over and have a big mouth. But if you have that confidence, why didn¡¯t you do it from the beginning?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s easier this way. I can¡¯t do anything on a ship if I don¡¯t have the skills to handle it. If there is nothing else I can do, I will do it, but if not, it is much easier to follow the captain and polish the deck.¡± ¡°You really have a calculating way of speaking. You are a brat with a big mouth but strangely realistic and not knowing what to do. That¡¯s all right. As I said before, as long as you don¡¯t give us any trouble, we¡¯ll keep you on the ship, so don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll still have to do work, though.¡± ¡°Leave it to me, Captain! I¡¯ll work for you with great enthusiasm.¡± Rebecca was in a good mood, and I waved the big leaf in her direction. We chatted for a while after that, and I decided to ask her something that had been bothering me for a while. ¡°By the way, Captain, do you know the story of the Hero and the Demon Lord?¡± ¡°What is it, all of a sudden? When you say ¡°Hero and the Demon Lord,¡± are you talking about the Demon Lord of the Mist and the Hero of the Light?¡± ¡°The Demon Lord of the Mist? What is that?¡± ¡°Eh. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve never heard of it!? It¡¯s a famous fairy tale, you know?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s probably only in this area. You don¡¯t hear about it at all when you go to the inland areas. I didn¡¯t even hear about it until I came here.¡± Before Tia could blurt it out, I hurried to follow up. Then Rebecca, who had been surprised for a moment, nodded and agreed with me. ¡°Really? Well, it¡¯s certainly about the ocean¡­ I will tell you then. At the end of the sea in this world, there¡¯s a Demon Lord who creates fog. And the fog is spreading a little bit every year, and if it continues at this rate, the world will eventually be swallowed up by it. The Hero is the one who clears away the fog. The rough plot of the story is that the Hero uses a sword called the Sword of Light to clear the fog, defeat the Demon Lord, and bring peace to the world.¡± ¡°Eh. So that means the Demon Lord is still creating fog in the world?¡± I asked. ¡°What? Don¡¯t be silly. That¡¯s a fairy tale, right? It¡¯s true that if you go all the way across the ocean, there are areas where the fog is so thick that you can¡¯t go on, but it¡¯s not unusual to have fog on the ocean.¡± ¡°Hmmm. So, both the Hero and the Demon Lord exist only in fairy tales?¡± I asked. ¡°If you think about it, that¡¯s what common sense tells you.¡± Rebecca replied. ¡°I see. In other words, the purpose of this trip is to search for it,¡± Tia said ¡°Hmm? Did you say something?¡± ¡°No, nothing.¡± Tia said. Rebecca tilted her head lightly at Tia¡¯s little murmur, but fortunately she didn¡¯t ask anything more. We just kept fanning her with the big leaf until Rebecca got bored ¡­ and that night. ¡°Now then, why don¡¯t we get you to tell us a little bit about it?¡± For some reason, I was being asked that question in close proximity to Tia on a bed that was too cramped for me to even sleep alone. CH 48 Chapter 48: - A Man And A Woman Alone In A Small Bed. Sometimes... Nothing Happens. Even when I was alone, I was cramped in the bottom of the triple bunk bed. It was the only free private place on this pirate ship except for the lavatory, Tia was snuggled up to me. ¡°Um, Tia-san? Isn¡¯t this a little too close?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped, this place is too small! There¡¯s nowhere else to talk.¡± ¡°Well, yeah. Alright, but¡­¡± There was no way that a rookie who had just arrived today would be assigned a private room. This room was a six-person room since there was another triple bunk bed installed on the opposite wall. Although I knew which places the people on this ship rarely visited, it was not impossible to block out the sound using Tia¡¯s spirit magic. However, since we couldn¡¯t afford to be kicked out of the ship, we wanted to avoid behavior that may raise suspicions as much as possible. ¡°It¡¯s just that, your voice¡­¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve got a better way.¡± Tia smiled at my words and held my hand for some reason. What in the world¨D¨D? (How about this? Can you hear me?) ¡°Whoa?!¡± ¡°Hey, Ed! You¡¯re talking too loud!¡± ¡°O-oh. My bad¡­¡± I was taken aback by the voice that suddenly appeared in my head. I mean, wouldn¡¯t you be freaked out if you suddenly heard someone¡¯s voice inside your head? I mean, is it¡­? (Is it a banishment skill, by any chance?) I asked. (You call it a banishment skill? This is an ability I was given before I came to this world.) Tia replied. (Ah, that¡¯s just what I call it¡­ But, yeah. That¡¯s very convenient.) (Boo~. You don¡¯t seem too surprised.) The silent Tia pouted and looked dissatisfied, but I was holding in my astonishment. There was a technique of communicating through finger movements, which of course could be seen by the enemy. The ability to communicate perfectly in complete silence was of far higher value than one could ever imagine. (What are the conditions to use it? Does it consume anything?) (Err¡­ The only condition for the voice to be heard is that a part of the body should be in contact with me. But it can¡¯t be through clothes, it has to be skin-to-skin contact. I don¡¯t feel any consumption, and there doesn¡¯t seem to be any sort of time limit. Oh, by the way, this banishment skill you call it? It¡¯s name is [Missing Talk.]) (I see. This is a very specific skill again.) (I know, right? So, you must tell me the story now!) While I was grimacing at the invisible hand of God, Tia pleaded to me with her eyes wide open. The room was almost pitch-black without a single light, perhaps to save money, but that was why Tia¡¯s eyes seemed to sparkle with curiosity with a bit of light in them. (I¡¯m not going to hide it, I¡¯ll explain it to you. But where should I start?) (Pirates, pirates! That¡¯s because we¡¯re on a pirate ship now, of course!) (Really? But there¡¯s nothing more I can say to explain it, you know? I don¡¯t know why these guys are pirates, either. The only thing I can tell you is that Rebecca, the captain, is probably a Hero.) (A Hero!? Ehh, but didn¡¯t you say earlier that the Hero only exists in fairy tales?) (Yeah. I don¡¯t really understand that either.) Perhaps Rebecca herself was not aware that she was a Hero. Her behavior was not particularly like a Hero. Then why did I think she was a Hero? Because the moment I was kicked out of this ship, the condition for returning to the <> was fulfilled. (During the first round in the Dream World, I didn¡¯t think Rebecca was a Hero. So I did menial work on the ship and gathered information about Heroe at every port where we stopped. But no matter where I went, the existence of the Hero was only a fairy tale, and I couldn¡¯t get any concrete information. I wasn¡¯t able to make any progress, so I got off the ship after about eight months, and then I was able to return to the <> after fulfilling the condition. If I was able to return, then that meant I was expelled from the Hero¡¯s party, and I had fulfilled that condition the moment you got off the ship. So¡­) (¡­ I agree. Given the circumstances, I¡¯d say the captain is the Hero.) (There¡¯s still the possibility that any of the sailors on this ship could be a Hero, but that¡¯s a bit of a long shot.) After spending eight months on a small ship, one could at least understand each of the other¡¯s personalities. However, for better or worse, the sailors aboard this ship were all ordinary scoundrels, and none of them looked like a Hero. But now, if I looked at their growth using [Rainbow Glasses], the one with the most potential could develop into a Hero¡­ (Ah, Damn it. I should have looked earlier.) (Hmm? Look what?) (Oh!? No, there¡¯s a banishment skill that can determine a subject¡¯s talents, or rather, how they can grow in the future¡­ Hey Tia, does this ability convey thoughts to the other person you¡¯re not consciously trying to convey to?) (Eh? I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know those details yet.) (Ah, it¡¯s alright. My bad.) There was no way even for me to fully grasp the effects of the banishment skill that I had just acquired and used for the first time. I lowered my head reflexively, and Tia¡¯s forehead, which was also moved down, thumped against my forehead. (Guh?! Oww!) I exclaimed. (Oww?! What¡­ Fufu?) (What¡¯s so funny?) I asked Tia while rubbing my forehead. She had tears in her eyes and a small smile on her face. (Because it¡¯s so funny that we tried to lower our heads at the same time¡­ Oh, yes. I totally forgot to ask, what was it that the captain didn¡¯t tell me back then? I¡¯ve been wondering about it ever since!) (Ugh¡­ you really want to hear this? It¡¯s not a good story, you know?) I frowned, and Tia flinched. But after a few moments of hesitation, she came close enough to breathe on my face and reiterated her request. (Yes. I want to hear it. I don¡¯t want to hear it, but I feel like I won¡¯t be able to sleep if I don¡¯t.) (Then I¡¯ll tell you¡­ Part of Tia¡¯s charm is her thin breasts and hips and girlish¨DOuch! It hurts!) (Mou~~~~~~~~~!!!!!!!!!!!!!) I almost gagged when she slapped my chest relatively hard. However, since I promised to explain, I had to make sure I finished the story. (The rest is the Hobby of causing pain and destroying what is beautiful and innocent. It¡¯s one thing to have a good appearance, but I can¡¯t say that there aren¡¯t people with a warped nature who want to see Tia, with her bright personality, screaming and crying) I said. I could think of a few such heartless fiends, though they were not the ones I would encounter in this world. That world was still yet to come, but I would have to be prepared for that when we reached there. (Ugh¡­ Sure, there are a very few people like that¡­ And for some reason, they are all rich or powerful¡­) Tia said. (Well, I guess only the rich ones can afford to keep people for their own pleasure.) (¡­ Hey, Ed. If¨D¨D) (I¡¯ll kill them.) I assured Tia, who sounded anxious¡­with my voice, or rather a thought¡­ without letting her finish. (Whatever the circumstances, sacrificing Tia is not an option for me.) If I was going to choose that, then I wouldn¡¯t be here in the first place. I would never believe those who spout shit like life was of equal value. (But what if you need to do it to get back to your world?) (I don¡¯t give a shit! I¡¯m here to bust those things on my second round¡­ of Dream World after surviving through it for the first time. But, well, yeah. If I can¡¯t get home, then when that time comes¡­) (What then?) (I¡¯ll live in that world for the rest of my life happily. You¡¯ll be with me, won¡¯t you?) (¡­ Naturally. I¡¯m your Onee-chan.) Tia smiled as she tapped my forehead with her index finger. She continued to squirm closer and buried her face in my chest. I couldn¡¯t hear Tia¡¯s voice anymore and¡­ (No, no, no, don¡¯t fall asleep! Go back to your own bed!) (Eh? It¡¯s kind of a hassle, and it¡¯s okay to sleep together sometimes. You know, we used to sleep in the same tent when we were traveling with Alexis and the others.) (That¡¯s true, but that¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about! Come on, get out!) (Mou~!) As Tia walked away from the bed with her cheeks puffed out in frustration, I finally stretched out my arms and legs with a feeling of freedom. It was still small, but I would be able to sleep normally. ¡°Good grief, you really are a lively young lady.¡± I quietly closed my eyes on the bed, where Tia¡¯s warmth remained. I was a little uncomfortable to hear the strange sniffling coming from the bed above me, but my consciousness quickly faded into darkness¡­ and my first night in this world ended with a peaceful sleep. (T/N: Anyone willing to be an editor for this novel? Need extra pair of eyes to look over it and edit the errors. If willing Look for me in foxaholic discord, Name:- Amane. Hope you enjoy this chapter too : D) CH 49 Chapter 49: - The First Job to Kill Boredom Is To Beat Up A Gang of Romantically Trained Pirates. ¡°Haaaaaaaaaaaa ¡­¡± It had been a while since we joined the pirate crew. Tia sighed heavily next to me as I continued to peel the vegetables with my practiced hand. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Tia? Your hands are still.¡± ¡°Hey, Ed. Why are we doing this?¡± ¡°Why, because we¡¯re the lowest-ranking rookie, right? At least it¡¯s more like a job than fanning the captain with a big leaf.¡± ¡°Yes, but not that! We¡¯ve been doing nothing but chores like cleaning boats and peeling vegetables ever since! Can¡¯t we do something more ¡­ like you did before in the first round?¡± ¡°Even if you say that¡­¡± I didn¡¯t understand why Tia looked so grumpy, but then again. We were in the middle of a wide ocean. Even if we were to push the job to someone else and try to get out of here, there was no place to escape to. Rather, because I was assigned to do chores, I didn¡¯t have free time. If we had been treated as guests and not required to do anything, I might have started counting the grains of ship¡¯s wood. ¡°To be honest, this is how it¡¯s going to be for most of the time this time. We¡¯re supposed to make a port call1 once every month or two, but the rest of the time we¡¯d be on the ship.¡± ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s different from what I imagined ¡­ pirates are supposed to be more like, you know, awesome adventures and stuff, right?¡± She asked, ¡°There may be some who do, but even then they mostly stay on the ship. If we were attacked by magic beasts as often as when we walk on the ground, a wooden ship would sink in no time, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I know! I know, but ¡­¡­ ugh ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­¡± Tia peeled vegetables at high speed, trying to contain her uncontrollable anger. T-that¡¯s a lot. However, if she was looking for a change of pace then we could do it on the ship ¡­ ¡°I see a ship!¡± Suddenly, from far above deck, a loud voice echoed through the galley, which could be heard even in this secluded area. At the same time, the sound of thunderous footsteps were heard throughout the ship, and Tia¡¯s long ears began to twitch. ¡°What!? A ship!?¡± Tia exclaimed, ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t that too early?¡± I said. ¡°Hey Ed, what¡¯s this? Or rather, don¡¯t we have to go too!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s go, Tia!¡± I tossed the vegetables in my hand into a nearby basket and started running with Tia¡¯s hand in tow. The deck was already swarming with the sailors, and the captain, Rebecca, was standing on the higher deck. ¡°Report!¡± Rebecca said. ¡°Ah, Nee-san! There is a ship ahead! Five hundred meters to the east-southeast, two ships total ¡­, it looks like one of them is under attack.¡± ¡°I told you to call me Captain! The flag?¡± ¡°Err, ¡­ it¡¯s the Makisu Company that¡¯s being attacked. And the one that¡¯s attacking ¡­ Wow, that¡¯s Baroque!¡± ¡°The Baroque Theatre Company? That¡¯s good. Full speed ahead! We¡¯re going to make some money!¡± ¡°¡±¡±OH!!!¡±¡±¡± Rebecca¡¯s command caused all the sailors to move in unison. Naturally, it was me and Tia who stayed where we were without moving. The reason was that we, as newcomers, had neither the skill nor the right to operate the ship, and since we couldn¡¯t abandon the ship, we always wore the armor that we received back on the first day. ¡°Hey Ed, by earning money, do you mean they¡¯re going to start working as a pirate now?¡± Tia asked. ¡°Ah, yes. Rejoice, Tia, you can move your body¡­. Huh?¡± I said, ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Tia?¡± For some reason, Tia¡¯s complexion was not good, even though she was finally free from the cramped work. When I called out to her, Tia replied in a low voice, her jade green eyes conflicted. ¡°A Pirate¡¯s job is to attack innocent people, take their money and goods, and kill them, isn¡¯t it? I know I have to do it considering my position, but still ¡­¡± ¡°¡­..? Ah, right. Tia doesn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know what?¡± ¡°Fufufu, you¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡± I said. I grinned at Tia, who asked anxiously. In the meantime, the ship kept on going and soon reached the flank of the two ships. A ship bearing a black flag with a crest that looked like a skull stuck in a fish hook was constantly throwing hooked rope in an attempt to board, while a ship bearing a flag with a dragon crest with a gold coin added was desperately resisting. ¡°It looks like we made it just in time. Makisu Company! How much for the cargo and your life?¡± Rebecca shouted and asked, ¡°No way, A pirate eater!? Four hundred and forty ¡­. no, five hundred!¡± A well-dressed man on a merchant ship answered Rebecca¡¯s call from the deck by gesturing with his hands. The expression on his face was a mixture of bitterness and relief, but it seemed that the price he came up with was to Rebecca¡¯s liking. ¡°Good price! We have a deal! The enemy is Baroque! Turn around and get on him!¡± Rebecca commanded. ¡°HAI!¡± Accompanying her command, A reasonably big ship glided on the sea like a living creature and turned around to the opposite side of the merchant vessel, and threw a grappling rope to the enemy ship. The enemy, then, could not afford to be bothered with a merchant ship of inferior strength, and pirates in matching red and white stripes gathered on the port side of the ship. ¡°Wow, look at them Ed! They¡¯re all wearing the same clothes!¡± Tia said. ¡°Yes, But don¡¯t be surprised just yet, okay?¡± I told her, ¡°Eee, What more is there?¡± Tia asked, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Look, here he comes!¡± As I shifted my gaze from Tia to the enemy ship, whose eyes were sparkling with excitement, I saw a middle-aged man with a beard like an anchor, dressed in a fancy pirate outfit as if he were an actor or something, appearing in the most noticeable place on the deck. That alone was quite impressive, but the most striking thing about him was his left hand. ¡°You, Rebecca! You¡¯re in my way again!¡± The middle aged man said arrogantly, ¡°Yo, Pierre. Isn¡¯t it very admirable of you to bring me another profitable scheme?¡± ¡°Shut up! Today¡¯s the day I¡¯m going to shove mine up your big ass and make you squeal!¡± ¡°Ha! You should at least pull your dagger out of its sheath before you say something like that!¡± ¡°Hey, Ed! Look! Look at that!¡± Tia said. The cursing with such vulgar content was very pirate-like and made me feel excited, but then Tia got excited and pulled my sleeve, pointing at the captain of the other side and shouting. ¡°Hands! That man¡¯s hand, it¡¯s a hook!¡± Tia said. The other captain¡¯s ¡­ Pierre¡¯s left hand had a metal hook that was visible through the long sleeves of his black coat. The other captain¡¯s left hand has a metal hook on the part of the long sleeve of his black coat that can be seen. ¡°Amazing! I thought people with hooked hands only existed in stories!¡± Tia exclaimed, ¡°Well, it would be terribly inconvenient to use your hands as hooks under normal circumstances.¡± I told her, In some parts of the world, there existed prosthetic hands that were superior to flesh hands, but of course, metal hooks were not one of them. If such a thing were attached, it would be so cumbersome that it was obvious that even daily life would be difficult for the individual. ¡°I know. But then why is he using it?¡± Tia asked. ¡°That¡¯s what I call romance.¡± I replied. ¡°Romance ¡­ is deep.¡± Tia placed her hand on her chin and began to think about what I had said. Meanwhile, the two ships were closing the distance between them, and soon, with a bang, their hulls collided with each other. ¡°Now, let the battle begin! Let¡¯s go get ¡¯em!¡± Rebecca commanded. ¡°You guys, today¡¯s the day, beat them to death!¡± Pierre commanded. ¡°¡±¡±Ooooooooooooooooooo!!!!¡±¡±¡±¡± At each captain¡¯s words, wild cries echoed through the ships. Pirates in matching clothes and captains with idiotic obsessions. The first battle with the enemy, which could truly be called a theatrical troupe, was thus initiated. CH 50 Chapter 50: - No Matter How Vicious the Enemy Is, There Are Moments When You Can¡¯t Help but Feel Sorry for Them As both captains commanded, the two ships collided against each other as they came close to each other. At the same time, sailors from both sides started fighting at once with their prey in hand, and I stopped briefly to call out to Tia, who was standing next to me. ¡°Tia, kill as little as possible. Stun them or knock them into the sea.¡± ¡°Eh? Fine, but why?¡± Since the enemy were pirates, Tia already had no hesitation in fighting. That was why she was tilting her head, but it would be a little inconvenient to annihilate them with her full power. ¡°It¡¯s not the right time for us to kill them. Well, if you want to spend the rest of your life just peeling vegetables, you can kill them¡­¡± ¡°Understood! I¡¯ll go easy on them with all my power!¡± Tia said. I saw Tia, with a wonderfully nice smile on her face, begin chanting her magic, and I immediately stepped towards the enemy, too. The enemy had 60 men against our 40. We were at a slight disadvantage in terms of numbers, but the quality was better. And now there was ¡­ me. ¡°Hahhh!!¡± ¡°Guah!?¡± With my sword still in its scabbard, I striked the pirate in front of me. Even if the pirate was not slashed, a blow to the side of the stomach with an iron rod would of course not go unnoticed, and the pirate collapsed on the spot due to the extreme pain, causing the contents of his stomach to regurgitate. ¡°You!!!¡± ¡°Oops.¡± They outnumbered me. Another guy nearby immediately slashed at me, but I evaded his attack and knocked his sword away with my own sword. I hit him in the back of the head, and the poor pirate fell to the floor, foaming at the mouth. If I left him there, he might be trampled to death, but I had no intention of taking care of him to that extent. ¡°¨D¨DIn the name of Lunaritia, [Gust Pressure]!¡± And there, Tia¡¯s magic burst forth at the right time. The force of the compressed wind blew away the enemies in front of me like a joke, and with nothing in my way, I ran through the pathway at full speed. ¡°Hey, you sure are a very cheery brat. I¡¯ve never seen you before, are you new here?¡± Pierre asked, I arrived in front of the enemy captain. Pierre smiled wickedly, and I smiled back at him. ¡°You can say that. I¡¯ve been here less than a month, and I¡¯m a newbie, okay?¡± ¡°I see, that¡¯s unfortunate. Anyhow, you just joined and¡­ Now you are going to be killed by ME!!!¡± Pierre declared arrogantly, Pierre thrusted the curved sword he pulled from his waist at me. I blocked it with my iron sword I had drawn from its scabbard, but at that moment Pierre turned his wrist and the blade that I should have blocked reached out to my pocket. ¡°Whoa, that was close!¡± ¡°Hou, you dodged it. But there¡¯s still MORE!¡± Pierre, grinning comfortably, fired off a series of stabs. I thought curved swords weren¡¯t good for stabbing, but I didn¡¯t know there was such a use for them. ¡­ This was a bit of a lesson for me. ¡°This time, It¡¯s my turn!¡± I said, ¡°Muh!?¡± I returned the favor and went on the offensive this time. Pierre¡¯s curved sword made a distinctive metallic sound as he parried my two-handed iron sword, but that didn¡¯t last long. ¡°D, DAMN IT! You¡¯re just a brat and yet? Then I¡¯m gonna have to use both my hands!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Pierre¡¯s claws closed in on my torso as I swung my sword. The attack came from two directions, so I was forced to defend myself again. ¡°Ora ora ora! A fist of steel to thrust, an iron rod to mow down, and claws of iron to tear flesh apart! The fools who looked at this thing in the past and underestimated it died easily with it, you know?¡± ¡°Chi, I certainly don¡¯t want to do it.¡± No one was stupid enough to replace their hand with a hook. For that reason no one knew how to fight a guy with a hook for a hand, and if you kill him, he won¡¯t be able to spread his fighting techniques. Perfect first-time killers, and certainly something of a nuisance, but ¡­ ¡°Here!¡± I shouted, ¡°Owww?!¡± I put my sword through the hook and twisted it at a ridiculous angle. Pierre screamed as his hand was twisted, but my sword was snapped at the cost. Since I had no intention of showing the [Stranger Box] on the pirate ship, the cheap iron sword that I had worn from the beginning could not withstand the impact. ¡°Tia!¡± But it was no big deal. When I called out her name and raised my hand, one of the many swords lying around was blown into my hand by Tia¡¯s magic. I grasped it and swung it down as hard as I could, and a red flower bloomed right on the tip of Pierre¡¯s nose. ¡°UGIKYAAAAA!!? My nose!? MY precious nose!?¡± ¡°You¡¯re shouting too loudly. It¡¯s just a little cut on the head of your nose, okay?¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯ll kill you right now!¡± Pierre raised his curved sword in anger. I dragged it out thinking it would be a bad idea to beat him too easily, but I figured it was about time. I flicked off Pierre¡¯s curved sword and bent down to thrust my sword at him in style¨D¨D ¡°Duck!¡± Tia shouted. ¡°Whaa!?¡± I said. ¡°!?!?!?¡± I ducked as quickly as I could at the sound of Tia¡¯s voice echoing from behind me, and another sword came flying at the spot where I was. It was the hilt, so it would not pierce me even if I received it straight on, but an iron rod flying at high speed was usually a deadly weapon. ¡°TIA!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I couldn¡¯t control my strength. ¡­ Hey, leaving that aside, that guy ¡­¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­¡± "" ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Pierre¡¯s face was white as a sheet and his legs were trembling as he received the sword I dodged straight into his crotch. It was a completely unexpected blow that I had no control over, but ¡­ ugh, as a man, my crotch was tightening up just by looking at it. ¡°O, Oi Pierre? Are you oka. ¡­y?¡± I was so mortified that I forgot my hostility and called out to Pierre, who slumped to the floor in front of me. Y-yeah, With this it was settled¡­ No, but it would be a devil¡¯s errand to wake them up and make them fight again. ¡­ ¡°C-Captain!? Captain Pierre is down!¡± ¡°Clear out! Clear out! Help the captain!¡± ¡°Ooops¡± I said, With the captain down, Pierre¡¯s men, all dressed in matching outfits, rushed toward us. We dodged them and turned back to Scarlet, and soon the grappling rope that tied the two ships together was snapped off by the enemy. In tandem with this, rescues of those who had fallen into the sea were carried out in parallel, and when all the sailors had been recovered, the enemy ship slowly began to leave the area. ¡°Ah-ha-ha! You look pretty good, Pierre! Then, no matter how solid your sheath is, you could at least strip it a little, right?¡± Rebecca said. ¡°Kah-hah ¡­, Re-Rebecca, you son of a bitch ¡­.¡± Pierre replied. ¡°Captain, Please Don¡¯t push yourself! See, they say it¡¯s good to boil down in situations like these, you know?¡± ¡°Shut up and don¡¯t move!¡± Pierre said. Pierre yelled at Rebecca, who was laughing hysterically, while his men supported him by his shoulders. However, no matter how hard he tried, his legs were still trembling, and his enemies and friends alike could not help but look at him with a pitiful expression on their faces, especially on an all-male pirate ship. ¡°Fuck, fuck, fuck! Remember, new guy! Next time I see you , I¡¯ll fucking kill you, I swear to God!¡± ¡°Ah, I ain¡¯t the one who decides that. ¡­ Well, I¡¯ll never forget that pathetic look on your face, so it¡¯s all right.¡± I said, ¡°DAMNNNNNNNNNNNN IT!! You Bastards, withdraw!¡± Pierre shouted in a high-pitched voice as I answered with a smirk. The pirate ship wobbled away, and all that remained was our ship and the merchant ship we had saved. ¡°Well, then, let¡¯s raise the battle cry of victory. Ed! And Tia! Come here!¡± ¡°¡±Yes!¡±¡± We responded in unison. Rebecca called us to her side. Then Rebecca took mine and Tia¡¯s hand and raised them straight up. ¡°Two newbies took out that son of a bitch Pierre! We won!¡± ¡°¡±HAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!¡±¡±¡± A win¡¯s a win, no matter how it was won. The shouts of victory echoed through the air with enough force to shake the two ships. (T/N: Volume 2 will be out on June 1st. I¡¯ll try if I can get illustrations.) CH 51 Chapter 51: - Pursuing the Highest Profits by Any Means, We Eventually Settle for the Good Guys. ¡°No, no, it was really magnificent.¡± A few men from the merchant side arrived on our ship with a small craft. Rebecca was happily talking to the man who came with a smile on her face. ¡°Hey, Makisu! Did you bring the money?¡± ¡°Yes. Here are 500 gold coins, please take them.¡± Rebecca was in a good mood, and the man handed her a heavy cloth bag. Rebecca accepted it, glanced at its contents, and handed me and Tia two gold coins each. ¡°Captain?! Are you sure?¡± I asked. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t mind. This time, you have done a great job. I¡¯d be a fool to not reward those who produced the results, whether they are newbies or not.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then thank you very much.¡± ¡°Thank you, Captain.¡± Tia said. I thanked Rebecca, who laughed, and Tia and I stashed the coins away. I nodded in satisfaction, and Rebecca turned her face back to the man from the merchant ship once again. ¡°However, you dished out 500 for the cargo. Is it really that important?¡± ¡°Yes, it is. In this shipment, there is an item requested by a certain nobleman. ¡­ If this item were to be taken away from us, we would not be able to get it back even with money.¡± ¡°I see. Then wouldn¡¯t it have been more profitable for us to just steal it?¡± ¡°You must be joking. I don¡¯t think you have an extensive network of contacts like we do.¡± ¡°Ahahaha! That¡¯s for sure!¡± ¡°¡­ Hey, Ed. What does that mean?¡± ¡°Hmm? Ah, the most important thing for a merchant to sell is ¡®trust¡¯ ¡° I whispered to Tia as she pulled my sleeve. ¡°Merchants can carry out big jobs because of the trust that a person has in them to deliver what is promised and at a fair price. If it¡¯s a commodity that can be easily obtained, but it is being transported by a ship, it must be valuable, don¡¯t you think?. If so, the other party is naturally in a certain higher position, so rather than risk losing credibility by leaving a hole in a business meeting with such a party and losing all the profit,¡­ It¡¯s more profitable to pay with gold coins that can be replaced even if they lose a lot of money. But on the other hand, if the captain acquires such a cargo, there will be no buyers. There¡¯s no way anyone would buy such a valuable item from someone they don¡¯t know, so it will only remain as luxurious trash without any practical use. So, in other words, it¡¯s in the best interest of both parties to deal in cash.¡± I said. ¡°Hou. So this ship was competing with those other pirates, too?¡± Tia asked. ¡°That¡¯s right. If you rob a merchant ship or a passenger ship, no decent store is going to give you a decent price for it, right? They will take advantage of you and buy at a lower price, or, conversely, the merchants will rip you off and sell you the food and other supplies you absolutely need at a ridiculous price. If that is the case, then we can make more money in the medium to long term by protecting them, owing them favors, raising cash, and being able to purchase goods at a reasonable price rather than stealing from them.¡± ¡°¡­ Is that what it means to be a pirate?¡± Tia asked. ¡°That¡¯s a pirate for you. You ain¡¯t abiding by the laws of this country.¡± Rebecca and her friends did not pay taxes and would not annihilate hostile pirates to avoid losing their own profits. If these were miscellaneous mercenaries or adventurers, they would be subjected to a tremendous amount of criticism because they would be forgiving the bandits every time they missed them to secure their own jobs. But Rebecca didn¡¯t care. If someone described a free life in which one had no obligations or responsibilities and could laugh at the evaluations of others, then that would be a pirate. ¡°Wow. You¡¯re surprisingly smart, huh?¡± And then Rebecca, who had heard my story, looked at me with an eye as if she was evaluating me. Furthermore, even the man on the merchant ship who was supposed to be talking to Rebecca looked at me and narrowed his eyes. ¡°Certainly. Many young merchants these days are only after short-term profits, but you must have been trained as a ¡­. merchant to understand the importance of trust and to be able to think in terms of profit and loss?¡± The merchant said. ¡°Eh?! No, no, no, I¡¯m not that great! What I just said was a theory, or rather, something I derived from my experience. ¡­¡± ¡°Really? You came to that answer on your own, not from someone else? That¡¯s still¡­ How about this? Would you like to work for us? We¡¯ll pay you well.¡± ¡°Oi oi oi, you can¡¯t recruit our new guy without my permission. This is ¡­, the promising newcomer who fought off the captain of that pirate ship just now. Anything more than that is going to cost you, okay?¡± ¡°Oops, I didn¡¯t realize that. It¡¯s a shame ¡­ that you¡¯re so smart and skilled, but I guess that¡¯s just the way it is.¡± ¡°Ed, you¡¯re so popular, aren¡¯t you?¡± Tia said. ¡°Haha, give me a break.¡± I chuckled and shrugged at Tia¡¯s teasing words. After 100 years of tumbling around in other worlds, I wouldn¡¯t be swayed by this level of flattery, but if it had been said in the first round, I wonder what ¡­ would have I said? Would I have followed this man and been used up by him after serving him as an apprentice? Well, compared to being a pirate, it would have been a decent enough life. ¡°Well, that¡¯s all right. Where are you guys headed?¡± Rebecca asked. ¡°We¡¯ll be stopping at the port of Charos.¡± Merchant replied. ¡°That¡¯s not far. Since we got paid more, my ship will sail with you in that case. In exchange, Can we use the port? It¡¯s rather tedious to carry water and food and stuff through the back.¡± (T/N: Back here means illegally) ¡°Oh, by all means.¡± Rebecca¡¯s demand that she be allowed to enter the port legally as an escort was met with a smile on Merchant¡¯s side. It was not probably not a bad deal for the merchants because if they were attacked again, there would be nothing they could do. ¡°All right, you heard the man. Our next stop is the port of Charos! We¡¯ll sail alongside Makisu¡¯s ship and restock our supplies there! I¡¯ll even give you an allowance for your earlier efforts, so go enjoy your first time on land in a while!¡± ¡°¡±HOHHHHHHHH!!!¡±¡±¡± Rebecca¡¯s decision once again shook the pirate ship with cheers. After that, the ship proceeded without incident, and after about a week, the Scarlet was able to safely dock at a corner of a port town. Having five days of free time, the sailors dispersed to the town at once, and naturally, Tia and I followed the flow and went ashore. ¡°Hah, I still love land. ¡­ I love being on the ground. ¡­¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating. Well, I do understand how you feel.¡± Tia replied. I remember being overjoyed to be back on land, too, during the first round when I was sitting in a tiny corner of the ship. In addition to my time as a mercenary, I had accompanied the heroic party in the two worlds, which had strengthened my spirit considerably, but even so, my strength at that time was not much different from Rebecca¡¯s men, and even though I was not a weakling who could be one-sidedly snubbed, I was not a remarkable warrior like I was now. So, even in the battle with the Baroque pirates, I only killed one or two enemies, and the amount of allowance I received was one silver coin, I think? I was invited to a brothel by some guys I was getting along with, but I refused because my priority was to find information about the heroes, and I became slightly distant from them. ¡­From the perspective of the ruffians of the sea, A friend was only a friend if he enjoyed drinking and women with them. ¡°¡­. Well, this time I didn¡¯t get that kind of invitation because Tia is here.¡± ¡°What? What?¡± ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s nothing. Well, Let¡¯s go out.¡± I walked past Tia, whose ears twitched happily, and stretched out my body. The smell of the tide mixed with the earth, inhaling it made me realize that I was indeed back on the land. ¡°So where are we headed first? If we¡¯re not going to use Ed¡¯s thing, I, for one, would like a change of clothes.¡± (T/N: Akashic compass she means) ¡°Hmm? That¡¯s obvious. There¡¯s only one thing we have to do first!¡± My hand, which had been pointing at the center of town, slowly slid away from there toward the backstreets. ¡°We¡¯re going to go to the back of town and look for work. We need to make some money first.¡± ¡°Yeah. ¡­¡± The ears of Tia, who had been so excited, drooped down in obvious disappointment CH 52 Chapter 52: - If Your Opponent Reads Your Backstory, Prepare a Backstory to Be Read ¡°¡­ here?¡± Tia asked, ¡°Yeah. ¡­ probably.¡± I replied I arrived at a shabby bar with Tia in tow, which exuded an indescribable pressure. Although I felt more than a little reluctant to enter the bar, mainly out of curiosity, I did not hesitate to go in. I had only heard about this place during my first round and never actually visited it, but there was no mistaking this unique atmosphere. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± When we passed through the door, which opened with a light click, we were met by a group of ugly looking men who had probably been drinking alcohol since daytime, staring at us. But Me and Tia, who were working as members of the Hero¡¯s party, were not intimidated by their stares. We continued straight ahead and sat down at the counter, where a middle-aged man, the bartender, spoke to us in a heavy voice with an unfriendly expression on his face. ¡°This is no place for kids like you.¡± The Bartender said, ¡°Oi oi, why are you judging us by our looks ¡­ is what I would say, but can we skip that part of the exchange, since it¡¯s such a pain in the ass?¡± I asked, ¡°.. huh. The hell¨D¨D?¡± The Bartender said, ¡°Oi oi, since when did this place start babysitting¨D¨DGuh!?¡± ¡°Like I said, those things are a pain in the ass.¡± I said. The thugs who got involved in the situation were knocked out with a single backhanded blow from me. It was different when the opponent was a magic beast, but it didn¡¯t take much strength to knock a human out. If one had the skill to hit the target accurately and sharply, and the willingness to accept the possibility of dying due to a wrong hit, as well as a banishment skill like [Orbit Reflector] it would be an easy victory¡­ Was it alot? Well, it was probably nothing to worry about.. "" ¡°Or rather, will it be easier If I tell you we are sailing with Rebecca on her ship?¡± I asked, ¡°¡­ tell me those things first.¡± The bartender shook his head with a bitter expression on his face. It seemed that was the correct answer. If there would be a third round, I would keep that in mind. ¡°So? What kind of work are you looking for? I¡¯m telling you, we don¡¯t really deal with big jobs, okay?¡± He asked, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I don¡¯t want to be asked to do a massacre or something. Yeah, I want a job that can be accomplished in a couple of days at the most, and it can be difficult, but it should be a job that makes us a good amount of money. But nothing that will directly harm anyone.¡± I told him, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you¡¯re at the right place.¡± As I regurgitated a list of convenient conditions, the bartender extracted a worn out piece of paper from under the counter. Looking at the paper, I saw a drawing of what looked like a horse with horns on it. ¡°Magic Beast? Unicorn ¡­. No, not that?¡± Tia, glancing at the picture over my shoulder, muttered quietly, and the shopkeeper chuckled lightly and shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no way a unicorn could be in a place like this. This is a Raburu Donkey, a donkey with horns, so to speak. It is slower than an unicorn, but it is much more powerful. In the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, it would be designated as a Grade VI magic beast.¡± The Bartender explained to us, In this world, as in many others, there were Adventurer¡¯s guilds. And the Grade VI was the kind of difficulty that a seasoned warrior would be able to handle. In other words, this thing was quite a formidable foe. ¡°Bring me his horns and I¡¯ll buy them for 40 pieces of silver each. How about it?¡± ¡°Where does this guy reside? I mean, if it¡¯s just a regular magic beast, why is it here?¡± I asked, ¡°Its habitat is in the woods to the east, just outside of town, but ¡­¡­ its horns are designated as proof of defeat.¡± ¡°I see. So that¡¯s how it is.¡± ¡°What? What do you mean?¡± He asked, ¡°I understand. Sorry to interrupt. Let¡¯s go, Tia.¡± ¡°E,Eh!? Err, bye?¡± Tia hurriedly followed me as I quickly started walking away. Then, as we left the shady bar, Tia examined my face once again. ¡°Hey Ed, what did you mean by that? I mean, why did we have to take up a job here in the first place?¡± Tia asked, ¡°Why, we can¡¯t shop without gold, you know?¡± I told her, ¡°I know, but you see, we got some money from the captain, didn¡¯t we? Even if we can¡¯t afford to pay for it out of our own pocket, we could at least buy a few household items with the amount she gave us, right?¡± It was easy to forget when working as a member of a Hero¡¯s party that consumed expensive recovery potions, but a single gold coin was quite a large sum of money. Prices varied from one part of the world to another, but here it would be half a year¡¯s salary for an average person. Certainly, with this amount of money, we would be able to buy at least the daily necessities needed to live on a ship. ¡­ ¡°Look here, Tia. Maybe you¡¯ve forgotten all about it, but we¡¯re running from someone important and terrifying, you know? Do you think people like us, who have unexpectedly acquired a lot of money while on the run, will spend it without a plan?¡± ¡°Ugh!? I-I haven¡¯t forgotten, but¡­ you¡¯ll use it if you need to, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying we won¡¯t use it. However, you never know when we might be abandoned, so it¡¯s normal to want to make as much money as we can while we can, right? But the Adventurers Guild is the first place one would hit if looking for someone. We can¡¯t show our face in places like that, so inevitably the only places we can get work are in these shady places.¡± ¡°Yeah. I understand that, but if you really didn¡¯t want us to be found, wouldn¡¯t you even avoid doing that?¡± ¡°Fufufu, There you go. It¡¯s true that if we really want to avoid detection, it¡¯s better to stay inside the pirate ship without stepping out of it. But if we go that far, it means the other party looking for us will have enough time to station his men on all the major ports and keep an eye on everyone who comes in and out. And, if Rebecca finds out that we are running away from someone who is capable of such surveillance, there¡¯s a good chance we¡¯ll be thrown off the ship. So, we take jobs behind the scenes to show that by not showing up at the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, we appeal to the fact that we are being targeted by someone while doing a little work in town without being detected.¡± ¡°¡­ So you¡¯re saying that by taking the job here, you¡¯re trying to give the captain an idea of the capabilities of the people who are out to get us?¡± Tia asked, ¡°That¡¯s what it¡¯s all about. Furthermore, we can examine our abilities by doing the work, and if we have a track record of the money we are making, we can spend a little more without raising suspicions. If we do not do this and make a really big purchase, people will wonder where we got the money. Once, we might be able to cover it up by saying, ¡®We sold the jewelry we had in case of emergency¡¯ but if we did anymore than that, we would be suspected endlessly of hiding something else. You don¡¯t want to lose your peace of mind and sleep on a ship that still has a long journey ahead of it, do you?¡± I told her, ¡°Ha-¡­¡± ¡°W-What?¡± Tia¡¯s mouth was left open, and I raised my eyebrows and asked her about it. Then Tia closed her open mouth and responded with a smile. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean it in a weird way, I was just impressed. I¡¯ve thought about it before, but Ed really puts a lot of thought into what he does.¡± ¡°Really? I think this is pretty normal.¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely not normal! I can read the enemy¡¯s movements on the battlefield, but I can¡¯t predict a person¡¯s movements that deeply and act accordingly. What do I have to do to be able to do that?¡± ¡°¡­If I had to guess, I¡¯d say experience?¡± It wasn¡¯t just for show to cross 100 different worlds. The Minister in Waffer¡¯s world was a cute little thing, but his numerous harassments using all kinds of schemes and tactics were almost like an art form. I used to get tangled up in it alot, but now I was able to avoid it smoothly and bite back¡­ ¡°¡­ Something makes me feel that Ed looks sad.¡± ¡°Whoa!? T-That¡¯s not true, okay?¡± ¡°Really? Fufu~, You say a lot of things about people, but I think Ed is pretty easy to understand, too, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¨D¨D¡± I was about to say something in protest, but then I just kept quiet. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Ha~. It¡¯s Nothing. Let¡¯s get on with it and get this job done.¡± ¨D¨DOf course it was because of Tia. ¡­ I don¡¯t mean to utter such embarrassing words. (T/N: Last chapter of this month. Won¡¯t be posting in june because Exams start from 20th june. Thanks for reading and support so far.) CH 53 ¡°It¡¯s coming your way, Tia!¡± ¡°Leave it to me!¡± The horned donkey was much faster than I had heard, but Tia¡¯s sword easily sliced its legs as I pushed it away. Afterwards, as a thorny vine tangled around its thick leg, the raburu donkey collapsed on the spot with a thud. ¡°Boogie!? Boogie!?¡± ¡°Fufu~, How¡¯s that? No matter how strong you are, my [Snare Rose] can shred easily, okay?¡± Tia declared proudly, ¡°Ah yeah, that¡¯s true. Well then, my apologies.¡± I said, ¡°Boogieeeeeeeeeeeee!?¡± I sliced off the head of the rampaging, squealing Raburu Donkey with my sword. I was still using the same sword I acquired in the recent naval battle, and this one seemed to be quite a solid sword. ¡°Yeah, much better quality than I expected. They¡¯re not only provided with clothes, but also swords like this one. ¡­. I guess they¡¯re treated better than little town guards, huh?¡± ¡°After all, you don¡¯t get paid on a pirate ship¡­, and this is the third one.¡± Tia said, While chatting, Tia swiftly chopped off the horns of the Raburu Donkey. The horns of Rubaru Donkey were actually much harder than normal horns, but for her silver spirit sword enchanted with the highest tier magic, it was not a problem. ¡°Forty silver coins for a single piece. ¡­. How much would it be if we took it to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild?¡± ¡°Hm? It¡¯s not a permanent request, so it may vary a little, but I believe it was somewhere between ten and fifteen pieces?¡± I replied, During the first round, I would normally go to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild to ask about the Hero. From my faint memory of that time, I think it was probably about that much. ¡­ Well, It wouldn¡¯t be too far off, probably. ¡°Eh? Why don¡¯t people just sell it as a stand-alone material for more money?¡± Tia asked, ¡°Of course, that¡¯s because they are not bought out in the open. The only thing you can make from these antlers is a tiny amount of a dangerous stimulant.¡± One of my Banishing skills,, [Rainbow Glass], showed not only the potential of people, but also the potential of goods, ¡­. i.e., in what ways it could be used, though only roughly. According to the skill, if the powder shaved off from the horns was used as a material, it was possible to make a medicine that had a very strong cardiotonic effect. If diluted, it could be used as a normal sexual energizer, but if used concentrated, it could make a woman¡¯s heart beat too fast and cause her to die during intercourse instead of making her squeal, which made it easy to sell and be used for assassinations. ¡°I wonder if the Adventurer¡¯s Guild knows about this?¡± Tia asked, ¡°They know. That¡¯s why they designate it as a part of the evidence of killing. Intentionally.¡± I replied, ¡°¡­..?¡± Tia tilted her head after listening to my story. It was true that one might not notice this kind of trick in an ordinary life. ¡°You see, a proof of killing basically specifies a spot that has no use for that magic beast, right? Like a goblin¡¯s left ear.¡± ¡°I guess so. Otherwise, they¡¯ll lose the money that can be gained by selling the material.¡± "" ¡°That¡¯s why the guilds want to keep these horns as ¡®things of no use¡¯. Besides, when it comes to the parts of the proof of defeat, it is not possible to buy and collect them by submitting a request since they are ¡®officially¡¯ forbidden to be sold or traded. It¡¯s intended to prevent adventurers from fraudulently raising their ranks. As a result, these horns, despite being a common material, have become a precious commodity that can only be obtained by taking down a Raburu Donkey yourself, or by illegally buying from the guild, or from unofficial clients like us.¡± ¡°There are a lot of ingredients used in dangerous drugs in plain sight, so by limiting the ways to acquire them while making them seem worthless ¡­ Wow, there are people in the world who think of terrific things like you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible to wipe out all the magic beasts no matter how you look at it, and there are plenty of people who will smuggle them in if they find out they¡¯re worth money.¡± If people were unaware that there was gold dust on the bottom of a nearby river, they would step on it and cross the river. This method of reducing interest and restricting distribution was very reasonable, and whoever thought of it must be very clever. ¡°So, what are you planning to do with it? Are you going to give it to them as it is?¡± Tia, who had shown a certain amount of acceptance, asked me with a gentle tone. If I said ¡°yes,¡± she would probably distort her beautiful face and lecture me, but of course my answer was different. ¡°I will give it, okay? Otherwise I wouldn¡¯t get the money. But not as it is.¡± ¡°? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Fufu~, It means¨D¨D¡± ¡ô¡ô¡ô¡ô¡ô With a click, we returned to the shady bar. Once again, the patrons in the bar looked at us as if we were out of place, but quickly averted their gazes. Perhaps they learned that we were part of Rebecca¡¯s gang. ¡°What¡¯s up? This isn¡¯t like the guild. You don¡¯t have to report every time you make a mistake.¡± The Bartender asked ¡°Hahaha, Not that. Here.¡± I said. To the bartender, who said there was no contract, just reward for results, I took three thick horns of Raburu Donkey from my waist bag and rolled them on the counter. The man¡¯s eyebrows lifted in surprise. ¡°You hunted three of them in such a short time!?¡± ¡°Well, I guess we got lucky.¡± Actually, I had just used my banishment skill [Akashic Compass] but to someone who didn¡¯t know that, it must have been quite a surprise to have killed three of them in just a single day. That was precisely the reason why the man picked up the horns with his hands and studied them very carefully. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s the real thing. It seems a little light though.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how much it weighs. What, lighter means cheaper?¡± ¡°Yes, it is. It will be somewhat cheaper¡­¡± ¡°I see. Then I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ll take it somewhere else.¡± I said, As I was about to retrieve the horns on the table, the bartender grabbed my outstretched hand. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Wait. No, wait. ¡­ Okay, I¡¯ll buy it for the amount I promised. Three horns for one gold coin and twenty silver coins, is that right?¡± ¡°¡­ Well, yeah. That was the deal.¡± As I relaxed my arms, the bartender quickly tucked away the horns and instead stacked the silver coins on the counter and finally placed a single gold coin. This time I made sure to check the number of coins before tossing them carelessly into the bag at my waist. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re a lot more skilled than I thought you¡¯d be. What do you think? Care to take on some additional work?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯d like to do some shopping with this money, and I don¡¯t want to miss the ship¡¯s departure.¡± ¡°¡­ I see. By the way, can I ask you something?¡± ¡°Is there anything more?¡± The man asked me, his eyes slightly averted, with a slight hesitation in his voice. ¡°I don¡¯t mean any kind of trouble. I ¡­ was just wondering why that young lady over there has been keeping her face down.¡± ¡°Ue!? Ah, uh, ¡­ that¡¯s because she is a little shy.¡± ¡°I-Is that so? I think the last time you were here, she was talking to me face to face like normal. ¡­¡± ¡°Che, it means those days are coming. You¡¯re a grown-up, you know that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ okay, sorry.¡± ¡°See you later!¡± Noticing that Tia¡¯s ears were turning bright red, I calmly, but as quickly as possible, left the bar. As we left the bar, Tia looked up and slapped me on the back as hard as she could. ¡°Ed no baka! What was that!?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help it! I mean, the problem was you overdid it!.¡± ¡°Because ¡­fu, kukukukuk ¡­¡± Tia held her stomach and raised her voice in protest before I could. However, it was not pain that she endured, but laughter. ¡°Such ¡­. such a serious face, he said it¡¯s real ¡­ kukuk kukuk ¡­.¡± ¡°Heheheh, my work is always perfect.¡± The bag on my hip that I smacked had three horns in it that I didn¡¯t put in the [Stranger Box] just in case. The banishment skill [Copy and Fake], the effect of which was to¡­ create a fake that looks exactly like the original. ¡°But is it okay? If they cut it down a little, they¡¯ll know it¡¯s fake right away, won¡¯t they?¡± ¡°It¡¯s bad to be deceived in the public eye, but it¡¯s even worse to be deceived in the underworld. They¡¯re not going to come forward and say, ¡®We¡¯re the idiots who got screwed over¡¯ to get this amount of money back.¡± ¡°That means¡­? ¡°Yeah, we won big.¡± Grinning, I raised my hand and Tia smacked it. The booming sound of triumph echoed pleasantly through the dark back alley. CH 54 After that, We enjoyed our first outing in a while to the extent that it would not look unnatural, buying necessary things and eating a little bit, and spent the last day on the Scarlett to avoid getting into trouble and missing the ship in case we got into trouble. As time went by, the ship left the land safely and sailed out to the open sea. I finally relaxed a little when I could no longer see the town and the sea filled my field of vision. ¡°Phew, that¡¯s a relief for now.¡± I had been bracing myself in case they prioritized taking revenge on us rather than making a fuss about how dumb they were, but so far, there was not the case. There was no increase or decrease in the number of sailors this time, so there was no chance of weirdos mixing in. (¡­, but it¡¯s the same on Rebecca¡¯s side. It¡¯s possible she didn¡¯t recruit any newbies to avoid the guys chasing after us from mixing in.) Only we, the people in question, knew that such a thing did not exist. Rebecca was naturally cautious and has probably been looking into our past over the past five days. As for that, I had paid an informant to spread the rumors about it. It was spread to the extent that even I was able to hear it,and I think we¡¯d be able to fool them continuously, if they had only lightly investigated. ¡­ Well, I¡¯d figure it out when the time comes if this didn¡¯t work out. While it was important to be prepared, I wouldn¡¯t want to be dumb enough to get found out just because the rumours didn¡¯t work. ¡°Ha~, I guess this means I have to say goodbye to land again for the time being.¡± Next to me, Tia was enjoying the scenery. Soon we would have to start peeling vegetables again, but for now, it was a short break. (So? How long do we have to keep peeling vegetables?) Tia gently touched my hand and talked to me with [Missing Talk]. It was really convenient to be able to talk secretly even in public places. (Yeah. I don¡¯t think we have anything else for a month or so anyway. ¡­) I replied, (A month!? Uee. ¡­) Tia turned to me and gave me a fed up look. She was originally a beautiful elf, so even if she made a face like that, it would still be pretty, but it was not the kind of face that a girl of her age should make. (Don¡¯t make that face. You¡¯re ruining your beauty.) (Hmph. I¡¯m not going to be cheered up by such flattery! But the way you put it,something is going to happen in a month, right? What¡¯s going to happen? Are we going to save some ships from being attacked again?) (Uh, I¡¯d say you¡¯re half right.) (Half right?) (Hahaha. If I tell you everything, it will ruin the fun. I¡¯ll tell you when the time comes, but until then, you can keep on peeling vegetables in the hope that I¡¯ll tell you.) (What¡¯s with that attitude!? And that goes for Ed, too, right?) (No, I have a hunch that they¡¯re going to give me another job, I think? It will be easier to get information that way.) ¡°Ehh? ¡­¡± Tia¡¯s hand, showing her surprise, broke away from me. But soon she grabbed my hand again, and then she turned her head down and told me about her feelings. (I see. We can¡¯t be together forever. ¡­) (I¡¯m not so sure. We¡¯re on the same ship, so it¡¯s just different jobs. I won¡¯t be forced to do anything dangerous, and even if something goes wrong, you can handle most things on your own, can¡¯t you?) The crew on this ship weren¡¯t weak by any means, but Tia was clearly stronger than them. If it were a competition of brute strength, she might lose, but there was no one on this boat who would be able to push Tia to that level. Even so, Tia¡¯s expression was sullen. She looked straight at me with sad eyes and pleaded earnestly. (But, but ¡­ how the hell am I going to pass the time if Ed isn¡¯t around!?) (That¡¯s what you¡¯re talking about. ¡­ Well, good luck.) (EDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!) This time, I quickly pulled my hand away from her, waved my hand and turned my back to Tia and started walking away. By the way, Tia quickly got along with the peeler who took my place, and I couldn¡¯t help but have a complicated expression on my face. ¡­And so it went on for a month. The day finally came. ¡°I see a ship ahead!¡± Just as before, a loud voice echoed through the ship. Everyone rushed to the deck, and I took slow, calm steps. When I went up the stairs to the deck, the sky was cloudy and raining, and raindrops were pattering against my body as the wind howled. In the midst of all this, the voice of Rebecca, the captain, of course, echoed on deck. ¡°Give me the status report!¡± Rebecca commanded, ¡°One ship at 500 northeast! The flag is ¡­ it¡¯s Baroque.¡± The sailor replied, ¡°Baroque? If it¡¯s not attacking some ship, just avoid it and keep going. Change course! East¨D¨D¡± ¡°Wait a minute Nee-San! The Baroque¡¯s ship is heading straight for us!¡± ¡°So, Captain ¡­ Come again?¡± The report from the man on lookout made Rebecca suspicious. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me he has come to fight with us in the bad weather? I don¡¯t think even Pierre is that stupid. ¡­ Do you see anything behind the ship?¡± Rebecca asked, ¡°Wait a minute. I can¡¯t see very well. ¡­ Wave splashes? What, you¡¯re kidding!!??¡± Sailor exclaimed, ¡°What do you see!?¡± She asked, ¡°A large magic beast! Supposedly ¡­¡­ A Kraken!¡± ¡°Kraken!?¡± Rebecca was flabbergasted by the report. But that was not surprising. Kraken¡­A gigantic magic beast with a soft body and that was able to manipulate its eight tentacles at will was a powerful enemy that could easily sink even a military ship with a metal hull, and to encounter it at sea was synonymous with death. ¡°Rapid turn around! We¡¯ll get the hell out of here while Pierre and the others are being attacked!¡± Therefore, Rebecca made a ruthless and calm decision. In the first place, they had no obligation to help each other since they were fighting to kill each other, and pirate ships, which were designed to plunder, did not carry large weapons like military warships did. Then that decision couldn¡¯t be more correct. ¡­ Then I called out to them. ¡°Captain, a moment?¡± ¡°Yeah? What¡¯s up, new guy? You¡¯re not going to tell me you want to help Pierre, are you?¡± She asked, ¡°No, I mean ¡­. I¡¯m going to take down that Kraken, how about that?¡± ¡°¡­Wha?¡± Rebecca looked at me with her big mouth open at my proposal. Well, that was the kind of reaction I would have if someone told me that they were going to defeat a magic beast that was bigger than a ship. ¡°Are you stupid? You¡¯re going to defeat it!? How!!?¡± She asked, dumbfounded ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve thought about that.¡± With that said, I proceeded to briefly explain my strategy to Rebecca. Then Rebecca held her face in her hands with a dumbfounded expression on her face, looked up at the rain-drenched sky and sighed heavily. ¡°Ha~, I see¡­ ¡­ If you¡¯re going to drag me and my ship into this, I¡¯m just going to toss you into the ocean, if not, you can do whatever you want. However, if it looks dangerous, we will escape immediately. Is that alright with you?¡± ¡°Yeah. All we¡¯re worried about is the ride home.¡± ¡°All right, then. Then we¡¯ll get a small boat¨D¨D¡± "" ¡°Oh, no, I don¡¯t want that either. Tia!¡± ¡°Fufufu~, finally it¡¯s my turn!¡± I called her name, and Tia raised her shiny silver sword as if she had been waiting for me. There was already spirit magic imbued in it, and a pale blue-white light was faintly surrounding the blade. ¡°YAAAAAHHHHH!!!¡± When Tia swung her sword downwards, a frozen path was formed on the sea. It reached the Baroque¡¯s ship, which was getting very close, and the ship, suddenly slowed down, staggered under the blow from the Kraken¡¯s tentacles. ¡°It¡¯s going to sink if we don¡¯t hurry. Let¡¯s go, Tia!¡± ¡°As you wish!¡± Hugging Tia¡¯s body, I jumped down to the sea and stepped onto the icy path and used my banishment skill [Hermes Dash] and the rest was a straight line to the enemy. CH 55 Kraken. This formidable foe actually had another name. It was also known as the ¡°Gatekeeper of the Mist¡±. Mist ¡­ Yes, mist. The Gatekeeper of the Mist, in the sea where the Demon Lord of the Mist was believed to reside. And no one knew who started calling it that, or why it was called that. However, the fact that it had been referred to as such for a long time indicated, in other words, that there was a good reason for the name. I only found out about it on my first round when I stopped at a port, I was in a bar in a town where I had stopped to gather intel and told them that I had seen a ship being attacked by Kraken. Otherwise, there was no way a lowly sailor like me could say, ¡°I¡¯m interested, so why don¡¯t we turn around and contact the Kraken?¡± etc. If I had said such a thing with a serious face, I would have been easily thrown into the sea by Rebecca at that time. ¡°AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! ¡­.!¡± With one last cry, I stepped onto the icy path and leaped high into the sky to land on Pierre¡¯s boat. Pierre shrieked and wagged his hooked hand as I suddenly appeared on the deck with a thud. ¡°W-What!? You¡¯re that new guy! Why!? Why are you here!?¡± Pierre asked, flabbergasted ¡°Yo, long time no see, Cap¡¯n. I was just thinking about taking down that big guy.¡± ¡°Huh? Defeat the Kraken? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Spare me questions. Ask your sailors to pull back. They¡¯re getting in the way of the fight.¡± I said, My goal was to exterminate the Kraken, not rescue the Baroque pirates. But I didn¡¯t want to drag them in and kill them for no reason, even though they were pirates, and the rest was, as I stated, they would be a hindrance. ¡°Hindrance!? You little¡­ No, But if you guys are going to be our shields ¡­ Hey bastards! Better get your asses back over here!¡± In response to Pierre¡¯s order, the group of pirates dressed in red and white shirts, easily visible in the rain, rushed back toward us. But as if attracted by this, the Kraken revealed its huge body, and some of its long tentacles wrapped around the fleeing pirates trying to drag them straight into the sea. ¡­. ¡°Hah!¡± My sword slammed into the outstretched tentacles. The impact caused the captured pirates to fall onto the floor with a thud, but ¡­ Shit, either way it looks like it¡¯s impossible to cut it off. ¡°Tia! Stick to the plan!¡± ¡°Leave it to me! O¡¯ Shining Mist of the Moon-Bent Water, Golden Gravel of the Tremor-Molded Dirtt¡­¡± I stood at the bow of the ship to protect Tia, who began chanting, and fought off the Kraken¡¯s tentacles. The impact of the two or three blows received was naturally being accumulated by the [Orbit Reflector]. ¡°Breath of the Spirits Who Bind Light Across Three Worlds! Freeze and Exhaust and Shiver in Ice! In the name of Lunaritia, manifest [Freezing Ray]! Ice light, a combined property of water and earth, was released from Tia¡¯s hands as she finished chanting. Blue flash passed by me and hit the kraken, and its huge body was covered with ice. However, no matter how powerful Tia¡¯s spell was,, she would not be able to freeze the entire body of a Kraken, which was larger than a ship. After freezing about 70% of the main body that was visible above the water, the spell ran out and the free tentacles became enraged and tried to attack Tia. ¡°Sorry, Ed! That¡¯s all I can do!¡± ¡°PLENTY! DARYAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!¡± Using [Hermes Dash], I kicked the floor and my fist, with all the impact I had accumulated from the previous attacks, landed on the Kraken¡¯s head. Normally, a blow like this would have little effect on a soft-bodied Kraken, but because it was frozen solid, the impact caused its body to spin around, exposing its large mouth, which was normally underwater, before my eyes. ¡°Take that!¡± I took out three cloth bags from [Stranger Box] and put them into his mouth. The Bags contained powdered horns of Rabburu Donkey which I had managed to snuck in from the request the other day¡­ In other words, They were ¡°Super Strong Stimulants¡±. What would happen if such a thing were thrown directly into one¡¯s mouth? The answer to that question appeared immediately. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D!!!???? ¡°Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!?? My ship!? MY SHIP AHHH!!!?¡± Pierre screamed, The Excited Kraken started hurling its tentacles indiscriminately at its surroundings. While Pierre and his crew were crouching with their hands over their heads, I precisely blocked only the tentacles that were about to strike the ship, while Tia used her magic to desperately support the ship so that it would not capsize. ¡°Ed, how long is this going to take?¡± Tia asked, ¡°If my calculations are correct, it should take about ten minutes!¡± I replied, ¡°Understood!¡± If not the sword of thin life, at least the silver-winged sword would have been enough to decapitate the Kraken. But an ordinary sword would not be able to cut down this huge body. The same held true for Tia¡¯s magic; its large, soft body was highly resistant to magic, which was why the Kraken had never been defeated by anyone. Therefore, it was a battle of attrition. If I had a more powerful poison, I could kill it instantly, but with no way to get it, this was the best offensive measure I could do. Once I had done that, all I had to do was trust and buy time. ¡°Struggle, Rage! That¡¯s how fast the drugs will act!¡± I screamed, ¡°Ugh, I wish you would be a little moderate¡­¡± Tia muttered, ¡°Hiiiiiiiiiiiii!? HELP, HELP!¡± Pierre screamed, The Kraken, whose upper body had long since melted, swung its tentacles, thicker than a ship¡¯s mast, around with a rumbling sound. Nudge, repel, deflect ¡­.After what seemed like an eternity, the moment finally arrived. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± The Kraken¡¯s tentacles, raised, suddenly lost their power in mid-air. When I poked the tentacle that had fallen down following only gravity with my fingers and glanced into its large body, I saw its huge, twitching body floating on the surface of the water. ¡°Did we do it?¡± With maximum caution, I jump off the ship and land on the Kraken. With the utmost caution, I jumped off the ship and landed on top of the Kraken. When I confirmed that there was no reaction, I plunged my sword into its large eyes,¡­ and the Kraken still didn¡¯t move. Finally, as a good last measure, I tried using the [Akashic Compass] and found that the response for a Living Kraken was in the wrong direction, and it only pointed to this in front of me if I selected the ¡°Kraken corpse¡± as the target. ¡°O-Oi, New guy! W-What¡¯s going on! Don¡¯t tell me ¡­!?¡± The attack had stopped, and Pierre peeked out of the boat with trepidation. But I completely ignored him and jumped back up to the ship with a [Hermes Dash] and walked toward Tia, who was nearby. ¡°Oi, new guy! Don¡¯t you ignore me!¡± ¡°Hey, Tia. Good job.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, Ed. I¡¯m so tired! But ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± "" ¡°Like I said, Don¡¯t you ignore me! Oi new guy ¡­ Shiiinyuri-san? Really? Are you sure you¡¯ve have defeated it!?¡± (TLN:- Shin¡¯iri:- Newbie/ New guy in japanese. He is just calling him politely.) ¡°Shut up. You¡¯ll know it when you see it. Now then, Ojou-sama, your hand.¡± ¡°Fufu, Thank you.¡± I bowed and held out my hand, and Tia grabbed it tightly. I escorted her to a special seat, and under the blue sky, which had cleared up before I knew it, our achievement was floating on the sea in silence. ¡°Oi, you guys! Are you okay?¡± Then I heard a familiar voice behind me. I looked and saw that the Scarlet had also come right up to the side of the ship, and it seemed that Rebecca had boarded this ship. ¡°Ah, Captain. Yes, as you can see.¡± ¡°YOU, Why the hell did you answer Rebecca!? And don¡¯t get on my ship without permission!¡± ¡°Shut up, Pierre! He is my new guy. He is supposed to answer me! But it¡¯s quiet now, so I came over to see what¡¯s going on¡­.¡± ¡°Fufufu¡­ Let¡¯s go Tia?¡± ¡°Okay. Ready!¡± ¡°¡±KRAKEN, DEFEATED!!¡±¡± Raising our joined hands high in the air, Tia and I announced our victory in unison. T/N: 1/5 Coffee chapters. Thank you so much, whoever gave the coffee : D. CH 56 ¡°Haa~. I never thought you¡¯d actually defeat a Kraken¡­¡± Rebecca, dumbfounded, walked past us as we gave the winning battle cry, and looked at the huge corpse of the Kraken. She must be feeling similar to when a small child goes out to play saying, ¡°I¡¯m going to slay the dragon!¡± and then he actually slayed the dragon and dragged its corpse back to the house. But I wasn¡¯t interested in Rebecca at the moment. I was still vigilant as I had been during the battle, and continued to carefully observe the world¡¯s reaction. (Now, let¡¯s see what happens ¡­?) Looking back, nothing much happened in the first world. Rebecca did not engage in any heroic activities, and no such incidents occurred. We sailed on our ship, sometimes engaged in pirate-like activities, and when we got to port, we would replenish our supplies and sail back out to sea ¡­ and that was really all we did. But it was strange. If I was sent to this world, then there must definitely be heroes and demon lords in this era, and judging from the circumstances, Rebecca must almost certainly be a Hero. Then why did nothing happen? I¡¯ve been trying to figure out the cause of this, ¡­ and one of the answers I came up with was that it may be because She ran away from an enemy she was supposed to defeat. In the first round, We had no chance to win against the Kraken. ¡­ It was indeed a logical or even common behavior to abandon the Baroque pirates who were being attacked by the ¡°Gatekeeper Of The Mist¡± and flee. But what if she were to act like a Hero there? Even if she did not go so far as to defeat it, wouldn¡¯t some kind of contact with it create some kind of karmic connection that would trigger Rebecca to start acting as a hero? That was the reason why I challenged Kraken to a fight this time. The results were excellent. With the help of Rebecca¡¯s underlings¡­ Hero¡¯s party members, me and Tia, defeated the Kraken, who was lying in the sea. If nothing happened now, I seriously can¡¯t think of anything else to do. ¡­ Oh? ¡°O-Oi, Look!, The Kraken!?¡± My consciousness, submerged in thinking, was awakened by Pierre¡¯s voice. I saw that the corpse of the Kraken was being transformed into particles of light as if it were melting. ¡°Wow, Beautiful!¡± Tia exclaimed, ¡°Hohoho, this is ¡­ Say, Captain, just to confirm, did you come across anything else like this?¡± I asked, ¡°There is no way. I¡¯ve killed many small magic beasts that attack ships, but I¡¯ve never seen one turn into a glowing mist and disappear.¡± ¡°Glowing mist¡­ huh?¡± Hmmm, then this was certainly a special event. Looks like I hit the jackpot. ¡°Look, Ed! The light!?¡± Tia called out to me, ¡°It¡¯s moving!?¡± I exclaimed, While we were talking, the light mist that had risen was moving in the opposite direction of the land, trailing behind us. In all likelihood, I could only assume that it was guiding us. ¡°Captain! That light, let¡¯s chase it! There¡¯s definitely something going on!¡± I said, ¡°I do have a feeling that¡¯s true, but ¡­ okay, I¡¯m going back to the Scarlet, and you guys, come along.¡± ¡°¡±Yes!¡±¡± We responded to Rebecca¡¯s words and the three of us scurried back to the Scarlet. Fortunately, there still appeared to be a little time before the entire body of the kraken turned into a mist of light, and if we left now, we would be well on our way. "" ¡°Rohan! How are the supplies?¡± Rebecca asked, ¡°Supplies? We just left port the other day. We should have enough for a month or two.¡± ¡°Grude, What¡¯s the condition of the hull?¡± ¡°No damage! We can sail as usual!¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, ¡­ Everyone! We¡¯re going after that light now! As a reward for being the first in the world to defeat the Kraken, I bet there¡¯s one heck of a treasure in there!¡± ¡°¡±HAHHHHHHHHHH!!!¡±¡± At Rebecca¡¯s command, the crew started to shout and move. As soon as the Scarlet started moving, a man with a hooked hand, dressed in the theatrical clothing of a pirate, jumped onto the deck. ¡°Phew, just in time!¡± Pierre said, ¡°Pierre!? Why are you here!?¡± Rebecca asked, ¡°What! What the hell you talkin¡¯ about! Half the reason you lot were able to defeat that Kraken was because we were drawin¡¯ him away! But you tryna leave us alone and take the treasure for yourself, there¡¯s absolutely no way I¡¯m gonna let you do that!¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you just use your own bloody ship and follow us on your own! Why are you boarding my ship!?¡± ¡°If not for the damage, I would have done the same thing. If I didn¡¯t call out to you, I would have lost you, so I jumped on board in a hurry. Ah, I¡¯ve given them instructions to take the ship back to Charos for repairs, so there¡¯s no problem there, okay?¡± ¡°But I have a big problem with you! Really, I¡¯d love to throw you into the sea right now, but I¡¯d lose my future earnings if I did that¡­ Fine, I¡¯ll give you a ride, but you better not act too arrogant, you understand?¡± ¡°Shut up! I am Pierre, captain of the Baroque pirates, you hear me!? I¡¯ll at least polish the deck to a shine!¡± ¡°¡±You¡¯re going to polish the deck!?¡±¡± Tia and I exclaimed in unison, The Scarlet slowly followed the mist as they engaged back and forth. Then the mist gradually began to gather ahead, but for some reason, only after we passed through the mist did it completely clear up. Further along the path through the misty valley, a rather large island awaited us. The mist around the island also cleared up, and it disappeared a short distance before the island, looks like we reached our destination. ¡°Is there anywhere we can dock?¡± Rebecca asked, ¡°It¡¯s tough. There is a sandy beach, but the draft is so shallow that if we get any closer, the ship might run aground1.¡± I replied, ¡°Then we¡¯ll take a small boat from here. Anyone who wants to go ¡­.¡± Rebecca¡¯s words drew expectant glances from everyone present. However, Tia and I intercepted all of them and stepped out in front of Rebecca with an air of dignity. ¡°Captain, you¡¯re not leaving us here, are you?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes! After all we¡¯ve done for you, you can¡¯t just leave us here, can you? ¡°I know. Normally, I would have complained about the rookies getting in the way, but since you are the ones who defeated the Kraken, no one can say anything about it. Of course I¡¯ll be there, so that¡¯s one more person, however¡­¡± ¡°That must be me!¡± Pierre said, excitedly ¡°Uh, who are you?¡± ¡°You, Rebecca!! I even polished the deck!¡± Pierre, in a fit of anger, hurled his claws down, but Rebecca caught it lightly with her sword drawn from her waist. Naturally, neither of them were serious, but Rebecca gave an overtly wry smile to Pierre, who revealed his irritation. ¡°Ha~, It can¡¯t be helped. Oh well, Alright. Well, that¡¯s okay. It would be troublesome to leave someone like you on the ship and have it hijacked. I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m going out with them. I¡¯ll leave the rest to you.¡± ¡°Leave it to me, Nee-San!¡± ¡°Call me Captain! Good lord¡± After giving her men the usual smack on the head, we boarded a small boat and rowed out to the island. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve had an adventure with absolutely no idea what¡¯s ahead ¡­ Fufu, I¡¯m looking forward to it. (T/N: Novel ended at 552 chapters. Idk how many worlds author covered.) CH 57 ¡°Hooray! I am the first to arrive!!!¡± Pierre exclaimed as the boat reached the beach and jumped off. Everyone who witnessed the scene couldn¡¯t help but giggle. ¡°Pierre, why are you acting like a brat¡­ how old are you even?¡± Rebecca sighed and said, ¡°Che!, You don¡¯ get it. Every man is like that! How old am I¡­ Forty two?¡± ¡°Eh¡­ Is that right, Ed?¡± Tia asked me, ¡°¡­ no comment.¡± Following the excited Pierre, we disembarked from the ship. After bringing the small boat ashore just in case, I looked around again. ¡°It¡¯s still nice to be surrounded by deep forest, but there is a road, right?¡± Tia asked, ¡°Similar to that. It¡¯s quite a grand thing to have a stone pavement.¡± I replied, ¡°Che, Since it¡¯s called Treasure Island, it would have been nice if all the sand on the beach had been gold dust but nope, you stingy island.¡± Pierre said, ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Tia?¡± I called out to her, ¡°¡­, no, it¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s just move on, shall we?¡± ¡°? Yeah.¡± I was concerned about Tia, who was the only member with a stern expression on her face, but nothing was going to change if we just stood still. We followed the path for the time being, and soon after, Tia spilled the beans. ¡°¡­ I knew it, something¡¯s strange.¡± ¡°What¡¯s been going on with you, Tia?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange Ed? All these trees and no animal noises at all?¡± ¡°!? Now that you mention it, ¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there some kind of amulet that repels Demons? I don¡¯t know anything about animal repellent.¡± Rebecca asked, ¡°Yeah. I even had it on the ship, you know? Well, it didn¡¯t work on the Kraken in the slightest.¡± Pierre said, To my surprise, Rebecca and Pierre didn¡¯t seem too bothered by it. But that was because they didn¡¯t know Tia¡¯s ability. As a skilled Spirit magician, Tia¡¯s sensing ability was even higher than that of normal elves, who were naturally superior in this respect. To be unable to hear anything with that tier of senses would mean that there was not even a single animal over a considerable area. (What do you think?) I asked, (I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any danger, but ¡­ maybe this whole island was constructed. The power of spirits felt here is totally different.) She replied, I gently intertwined my fingers with hers, and Tia responded with [Missing Talk]. I see¡­ Artificial island ¡­ This was definitely a strong indication that something divine was involved. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing out there, it¡¯s better than being surrounded by a bunch of monsters. For now, let¡¯s proceed with caution.¡± I told her, Rebecca, of course, and even Pierre, though they repeatedly said inappropriate things and behaved improperly, were no doubt seasoned pirates who fought many battles in the past. She nodded her head in agreement with me and we continued on our way straight down the path. Soon after, we arrived at a stone structure covered with ivy. ¡°Is this another ¡­. ruin of some kind?¡± Pierre asked, ¡°Probably. Just out of curiosity, what do you want to do?¡± I asked, ¡°Are ya dumb, new guy!? I wouldn¡¯t come all the way here and leave without lookin¡¯ inside! ¡­ I¡¯ll give you the lead.¡± ¡°Are you being cautious ¡­ Ed?¡± Tia asked, ¡°Hehe, leave it to me, ladies. I don¡¯t know about Pierre, though.¡± ¡°You, Aren¡¯t ya being awfully cold just to me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so good-natured as to be nice to an old man who came to kill me. ¡­ hmm.¡± The cool air caressed my cheeks as I stepped into the open mouth of the ruins. It was completely dark inside, and I didn¡¯t feel like proceeding without proper lighting. ¡°Tia, please.¡± ¡°I understand. Ball of full moon fathering and illuminating the light in praise of the Yellow King, a pair of eyes of the spirit that are imbued with the light! Shine and crush the darkness! In the name of Lunaritia, manifest the [Fairy Light]!¡± A ball of light appeared and fluttered out of Tia¡¯s hand as she finished chanting. It passed me and proceeded deeper into the ruins,¡­ but after about five meters, it popped. ¡°What!?¡± Pierre exclaimed, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked Tia, ¡°I don¡¯t know. ¡­ maybe a boundary. From the response, I think it¡¯s an inhibition ¡­ barrier type thing, not nullification.¡± Tia replied, ¡°Hmmm, they have a strict no peeking policy. Then, Ah, ¡­.¡± I muttered, Shoot. There was a lantern in the [Stranger Box] but it was too big to make it look like I took it out of my waist bag. If I take it out with a nonchalant look, they might let it slide, but if they poke into it, it might become troublesome later¡­ What should I do? ¡°Hmm? What, you wan¡¯ light? Then¡­ Ho!¡± Pierre, raising his left hand, shouted, and his claws began to emit a pale light. It was enough light to illuminate the darkness and ¡­¡­ eh, isn¡¯t that amazing. ¡°Whoa, it glowed!? Look, look, Ed, his hook is glowing!¡± Tia exclaimed, ¡°A-Ah. It¡¯s glowing.¡± ¡°Pierre, you are still doing the weird tricks as usual.¡± Rebecca rebuked Pierre, ¡°Shut up, I¡¯m always ready for anything! And Glowing hooks are cool, don¡¯t you think?!¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± Rebecca muttered, ¡°Ed?¡± Tia called out to me, ¡°Oh, no, no, no. Nothing.¡± I thought it was cool for a moment, but this was what was called a distraction. However, the Glowing hook cut through the darkness¡­ It¡¯s Nothing, Absolutely nothing. ¡°Hahaha! You finally realized how great I am, eh!? Then I¡¯ll lead the way from here! There don¡¯t seem to be any traps.¡± Pierre was in a good mood and led us through the ruins. Pierre¡¯s claws remained glowing even after we crossed the place where Tia¡¯s magic was erased, so it appeared that not everything could be erased. ¡°I wonder what are the conditions? I¡¯d like to look into it a bit, however ¡­¡± I said, ¡°That can wait. If We have time when we get back, save it for then.¡± Tia said, ¡°Oh well.¡± ¡°Oi, you guys! There¡¯s some kind of door!¡± As Tia and I were walking along talking, Pierre called out to us. I immediately turned my head in that direction and saw a beautifully decorated stone door standing in front of us. ¡°Amazing.¡± Tia muttered, ¡°Hnnnnnghhhh¡­ No good, it won¡¯t even budge.¡± Pierre said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Maybe it has some kind of trick?¡± Tia said, ¡°I guess, but I don¡¯t see anything that looks like it.¡± I wandered around and looked, but there was nothing in the way of a trick that I could see at first glance. Since it was a one-way corridor, there was not much room to investigate, and after searching for about 30 minutes, no new discoveries were made. (This is getting us nowhere. Then ¡­) I moved stealthily to a position where I was in everyone¡¯s blind spot and activated the [Akashic Compass]. I set the target to ¡°door opening mechanism¡± and ¡­ hmm? ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­?¡± ¡°What? Is there something on my face?¡± Rebecca asked, ¡°No, it¡¯s not that ¡­, Captain. Would you mind opening that door for a moment?¡± ¡°What? Do I look that powerful to you?¡± ¡°No, now, now, look, it¡¯s just a test.¡± ¡°Huh. Well, okay.¡± I smiled vaguely and said, Rebecca sighed lightly and then put her hand on the door. As she continued to apply force, the thick stone door opened noisily. ¡°W-What!? Why all of a sudden!?¡± Rebecca exclaimed, ¡°I-Impossible!? Rebecca, not only do you have big tits and a fat arse, but also stupid strength!?¡± ¡°Are you kidding me!? No way. ¡­ Hey Ed, what the hell is going on!?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I just thought about giving all of you a chance at opening it.¡± Rebecca raised her eyebrows and yelled at me, and I hurriedly waved my hand in front of my face and blurted out my excuses. Actually, it was because the [Akashic Compass] pointed to Rebecca. ¡­ Does this mean that this was a door that only A Hero could open? If so, what was behind this¡­ ¡°Good grief. So, What¡¯s¡­ inside¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± Everyone in the room was speechless when they caught a glimpse of the thing past the open door. Floating on a stone pedestal in the stiflingly clear air was a trident silver candlestick with a long candle attached. CH 58 Floating in the center of the room, a shiny silver candlestick holding a candle in the air that felt as if a chill ran through the entire body just by breathing. Its surroundings were enveloped in a pale light, and the entire room seemed to glow, like it was under daytime sun. ¡°Hey, Ed?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s it.¡± I nodded in return to Tia, who whispered to me quietly. There was only one thing I could think of that would make a difference. ¡°This light¨D¨D.¡± ¡°What, I thought a great treasure awaited me here, but it¡¯s just a mere candlestick!¡± And then Pierre, who seemed to feel no pressure from the air or the thing in front of him, carelessly reached for the candlestick. ¡°Wai-!? Oi, Pierre!¡± Rebecca shouted, ¡°Shut up! It¡¯s always been a rule that the first to reach the treasure gets it! and if it¡¯s made of silver, it has some¡­ AH EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!??¡± The moment he touched the candlestick, Pierre yelled loudly and removed his hand. ¡°The hell is this!? It¡¯s so hot! Shit, if that¡¯s how you gonna play it, my left hand..¡± ¡°No, you¡¯d better stop. ¡­¡± I said, ¡°OWWWWWWW!!!??¡± ¡°¡­ Pierre, you an idiot?¡± Pierre sprawled on the floor, swinging his slightly reddish metal claw, while Rebecca looked down at him with a frown. It would be a big problem if the metal part attached to the body gets hot. I doubt it was possible to remove it. ¡°Water! Water! Pour some water on me! Hoo! Hoo!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t help it¡­¡± I took a water bottle from my bag at my waist and poured it over him, causing steam to rise from his claws with a sizzling sound. As soon as it subsided, Pierre finally stood up with a relieved look on his face. ¡°Fuck, that was rough!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch it any more, okay? I ain¡¯t gonna splash water again, okay?¡± ¡°But what are we going to do, Ed? We can¡¯t even touch it if it¡¯s that hot, right?¡± Tia asked me, ¡°Hmm, yeah, ¡­ Hey captain, could you try touching it this time?¡± ¡°Eh!? Why me!? Why would I do it when I know it¡¯s hot?¡± Rebecca replied to my suggestion with a dubious look on her face. That¡¯s a normal reaction, but my conjecture was a little different. ¡°No, You were the one who pushed the door open a while ago, too. So I thought maybe you can touch this too. And since you know it¡¯s hot, if it gets too dangerous, you can just take your hand off it right away.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, but ¡­¡± ¡°Go for it! You experience its hotness too!¡± ¡°Shut up, Pierre! Well, but at least I can try to touch ¡­¡± Rebecca, having been persuaded more easily than I expected, slowly reached for the candlestick. First, she touched it with her fingertips, then she wrapped her fingers around it little by little. ¡­ Finally, she squeezed the handle of the candlestick and pulled it close to her chest. ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t feel hot or anything?¡± ¡°Huh!? What!? You¡¯re the only one!¡± Pierre shouted, ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about that! Hey Ed, the way you¡¯ve been talking, do you know anything about this?¡± Rebecca asked, ¡°If I know what it is, then you know what it is too, right?. It¡¯s probably the [Sword Of Light].¡± ¡°¡±EHHHHHHHHHHHH!?!?!?¡±¡± I said casually, and Rebecca and Pierre¡¯s voices overlapped simultaneously. Both of them observed the candlestick ¡­. sword of light seriously, and Pierre touched it once more and flinched at the heat of it again. ¡°Fuck, I knew it! Why is Rebecca not feeling anything!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because Our Captain is the Hero from the fairy tale, isn¡¯t that correct?¡± I said, ¡°A Hero!? This wretched old woman with them wretched tits and a fat ass, A Hero!? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!¡± ¡°I see, I don¡¯t really care about being a Hero, but this guy is pretty handy.¡± Pierre rolled around on the floor three times laughing hysterically as The Sword of Light was shoved up his nose. Poor ¡­ totally deserved it, though. ¡°Damn, damn, damn you bitch!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Pierre, you haven¡¯t been burned enough? If you want, I can burn the sheath of your dagger too. ¡­ No, I don¡¯t want to do that. I don¡¯t want a pile of gold coins.¡± ¡°Why would I ask you to do that!¡± ¡°Aahahah! Well then, now that we¡¯ve gotten what we came for, it¡¯s time to head back.¡± Rebecca said, ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m sure there are no more treasures to be found here. Let¡¯s go, Tia.¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go, Ed.¡± ¡°Wait, I ain¡¯t got no treasure!, Can¡¯t ya¡­ listen to me a little more!?¡± With Rebecca in a good mood in the lead, we headed back the way we came. The fire in the candle of the Sword of Light was brighter than it looked, and even without Pierre¡¯s hook to light it, we were no longer troubled by the darkness. But when we left the ruins, the landscape before us had changed drastically. A fog so thick that we could not see our fingertips if we stretched out our hands was covering the entire area. ¡°It¡¯s a terrible fog. What¡¯s going on here? ¡­¡± Rebecca said, ¡°Hey, Captain, that Sword can dispel the fog, right? Why don¡¯t you try swinging it?¡± ¡°Oh?Like this?¡± At Tia¡¯s words, Rebecca swung the Sword of Light. Despite her vigorous swing, the fire at the tip of the sword did not go out, and instead, the fog that covered the surrounding area disappeared in a flash. ¡°Hey, hey, hey, hey, isn¡¯t this awesome! Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s really the Sword of Light?¡± Pierre asked, ¡°Who knows? At least the power to dispel fog seems to be real.¡± I said, ¡°Why¡¯s Rebecca the only one!? Don¡¯t you have a Hook of Light or something?¡± ¡°¡­, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea.¡± Tia said to the raging Pierre with a vague, indescribable smile. If there was such a thing, it would definitely be exclusive to Pierre. ¡­ Fortunately, there wasn¡¯t. ¡°By the way, Captain. If you are the Hero, what are you going to do after this?¡± ¡°Hmm? I won¡¯t do anything special. I¡¯ll just continue being me. Don¡¯t tell me you thought I¡¯d be wielding this sword to fight a Demon Lord who may be anywhere in the world?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know? But wouldn¡¯t you be able to make history if you did?¡± ¡°Ha! I¡¯m not interested in that. I am a pirate. I live how I want and die how I want. But, well, you¡¯re right. ¡­¡± After she had finished, Rebecca looked up at the blue sky where the fog had cleared. ¡°If this thing can dispel the fog, it means we can get to places where no one has ever been able to go before because they were beyond the fog, right? It sounds like a lot of fun to go into places that have never been explored before and collect all the treasures that are there.¡± ¡°The hell, Isn¡¯t that awesome!? Hey Rebecca, give me a bite of that!¡± ¡°What? You want to take advantage of me?¡± ¡°Whatever you say! One of these days¡­ when I make a prosthetic hand that doesn¡¯t get hot, I¡¯m going to take it from you and make you lick my ass!¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure why you¡¯re telling me this right now, but it¡¯s very typical of you. It¡¯s alright. The world is not so small that I can keep it all to myself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the way it should be! All right, then, let¡¯s get the hell out of here! First, let¡¯s go to the port of Charos!¡± ¡°We¡¯re not going to Charos, okay? I¡¯ll lend you a small boat, but you¡¯ll have to go home by yourself.¡± ¡°What!? Then look ¡­ please take me. I¡¯ll at least polish the deck.¡± ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯ll think about it.¡± ¡°¡­ Hey, Ed. Do those two end up getting along? Is it bad?¡± Rebecca and Pierre were walking side by side before I knew it, and Tia was whispering to me gently. Her jade eyes seemed to glow with curiosity, but my answer to that was only a shrug. ¡°They¡¯ve been after each other for years¡­ but there are certain things that only they know about each other. It¡¯s not just a relationship that can be easily described by the words ¡°friend¡± and ¡°foe¡±.¡± ¡°It¡¯s complicated. But it¡¯s fun to watch.¡± ¡°Hahaha, I agree with you.¡± With the two of them bickering amicably, Tia and I returned to the ship, chatting and laughing. (T/N: Sorry for the delay) CH 59 After that, nothing happened and we made it back to the Scarlett without incident. We sent Pierre, who was fussing a lot, near the vicinity of the port of Charos, and ¡­ Yes, We didn¡¯t throw him out in a small boat on the open sea. ¡­ Once again, our carefree pirate adventures resumed. But that didn¡¯t mean that everything was the same. Even if Rebecca herself had not changed, the behavior of those around her changed drastically. ¡°Ya lot look to have gotten your hands on some sweet booty. I¡¯d let it slide so far, thinking y¡¯all were just a bunch of fussy little flies, but now, I ain¡¯t gonna give up. Leave the treasure behind if you don¡¯t want to get ya arse smashed!¡± ¡°Ha! A little fly like you won¡¯t touch me or my treasure! You two, let that little punk know his place and what he¡¯s up against!¡± ¡°¡±YES!¡±¡± Tia and I replied in unison, Until now, it had been quite rare for pirates to directly target pirates, but since we have acquired the legendary treasure [Sword of Light] there was no end to the number of people who wanted to challenge Rebecca. Well, the crew of the Scarlet, who were routinely engaged in anti-pirate warfare, were much stronger than your average run of the mill pirates, and with me and Tia here, no raid was ever successful. And it wasn¡¯t just the behavior of pirates that had changed. Behaviors of merchant ships, passenger ships, and other civilian ships were also beginning to change dramatically. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re the famous Captain Rebecca! Please shake my hand! Also, if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to see the actual [Sword of Light] ..¡± ¡°A-ah, yeah. It¡¯s fine.¡± Rebecca shook hands with a small, fat merchant who offered his hand with a big and stiff smile on his face. She then picked up the silver candlestick she wore at her waist, and a gnarled candle sprouted from the base of the trident candlestick, lighting a small fire at the tip. ¡°OHHHH!!!? This is it! This is the famous ¡­ How magnificent! I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but could you please sell this to me? I will pay you any amount of money you want!¡± (T/N: Merchants remain the same no matter which isekai or world it is) ¡°Is it hot? C-Can I touch it ¡­?¡± The merchant added, ¡°As long as you don¡¯t complain later, do what you want.¡± In response to Rebecca¡¯s mocking words, the merchant reached for the candlestick,¡­ and you could probably guess what happened. It was an exchange that had been repeated many times already, and with her back to the merchant, who looked like he couldn¡¯t give up, Rebecca announced that the ship was leaving. ¡°Ha~, I¡¯ve been seeing a lot of this lately.¡± ¡°Good work, Captain.¡± ¡°Ah~, Ed. I¡¯m really tired. But if I ignore them, they¡¯ll chase after me.¡± ¡°Haha, How about we just sink them all in?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. If we do that, the Army will be called out.¡± Rebecca smiled and replied to the words of a passing sailor. It was true that we were strong, but at the end of the day, we were just one pirate ship. If the country were to get serious and organize a strike force, we would be wiped out in no time. ¡°Come to think of it, It¡¯s been six months since you both came aboard. What are you going to do now?¡± Rebecca asked me, ¡°Ah yeah. Hmm ¡­ I was thinking of disembarking the ship at the next port of call.¡± ¡°¡­ I see¡± Rebecca paused for a moment to think about my answer, and then she just walked away after replying. I had no way of knowing what she was thinking. ¡°You guys will be out in Six months huh. Time sure flies quickly.¡± The sailor replied, ¡°Haha, yes. I am grateful for all you have done for us, senpai.¡± ¡°Gahaha! It¡¯s fine. Ah, But, I don¡¯t care about you, but Tia-chan, I wonder if she¡¯ll stay? We¡¯ve got warm pockets thanks to all the pirates ships we¡¯ve been looting lately, and if you want, I¡¯ll even take care of her¨D¨D¡± ¡°Huh? Who¡¯s going to take care of who? A familiar elven woman suddenly appeared from behind the sailor, who was wearing a crude smile. I know, it seemed contradictory, but that smile was the face I would make when I wasn¡¯t smiling in the slightest. ¡°Hie!? N-NO, Tia-chan! I¨D¨D¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s nothing! Fuck, she¡¯s so scary, I can¡¯t even handle it! See you later!¡± Laughing and waving, the sailor left. Tia looked stunned as she watched him leave, but there was also a hint of sadness in her face. ¡°I see, so it¡¯s almost time to say goodbye.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve done most of what we wanted to do. Besides, if we don¡¯t leave now, we probably won¡¯t be able to get off the ship for a while.¡± I told her, ¡°Really? Well, certainly if we don¡¯t get off at the next port of call, it will be months before we make another one.¡± ¡°It¡¯s different. ¡­ Well, I ain¡¯t sure about that either. If you want to stay longer, we can postpone it, okay?¡± Only this time, it was quite easy to fulfill the condition of being expelled from the Hero¡¯s party. It may be difficult to stretch it out over a year, but a few months would not be a problem. But when I asked Tia, she smiled and shook her head slightly. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I trust your judgment. ¡­ And, frankly, I¡¯m tired of peeling vegetables.¡± ¡°Hahaha, I see. Well then, ¡­¡± ****** ¡°Are you sure this is the right place?¡± Two weeks later. Rebecca asked us that question on the deck of the Scarlet, which was now able to make normal port calls even though it was a pirate ship. ¡°Yes. We¡¯ve been draining away at the results of our travels at every port we stop at,¡­¡­ and with the captain¡¯s recent success, we feel we¡¯ve had enough of that.¡± ¡°Thanks for all your help, Captain.¡± Rebecca chuckled lightly at my words and Tia¡¯s bowing. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything serious. But, yes. If you say my efforts are useful, maybe I¡¯ll be able to see things in a better light from now on.¡± ¡°Oh, so you really are going?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m fed up with my neighborhood¡­ I am venturing outside¡± Rebecca grinned. Ahh, as expected. I¡¯d love to see that, it would be interesting, but .. that was the reason why we part ways here. Whatever happens now, It was only reserved for the people of this world to enjoy it. ¡°I wish you all the best.¡± ¡°Look forward to it! I¡¯m going to have the greatest adventures of all time so that wherever you are in the world, my name will be heard!¡± ¡°Eh? Adventure ¡­ Ah!? Ugh, I wish I could be there.¡± And there, Tia , who finally understood the meaning of Rebecca¡¯s words, furrowed her brow in disappointment. ¡°Hmm? Then would you like to come with me?¡± Rebecca asked Tia, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Ha! I know. After all, I didn¡¯t know what kind of person you guys were. But I¡¯m not so stupid to not realize the relationship between you guys. You were pirates on my ship, even if only temporarily! As pirates, you can do as you please! Ed, Tia, you two are cleared to disembark!¡± Boom! ¡ªCondition met. Only 10 minutes remaining to return home. A familiar voice echoed in my head. There was no turning back now, and I had no intention of doing so. Once we descended the ramp, the Scarlet slowly left the harbor. ¡°Pirates, to hell with your status! Be happy!¡± With a final shout, Rebecca and her ship vanquished. We would be able to find out what was in store for us ¡­ in a little while. ¡°Fufu. Hey Ed, be happyl.¡± ¡°Welp, that¡¯s the kind of misunderstanding I expected.¡± Two people, a man and a woman, who boarded onto a pirate ship with nothing but themselves,¡­. the most obvious assumption would be an elopement due to love affair because of different social status. In fact, since Tia and I have been working together almost all the time, and for better or worse, the nonchalant Tia had been sneaking into my bed, it would be rather strange if she didn¡¯t think so. ¡°Ara, It¡¯s not a misunderstanding, you know? You saved me, and thanks to you, I¡¯ve been able to travel the world and meet a lot of people I never would have met on my own. ¡­. I¡¯m happy, you know?¡± ¡°Happy to hear thatt.¡± Tia smiled at me and I smiled back and extended my hand to her. We both held hands and hid ourselves in a corner of the warehouse district where no one was around. ¡­ Soon after, our presence vanished from the world without a sound. CH 60 ¨CWorld transfer complete. ¡°Yosh, We managed to complete this one without any problems.¡± With a lifeless voice, the familiar white world appeared in my field of vision, and I stretched out my back with a sense of fulfillment and freedom. Looking to the side, Tia also looked the same, somewhat refreshed compared to the last time when it was her first time. ¡°Ugh, I wish we could have gone on that adventure.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still going on about it?¡± ¡°Because we could have opened up a world that no one has ever seen before, shrouded in fog, with our own hands, you know!? Just imagining that makes my heart pound. Ahhhh Mou, why does it have to be now to return to this world?¡± ¡°Ah, now that you put it that way, certainly.¡± Perhaps it was after we left that Rebecca the Hero would begin to work in earnest. The most natural thing to do would be for us to go out there and offer to accompany her on her adventures. ¡­ ¡°But because we interfered, that¡¯s why it turned out like that. I told you about the first round of the dream world, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°I see. As I recall, nothing happened, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. When Rebecca chose not to get involved with that Kraken, it was probably decided that she would spend the rest of her life as just a pirate. But since we changed that, the future has changed. I mean, no matter what we did, we didn¡¯t stand a chance of being invited back.¡± ¡°Too bad. Then what happened after that? Hey, hey Ed, let¡¯s hurry up¡­ and read that book!¡± "" ¡°Yes, yes, {Records Of the Hero¡¯s Story}¡± Tia was urging me excitedly, and I laughed and turned my attention to the table. Then, there was a book sitting graciously on top of it. From now it would appear normally like this, just as it did once. ¡°Ara, it looks like you¡¯ve repented. That¡¯s right, just do what you normally do. Let¡¯s see now ¡­ Are?¡± On the {Records Of the Hero¡¯s Story} I held in my hand, I saw the familiar 002nd world written on it¡­!? Woosh! ¡°Ow!?¡± It fell directly on my head. I held my head down and looked at the book lying on the table, the title of which read {The 003rd World: Records Of the Hero¡¯s Story}. Damn, they got me! Or rather, what the hell is this harassment!? I could picture in my mind a God-like entity holding his stomach and laughing at the state of me. Seriously, don¡¯t mess with me, if I ever meet you, I¡¯m going to punch you in the face. ¡­ ¡°What are you doing Ed?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ it¡¯s nothing.¡± Tia looked at me with genuine curiosity, and I took my seat, feeling a sense of exasperation that I couldn¡¯t hide. Then I picked up book and read through the contents with Tia, who was peering over my shoulder. ¡°Wow, So captain was the second generation, huh?¡± ¡°That¡¯s like that. Well, it was to be expected.¡± ¡°Really!? Why? ¡°Because a woman without any backing can¡¯t become a captain of a pirate ship.¡± Although you can still manage to bring dozens of ruffians with you if you had the strength, it would take a lot of connections and financial resources to own a single ship. If someone could buy a ship from scratch at around 30, they would be much more successful as a merchant than as a pirate. So it was not surprising that Rebecca¡¯s parents were pirates and that she took over from them after their early deaths. The crew was well trained, and considering that Tia was never assaulted on that ship, even though she showed her strength briefly, it meant that Rebecca was a captain who inherited her predecessor¡¯s will and was loved by her subordinates. ¡°And this is where we got off the ship. Come on, Tia, let¡¯s read the rest of the book.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. Let¡¯s¡± Returning my thoughts, which had briefly wandered off the track, I focused my attention on the book. There, Rebecca¡¯s way of life was engraved. ¨CThe last chapter, ¡°The Dawn of the Age of the Great World¡± ,of the 003rd World, {Records Of the Hero¡¯s Story}. After parting from her friends who had brought the ¡°Sword of Light¡± into her hands, Rebecca began to lead her men to challenge the Sea of Mist. The world gradually expanded as they sometimes fought and sometimes cooperated with pirates who were seeking treasure in unknown places, and eventually it developed into a global commotion. However, the world was still a big place. Rebecca thought that it would be a shame to monopolize the world alone, so she used one of the three candles on her Sword of Light to distribute ¡°Split Fire¡± to those who were willing to pave the way around the world. Sailors around the world now had the means, albeit limited, to dispel the fog, and the world entered the ¡°Age of the Great Expanse of the World¡±. Even at this very moment, the fog was being dispelled at the edge of the sea, and the world was expanding. The challenge of the pirates never ended. Until one day, they will take over the world and defeat the ¡°Demon Lord of the Mist,¡± who was believed to exist if the sword existed. ¡°Heh, they didn¡¯t defeat the Demon King this time? ¡°Looks like that. Unlike Alexis and Waffer, Rebecca didn¡¯t try to defeat the Demon Lord as a hero.¡± When Tia finished reading the book, I responded to her with my own speculation. Although I was not sure if Rebecca was alive at the time this book was written, even if she was alive, I think she would not defeat the Demon Lord until the very end. ¡°In the first place, there¡¯s a limit to how far one can sail unless one is lucky enough to locate a place where one can procure water and food. If they were to build a supply base on an island or something along the way, that would be a national project that would take decades, no? If that¡¯s the case, it will be hundreds of years, or even 10000 years, before the Demon Lord is defeated in that world.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a long time. It didn¡¯t feel like anyone was in danger for the time being, so it¡¯s possible that no one is desperate enough to defeat him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how it is with humans. However, if the world became shrouded in fog as a result of them hundreds of years of doing nothing, and the place where people could live remained only a few ¡­¡­ something similar to that, there¡¯s no way to reverse the situation even if they died trying.¡± When you think about it, then certainly the place we left was a turning point for that¡­ world rather than Rebecca¡¯s. It was a tremendously significant event that humanity was able to obtain the trump card, the ¡°Sword of Light,¡± at this stage when there was ample time to spare, and spread it to countless people by dividing the fire. For better or worse, Desire motivates people. I couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for the Demon Lord of the Mist, who brought his existence to the point where no one took him seriously and created a situation where he could win even if he just slept the rest of the way, but then tables turned with a single event¡­ ¡°Anyway, the world was dying slowly as a result of them doing nothing and then it was saved because of what we did. Well then, now that the mystery is cleared up, it¡¯s time to move on to the next world.¡± ¡°Yeah, Oh, but first¡­ yay!¡± As I rose from my seat, Tia held up her hand to the crystal ball that was glowing faintly. Then the light disappeared as Tia¡¯s body shivered. ¡°Ah, what skill you got this time?¡± ¡°Fufu~~, that¡¯s of course¡­ A Secret!¡± ¡°Tch, not again. Oh, well, I expected it.¡± Tia smiled at me, and I couldn¡¯t help but giggle in reply. This was definitely a position where Tia¡¯s superiority shone through, so I could not help but understand her feelings. ¡°What kind of place is the next world, Ed?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ what was it like again?¡± ¡°Eh, you also don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help it, you know!. I can¡¯t remember that much from 100 years ago!¡± Aside from the world that left a strong impression on me, such as the first world, I couldn¡¯t remember anything about the fourth world. If I had a strong impression of at least one previous world, would I still be pulled ¡­. or rather would I still not be able to remember it? ¡°Fufu~, It¡¯s fine. Then we¡¯ll have a new adventure this time around! Ah, but I don¡¯t want to be crammed into a box again¡­¡± ¡°As expected, if you were to be crammed in a box twice in a row, you¡¯d remember ¡­?¡± ¡°Why are you unreliable just at times like this!?¡± Tia protested by twitching her ears, but there was nothing we could do about what I couldn¡¯t remember. Then we held hands firmly and ¡­ walked through the door to a new world. CH 61 ¡°Whoa!?¡± Immediately after the world transfer was completed, I couldn¡¯t help but shout. Again, I know there existed a special blank space in between the white world and the world I was transferring to, but still this was unexpected. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± In front of me, a large number of children approximately 12 years old, dressed in matching outfits, were lined up in a row. And among them, the boy in front of me was staring at me with the biggest look of surprise on his face. Wait, isn¡¯t this¡­.!? ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Ah!?¡± I spontaneously held my head down, and the boy in front of me exclaimed and reached out his hand towards me. But I didn¡¯t have time to worry about it. This scene, this boy, certainly looks familiar ¡­, or rather, I remember. I remember this¡­ (Why am I here? Why did I come here!?) This was the 28th world. I was puzzled by the fact that my memory retained it, but I soon realized that it didn¡¯t really matter. (Tia is gone!?) I felt no warmth from my hands that were supposed to be holding her hands. The fact that I was the only one who was sent to this place almost made me black out, but I held my frustration inside myself with steel willpower. (Calm down. It¡¯s true that what¡¯s happening right now is absurd, but it is meaningless to think about it. First of all, I just need to calm down and figure out what¡¯s going on. To do that¡­.) There was a boy in front of me looking at me with a face saying he didn¡¯t know what to do. Now that I remembered what happened during the first time, there was only one thing I could do. ¡°My name is Aidos, A Human Spirit. What do you want from me?¡± ¡°A-A H-human spirit!?¡± The boy in front of me was again surprised when I announced myself. In addition, people around me were like, ¡°A human spirit?¡± ¡°Is there even such a thing?¡± I ignored them and called out to the boy again. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you have something to do with me?¡± ¡°Ah!? Uh, uh, ¡­ my name is Miguel! I am the summoner who summoned thee, and I seek a contract with thee! In my power and my name, follow me and kneel. O Aidos, Human Spirit!¡± Following my prompting, The timid-looking boy with soft brown hair thrusted a cane in front of my face. Then a pale light from the tip of it shone down on me ¡­. and nothing happened. Well, I wasn¡¯t really a spirit, so naturally it didn¡¯t have any effect on me. But to Miguel and the students around him, who weren¡¯t aware of this, this scene would be a total failure which in the first place should not be. ¡°A-Are? Failure? I-If that¡¯s the case¡­¡± ¡°The contract is made. What do you ask of me, my Lord?¡± Therefore, I knelt down in front of the impatient Miguel as if the ritual had succeeded. I was treated so badly by Miguel in the academy during the first round because I had not known this etiquette and had simply been dumbfounded, but I would not let that happen in order to secure my freedom in the future. Miguel, who thought he had made a contract with me, was innocently happy ¡­ and tilted his head. ¡°Y-Yay!! Well then¡­ What can a Spirit do?¡± Aside from the ordinary spirit such as fire or water, there was no way Miguel would know what a ¡°human spirit,¡± which as far as I know didn¡¯t not exist, could do. I responded to Miguel¡¯s question with a formal tone that was as spirit-like as possible. ¡°As a Human Spirit, I am only capable of doing what other Humans can do.¡± ¡°What can people do ¡­ So how about burning that tree or building a wall of dirt ¡­?¡± ¡°If you want me to burn the wood, allow me to make a fire using a flint. If you want me to build a wall, allow me to dig the ground and pile the dirt on top of it. Is that alright with you?¡± ¡°Yes. ¡­?¡± Miguel was blatantly disappointed by my answer. A spirit was something that was capable of wielding supernatural powers that others could not imagine, but he was told that I was only capable of doing what a mere human servant could do, I could understand why he was disappointed. But it was not appropriate for me to show my true strength here. Until Tia¡¯s safety was confirmed, it would be difficult for me to move if I stood out too much. ¡°Yes! Attention everyone!¡± And then the only adult woman present clapped her hands together to get the children¡¯s attention. After confirming this, the female teacher looked around once again at the faces of the students she was in charge of before continuing. ¡°It seems that some of the children have made a contract with a slightly different spirit than the other day, but anyway, everyone¡¯s ¡®spirit contract¡¯ is now complete! This is the end of today¡¯s class, so please go back to your dormitories and have a long talk with your contracted spirits. If you have any questions or feel that you are in danger, please call the teacher immediately. Understood?¡± ¡°¡±Yes!¡±¡± ¡°Nice, a good answer. Then, dismissed!¡± With the words of the female teacher, the children dispersed en masse in small groups. But Miguel was the only one who returned to the dormitory alone. Well, technically there were two of us, since I was following him, but I was a spirit here. ¡°Ha. Why is my spirit like this ¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a little rude?¡± I frowned lightly at Miguel, who complained as we walked along. But Miguel looked back at me with a resentful expression on his face. ¡°Because Aidos can only do what other people do, right?¡± ¡°Mm. I can only do what normal humans can do.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you try flying?¡± Miguel¡¯s words made me jump lightly on the spot. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t¡­ No, definitely, Nooo¡± Miguel said this right away when he saw me slowly reaching for my crotch. Of course I didn¡¯t mean to do it seriously, but I couldn¡¯t deny that Miguel¡¯s eyes became even colder when he looked at me. ¡­ ¡°Ha, I knew it, it¡¯s useless.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? I am able to do everything My Lord is able to do, you know? And what I can do, My Lord can do. Don¡¯t My lord understand how great that is?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t! A spirit that can only do what I can do is useless!¡± ¡°¡­ So, My lord thinks he is useless? ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°What a self-deprecating Lord you are. In that case, I think you should eat a full meal, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°If that was able to solve every problem, life would be a lot easier.¡± ¡°My Lord¡¯s life is hard because he doesn¡¯t think he can fix it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± We walked side by side in silence. The loneliness of the us was even more apparent when we were surrounded by people who were happily talking and showing off their contracted spirits to each other. ¡°¡­¡­. Ha, I get it. I lost. I won¡¯t say it again.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm, that¡¯s a great attitude. You are my Lord, after all.¡± I nodded in satisfaction and answered Miguel, who couldn¡¯t stand the silence and uttered. Not a bad way to start off, I guess. ¡°Then let¡¯s go to my room. Let¡¯s talk about each other there.¡± ¡°Mm, Alright. I, too, have questions to ask my Lord.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got too! Hey, what¡¯s the world of spirits like?¡± ¡°Uh, that¡¯s ¡­ well, Let¡¯s go to your room first.¡± ¡°Yeah! Fufu, Can¡¯t wait for it.¡± Miguel¡¯s eyes lit up with anticipation, but of course I knew nothing about the world of spirits. As long as I didn¡¯t get caught, I could say anything vaguely¡­. Hmm (If only Tia was here¡­) If we stayed away from Miguel the Hero, we would not be able to return later. So, I had to keep my composure and be cautious. With impatience bottled up inside my chest, I followed Miguel as we walked through the beautifully maintained grounds of the academy. CH 62 ¡°Come on in.¡± ¡°Mm, Sorry for disturbing.¡± Miguel invited me into a room near the entrance on the first floor of the three-story dormitory. As I recalled, the better the results of the entrance exam, the larger the room on the outside, so the fact that Miguel was living in this room indicated his position. However, it was not small. It was about the size of a room in an inn, a miscellaneous mercenary who was on the run would use. It was enough for a single person¡­ Yes, only if you were alone. ¡°Ah, What should I do? I didn¡¯t think I could sign a contract with a spirit bigger than me, so my bed is ¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ll stay beside the window here.¡± ¡°Ehh!? I can¡¯t treat Eidos that way, who went to the trouble of signing a contract with me¡­ It¡¯s a little cramped but would you like to sleep with me on my bed?¡± ¡°I appreciate the gesture, but It¡¯s rather cramped. I just want a meal prepared, and that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Ah, As expected you eat normal food. I learned in class that spirits eat foods associated with their attributes, and in Eidos¡¯ case, ¡­¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s human food. Just prepare the same thing as you would for yourself, my Lord.¡± ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll let the cafeteria staff know later.¡± After the necessary exchanges, Miguel sat down on the bed. I sat down on a chair by his side as his gaze urged me to do so, and Miguel began to talk again. ¡°Let me introduce myself again. My name is Miguel. I am a first-year student at the Rowan Royal Academy of Magic. And this school is a place where children with a talent for magic are gathered from all over the country, and everyone here makes a contract with a spirit to use magic. ¡­.¡± Miguel had spoken so vigorously, but he immediately stopped talking and looked at me awkwardly. ¡°Hmm. I am a ¡®Human Spirit¡¯, So I can¡¯t use spirit-like powers¡­ i.e Magic?¡± ¡°¡­. Well, yeah. I¡¯m sorry, I know it¡¯s not really Eidos¡¯s fault. In fact, I know I should be thanking you for at least signing a contract with me like this.¡± ¡°I certainly can¡¯t create the kind of comprehensible magical phenomena that my Lord wishes for. And, if I may be presumptuous, even if a spirit other than myself were to make a contract, my Lord would not be able to invoke magic.¡± For some reason, there was only spirit magic in this world. And when I saw Miguel in [Rainbow Glass] before, his talent for spirit magic was pretty precocious¡­. As a child, he showed exceptional talent that was present only in 1 in 1000 people. but he hit his ceiling there. In short, Miguel was recruited here when he was about five or six years old because of his talent, but since then he had hardly grown up, and tragically, he never will. ¡°Ugh!? Is it possible for spirits to know about someone¡¯s talents?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about other spirits, but I am a ¡®Human Spirit.¡¯ I can at least recognize the talents of my contractors.¡± ¡°I see, haa¡­¡± Hearing my words, Miguel¡¯s shoulders slumped in disappointment. I could only imagine how bitter the taste of failure must be at the age of 12. ¡­ I felt similarly when I found out I had no magical talent, so I could only imagine what it must be like. That was both a lie and the truth. It was the will of some God that made me appear and had nothing to do with Miguel¡¯s abilities, but no matter how immature he was and how little room he had for growth, there was no mistaking Miguel¡¯s talent. The difference between 0 and 1 was infinitely greater, but whether ¡­ a 12 year old would understand and accept that was a different matter. What then? You ask. The answer was simple and clear. ¡°My Lord. What do you want to be from now on?¡± ¡°What? What do you mean ¡­ it¡¯s futile, right? Isn¡¯t that what Eidos just said?¡± ¡°Not that. My Lord, I only said that it is impossible for you to use ordinary spirit magic. With my power, you would be able to use it fully if you put in the effort.¡± ¡°Wha? What do you mean by that, because you can only do what other normal humans are capable of doing?¡± ¡°Hmm. It seems that My Lord has a very low opinion of the power of mankind. Then let me show you something.¡± With that, I rose from my seat and took out a copper coin from my bag at my waist to show it to him. ¡°Fufu, look here then ¡­¡­ Oh and it¡¯s dangerous, don¡¯t move. okay?¡± After a quick reminder, I flipped the copper coin into the air. It was extremely difficult to do this in a small room, but this was where I roused my fighting spirit. ¡°Ha!¡± Fiercely, I unsheathed the sword at my waist, and a flash of silver flashed across the copper coin in the air. I stood where I was as I swung my sword, and soon after, a clicking sound echoed twice on the floor. ¡°How is it, My Lord? How is my sword?¡± ¡°Eh? No way! You cut it!? You cut a copper coin with a sword!?¡± ¡°Yes, I did. Though not that precise because of the location and the wrong weapon.¡± The area was too small to increase the sword speed and the weapon I used was just a generic basic sword, a Namakura iron sword, so the copper coins, picked up from the floor, were in the shape of two half moons. If I had used a better weapon, in a larger area, I could have sliced it into thin vertical strips, but right now, this was the limit of what I could do. ¡°Wow, wow! Amazing, You really cut it! Awesome, Eidos! I can¡¯t believe you can do this!¡± ¡°Hahaha, quick to be excited, my Lord. Have you forgotten what I am?¡± ¡°Eh? Eidos is a human spirit, right? That¡¯s why¡­ ah!¡± Miguel, who tilted his head lightly, looked at me timidly. ¡°Eidos, you said, right? You are a human spirit, so you can only do what others can do. And ¡­¡± ¡°Yes. What I can do, My Lord can do. It is not by the power of spirit magic, which relies on spirits. A person, my Lord, can do this only by his own strength. What do you think? Do you still consider yourself useless and incompetent when you can do all this?¡± ¡°Me, this¡­ ¡­?¡± At my words, Miguel¡¯s eyes widened as he stared at the copper coin in his hand. In a world with magic enchantments, it would be relatively easy to do this, but in this world without such enchantments, ¡°cutting coins¡± was a miraculous feat that could easily be mistaken for magic. ¡°Am I really going to be able to do this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible. Of course, it requires effort, but my Lord can manage this degree of work without any difficulty. That is the true talent that sleeps in my Lord who was able to summon me ¡­ A ¡°Human Spirit¡±. I cannot use magic like true magic. However, if My Lord truly desires, I will pass on to you a skill far higher than any magic which is capable of cutting down any magic. I will give you the power of a true human being, which will not be lost when my contract with you is over.¡± First-year students at this school only signed a basic one-year contract. After that time, the spirit would leave and unless a new contract was made with another spirit, the spirit that used its power would naturally become unusable. On the other hand, the swordsmanship I would teach him would be learned by him. And Miguel, who was a Hero, had by far the highest talent with a sword. In the first round, I stumbled here and I didn¡¯t know what to do, so my words didn¡¯t reach Miguel because I was just ¡°something, that wasn¡¯t a spirit, that came out of nowhere¡± and even if it had reached him, I couldn¡¯t have taught him much at that time. But now it was different. I was proud to say that my swordsmanship, which I had honed over the past 100 years, had reached the peak of what a human was capable of. If I passed it on to a child who was overflowing with talent, ¡­. The future would not come for abandoning a miserable child who had given up on everything half-heartedly. ¡°Now what will you do, my Lord?¡± Still, if he was not willing to do it, there was nothing I could do about it. If he turns me down here, he would have to rethink his future.. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll do. I¡¯ll do it!. Hey, Eidos, teach me the sword¡­ power of the humans!¡± I nodded broadly with a big smile on my face as Miguel gave me a motivation-filled look. CH 63 ¡°Fufufu, I¡¯m glad My Lord is motivated. Now may I ask you a question?¡± I asked Miguel, who was smiling as he held and opened his hands for some reason. So far I have been acting to bring this world to a happy ending, but not from here on out. ¡°Eh? What?¡± ¡°Are there any other mysterious spirits like me summoned to this school?¡± Yes, this was very likely. As far as I could remember from the first round, there were no spirits like me in this world ¡­, which was not surprising since I was the only human spirit. But that was also true of Tia, and if there was another spirit that had appeared similar to me, there was a pretty high probability that it was Tia. ¡°Ah, Yeah there is. Nash summoned one three days ago. It was a big deal at the time because it was so unusual. ¡­ I guess that¡¯s why there wasn¡¯t an uproar about mine this time around.¡± ¡°Three days ago¡­!?¡± When I heard it was three days ago, I let my body go limp so that my expression wouldn¡¯t be noticed. Ah, Really¡­ I am really glad. If there was a severe discrepancy, the question arises as to what might happen on the return trip, or whether it would be possible to meet in the first place and the fact there was a only difference of three days was the best news I heard¡­ but there were some additional things I needed to confirm. ¡°So who¡¯s this ¡­ Nash?¡± ¡°Nash is ¡­ what do you call, A jerk. He has a contract with a spirit called ¡­. Tia. Ordinary spirits can only use magic of their own attribute, but Tia can use all six attributes! That¡¯s why she¡¯s on a roll these days!¡± ¡°Ah, I see¡­ By the way, Is He treating his spirit roughly¡­? ¡°I don¡¯t think so? It¡¯s different if we make a contract as adults, but I don¡¯t think we can make them do anything that they dislike under our contract¡­ Isn¡¯t it the same with you, Eidos?¡± ¡°¡­ Correct.¡± Actually, I had no idea what the specific binding force of that contract was, either in the first round or now. After all, I was a human, so it wasn¡¯t magical, of course. But what about Tia? Considering that she was an elf, also known as half-spirits, and a skilled spirit magic user, perhaps that contract magic might be effective. And moreover, if she had been suddenly thrusted into this strange world and was in a confusing situation without me? There was no end to my worries, but ¡­ it would be best to meet her and ask her myself. ¡°Hey, hey, now answer my question! What is the world of spirits like? I¡¯ve always wanted to ask a spirit directly!¡± ¡°Ugh! That¡¯s .. what do you say ¡­¡± Miguel, with sparkling eyes, asked me if it was his turn, I involuntarily raised my eyebrows and choked on my words. I couldn¡¯t come up with a good and well-crafted excuse in such a short period of time, but On the other hand, it was possible to tell a lie because he was a child¡­ How about this? ¡°I¡¯m a human spirit, and I lived in a different place compared to other spirits, okay? Is that okay with you?¡± ¡°Of course! I mean, I¡¯d rather hear that! What kind of place did Eidos live in? What did you do before I summoned you?¡± ¡°I see. Then ¡­ I lived in a place that¡¯s all white and in between worlds. There are countless doors that led to other worlds, and I repeatedly went through those doors to other worlds, helping people I met there and then returning to my original world.¡± Not wanting to talk about my time as a mercenary, I told him about the situation I was in now. Miguel seemed to like it and leaned forward to ask me to continue. ¡°Eh! So that¡¯s why you came to me, too!?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. I heard the voice of my Lord calling to me, and from there I came to this world.¡± It was a minor lie, but, well, this was good enough for now. It may not be a complete lie, since the summoning magic circle invoked by Miguel was used as the exit for the world transfer. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right! Wow. ¡­ Oh, wait. If what you just said is true, has Eidos been to many other worlds besides this one?¡± ¡°Oh, yes, I have. Do you want to hear about it?¡± ¡°Yeah! Tell me, tell me!¡± ¡°Hahaha, Fine. Then¨D¨D¡± At Miguel¡¯s urging, I proceeded to tell him a rousing tale of my exploits in the other world. This continued after dinner, and when I finally made sure Miguel collapsed into bed after falling asleep, I opened the window of his room and walked out of the dormitory. ¡°Hmmm, maybe I¡¯ll wait a little longer?¡± I laid down on the maintained lawn, looking at the two moons in the sky. The number and alignment of moons differ from world to world, but I liked how the ones here were nestled together like twins. It felt kind of sentimental to me right now. ¡°¡­Well, it¡¯s about time.¡± I waited until midnight, and called out, [Akashic Compass]. ¡°I¡¯m looking for Tia.¡± I whispered quietly, and the image of Tia lying on the floor instantly appeared on the compass. From the scenery reflected in the surroundings, it was almost certain that they were in the dormitory of this school. Then all that remained was to proceed in the direction pointed by the compass needle that appeared late. ¡°[Mirage Shift]¡± Alerted to the presence of the night watchman, I used my banishing skill to make myself invisible. I went straight back to Miguel¡¯s room and slipped through the door and continued down the hallway. ¡­ (No, too close!?) Making sure they couldn¡¯t hear me when I spoke out loud, I quickly went ahead. The room that the compass pointed to was, to my surprise, only 10 steps to the left from Miguel¡¯s room. There was no point in patrolling at such a small distance, So I couldn¡¯t deny the feeling that I had wasted my skill. It was not like it won¡¯t be usable again after a day. ¡­ Ughh, what is this feeling of defeat?. (Well, it¡¯s okay. Sometimes it¡¯s just for precaution. Besides, this way I don¡¯t have to open the door to get into the room, so yeah) Lightly reassuring myself, I slipped through the door and entered the room. The room was about 50% larger than Miguel¡¯s, but still not big enough to accommodate two beds. And that was why Tia, wrapped in her cloak, was sleeping on the floor. The room had a soft carpet, so it was heavenly compared to camping out during an adventure, but ¡­ What can I say, I was just a little bit pissed off. I mean, well? I said myself that I¡¯d be fine outside too, and Tia¡¯s not the kind of girl who would let kids sleep on the floor, so maybe she came up with the idea herself, even though ¡­, you know? (I¡¯ll just spill a vase of water on Nash¡¯s crotch¡­ No, that¡¯s for later.) Putting aside my unprofessional vengeance, I quietly moved closer to Tia¡¯s side. It had been three days from Tia¡¯s point of view, and not even a day had passed since we had parted, but something tugged at my heart because of my initial uneasiness. (Tia, Tia) I quickly deactivated the [Mirage Shift] and shook Tia¡¯s body just a little bit. Even with that, Tia, who had been working as a member of the Hero¡¯s party, immediately woke up,¡­, And when she saw my face up close, her eyes widened to a full circle. ¡°E¡­ Fue!?¡± (Baka!? You¡¯re too loud!) I hurriedly covered Tia¡¯s mouth with my hand as she was about to scream. Tia immediately remembered the situation and delivered her voice to my head without moving her mouth. It was Tia¡¯s banishment skill [Missing Talk]. (Ed! You¡¯re safe!) (That¡¯s my line. Tia, are you all right?¡± (I have a lot to say about that, but ¡­ let me say this first.) (Eh? What?) I removed my hand that was covering my mouth, and Tia hugged me just like that. As soon as my head was buried in Tia¡¯s chest, a nostalgic and reassuring scent tickled my nose. (Welcome Home Ed. I¡¯m home, Ed.) (Ah, welcome back Tia. I¡¯m home, Tia.) After the unexpected separation, we just held each other quietly until our warmth reached each other. CH 64 (Are you satisfied?) (Yes, I¡¯m fine now.) Tia slowly released my head, which was being held tightly, from her arms at my words. I thought that normally in such situations, I would be the one to hug her, but I guess it really doesn¡¯t matter either way. (Ah, you can stay right where you are. I¡¯ll lie down.) (Fufu~, Then I¡¯ll sleep together with Ed.) I used my hand to stop Tia from getting up, and laid down next to her. The floor was not as cold as I thought it would be. (So, Tia. I heard you reached here three days ago, what did you do?) (Yeah! That¡¯s it! Mou~, It was so hard!) Tia pouted her cheeks in frustration, close enough to feel her breath. Instead of being able to speak, our joined hands were strained and a little sore. (After we went through that door, I was surrounded by a white world for a moment and ¡­ found myself outside. There were a lot of kids around, and among them was Nash ¡­ the one who¡¯s sleeping there. That one kid was a little ahead of me, and he started talking to me. He said, ¡°I¡¯ll sign the contract, just give me your name.¡±) (Did you tell him?) (I really wanted to ignore him, but then I noticed that you, who was supposed to be with me, was gone, so I decided to be mature and not change the course of the world that Ed was supposed to know, so I just went by my name,Tia. And in addition it¡¯s a familiar name that I¡¯m used to being called, The kid in front of me didn¡¯t look skilled enough magician to bind me up ¡­ and I didn¡¯t want Ed to not be able to find me if I changed something.) Names were extremely important in contracts. Especially in a case like this, it must have been very unfavorable to Tia, since Tia gave her original name. Well, there was no way that ¡°very unfavorable¡± would be enough to bring Tia, a skilled spirit user who has lived for over 100 years, under his control. (I see. Well, let¡¯s just say this time, no matter how many names you change, I¡¯m not going to lose Tia, so if you¡¯re really in trouble, don¡¯t worry about it, okay?) (I believe you, but still just in case. In fact, you found me right away like this, so it worked, didn¡¯t it?) (I¡¯m not saying it didn¡¯t, but ¡­) This time it wouldn¡¯t have made much difference what Tia called herself since she was right around the corner, but if she was far away¡­. No. Would it still be the same if I used the [Akashic Compass]? (Honestly, it¡¯s only the difference would be it will take a little longer before I can rest easy, okay) (If so, then the name was worth it.) Tia, who was pouting a moment ago, now smiled and winked at me. This quick change of mood was very typical of Tia. (And then nothing special happened. I am acting like the contact has been made, so he shouldn¡¯t think I¡¯m acting strange. The only thing I did was use spirit magic when I was asked to do it¡­.. And How did it go with you, Ed?) (Hmm? Yeah, I¡¯m just like you. Also, I call myself Eidos, the ¡°Human Spirit¡± in case you¡¯re wondering.) (Eh, what¡¯s that? The pseudonym is fine, but a human spirit? Is there such a thing?) (I don¡¯t think there are any. That¡¯s why I¡¯m calling myself that. I¡¯m not going to bother anyone, and if I don¡¯t, it will act as a good cover.) (Wow, Ed is really smart when it comes to these things.) Tia gave me a dumbfounded look as I smiled at her. Then, after exchanging some minor information, I quietly raised myself from the floor. (Well, then, it¡¯s time to go back. I¡¯m with a guy named Miguel, so if you need anything, just write me a letter or something. It¡¯s the next room over from this room.) (Okay, but don¡¯t you have to join us right away? I thought we had to work together in the Hero¡¯s party?) (Yeah, he¡¯ll be fine. The best time to leave this world is a year from now, when the contract ends. If we can get Miguel to recognize you as one of his own friends within six months, we should be able to go home together then, so we¡¯re not in a rush yet.) Once they were recognized as a party, it didn¡¯t matter living apart, at least within the school, and since Miguel and Nash were classmates, they would have frequent opportunities to interact with each other. Even if the two of them were to have a fall out in the worst case scenario, neither Tia nor I were actually bound by a contract, so we would be able to move independently and so it won¡¯t matter. (Ah, I see. I¡¯m relieved. ¡­ So I should just keep on acting like I¡¯m contracted to do this?) (That¡¯s a safe bet. As far as I remember, there shouldn¡¯t be any major incidents, but still, try to keep a low profile for a while. At least, Don¡¯t let your ¡®master¡¯ stand out too much that he is¡­ taken in by the royal court. If that happened, he would be separated from the rest of us.) (Ah, I see! So the spirit magic I use is supposed to be Nash¡¯s ability, and depending on its evaluation, it might keep me away from the academy. Eeee, did I do it by any chance ¡­?) (¡­ ring any bells?) Tia¡¯s ears dropped with an anxious look on her face, and I asked her, reluctantly. "" (When I made a contract with him, he asked me, ¡°What can you do?¡± I used the magic of the six attributes as usual. Then it became a serious thing¡­) (Miguel was talking about something like that. In this world, you can only use magic of the attribute that your contracted spirit has, so it would be a really big deal if you could use all the six attributes.) (Hmmm, but that¡¯s strange.) (Is that so?) Tia raised her eyebrows at my words, and I asked her once I had gotten back to my feet. I couldn¡¯t help but be curious about such a topic when I was about to leave. (Of course it is, When I use spirit magic, I don¡¯t make contracts each time, do I? I am able to use magic without hassle, so it can¡¯t be ¡°that type of world¡±1) (Hmm? Then why do the children here make contracts with spirits?) (That¡¯s what I don¡¯t understand. A contract with a spirit makes it easier to draw out the power of the contracted spirit, but on the other hand, the contracted spirit will always suck out your mana, and it becomes difficult to borrow the power of other spirits. So even if you make a contract with a spirit for some purpose, It¡¯s not like you can¡¯t use spirit magic without making a contract with one, so it¡¯s unthinkable to have contracting with a spirit as the goal.) (Then they can only use the power of the spirit they¡¯ve contracted with. ¡­) (That¡¯s precisely because they have a contract with that spirit. Since it consumes mana to maintain a contract and additional mana is needed to use the power of uncontracted spirits, perhaps they can¡¯t meet the requirements to use spirit¡¯s power? For example, if a spirit magic requires 10 mana to activate when there is no contract with anyone, the contracted spirit¡¯s power can be used with 5 mana, but if you want to borrow power from a different spirit in that state, you need 20 mana. However, if it is common sense here to have a contract with a spirit, the mana required to activate spirit magic is five, right? If they can¡¯t even see any sign of activation even after pouring in double or triple the mana required, it¡¯s quite possible that they came to the conclusion that you can¡¯t use the spirit magic without having a contract with them) (Ah, that again¡­) I became speechless listening to Tia, the expert. If it was true, ¡­ or maybe it was true, what a distorted tradition that has been passed down. However, such was the way of the world. It would be overwhelmingly difficult to overturn the common sense, ¡°This is the way it has always been.¡± If there was one answer in front of you, no one would think, ¡°What if there is another answer to that?¡± (Hey, do you think I should point this out to him?) (Seriously, please don¡¯t do that.) I told Tia, He would either be beaten as a heretic or celebrated as a wise man. Either way, Nash¡¯s future would be severely distorted and guaranteed to keep him away from the academy. (¡­Well, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll hold out as long as I can) (Really, please?) I patted a disgruntled Tia on the head, and this time, I got up. Then my eyes, now completely dark, caught a glimpse of Nash¡¯s sleeping face with a happy look on his face. ¡­ (Hang in there.) After muttering inwardly sympathetically, which I had somehow developed, I stealthily opened the window of the room and hurried out to the outside, where it had begun to brighten before I knew it. CH 65 ¡°Ha~ ¡­ morning ¡­?¡± Rubbing my sleep-deprived eyes, I stretched out on the grass in the sun. I took a deep breath of the clean morning air, and the coolness of the air woke me up. Hmm, it felt nice to be able to stretch my arms and legs as much as possible. The beds on the pirate ship were too small. ¡°Yosh, let¡¯s go back to the room first.¡± I walked a mere 10 steps to the window, put my hand on the unlocked window and pushed it open. Then Miguel, there getting dressed, saw me and greeted me with a smile. ¡°Good morning, Eidos!¡± ¡°Good morning, My Lord.¡± ¡°Did you have a good sleep in these fields? If it seems too hard, I¡¯ll think of something, just take it easy and let me know.¡± ¡°I appreciate your concern, my Lord. But for the time being, I am fine. If I need anything else, I will let you know.¡± ¡°Yes! Oh, you¡¯re going to eat, right? Do you want to go to the cafeteria with me? Or should I bring it here?¡± ¡°Hm? That¡¯s, ¡­ if it¡¯s okay with my Lord, Please let me accompany you to the cafeteria.¡± ¡°Of course it is! Then let¡¯s go together.¡± At Miguel¡¯s invitation, we walked side by side to the cafeteria. The main cafeteria was on the other side of the main entrance, so it was a short walk from this room. ¡°Hey, Miguel!¡± ¡°Hey, Thomas!¡± As we walked into the cafeteria, a student approached Miguel. Based on his friendliness, he must be a friend of Miguel¡¯s, but ¡­ I honestly didn¡¯t remember him. It was not due to my memory, but rather because my experience was that bad in the first round. ¡°Good morning Thomas, you¡¯re up early this morning.¡± ¡°I know right! ¡­ The hell. Why did I even worry about him.¡± ¡°Eh? What?¡± ¡°What ¡­Yesterday, you were so depressed because you got the short end of the stick, weren¡¯t you? You went back to your dorm by yourself, and you took your dinner to your room. So I thought today would be a good day to cheer you up. ¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I see. I¡¯m sorry Thomas. But as you see, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°I guess so. Then let¡¯s have dinner together!¡± ¡°Yeah! Let¡¯s get in line, Eidos!¡± ¡°Mm.¡± The three of us stood in line waiting for our turn. Since everyone around me was a 12-year-old child, only my huge figure stood out, but for better or worse, people knew that I was a ¡°human spirit¡± summoned by Miguel, so they did not look at me suspiciously. ¡°The food here is very good,¡­ and you probably know that because you had it yesterday. Oh, but in the morning it¡¯s the same for everyone, but in the evening we have three choices. Why don¡¯t we come here and eat tonight too?¡± ¡°Ooo, that sounds fun.¡± ¡°The heck, Miguel, you have gotten along with your spirit pretty well.¡± Thomas interrupted us as he saw me and Miguel having a friendly conversation. His tone sounded a little bit bitter, but in reality, Thomas had a smile on his face. ¡°Wellll, I talked to him and he seemed like a nice guy, and we had a really interesting conversation. ¡­ I brought dinner to my room last night because I really wanted to hear the rest of his story.¡± ¡°What? Damn it, I worried about you for nothing! I mean, is it really that interesting?¡± ¡°Yes, it is! What I heard is¨D¨D¡± (Fufu, looks like I don¡¯t have to worry about it this time.) Seeing Miguel happily retelling the story I told him last night as if it were his own, and Thomas listening to it with sparkling eyes, I felt relieved seeing this. First time¡­ When I first came to this world for the first time, I naturally had no way of knowing that I had been summoned as a spirit. The place was in turmoil when I showed up at a ceremony where only spirits could be summoned and I appeared as a human being, ¡­. Now that I think about it, the school probably had some reasons for not wanting to set a precedent for ¡°forcibly summoning a human being¡±. In the end, I was defined as ¡°An unsuccessful spirit close to humans¡±. Miguel, who could not summon a proper spirit, was also called the first outcast since the beginning of the prestigious Rowan Royal Academy of Magic, and the first person to fail, His friends, who were concerned about him at first, gradually drifted away from him as he became distant and refused any contact with them due to his inferiority complex. After all, he was only a 12-year-old kid. By the time two months had passed, Miguel had no friends left. I wanted to do something about it, but of course, I was not a spirit, so I could not use the magic that Miguel wanted. Still, I wanted to somehow give him confidence and told Miguel that I had a talent for swords, but my words, which were the cause of his despair, never reached Miguel. On top of that, this world valued spirit magic over anything, and he discarded me like garbage at the end of our contract. Ah, I feel like my heart is being ripped out of my chest with guilt now that I remember. This environment, where everyone was both victim and perpetrator and where no one could take out their anger or resentment on anyone, was one of the worst worlds out of the 100 worlds I¡¯ve experienced. But not this time. Miguel¡¯s confidence had been restored, and he was no longer left alone in a corner of the cafeteria with a despondent look on his face. I have never been a parent before, but even so, the sight of Miguel smiling and talking with his friends was more endearing than anything else, and I was proud of him. ¡°¡­Eidos! Hey, Eidos!¡± ¡°Oops. What is it, my Lord?¡± ¡°Not what! Come on, quick!¡± Miguel¡¯s voice brought me back to reality. I hurriedly checked the situation, and it seemed that it was my turn to receive my meal. ¡°Oops, sorry about that.¡± I picked up one of the trays on the table and followed Miguel and the others. The three of us then arrived at the same table and immediately began to eat. ¡°Mmm¡­..As I thought, the food here is delicious.¡± ¡°I know! Our maid makes only these weirdly sweet dishes, this one is definitely yummy! I¡¯m sure she¡¯s thinking, ¡®Let the kids eat something sweet!¡± Of course there are sweet and tasty foods, but if everything is sweet, of course they will get bored!¡± Miguel said, ¡°Haha ¡­ that may indeed be true. Do you have a sweet tooth, Eidos?¡± Thomas asked, ¡°Me? Well, I don¡¯t particularly like it, but I don¡¯t really dislike it either¡­. Uh, no, I don¡¯t like too much of anything.¡± ¡°Too much, for example?¡± ¡°Yeah. I was once offered a huge pastry decorated in the shape of a royal castle, but it was made almost entirely of sugar. It was sweet on its own, but on top of that, honey and other ingredients were smeared on the surface to give it an extra sheen. ¡­¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s ¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting a toothache just listening to you, ¡­.¡± Miguel and Thomas frowned when they heard my story. Yeah, that was really bad ¡­ no, it was torture. No matter how good it looked, sugar on honey was not human food. Ugh, just thinking about it makes my stomach ache ¡­ Urghh. ¡°Oops. We have an outcast here, huh?¡± Thomas, who was sitting in front of me, was the first to realize who it was and frowned. When Miguel and I turned around and looked in that direction, we saw the face of the boy who was sleeping peacefully last night. A small fat boy with chili-red hair trimmed on both sides stood next to Tia, who, for some reason, had no expression on her face. ¡°Nash¡­, what do you want?¡± ¡°What do I want? We¡¯re classmates, aren¡¯t we? Well, from the perspective of Miguel-san, a ¡°former¡± child prodigy, an ordinary guy like me may not be worth talking about, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Hey, Nash! You ¡­¡± ¡°Thomas shut the fuck up! I¡¯m talking to Miguel right now. ¡­ Hey Miguel? I¡¯m having trouble using my spirit magic. Maybe you can tell me how to use it better? You know, don¡¯t you? Prodigy Miguel-san?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± At Nash¡¯s mocking words, Miguel hung his head and clenched his fists. I talked to him yesterday and he was positive, but we haven¡¯t done any training yet, so of course nothing will come of it. Then¨D¨D ¡°My Lord, since he is requesting so much from you, why don¡¯t you teach him?¡± ¡°Eidos! What are you talking about?¡± Miguel stared at me, surprised by my words, but I put my hand on his shoulder and smiled at him. ¡°What? It¡¯s simple. Spirit magic is a phenomenon caused by using the power of spirits, isn¡¯t it? Then it can be said that everything that My Lord commands me to do is spirit magic¡­ no?¡± ¡°Eh? Is that ¡­ not different?¡± ¡°Yes, it makes no difference. Now command, my Lord! If it is in the power of man, I will surely accomplish it!¡± Yesterday I felt a little sorry for him, but if he was getting so cocky, there was no need for that. I stood proudly in front of Nash with a fearless smile on my face, ready to punish the little rascal for getting carried away. CH 66 What are you? Hey Miguel, you don¡¯t think you can beat my Tia with this piece of crap, do you?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know that until you try!¡± Miguel stood up from his seat with a thud at Nash¡¯s condescending words. Then he stood in line next to me and pointed his finger at Nash. ¡°It¡¯s true that up until yesterday I may have been a failure, but now I¡¯m not! I¡¯m different now! And even Eidos is not a failure!¡± ¡°Heh, Bold of you say that. Then let¡¯s settle this in class today!¡± ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll show you what I¡¯m talking about!¡± In front of Miguel, who challenged him, Nash , uninterested, snorted and stood in line for breakfast. Then, when the situation settled down, Miguel once again held his head in his hands. ¡°Aaaahhhhh, What am I going to do? I went ahead and said it¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha, isn¡¯t that great! Beat the crap out of Nash!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound so easy Thomas ¡­ Hey Eidos, are you sure we¡¯re going to be okay?¡± ¡°Of course¡­ that¡¯s what I¡¯d like to say, but what¡¯s today¡¯s class?¡± In the first place, since it was Tia who was following Nash, she could do whatever she wanted as far as winning or losing a fight in a normal fight. However, depending on the outcome of the fight, it may be necessary to be creative. I could not remember the contents of a year¡¯s worth of classes that I did not take, no matter how much I remembered from the first round. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve made a contract with Eidos, I too can participate in practical training in the use of spirit magic starting today. But the first thing I have to do is to draw out the power of the spirits.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll do my best to draw out Saran¡¯s power too!¡± Saran was the spirit with whom Thomas had a contract. He said that he was currently sleeping in his room, but since ordinary spirits do not eat human food, he would not bring him to the cafeteria unless requested to do so by the spirit himself. Well, this place was still rather crowded, So if there was no use, that was a good thing. Well, that¡¯s that. ¡°So you mean to say that the class will be a competition between My Lord and that fat boy to see who can better draw out the power of the spirits?¡± ¡°That would be the case.¡± ¡°How will that be decided?¡± ¡°Eh? Is it like¡­ the one who can do something amazing wins?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Let¡¯s do it with a bang, Miguel!¡± Thomas smacked Miguel, who was tilting his head. Hmmm¡­looks like I should do something fancy, but the evaluation criteria was vague. Well, it was just part of the class, after all, and I¡¯d consider asking Tia to make some adjustments. And while I was quietly thinking about this, the time was moving quickly. After finishing breakfast and getting ready, we headed to the school building to start classes ¡­, and finally it was time for the practical training in question. ¡°So today I¡¯m going to have you all practice drawing out the power of your spirits!¡± The place was a garden in front of the school building, different from the one where I was summoned. The trampled brown ground covered quite a large area. In addition, there was a grassy area, a water field, and even an area surrounded by a light stone wall where fire could be used, so that spirits of any attribute could exert their power. And all of the students gathered here had spirits with them. Some looked like ordinary animals at a glance, while others had translucent bodies or floated in the air, or they were so diverse in appearance that they looked like complete deformities and some were nothing more than pebbles. Among them, the most eye-catching were me and Tia ¡­, humanoid spirits. Well, We were not really spirits, so it was only natural for us to stand out because we didn¡¯t look like them. ¡°In the classes we¡¯ve had so far, you¡¯ve learned how to handle the power of the spirits well, haven¡¯t you? Then, first try to do it on your own. Then, if you don¡¯t understand something, ask your teacher. Okay?¡± ¡°¡±Yes!¡±¡± ¡°Good. Then, please begin.¡± As the teacher clapped her hands, the students spontaneously assembled among friends and began to work together to draw out the power of the spirits. Soon after, Thomas came over to us waving his hand. ¡°Hey, Miguel! Let¡¯s do this together!¡± ¡°Thomas! Yeah!¡± The two of them, having quickly joined up, squat down in front of me and start talking. Incidentally, Thomas¡¯s feet were covered in flames and a skink lizard covered in flames¨CA Lizard with gills on its face and able to live under water¨Cwas standing there with a dazed look on its face. From what they were talking about in the cafeteria earlier, this must be the spirit that Thomas has a contract with. ¡°Then, let¡¯s start with me, shall we? Let¡¯s see¡­¡­ Saran, Spirit of Fire. Lend me, your contractor, your power!¡± With these words, Thomas raised his right hand high into the sky. But nothing in particular happened, and the spirit called Saran remained motionless at Thomas¡¯s feet. ¡°What the hell, Saran! Help me out a little more!¡± ¡°Kuaaaaaarghh¡­¡­¡± In response to Thomas¡¯ protest, Saran yawned.. Wait, was that even a normal yawn? Either way, he was not very cooperative, or He wasn¡¯t even motivated to begin with. ¡°Damn it, it¡¯s not working. I wish I had a spirit that could speak my language.¡± ¡°Hahah, But I heard it¡¯s a lot more difficult to convince people if you can talk to them, right?¡± I said, ¡°I know, but. Che, I¡¯ll just have to get used to it. Oh well, Next, Miguel, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Y-yeah¡­. Human spirit Eidos, lend me your power!¡± ¡°Mm, Alright.¡± Miguel raised his hand and I quickly grabbed it. Miguel looks at me with a puzzled expression on his face. ¡°¡­ uh, Eidos? What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Hm? As My Lord commanded, I am lending you my power?¡± ¡°Really? No, but this is ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand, but if this doesn¡¯t work, what does?¡± ¡°What? I don¡¯t know about that either, but ¡­¡­ Hey Thomas, what do you think of this?¡± ¡°Even if you ask me,¡­ maybe we should ask the teacher? Atch!?¡± Miguel asked with a troubled look on his face, to which Thomas replied while stroking Saran¡¯s body with a disheartened look on his face. ¡°Come on, Saran, get yourself together. Come on, I¡¯ll prepare another delicious fire next time!¡± ¡°Kuahhhh¡­ ¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Thomas seems to be having a hard time, maybe we should really ask the teacher.¡± ¡°That sounds good to me. I don¡¯t want to be the one who doesn¡¯t know what kind of power I need to borrow.¡± ¡°Yeah. Umm, Sensei¨D¨D.¡± ¡°Gahahahah! What¡¯s that!¡± Miguel was about to call for the teacher when a loud laugh echoed from a short distance away. Nash, who had probably been watching the whole thing, approached us with Tia in tow. ¡°Nash!? What!¡± ¡°What are you ¡­¡­ hihih¡­. that¡¯s my line! That¡¯s how you are drawing out the power of the spirits¡­¡­ Hihihihihihihihi¡­.¡± ¡°S-Shut up! I am sure I am doing it right? Right?¡­ Probably?¡± Nash laughed, clutching his stomach, but Miguel¡¯s reply was brusque. Well, yeah. That¡¯s true. I too had serious doubts about whether this was an exchange that was recognized by the public as ¡°drawing on the power of the spirits,¡± so I did understand the reaction. And it was precisely because he was aware of this, Nash was unrelenting. ¡°Don¡¯t speak bullshit! That¡¯s no spirit magic! If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll show you real spirit magic! Tia, spirit of beauty, lend me your power!¡± ¡°Bwah!?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but gasp at the incantation Nash chanted. Beauty? ¡­. Tia¡¯s calling herself a spirit of beauty? It¡¯s true that Tia was beautiful, but I never thought she would call herself that. ¡­!? ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Tia stared at me with a terrifying look on her face as I struggled to hold back my laughter. I turned my face away as quickly as I could ¡­ Oh, no. She¡¯s probably reallllyyy mad. And Nash continued chanting, oblivious to all of this. ¡°Gather round, O Flame! And strike down my enemies! [Fire Arrow!]¡± The fire arrow appeared on Nash¡¯s hand and flew in a straight line towards the stone buried in the ground.. Not there!? ¡°What!?¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°AArghhhhhhh!!??!?¡± A fire arrow, which changed its trajectory mid air, hit me in the face, and as I rolled around in the heat, I could imagine Tia¡¯s smiling face clearly in my mind. CH 67 Shin17-9 minutes 09.02.2022 ¡°¡­ Wha!? What are you doing, Nash!¡± ¡°What!? No, no! I didn¡¯t¨D¨D¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m fine. ¡­¡± I managed to stand up and address Miguel, who was furious, and Nash, who was agitated. I looked at Tia, who was sticking out her tongue¡­Damn it, I didn¡¯t expect her to fire back here. ¡°Really? Are you sure you¡¯re okay!?¡± ¡°Yeah, really. You can tell by looking at me, can¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Certainly no burns or anything ¡­ Thank goodness. As expected from a spirit.¡± ¡°S-sort of¡± Actually, Tia went easy¡­ or perhaps her fire¡¯s strength¡­ she made sure I wasn¡¯t properly ¡°injured¡±. In short, it was a bit of a prank, but of course, others did not see it that way. ¡°U-um, I¡­¡± Nash, who looked pale, held his fist in front of his knees and mumbled in front of me. To Nash, I squatted down on the spot to his eye level, and tried to reassure him by speaking to him in a gentle voice. ¡°Haha, really, it¡¯s okay, don¡¯t worry about it. It is not unusual for a child to fail to control his power, and ¡­ above all, the failure is not always the child¡¯s fault. Sometimes it¡¯s a problem on the part of the Spirit that can cause the magic to go out of control.¡± As I said this, I glanced in Tia¡¯s direction and saw that she too was apologetically drooping her ears. If it was between me and Tia, it would be just a little joking around, but not if it involved Miguel and Nash in it. Tia naturally understood this, and that was why she was reflecting on the situation. ¡°As far as I can tell, your contracted spirit is immensely powerful. Then that is why you should not be frightened by this failure, but listen carefully to her words and work hard. Then I am sure you will become a brilliant spirit magician.¡± ¡°I-Is that so!? Certainly, my Tia is the strongest! Alright, now it¡¯s Miguel¡¯s turn! I¡¯ll be patient and wait for Miguel to draw his full strength!¡± ¡°Uh, yeah. But what do I do? I¡¯m still ¡­¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s okay too.¡± I looked back at Miguel, who was confused, and removed the wooden sword I had prepared in advance from my waist and handed it to Miguel. Fufu~, I thought this would happen, so I snuck out for a bit while Miguel was taking a class and created it with [Master Smith]. ¡°Eidos, what¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Remember that conversation I had with you yesterday?¡± ¡°Y-yeah. I remember. You said you were going to teach me how to use a sword, right?¡± ¡°Sword!? Why are you learning such a useless thing now!?¡± Nash barged in on the conversation between Me and Miguel. Thomas did not interject, but he was looking at me as if he did not understand what I meant, so he probably felt the same way. ¡°Hmm, why do you think the sword is useless?¡¯ ¡°Huh!? That¡¯s common sense. There¡¯s no way you can hit all the ¡®Nordes¡¯ flying in the sky with a sword, let alone with a bow!¡± Norde was the general term for vicious demonic beasts that flew in from the northern continent, which was said to be ruled by the Demon Lord. Since the world has been separated into north and south by an ocean, all of the Nordes attacking the humans, without exception, have the ability to fly. And, of course, swords and spears were never going to be effective against a flying opponent. As long as the earth had the power to attract all things, even a bow was only slightly better against a Norde flying at high altitude. This was why spirit magic, which was capable of ignoring the gravitational pull of earth, was so popular, and why talented children were gathered from all over the world, even though it required a great amount of taxpayer money, to provide them with education and training in this way. ¡­.By the way, Norde was an abbreviation, and it was said that the official name was ¡°The Devil of Northland¡± but nobody used it, So it was only used when learning it in class¡­ ¡°Fufu, you are still young, boy. Do you really believe that swords are useless in real combat?¡± ¡°W-What! Is that really true!? Or are you saying you can cut a flying Norde with your sword!?¡± ¡°I can!¡± I strongly assured Nash, who was insisting, and turned to Miguel once again. ¡°Come, my Lord. Hold your swords with both hands and stand there.¡± ¡°Huh? Yeah. ¡­ is this okay?¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Now close your eyes and ¡­ leave everything to me.¡± ¡°Okay. ¡­¡± I stood behind Miguel as he closed his eyes. ¡°First of all, you should relax your whole body except for the hand that holds the sword and let your weight rest on me,¡­ Like that. Then I will slowly support my Lord¡¯s body. As I do so, be aware of where and how the force is applied.¡± ¡°Aware¡­ of power¡­?¡± ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to think too hard. It¡¯s sort of like this? Just about that. See, slowly ¡­¡± I supported Miguel¡¯s body, which had been leaning against me, and adjusted him to stand in ¡°Honede Tatsu¡±1position. It would still be difficult to replicate that on my own, but this time it didn¡¯t matter, as long as I could maintain it for just a few moments. ¡°Now stand up straight. Then the next step is the arm. Swing them up and ¡­ down. Normally, flawless swordsmanship would only be possible through tireless training, but this time, you can leave that to me. Swing up and ¡­ down. Up and ¡­ down.¡± Five times in total, I took Miguel¡¯s unstrained hand and made him swing the sword. In other words, I was swinging the sword, so there was no shaking. Naturally, this was not something that could be imitated overnight. However, for this one moment, the proper swordsmanship was etched into Miguel¡¯s arm. ¡°And lastly, I, A Human Spirit, will pour out my power upon my Lord. Feel the warmth of our combined heartbeats. The power My Lord seeks is already within His body.¡± ¡°There is power in me ¡­?¡± ¡°There is. Hundreds and thousands of years. There is the power of a great man who has protected this land from evil. I am a human spirit. I can only do what a human being can do, and if I can do what a human being can do, I can do anything. Then what I can do, My Lord can do. Yes, you can. If a human can protect the world, My Lord can also protect the world. Compared to protecting the world, ¡­¡± I gently put my hand over Miguel¡¯s eyes and made him open his eyelids. In front of him, a short distance away, was a plain, ordinary rock. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal to cut through a rock like that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Miguel, hypnotized by the effects of my banishment skill [Fraud Voice], slowly raised his sword. The blade of the sword glowed with a pale light, and as soon as it was lowered, a round slash like a crescent moon flew toward the rock. It was a skill that the Hero Alexis excelled at. It was a technique that Miguel, also a Hero, preempted only for a blink of an eye at the end of his self-effacement. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Fuuush A large stone was slashed and slid down. Nash and Thomas, as well as the children who had been watching the scene around them, stopped clamoring and were stunned by the sight. ¡°¡­ Eidos, what was that?¡± Miguel, who realized what he had done before anyone else, raised his head and looked up at me. ¡°Fufufu~, Surprised? That is the power of man. That is the skill wielded by the greatest swordsman I have ever known. Its name is [Moonscraper]¡± ¡°Mooon-scraaperr¡­. that I¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah. Isn¡¯t it amazing what human beings can do?¡± ¡°¡­ Yeah, I agree. Eidos is the best.¡± Having used far more than his share of strength, Miguel once again leaned on me. His face, exhausted, nonetheless had a joyful smile on it. CH 68 Shin17-9 minutes 09.02.2022 ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­ Huff¡­¡± One day after school, a month after the amazing blow. Miguel was swinging his sword with all his heart in the plaza near the dormitory, his body burning so hot that steam was rising from his body. ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­ Huff¡­¡± I only allowed Miguel to swing 100 times a day. That was why Miguel put his whole heart and soul into each swing, taking his time and swinging slowly. Of course, I was not trying to be mean. A child with no foundation would never learn anything by swinging a sword aimlessly, and more importantly, at the age of 12, if he overworked himself, there would be no way to recover. But don¡¯t underestimate him. Swinging the sword a 100 times while being aware of the position of the bones in the body and the arm movements to swing the sword straight without losing control of the torso was better than swinging the sword 10,000 times without knowing what you were doing. Especially if the person held the title of ¡°Hero¡± and possessed exceptional talent with a sword. ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­ Huff¡­ Okay, that¡¯s it for today¡¯s training!¡± ¡°Good work, my Lord. You did your best.¡± I smiled and handed Miguel a cloth to wipe the sweat off his forehead as he adjusted his breathing. Miguel accepted it with a smile and began to wipe his face and neck. ¡°Thanks, Eidos. How was your day?¡± ¡°Mm, it was good. As far as I could tell, roughly 30 percent of the time, you were swinging correctly.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯ve still got a long way to go.¡± ¡°Fufufu, of course. But you¡¯re definitely moving forward.¡± An ordinary child might be disheartened and lose motivation if told that after working hard every day for a month, they were only able to accomplish 30% of their goals. But Miguel was different. He was once hailed as a child prodigy, but since then his talent for spirit magic never developed, so he simply enjoyed the fact that the harder he worked, the more power and skill he would acquire. ¡°How about Nash?¡± ¡°Hmmm ¡­what do you think?¡± Miguel then turns his attention to Nash, who was practicing spirit magic a little further away. Nash was also inspired by Miguel and practiced here with Tia on a daily basis. ¡°L-Like this?¡± ¡°No! Be more aware of the movement of mana! Simply passing mana to a spirit will change it to its attribute, but if the magician is aware of this, the conversion efficiency will increase dramatically. If you want to be better, you have to pay attention to details like that.¡± ¡°Ugh ¡­, I-I get it. ¡­¡± Since that day, Tia has been speaking completely normally. I mean, she originally played the silent character so that her existence would not change the course of the world by the time she met me, so after she met me, she was reluctant and said ¡°It is already too late to change my tone¡±. But Tia, who was concerned that she had made Nash apologize that day because of her own fault, chose to help him grow up properly, partly on my advice. For that reason, her character of not saying anything extra was extremely inconvenient, ¡°I saw Nash with all his talent, but he couldn¡¯t utilize it, so I couldn¡¯t resist and went back to being myself.¡± She started speaking normally using that as an excuse¡­ At Least That¡¯s a start. ¡°How about this time?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good. Now try invoking the magic.¡± ¡°All right, ¡­, Gather round, O flames! And strike down my enemies! [Fire Arrow]!¡± A fireball gathered at the tip of Nash¡¯s hand, transformed into a flaming arrow and shot out. It hit the rock in front of him accurately and succeeded in turning its surface slightly red. ¡°How¡¯s that! Fufu, Aren¡¯t I awesome!¡± ¡°Yeah, that was pretty good.¡± ¡°Fufufu~! See that, Miguel? Unlike some guy who is only able to learn 30% of a sword¡¯s power, I am perfectly capable of using spirit magic, you know?¡± ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t say that!¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± Tia smacked Nash on the head as he said this with a smug look on his face. Miguel, on the other hand, was a bit dissatisfied with Nash. ¡°What the hell, Nash ¡­, I won¡¯t lose either!¡± ¡°Hahaha, I agree. It is easy to say about people.. but feelings are not so easy to divide. Work hard and triumph.¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± I knew this from the fact that he tried to apologize when he burned my head, but Nash was a jerk but not a bad guy. In fact, the proof was that even though we quarreled like this every time, we trained at the same time face-to-face. If they really hated each other, one of them would have changed places or times long ago. ¡°Oi, Miguel!¡± And then I heard a voice calling Miguel from the dormitory. I turned around to see Thomas there, accompanied by the subtly contradictory presence of a fiery skink lizard. ¡°I knew you were here. Well, you train every day, so of course I knew it.¡± ¡°Thomas? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Amar-sensei is calling you and Eidos. Oh, and Nash and Tia too.¡± Amar-sensei was the female teacher in charge of Miguel and the others. She was there when I was summoned, so I knew her. ¡°Nash too? Oi! Nash!¡± At Thomas¡¯ words, Miguel called out Nash. Soon after, Nash and Tia arrived here as well. ¡°Che, what the heck, that was such a good moment¡­¡± ¡°Ara, it¡¯s Thomas and Saran. Hello.¡± ¡°Kuah ¡­.¡± Tia, who came to our side, crouched down on the spot and stroked Saran. Its body surface was enveloped in a fire, but of course, Tia was not affected by the fire. ¡°Che, Why are you so docile when Tia strokes you?¡­ Is it because you¡¯re both spirits?¡± ¡°Kuah¡­¡± ¡°Fufufu, you pat her too rough. You have to pet her more gently, okay?¡± ¡°What!? That¡¯s a lie! Saran, You were female!?¡± ¡°Kuah!¡± ¡°Wha!? Wait, wait! All right, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Thomas flapped his legs, which were burning hot, as Saran attached his flabby body to Thomas. It looks like the lady got offended. ¡°So, what?¡± ¡°He is saying that Amar sensei is calling me and Eidos, as well you and Tia.¡± ¡°Yeah! He wants us to show up before dinner. ¡­ Here, you got this, Saran?¡± ¡°Kuah ¡­¡± ¡°Sensei? Aside from me, who¡¯s super talented, why¡¯s he calling Miguel and Eidos?¡± ¡°Who knows? Well, if we¡¯re called, why don¡¯t we just go? Eidos, are you sure you don¡¯t mind if We go back to the schoolhouse now?¡± ¡°Yes, I have no problem with that, my Lord.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, too.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s all go together.¡± ¡°Hmph! I don¡¯t like the idea of being with Miguel, but let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Well, then, I sure did inform you!¡± Thomas said, After seeing off Thomas who was going back to the dormitory with Saran, we moved towards the school building. The sky was getting redder, but this shouldn¡¯t be a hindrance for us to walk along the familiar paths. We went straight to the faculty waiting room and told them what had happened, and Amar came and took us to another private room. ¡°Thank you for coming, Miguel and Nash.¡± ¡°No problem. So, what can I do for you, Sensei?¡± ¡°It was before¡­ but this time I don¡¯t have business with you and Miguel, but with the spirits that you have contracted with. Eidos, the Human Spirit, and Tia, the Spirit of Beauty ¡­ No, I¡¯ll call you Eidos-san and Tia-san now.¡± ¡°Hmm? What do you want from us?¡± I almost laughed when Tia was called the Spirit of Beauty ¡­ and Tia¡¯s ears turned slightly red with embarrassment ¡­, but I held it together and asked the faculty lady. The woman then made a proposal that we had not anticipated. ¡°You know, ¡­, maybe you guys would be interested in teaching a class for me?¡± CH 69 ¡°Now! This is Eidos-sensei and Tia-sensei, who will be teaching you all today. Now, teachers, please say hello.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Tia. I¡¯m going to teach you how to cast real spirit magic, so make sure you learn it well.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Eidos. I will teach everyone about the potential a human holds.¡± Inside a classroom at the academy. In front of dozens of students, Tia and I greeted them. The reason for this, of course, was that we accepted a proposal that was made to us the other day, asking if we would be interested in teaching a class. There were two main reasons. ¡°Me! Amar-sensei, may I?¡± ¡°Yes, what is it?¡± While the classroom was buzzing with the unprecedented situation of a spirit teaching, Amar answered the female student who took the initiative and raised her hand. ¡°I understand what Tia-sensei will be teaching, but what does the potential of a human, as said by Eidos-sensei, mean? What exactly does that tell us?¡± ¡°Hm, I¡¯ll answer that question for you.¡± As the girl tilted her head, truly confused about the meaning, I asked Amar to exchange places with me and moved to the center of the class and began answering her question. ¡°To begin with, a human being holds alot of potential. For example, everyone has the potential of being able to use ¡°Spirit Magic¡±¡­But using spirit magic is not necessarily the very best a person is capable of.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Haha, A little difficult? Then let me give you an example. My contractor, Miguel, his talent for spirit magic is not much to be honest. Of course, as someone who has been invited here, with the right amount of effort, I¡¯m sure he will be able to use it. ¡­ But even if he trains for 10 years, he won¡¯t be able to beat even you guys the next year.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s lame.¡± ¡°People used to consider him a genius.¡± At my words, I heard people throughout the classroom ridiculing Miguel. But even with such taunts directed at him, Miguel looked at me with dignity and without condescension. I felt proud that Miguel had the confidence to do so, and I continued my explanation. ¡°Quiet. It is true that Miguel has no talent for spirit magic. Instead, he is blessed with an abundance of talent with the sword. Some of you may know that Miguel trains every day,¡­, but let me assure you. Assuming you guys learn spirit magic seriously, one year later. There is no one who will be able to beat Miguel in a one-on-one fight. Five years, ten years. The more time passes, the more the gap widens, and in 20 years, there will be nobody in this world who hasn¡¯t heard of Miguel¡¯s name,¡­ He is that talented. Yes, of course, if Miguel continues to train diligently.¡± ¡°Ehh, No way!¡± ¡°How could swords possibly defeat spirit magic!¡± ¡°Fufufu~, I will let you see when we practice. The important thing to remember here is that just because you have a talent for using spirit magic, it is not worth it to get obsessed with it. For example, you girl, you have a certain talent for spirit magic, but the best skill that you possess is sewing.¡± ¡°Huh? Sewing!?¡± The girl in question looked surprised when I secretly invoked my banishment skill [Rainbow Glass] and pointed out her true talent. ¡°That¡¯s right. With proper training you will eventually even be able to sew dresses for a princess. ¡­ Well, what do you think of that?¡± ¡°Eh? Eeeeeeh!? Err¡­ I¡¯m happy, I guess? But I don¡¯t really like sewing. ¡­¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s fine. People have different talents, and the talent that lies dormant in them might not always be the one they want. But as a human spirit, I am here to show you what human potential is ¡­ and what talents are lying dormant in you. All of you here are gifted spirit magic users. However, it is too bad that you are so preoccupied with it that you neglect the rest of the talents. People are a mass of potential. We can do anything and be anything. There is more than one way to achieve our goal, and becoming a spirit user is not all there is to it.¡± (T/N: Things like these really show this dude has lived for 100 yrs) ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­???¡± ¡°Hey, E¡­idos! They¡¯re kids, you have to say it in a shorter, precise way.¡± ¡°O-Oh, Is that so? Let¡¯s see, then¡­that.¡ºWhat can I do to become stronger than I am now?¡»Or,¡ºI want to do something like this, what should I do?¡»I¡¯ll start by teaching you about the methods to achieve them¡­ How about that?¡± ¡°Oh, Damn, that¡¯s awesome!¡± ¡°Hmmm, sounds kind of useful.¡± After getting scolded by Tia and rephrasing it, the kids finally responded in a positive way. Gosh, It was hard to communicate in a way that was easy to understand while still maintaining my dignity. ¡­ I might as well just talk normally, right? But it was similar to Tia¡¯s ¡°Spirit Of Beauty¡±, it was too late to back out now. Nonetheless, this was the first reason. In short, I wanted to offer a bright future to childs like Miguel, who came to this school with just barely enough talent. Since the presence of spirit users was a key to national defense, a drastic change of policy would be difficult to achieve, still, if we succeed in achieving results here, we may be able to avoid the ironic fate of ¡°Having our future crushed by our talents¡± even if only a little. And that would surely help Miguel if the day comes when he stands as a Hero. It won¡¯t reach the level of unbalance where all his comrades were spirit users. ¡°Well, that¡¯s all I have to say regarding the girl¡¯s question. Is there anything else?¡± No one said anything this time. So that was the end of my turn for the moment. ¡°Then, let¡¯s start with Tia¡¯s lesson. I have to talk to each of you individually, after that. Then, Tia, please take care of them.¡± ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll start the class right away.¡± As I relinquished the center of the podium, Tia began teaching with a lively expression on her face. Some students were surprised by her behavior, probably because of the image of her as a quiet spirit in her early days. ¡°For starters, You all know that spirit magic is magic that is activated with the help of spirits, right? Meaning everyone forms a contract with a spirit first, and then borrows its power to activate the magic. ¡­ So far so good?¡± ¡°¡±Yes¡±¡± The students responded to Tia¡¯s question in unison. Hearing this, Tia nodded her head ¡­ and clapped her hands together in front of her chest. ¡°Yep, that¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong! You don¡¯t need a contract with a spirit to use spirit magic! In fact, making a contract with a spirit from the very beginning is not a very good way to improve your spirit magic.¡± ¡°¡±Eeeeeeeeeeeeehhh!?¡±¡± ¡°Hey, Wait a minute, Tia-sensei!? What in the world¡­!?¡± Tia¡¯s words elicited a response from the students, but it was Amar who was most perplexed. However, Tia smiled and spoke to Amar-sensei. ¡°Fufu, I think it¡¯s best to show them how it¡¯s done. Hey, Amar-sensei. What kind of spirit do you have a contract with? May I see them?¡± "" ¡°Eh? Yes, that¡¯s fine. Come on in, Flautia.¡± As Amar called out to her, the water gathered over his shoulders and eventually became a ball of water the size of a human head. To me, it completely looked like it was just floating water. ¡­ I guess that¡¯s a spirit, too, looking at the flow. ¡°Ah, she¡¯s a pure attribute. This may be a little tough, but I hope Sensei can handle it? Hey, Amar-sensei, could you try ¡­, I guess, use some wind-based spirit magic?¡± ¡°Wind? Flautia is water spirit, so she can¡¯t use magic of any other attribute, I think?¡± ¡°Just go ahead! Gather the mana in yourself, not that girl, and then follow me in chanting. ¡®Gather O winds and strike¨D¨D¡± ¡°Eh? Gather O Wind¨D¨D¡± Following Tia¡¯s chanting, Amar also started chanting. However, while a small whirlwind was generated on Tia¡¯s hand when she finished her chanting to the end, nothing appeared on Amal¡¯s hand. ¡°Look, look, send more mana!¡± ¡°B-But I¡¯ve already consumed about the same amount of mana needed for intermediate level magic, you know? If I pour so much mana into a rudimentary magic, let alone elementary spell, and it still doesn¡¯t work, then¡­¡± ¡°Listen to me! Just keep your concentration and send the mana as fast as you can! It¡¯s not like we¡¯re going to be fighting anything after this, so it¡¯s okay if you use up all our mana, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s well¡­¡± ¡°Then trust me!¡± ¡°¡­ understood.¡± In response to Tia who was staring at him with serious eyes, Amar kept pouring more mana¡­ even though he was half convinced. I honestly had no idea what was going on, but after a few moments, a tiny whirlpool of wind finally began to appear over Amar¡¯s hand. ¡°EHHHHHHH!? W-what, How!?¡± ¡°See, you did it, right?¡± Tia smiled at the astonished Amar. This was the moment when common sense, which supported the very foundation of this world, was turned upside down. (T/N: Sorry for the delay was on the finale of cold steel 2) CH 70 ¡°See, you all saw that, right? The teacher only made a contract with a water-based spirit, but he was able to use wind magic¡­Which means that a contract with a spirit isn¡¯t absolutely necessary in order to use magic.¡± ¡°Huh, so that means I shouldn¡¯t have made a contract with a spirit? and We were getting along so well. ¡­¡± ¡°Kiyuuu¡­¡± Hearing Tia¡¯s explanation, one of the female students sounded disappointed. On her shoulder was an aloof small mouse, which too sounded lonely. ¡°Oh, no, that¡¯s not true. It is true that it is not good to make a contract without knowing anything about a spirit ¡­¡­ but a spirit is a very nice thing in itself to befriend! So, let¡¯s start with an explanation of that as well¨D¨D¡± ¡°Wa-Wait a minute! Could you please wait a minute!¡± Tia was about to start talking, but Amar-sensei stopped her with an impatient voice. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Well, right away! I¡¯ll get the other teachers to come over right now, So I hope you don¡¯t mind sharing the stories with them too? The magnitude of the story is too great for me alone to comprehend, ¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind. So, while you¡¯re at it, can you introduce me to the spirits you¡¯ve all signed up with? I¡¯ll start with this and work my way around.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be right back!¡± Despite Tia¡¯s smiling face as she began conversing with her students, Amar-sensei rushed out of the classroom in a panic. Then, shortly before Tia finished greeting the spirits of all 40 students, Amar-sensei returned back to the classroom, out of breath, with more than 10 men and women in tow. ¡°Did you really activate the magic of a spirit with whom you have no contract? If so, why don¡¯t you use it and show us?¡± ¡°But my mana is already expended! Anyway, here it is.. Tia-san, Thank you for waiting.¡± ¡°Just in time. Is that all of them?¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± ¡°All right. Then, I¡¯ll start again.¡± With that, Tia began to explain what she had told me the night we met again, but in a little more detail and gently. When the students heard this, they were in an uproar, and some of the adult teachers went crazy and shouted ¡°Screw you!¡±¡­ ¡°G-Got it ¡­!?¡± ¡°Hey, you can do it, right?¡± If I, like Amar, was able to activate magic of a different attribute than the spirit with which I was also contracted, I would have no choice but to believe in it. After all, it was the person themselves the cause of this ¡°Impossible miracle¡±. ¡°How, How is such a thing possible!? Then what we¡¯ve been teaching you all this time is ¡­!?¡± ¡°Oh my God, this is going to turn the world upside down.¡± ¡°Or rather, why did such false knowledge spread? Don¡¯t tell me that the legend of the Founder-sama is also ¡­? ¡°Hmmm, I only heard about it in class with these students, so I can¡¯t say for sure, but it¡¯s true that you can use more powerful spirit magic if you sign a contract, you know? So I don¡¯t think it¡¯s true that this Founder and others lied to you. If it is a spirit with whom you have a connection to the extent that you can say it is half of yourself, you can go far beyond your own limits. ¡­ use spirit magic that is so powerful it can only be described as a miracle. But if you were so blindly believing in it that the facts were twisted little by little, like ¡®you have to make a contract with a spirit,¡¯ then ¡­ well, I can only say I¡¯m sorry to hear that.¡± ¡°What!?¡± An elderly man with gray hair, who appeared to be the oldest person in the room, tried to attack Tia, but she gently restrained him with her hand. She may look slender, and in fact she was not that strong physically, but even so, Tia, who had spent much of her life fighting actual battles as a member of a Hero¡¯s party, could easily handle that level of strength. ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t know the past and I can¡¯t change it. But I can change it from here. In that sense, I¡¯d like to make a change, starting with the mindsets of these kids we have in front of us right now, what do you think?¡± ¡°¡­ Okay, please do it.¡± ¡°Headmaster!? Are you sure!?¡± The old man nodded at Tia¡¯s words, and the other faculty members shouted at him. So, that guy was the headmaster of the school ¡­., which means I¡¯ve almost achieved my goal at this point. ¡°There is nothing ¡°fine¡±. If by consuming a great deal of mana, they can use magic with attributes different from those of the spirits with whom they have a contract. What would you do if you turned your back on that fact? We should rather be thankful that we are now aware of it. Tia-dono, the spirit of beauty. You are the one who will save the future of this country. You have my thanks.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that big a deal! I, you see, just happened to be summoned here ¡­¡± ¡°If so, then that too must be the Founder¡¯s ¡­ or God¡¯s guidance. I hope you will continue to teach our students how to use true spirit magic and how to engage with spirits.¡± ¡°Yes, I do. I will do my best to help them while I am here.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Tia smiled and agreed, and the headmaster bowed deeply to her. At this moment, a truth that changed the world was accepted as fact¡­ We were able to accomplish the second goal for which we had been asked to give a class. Tia had always wanted to correct the way humans and spirits interacted in this world. However, it was difficult to persuade children, who had not yet developed their magical powers, in the same way She had persuaded the adults by showing them the truth, and the children were the only ones who had not actually made a contract with a spirit. If only Nash, who also has a certain amount of talent, could invoke spirit magic of all attributes, but that would be simply dismissed away as Nash being a genius. Then, if we were to call one of the faculty members directly and talk to them, the impact on the world would be too great, and we would not know where or what kind of side effects may happen. If only we monopolized this knowledge, we would be promised a segregated status as spirit users, and if we did, we would be the only ones who knew something extra¡­In other words, it was possible that I, Tia, our contractors Miguel, Nash, and the teacher who reported the incident would be silenced. We could handle it if it were just us, but it would be irresponsible and I didn¡¯t want to leave Miguel and the other teachers at risk when we were sure to be gone from this world in the not-too-distant future. On the other hand, there was no way that they had connections that could protect them¡­ and So the result of searching for the most reliable way to tell the truth without risking anything was to ¡°Revealing the truth at once to so many people that no information blockade would be possible.¡± Rowan Royal Academy of Magic, as its name suggested, was a place of tradition and prestige where the elite gathered. Of course, it was impossible to silence all the teachers who may have been transferred from various factions, and if dozens of children, who couldn¡¯t be silenced by power like adults, were to have an accident at once, not only would the authority of the school be damaged, but future national security could even be compromised. In other words, the truth would no longer be covered up. Tia¡¯s teachings would eventually spread throughout the world, and eventually the country would be filled with legitimate spirit users who had learned how to interact with spirits properly ¡­The wide variety of people that would grow up coupled with the teachings would be an important part of supporting Miguel the Hero¡¯s battle that may someday come to be. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s resume our class! Shall we start with how to get along better with the spirits you are currently contracted with? And in parallel, Ed ¡­, no Eidos, will be watching everyone and teaching them how to use the power of the spirits for various things. Fufu~, it¡¯s going to get busy and fun now, okay? Are you guys ready?¡± ¡°Of course we are!¡± ¡°Good luck, Fu-chan¡± ¡°Now I can triumph over my Nii-san¡­ Fufu¡± ¡°Um, Tia-dono? May we join you for that class ¡­?¡± Mixed in with the murmur of children, the faculty members ask Tia, coyly. The answer was .. well, I don¡¯t have to think about it. ¡°Of course. Right, Eidos? ¡°Of course. As a human spirit, I will also assess the potential that lies in your hearts.¡± ¡°Oh! Thank you.¡± Unlike children, adults had mixed reactions, but that won¡¯t stop them if they have something on their mind. From here on, it was all about education. CH 71 ¡°Amazing! I can sew so easily! It¡¯s so fun!¡± ¡°Kiyumi!¡± In front of me, a young girl was easily inserting a needle into a rather thick piece of tanned leather. She was the girl I had pointed out as having a talent for sewing, because her needle¡¯s penetrating power was enhanced by the power of her contracted spirit, a wind-clad, palm-sized dog. Of course, unlike a proper magic enchantment, it consumed mana throughout the duration of its activation, and its efficiency wasn¡¯t exactly the best, that part appeared to be managed by the reduced consumption due to the spirit contract. In Tia¡¯s opinion, considering the concentration of children, they would probably get bored faster than they would run out of magic power. ¡°I didn¡¯t know spirit magic could do this!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s not that using magic to attack the enemy is the only way to use magic, and you don¡¯t have to limit your talents to any one thing. Free ideas and endless combinations¡­ ¡­ah, you can try anything that comes to your mind or that you think you can do, just don¡¯t be afraid to try it. As long as it¡¯s not dangerous, of course.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Eidos-sensei! Me too! Look at me, too!¡± ¡°Ah, wait, wait. I¡¯m coming!¡± I went to another male student as he called me. I looked at his face through my [Rainbow Glasses], and I could see his potential in my mind. ¡°I see, you seem to have a talent for blacksmithing.¡± ¡°Blacksmith? Eh, it¡¯s a pain in the ass, washing dishes and all.¡± ¡°Not housework, it¡¯s blacksmithing ¡­¡­ where you forge swords and stuff. What¡¯s your contracted spirit?¡± ¡°This guy! His name is Grimm!¡± At the boy¡¯s feet stood a knee-high dwarf in a green jacket and red tri cornered hat. He seemed to be quite a good match, as he raised the gavel in his hand to show his motivation. ¡°He is an earth based spirit, what do you think?¡± ¡°Hmmm, isn¡¯t that good? Earth can be used to get the impurities ¡­ out of the ore and make a clean mass and if it¡¯s a humanoid spirit, I might be able to get it to mimic me. Then, if you get better at it¡­. you might even be able to bestow magic enchantments directly to swords and shields?¡± ¡°Eeeeeeh, I can do that!? Then I want to make a glowing sword or something!¡± ¡°I see. It¡¯s light magic that makes things glow, so then You¡¯ll have to listen to Tia carefully and hone your spirit magic skills as well.¡± ¡°I get it! Woohoo, I¡¯m on it! Aim for the sword of light!¡± Having finished looking at the students I was in charge of for the time being, I took a breath and turned my attention to Tia. I could see a discussion taking place around Tia, involving not only the students who were genuinely talented in spirit magic, but also the teachers. ¡°Okay? The reason why we can transfer our mana to spirits is because the paths are connected like this. And since the contracted spirits are in the middle of this path, it is difficult for the mana to reach the other spirits.¡± ¡°Oh, so this girl is in the way?¡± ¡°Hahaha, She¡¯s not interrupting. Because you called her out, didn¡¯t you? If you invite your friends over, it¡¯s only natural that you should provide them with a nice meal and a comfortable place to sleep.¡± ¡°I see, That¡¯s true¡± At Tia¡¯s words, a girl with a small octopus-like spirit sucking on her arm poked the octopus¡¯ head with her finger. The octopus shook its head happily and spewed sparkling diamond dust from its outstretched mouth. (T/N: Spirits do be adorable in this world) ¡°Then, Tia-dono, how do you get your mana to reach the other spirits in that state? I guess the only way is to forcefully push it, right?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s one way to go, but the best way is to get to know the spirit better and make a dedicated path for it. If you exchange mana with the same spirit over and over again and develop an affinity with it, you will eventually be able to create a path dedicated to that spirit. Then you¡¯ll be able to deliver the mana to the other spirits without the interference of that child. But that should only be done in the presence of a skilled spirit user who can see the compatibility between the person and the spirit, and If teachers don¡¯t have the capability to do so, it¡¯s not a good idea to force students to do it alone.¡± ¡°Gosh, that¡¯s really quite an earful. ¡­¡± ¡°Um, Tia-sensei? So how do I get friendly with the spirits so that I can have a dedicated path? I was taught in class that you should just send the mana ¡­¡± Another girl quietly raised her hand and asked a question, leaving the principal with a pained expression on his face. ¡°I agree. It is effective to give them mana, however, it is like food for spirits, so there is no point in giving them more than they need. You would be sad if you went to your friend¡¯s house and they skipped your meal, but you would also be annoyed if they kept serving you more than you could eat, wouldn¡¯t you? However, what to do depends on the individual spirit. So I think you should talk a lot with the spirits and figure out what they want you to do and what would please them.¡± ¡°I see. So we just have to do what we do with our human friends.¡± ¡°Basically, yes. However, what spirits like and what they want is different from humans, so you have to be careful about that. Some spirits might not like what you do, even if it makes you happy, so if you get angry with them and say, ¡®Why aren¡¯t you happy about this?¡¯ it will be quite difficult to get along then.¡± ¡°I understand. Thank you, Sensei.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Tia smiled back at the female student who bowed to her. Hmmm, things seemed to be going well over there. If there was one thing I was a little concerned about, it was ¡­¡­ ¡°It¡¯s impossible. Isn¡¯t it a heinous act of disregarding the contract, using magic other than that of your contracted spirit?¡± ¡°It is true. Wisdom that disturbs the harmony of nature is like a drug. If such things spread, not only will our pride as spirit users be sullied, but it will have a negative impact on the training of the next generation of spirit users. ¡­¡± ¡°In the first place, is that thing really a spirit of beauty? Sure, her ears are a little different, but other than that, she¡¯s a human being just like us ¡­, a little girl.¡± About three men, separated from me, Tia, and the students. They were probably thinking they were whispering, but with my banishment skill [Leak the Talk], I could hear them all. Well, from the flow of the conversation, they¡¯d be messing with Tia directly, so I didn¡¯t think I had to worry so much. ¡­ Hmmm, I guess I¡¯ll take a little stab at them ¡°Hey, you three, you got a minute?¡± ¡°W-What!?¡± I approached them casually and called out to them, and the three of them looked at me with blatantly alarmed faces. But of course, there was no reason for me to be intimidated by them. ¡°What, it seems that you have been doing nothing while hoping for my and Tia¡¯s guidance. If you don¡¯t feel comfortable saying it, I¡¯ll ask for you. Hey Tia!¡± ¡°O-Oi!, What are you¨D¨D¡± ¡°What? Eidos?¡± In contrast to the three of us who were agitated, Tia, called by me, came this way with a carefree look on her face. Tia, who had good ears, probably would have heard the disturbing conversation between these three people, but she didn¡¯t seem particularly alarmed .., which meant that she didn¡¯t even recognize them as much of a threat¡­ ¡°Well, because these three seemed to be too reserved to participate in class. Then can¡¯t Tia at least examine their spirits and tell them about it?¡± ¡°Huh? Sure.¡± ¡°No, no, no, no, No need for that! Me and Spooks have perfect communication¨D¨D¡± ¡°Your great-grandfather asked it to stay with you, but if you want to become a great spirit user, you need to work on your control of mana a little more and give it more power over here.¡± ¡°From my great-grandfather? Oh no, no, surely ¡­?¡± ¡°So you ¡­ you should think about the other person and not just about yourself. That¡¯s why you can¡¯t strengthen your connection with it, and that¡¯s why the woman you love rejects you.¡± ¡°What!? How can a spirit understand human life and language to such a degree? How is that possible? ¡­¡± ¡°Lastly, you ¡­ ah, am I allowed to say this?¡± ¡°W-What is it? What does my ally, Termrecia, want from me!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s ¡­ She is asking you to quit going to the maid¡¯s room because she doesn¡¯t like the smell of heavy make-up¡­.¡± ¡°Nuahhh!? D-Don¡¯t mess, that¡¯s¡­ I-I don¡¯t feel good! Excuse me!¡± ¡°Ah, wait for me! If you¡¯ll excuse me.¡± ¡°I am worried about you two, Me too!¡± The trio, their faces reddening and turning blue, hurriedly left the place. I had no intention of doubting Tia from the start, but even from the point of view of other¡¯s, that reaction could only mean she hit the bull¡¯s eye. ¡°Hey, Ed. Did I do something wrong?¡± ¡°Ah, well, it is what it is. Let nature do its work.¡± I think it had the opposite effect, but still, this should have removed any doubt in Tia¡¯s power. If they still wanted to make a move ¡­¡­, Fufu~ I¡¯d be happy to deal with them then. (T/N: Yeah¡­ So, I was playing Trails of Cold steel, finished all 4 of em. Forgive me) CH 72 It has been a month since we started teaching and taking care of students. Today, as usual, I watched Miguel practicing swings after school, and unexpectedly, there was peace and quiet around me. This was because those three male teachers, who I thought would definitely take revenge on me, did nothing. I doubt those kinds of people would back down quietly after being humiliated ¡­ once in public, or rather, because they have been humiliated. So I got suspicious and checked it out on my end, and it appeared that their spirit magic power had dropped to about half. How in the world did that happen? I wondered if Tia had done something by any chance, so I asked her about it. ¡­. ¡°Me? I didn¡¯t do anything?¡± Tia answered in a very straightforward manner to my question as she watched over Miguel and Nash as they went about their independent training. ¡°Well, then why has their spirit magic power dropped?¡± ¡°Because they didn¡¯t want to be enemies with me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­? Sorry, I¡¯m not quite seeing the connection?¡± I tilted my head, and Tia made a slight gesture as if she were thinking before answering. ¡°Hmm, You do know that there¡¯s a huge difference between me and them as spirit users, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Well, yeah.¡± The teachers were probably in their 30s to 40s, so if they made their first contract with a spirit at the age of 12 like the current students, they would have at most 30 years of experience as spirit users. "" Tia was born an elf who was said to be able to communicate with spirits from birth, and she was even more gifted than the others. Since she has been practicing as a spirit user for more than 100 years, there must be a difference in ability between a child wielding a stick and a knight of the Imperial Guard. ¡°If there is that much difference in power, you can even forcibly take the other person¡¯s spirit and force them to make a contract with you. Of course, I don¡¯t intend to do that, but even their spirits are with them all the time for some reason, aren¡¯t they? I don¡¯t want that to happen, so I¡¯m suppressing their power to keep them from having strange thoughts.¡± ¡°Ah, you mean like intentionally limiting the contractor¡¯s power so that he can¡¯t even compete out of desperation?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Since only the power of spirit magic is declining, they can harass us in other ways, but this world has a kind of supremacy of spirit magic, doesn¡¯t it? In a world like that, where their pride and joy, spirit magic, has been weakened, they really shouldn¡¯t be messing with us anymore, right?¡± ¡°I mean, I didn¡¯t know that was going to happen.¡± In this world, just by being a strong spirit user, one received considerable preferential treatment. It was certainly no wonder that once the power that served as the foundation of the country was weakened, all one could do was to protect one¡¯s own position before dealing with others. Even so, they may be able to use their authority to harass us, but our position in this world was that of ¡°spirits¡±. Spirits had no honor or authority, and if we caused any problems, the responsibility would fall upon our contractors, Miguel and Nash. However, no one would be foolish enough to seriously hold a 12-year-old child, who made a contract with a spirit for the first time this year, accountable. In fact, the teachers and academy who managed that child would be held accountable. ¡­ In other words, we have a joke of a relationship where if you undermine us, those teachers who orchestrated it would be held accountable for it because of their position. Yeah, no wonder they won¡¯t be able to touch us. ¡°So, we¡¯re just going to enjoy school life as usual after this?¡± ¡°Who knows? It¡¯s you who knows that, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°No, well, I do, but ¡­¡± Since the course of events has changed so drastically from the beginning, I honestly have no idea how much of the first round experience will be useful in the later stages. In the first place, The scope of activity itself was different between the Miguel of that time, who spent his time without getting involved with anyone, and the Miguel of today, who was surrounded by many friends and actively enjoyed his school life. (There were field exercises, mock battles between schools, and other things, but Miguel wasn¡¯t involved in any of them.) Miguel, who could not use proper spirit magic, could not participate in dangerous field exercises, and a mock battle between representative students was out of the question. He could have watched the game, but there was no way the abject Miguel would have gone through the torture of going all the way into the crowd to watch his classmates in all their brilliance. (If I had to guess, there¡¯s an exam next month. ¡­) ¡°Huff¡­¡­Huff¡­¡­Huff¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Looking at Miguel wielding the sword with a serious expression on his face, I felt no anxiety over a mere test. The accumulated effort never lies, and given Miguel¡¯s current attitude and relationships, even if he were to make a terrible mistake, he would be depressed, but he would not break. ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t have anything in particular to say. Well, as long as you¡¯re on your guard, you should be fine living a normal life.¡± ¡°I see. Then I¡¯ll take it a little easier. It¡¯s a shame we can¡¯t explore freely, but it¡¯s so much more comfortable than being crammed into a ship.¡± ¡°Hahaha, true.¡± Tia said jokingly, to which I responded with a laugh. In fact, we¡¯ve had a few small problems since then, but nothing that threatened our peace and quiet. Miguel bravely saved a female student from being attacked by a wild beast in an extracurricular class, and she was smitten with him; Nash¡¯s demonstration of the four attributes of spirit magic in the inter-school competition attracted attention; We enjoyed a really fun school life, with everyone being baffled by Thomas¡¯ contracted spirit who suddenly turned into a beautiful human-shaped girl. ¡­¡­ And then, eight months after I came to this world. ¡°Huff¡­¡­ huff¡­.. huff!¡± ¡°Yes, perfect, my Lord.¡± ¡°Really!? Woohoo!¡± At last, Miguel completed all 100 swings, and my expression softened at the sight of him jumping up and down with joy. ¡°I never thought you could do it in such a short period of time. As I thought, my Lord is very talented.¡± ¡°Heheheh, is that so?¡± ¡°But what is most wonderful is your spirit. Every day the same thing was repeated, and yet My Lord never took a day off, but faced each and every one of them seriously. The fruit of your tireless efforts and unbreakable will is your sword. Be very proud, My Lord.¡± ¡°W-What the heck, Eidos! It¡¯s a little embarrassing to get a compliment so suddenly.¡± ¡°Oh, Miguel! What, have you finally graduated from swinging?¡± Nash approached Miguel, who was twitching with happiness and embarrassment, with the same attitude as ever. Miguel¡¯s expression immediately turned grim, but it was business as usual, so Tia and I could only watch on with a wry smile. ¡°¡­¡­ What¡¯s with you, Nash? What about you?¡± ¡°Me? I¡¯ve finally mastered all six spirit magic attributes completely and perfectly! I am the first in the world to master all the attributes!¡± ¡°Damn it ¡­¡± Nash bragged about it, while Miguel looked frustrated. While they were standing there, I gently touched my fingertip to Tia and spoke to her. (Hey Tia, how great is Nash really?) (Well, if the other kids hadn¡¯t signed up with the other spirits, I¡¯d say about 30% of them could have been just as good. If the system of first signing a contract with a spirit is revised, next year it won¡¯t be anything special anymore.) (I see. Well, let¡¯s leave him feeling good for a little while longer.) (I agree. It¡¯s true he did his best. How¡¯s Miguel, by the way?) (He is awesome. The easiest way to describe it to you is that if he continues to grow, he¡¯s going to be as awesome as Alexis.) (Wow, that¡¯s really great!) Tia¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, her fingers separated, and the effect of the [Missing Talk] wore off. Because Tia had traveled with Alexis, she understood that Miguel¡¯s growth was tremendous. ¡°¡­ it¡¯s a shame we won¡¯t get to see it through to the end.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just the way it is.¡± Tia smiled a little sadly, and I chuckled and shrugged my shoulders. Miguel, who had been exchanging insults with Nash, spoke to me about our situation. ¡°Hey, Eidos, teach me some tricks! Something that would scare the crap out of Nash!¡± ¡°Hahaha, True. You still have a lot to learn, but if my Lord has mastered the basic swordsmanship¨D¨D!?¡± At that moment, a chill crept up my spine and set off alarm bells in my brain. Next to me, Tia, who was also looking at me sharply and alert of her surroundings, was holding Nash close to her and looking around. ¡°Tia, you got anything?¡± ¡°Nothing specific ¡­but the spirits are buzzing tremendously. Towards ¡­¡­ north?¡± ¡°North?¡± When I looked in that direction, I saw the usual scene of a deep forest surrounding the school grounds and a blue sky that had begun to turn slightly reddish¡­ No, Something¡¯s different? ¡°¡­ Burning?¡± The red that colored the sky was by no means only the sunset. Flickering in the distance were the burning embers of the trees, and above the black smoke that rose to wound the sky, tiny black spots were gradually increasing in number. ¡°Oi! Miguel, Nash!¡± And then, just as he had done sometime before, Thomas came toward us. But his frantic look made me feel a sense of danger that was incomparable to that day. ¡°Thomas!? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s terrible ¡­¡­ It¡¯s Terrible! The Nordes! The Nordes! Sensei says hordes of Norde are headed this way!¡± ¡°What? What are you talking about, you stupid Thomas. There¡¯s no way the Nordes will come this far into the middle of the continent, is there?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about that! Anyway, you two, come with me, quickly!¡± Without taking Nash¡¯s words to heart, Thomas pulled away Miguel and the others vigorously. Naturally, me and Tia followed suit. ¡­ ¡°This is going to be a very, very messy day.¡± I looked back once at the red-burning sky and muttered to myself. CH 73 ¡°Sensei! What do you mean Nordes are attacking us!?¡± ¡°Calm down! Everyone, please calm down first!¡± The children gathered in the classrooms were causing a racket, and the teachers were trying their best to appease them. The same scene extended inside every classroom we passed by, and it was the same again in the classroom we arrived at. ¡°Amar-sensei! I¡¯ve brought Miguel and Nash!¡± ¡°Thank you, Thomas. Then please both of you take your seats immediately. I¡¯ll explain the situation to you right away.¡± Both Miguel and Nash obediently took their seats, regardless of what they may have been thinking. After confirming that the entire class had gathered, Amar took a deep breath once and then slowly began to explain. ¡°Let me begin by explaining. You all know about the Nordes, don¡¯t you? They are evil beings who attack us from the northern continent ruled by the Demon Lord.¡± ¡°I know! But they are usually held back by the coast, aren¡¯t they?¡± Amar nodded at the female student who raised her hand and continued. ¡°Yes, that is true. They were shot down at sea by excellent spirit users, and the few nordes that escaped from there were all destroyed before they entered this country due to the activities of the Imperial Knights. This time, however, the Nordes were moving in a completely different way. Not only did they come in an unprecedentedly large group, but they also disregarded all towns and villages along the way and headed toward us.¡± ¡°What!? Why!?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know, but ¡­ anyway, there are a large number of Nordes flying towards this school right now. So I¡¯m going to ask you all to take shelter here for a while. The school buildings are better protected than the dormitories. It will be uncomfortable for a while, but¨D¨D!?¡± Thud! Thud! Boom! ¡°Kiyaaaaaa!?¡± Suddenly, the room was filled with the sound of an explosion and a shock, and the students screamed and crouched on the spot. Looking out the window, there was a black humanoid with bat-like wings¡­.I saw a Norde stuck to it. ¡°Hiiii!? I-It¡¯s a N-Norde!¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay! It¡¯s alright, everyone! This school building is protected by a powerful barrier, so this is no problem!¡± ¡°B-But, sensei! It¡¯s a Norde!?¡± ¡°Somebody! Somebody help me!¡± ¡°Aahhh! Father! Mother!¡± ¡°Calm down! This situation has already been reported to the King and the Knights will come to our aid! So please be patient for a moment!¡± ¡°Aaaaahhhh!¡± No matter how desperately Amar appealed, the wailing in the room would not subside. But that was rather natural. It would be rather strange for a 12-year-old child with no experience in actual combat not to cry if they were subjected to this kind of situation. But still, some kids remained calm. ¡°It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s alright. It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t cry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! With me, who can use the spirit magic of all six attributes, I¡¯ll blow Nordes away in no time!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right! Crying will only make you hungry, it ain¡¯t going to make help come any faster, okay? In times like this, you have to love your spirits and calm down. Hey, Saran?¡± ¡°Kuahhhh ¡­¡­¡± Miguel consoling his classmate, Nash encouraging everyone by beating his chest, and Thomas patting his spirit with a carefree look on his face¡­. Incidentally, of course, Saran¡¯s appearance has long since reverted back to that of a skink lizard¡­. Seeing these three, the confusion in the room gradually subsided. Just as confusion was contagious, so too was calmness. ¡°Miguel, do you really think we¡¯re going to be okay?¡± ¡°Of course. Hey, Eidos, we¡¯re going to be okay, right?¡± ¡°Of course. As long as I am here, the safety of my Lord and his friends will never falter.¡± ¡°Oi, Tia! You¡¯re gonna help me this time, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I will. When the time comes, I¡¯ll do it with a bang!¡± ¡°I¡¯m an average guy, but my friends are pretty awesome. Miguel and Nash will take care of me.¡± ¡°Thomas ¡­, yeah, Leave it to me!¡± ¡°Gah! Fine, I¡¯ll do it!¡± In reality, Miguel, Nash, and even Thomas must be quite overwhelmed. The three of them, their hands shaking slightly, still maintained their strength and composure, and completely calmed down the classroom. I took advantage of the opportunity to sneak up and talk to Amar-sensei. ¡°Sensei, so what¡¯s the real story here? How long is it gonna hold?¡± ¡°That¡¯s ¡­ In the current condition, probably for a week. It just takes as long for the Knights to arrive, and I don¡¯t know if the children can stand that much, let alone us adults. ¡­¡± ¡°¡­ It would be difficult.¡± There was no way they would feel secure if the time that the defenses would hold and the time when rescue might arrive were the same. And even if they were calm now, a child¡¯s psyche would not be able to endure such a harsh situation very well. ¡°Then, Let¡¯s make our debut here¡­ Tia!¡± ¡°Of course, Let¡¯s go! At my call, Tia nodded with a big smile on her face. Then there was only one thing left to do. ¡°My Lord. As a human spirit, I am going out now to protect people. I request your permission to do so.¡± ¡°Permission!? What are you going to do out there!?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m going to strike down the insolent ones who threaten my Lord.¡± ¡°¡­Can you do it?¡± ¡°I can.¡± Looking straight into each other¡¯s eyes, I emphatically assured Miguel. In the past, I would have been expelled here, but this time I won¡¯t do that. I couldn¡¯t take the risk of returning in 10 minutes when the enemy¡¯s strength was unknown. Conversely, that also meant that as long as I wasn¡¯t dead, I would not have the opportunity to fully resurrect in ten minutes. ¡­. What on earth could I protect if I wasn¡¯t prepared to do that much? ¡°What, you¡¯re just going to leave me here!?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m leaving you in charge. You have a bad mouth and a mean personality, but you have learned enough to protect everyone when the time comes, haven¡¯t you? So you stay here and protect them.¡± Next to me, Nash and Tia were also continuing their discussion. Nash¡¯s face, which was always arrogant and irreverent, turned sullen and ¡­ turned his head away, but he said what he wanted to say as if he had made up his mind. ¡°Understood. Then go! Go out there and do your work as my contracted spirit, and don¡¯t be ashamed of it! Blow away all the Nordes ¡­.and be sure to come back! Okay!?¡± ¡°Fufu~, okay. This one¡¯s fine, Eidos.¡± ¡°Got it. Miguel?¡± ¡°Yeah, go ahead, Eidos. Show me ¡­ what you can do, and show us that you can beat the Nordes!¡± ¡°I¡¯m on it!¡± After nodding vigorously, I ran alongside Tia through the school building and out the entrance. ¡°Hmmm, I would have liked to break through the window and jump out, momentum-wise.¡± ¡°Ed? You don¡¯t know what that would do to the barrier, do you?¡± ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I came all the way out here in the regular way. ¡­, coming from forward, numbering about 300.¡± After completing the search using the banishment skills [Akashic Compass] and [Auto Mapping], I informed Tia of the results. After that, I took out a steel word from the [Stranger Box] that I had bought and left behind. ¡°I need you to defend the school building. I don¡¯t know how long the barrier will hold up.¡± ¡°Roger that. You need backup?¡± ¡°Ha! Kidding!¡± ¡°Keeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!¡± A Norde plunged at me from the sky, and I split it in two, head first. Then the corpse disappeared in a few seconds as a black mist,¡­ I¡¯ve never fought one before, but apparently they were similar in nature to the Kuronuris at Waffer¡¯s place. This would make it easier to fight without getting bogged down by corpses. ¡°Come on! I¡¯m gonna cut every last one of you up!¡± "" ¡°I won¡¯t let you get even a single scratch on those kids!¡± ¡°Keeeeeeeeeeee!!!!¡± Three hundred vs two. In the face of the difference in numbers, even despair, I grinned and swung my sword at Norde, who jumped at me. (T/N: Trails players, Elise, Juna or Sara?. Hard to decide between Elise and juna for me) CH 74 ¡°There¡¯s ¡­ a hundred of them!¡± I swung my sword, and Norde, which had been split in half, dissipated. But there were still too many enemies to take a breather. ¡°Keeeeeee!!!!!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let you!¡± I used my banishment skill [Hermes Dash] and accelerated at once to intercept a blow from Norde, who was about to attack the school building. And then the Norde tried to fly away from me, but I was not so naive as to let it get away with it. ¡°People can¡¯t fly? Who decided that!¡± I channelled all the impact from the attack into my legs with the [Orbit Reflector] and leapt over Norde¡¯s head as it was about to fly away. I called out just before I entered free fall, leaving the Norde chopped up in half from the crotch. ¡°Tia!¡± ¡°Ara, I thought you said you didn¡¯t need backup?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, people can¡¯t fly!¡± Who decided that people couldn¡¯t fly? ¡­ That would be God or something like that. So, as a mere human, I couldn¡¯t overrule that, but if it was an elf who claimed to be a spirit of beauty, it would be a different story. ¡°Ed is really Ed. Release, [Air Pressure]!¡± With a wry smile on her face, Tia swung her silver sword and I felt a solid sensation under my feet. In spite of what she said, she was prepared for it, She really was a great partner. I kicked the invisible foothold and dispatched three more Nordes flying in the air before landing on the ground. I could hear the cheers of the students behind me when they saw my acrobatic moves, so I turned my back and lightly waved my hand to them. ¡°Fufu~, you¡¯re very popular.¡± ¡°I¡¯m moving quite flashily. How¡¯s it going over there?¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to conserve my mana because I don¡¯t know what might happen, but so far it¡¯s okay. Maybe they¡¯re giving the blessings of the spirits to the land and the building to make them more durable.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s a nice miscalculation.¡± This could have seriously kept working for a week or so, but ¡­ Even if it were safe, there would be no peace of mind if a vicious magic beast was screaming to kill you right next to you. ¡°But I¡¯m not going to neglect my targets on a defensive mission. Instead of rushing, let¡¯s keep up this pace.¡± I said, ¡°Understood.¡± Luggage never complains, but humans could easily break down from anxiety. Even if it may take a little longer, I should try to be careful here¨D!? ¡°¡­. What?¡± I felt a vicious presence from the north that was so different from anything I had ever felt before. The Nordes in front of me seemed like mere winged insects, and I focused my attention on the north, kicking away the Nordes around me. ¡°Ugh, what¡¯s this, it¡¯s disgusting ¡­¡± ¡°O-Oi Tia!? Suddenly, Tia crouched down with her hand on her mouth. I rushed over to her and she turned her pale face to me. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I was just a little surprised.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°The spirits suddenly went berserk¡­.. If I have to put it in a way that you can understand, it is like suddenly having an invisible hand shoved into my stomach and stirring around, something like that? But I¡¯m fine now. I¡¯m fine. ¡­¡± Tia turned her head in concern, and naturally, the school building was there. There was nothing wrong with the building, but we didn¡¯t know if the children in it were all right. ¡°If you are concerned, why don¡¯t we go back inside and see what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Naa, that¡¯s not my job, that¡¯s the teachers¡¯ job. Just as Ed stayed behind that day to keep us going, now I will do what only I can do.¡± Following Tia¡¯s gaze, we saw a huge, pitch-black body flying toward us, recognizable even from a distance. ¡°I see. Then will you stay with me a little longer, young lady?¡± ¡°Yes, that would be great. ¡­ Fufu¡± Tia took the hand I offered and stood up. Meanwhile, the black shadow, which had been approaching us, finally arrived in front of us and opened its big mouth. ¡°Dragon ¡­., right? No matter how you look at it.¡± ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s not a dragon, no matter how you look at it.¡± It was a jet-black dragon that must have been over 10 meters long. But that was only in appearance. My impression was that it was close to a statue. If anything, it was more like a golem or other magical creature. The dragon turned its face upward, and a black mass of energy converged on its open mouth. ¡­ This is bad! ¡°Tia!¡± ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t do that thing!¡± ¡°Fuck that!¡± ¡°GYAOOOOOOO!¡± Fortunately, what the dragon released was not a breath but a dark fireball. I saw it as a lump of mana and activated [Magiab Soap] but the moment I touched the black ball, I was struck by a painful sensation as if my soul had been ripped out of my body. As it was a technique to suck out mana, the very contamination of the sucked-in mana was damaging me. ¡°Damn, you made me eat shit! NUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!! If I couldn¡¯t suck it up, I¡¯d have to deflect it somehow. I activated [Regenerate] and also [Invincible], to deflect it to the side with all my might, ignoring the sound of my body buzzing in the flames of darkness. The moment it landed on the ground, a large hole opened up in the yard with a loud thud,¡­ and at the same time, a nasty cracking sound was heard from the school building. ¡°Tia, what was that sound!?¡± ¡°The defensive magic on the schoolhouse has been weakened. Maybe the land being razed has weakened the blessings tied to it.¡± ¡°No, no, no, it¡¯s impossible to protect the entire academy grounds!¡± Even a school building with 300 students and 400 faculty members was big enough, but it was impossible for us alone to protect the entire campus, which was dozens of times bigger than that. So the best way to avoid causing damage was to defeat the source of the problem¡­ ¡­¡­ that was, the black dragon in front of us¡­ ¡­ ¡°I knew it!¡± I didn¡¯t know how intelligent it was, but the black dragon, which was blocked by my blow, now began to launch countless dark fireballs in order to exploit our absolute weakness of ¡°manpower¡±. Of course, each fireball was much weaker compared to the previous one. However, the difference in the number of shots was insurmountable, and the remaining 200 or so Norde took this opportunity to swarm into the school building at once. I tried my best to deal with them, but every time a missed fireball or Norde¡¯s body hit the school building, a banging sound would be heard and an amber-colored wall would appear around the building for a brief moment, ¡­¡­ and I could clearly see cracks spreading across its surface. ¡°It¡¯s hopeless! The barrier can¡¯t hold that much longer!¡± ¡°You just said it was sturdier than I thought!¡± ¡°That black fireball is cutting directly into the power of the spirits!¡± "" ¡°Can your magic stop it?¡± ¡°¡­. 10 minutes would be enough to prevent even the oversized fireball I just saw. But¨C¡° ¡°Then don¡¯t hesitate! That¡¯s what only you can do now! And this is what I can do now! Activate [Limit Break] !¡± Without waiting for Tia¡¯s reply, I activated my banishment skill. If I activated [Hermes Dash] along with it, I could run about three times as fast as usual. But the cost was not light. While the [Blood Engine] increased the body¡¯s abilities by 100 times, the [Limit Break] merely removed the limits on one¡¯s body, ¡­. In other words, it did not make it sturdier. In addition, since this was an impact emanating from within oneself, it was not eligible for the [Orbit Reflector] either. ¡°Gghh ¡­¡­!?¡± What happens when one starts moving with three times the force of a normal body? Bones were broken, flesh was crushed, and legs, like water bags with holes in them, dangled down, dripping with blood. Of course, [Regenerate] would immediately start to heal it, but once it was healed to the point where it would at least move, I would kick the ground again with my feet and jump, knocking down every one of the black dragon¡¯s fireballs. ¡°Ggghh ¡­¡­ hah. Come on, flying lizard. Let¡¯s see who has more persistence, you or me?¡± Wiping the greasy sweat from my forehead, I grinned at the black dragon as it soared effortlessly through the sky. CH 75 ¡°Damn it, this is dreary!¡± Under the darkening night sky. In the schoolyard, where the surrounding forests and buildings were lit up with a burning red glow, I pushed forward with all my might and swung my sword, crushing my feet. Each time I moved, the enemy¡¯s attack disappeared from my trajectory, but it was soon replaced by a new attack. The reason why we were forced to cope with the situation with less leeway than we had originally estimated. The reason, of course, was that the remaining 200 or so norde had also joined the attack. ¡°Of course I thought about it! Am I an idiot? ¡°Keeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!¡± ¡°Shut up! I¡¯m not stupid!¡± While spewing out a torrent ranting along with the flames of the black dragon, I was constantly popping off black fireballs from the black dragons and cutting down the swarming Norde as well. The enemy, however, was no slouch either. They seem to understand that it was effective to scatter around and attack from different angles, and it was extremely troublesome keeping up with their attacks coming from all over the place. ¡°Urggh, Damn it! The school building¡¯s too big!¡± I couldn¡¯t stop complaining, hoping that no one could hear me due to the sound of the battle. From a distance, it may look like I was fighting heroically, but ¡­ well, I had no choice. Otherwise, I would not be able to maintain my sanity. ¡°Gghh. ¡­.¡± Every time I moved, my legs crushed, every time I swung my sword, my arm nearly fell off. Every time I healed with [Regenerate], those parts of my body were used, and every time they healed, my head would hurt like having an ice stake driven through it. At first glance, I was at an overwhelming disadvantage. But I was focused on the end of this tightrope battle. If I could defeat all the normal norde, I think I¡¯d be able to take advantage of the gap and take down the black dragon. ¡­ "" ¡°GYAOOOOOOO!¡± ¡°WHAT!?¡± The fireball that came after the one I flicked off was dense. It looked like it was able to increase the firepower of the fireball without changing its appearance. ¡°You can¡¯t do that! Damn it!¡± Moreover, in conjunction with this, about 30 of the remaining nordes rushed towards the school building at once. It would take at least three steps to intercept all of them, but ¡­ I only had two legs and my crushed leg would need some time to heal. ¡°I¡¯ll ¡­.¡± Ò»First step. The Left foot crumpled into a gnarled mess, and the healing process began instantly. Combining that with the momentum of the [Hermes Dash] seven nordes were cut off. ¡°Do¡­¡­!¡± Second step, kicking the wall of the school building. The right foot was also destroyed. I jumped through the densely packed area, and finished off thirteen nordes. ¡°It¡­.!¡± The moment my crushed right leg healed, I took a third step. However, I was two seconds behind the time to completely block Norde¡¯s attack. At that moment, the barrier that enveloped the school building shattered with a bang before my eyes. ¡°Now, fire!¡± ¡°What!?¡± Suddenly, the windows of the school building were opened and spirit magic poured out of them like a storm. The students of the school were attacking, crammed together by the windows. ¡°Take Master Nash¡¯s brilliant six-attribute magic!¡± ¡°If we¡¯re all attacking at once, does it matter what attributes we use? Well, whatever, ¡­.Saran, Fire Arrow!¡± ¡°Kuahhh ¡­¡­! ¡°Here we go, Takkon, Ice Ball!¡± ¡°Let me show you, Grimm! Rock missile!¡± ¡°Keeeeeeeeeee!?!?!?¡± Three hundred children unleashed three hundred spells. The attack filled the sky, and all the Norde who were swarming around fell to the ground helplessly. ¡°IYAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡± Miguel jumped out of the window of the classroom on the first floor and stabbed the dying Norde, who had fallen. In his hand was the sword I had given him, and the clean, straight line of the sword sliced Norde¡¯s head off. ¡°Miguel!? What are you¨C¡° ¡°I¡¯m ¡­¡­ I¡¯m the contractor of Eidos!¡± Miguel shouted at my panicked voice. ¡°I can¡¯t just hide and watch while my spirit is fighting so hard! Everyone wanted to help Eidos!¡± ¡°You guys¡­¡­¡± The eyes that wavered with fear and determination were the eyes of a warrior, though they were the eyes of a child. They were the eyes of a fool who had mistaken courage for savagery,¡­¡­, but they were the eyes of a young Hero who wanted to protect what was important to him. ¡°Good lord, all of you¡­¡± They were more like kids than I thought they would be. They were reckless, overreaching, and willing to risk everything to get what they wanted without compromising safety. Or, if anything, there were faculty members, including Amar, at the window. Apparently, they were on the defense, not on the offense. ¡°You will all be lectured later. Especially my Lord, not believing in your own spirit is proof that you are still immature.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¨D¨D¡± ¡°Miguel, look out!¡± ¡°GYAOOOOOOO!¡± Almost simultaneously with the warning from the window, a black dragon fireball flew towards Miguel. It was a direct hit course, and Miguel¡¯s evasion, as well as the teachers¡¯ defensive magic, would not make it in time,¡­, but I didn¡¯t move. Bashiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! ¡°Hiiii!?¡­ H-huh?¡± Before the fireball even hit Miguel, a newly erected amber wall catched the black dragon¡¯s fireball and obliterated it without leaving a trace. Its robust radiance did not waver no matter how many of the remaining Nordes rushed into it, and on the contrary, it obliterated any Nordes that touched it with its reflective magic power. ¡°I¡¯ve got it, Ed! I can hold off any attack for at least an hour!¡± ¡°Great! Tia, give me that!¡± I asked Tia, who was smiling through the window, holding up my right hand. Then Tia pulled out the silver spirit sword from her waist and threw it toward me. I took it and waited patiently in the same position. ¡°Look closely, Nash. This is the destination you ¡­ spirit users should reach. What shines from binded light be the scintillating moon, sheltered by a cage of serrated gust! Eyes of the spirit who possesses a keen eye for evil that harbors the light!¡± A glowing white ball of light was born on Tia¡¯s hand. Furthermore, a raging blade of wind covered its surroundings, creating a destructive force resulting from the convergence of tremendous magical power. ¡°N-No way!? You are using different attributes at the same time¡­No, You are Combining them!?¡± ¡°Yeah. If you train hard enough, you¡¯ll be able to do this ¡­. shine, shoot , and blast through! In the name of Lunaritia, manifest [Starhastu]!¡± As Tia finished her chanting, a storm-clad star shot out from her hand. Its target, of course, was¨C ¡°Ba-Baka! Where are you shooting at, Tia!?¡± "" ¡°Eidos, look out!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s all right.¡± A direct hit would have killed me instantly, but I caught it with the sword I borrowed from Tia. The blade of the sword began to shine brightly, and a light green wind materialized around it. ¡°My Lord, watch carefully. The skill of men and the power of spirits, when they are combined, ¡­¡­¡± The fireball was already bigger than its main body, which was more than 10 meters long, and has already blended more than twice as much mana as the first shot. ¡°GYAOOOOOOO!!!!¡± Such a fireball was shot out with a cry. No matter how solid the barriers that Tia had put up were, they would not be able to withstand a fireball like that. So I raised my sword straight up and down, just like I taught Miguel. No fancy movement, no cool technique name, just a basic movement, but ¡­..that¡¯s why it was the deepest and highest point attained in swordsmanship. ¡°GYAOOO¡ª-OOOOO!!!?!!?!!¡± A blade of light shot out from the tip of the cut the super-sized fireball in half and obliterated it. Still not stopping, it sliced the black dragon¡¯s body in two, and further into the sky, it even tore through the clouds in the sky and sliced the two moons in the ¡­ night sky into two little pieces. ¡­.Did I go overboard? Well, that much will be fine. ¡°E-Eidos! That was ¡­¡­.!?¡± Miguel looked up at me and the sky alternately with his eyes wide open. I grinned at such young contracted and¡­ ¡°There is nothing that cannot be cut off!¡± The potential of man ¡­ succeeded in showing its maximum potential (T/N: Going out is pain¡­ Also for those who don¡¯t know, I shifted Onee-san novel to Zetro Translations) CH 76 After that, Tia and I took care of the remaining Nordes properly, and the first major invasion of Nordes in the history of mankind came to an end. The invasion, which focused more on speed, ended with surprisingly little damage, both property and human, and, thanks to the fact that they had ¡°penetrated deep into human territory¡± made us brace ourselves so that the Nordes never crossed the border again. However, not all was well for the children. While some left the school traumatized by the sudden attack of Nordes, others felt confident that they could defeat Nordes with their own hands, and some children became even more enthusiastic about honing their spirit magic after experiencing Norde¡¯s threat firsthand. As a result, although only 80% of the children remained, all of them reached a incomparably higher level in using spirit magic than they had ever attained before. Of course, the efforts of me and Tia had an influence on this. That¡¯s why some of the bigwigs were asking us to do all kinds of things, but we were just spirits, and they had no control over what we did. If you want to give us orders so badly, why don¡¯t you just summon us and make a contract with us? Still, that didn¡¯t stop some of them from trying to enslave us by force, but to me, the ¡°enslavement as a spirit¡± method was pointless, and Tia¡¯s was ¡­ Well, you know. I won¡¯t say much, but let¡¯s just say she had an awfully nice smile. We spent such a lively, troublesome, but irreplaceable time to the fullest ¡­. and today. The contract between Miguel and me, who will advance to the next grade tomorrow, ends here. ¡°Uwaaaaaaaaa! Saran!¡± ¡°Kuah ¡­¡­¡± The burning lizard and Thomas embraced each other tightly. Sarang¡¯s face, which was mostly expressionless, looked a little sad ¡­¡­ only today, but not so much. ¡°Hey Thomas, were you listening to Tia-sensei¡¯s class? Even if the contract is expired, you can still summon ¡­, or rather, she said you can summon spirits even if you don¡¯t have a contract to begin with! Hey, Kyu-chan. You¡¯ll come back when I summon you, right?¡± ¡°Kiyumi!¡± The little dog spirit on her shoulder licked her cheeks at the words of the girl who had completely awakened her sewing skills. Yes, that was true. According to the conventional beliefs of this world until now, spirit magic could only be used if you had a contract with a spirit. And since they could only use magic with the attributes of the spirit they were contracted with, they had to summon a different spirit each year to see what attribute they were best suited for, the method was to determine what kind of spirit one would ultimately make a contract with, but since this year, when Tia¡¯s teachings became more widespread, it started to be different. This year, with a few exceptions, many students no longer made a contract with the spirits. But that did not mean that the bond that connected them would be severed; it would be akin to a being who was always with you as your friend who would come when you called them. Of course, summoning a spirit without a contract required a certain amount of mana and skill, so it would be a short separation, but if one made a serious effort, a reunion with a friend would not be so far off in the future. Therefore, no one here was saddened by the parting ¡­ except for two people, Miguel and Nash. ¡°So I guess this is goodbye.¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess so.¡± Miguel had no talent for spirit magic. That¡¯s why he was convinced that he would never be able to summon me again. ¡­ I won¡¯t deny that. I will always and forever be a human spirit ¡­¡­ for Miguel, the potential of a human. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡± I handed Miguel, who looked down quietly, a sword I had prepared. This was also one of my best swords, which I created with [Master Smith] in between classes. ¡°This is ..?¡± ¡°As you can see, it is a sword. It is a sword that will not cut at all unless it is wielded in the correct form, but it will not break, it will not bend, it will not decay, and it will always remain with my Lord, unchanged. When you have mastered the way of the sword, and when normal swords no longer fit your body¡­ You will receive the license to use it.¡± ¡°Wow, is there a time limit? That seems pretty tough.¡± ¡°Fufu, my Lord can do that.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll do my best!¡± ¡°Ugh ¡­ really!? You really won¡¯t recontract with me!?¡± ¡°Haha ¡­ sorry.¡± Next to us, Tia and Nash were saying goodbye. But Tia only had a troubled smile on her face, and Nash was one-sidedly squirming. ¡°It¡¯s not that you are a bad guy, okay? It¡¯s just that, you know, I have my reasons. ¡­¡± ¡°I thought¡­ I thought after I made a contract with Tia and became able to use all six attributes of spirit magic, my legend of being the strongest had begun,¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get carried away! Sure, you¡¯re doing pretty well at this stage, but if you¡¯re not careful, the new kids who are coming in will catch up to you in no time, okay?¡± ¡°N-No, I am not! Hmph, Fine! I¡¯ll make you regret not making a contract with me again!¡± ¡°Fufu, I¡¯m looking forward to it. Well then, it¡¯s time to go¡­..¡± ¡°Mm, time to go.¡± Tia and I looked at each other and stepped onto the magic circle drawn under our feet. Around us, other spirits were also on the magic circle, and children who were the contractors were chanting spells in front of them. ¡°Now herewith the contract is expired, and I am the one to repatriate thee! O Eidos, Spirit of Man, return to thy rightful place!¡± As Miguel finished his chanting, the magic circle under my feet began to glow with white light. As my vision gradually turned white, Miguel unexpectedly grabbed the sword I gave him¡­ ¡°YAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!¡± ¡°NAIVE!¡± With a clink , my sword blocked Miguel¡¯s. Miguel took a few steps backward and yelled at me, tears streaming down his face. ¡°Absolutely! I¡¯ll become a better swordsman than Eidos! I swear that I will pursue the human potential that Eidos showed me for the rest of my life! So someday ¡­¡­ someday again When I reach that point, we¡¯ll meet again! Spirit of Man, Eidos¡­¡­ my mentor, my benefactor, my friend!¡± (T/N: Okay I cried a bit here) ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m looking forward to it. My Lord, my disciple, and my friend Miguel.¡± The light disappeared from the magic circle under my feet as I smiled,¡­ but I didn¡¯t disappear. Our return was ¡°10 minutes after we were expelled from the heroic party,¡± so it was only natural. ¡°¡­¡­. Huh? What, No way, I failed! W-What should I do!? What should I do!?¡± ¡°Uh, no. It¡¯s not that. It¡¯s just something about ¡­ me needing another ten minutes or so to get back over there.¡± ¡°Yeah, ¡­.¡± ¡°Why the hell are you still here? Damn it, damn it! I can¡¯t even send Tia back!?¡± ¡°No, no, no! It¡¯s not your fault! Next to Miguel, who looked indescribably dismayed, was Tia, who was trying desperately to get Nash to return to himself with an embarrassed look on her face. ¡°Calm down, both of you. Tia and I are somewhat powerful spirits, so it will just take us a little while to disappear.¡± ¡°Really? What, you should have said that first!¡± Thomas said, ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, okay? I didn¡¯t have the right time to say it. ¡­¡­¡± Tia replied, ¡°Waaah, what a mess! However, I feel that it¡¯s because of me.¡± Miguel said, ¡°Well, that¡¯s certainly a Miguel like thing to say.¡± I said, ¡°¡­¡­ Eidos? What¡¯s with the way you¡¯re talking?¡± ¡°Hmm? Since our contract is over and you are no longer ¡°My Lord,¡± why don¡¯t we just talk normally? We¡¯ve got 10 minutes, let¡¯s talk as friends.¡± ¡°Eidos ¡­ Yeah!¡± ¡°Oi, Tia! Then tell me some new magic I can learn in ten minutes!¡± ¡°Ehhh, that¡¯s just absurd!?¡± The last moments before the transfer. Miguel and I talked as friends for the first time, and Tia tried to figure out a way to deal with Nash¡¯s recklessness. ¡­ What should have been a tearful goodbye, instead carried us into the white world with smiles on our faces. (T/N: Man I love this novel) CH 77 ¨CWorld Transfer Complete .¡±¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± A voice echoed in my head, and a white world appeared up in my vision. Normally, I would have let my guard down, but not this time. As I looked around me, alert and aware of my surroundings, a familiar voice called out to me from beside me. ¡°Whew, so much has happened this time ¡­, what¡¯s up Ed?¡± ¡°¡­¡­, no, it¡¯s nothing.¡± There was no change in the scenery around me, and Tia was properly back with me. I finally relaxed my shoulders and let out a long, slow breath. ¡°Fuuu~ ¡­.Looks like it¡¯s the same as usual. So that means ¡­¡± I turned around and looked at the doors behind me. The door to the world we just came out of had the number 004, and the new door, which had yet to be opened, had the number 005 engraved on it. (Shouldn¡¯t it be 028? Does that mean on the way it was not skipped or something, but the order was switched?) If there were a large number of doors in a row of the worlds I¡¯d have skipped, I would have had a hard time wrapping my head around what was going on, but this was also something to worry about (Is it just a coincidence that they have been in the same order so far, or is it inherently random? Or are only the first three fixed, but not from here on out? Nope, too little information) At the very least, We didn¡¯t know what the criteria were for the next world we¡¯d hop to unless we opened the next door. Will we hop to the appropriate world again, or will we hop to 0029? There were a lot of things we didn¡¯t know, like whether the world we left behind would ever be chosen again or ¡­ anything. ¡°Hey, Ed? Why are you staring at the door as soon as you get back? Even if we¡¯re going to the next world, I¡¯d at least like to know what happened to those kids. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°A-Ah, yeah. Let¡¯s read it then.¡± At Tia¡¯s urging, I walked towards the table. On the table, there was a book sitting on the table, and the title of the book was The 004th World: {Records Of the Hero¡¯s Story}. Looks like there was no doubt that the order in which we experienced this time would be consistent. ¡°I¡¯ve never taught anything to that many kids before. ¡­. I wonder if what I taught them helped.¡± ¡°Who knows. Well, We¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡± Opening the pages of the book, we slowly read through the contents. The first thing written in the book was Miguel¡¯s tormented childhood, when he was discovered as a child with outstanding talent but never grew after that. It was not as life-destroying as that of a vagabond from the slums, but the feelings of envy and contempt that were pummeled into the young Miguel¡¯s mind certainly chipped away at his heart. ¡°He ¡­. really must have had a hard time.¡± ¡°I know. If we had met at this time,¡­. no, I shouldn¡¯t say that.¡± If we had met six years earlier, Miguel would not have suffered. But on the other hand, if we had met six years later, Miguel¡¯s heart might have been distorted and shattered. It was late. But not too late. Remembering Miguel¡¯s face when we parted, it would be the height of nonsense to discuss any other possibility. From there, it described Miguel¡¯s life as a student. The first year of his school life included our existence, but it also included information that even we, who were there, could not have known. ¡°I see, so that was the reason for that attack. ¡­¡± The Norde attack, which did not exist in the first round. It was apparently the result of a move by the Demon Lord of the north who felt threatened by the students who had been strengthened by me and Tia as if the times were advancing. Well, if you ask me, that was true. The fact that a mere 12-year-old child was able to use enough spirit magic to shoot down Hordes of Norde, albeit one-sidedly from a safe distance, made their abilities completely different from those of previous years ¡­¡­ and from the first round. If such things continued to increase in the future, it would be natural to want to attack the school where they originated, even if it was by force. However, that plan was crushed by the efforts of me, Tia, and Miguel and the others. Miguel and the others, who had grown up safely, began to participate in the battle against Nordes as planned, and¨D¨D ¨CThe last chapter ¡°The Unfinished Sword Saint¡± in the 004th World {Records Of the Hero¡¯s Story} At a turning point in history that would later be called the ¡°Awakening of the Spirits,¡± the first generation of the Sword Saint Miguel and his companions finally succeeded in establishing a base on the northern continent, which was under the control of the Demon Lord, for the first time in human history. Unlike the spirit magic users of the previous generation, who could only fight, those of the new generation possessed skills necessary for human life, such as blacksmithing, farming, and sewing. And the teachings that led them to this point were the words of the two spirits who changed the world. Because they had learned the diversity of human potential and the correct way to interact with spirits, the new generation of spirit users had a variety of skills and could use them in combination with conventional spirit magic. With the spread of their teachings, mankind finally had a chance to fight back. Over a prolonged period of time from now, they would increase their strongholds on the northern continent and eventually defeat the Demon Lord. Sword Saint Miguel also devoted his life to that battle, and together with his two friends, Nash, the first human being to master spirit magic of all attributes without a spirit contract, and Thomas, the foolish flame spirit user who burned all his enemies with the power of Saran, the scarlet ichthyosaurus with whom he had a contract, he slaughtered over ten thousand Nordes before his death at age seventy-eight. This was, and still is, the greatest battle in human history. He said, ¡°I am a novice who cannot even cut the moon, I am still far away from mastering this sword¡± kept on using his favorite delicate sword throughout his lifetime, It was passed down after his death as a symbol of the Sword Saints, but only Miguel himself was able to wield it properly as a weapon. ¡°¡­. that idiot, I told you to change it.¡± "" I couldn¡¯t help but say those words as I finished the book to the end. There was no mention of Miguel¡¯s physique, but the fact that there was no mention of him being particularly small or anything like that suggests that he was a normal adult. It must have been very difficult to wield that sword in such a state. It was too short for ordinary cutting and too long to be used as a spare. The fact that he continued to use the sword and was so good with it that he was called a sword saint,¡­, If he used a proper weapon, he¡¯d probably be stronger than me. I mean, he must be strong. If it was a killing match using the banishment skill, there was no way that pure sword skills could beat a well-trained hero. And yet, there was this ¡­. itchy feeling to be respected as a mentor by someone like that for the rest of your life. ¡°Fufu~, you all did a great job. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t get to witness it with my own eyes this time too ¡­. but thinking about it, it¡¯s rather amazing to be able to know the end result of all this, even if it¡¯s only in writing, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s true. Tia may be able to see one or two things through, but a normal human being may reach the end of his or her life before seeing even one thing. ¡­¡­ I mean, in the first place, walking across completely different worlds and knowing their destinies, that must be like being a God.¡± ¡°God, huh ¡­. what are we? How can we do this?¡± Tia uttered a genuine question, but I didn¡¯t have the answer. I mean, if anyone knew, tell me first. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that either, but ¡­ normally, that¡¯s exactly what God or whatever is doing that for some reason, isn¡¯t it? No, I don¡¯t know the reason for it all the same.¡± ¡°Reason¡­ that he wanted the world to be saved or something? The worlds have been better off with Ed¡¯s interference so far, right?¡± ¡°Hmmm, I wouldn¡¯t say no, but you know¡­ ¡­.¡± It was certainly the most likely possibility, but that would mean assuming that I wanted a second around. Of course, the other party was God, so if they said they knew all that and were doing so, I would have to agree with them. ¡­¡­ ¡°¡­Does that mean there¡¯s a reason I was sent to this world?¡± I muttered If everything was God¡¯s intention, then there must be some reason why we were sent to the 028th world instead of the 004th world at this time. But as far as I could understand, the worlds were all independent, and I don¡¯t think there was a way¡­¡­ where if you did something in one world, it would affect the other worlds. And it was the same for us. If I come back over here, my physical age would rewind, and I myself wouldn¡¯t be able to use my banishment skills. Well, Tia¡¯s ¡­!? ¡°Hey Tia, I never asked you, but what effect did the skills you got when you came back from Rebecca¡¯s world have on you in the end? ¡°Huh? Ahh, I never told you.¡± Tia responded to my question lightheartedly. Then she grinned, and her hand sank into the void. ¡°Ta-da! What do you think?¡± Tia, with a smug look on her face, was holding one of the steel swords I had in storage. CH 78 ¡°What the ¡­¡­!?¡± ¡°Fufu, what do you think? With the [Single Bank] ability, I can now take out and put in the contents of Ed¡¯s¡­ Stranger box? I can now put things in and out! I was going to surprise you, but I forgot all about it. ¡­. It¡¯s rather heavy.¡± Tia laughed happily and tried to put the sword on the floor in front of me as I exclaimed. But I took her hand with a serious expression on my face, and went straight to Tia¡¯s side. ¡°What do you mean!?¡± ¡°¡¯W-What do you mean?¡¯ Ah no, no, no. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to do anything with Ed¡¯s belongings. If I misled you¨C¡° ¡°No, Not that! How¡­ can you use your skills here!?¡± ¡°Wha? What do you mean, ¡­¡­ how?¡± ¡°Why¡­..¡± I repeated ¡°why¡± and stumbled over my words in front of Tia, who looked slightly frightened by the pressure of the situation. I hurriedly tried to open the [Stranger¡¯s Box] too, but my skill was still not activated and my hand only gripped the void. Why? Why was Tia the only one who can use it? Since when? I wanted to ask a million questions. ¡­¡­ ¡°Hah!¡± ¡°Hey!? What are you doing, Ed!?¡± "" I hit my head on the table, and Tia yelled out in panic. Perhaps I couldn¡¯t or wouldn¡¯t get hurt in this world, but still, the intense pain that hit my head brought some calm to my thoughts that were about to go out of control. ¡°Phew. ¡­¡­ okay, I¡¯m calmed down. Sorry, did I scare you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, but ¡­.what¡¯s really going on?¡± ¡°Ummm ¡­¡­ I may have explained this to you, but I can¡¯t use my banishment skills here in the ¡®white world¡¯.¡± ¡°What? Does that mean you can¡¯t take out a sword or anything here like I did just now? I¡¯ve never thought about it because we always go to the next world right away.¡± ¡°Well, yes. Because now, Tia used that¡­ [Single Bank]? I was surprised to see you use that. Since when did you become able to use skills here?¡± ¡°Eh? Since when ¡­¡­ not the beginning?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What makes you think so?¡± ¡°I can go to different worlds with Ed because I can use the first skill ¡­ that I was given, right? If I couldn¡¯t use that power in this world, then I wouldn¡¯t have been able to go with you in the first place, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ wha?¡± I gave her the dumbest look I¡¯ve probably ever made in my entire life as she said this with a scowling face. OH YEAH. That¡¯s right! Tia¡¯s first banishment skill, [Shake Hands] which enabled world travel with the person you held hands with. If that wasn¡¯t triggered, then surely Tia would be the only one left here! ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ed?¡± ¡°¡­¡­, no, it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just feeling dumb and stupid.¡± ¡°Uh, ¡­¡­ I am sorry?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything. But, yeah. That would make a lot of things ¡­..Fufufufu¡± I could think of a myriad of things that could be done if the [Stranger Box] could be opened at this location as well. For example, updating initial equipment. If we converted to different equipment here than we have now when we went to a different world, it would be somewhat useful if we could equip ourselves with that equipment from the beginning. ¡­ If this initial equipment was the equipment that we had when we crossed the world. Hopefully, We may be able to multiply valuable armaments. That¡¯s not all. For example, if we could bring materials from other worlds into this world and build a forge, we would be able to create armors to our satisfaction in this world where time seemed to stand still. Then we¡¯d be able to create time-consuming things and things like that without any worries, and other things like ¡­.Urghhh, I can¡¯t stop being excited ¡°Uwahh, Ed has that look on his face again¡­ ¡°W-What? I am not thinking anything bad! What do you mean, again?¡± Tia looked at me with a frown as I giggled uncontrollably. I hurriedly tried to mend my expression, but Tia¡¯s attitude did not change. ¡°Well whatever. Ah, and what ability will I get this time? Funfun~~¡± Humming happily, Tia placed her hand on the pale, shiny crystal. As usual, the light absorbed into Tia¡¯s body, and her eyes, which were originally large, widened even more. ¡°Wow, I can get something like this. Fufu~.¡± ¡°Oh, what kind of ability did you get this time?¡± ¡°Do you want to know?¡± ¡°Of course, or are you going to say ¡®it¡¯s a secret¡¯ again?¡± Except for the first time, Tia had been annoying every time and never told me what skills she got on the spot. Up until now I thought that We had to go to another world to use it, so I thought, ¡°I guess she wants to practice before actually using it,¡± but if she could use her skills here without any problems, then I don¡¯t have to worry about that. ¡°Mmmm, okay. Then hold my hand.¡± ¡°?Like this?¡± When I held Tia¡¯s hand, which she surprisingly agreed to show me easily, her body suddenly relaxed as she closed her eyes. ¡°What!? What¡¯s going on!?¡± {Yeah!} ¡°Wha!? What the hell is this!?¡± I heard Tia¡¯s voice in me as I saw her suddenly lose consciousness. I looked around, but there was no sign of Tia¡¯s ghost. So that meant ¡­¡­? ¡°I¡¯m possessed by Tia!?¡± {Don¡¯t be so presumptuous! Well, but yes. The name of the skill is [Heart Engage] and the effect is to make my heart ¡­¡­ consciousness reside in the person you hold hands with. But I can¡¯t move my body during that time, and you can¡¯t go inside anyone. At least, it seems that the only place I can go right now is inside Ed.} ¡°I-I see¡­ what can I say except what? I don¡¯t know what to say. ¡­¡­¡± {Fufufu, what¡¯s that?} ¡°No, because you, even if you say that there was another person in me¡­¡± Somehow, an image of a chibi Tia giggling in my head came to mind. It was not that I was uncomfortable with it, but I didn¡¯t know how to accept this situation. ¡°If you just look at the effect, it¡¯s like an enhanced version of [Missing Talk] no? No, but it¡¯s not a fusion of consciousness ¡­ instead of the body being unprotected, is it like coexistence? Is that much different?¡± {I think so. By the way, you should be able to use your skills in this state.} ¡°Uwaa!? Wow, Seriously!¡± When I activated the [Stranger Box] as told, my hand aws easily swallowed by the void and touched the contents. So, in this state, I could not only take out the contents of the [Stranger Box] but also use all my banishing skills. ¡°It¡¯s amazing. This is seriously going to expand the range of things we can do, y¡¯know?¡± {I¡¯m glad you¡¯re pleased. I¡¯m going to go back now. Can you hold my hand one more time?} ¡°Hmmm? Like this?¡± I put the dagger I had taken from the [Stranger Box] on the table and held Tia¡¯s hand instead, who was lying prostrate. Then something warm flowed out of me, and in exchange for the indescribable sense of loss, Tia in front of me let out a small moan. ¡°Ugh ¡­¡­ haha, I¡¯m home.¡± ¡°Welcome back. Is there anything wrong with your body?¡± ¡°Ummm¡­¡­I¡¯m fine. I don¡¯t feel particularly worn out.¡± ¡°I see. But in this world, you don¡¯t get injured in the first place, so there¡¯s no wear and tear because of that. But the effect is an effect, and if it is to be used in another world, it must be carefully examined.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Well, if there¡¯s a safe place in the next world, we¡¯ll check it out there.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± And with that, we both got up from our seats. The possibilities in this world have expanded exponentially, but in order to solidify them, it was imperative that we leave for the next world. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go to the next world, shall we?¡± ¡°Yes! By the way, what kind of world is the next one?¡± ¡°Ah ¡­. no, I seriously don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to be like it was before, but just be prepared.¡± When it came to the ambiguity of the law, not the ambiguity of memory, the only way to deal with it was to be prepared. Well, I was sure there was no world that would be in danger the moment we enter, so unless we were sent to a completely new world that we didn¡¯t know at all ¡­¡­ then I¡¯ll do my best to abuse God. ¡°Yeah, Ed you really are rapidly becoming unreliable these days.¡± ¡°Ugh!? That¡¯s ¡­..¡± ¡°Just kidding, Just kidding! Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Urghh, I feel defeated¡± With a big smile on my face, I firmly grasped Tia¡¯s hand. We walked side by side and soon arrived at the fifth door. Well, let¡¯s see what comes out. Well, whatever comes out of ¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­? What?¡± ¡°Hah, it¡¯s nothing.¡± With Tia, it didn¡¯t matter. Checking the warmth of our joined hands, I vigorously opened the door in front of me. (T/N: From Sunday Next arc will begin. Need to stock up on chapters ahead) CH 79 ¨CWorld transfer complete ¡°Yosh¡­ Fufu~¡± I grinned looking at the steel sword on my waist as I landed in the new world. At least now I didn¡¯t have to worry about making a first impression every time. Now I¡¯d just have to change my clothes into a little nicer gear, and I¡¯d be seen as a full-fledged warrior in most places. ¡°Phew ¡­¡­, normal this time.¡± Next to me, Tia was muttering some unsavory thoughts. However, as someone who knew the importance of ¡°normal,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle lightly. ¡°Hahaha, what? Usually you¡¯re not happy?¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s better than being in a box or in front of a bunch of kids, huh? Fufu~ ¡­¡­ So what¡¯s this world like?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. ¡­.¡± I looked around the area, but there was nothing unique about the scenery. The place where we were standing was a sparsely forested area along the road, and once we passed through the trees, we could see a wide grassy field. Beyond that, what appeared to be a town could be seen in the distance, but it too was a very ordinary town surrounded by stone walls. Hey hey. What¡¯s the point if the scenery is so mundane¡­huh? ¡°This is it!¡± ¡°What the hell!?¡± Hearing such a voice coming from a short distance away, Tia and I reflexively lowered ourselves and approached towards the location from where it was coming, exchanging only glances. We carefully raked through the branches and leaves so as not to make any noise, and when we moved to hide ourselves in a gap between the trees, we found three very strange figures there. ¡°Now, get off your ass and give me what you¡¯ve got in your hand!¡± ¡°N-No, I won¡¯t! I won¡¯t let you have this!¡± A woman with blonde hair in curls, which would have taken a lot of effort, and wearing a light red dress, which was not suitable for outdoor activities, thrusted her sword, in front of her, a man in a gray traveling outfit and a deep green cloak was cornered with his butt on the ground. Both were young, in their 20s or so. ¡°May I suggest that you hand over your belongings while Ojou-sama is being nice?¡± ¡°S-shut up! Anyway, if it¡¯s hopeless, it¡¯s hopeless!¡± Beside the lady was an elderly man, who appeared to be in his sixties or so. Although he was dressed in an out-of-place butler¡¯s uniform, his eyes were sharp, and his age-defying stance and appearance suggested that he had trained in some form of martial arts. (T/N: Ahh yes, the OP butler) (Hey Ed, what¡¯s going on here?? Which one should we help?) Tia placed her own hand on mine and spoke to me using [Missing Talk]. It was extremely useful to be able to communicate without making any sound at a time like this, but I couldn¡¯t give an immediate¡­. answer to her question. (Hmmm, how did that go ¡­¡­?) Since the woman¡¯s side was quite well-dressed, the situation appeared to be that the man had stolen something and was about to get it back. However, the world was not always that simple. In the meantime, I used [Rainbow Glass] and it seemed that the woman had more room to grow¡­but it wasn¡¯t enough to say that she was the Hero. (Damn it, why don¡¯t I remember anything for once? But I¡¯m not going to do nothing in this situation. What would I do? What would I have done in the first round?) The headache that awaited me did not occur, and I asked myself with a mild sense of impatience. What we needed was information, and that information was right in front of¨D¨D ¡°Oh, yeah. Ain¡¯t that easy?¡± I said, ¡°Enough! Then let¡¯s give him a little pain!¡± ¡°Hiii!?¡± The woman in front of him drawed her sword lightly. She then tried to thrust it into the man¡¯s thigh, who fell to the ground, to create a hole in his thigh, but¡­. ¡°Oops, my bad.¡± With a hard ¡°cling¡± sound, my sword flicked the woman¡¯s sword. The woman looked at me suspiciously as I appeared on the scene. ¡°Ara, Who are you?¡± ¡°Eh, I can¡¯t give you my name.¡± ¡°Ara, I see. Then could you please get out of my way? Claude!¡± ¡°Ha!¡± The moment the woman called out his name, the butler who was waiting by her side rushed toward me furiously. When I catched his fist with my sword, which looked many times bigger than before due to his fighting spirit, A somewhat less loud ¡­ sound than before, like metal clashing against metal was heard. ¡°What¡¯s that metallic sound? How hard is it? I mean, no explanation of the situation or anything? That¡¯s what I wanted to know.¡± If you don¡¯t understand, ask them yourself. In response to my actions that arrived at the extremely simple and clear answer, the woman in front of me snorted and said. ¡°When you interfere with me, you are my enemy. Claude, get rid of them.¡± ¡°Ha! Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll go easy on you to the extent that you don¡¯t die.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be relieved about! Oi Nii-chan, why are you being attacked!?¡± I asked the man, ¡°Hii!? Ah, that¡¯s right! Please help me!¡± ¡°That depends on what you say!¡± I talked to the man who was slumped down, while fending off the storm of fist blows. To tell you the truth, I could completely neutralize him by invoking [Invincible] but that wasn¡¯t something I was willing to show here. ¡°The situation ¡­¡­ I can ¡­¡­ not tell you, but what I have is very important!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you¡­., Oi, do you understand the situation!?¡± ¡°I know, but I can¡¯t tell you!¡± If I backed out of this situation, that would be the end of it, but to honestly tell the me that ¡®I can¡¯t say¡¯, instead of deceiving me with a proper lie, was just stupid in general, but from my current point of view, the scales were slightly tilted in the guy¡¯s favor. However, I couldn¡¯t take his side for sure at this level. ¡°Tsk. Hey, Ojou-san. If the reason why you attacked this guy is something I can understand, can I withdraw?¡± I asked, ¡°That¡¯s!?¡± I ignored the pitiful voice behind me and turned my gaze towards her, but the woman in question dismissed me with a boring look. ¡°No need. It will be the same if we get rid of you. Claude, what¡¯s wrong? Clean up this mess quickly!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ojou-sama. This one seems to be quite skilled.¡± ¡°Kuuu¡­¡­¡± (Ah, this is a mess.) In light of the new situation based on the conversation up to this point, the impression that this lady was trying to take the man¡¯s belongings was strong, contrary to my initial impression. If we followed righteousness, we could just get rid of them both. ¡­.but the biggest conundrum that stood in the way here was ¡°which one is the Hero?¡± If the young lady was a hero, let alone overlooking this robbery-like act, she may even need help to cover up this act. That¡¯s why we were fighting with a degree of caution so that we don¡¯t settle and fall into a fatal rupture, but even that couldn¡¯t be stretched out indefinitely. (Which is the right answer? If I make a mistake here, I probably won¡¯t be able to change it, right?) I didn¡¯t know what they were fighting over, but in case we made a mistake, We won¡¯t be able to say ¡°We got your goods back, so let us join you.¡± Well, there was still a chance that we could fulfill the conditions by hanging around in the worst case scenario, but that was really a last resort. ¡°Ha! Huh!¡± ¡°Whoa!? While I was thinking about that, the rain of fists attacking me did not stop. Hmmm, with such a strong opponent, if I wasn¡¯t in the 2nd round of this world, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to compete with him, no? So I didn¡¯t fight in the first round? Or¨D¨D!? ¡°Ggh!?¡± ¡°A gap!¡± ¡°Geghh!?¡± Finally,¡­., a headache striked at the worst possible time, and my body was blown backwards by the steel fist. I hit my back against a tree and coughed violently, and the butler came at me to finish me off. ¡­¡­ At that moment ¡°Reveal yourself, [Borea slipper]!¡± ¡°Uwa!? W-What!?¡± ¡°Kya!?¡± ¡°What!?¡± With three different screams, a storm blade passed by the spot. Then, emerging from the shadows of the trees, a terrifyingly beautiful elf warrior with eyes filled with fighting spirit. ¡°I won¡¯t let you do this anymore.¡± How heroic was her figure holding the silver sword that held the tornado? Ah, but. No, Tia, it¡¯s not like that. It¡¯s not like that. ¡­. ¡°Haa, Haa¡­.T¡­ia¡± Inhaling desperately, I reached for my partner¡¯s back. If I touched her, I could tell her. So please, let me tell you what I really¨C ¡°It¡¯s okay, Ed. You just rest now.¡± ¡°Y..eah¡­ Gehoo¡­¡± Do not fight. Do not win. Because this was ¨C this was a losing event. (T/N: A coin system aka cookie system is introduced in foxaholic 18 today. You can buy coins aka cookie to read chapters ahead of my regular schedule. I¡¯ll be posting my regular chapters on schedule and also advacned locked chapters. 1 coin=0.1$. Here¡¯s the link for anyone who wants to read:- I got a new skill) CH 80 ¡°Tch, I didn¡¯t expect a magician to be waiting for me ¡­..¡± The young lady blatantly frowned and clicked her tongue at Tia, who stood in front of her. And to this young lady, the butler took three steps back and stood side by side with his guard up, and continued, ¡°Ojou-sama, I think it would be best if we retire for the moment.¡± ¡°Claude, do you really think I¡¯m going to let a little girl like her beat me?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s a little girl!¡± Tia yelled in protest at the young lady¡¯s words, but the butler ignored her and continued the conversation. The only thing that was in his line of sight was me leaning against a tree, hiding the fact that I¡¯ve long since recovered, and looking at him. ¡­ Was it obvious? ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say so, but from the blow I just received, I don¡¯t think they are an easy opponent to defeat. And regrettably, mine was not finished with the blow I had just struck. Which means that ¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Ah, yes, that¡¯s true.¡± The lady¡¯s gaze turned to the man who was still on his buttocks.If I, the butler, and Tia and the lady each faced each other, the reason of dispute, the man lying on the ground, would escape alone,¡­ which meant there would be no reason to fight in other words. The young lady, who understood this correctly, easily broke it off and said to Tia. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll leave this place to you. But the next time we meet¡­¡± ¡°Ara, you think there¡¯s gonna be a next time¨D¨D¡± Tia said, ¡°Let it be, Tia.¡± ¡°Ed¡­, okay.¡± I stood up quietly, and Tia withdrew her sword at my words. At this point, it would be better to let these guys go so that we have more options. Or rather, if we defeat them poorly, we will not be able to make the next move, which would be really bad. ¡°Well, good day to you. Let¡¯s go, Claude.¡± ¡°Ha. Well then, I¡¯m off.¡± When the lady, who had settled on a beautiful courtesy, turned away, the butler also bowed and left the scene. And so, when they were out of sight, Tia finally relaxed the tension from her body. ¡°Phew. That¡¯s done for now.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. ¡­¡­..¡± I smiled at Tia¡¯s smiling face, but I was inwardly puzzled. It was true that we got through the situation, but the problem was that we got through it in reverse ¡­¡­. ¡°U, um! Thank you for helping me!¡± As I was fretting, a voice called out to me from behind. I turned around to see the man we had saved standing there, bowing deeply toward me. ¡°Well, that¡¯s it for me! Thank you so much!¡± ¡°No, wait a minute.¡± ¡°¡­. um, still have anything for me?¡± I decided to use this opportunity I got by letting the lady and her company go. If this won¡¯t get through, I¡¯ll be in a pinch¡­ but I¡¯ll think what to do when that happens. ¡°They only backed off because we were here, right? If you¡¯re alone here, they¡¯re going to attack you again, right?¡± I told him, ¡°Ehh!? T-That¡¯s certainly true. ..?¡± ¡°Right? So, come on, let¡¯s at least go to town together. I¡¯m not going to force you to find out what¡¯s going on or ingratiate myself with you and ask you to pay for it. Well, you could at least buy me a drink.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. If that¡¯s about it, I¡­¡­ understand. It¡¯s just a little while, but please continue to help me out.¡± ¡°Ah, leave it to me!¡± I responded to the unreliable man¡¯s words with a thump on my chest and a smile, and inwardly I patted my chest in relief. Thank God, it seems I didn¡¯t have to make the worst choice of sneaking around from the shadows. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a quick introduction. I¡¯m Ed and this is Tia. Who are you?¡± ¡°Ed-san and Tia-san, huh. My name is Toby.¡± ¡°Toby. We¡¯ll be right behind you, and we¡¯ll be your escorts as well.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Toby said this and started to walk away, and Tia and I followed a little behind him¡­..Tia¡¯s fingertips gently touched my hand. (Hey Ed, if we¡¯re following him, does that mean this Toby guy is Hero?) (Ah, yes. That¡¯s right, but¡­) (?) Tia tilted her head and looked at me as I scratched my head with a bitter look on my face. It was a little embarrassing to suddenly confess to a huge failure, but there was nothing I could do to hide this. (You know, that battle earlier, actually losing that was the beginning of my adventures in this world. ¡­¡­) According to my recollection, this was the 116th world. I came here for the first time, and in much the same vein, I challenged the duo to protect Toby. ¡­ As a result, I was easily knocked unconscious and Toby was robbed of his ¡°important things¡±. And with that, I went around to various places with Toby the Hero to get back the ¡°important things¡± from that duo and fight with them ¡­, which was how the first round went. But this time we skipped over the premise of ¡± being robbed of something important¡±. Since nothing was taken from him, there was no point for Toby to work with us, and as a result, we would not achieve our goal of joining the hero¡¯s party. I was trying to let us accompany him, but I was having trouble with that. ¡­ When I explained this to Tia, she looked at me with a very mixed expression on her face. (What the hell is that!? Then why didn¡¯t you say so in the first place!?) (No, it was hard for me to remember too. I mean, the moment I remembered, I got a blow from the old butler, and after that, you came out before I could say anything.) (¡­. perhaps I picked the wrong time?) As Tia¡¯s shoulders slumped in disappointment, I gently put strength into our joined hands. (No way. I was just an idiot. But, well, how to turn things around from here is the question) (Is there anything we can do?) (I¡¯m frantically searching my memory right now, but it¡¯s difficult. I¡¯m sorry, but can you please have a chat with Toby? I¡¯ll pick up some information from that conversation and we¡¯ll work out a plan so that we can somehow accompany him, before we get to town.) (Okay.) ¡°Hey, Toby. Do you have a minute?¡± ¡°Fuiyaa!? Wh-What?¡± Toby was blushing as he spoke to the beautiful woman who suddenly started talking to him at a distance where their shoulders were almost touching. ¡­ Oh, I better make sure I say that right later. I¡¯ve already seen more than enough people getting crushed because they misunderstood Tia¡¯s closeness to them. Nevertheless, this gave me both miscellaneous information and time to think. Then I¡¯ll first sort out the information I had in my mind. The man in front of me was Toby. He was the hero of this world and seemed to be carrying ¡°something important¡± ¡­¡­, but I didn¡¯t know what it was. He didn¡¯t tell me until the end of the first round, and by the looks of him, he won¡¯t tell me honestly this time either. In contrast, the young lady with blonde hair and ringlet curls was named Palm Moischa. Commonly known as ¡°Greedy Princess¡±. Formerly a noble or royalty of some sort, she was banished because of her vice of ¡°always getting what she wants,¡± but now she was a bandit who went around the world wreaking havoc, because she no longer felt bound by the shackles that restrained her before. She was a wanted criminal with a very high bounty, but she had not been caught because of the strength of her follower, Claude, as well as because she herself was an excellent magician. They stole whatever they wanted, and they always returned the favor to anyone who tried to take it from them. ¡­ They were a very troublesome presence, but they were also troublesome because they were not an enemy that could simply be defeated, considering the future course of events. Incidentally, the reason why Toby had been safe so far from such opponents was because of his talent for ¡°escape¡±. He had the talent to be a ¡± hero of escape,¡± so to speak, but even so, he was not skilled enough to always escape from any enemy at present. In fact, the reason he was being hunted down this time was because he used up all of his escape gear in order to get away from Palm and the others. (Hmmm, I guess the key is to know what Toby is carrying and where. If we can figure that out, can we ¡­¡­ get some guidance along the lines of escorting him to his destination?) ¡°Heh, you are equipped with all that stuff?¡± ¡°W-Well, sort of! I was a little underprepared this time, but normally I could have left those guys behind in a jiffy!¡± ¡°Great, great, great! Then can you show it to me in person sometime?¡± ¡°Fine! Then, first of all, shall we go to the next town together?¡± (T/N: The town after this one from what I can make out) ¡°Yay!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± In front of me, Tia easily made a promise to accompany Toby on the road. I couldn¡¯t help but smile with a dumb expression at Tia, who looked at me for a moment and winked at me. Ah, yeah. That¡¯s right. If a cute girl asks him to do something, he¡¯ll do it, instead of me trying to come up with a shitty plan. Hahaha ¡­. ¡°I¡¯ve taken the liberty of deciding, but You¡¯re okay with it, right Ed?¡± ¡°Yeah, of course I¡¯m in. It¡¯s just another chance for us to be together.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. Ed-san is also with you¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Let¡¯s have a nice journey together, the three of us!¡± ¡°Yes, yes! Let¡¯s have a good journey together!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Well, yeah. Let¡¯s Have fun.¡± Thus we easily succeeded in joining Toby¡¯s hero¡¯s party, despite the fact that we made a huge mistake in our first move. ¡­ Well, Tia-san, you¡¯re really not half bad! (Chapter 85 (locked) is up on Fox 18) CH 81 After that, we made it to the nearby town without the attack I had feared. As we passed through the gate and into the bustle of the town, Toby spoke to ¡­. us, pointing ¡­. towards Tia. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s get a place to stay for the time being. As for me, I¡¯d like to stock up on various necessary tools after this and leave town around noon tomorrow, is that okay with Tia-san and you?¡± ¡°Ara, you¡¯re in such a hurry. Well, we¡¯re fine. Hey, Ed?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine.¡± If we had just finished a long journey, we would probably want to rest for a couple of days, but we were not tired at all since we had just arrived in this world. I understand Toby¡¯s urgency as he was carrying something important, so I had no reason to object. ¡°I understand. How about we split up after we get our accommodations, and I thank you for what you just did over dinner?¡± ¡°I understand. Then let¡¯s find a place to stay quickly.¡± I nodded back at Toby¡¯s words and we walked down the main street. We got a room at the same expensive, but secure, place as Toby¡¯s, and we spent our time buying extra snacks and such, and the appointed time came quickly. ¡°Well then, to our meeting!¡± ¡°¡±Cheers!¡±¡± In a corner of an ordinary bar, we toasted each other by slamming our wooden mugs together with a thud. The impact caused a little of the overflowing amber to spill onto the table, and Toby and I hurriedly sipped from our mugs. ¡°Ha, delicious! Especially when it¡¯s free!¡± ¡°Haha, don¡¯t hesitate to drink. You really helped me out during the day.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, who were those people?¡± Tia, who was the only one drinking fruit wine instead of ale, asked this question casually as she moistened her mouth and snacked on her food. This was a question asked out of pure curiosity, as I dare not tell Tia, who was not very good at acting, anything. ¡°Those people are ¡­ in one word, bandits. I¡¯m carrying a package at the request of a certain someone, but I feel like I¡¯ve been spotted because of it.¡± ¡°Hmmm. I shouldn¡¯t ask ¡­ what you¡¯re carrying, right?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Toby lightly bowed his head, but Tia gently tilted her head and continued her words. ¡°Hmmm, but does that make sense?¡± ¡°What? Meaning?¡± ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t mean to go around blabbing about it, but we already have the information that ¡®Toby is carrying something valuable¡¯, don¡¯t we? On the contrary, the people who attacked Toby probably have more information about what Toby is carrying, don¡¯t they? I¡¯m just wondering how much sense it makes to keep the details from us in that situation.¡± (T/N: Tia¡­you smart) ¡°Ugh!? That¡¯s certainly ¡­¡­?¡± Ah, that¡¯s certainly a good point of view. Toby folded his arms and made a difficult face when asked such a question which I would not have thought of, knowing what was behind ¡°I don¡¯t know the details of the luggage¡±. (T/N: Meaning he knows whats the package) ¡°Mmmm ¡­ no, but still ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ah, you really don¡¯t have to tell us if you don¡¯t want to, okay? But if those people are going to attack again in the future, I think it¡¯s a good idea to have guards, and if that¡¯s the case, why not ask us, who are already involved in it to protect the secret? And I just thought that if we¡¯re going to protect it, it would be easier to do it if we knew what it was that we were protecting, that¡¯s all. And I¡¯m not going to force you to go with me if you don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like that!. I would be very happy to travel with Tia-san, but ¡­ guards, guards, huh. I didn¡¯t think about it, but I didn¡¯t expect to be spotted by such a big name so early. ¡­ uggghhhh.¡± ¡°Now, now! Don¡¯t think so hard! For now, why don¡¯t we just have a nice meal and a few drinks, and then we can come to a conclusion, right? For now, we were just talking about going with you to the next town. Here, drink, drink!¡± I slapped a distressed Toby on the shoulder and took his mug and brought it close to his mouth. If it were an emergency, I could have pushed him into a corner and made him come to a conclusion, but there was no need to do that now. Rather, it would be better to let him open up in this way and slowly let his caution fade away. ¡°Thank you, Ed-san. ¡­¡­ You don¡¯t look any different from me, but you seem to be very used to it. What is your adventurer rank?¡± ¡°Hmm? Ah, like this.¡± In response to Toby¡¯s question, I pulled out a deep green metallic slab from the bag on my waist and showed it to him. On the metal plate was a crystal carved into an oval shape, on which four faint lights were shining. ¡°Areh, only four? I thought you¡¯d be at least six or seven if you could drive those guys back.¡± ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯m flattered to hear that. We think we have some ability, but we don¡¯t have any achievements¡­ By the way, I¡¯m 20 years old, and Tia¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m 21! I¡¯m older than you¡± ¡°A-Ah, yes. Tia¡¯s older.¡± I chuckled mildly at Tia¡¯s vigorous intrusion into our conversation. I didn¡¯t know why Tia was so obsessed with being older ¡­¡­ elven minds. Nevertheless, Toby nodded his head in agreement with our words. ¡°I see. It is certainly difficult to move up the ranks at that age. People look down on you just because you are young.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Well, There¡¯s no point in being in a hurry about this, we¡¯ll take our time.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Toby didn¡¯t pursue the matter any further as I gulped down my drink. The Adventurers¡¯ Guild card was actually a counterfeit. We, who came to this world today, would not have any ID card in this world. As soon as we left Toby, we showed up at the guild and completed registration, but there would be no trust or shit if we told him that someone like us were apprentices who had just registered today. So I copied the card of a random adventurer nearby with my banishment skill [Copy and Fake]. Of course, it was a counterfeit, so if looked at properly, one would notice the discrepancy, and even the Adventurers¡¯ Guild could not use it ¡­¡­, or rather, they will arrest us the moment we try to use it, but one doesn¡¯t look at the card seriously at a bar, and if for some reason we received a request, we could just show the real card we just registered, so we decided this was enough for a temporary measure. We were deceiving.. or rather deceiving him to the fullest, So I felt bad for Toby, but if you put it that way, our existence was like a bunch of basic lies. ¡°But it¡¯s not a bad idea to raise your ranks to add some prestige. I¡¯m open to tough requests, you know? I can get you a contract for a lot cheaper than the market price.¡± Toby said, ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll give it some serious thought.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Fufu, I¡¯d be very happy to travel with you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes, yes. I¡¯ll think about it very seriously.¡± When it was me, He just nodded normally, but when Toby was told by Tia, his cheeks blushed and nodded deeply, in a different way from getting drunk. Hmmm, Toby¡¯s reaction was easy to understand. ¡°Hey Toby. By any chance, if that young lady over there grabbed your hand and begged you ¡®give me your package,¡¯ you wouldn¡¯t hand it over, would you?¡± ¡°Ue!? T-that¡¯s not true¡­?¡± ¡°Why are you so hesitant¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to be too persistent, but Toby, you should really hire us, y¡¯know?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll think about it. ¡­ Yeah, really.¡± Toby gulped down his drink, trying to suppress his inner turmoil. I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at a side of the Hero Toby I hadn¡¯t noticed during the first round. (Chapter 86(locked) will be up later this day) CH 82 After a pleasant but uneasy dinner, the next day dawned. We left town as planned and came to the plains a little ways off the road. The reason, of course, was for Toby to show Tia what he was good at ¡­. and to show us what he was capable of. ¡°My basic fighting style is this.¡± Toby pointed to three small bags on his waist. He pulled out a round ball each the size of a thumbnail, and held it in the palm of his hand to show us. ¡°Ah, a magic ball¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I knew, but Tia, who didn¡¯t know, looked alternately at the balls in his palms and at Toby¡¯s face. Toby then slowly picked up one of them and slammed it down to the ground as hard as he could. ¡°Uwaa, what¡¯s all that smoke? Ah, but isn¡¯t it chemically strong?¡± ¡°Hahaha, This is a ¡°smoke ball¡± that blocks the enemy¡¯s vision and hides our presence. It looks like smoke, but it¡¯s not like smoke from burning something, so you don¡¯t have to worry about inhaling it.¡± ¡°Eh, I see. It¡¯s true, if I stick my hand in, I can¡¯t see ¡­, it disappeared.¡± Tia was moving her hand in and out of the produced smoke, but after the 10 seconds or so of effect time, the smoke disappeared without a trace. Since it was generated by magic, no trace of it is left anywhere. ¡°The next one is a ¡°flash ball¡±. Hitting it on the ground produces a very dazzling light. If you look directly at it, it will hurt your eyes, so be careful. Here we go¡­ Eiii! ¡± Toby slammed it down, and poof, a flower of light bloomed in its place. Even knowing about it in advance, the brightness of the light was exceptional. ¡°Ah, my eyes are tingling! This is intense.¡± Tia exclaimed, ¡°If you use it in front of an opponent who is chasing you, it can be quite effective. However, as you can see, it only glows for a moment, so if you miss the timing, it will be completely wasted. And the last one is this ¡®acoustic ball¡¯. It makes a loud noise, so be careful.¡± When Toby slammed the ball into the ground three times, the hard sound of metal hitting metal echoed around the area. Even with my ears covered, I could still feel the impact as if a thin stake had been driven into my head. ¡°Ah, no! This is no good! Ughh, my ears¡­¡± ¡°Oi, are you okay, Tia?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry! Are you okay!?¡± ¡°Niyuuuuu,¡­¡­, I¡¯m somehow okay,¡­¡­, but this is pretty hard on someone with good hearing. Unlike the light earlier, we can¡¯t completely block it even if we knew it was coming.¡± Tia, clutching her long ears tightly, said with slight tears in her eyes. Ah, Tia certainly had good ears. This must have been quite painful for her. ¡°I guess. The most common reason to use this is because it is effective not only against humans, but also against beasts and demons. There are also some very stinky stink balls, but those are a bit ¡­¡± ¡°Stop! You don¡¯t have to do that!¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯ve just left town and I don¡¯t want to get stinky.¡± I have to agree with Tia, who looked seriously disgusted. The reason why rotten balls, which were overwhelmingly effective against those with a sense of smell, were not very popular was because the person who used them also smelled bad no matter how he or she used them. ¡°I understand. And one more thing, this will be my trump card. ¡­¡± ¡°Eh, I can¡¯t have you tell me about that?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Even if you know it, you can¡¯t deal with it.¡± Smiling at Tia¡¯s words, Toby lifted his foot to show us his shoes. The shoe had a metal ring around the instep, and two small metal protrusions could be seen where it met the sole. ¡°This is a magic tool. If I put magic power into it like this and then step into it after activating it, I can ¡­¡± Toby stepped down to the ground and then lifted his foot. Then the grass grew out of each of the two small dents in the ground and wrapped around in the center to form a small circle. ¡°Generating plants!? No, I don¡¯t think he can do that¡­ Are you planting seeds in the ground and making them grow rapidly? ¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s true. Yes, there is a special seed planted in this sharp point, and every time I step in this way, the grass grows out of the trail and becomes a trap to trap your foot.¡± With that said, Toby took a few steps, and each time he moved, a circle of grass formed from his footprints. What a strange sight, but despite appearances, it was quite a nasty trick. ¡°If they don¡¯t know anything about it, we can just let them fall, and if they know we have this, we can slow them down by forcing them to pay extra attention to their feet.¡± Even as we speak, the grass that grew in the first place was rapidly shriveling up and dying. This one seemed to crumble to the ground as a rotting weed in about 30 seconds. If it could last that long, it would be enough to hold them back. ¡°Basically, my fighting style is to use a combination of these things to get away from the enemy. I¡¯m not a big fan of head-on combat, to be honest. What do you think about this¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to completely prevent you from destroying their sight and hearing or slowing their gait, even if they know you¡¯re going to use those kinds of moves. In addition, it is a reasonable strategy to take advantage of an opening and defeat them or run away.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I think it would be rather scary if I got hit with this at first sight. However, relying on magic tools for any means is a bit scary. And isn¡¯t it hard to deal with attacks from a distance with practically nothing but a ¡°smoke ball¡±? If you¡¯re attacked from an unobstructed area, even if you fire a lot of smoke balls, you¡¯ll probably get reamed out by bows or magic, right?¡± I asked, ¡°Ughh!? Yeahh, I know, but it is still difficult to be ¡­ fully prepared in all situations.¡± ¡°Well, of course it is.¡± It was one thing to be aware of one¡¯s weaknesses and another thing to be able to compensate for them well. At the very least, it would be difficult for even the heroes in the stories to be able to handle every situation on their own. That¡¯s why even heroes formed parties. ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t you hire us? With me in the vanguard, a swordsman, and Tia in the rearguard, a spirit user, I think we can handle a pretty wide range of situations.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡­¡­ By the way, how much would you charge?¡± ¡°Yeah. If you¡¯re not including expenses, how about two silver coins per person on a daily basis?¡± Toby got on board, and I pretended to think lightly before telling him so. If it was too cheap, he¡¯d be suspicious, and if it was too expensive, he won¡¯t hire us, but considering the class of the inn where we stayed yesterday and the skill we actually showed him, this should make him think it¡¯s ¡°cheap enough¡±. ¡­¡­ How about it? ¡°Assuming that, four silver coins a day, right? But if we want to go all the way to Eckurir, I can¡¯t do it with what I have on hand, right now. Um, would you mind if I respond to you when we get to the next town? I¡¯ve got some things going on there.¡± ¡°Hmm? It doesn¡¯t matter. We don¡¯t have anything urgent on our end. Right?¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re fine. Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t run away, it¡¯s all good!¡± ¡°Thank you very much. Well, let¡¯s go to the next town for now.¡± Although we did not officially join the team, we still had hope. We continued on our way to the next town ¡­ and arrived there without incident. Once through the town gates, Toby patted his chest in relief and smiled. ¡°Ah, thank goodness. We arrived without a hitch.¡± ¡°¡­¡­, Yeah.¡± Contrary to Toby, who seemed to be in a good mood, I was a little impatient inside. I had been expecting an attack by Palm and the others, so the fact that nothing happened was unexpected. (Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re thinking that by not daring to attack him, you¡¯ll make him need less of an escort and then draw us away from him?) That¡¯s the last thing we wanted to do, and the last thing Toby wanted to do. Toby would spare the money to hire us if the threat was too distant, and we couldn¡¯t force him to let us come along if he refused. At the very least, a powerful magic beast¡­ Is it a demon here? It would be a little different if they attacked, but there was no such thing along the highway, and there were no bandits attacking a small group of armed merchants, let alone merchants in carriages. At that time, I started to think about appealing for a sense of crisis from a different direction¡­. and somehow getting him to hire us. ¡°Oh ho ho ho ho! How about some delicious delicious bourgeoisyaki?¡± (T/N: basically grilled meat just some isekai food) ¡°Recommended by Ojou-sama.¡± In one of the town¡¯s streets, a pair of people I clearly recognized were, for some reason, setting up a stall selling grilled skewers. (T/N: You can already guess, I finished the Crossbell games Trails from zero and azure) CH 83 ¡°Ehhh. ¡­¡± ¡°Um, Ed-san. Are those people ¡­?¡± ¡°¡­, yeah, I think so.¡± The white cape wrapped around her head swept her curly hair to the back of her head, and she was wearing a white apron over a dress that was not suitable for a food stall in any way, even with such a disguise, there was no way I could mistake the face of a wanted woman I had just confronted a short while ago. I mean, Claude standing next to her was dressed just as he was at that time. What¡¯s with the butler¡¯s uniform at a skewer stall? You guys don¡¯t have the slightest intention of hiding, do you? ¡°Toby. Just ¡­ confirming it, but can a wanted person really be that brazen?¡± ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know about that. Until now, I didn¡¯t think that was the case either, but no one seems to care¡­¡± ¡°Tia, any sign of magic?¡± ¡°Unless it¡¯s very highly concealed, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s ¡­¡­ just ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Just what?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think people know what they look like when they think about it, do they? You know, we only become aware of them when we got information like ¡®they¡¯re causing havoc nearby¡¯ otherwise no one would take the time to look at a wanted person¡¯s face.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s a ¡­¡­¡­ blind spot.¡± Tia said with a reluctant look on her face, and I couldn¡¯t help but agree with her. Certainly, unless you specialized in bounty hunting, you would only glance at the faces on the wanted list in a corner of the wall. Unless they had a very memorable face, you may miss them if you just pass them in town. And if they were ordinary people, they would not go out of their way to visit the guild to see the faces of the wanted. Especially since Palm was the type of bandit who carefully selected her prey, so she didn¡¯t even have to worry about being attacked except by nobles or rich people. Still, I was sure the town gatekeeper would remember it. ¡­ Well, if it was just them, they could be fooled in any way they wanted. .. ¡°So¡­. what are we going to do?¡± Toby asked, ¡°I don¡¯t know, we¡¯ll just have to go there.¡± I said, Since they went out of their way to get ahead of us and were in such a conspicuous place, it was not a good idea to ignore them as we proceeded. It was common knowledge that the longer you put off the problem and the debt, the more debt you incur. ¡°Okay, then, let¡¯s go ¡­. Um¡± ¡°A~ra, Welcome, How many do you want?¡± ¡°Huh? Uh, no, uh, ¡­¡± ¡°How many do you want?¡± ¡°¡­.T-Three¡± ¡°Claude! Three bourgeoisyaki, please!¡± (T/N: An isekai food that¡¯s the literal translation, imagine grilled meat) ¡°Understood, Ojou-sama.¡± Toby, who was easily overwhelmed, ordered, and Claude finished the skewers with his excellent hands. The grilled meat looked, frankly speaking, delicious. ¡°Here you go. I¡¯ll take whatever treasure you have in your possession for the price, okay?¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°Ara, what a pity. Then six silver coins will do.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­.wait, Six silver coins!?¡± Toby, who was about to take out his wallet with a relieved look on his face, raised his voice once again at the price. That¡¯s right, no one would be stupid enough to pay two silver coins for a single skewer from a street vendor. No, but ¡­ ¡°What¡¯s your problem? I have the price written down right there.¡± ¡°Uegh!? C-Certainly¡­¡± The sign in front of the stall read, ¡°For you, the finest in convenience, bourgeoisyaki, two silver coins a piece.¡± In other words, the reason why there were no people at this stall was not only because it was run by an overtly suspicious person, but also because it was stupidly overpriced. ¡°Ugggghhhh, two silver coins ¡­ for one skewer ¡­..¡± ¡°Can¡¯t help it. Here you go, Ojou-san.¡± Pushing aside Toby, who was gnashing his teeth with a face like the end of the world, I put a silver coin in Palm¡¯s hand. Instead, he snatched the skewers from her with a flick and handed two of them to Tia before biting into the remaining one. ¡°Ooo, it¡¯s delicious.¡± ¡°Fufu~, I use the finest ingredients.¡± The juices that seeped out every time it was bit into, and the thick sauce was quite good. Personally, I would buy it for seven or eight copper coins every once in a while, but of course, I did not feel that it was worth two silver coins. ¡°So? What are you going to do with the difference? As far as I¡¯m concerned, I¡¯d appreciate it if you¡¯d get away from Toby.¡± I said, (T/N: So I think what happened author made some kind of typo because it says MC placed silver coin in her hand and then asks for difference aka change, that should not happen as skewers are priced at 2 silver a pop, So perhaps it was some other kind of coin) ¡°No way! The things you have aren¡¯t cheap enough to give up with such a small amount of money. Besides, I always get what I want. I choose my means, but I will not give up.¡± ¡°I see. Even so, why do you want that thing so much?¡± I asked, ¡°Because it¡¯s beautiful, of course! That radiance should be in my hands by all means. It would be churlish to keep it in the depths of the temple.¡± ¡°Uh, ¡­¡­?¡± Palm provided a nice bit of information in response to my query. From what she said, I wonder if the treasure Toby was carrying was some kind of gem-like object? However, the fact that it would be kept ¡­ in the depths of the temple, I could only assume that there was some kind of negative effect. ¡°Ridiculous! It¡¯s ridiculous that a single individual would own something like this! And the reason for that is because it¡¯s beautiful, what are you going to do when this thing wakes up!?¡± She exclaimed, ¡°Do you really think I would fail to manage my treasures? How dare you underestimate me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point!¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s the problem. Hey, you ¡­¡­ Toby, right?¡± In response to Toby, who was furious, Palm came out of the stall and took his hand. ¡°!? W-What!?¡± ¡°I can see that if you bring such a dangerous object to a temple, it will eventually be used as a tool in a petty power struggle. But if it¡¯s me¡­precisely because it¡¯s me, I can promise you that I would use it only for the purpose of loving it. Even in terms of management, unlike those who never knew when they would be dazzled by greed, Claude would never betray. When it is in my hands it is safer than anywhere else. So Toby-sama, Please trust me and entrust it to me. ¡± Palm gently wrapped her hand around Toby¡¯s. Looking up at him with moist eyes, Toby frowned ¡­ more than ever, but shook his head and shook her hand away. ¡°Ugh,¡­¡­, N-no! I won¡¯t give in to that temptation!¡± ¡°Oh, well said, Toby! But as expected of the ojou-san, you can¡¯t get through with that, y¡¯know?¡± Then, from Toby¡¯s side, I talked to Palm. Toby has properly brushed off the request, so it was my turn to proceed. ¡°Would be understandable if that was what you first tried, but to use force first, then try to entice after it failed is a little unreasonable, no?¡± ¡°Ara, really? I always take the most efficient means. I tried to solve the problem with money and he refused, so I tried to take it away from him. That failed too, so this time I tried to get it with my charm, not with money or force. That¡¯s all there is to it. ¡­ Though it seems that you don¡¯t accept my sincerity.¡± ¡°No, sincerity is ¡­¡± Toby stuttered, ¡°Fufu~There is no honor in power. It¡¯s just a matter of superiority and inferiority. It is so common that we don¡¯t even need to talk about the history of the lords who are lured by beautiful flowers to hand over their secrets and treasures, do we?¡± ¡°Ah, well, that¡¯s for sure.¡± I scratched my head at Palm, who said this with a generous smile on her face. There were certainly plenty of people, from royalty and aristocrats to thugs, who were ruined because of love. ¡°So let¡¯s try a different approach. Are you interested in working for me? If you¡¯re just a bodyguard, I¡¯ll pay you enough to keep your career clean, okay?¡± She asked me, ¡°What? Me? Of course..not¡± I told Palm, who looked at me with a seductive, flirtatious gaze, without a moment¡¯s hesitation. Palm was a little surprised at my attitude. ¡°May I ask you the reason for your immediate answer¡­.without hesitation?¡± ¡°Hmm? It¡¯s not such a big reason,¡­.¡± Our goal was to be with Toby, so it stood to reason that we wouldn¡¯t be motivated by money. But even without those selfish reasons, I was sure I wouldn¡¯t take that offer. Even if it had never happened now, I would always remember the journey we took to get the treasure back from the Palms. The journey with Toby, who was still weak and I was still weak, was full of danger and adventure, and although it was hard, it was fun. So¨D¨D "" ¡°I want to help my friend who is in danger. That¡¯s all I can say.¡± I said with a laugh, looking back to the future that had passed. (T/N: I was having a translation burnout because I finished 4 novels on Zetro Translations last month. I¡¯ll start posting regularly, Thanks for bearing with me. I¡¯ll link the zetro novels in the comment section if anyone wants to read them.) CH 84 ¡°¡­¡­ I see. If it¡¯s a simple emotion, there is certainly nothing I can do about it. Claude.¡± ¡°Ha¡± Palm, with a small sigh, glanced at him and gave him instructions. Then Claude started to move, and I became more alert, nonchalantly protecting Toby. ¡°Oi oi, are you planning to do it in a place like this?¡± I asked, ¡°No, Not that. If it was something I could not get otherwise, I would make that choice, but now is not the time yet. Because it¡¯s true, no? It would take four months to transport it to the temple, no matter how quickly. With that much time, there are a lot of things we can do.¡± ¡°In other words, you have no intention of giving up?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I am the only one who deserves it. So ¡­ take good care not to let someone else take it from you.¡± ¡°Ojou-sama, we¡¯re ready.¡± ¡°All right. Well then, everyone, have a good day.¡± I thought they were just preparing for battle, but it seemed they were working on taking down the stalls. Palm, grabbing the hem of her skirt and bowing, left the scene with Claude, who was pulling the stall. I finally relaxed when I couldn¡¯t see their backs. ¡°Fuu. ¡­Tia?¡± ¡°Yeah, It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°What? Um, Ed-san? Are you alright?¡± ¡°Hmm? You drew us to such a prominent place. It¡¯s only natural to be on the lookout for surprises, right?¡± I shrugged my shoulders and told Toby, who looked at me curiously. The reason why Tia did not join the conversation was not because she was in a daze. She was concentrating on using her spirit magic to search the surrounding area and be vigilant, leaving the head-on negotiation to me. ¡°I checked the roofs and even the shadows of the buildings, but I didn¡¯t see anyone who looked like them. If they¡¯re not skilled enough to fool me with their magic, it looks like they¡¯re really the only two people left.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good news, because if there¡¯s a lot of people, that¡¯s a disadvantage.¡± ¡°Do you really need to be that vigilant!?¡± ¡°Of course there is. If there is an obvious adversary in front of you, your attention will be drawn to him no matter what you do. If you are attacked from a blind spot at that time, you will die easily, and if that happens, they can easily get the treasure by fishing in your pockets under the pretense of taking care of the fallen Toby, or by carefully searching through the rooms of your rented inn. I mean, I¡¯m rather surprised you didn¡¯t take that kind of precaution before. How did you manage it all this time?¡± ¡°Hahaha, I seem to have a good instinct for that kind of thing. ¡­ I try to avoid dangerous places as much as possible.¡± ¡°Intuition, huh.¡± This was my own theory, but a hunch was a collection of uncomfortable feelings that a person was unaware of. The more knowledge and experience you accumulated, the closer your ¡°intuition¡± becomes to solid proof, and at the same time, you become aware of things that you could not feel before as ¡°intuition.¡± In the end, good intuition, being able to get through a predicament with intuition had room for growth. I knew he was talented with the [Rainbow Glasses] but if we could calmly analyze the basis of his ¡°intuition¡± after we have ensured his safety, his ability to sense danger will grow exponentially. ¡°I¡¯ll train you to develop that ¡®intuition¡¯ too. Only if you¡¯re willing to ask for an escort.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll do my best. ¡­¡± Toby replied with a wry smile, having unexpectedly demonstrated his ability while also raising a sense of urgency. After that, it would have been nice if the financial problem could be solved as the person himself said¡­ but that was also solved by Toby, who came out of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild and had a nice smile on his face. I wasn¡¯t too worried because I knew that Toby had received financial support from somewhere in the first round, but anyway, this was a relief for both the parties. The only time we had a close call was when we were asked to escort Toby through the guild, and the receptionist who received the real guild card we presented asked, ¡°Are you sure you want these two guys to escort you?¡­¡­Normally, an adventurer who had just registered would not be asked for an escort job. ¡­¡­, but Toby himself knew what we were capable of and told them it was okay, so we got away with it. Perhaps they mistakenly thought that we originally knew each other and went out of our way to register as adventurers in order to receive this escort request. And so, officially Toby¡¯s comrades¡­we were recognized as members of the hero¡¯s party and began our journey to the next town, with some light training for Toby¡­¡­ ¡°Run, run, run! Toby, smoke ball!¡± ¡°YY-es¡± At my command, Toby, running at the front of the pack, slammed the smoke ball down on his feet. Smoke immediately formed around Toby, but it did not matter if the smoke was enough to cover a single person on a plain with good visibility. ¡°Tia!¡± ¡°¨D¨DReveal [Clingfield]!¡± "" ¡°What?¡± But it depended on how you used things. The smoke generated by Tia¡¯s magic clung to the faces of the black-clad men who had attacked us. It was not real smoke, so it was not effective in suffocating, but it almost completely took away the enemy¡¯s vision for about 10 seconds until the smoke dissipated. ¡°This one is payback!¡± I took a knife I had picked up from the [Stranger Box] and threw it back at the enemy. It grazed the enemy¡¯s arm, and the black-suited man, who was shaken up, fell to the ground. Ah, so it was coated with poison after all. Well, they probably prepared the poison themselves, so if this kills them, they deserve it. ¡°Shii! Come on, Toby, hurry up! Just run through the woods!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes!¡± Without checking to see if the enemy was alive or dead, We started running again. We managed to get into the woods along the road, found a good spot where the raised ground prevented us from seeing behind us, ducked down, and finally exhaled a long breath. ¡°Whew¡­¡­¡­ are you two okay?¡± I asked, ¡°Yes, yes,¡­¡­ haha, somehow,¡­¡­¡­¡­ haha.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine too.¡± ¡°Well, ¡­¡­ damn, they must be stupid! Are they stupid enough to attack us openly in an open area along the street!?¡± Even though I was relieved by the two¡¯s replies, I couldn¡¯t stop the cursing words from my mouth. ¡°If they were going to attack us, they should have done it in a more obscure place! Why would you come up to us in broad daylight in a horse-drawn carriage and attack!?¡± I exclaimed, ¡°Ahaha¡­ well, it felt like they didn¡¯t care at all even if there were witnesses.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve felt that bad¡­¡± It was not unusual for a horse-drawn carriage to pass by on the road connecting towns. Although I was always on the lookout for such a thing, if I overreacted, they would think we were robbers, so I did not pull out my sword but held it at least at the ready. And it was daytime now. The best I could do was to stay a few meters away and try not to get pulled in. ¡­ There was no way I could have imagined that a group of armed men would jump out of that carriage and attack us. ¡°Black in the daylight ¡­ means it wasn¡¯t about hiding appearance, it was about not being identified. No one happened to be there by accident, but if anyone had been, they probably would have killed everyone. Sorry Toby, I completely misjudged the situation. I never thought the Ojou-san would resort to such blatant measures¨D¨D¡± ¡°Ara, could you please stop talking about people like they¡¯re villains?¡± ¡°What!?¡± With a rustling sound, I heard a familiar voice coming from the top of the wall against me. Toby was startled by it, Tia looked on calmly, and I lifted my chin in exasperation and looked up. ¡­¡­ ¡°Quite an exciting reunion, isn¡¯t it, missy?¡± ¡°Fufu, I did properly warn you¨D¨D¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant. ¡­¡­ White.¡± ¡°White ¡­¡­!? Claude!¡± ¡°Ha!¡± ¡°Uhyah!?¡± At Palm¡¯s instruction, with her face bright red and holding back her skirt, Claude dropped a large stone at my face. I barely avoided it, and as I tried to walk toward my friends, ¡­¡­ ¡°Ed-san, ¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re the worst.¡± ¡°Huh!?¡± Toby with a complicated smile and Tia with eyes that looked at me like I was horse shit. It seemed the wonderful friends I trusted with all my heart were not on my side. ¡­ I don¡¯t get it. CH 85 ¡°You are quite shameless, peeping into a lady¡¯s underwear.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the height of indecency.¡± Claude said, ¡°Even I won¡¯t go that far¡­.¡± Toby muttered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m on your side, Ed.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see it because I wanted to see it. And Tia, can you seriously stop saying things like that with a sad face?¡± As I walked over to Tia and Toby, a barrage of harsh words rained down on me. I don¡¯t care if they were angry or disdainful, but I really don¡¯t want them to say kind words to me, because it really hurts my heart. ¡°Well, It¡¯s fine. More than that, you guys seem to be cornered quite a bit, right?¡± Palm looked down at us from the top of the three-meter-high cliff. Incidentally, she had already taken two steps back, so even if we stand at the edge and look up, there should be nothing but sky beyond our field of vision. ¡°The way you put it, those black guys have nothing with you, Ojou-san?¡± ¡°Of course. They are Imperial Intelligence.¡± ¡°Imperial ¡­.?¡± At Palm¡¯s words, I quickly searched my brain. We were now in a reasonably large country called the Kingdom of Osperanto, and we were aiming for the Holy Suroun State, located in the north. It was a small country, but it claimed to be permanently neutral, and our destination was the town of Ekurir in that country ¡­, or more precisely, the Great Temple there. And the Empire ¡­ The Lebrennian Empire was a major power in the east that bordered both of those countries. If Palm was to be believed, they were crossing the border to attack us. ¡°The Empire is quite big, but¡­ do you think we will believe that?¡± ¡°Hmph, It doesn¡¯t matter whether you believe me or not. It is an undeniable fact that you were attacked and are still being hunted.¡± ¡°Certainly. But what does that have to do with you? If you¡¯re looking to profit, you wouldn¡¯t bother approaching us, would you?¡± (T/N: Here he means if she wanted to attack them while they were being chased she wouldn¡¯t bother approaching) ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. So I have a suggestion. What do you think? How about you work with us until we cross the border, where the empire will no longer be able to touch you?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡­¡± ¡°W-Why!?¡± Toby shouted behind me as I pondered the unexpected suggestion. ¡°Why are you suggesting that we join forces!? I¡¯m not going to accept a proposal that I don¡¯t understand!¡± ¡°Ara, Toby-sama. The reason is simple. It would be very inconvenient for me to lose what you have to the Empire. ¡­ That¡¯s the reason¡± ¡°Inconvenient ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah. I am aware that I¡¯m smart, but I¡¯m not so foolish as to think that I can easily break into the castle¡¯s treasury and steal the treasure. And it¡¯s the same with us. I thought that if we could quickly take the treasure from Toby-sama and bring it back to our hideout, We would be able to compete with the empire¡­. Now that that plan has fallen through, I have reluctantly decided that it would be more convenient for us to work with you to keep it out of the hands of the Empire.¡± ¡°Heh.¡± I was inwardly impressed by Palm¡¯s words. I see, I had never met the Imperial Intelligence Service during the first round, which meant that Palm was the one who dealt with them. And then we took advantage of the gap and got it back. ¡­ Well, since the robber and the robbed have switched sides, it¡¯s only natural that the actions were reversed. ¡°That means you¡¯ll take the treasure from Toby again when the empire backs off, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right?¡± Tia gave her a sharp look, but Palm responded simply and without a trace of apology. ¡°Now then, what are you going to do? Kick our outstretched hand and continue to fight with the empire? Of course we will take advantage of the opportunity.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ¡­¡­.¡± Toby, with a pained expression on his face, looked at me and Tia alternately. But I respond calmly to that without looking away from Palm. ¡°Tia and I are both Toby¡¯s escorts. Basically, Toby can make the decision and whichever he chooses, you can rest assured that we will continue to escort him. But, yes,¡­, I would like to add as a matter of judgment that we don¡¯t need to work with you and your Butler to break out of the situation for now. We can handle it just fine on our own.¡± ¡°Eh, is that so!?¡± ¡°¡­¡­, are you serious? As far as I can tell, the number of Imperial troops coming here is over 20?¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°Toby, don¡¯t be so surprised.¡± ¡°No, because twenty!? Wasn¡¯t it six that came out of the wagon just now!?¡± ¡°Yes, they were. One of them we took down, so there should be five left. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°If the plan is to keep all the witnesses quiet, then they must be hiding their forces in plain sight.¡± Toby was surprised and Tia and I calmly told him so. Palm frowned doubtfully at our reaction. ¡°Ara, you noticed? And yet you don¡¯t need our help?¡± ¡°Yes¡± If we had stuck to staying where we were attacked and fighting off the enemy, we would be in a lot of trouble right now. Even if it was just me and Tia taking down the enemy, it would be considerably more difficult to take down more than 20 enemies while protecting Toby. ¡°¡­Then, I shall observe how you deal with them. Claude, We are withdrawing for now.¡± ¡°As you wish, Ojou-sama¡± With that, Palm and Claude disappeared into the woods. Replacing them, a thick murderous intent drifts in from the direction from which we had fled. ¡°E-Ed-san!? Are you sure we¡¯re going to be okay!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. We¡¯re in the woods, after all. Come on, get over there by the wall.¡± ¡°Y-yes!¡± Toby followed my words and stood against the steep rock. Tia was also standing next to him, but she was working hard. ¡°Well, well, gentlemen of the empire, I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯re going home empty-handed, okay?¡± As I said this as if provoking them, knives flew at me from the shadows of the trees. I lightly flicked away the knives with my sword as a greeting, and at that moment, nearly 10 knives flew at once from the fan-shaped area in front of me. But I didn¡¯t let them through. The escort target was behind me¡­ In other words, the enemy¡¯s attacks only came flying at me while I was standing still. I could shoot down all the knives with just a little flick of my arm, because they attacked only where they could reach. Of course, as soon as they saw that the projectiles were ineffective, they would come out of the grass and challenge us to a close combat. I didn¡¯t know how skilled they were, but if they were prepared to die, they might throw a poisoned knife, knowing it would be a misfire, or they might use a gadget like the ones Toby was using. The only three people in the game, and the only one fighting properly, were surrounded, so there was no worry about them escaping. In that case, there was no need to go so far as to make sacrifices. Weaken them from a distance and finish close¡­ Such a simple decision was the reason for their defeat. ¡°¨D¨DReveal [Struggle Bind]!¡± ¡°What!?¡± Suddenly ivy grew up from all around me, quickly restraining the black-clad man. The same went for enemies located a short distance away or in blind spots that we couldn¡¯t see. ¡°What the hell is this!? Damn, I can¡¯t shake it off!?¡± ¡°Impossible! How could he single-handedly activate magic to restrain such a large number of people at once!?¡± ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯m sorry. My partner is special.¡± I laughed at the screaming Imperial soldier as I tapped him on the shoulder with my sword. Yes, it is usually No matter how skilled a spirit user Tia was, it was impossible for her to disable dozens of enemies in range in an instant, ignoring their blind spots. So we set up the conditions to be able to do it. In the forest, a place infinitely favorable to the elves, she abandoned her defense and concentrated only on her magic, while also thrusting her silver spirit sword into the ground to amplify its effect. That was the result of this¨D¨D ¡°Hey? Was it okay?¡± I said, looking up after climbing the cliff and entering the forest for a bit. ¡°¡­. it would seem so.¡± There hung Palm and her butler, who had been restrained by Tia as well as the imperial soldiers, with a very reluctant look on their faces. CH 86 ¡°Alright then, Ojou-San. Before we continue our pleasant negotiations¡­¡± In front of the seemingly composed but inwardly frustrated young lady suspended in mid-air, I jumped off the cliff and approached the restrained Imperial Guard. Then¨C ¡°Uwaaa!?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, so this is how it¡¯s going to be after all.¡± Everyone who had been restrained was suddenly engulfed in intense flames. In a flash, the bodies of the imperial soldiers were consumed, and in a mere 10 seconds or so, there was nothing around but thick ivy, which had lost its captors, swaying vainly in the wind. ¡°E-E-Ed-san!? Wha!? What was that!?¡± ¡°What you ask, it¡¯s a way to keep their mouths shut. It¡¯s a common move for people like these.¡± ¡°Common!? So you knew these people were going to kill themselves and you left them alone!? That¡¯s not¨C¡° ¡°Is that cruel? Neither Tia nor I are so soft-hearted as to do everything in our power to help someone who is trying to kill us without question, you know?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­.but¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry Toby. I understand how you feel, but we couldn¡¯t help it.¡± Tia said a little sorrowfully to Toby, who seemed to understand but not be convinced. Even Tia would not hesitate to kill an attacker, but she would not want to kill an unarmed opponent after the battle was over. ¡°As said by Ojou-san caught above, these guys are from the Empire, right? If they are found to be robbing in another country after crossing the border without permission, it would be a common trigger for war. The minimum criteria is that both friend and foe must be meticulous and leave no trace ¡­, so there¡¯s not much we can do about that.¡± No backing from the nation was a given. They probably didn¡¯t have suicide equipment that could be easily disabled by an individual, and frankly speaking, we couldn¡¯t afford to have them around. If they were to be captured alive, the next time they would do everything in their power to crush us. Nope. If we were to run away from the country, even if it¡¯s the last resort, I don¡¯t want to get into a fight with the country. ¡°Well, you can just chalk it up to the fact that the trouble¡¯s gone. Listen, Toby, the robber who attacked us out of the blue is dead, that¡¯s all. Even If we had cut them down one by one, the result would be the same ¡­, right?¡± ¡°Ye, yeah. I¡¯m sorry, I got a little emotional.¡± ¡°No problem. Now then¡­¡± With Toby convinced, I went up to the cliff again. It was a hassle and I didn¡¯t want to go back and forth again if possible, but ¡­. that depends on how they want to play it. ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting, Ojou-san. So, regarding your treatment¡­.¡± ¡°Please hold.¡± While I was talking to Palm, Claude interrupted me from the side. He, too, was suspended in mid-air, but unlike Palm, his face showed no signs of anger or impatience. ¡°Hmm? What is it, old man?¡± ¡°We are willing to negotiate. Money, information, and strength, all of which we believe would be beneficial to you, what do you say?¡± ¡°Negotiations huh. ¡­. Hey Tia! Can you come over here with Toby?¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯m on my way.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± At my call, Tia and Toby also came to the top of the cliff. Tia, of course, and Toby, who was apparently specialized in escaping, were able to climb up the three-meter cliff without any difficulty, as they had plenty of places to put their hands and feet. ¡°All right, we¡¯re all here. Hey, Toby, this old guy wants to negotiate with us.¡± ¡°Negotiation? What kind of negotiations?¡± ¡°Yes. First, the money. I am prepared to pay you a reasonable amount of money if you will at least let Ojou-sama, and preferably me, off the hook.¡± ¡°Heh, Is it okay for you to decide that on your own, old man?¡± Palm slightly turned her head away from me as I said this while glancing at her. ¡°I don¡¯t care. If it¡¯s simply a matter of money, it¡¯s a small price to pay.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. How much then?¡± ¡°Eh!? how much you say¡­¡± Toby said, ¡°Ah, that¡¯s it, then. How much did this lady initially charge for Toby¡¯s treasure?¡± ¡°Two thousand gold coins.¡± ¡°Then give us 6000, How¡¯s that sound?¡± ¡°I understand. Well, then¨C¡° ¡°Whoa, wait, why are you making it sound like it¡¯s over? That¡¯s the first of the three conditions you presented, right? Let¡¯s talk about the other two.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to be too greedy, you know?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just take what I can get, when I can get it.¡± While Toby was fidgeting beside me, Claude and I stared at each other silently. Incidentally, these two seemed to be looking for an opportunity to escape, but Tia, who was standing behind them, would not allow it. No matter how hard Claude tried, the ivy would not shred, and every time Palm moved her fingertips, the ivy would tighten around her torso. ¡°¡­¡­ Okay, Claude. We¡¯ll concede as much as we can.¡± ¡°Understood, Ojou-sama. Then let us continue our negotiations.¡± Palm¡¯s words were mixed with resignation, and Claude continued to speak once again. However, I noticed a thin layer of anger on his face that I couldn¡¯t see before. I don¡¯t know whether it was against us or against his own incompetence that brought about this situation, but it¡¯s good to be able to see his emotions. ¡°Well then, the next is information. According to my research, there are other forces that are after what you have, Toby-sama. I would be happy to discuss those details with you after you release me, okay?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t tell it first because you were not confident whether this information was valuable enough to get us to help you or not?¡± ¡°You must be joking. We just can¡¯t hand it over to you before we receive something of an equal value to it because we believe it¡¯s worth it.¡± ¡°Hmmm, ¡­., what¡¯s the third thing?¡± ¡°With your permission, I would like to accompany you and be an asset.¡± ¡°Oh? Is that alright with you, Ojou-san?¡± ¡°If you ask me if it¡¯s favorable or unfavorable, of course it¡¯s not favorable. But Claude would not be used up by you. There are also gems that give off new light when you let them go, that¡¯s all.¡± Palm answered my question nonchalantly. Such a reaction¡­ If that¡¯s the case I have made up my mind, but I can¡¯t forget that this wasn¡¯t my negotiation. ¡°What do you say, Toby?¡± ¡°Eh, M-me!?¡± ¡°No, I told you from the beginning that we were just escorts and that Toby would be the one to make the decision.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­.But we were talking about various things, and I thought that Ed-san was going to make the decision . I mean, that¡¯s totally fine, you know?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll give advice if asked, and I¡¯ll give my opinion if you make too many stupid decisions, but the decision is yours, Toby. So, what do you say?¡± ¡°E-etto¡­..?¡± Toby began to worry with a serious expression on his face as I asked him the question. After about five minutes Toby, who had been scowling, finally opened his mouth. ¡°I-I think it would be nice if you could add one condition to that.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Um, In terms of strength¡­ Not only Claude-san but also Palm¡­.Palm-san? If you can come with me, I¡¯ll agree.¡± ¡°Are you saying that I alone isn¡¯t enough as a force? How should I put it¡­ I am insulted.¡± ¡°And you want a weak woman like me to fight!? Are you going to order me to do something nasty under the guise of fighting? What a filthy ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hiiii!?¡± Claude was furious and Palm looked at him with contempt. Toby was scared to death under the pressure of these two, but when I put my hand on his back, Toby shouted out as if he had made up his mind. ¡°That¡¯s not true! It¡¯s not like that¡­ but I won¡¯t agree if you don¡¯t accept those conditions!¡± ¡°That¡¯s our employer¡¯s decision. What are you going to do?¡± Toby, who was ready to run away, but never chose to lose, and Palm and the others continued to glare at each other. ¡­ Eventually, Palm sighed, as if defeated. ¡°¡­I understand. I¡¯ll accept it.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m Glad¡­¡± ¡°Why are you so nervous, Toby?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at Toby¡¯s sigh of relief, as if he was the one being rescued. CH 87 ¡°So, now that the deal is done, ¡­ Tia, drop them.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± At my words, Tia released the magic. Then the ivy, including those already not restraining anything, shortened and disappeared as if time was rewinding. With nothing to support them, Palm and Claude were thrown from midair, but they did not lose their posture after a fall of only one meter. ¡°Phew~, At last. This old body can¡¯t take the strain.¡± ¡°You¡¯re letting us go so easily?¡± In contrast to Claude, who was lightly patting his body, Palm was slightly grumpy. Perhaps she was unhappy that they were treated as only ¡°that good¡± and since she was right, I replied with a small shrug. ¡°Well. I¡¯m a man of my word, you know?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I see.¡± Palm¡¯s face clouded as she accurately grasped the implied meaning, ¡°So, you¡¯ll keep your promise, and if you break it, you know what will happen?¡±. Seeing the exchange between me and her, Toby, who was standing beside me, suddenly muttered something. ¡°But this, if you think about it, is the same as accepting the first proposal, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Hmm? That¡¯s not true, Toby. If we had accepted the situation at that time, we would have been the ones to be rescued by them. But we single-handedly defeated the enemy, and even captured these two. They¡¯re bad guys after your treasure, and if we hadn¡¯t shown them what we can do, they would have betrayed us and taken it from us in a heartbeat.¡± ¡°Uh!? That¡¯s true¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not used to this kind of exchange at all.¡± ¡°No problem. Uh, but let me ask you something then. Why did you add the Ojou-san ¡­. no, Palm, to the release conditions?¡± To show that we were clearly on top, I dared to call her by her name and asked Toby about it. Toby frowned with hesitation, but began to speak his mind. ¡°Well¡­I can¡¯t explain it properly, but I had a premonition. Palm-sa¡­¡­ I had a bad feeling about letting Palm go, ¡­ there were so many paths in front of me, and I felt like they were being blocked one by one.¡± ¡°Oh, ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°W-Was it not allowed?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m with you. I think you should treasure your instincts.¡± ¡°Thank you, Ed-san!¡± I pat him on the shoulder, and Toby smiled happily. I see, as expected of a hero specialized in running away. His ability to avoid danger was definitely high. In fact, even in my opinion, it was definitely not a good thing to leave her alone. Claude was ready to give up everything for Palm, and if Palm was not by his side, he might resort to some kind of suicide bombing. In addition, while Palm also cared about Claude, she would be ruthless enough to cut him off at the drop of a hat. If she had a goal that took precedence over Claude, she may very well choose radical measures that would incorporate Claude¡¯s death. It would be as dangerous to take your eyes off of one half of two people who were bound by such trust that they were willing to die or let the other die, as it would be to fight the country. ¡­¡­ By the way, there was no point in thinking about it because the reverse situation was not possible. The only time it would be acceptable to release Claude with Palm as hostage was if there was a near absolute certainty of victory on Palm¡¯s side. It would be futile to envision a negotiation they were sure to lose when it gets accepted. ¡°So, let¡¯s put the money aside for later and get to the bottom of who¡¯s out to get Toby, shall we?¡± ¡°I understand. Then I will explain it to you as we move.¡± Even though we had defeated the enemy for the time being, there was nothing good about staying in a place like this. Leaving the lead to Palm and her butler, Toby and I lined up in the center with Tia in the front, and we resumed our journey to the town. On the way, Claude spoke without looking back, and what he said made my head hurt. ¡°No way, they¡¯re after you that hard!?¡± ¡°There are some ambiguous parts, but if anything, I think it¡¯s better to assume that you¡¯re being targeted.¡± ¡°Haa¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hey, hey Ed? What do you mean?¡± I sighed heavily and Tia, who came up to me, tugged my sleeve and asked me a question. The confusion on her face matched my inner feelings perfectly. ¡°I¡¯d be happy if I misheard you, but you mentioned a lot of names, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Ah, Yeah. There are so many¡­ well, it seems that almost all of the surrounding countries are targeting us.¡± ¡°Ah, I knew it. ¡­¡­¡± Tia was giving me a pained smile as I held my head in my hands. If it were just a neighboring country, or if someone said that even countries that did not share a border with us might come to steal our treasures, that would be the kind of face I would have. Although, in truth, that was still not unacceptable. The worst part was¨C ¡°Is it true what you just said?¡± Toby, who had a very pale complexion, asked Claude with a slight tremor in his voice. I can¡¯t believe it, I don¡¯t want to believe it. Toby couldn¡¯t even hide these thoughts anymore, but Claude shook his head ruthlessly. ¡°Of course. I will not lie to you, since you released me on those terms.¡± ¡°B-but! That¡¯s¡­. No way, The Kingdom of Osperanto is after us too ¡­¡­!¡± The Kingdom of Osperanto¡­.. that was, the country we were in now, the country that asked Toby to carry the treasure. It was only natural that he would not be able to keep his cool if the person who asked him to do so was targeting what he was carrying. ¡°That¡¯s the way it is in the country. I don¡¯t know if there are factions that want to dispose of it quietly and others that want to use it, or if they want to use Toby-sama as bait to create the fact that it was ¡®stolen¡¯ in order to hide the fact that the whole country is going to use it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Toby looked down dejectedly at Palm, who spoke coldly but in a matter-of-fact way. His steps were quite heavy, even though we still had a long way to go to the town. ¡°Evidence¡­ do you have any evidence?¡± Even if they say there was no such thing, there was no going back to the way things were. Even so, the reality of Toby¡¯s question, which still held out a glimmer of hope, was mercilessly confronted. ¡°I have it. It seems that the box in which it is placed has been modified.¡± ¡°¡­ this¡­?¡± But still, even what should have been a ray of hope was easily shattered, and Toby took a small box from his pocket with his voice and hands trembling. The black metal box was solid and luxurious, but at the same time, it looked somewhat ominous. Tia spoke to Toby, who was staring at it intently. ¡°Hey, can I have a minute?¡± ¡°¡­What is it? ¡°I know I said before that I wouldn¡¯t ask, but we¡¯ve come this far and I want to know what ¡®it¡¯ is. Aren¡¯t you the same, Ed?¡± ¡°Hmm? I guess so. Palm and Claude seem to know what it is, just me and Tia, who are escorting Toby, don¡¯t. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re safe if we don¡¯t know, since we¡¯ve already fought off the Empire. Hey, Toby, tell me. What the hell is that? What are you carrying?¡± That¡¯s a fact that not even Toby, who spent a long time with me in the first round, could tell me. But now that I think about it, it was only possible because Palm and Claude took care of almost all the nuisances, and I was just an outsider until the end. But not now. As long as I fought to protect Toby, Tia and I were both involved. If we were to be captured by the enemy, we would never be able to make the convenient demand that we don¡¯t know anything, that we haven¡¯t heard anything, and therefore we should be released. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ I understand. ¡° The longest silence ever. At the end of it, Toby said with determination. ¡°What I¡¯m carrying is the ¡­¡­ heart of the Demon Lord.¡± (T/N: WHAAA!!!??? ¡°What!!?¡± The answer that came to me after 100 years was far greater than I had expected. CH 88 ¡°Heart Of The Demon Lord¡­. Just to make sure, it¡¯s not just a gem with a name like that, right?¡± Toby shook his head helplessly as I said this with a bead of sweat dripping from my forehead. ¡°No. ¡­. No, I don¡¯t think so exactly. At least I have heard that this is the ¡®stone that contains the power of the Demon Lord¡¯. However, I have not opened the box and seen the contents, so I can¡¯t be absolutely sure¡­.¡± ¡°I see, well, that¡¯s true.¡± If it¡¯s that dangerous, it was only natural to give several people fake ones and have them transport them separately, not knowing which one was the real one. But I was convinced that Toby¡¯s was the real deal. In other worlds, I encountered heroes without exception. If someone else was carrying the real thing, then it was strange I was not working with them. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s definitely the real thing, okay?¡± ¡°Eh!? Wha, why!?¡± Palm confirmed my prediction. To Toby¡¯s surprise, Palm smiled elated. ¡°Of course it is. I have confirmed that everything I took from the other four was a fake. I don¡¯t know if there is a sixth person that I don¡¯t know about, but ¡­ if you¡¯re worried, I can give you an appraisal. Shall we?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­I shall pass.¡± Toby smiled wryly at Palm¡¯s words. I-I see. All the other couriers got hit. ¡­ Well, if we hadn¡¯t interfered, they would have taken Toby, too. ¡°But if it¡¯s so terrific, why are they only letting Toby carry it? Isn¡¯t there normally some kind of escort?¡± ¡°Some of the people carrying the fakes were protected by a large number of guards, you know? That¡¯s the way to do it, unless it¡¯s physically difficult to get to, like the castle treasury, then it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Really? You guys are pretty amazing.¡± ¡°¡­ It sounds ironic coming from the people who captured us so easily.¡± ¡°Haha, well that means we¡¯re even more amazing. ¡­ Oh yeah, Toby, let me borrow that for a second.¡± Palm said sulking, to which I replied with a giggle, snatching the box from Toby¡¯s hand and shoving it into the bag attached to my waist. ¡°¡­Huh!? Hey, Ed-san, what are you doing!?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just checking, checking. If it¡¯s something that important, you know, in case of emergency, me or Tia can carry it, right? I just wanted to know if it would fit in my bag since it¡¯s the same size as the metal. You want to do the same, Tia?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah.¡± ¡°No no no no no! No! Please return it!¡± Toby hurriedly snatched the box I held out to Tia. He tucked it into his pocket and looked at me with a slightly reproachful look. ¡°Give me a break!¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry. But there¡¯s a big difference between having to hold it in your hand and having it in your bag, you know? Even your pocket? What will you do if your pocket gets ripped open?¡± ¡°Well, That¡¯s true¡­¡± Toby groaned with a very complicated expression on his face. As a Hero specializing in escaping, Toby would know how hard it is to try to fight or flee with something so important in his hands. ¡°By the way, if push comes to shove, who do you want me to protect, Toby or that box?¡± ¡°Gah¡­ can you please do both of them somehow?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± ¡°Assure me! Be certain about it!¡± ¡°Hahahahaha!¡± ¡°Ed-san!?¡± I chuckled dryly, and Toby let out a squeal of annoyance. While playing around like that, we managed to reach the next town¡­ and that night. ¡°Good Job.¡± ¡°!?¡± A man entered through the window of the room where Toby and I stayed, and I swung my sword down on him without question. I didn¡¯t cut him because it was still sheathed, but I still hit him in the neck from behind as hard as I could, so he would die depending on where I hit him. ¡°¡­They really came.¡± ¡°Right. I wonder from where they are this time?¡± Toby and I were having a carefree conversation in front of the man who was lying on the floor silently. From their point of view, it would have been a complete surprise attack, but with the information that ¡°other forces may attack us,¡± and with the use of [Auto Mapping] and [Akashic Compass] the surprise attack was basically impossible to accomplish. The only exceptions would be if they either flew at super-high speed from out of range or jumped with a transfer-type magic or magical tool. ¡°So, Ed-san. What should we do with this?¡± ¡°What, this time it¡¯s easy. ¡­¡­ Oh, you¡¯re alive. Well, let¡¯s try one more time.¡± While Toby looked troubled in front of the robber lying on the floor, I carried the man up and threw him out the window. This was the second floor, but I dropped him from the hip, so the second judgment was likely to be kinder than the first. After doing so and making sure the man fell to the ground with a thud, I slowly closed the window. The wooden window closed perfectly, thanks to the fact that it was pried open cleanly, probably to avoid leaving any evidence. ¡°¡­¡­ is there any point in closing that? It was easily broken earlier.¡± ¡°Hmm? For security measures, it¡¯s basically useless. But it¡¯s a sign indicating ¡°We are not watching anything¡±. At the very least, it will save you from being yelled at by the innkeeper or questioned by the town guards tomorrow morning.So, unless the other side is a total idiot or a war-mongering army, this is the end of the situation for tonight. Look, I¡¯ll keep a little more watch just in case, and Toby, go to bed. If you don¡¯t force yourself to sleep, you¡¯re going to have a hard time tomorrow.¡± ¡°Ugh, okay. ¡­¡± Toby pulled the covers over his face, not convinced in the slightest. I, too, looked around for a while before deciding that there would be no more attacks, so I went to bed. Naturally, there was no commotion about a suspicious man lying by the inn, and we had a good breakfast and restocked our supplies before setting off for the next town. ¡°We really got out of town without incident.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a tacit understanding. They don¡¯t want to make a fuss, I suppose.¡± ¡°Hah, I really don¡¯t understand anything about that kind of interaction. Is that something that other adventurers usually know?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s normal, but people who know, they know? When you¡¯re good at something, you¡¯re bound to get into more trouble than you think.¡± ¡°¡­ Just to be clear, an adventurer who is used to dealing with the dark side of a large organization, let alone bandits, is not normal, you know?¡± Palm joined the conversation between me and Toby with a dumbfounded look on her face. When I turned my head to look at her, I found that even Tia, for some reason, had a complicated expression on her face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know much about that kind of thing either. ¡­¡± ¡°Eh, is that so? No, but what about the factions that were hostile to Alexis? did they not make a move?¡± ¡°Not that I know of, at least.¡± ¡°Ehhh¡­¡± Hmmm, even though he was a prince of a major power,¡­¡­ no, that¡¯s why I don¡¯t think there was nothing going on,¡­¡­ maybe old man Gonzo was cleaning up the mess or something? Or did Alexis do it himself? ¡°Maybe you didn¡¯t know, but I¡¯m sure there was a lot going on.¡±¡± "" ¡°Is that so? Maybe I should study those things, too?¡± ¡°I guess so. Well, I¡¯ll teach Toby how to deal with them, just for the sake of training him. I¡¯m sure it will come in handy many times before we get to Ekurir.¡± ¡°T-thank you very much!¡± ¡°Fufu, it¡¯s exciting to gain new knowledge.¡± In front of Toby, who said with a serious face, and Tia, who laughed happily, I freely shared the knowledge and experience I had gained by crossing over to 100 different worlds. The problem was that their expressions were getting more and more stiff because of the content. ¡­Yeah, that¡¯s how reality is. ¡°I know I should not say this, but I feel like I didn¡¯t really want to know.¡± ¡°Ed has tainted me. ¡­ I can¡¯t go back to the days when I was pure..¡± ¡°You are exaggerating. That¡¯s still on the light side, you know?¡± ¡°¡±Eeeeee. ¡­¡±¡± ¡°¡­ Hey Claude, I¡¯d like to congratulate myself on my foresight in not immediately turning against you, what do you think?¡± ¡°I suspect you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I could not help but make a face as if I myself was biting a bitter bug at the reluctant looks that the other four people were giving me. (T/N: Romcom will be uploaded later in the day) CH 89 After that, we were involved in troublesome situations fairly often. However, it was not as if some assassin attacked us every time like a bunch of idiots. Our enemies also changed their tactics and tried to trick us in various ways. For example, they would try to get rid of us without getting their hands dirty and take away our treasures¨D¨D ¡°Damn, So many!? Tia!¡± ¡°Get Back! Release, [Stormbringer]!¡± Countless hordes of demons attacked us as we were walking along the street. We had moved away from the road long enough to avoid the obviously unnatural force of the swarm, but it didn¡¯t slow them down. ¡°That¡¯s a bit too much. I¡¯ll mow them down, hold them off for five seconds!¡± ¡°Leave it to me, Ojou-sama.¡± Behind us, of course, Palm and Claude were also fighting. Unlike humans, it was impossible to negotiate with Demons, and if attacked from all directions, it would be impossible to outwit Palm, no matter how much the demons anticipated her attack. ¡°Eat my demons and burn my enemies! I am the true slaughterer of demons! Burn them, [Volcanic Napalm]!¡± ¡°Urgh!?¡± Glancing at the enormous heat generated behind me, I saw the breath of flame released from Palm¡¯s hand caressing the crowd of demons. Every life in its path was consumed, and in its path the unquenchable flames continued to burn in search of more sacrifices. ¡°Ed, she¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°I know, we can¡¯t lose either!¡± The Palm¡¯s ability, which we had witnessed once again, fired up Tia and I to defeat the demons. Toby, standing in the center between us, just cheered us on and said, ¡°You got this!¡±. ¡°You¡¯re really carefree, Toby.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t have a choice! I think I can manage if I just run away, but there¡¯s absolutely no way I can fight something like this!¡± ¡°If you really think you can escape this herd, that¡¯s great.¡± ¡°Tia-san! Not so much. ¡­¡­ heh heh heh.¡± ¡°Compliment ¡­, or was that a compliment?¡± Certainly, if you can get out of this situation alive, it¡¯s normally awesome, and Tia would no doubt be praising you for it. Well, let¡¯s leave it at that. ¡°But then, why are all these demons gathering around us? I¡¯m not so na?ve as to call this a coincidence, you know?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I think there¡¯s a reason for it¡­does Toby-sama and the others have any idea?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. What about you, Tia?¡± ¡°Me especially not¡­ Ei!¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s Toby. Didn¡¯t you do something strange? Before we left town, you were a little happy, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Nothing unusual ¡­ I was happy because I bought a good luck charm from a passing street vendor that said I¡¯d be ¡®blessed with a wonderful encounter¡¯¨D¨D¡± ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it, isn¡¯t it?¡± Toby¡¯s words were overlapped by the voices of everyone except himself. ¡°Toby, show me that!¡± ¡°T-This is it¡­ ah!?¡± I take the small wooden carving that Toby had taken out and throw it as far away as I can. The crowd of demons was subtly drawn toward me, and I immediately lost control of their movement. Perhaps because I stepped on it, the wood carving broke. ¡°Alright, no more reinforcements now! Let¡¯s clear out what¡¯s left!¡± ¡°All right!¡± ¡°Ugh, that was a good luck charm that the big-breasted lady handed me. ¡­¡± ¡°Toby-sama¡­if you want, I can comfort you, okay?¡± ¡°Palm-san¡­ huh!? I-I won¡¯t be deceived!¡± ¡°Stop playing around! Fight seriously!¡± ¡°Tch, it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Palm, who tried to reach into Toby¡¯s pocket and was rejected, lightly clicked her tongue and joined the battle. And so, after all the enemies were defeated, Toby was made to sit on his knees by Tia and was given a sermon that he was drearily ¡­ but a little too happy to hear. And, for example, the tormenting tests from those who don¡¯t trust us to carry such a blatant hazard¨D¨D ¡°Ha!¡± ¡°Huh!?¡± The tiger-faced beastman catched my sword with its claws. The reason for the frown on its face was that its claws, the pride of the beastman, were clearly broken. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. How could a mere piece of steel, not even a magic sword, crack my claws!¡± ¡°Heh heh, this is the work of the sword that humans have mastered. I have neither claws nor fangs, but my blade will reach you!¡±¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get carried away, you human!¡± With his fighting spirit and fangs bared, the tiger-beastman striked at me with his free hand. I had one sword, but he had two hands. I backed away, but the Tiger-Beastman kept on chasing after me. ¡°The warrior backs away, I¡¯ve seen the bottom!¡± ¡°A warrior who doesn¡¯t know when to back off is just a fool!¡± In an attempt to fully utilize his vastly superior physical capabilities, the beastman came lunging at me head-on. In response, I readied my sword from behind my back, tightly clutching the grip with my left hand. I thrust my blade forward as hard as I could as the beastman was just at the apex of his lunge¡­ only to find that he had suddenly vanished, seemingly out of thin air. ¡°With this¨D¨D!?¡± ¡°¨D¨D It¡¯s over¡± The tip of my sword struck the tiger-beastman in the throat, who instantly moved behind me. Predicting the enemy¡¯s movement, I swung my sword not in a straight line, but in an arc, aiming the blade behind me. If my sword had been a split second too late, my neck would have been bitten off from behind. If my opponent had noticed and stopped moving a moment too late, my sword would have pierced his throat. The tiger-beastman spoke to me in a voice that sounded offended by my momentary victory. ¡°¡­¡­ Why did you stop your sword? A warrior who cannot kill his enemy is the height of weakness.¡± ¡°It is the right of the victor to decide who lives and who dies. And winning without killing is stronger than winning by killing. And since you guys are asking us to ¡®show strength,¡¯ this one scores higher, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­ Huh, hahaha! Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± I smirked and said to him, and the tiger-beastman replied happily. I put my sword away and turned around to see my opponent, whom I had been battling for the kill a few seconds earlier, standing there with a big smile on his face. ¡°Alright. As promised, we, the people of Gladra, recognize you as warriors worthy to be entrusted with the Heart of the Demon Lord. May the future of the strong be just and glorious.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I shook hands with my attacker, who said he wouldn¡¯t leave a dangerous thing in the hands of a small fish, and as I watched him walk away, my companion and his companion came up to me. ¡°As expected from you, Ed¡± ¡°That was amazing! The beast warriors of Gladra are famous for their strength, and you beat them!¡± ¡°It was a great fight, even from my point of view. Right, Claude?¡± ¡°I agree. It reminded me of my youth and made my blood boil. ¡°Hahaha, well, not that much!¡± I was praised for defeating obstacles, and my cheeks relaxed as I sipped the wine of victory. With a dependable companion, an unreliable hero, and a companion who should not be relied upon, we continued our journey for about half a year. It took a long time because of all the interference, but we managed to get close to the border between the Kingdom and the Holy Suroun State, and what was waiting for us was ¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­, this was unexpected.¡± A fully armed army that showed a strong determination not to let us through. I had no choice but to look at them with a disgusted expression on my face as I faced the army flying the flag of the Kingdom of Osperanto. CH 90 ¡°I see. So this is what comes at the end. ¡­¡­¡± Since the risk of territorial invasion into a country that claimed to be a neutral country was exceedingly heavy, I knew that there would be forces that would take some steps in front of us, but it was beyond my expectation that we would be blocked by an army carrying the flag of this country. ¡°We can¡¯t bypass them or anything, can we?¡± ¡°The detour itself might be possible, but wouldn¡¯t the result be the same?¡± ¡°In the first place, it would be quite difficult to head for another checkpoint against the cavalry.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± If Tia and I put forth our best efforts, it would still not be impossible just to escape. However, this was the only gateway from the Kingdom to Holy Suroun State and even if we go through another country, that country¡¯s army might block the gateway in the same way. At this point, we were only talking about possibilities, but withdrawal was basically a bad idea in the current situation where neighboring countries were all untrustworthy. The only country that seemed to be open to talk was Gladra, and it shared no borders with the Pope¡¯s country. ¡°Welcome, thieves!¡± We continued our discussion with reluctance, when we heard a voice from the army. A young man, not much older than us, dressed in a gorgeous outfit, slowly rode up to us in time. ¡°I am Lowell Osperanto, the second prince of the Kingdom of Osperanto! Thieves who have robbed our country of its treasures, stop your futile resistance and be quiet!¡± ¡°Stole it? Hey, Toby, what do you¨C?¡± ¡°W-What do you mean?¡± Before I could ask, Toby stepped forward and shouted loudly. Then Prince Lowell, seeing Toby¡¯s appearance, called out to him, looking down on him both physically and mentally. ¡°Are you that bastard who deceived His Majesty and stole a national treasure?¡± ¡°A thief, that¡¯s absurd! I definitely got the job from His Majesty the King¨D¨D¡± ¡°Shut up! There is no room for contest between a lowly thief like you and the word of me, the second prince! Or what?Are you going to say that I am lying?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ no, it¡¯s just a misunderstanding! To His Majesty! Please check with His Majesty the King!¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± At Toby¡¯s desperate appeal, Prince Lowell smiled. ¡°For about two months now, His Majesty has been ill. And for some reason, my brother has not returned from Stolhelm, where he studied abroad. Therefore, I am now in full charge of this country.¡± ¡°That¡¯s!?¡± ¡°Tsk¡­ Oi Toby, didn¡¯t you get something like a power of attorney from the king?¡± I spoke to Toby in a whisper, leaving Prince Lowell as he said with a smirk. But Toby, with a shocked expression on his face, shook his head helplessly. ¡°Nope. I can¡¯t reveal it to anyone else or¡­. entrust it to anyone else, because this is a secret request. I was told it was an important mission and ¡­ so I have nothing that can be used as proof ¡­¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s tough.¡± I had no way of knowing how it happened, but at least for now, there was nothing to vouch for Toby¡¯s legitimacy. And with the royalty on the other side, it would be impossible to overturn the decision by any honest means. ¡°Seriously, What was His Majesty, my father, thinking when he decided to let the national treasure out of the country? There are so many ways to use it, in diplomacy or war. ¡­ Come on, give it to me quickly. Or would you rather I behead you right here and then take it from you?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ war?¡± Toby¡¯s body jerked at Prince Lowell¡¯s casually muttered words. He put his hands in his pockets and squeezed out a trembling voice. ¡°¡­¡­ His Majesty said. The management of a nation is not a sweet thing that can be achieved only with beautiful things. Because we bear the lives of millions of people on our shoulders, we sometimes choose what might be called ruthless and heartless measures. But still, there is a line that must not be crossed. As people living in this world, we can not accept the power to destroy everything. If we used it to gain national interests, others would surely take it away and use it against each other, and in the end, everything would be destroyed. That is why he asked me to seal it. If one day my country is destroyed because I give up this power, I will be ready to leave my name as the foolish king¡­ Still, I wish for a brighter future for all in the world!¡° ¡°Ha! What is that? What is a king without pursuing the national interest! I don¡¯t care if an adventurer like you who can emigrate as he pleases supports that king, my people will not support a king who abandons the means of enriching our country! No matter how dangerous and powerful that power is, I will use it perfectly! All for the sake of my Kingdom of Osperanto!¡± He added, Prince Lowell glared squarely back at Toby, who glared at him with burning eyes. Neither side was willing to budge an inch, and neither side had a cause. ¡°Hey there, escorting adventurers! How about you? If you are impressed by my cause and help me capture these insurgents here, I will pay you a handsome reward! Oh, and I¡¯ll grant amnesty to those filthy thieves over there as well, but only domestically Both righteousness and profit are on my side. Now, show me your loyalty!¡± ¡°¡­ However. What are you going to do, Ed?¡± ¡°Hmm? We¡¯ve had our answer all along. What about Palm and Claude?¡± ¡°Ara, what a coincidence. We have our answer, too.¡± I glanced at her, and Palm answered with a small smile. So the four of us walked past Toby, and in front of the prince, who was grinning ¡­¡­, we readied our weapons. ¡°¡­.what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°You said it yourself. Me and Tia are wandering adventurers. We¡¯re not citizens of this country, so it¡¯s only natural that we¡¯d take the interests of the world as a whole over the national interests of one country, right?. Besides, We¡¯ve been asked to escort him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Trust is the number one priority for adventurers, you know?¡± Of course, we have our own agenda as well, and we won¡¯t and can¡¯t betray Toby. But even if we didn¡¯t, it wouldn¡¯t change where we stand. There was no way we would choose to turn our backs on the heroes of the worlds we have passed by until now. ¡°I¡¯m not foolish enough to take the word of someone I don¡¯t trust. Besides, ¡­¡± Saying that, Palm glanced at Toby. ¡°I am the one who deserves the treasure, not you. The value of the jewel will be diminished if it falls into the hands of a small person like you. If you want to lower the value of the treasure, then we have every right to interfere, don¡¯t we? Right, Claude?¡± ¡°Indeed. It¡¯s quite a hassle to wipe off the sticky pork fat. If possible, please refrain from doing it.¡± (T/N: Man really called a Prince a Pig LMAO) ¡°¡­I see. Haa, after all, you¡¯re a lowly person. If you are so stupid that you cannot even read the situation, let alone understand the cause, then you are nothing more than vermin, no better than goblins.¡± Spitting out words of contempt, Prince Lowell turned on his heel and walked back into the army. It was probably out of pride and conceit that he turned his back on us so brazenly, and in fact, we would not touch him. If we kill him and get rid of him, we will lose our cause. However, ¡­ ¡°So, what are you going to do, Toby? You can¡¯t beat him, can you?¡± For me and Tia, who would be leaving this world in the not-too-distant future, and for Palm and Claude, who have been bounty hunters from the beginning, there was no big problem in dealing with the kingdom army here. If I had to say so, Palm¡¯s bounty would jump if we destroyed them here, but that was not my concern. But Toby was different. If he wants to continue to live a normal life in this world, he cannot defeat the kingdom¡¯s army here. If a mere adventurer clearly crossed blades with the national army, he would have to travel to a very distant country to get a proper job. The one who understood this best was, of course, Toby himself. ¡°Of course! If I let even one person die, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll become a wanted man. So¨C¡° His arms and legs trembled, his voice shook, but his eyes looked straight at me. ¡°Let¡¯s get through that army and escape to the Holy State without letting anyone die!¡± ¡°I see. A wonderfully peaceful solution. So, what exactly is your plan?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going straight through by myself. Can you cover me?¡± About 100 cavalrymen stood in front of us. It was insane to run through them alone, but I nodded with a smile to¡­ Toby¡¯s eyes, which were filled with determination. ¡°I get it. Then for now, I¡¯ll protect your path¡­ not you. Go, Toby!¡± With my shout, Toby rushed to the front. And so the battle with a one-sided disadvantage began. CH 91 Whole Chapter is from a 3rd person POV. Thump, thump, thump. It was something Toby always felt when he was running away from something. But today, it was stronger than ever. It was only natural, since he was running away in what could only be considered a reckless way. A hundred cavalrymen were in front of him. Even if he ran alone, he would end up being trampled. Although he should have known that, for some reason, Toby could not imagine himself being caught at all. (I can go¡­!) The first thing he did was to strike the sound ball in front of the approaching cavalrymen. Well-trained warhorses were not distraught by this, but they were at least startled when a loud sound suddenly rang out in their vicinity. Toby¡¯s own hearing would be affected, but as long as he was prepared for this from the start, losing sound for a few seconds would not be a big blow. ¡°Haa!¡± With a short exhale, he slid his body between the horses. While determining the position of the horse¡¯s body, which would be lethal to the rider, he avoided a deadly attack from overhead which took advantage of the height of being on a horse. (I know¡­I can see¡­!?) Before he knew it, Toby¡¯s vision had turned blue. Time moved slowly in this world, and somehow he could see the future trajectory of the attacks. Toby moved his body to avoid the trajectory, and as a result, he barely dodged all the attacks that poured down like a torrential downpour. (I can go¡­ I can go! I can go! I can escape this time too!) Toby moved forward, sometimes to the right, sometimes to the left, and sometimes even through the crotch of the horse who was crouching down to run past. He ran through the frantic world by finding where he was supposed to be and fitting his body into that place without missing a beat. (Just a little more ¡­, just a little more ¡­) As they charged toward each other, Toby and the cavalry crossed paths for only a few seconds. The short time stretched into what felt like hours, and Toby¡¯s vision, shaking off tens of thousands of possibilities of death, soon saw a blue other than the trail of death. He was through the cavalry. (I did it!¡­¡­I can¡¯t say that yet) On the other side of the cavalry, was Prince Lowell, who was looking at Toby with a reproachful gaze, and was surrounded by five cavalrymen who were guarding him. Wearing luxurious armor that distinguished them from the others, they were probably the prince¡¯s personal Imperial Guards. ¡°Tch, you incompetents! Kill him!¡± ¡°¡±Ha!¡±¡± At Prince Lowell¡¯s command, the Imperial Guards rushed toward Toby. Two knights flanked him from the left and right, and dozens of blue trails¡­ were etched in front of his eyes. (T/N: Trail Of Blue probably means Death) ¡°Hu¡­¡­.¡± Toby responded to the crushing pressure by exhaling deeply. He had been on the run for most of his life since he became an adventurer at 15,¡­. or even before that, but this was the first time he had felt death so close to home. Yet, Toby¡¯s mind was rather calm. It was only in extreme conditions that one¡¯s talent, which was awakened only in the extreme, could find a way to live, even if they were close to death. ¡°Huh, Ooo!?¡± ¡°Impossible!?¡± Jumping, crouching, shifting, dodging. Toby¡¯s evasive maneuvers, not just his physical skills, as he passed by, startled the two members of the Imperial Guards. He quickly turned around to face Toby, but by that time, Toby had already reached Prince Lowell. ¡°Don¡¯t dodge and come towards me! It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll behead you myself!¡± (I have no intention of doing that!) Since the opponents were all cavalry, running straight and at full speed had a better chance of survival than making a bad turn and slowing down. He screamed inwardly at being misunderstood for doing just that, but his heart¡¯s voice did not reach Prince Lowell. Rowell, his face contorted in abhorrence, unsheathed the sword at his waist and swung it down at Toby. ¡°Hyaaahh!¡± With a dumb cry, Toby spun his body around and dodged the sword. He was almost knocked off his feet by the complicated steps, but since a fall would have killed him almost instantly, he held on just in time and succeeded in slipping past Prince Lowell. Incidentally, Toby would have died had the Imperial Guards beside him thrust his sword at him. However, there was no way they would have thrust their sword at the prince and it was precisely because of that Toby, who could not see the track of death, ran with a once-in-a-generation determination that he survived. (I did it! I did it! I did it this time!) There was no longer any enemy in sight. There were only 100 meters left to the stone gate of the checkpoint. If that thick door were to be closed, everything would be over, but since it would require an agreement between both countries, it would be impossible for Lowell to do it on his own, even if he was the prince. (This is¡­!?) Just as he was thinking of his victory, the first Imperial Guard to pass him cut back, chased after Toby, to strike him with a body blow that would send its horse tumbling down. That desperate blow couldn¡¯t be dodged no matter what because the effective range was too wide. (What should I do? What should I do! What should I do!?) Even in the midst of his inner turmoil, He could see the blue trail that would lead to his death. However, it had already completely wrapped him up, and the power that saved him had promised his death. Toby, however, did not give up trying to escape. In order to escape death as much as possible, he grabbed a small ball out of the bag at his waist and dropped it on the ground. ¡°Bahhhhh!?¡± The horse was about to fall down, reeling itself in because of too much momentum. The ball that rolled under his feet was trampled, instantly sending smoke into the area. It was an extremely minor difference. The horse slipped just a fingernail¡¯s length from stepping on the ball, and the horse¡¯s body leaned a hair extra as it turned its head away, not liking the smoke that had blown out. That difference was not enough to escape the trail of death. It only extended the time until his own death by about one blink of an eye. A last ditch, last minute display of the pathetic misadventures of a Escaping Hero .. that changed Toby¡¯s fate. ¡°!?¡± There was something that pushed Toby¡¯s back. A gust of wind was supporting the horse¡¯s body, which should have fallen over. An explosion erupted right under the nose of the screaming prince, and the second Imperial Guard, who had been following close behind, was blown off his horse. ¡°Go!¡± ¡°go!¡± ¡°Just go!¡± ¡°Please go!¡± He heard the voices of his traveling companions. No, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s fair to call them half-companions, but at least here they were supposed to be allies, and the voice pushed Toby back and turned his feet. ¡°OOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!¡± Run, run. To escape, to protect. ¡°Don¡¯t let him escape! Anyone, stop him!¡± ¡°Shut up! I¡¯m in the middle of something here, so shut the fuck up!¡± ¡°Gooooo!?¡± Each step was unbelievably far and each moment was unbelievably long. And yet, Toby heard the exchange behind him so clearly that it made him smile inwardly. Almost there, almost there. Ignoring his heart that felt like it was about to burst into pieces, Toby raised his legs that felt like they would break into a thousand pieces, and ran straight ahead with only the goal in his gradually narrowing field of vision. Usually there would be several people waiting for their turn, but now there were only guards standing quietly guarding the gate. Ten ¡­ more steps to go,¡­ three more steps to go,¡­. and then the last step,¡­¡­ with all his might! ¡°Haaaa¡­¡­ Haaa ¡­¡­ Haaa ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­¡± The moment he passed through the gate, Toby fell face down on the spot. With the last of his strength, he turned his body onto his back and sawan unremarkable stone ceiling. ¡°My¡­¡­ win! I¡¯ve escaped!!!¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡± ¡°¡­.?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a rule, so could you go through immigration procedures?¡± ¡°Uh, yes. ¡­¡± Toby the Hero, who had mastered the art of escape. The afterglow of his victory also escaped him in a mere two seconds. CH 92 The pursuit of us, who had safely escaped from the Kingdom¡¯s army and entered Holy Suroun State, lost its intensity at once. However, this did not mean that they did not do anything to us. Instead of resorting to direct violence, the ratio of bribes and honey traps increased dramatically. However, once in the country, it would take two weeks to get to Ekrill, and most of that time would be spent traveling. When we stayed in a town along the way, the beautiful men and women and the merchants who came to the town at the right moment crushed each other to keep them in check, and as a result, we made it to the town without much trouble. ¡°We¡¯ll leave here.¡± We got off the coach and were only a short distance from the town gate. Then suddenly, Palm spoke up, and we all looked at the prized young lady. ¡°What, you¡¯re not going in?¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have a chance to rob Toby-sama now that we have come this far. We will just have to take it from the temple.¡± ¡°Hahaha, you won¡¯t give up robbing it, will you?¡± ¡°Of course! I have no doubt in my mind that I am the one who deserves the treasure. But are you sure about this? Even if it is a great temple in a country that claims to be neutral, there are certainly those who are blinded by power, are there not?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ true but there¡¯s no other suitable place.¡± At Palm¡¯s words, Toby smiled weakly. ¡°If it¡¯s just to keep it out of people¡¯s hands, I could probably just dump it in the ocean, but that¡¯s likely to leak power before you know it. ¡­ But then again, if I destroy it, you don¡¯t know what might happen. In that case, His Majesty¡¯s decision was that it would be most reliable to seal and monitor the area with human hands, even if some uneasiness remained.¡± ¡®Well, it¡¯s not wrong, ¡­ but wouldn¡¯t it be the same if I kept it in my possession and manage it?¡¯ ¡°No, there¡¯s a difference between a permanent neutral independent state and a bounty hunter¡¯s hideout.¡± ¡°Well, Ed-sama is inelegant.¡± ¡°Saying the truth is inelegant.¡± I shrugged my shoulders and Palm¡¯s lips twitched in dissatisfaction. ¡°I think gentlemen should be more open-minded, don¡¯t you? Well then, Good day, everyone.¡± ¡°Excuse us.¡± After saying this and bowing, Palm and the others left more easily than I had expected. Toby¡¯s face as he looked away looked somewhat sad. ¡°What, are you lonely by any chance?¡± ¡°¡­ honestly, just a little bit.¡± ¡°Even though they were bounty hunters, they were together the whole time. I don¡¯t know how I feel¡­¡± He added, ¡°You have to change your mind here. Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes, That¡¯s right¡± Toby, who had regained his smile, replied to my and Tia¡¯s words. We entered the town of Ekrill again and immediately went to the temple, but were told that it was not possible for them to respond immediately, so we just made a reservation and stayed at an inn that day. ¡°This is a letter from His Majesty. Please confirm.¡± Toby handed the letter made of fine paper to the female priestess who came out to respond. The priestess who received the letter opened it without hesitation, looked at its contents, and spoke to Toby again. ¡°I have certainly confirmed it. Then, could you hand over the box containing the ¡®Heart of the Demon Lord¡¯ to me?¡± ¡°Eh!? No, I¡¯d like to give it directly to the high priest¡­¡± ¡°Even if you say so, we cannot give it to the High Priest until we have examined the actual object. It would be a great inconvenience if the High Priest were to be put in direct danger.¡± ¡°Ah, That is certainly true, but I showed you the letter from His Majesty the King, didn¡¯t I? Doesn¡¯t that give you any assurance?¡± ¡°The letter was written more than six months ago, wasn¡¯t it? How can you deny the possibility that the seal on the box has deteriorated in such a short period of time? Only after we examine it ourselves can we deliver it to the High Priest.¡± ¡°I understand, I understand, okay? Then how about at least having the High Priest come over here and then we can check it out?¡± ¡°Hah ¡­¡­ So irritating.¡± The discussion between the hooded priestess and Toby was endlessly deadlocked. The priestess sighed at the lack of progress and unexpectedly approached Toby and quickly put her mouth over his. ¡°Mugg!?¡± ¡°Wha-What!?¡± Toby stiffened in surprise, and a startled Tia covered her face with her hands while looking through the gaps between her fingers. A smile of satisfaction appeared on the priestess puckered little lips, and in her hand she held the metal box that Toby had been holding. ¡°¡­ Huh!? Wha-what!?¡± ¡°Fufufu, is that the price you want? Toby-sama?¡± ¡°What, that voice, don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s¡­.!?¡± ¡°Hohohohoh!¡± She quickly removed her robe and there appeared Palm, whom we had just parted with yesterday. I quickly ran up to the triumphant figure, and in its path stood an elderly man dressed in a butler¡¯s uniform. ¡°Hold it, I won¡¯t let you go!¡± ¡°Tch, you did come! Tia! ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s impossible here¡± I confronted Claude, but Tia frowned at my words and said. Inside the temple, the walls and floors were all made of beautifully polished stone, and I guess it was impossible to activate the binding magic here like in the forest. ¡°Everything is just as I calculated! So, good-bye this time!¡± ¡°Farewell! ¡°Ah, oi! Talk more nonsense!¡± Without uttering a word about how they had impersonated priests or how they had changed their voices, which a typical scoundrel would have been proud to talk about, they, having achieved their goal, were running away from the place at a breakneck pace. As I watched them go, Toby, who had been looking on in amazement, belatedly made a commotion. ¡°Hey, hey, hey!? What are we going to do, Ed-san!? The Demon Lord¡¯s heart has been stolen¡­!?¡± ¡°First of all, calm down, Toby. It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡°It¡¯s fine¡±? I¡¯ve come this far and it¡¯s been stolen!¡± ¡°Certainly, it was stolen. So, here.¡± I pulled out the metal box from the bag at my waist and handed it to Toby. Toby was so confused by this impossible scene that he looked at me and the box alternately and repeatedly at great speed. ¡°!?!?! Huh? Huh?! What is this!?¡± ¡°What is it, it¡¯s a box containing the ¡®Demon Lord¡¯s Heart¡¯. You know it, right?¡± ¡°I know that! Eh, did you take it back in that instant!?¡± ¡°No, not that. I switched it out with a fake from the beginning, just in case something like this ever happened.¡± ¡°Whaaaaa!?!?!?¡± On the day we were attacked by the imperial soldiers, I pretended to put the real one I borrowed from Toby in my bag and put it away in my [Stranger Box]and then I returned the fake one I made by [Copy and Fake]. In short, it was a secret even to Toby himself, and I kept the real thing in a place where it would never be stolen. If you want to fool your enemies, start with your allies. It seems that the poison, which was kept hidden until the very end, worked at the best time. Well, I told Tia about it last night. ¡°I knew that at some point the Palm and him would try something, so I prepared for it. Oh, and I also prepared this so we can finish sealing it before they come back and realize they¡¯ve been duped, shall we?¡± ¡°Even the letter!?¡± As for the letter, it was duplicated while Toby and the others were talking. This one was a fake, of course, but the fact that it looked the same was enough for a letter, and more importantly, the content of the letter itself was definitely from the king, so there was no problem. ¡°Hey Toby, isn¡¯t this your last job? Get another priest and have him handle it properly this time¡± ¡°Well, yeah¡­ Ah, what is this, my head is a mess¡­¡± Perhaps because too many things happened at once, Toby, dizzy, stopped the priest walking in the distance again to talk to him. A little further away from Toby, Tia spoke softly to me. ¡°You¡¯ve done something evil.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help it. I couldn¡¯t even tell the truth.¡± Regardless of the exchange we just had, Toby will definitely have to give up the box at some point. And if the threat of Palm was not eliminated at that time, there was still a possibility that it could be taken from us out of our sight. In order to prevent that from happening, we needed to get Palm to take the fake at this stage and finish the whole process before it was discovered to be a fake. That is why I couldn¡¯t just tell Toby the truth in order to eliminate even the slightest doubt. (Still, it remains to be seen how much time we can buy. ¡­ Well, we¡¯ll figure out the rest.) Even if they had prepared the means to infiltrate here in advance, it was hard to believe that they would be able to use it twice in a row in such a short period of time. Even while knowing the importance of the ¡°Heart of the Demon Lord¡± and the information about the bandits who were after it,¡­, I¡¯ll applaud them if they manage to take it from us. ¡°Ed-san, Tia-san! The High Priest will be here soon!¡± ¡°Oh, okay! Come on, Tia.¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go.¡± Tia and I looked at each other and slowly walked over to Toby¡¯s side. The end of our work and our eternal separation was almost upon us. CH 93 ¡°We will now begin the sealing ceremony for the Heart of the Demon Lord.¡± In a mysterious room at the back of the temple. With the words of the high priest, the six priests stationed in a circle began chanting incantations, and the magic circle engraved on the floor began to emit a strong light. Then the box on the pedestal in the center of the room cracked open, and a small red jewel floated up into the air. It was the first time I had ever seen such a stone, and I guessed it was the heart of the Demon Lord. ¡°This¡­ it might be inappropriate, but it¡¯s really beautiful.¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s certainly something that Palm would want. A jewel the size of an adult¡¯s index finger shone in the light rising from the floor. The crimson light that lured and bewitched the viewer was indescribably fascinating, and even if it were just a jewel, it was sure to be coveted at a high price by the connoisseurs. ¡°That being said, the power of the Demon Lord resides in it, right¡­ what is the power of the Demon Lord, after all? Amazing magical power? Or is it life force or existence, or something like that?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­I do not know¡± In a dazzling pillar of light, the red jewel was spinning slowly, shining and twinkling. The way it blinked irregularly seemed to be beckoning to me, and my gaze was naturally drawn to it. Sucked in. Yes, this was not a jewel. It was a sign, a door. Beyond the white, there was red, and beyond the red, black. Infinitely wide, infinitely deep, to connect there and here¨C ¡°Ed? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°!? What is it?¡± ¡°Why, you were just dazed. Do you really like these gems?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not true, but¡­¡± The sudden appearance of Tia¡¯s face between me and the ¡°Heart of the Demon Lord¡± awakened my consciousness, which had been in a daze for some reason. What was it ¡­. what? Hmm? ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s finally all over, so maybe I was a little distracted.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s unusual for you, no?¡± ¡°Haha, even I have times like that.¡± ¡°¡­Well, that¡¯s true.¡± I said with a wry smile, and Tia, satisfied, returned to her original position. The red gem that had been floating slowly returned to the box, and a shining chain of light extended from the magic circle on the floor, which tied the box down and the sealing ritual ended without incident. The rest was uneventful. Toby told me that the escort request was completed, and We returned to the ¡°white world¡± together from an out-of-the-way place around the Great Temple. I looked at the table and saw a short sword on it, and I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Fufufu, uh huh¡­¡­is this what happened?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Ed? Even though you¡¯ve just come back and you¡¯ve got a really evil look on your face?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that, okay!? I¡¯m just saying that this trip has been very rewarding.¡± "" Two facts we found out this time. The last time we jumped was to the 28th world, whereas this time we jumped to the 16th world¡­ In other words, the order was reversed. This did not mean that the intervening world had been displaced and could no longer be reached, but simply that the next world was now extremely likely to be random. Conversely, it was more likely that we would have to visit all 100 different worlds this time after all, but this was not a big problem since we had originally planned to do so. Another thing was that the dagger that was left on the table before I left for Toby¡¯s world was still there, which meant that I could set things up in this world. If I was going to smith here for a long time, it was essential to arrange the environment for it but the difference in time and metal burden between having to carefully disassemble the parts and storing them in [Stranger Box] each time fearing that would disappear and being able to leave the pieces in place and leave them alone was quite large. Fufu, this would be a good time to consider making material procurement a priority when we can, when we jump to a different world¨D¨D ¡°Ara? Your equipment is going back to the way it was.¡± ¡°Huh? Ah¡­ it seems so.¡± Tia pointed out to me that I was back to wearing the ¡°equipment I had when I first came to this world.¡± Apparently, they didn¡¯t update equipment. ¡°Tch, it¡¯s not going to be that convenient. But hey, it¡¯s enough. Now then¡ª¡° ¡°Let¡¯s read {Records Of the Hero¡¯s Story}!¡± ¡°¡­¡­, Ah, yeah.¡± My thoughts were completely focused on going to the next world, but sure enough, there it was. I joined Tia at the table and looked over the new {Records Of the Hero¡¯s Story}that had appeared there. It contained facts that I never knew I wanted to know, such as how Toby gained the trust of the King of Osperanto, and we were chatting and enjoying the contents. ¡­ ¨CThe final chapter ¡°The Sealing is Complete.¡± in the 005th World {Records Of the Hero¡¯s Story} Thus, by the hands of the hero and his bodyguards, the stone containing the power of the Demon Lord was safely sealed. ¡°¡­¡­ What, that¡¯s it!?¡± ¡°Sounds like. it¡± The ¡°Afterwards¡± section, which had been well-written in the past, somehow contained only this one sentence. After that, no matter how many pages I turned, it was just a blank sheet of paper, and when I unintentionally raised my head, I met Tia, who had a bewildered expression on her face. ¡°What does this mean?¡± ¡°If I were to interpret it in a positive way, then nothing really happened while Toby was alive, right? If that¡¯s the end of the story and there were no more problems, then there¡¯s certainly nothing to write about.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ yeah, that might be true.But hey, wouldn¡¯t it be nice to have something a little more? ¡° ¡°What, you¡¯re saying you¡¯d rather have more hardships, Tia? Peace is important, okay?¡± ¡°I know! Mou~, Ed¡¯s mean!¡± She puffed up her cheeks in discontent, and Tia put her hand on the shiny crystal ball and absorbed the new power into her body. Then she took my hand and made me stand up. ¡°Fine, then let¡¯s go to the next world! Ah, or do you have something to do this time?¡± "" ¡°No, not this time. Next time I come back, I might stay here for a while, though.¡± ¡°Then does that mean I should get a bed or something in the next world? Sleeping on a chair or on the floor might hurt me.¡± ¡°Right. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be sleepy here, but I think it¡¯s good enough to prepare.¡± The capacity of the banishing skill [Stranger Box] was surprisingly enough for one world. Since there was no way to fill the box with anything, it was not a bad idea to collect household goods with enough vigor to move into a new house. ¡°Hey hey Ed, hurry up! My brand new bed is calling me!¡± ¡°You know, .. the next world isn¡¯t always the easiest place to buy furniture, you know.? Besides, if we¡¯re going to buy something, I want it to be top of the line. I¡¯m pretty sure there¡¯s a ridiculously civilized part of the world I¡¯m going to in the second half of the book, so I¡¯m sure we can find it there ¡­.¡± ¡°Eh, I¡¯m really interested! But the second half is a long way ahead, right?¡± ¡°No, I saw that the order of those things is changing randomly, so there¡¯s a possibility that we might go next to that world, you know? On the other hand, there is a possibility that we won¡¯t go until the very end.¡± ¡°Uuuu¡­ my luck with the lottery! Open the door to my fluffy bed!¡± ¡°What the hell is that?¡± Tia opened the door marked 006 with a strange enthusiasm, and I couldn¡¯t help but giggle. And so, once again, we entered the known unknown. ¨CThe end chapter ¡°Sealing ¡®Un¡¯ Complete.¡± in the 005th World {Records Of the Hero¡¯s Story} Thus, the stone that contained the power of the Demon Lord was safely sealed by the hands of the hero and his bodyguards. However, 10 years later, the Lebrennian Empire, seeking the power of the stone, sabotaged it, and the power of the ¡°Demon Lord¡¯s Heart,¡± which had gone out of control as a result, destroyed the Holy Suroun State¨D¨D¨D¨D In just six years, 30% of the world¡¯s population was devastated by the black demons that sprang from here. Toby the Hero went out with¨D¨D¨D¨D all his might to reseal the Awakened¨D¨D¨D¨D and with his extraordinary power¨D¨D¨D¨D he avoided it and reached the center of the ¡°Hole of Emptiness,¡±¨D¨D¨D¨D but all he found there was a tarnished gem. An empty shell¨D¨D¨D¨Dleft to be re-sealed¨D¨D¨D¨D (T/N: New Arc will begin from Friday or Saturday) CH 94 ¡°¡­¡­ Oh? OHHHHHH!?¡± The big mountains far up in the distance and the towns at the foot of the mountains with their many strands of smoke rising in the sky¡­ I know, I know! This time I remember it well! ¡°Is this the next world? Hey Ed, this is¡­ Kya!?¡± ¡°You did it! You did it Tia! Your lottery luck is the best!¡± ¡°What!?¡± Tia had a puzzled look on her face, but I hugged her with a big smile on my face. My joy was not going to be stopped by such a thing. ¡°Ed! Hey, Ed! Mou~, that¡¯s enough!¡± ¡°Oww!?¡± But when she kicked me in the leg, I stopped. Ugh, it hurts. But it¡¯s a pain of delight that I accepted with open arms. ¡°So, what is this place? Why are you so happy?¡± ¡°Fufufufu, this is¡­ the world where my master lives!¡± ¡°Master? Does that mean that the hero of this world is Ed¡¯s master?¡± ¡°Well, yeah! So, let¡¯s get going!¡± I took Tia¡¯s hand and we went on our way. I arrived at a town of blacksmiths like Atorumtein in the first world. However, the people there were not human. The only people walking around town were no taller than my chest. The men were usually muscular, and the women wre plump and round, which was a very similar characteristic to the race that Tia and I know so well. ¡°Hey Ed, is this a Dwarf town?¡± ¡°Maybe. They are a race called ¡®Miner Tribe,¡¯ and they are a little short, they like booze, and they are good at blacksmithing, but I don¡¯t know if they are exactly the same as the Dwarves you know¡± ¡°Hmm, I can¡¯t help but think they¡¯re the same¡­ but it¡¯s because the world is different, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Well, if you treat them normally, there¡¯s no problem.¡± It was extremely dangerous to assume that something that may be the same was ¡°the same¡± because it was similar. However, they were the same as us. We could communicate with each other, and since we were not hostile in terms of race, there would be no problem if we treated each other in a civilized and normal manner. ¡°What do you mean!?¡± And then we heard such yelling coming from the far end of the street. As we slowly walked closer, we saw a human man who looked a little older than me and a stubborn-looking miner standing facing each other. ¡°Is there anything like this, huh? I don¡¯t have a sword for a brat like you. Get the hell out of here.¡± ¡°A brat!? Did you know that I¡¯m Akutor¡¯s Hero!?¡± ¡°How can I not know you when you say it right in front of me? Are you stupid?¡± ¡°Guh!? Then, according to the agreement, the sword¨D¨D¡± ¡°and I told you to take it!¡± The miner pointed to a sword propped up on a nearby wall. But when the self-proclaimed hero saw it, he became even more agitated and raised his voice. ¡°Don¡¯t bullshit me! Aren¡¯t those the common swords lying in your shop!? Smith a sword for the hero, that¡¯s your job!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s why I am selling you that sword. If you want me to properly smith you a sword, come back when you have acquired proper skills!¡± ¡°¡­Damn it! You¡¯ll regret it!¡± ¡°Ha! You better train your arm than your mouth and make me regret it, asshole.¡± The self-proclaimed Hero spat out a few words to the miner, who took an uncooperative attitude, and left the place. With that, the miner man also walked away, and peace returned to the area. ¡°Okay then let¡¯s go¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Huh?¡± I started to walk again, but Tia suddenly tugged at my hand curiously. "" ¡°Hey Ed, where are we going?¡± ¡°Hmm? Where? Well, my master¡¯s place.¡± ¡°No, I mean, that person is the hero and your master, right?¡± ¡°Huh? Ah! Ah, yes. Heheheh, just like me at first.¡± Tia¡¯s words made me chuckle as I remembered my first round. Yeah, it¡¯s not that I was dumb, it¡¯s just that if I didn¡¯t know any better, I would. ¡°Mou~, what¡¯s with that face?¡± ¡°No no, I just thought I made the same mistake. It¡¯s okay, because the real hero is ahead of us now.¡± ¡°The real one? Does that mean the person we just saw is a fake? ¡°It¡¯s not like that, but¡­ I¡¯ll talk about the details later. I¡¯d rather say hello to my master while I still can. I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be able to see him if he¡¯s stuck in his blacksmith shop.¡± ¡°Hmm. I don¡¯t know, but I get it. Then tell me later, okay? ¡± I nodded broadly at Tia, who appealed to me with her eyes, and I stepped into the store where the miner man had just entered. There, I found a man who made no attempt to hide his grumpy attitude, frowning at the armaments displayed in the store. ¡°Hmm? Who the hell are you?¡± ¡°Nice to meet you. My name is Ed, and I am a wandering blacksmith. I have come here to ask Blacksmith Dalton-sama to teach me.¡± ¡°Che, Don¡¯t talk so smugly. I¡¯m in such a bad mood right now, okay? If you show me something stupid, I¡¯m going to snap it off.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ready. Tia, give me that sword.¡± ¡°Uh, yeah.¡± I told him, took the silver sword from Tia, and presented it to Dalton. Dalton took the sword, looked at it with serious eyes, and called out to me. ¡°Let me ask. Is this your best work?¡± ¡°No, sir.¡± ¡°¡­ Then why did you show me such a half-baked thing?¡± ¡°The best environment, the best materials, the best tools, the best user ¡­, it¡¯s not realistic to have everything you want. That¡¯s why I hammered that sword with everything I had available to me at the time.¡± Ultimate metals whose existence was only known, and magical cauldrons that once existed. I could never create a masterpiece in pursuit of such a dream story, even if I spent my entire life doing so. If that¡¯s the case, then I would do the best I could with the reality in front of me. Hearing my determination, Dalton strokes the beard on his chin, deep in thought. ¡°¡­ this is not bad. Just to make sure, you forged it by yourself?¡± ¡°? Yes, that¡¯s right, but¡­?¡± "" ¡°Humph¡­..¡± Dalton snorted and kept staring at the sword, and a bead of sweat ran down my forehead. In the first round, I was just an amateur and most of what I did here was chores. Toward the end, I was taught a few things, and after obtaining the [Master Smith] in a later world, I began to do some serious blacksmithing, which was why Dalton¡¯s skills in this world were still burned into my eyes. This was the 48th world. In other words, I worked on blacksmithing for about fifty years after this, but of course my priority was to be a member of the hero party, so I didn¡¯t have much time to devote to it seriously,¡­.? (Hmm? Thinking about it, the amount of time I spent devoting myself to smithing wasn¡¯t that big of a deal, was it? But in spite of that¡­do I actually have a talent for smithing?£© Somehow, I felt something stuck in the corner of my head. But before I could even worry about it, Dalton opened his mouth. ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll use you at least for chores for now. I¡¯m not saying you cannot watch and learn, but I don¡¯t have time to teach you how to do it, either. Is that okay with you?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m looking forward to working with you, master.¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®Master¡¯!?¡± At my words, Dalton, who had returned the sword to me as if to press it against me, twisted his mouth and disappeared into the back of the workshop. At first glance, his demeanor appeared to be sullen, but unlike earlier, I knew that this time it was a subtle attempt to hide his embarrassment. It seems that my full strength on that day had increased to the extent that I was able to break through the first hurdle. ¡°Come on, get your ass in here and do your chores!¡± ¡°Ah, yes! Sorry Tia, I think We¡¯ll probably be staying here for a long time, can you get us a place to stay?¡± ¡°Okay. See you later.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± I responded to Tia, who sent me off with a smile and raised her arm, as I stepped into the scorching forge. (T/N: I¡¯m sorry, Got invested playing Persona 5 royal.) CH 95 ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± Master Dalton took one look at me as I entered and muttered shortly. His body was preparing for blacksmithing without hesitation, but I did not dare to do anything and waited there for his instructions. A top-notch craftsman would not simply leave even a single preparation to someone else. ¡°This is fine¡­ Then I¡¯ll do my job, but first you try to strike a sword. You can use the tools over there. You can also use the iron ingots over there. Can you do it?¡± ¡°I understand¡± I nodded at my master¡¯s blunt words and began to prepare the furnace next to it. Compared to the furnace used by my master, this furnace looked a little older, but it was well taken care of, so I didn¡¯t see any problem in doing blacksmithing. The specially processed coal was placed in a furnace to heat the ingot once the temperature rose, and the rest was done with a hammer. The result was a plain, ordinary iron sword. If I used common materials and tools, no matter how much I use [Master Smith] I would not be able to make anything beyond a good quality iron sword. But this was the best I could do here. Then I had nothing to be ashamed of. ¡°It¡¯s done, Master.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± In response to my call, Master received the sword and observed it closely. But for some reason, his face was austere, and the way he twisted his mouth made me feel uneasy. ¡°Um, Master? Is it that bad?¡± ¡°Hm? No, It¡¯s not. It¡¯s not like that¡­but I was wondering what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°Uh, ..? ¡°¡­Listen? It is not limited to blacksmithing, but when one creates something, the creator¡¯s habits are bound to appear. And this sword has your habits. Remember, okay?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He said it with a strangely mysterious look on his face, but the content was so obvious that I could only nod my head obediently. But the master¡¯s expression twisted suspiciously there, and his words followed accordingly. ¡°But the sword you made has the habits of two people. There are traces of someone else with no habits at all, to be exact. ¡­ This ain¡¯t possible. Habits are, so to speak, strengths and weaknesses. If you hit too hard in one area, you have to hit weaker in another area to make up for it. This is how you finally make the whole thing uniform. .. There are parts of the sword you hit that have none of this strength or weakness. I just don¡¯t get it.¡± ¡°Uh, ¡­¡± ¡°By the looks of it, you have an idea what it is?¡± ¡°Well, yes. ¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the questioning look in my master¡¯s eyes. I think that ¡°part without strength and weakness¡± was the part where I used [Master Smith]. But still, I don¡¯t know how he could tell such a difference. ¡­ Master really is amazing. ¡°Then it¡¯s an order. Never do that again. At least it¡¯s forbidden while you¡¯re at my place.¡± ¡°Huh!? Umm, may I ask why ¡­?¡± If I didn¡¯t use my skills, my blacksmithing skills would drop dramatically. I suddenly made a strange noise, and my master answered me with a frown. ¡°I¡¯d like to tell you to think about that yourself ¡­, but I¡¯ll tell you. In blacksmithing, it is fundamental to always swing a hammer with uniform strength. However, it is not human to keep hitting with exactly the same force. If you hit one part a little harder, you have to hit another part a little weaker to balance it out. That is the individuality of a craftsman in blacksmithing. But your strange way of hitting has no waves at all. That could be called a perfect job, but ¡­ on the other hand, it also means that there is no room for growth. You realize that, don¡¯t you? That¡¯s why you don¡¯t have this perfect way of hitting the whole thing¡± ¡°That¡¯s ¡­.¡± I was at a loss for words, having been perfectly pointed out to me. The moment I got this banishment skill, I could have the same power as the craftsmen who were called the best without any difficulty. But it stopped there. My banishing skill never grew the more I used it. Top-notch from the beginning, but top-notch to the end. I was here now because I knew that in order to become top-notch beyond top-notch, I needed to train my own skills, not ¡­. borrowed skills, but the technical skills that I have ingrained in this body. ¡°But without it, I¡¯m ¡­¡± ¡°Hmmm, second-rate at best. You may have enough skill to make something for the other stores, but not the kind of product you can put in my store. Frankly, I wouldn¡¯t take an apprentice with these skills.¡± ¡°Then why are you taking me as an apprentice ¡­?¡± ¡°Tch, I told you you¡¯re not my apprentice, just a chore boy! After that, well¡­ I saw your sword.¡± ¡°Sword?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. That Nee-chan¡¯s sword was made by you, wasn¡¯t it? There was consideration for the user, passion for making good things, and aspiration to aim for the best¡­ the creator¡¯s soul was certain. I felt it. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wrong to compensate for the lack of skill with some unknown power. If it improves the degree of perfection, then go ahead and use it. It¡¯s not the style of a craftsman to finish a work without using the power he has for his own pride. But if you depend on it too much, you¡¯ll never grow up. That¡¯s why you¡¯re not allowed to do that while you¡¯re with me! You¡¯re going to hit like a normal person and hone your skills like a normal person. Understood?¡± ¡°Master ¡­.¡± ¡°Che! Don¡¯t make that face. If I see a young bird in its shell, I need to kick that shell or else it makes me itchy! If you get that, break that shell, and now only smith using your hands!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± I replied with sincere gratitude and respect to my master, who turned away grimly. Ah, when was the last time I so genuinely acknowledged someone as my superior? (Before I knew it, I must have gotten damn arrogant.) I became stronger and stronger as the borrowed power of my banishment skills came together. In addition to this, the fact that I now know the events of the second round ¡­¡­ past, future events may have subconsciously made me think of all the people involved as ¡°the ones I will protect and guide¡±. What an arrogant and selfish way of thinking was that? How arrogant was a young man who had only received a little bit of power and had not grown much, to be so arrogant toward the world¡¯s chosen one, a Hero? (Ugh, super embarrassing! I was so smug , it¡¯s super embarrassing!) When I thought back on what I had just said and done, I felt like my face was about to catch fire. Ah, I was so glad that Tia was not here. If she were here, she would definitely make fun of me., saying, ¡®Fufufu, Ed, you¡¯re so lively, aren¡¯t you?¡¯. No, or maybe I just didn¡¯t show it on my face, but I was thinking like that in secret? Uwa, Uwa! I can¡¯t stand it! This is unbearable! ¡°Oi, you, what the hell have you been doing all this time? Calm the hell down!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry!¡± Perhaps sensing my mental turmoil, my master turned around and scolded me with a disgusted look on his face. Calm down, me. I¡¯m calm. Talk to the iron and strike the sword with an open mind. ¡°Really, Was I, of all people, too hasty¡­?¡± ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not true! It¡¯s okay!¡± I continued, ¡°You¡¯re the one who said it yourself!? Oh well, just make sure you hit it right, okay?¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± I replied straight back to my master¡¯s words, adjusted my mind and body, and faced the furnace. A fresh start. With gratitude to the master for reminding me, I swung the hammer with just my strength. CH 96 The sound of striking iron, the sound of exploding fire. In a space filled with only these two noises and only these two tranquil sounds, I diligently swung my hammer and forged my sword. As I focused on conversing with iron, forgetting about the dripping sweat and accumulated fatigue, I suddenly heard a voice that shattered the world from a near yet distant place. ¡°Good evening. Ed? Are you there?¡± ¡°¡­ Is that you, Tia? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? That¡¯s my question! I came all the way here to pick you up because you wouldn¡¯t come out of the store no matter how long I waited!¡± ¡°Hmm? I see. My bad.¡± Tia said, puffing out her cheeks lightly, and I casually looked outside the window. The sun was indeed setting there ¡­ Wait, The Sun is going down!!?¡± ¡°Huh, It¡¯s a lie, right!? It¡¯s night already!?¡± ¡°YEAH! Eh, going by your reaction, by any chance, have you even eaten lunch?¡± ¡°¡­.Nope.¡± I arrived here just before noon, and the next thing I knew, it was now. Naturally, I did not eat, and my breaks were minimal, just a quick drink of water on my way to the restroom. I still didn¡¯t mind at all, but once I realized ¡­, I got really hungry. ¡°Really you! You used to eat well before! Come on, let¡¯s go have dinner before the stores close.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah. Let me reach a good stopping point with this and then I¡¯ll come, just wait a little longer. ¡­¡­ Oww!?¡± I raised my hammer again, and for some reason a fist fell on my head. I turned around, teary-eyed, and there was the face of my stern, stubborn Master, with eyes that looked like he was looking at a naughty brat. ¡°You idiot! There¡¯s no ¡°good stopping point¡± for a half-wit like you! Hurry and clean it up! And tomorrow, you¡¯ll have to start all over again!¡± ¡°Gghh ¡­., I-I understand, Master ¡­..¡± Once my master said so, there was no room for me to argue. Leaving my sword incomplete, I quickly put away my tools and bowed to my master once again. ¡°Well then, Master. Excuse me.¡± ¡°Hmph, be careful.¡± While telling me to go home, my master apparently had no intention of stopping his job. As I left the store with a wry smile on the back of such a craftsman, Tia spoke to me once again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, did I come at a bad time?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. If you haven¡¯t arrived, I¡¯d still be working all the time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay to get carried away, but you have to take care of yourself, okay?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry about that.¡± ¡°Good! Well, it¡¯s Ed¡¯s treat tonight, then. How about that place over there?¡± ¡°Nuah!? No, well, it¡¯s fine, but¡­ it looks rather good. Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± Tia and I went to a random restaurant together. After we had ordered some kind of meat dish that made my stomach growl, Tia started talking to me again. ¡°It¡¯s the continuation from the other day, that dwarf¡­ no, the Miner Tribe? Is he the Hero?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. The first time around, I did some chores in my master¡¯s store, and when I quit, I was able to go back to my own world.¡± ¡°I see. Then what¡¯s with the guy who called himself Hero?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah. ¡­ Look, remember that time with Waffer? You know that world where people hand-picked their own heroes? It¡¯s the same here. There are several countries that recognize their own heroes. And one of them is him.¡± ¡°Hmmm? So, unlike with Waffer, Ed¡¯s perception and this world¡¯s perception are different? ¡°It¡¯s not me, It¡¯s about the perception of the God-like being who makes us go back and forth between different worlds. I was going to go with that Hero the first time, but I had a bad feeling about it, so I stayed put. I¡¯ve never been so glad to trust my instincts as I was then. Well, maybe I would have been fine if I¡¯d gone with him.¡± ¡°Eh, Is that so?¡± I replied to Tia as I wrapped the bright red pasta that came first around my fork, thinking about the meat that I had yet to reach. ¡°Emphasis on ¡°Maybe¡±. As I said before, I don¡¯t know what criteria that God-like being uses to identify who is the Hero. For example, Waffer and Doben. If I had sided with Doben and moved things around, wouldn¡¯t Doben have won that match and been chosen as the Hero?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible. The final was a close match.¡± ¡°Right? If we had been working with Doben when that happened, would Doben have been recognized as a Hero and would we have been able to return to our original world if we were expelled from that party? Well, there¡¯s no way to know for sure now.¡± I muttered to myself, and this time, the thick steak I had been waiting for arrived. I don¡¯t know what kind of meat it was, but as long as it tasted good, there was no problem. ¡°We can¡¯t know for sure¡­. Hey, are you really sure that we cannot check that?¡± I was about to bite into a piece of meat that I had cut when Tia pointed her fork at me and asked. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s bad manners. Or rather, We can¡¯t do that. It¡¯s too late for that world¨D¨D¡± ¡°No, No, That¡¯s not what I mean! Hey Ed, you can search for people and things, right? Then maybe you can find out if a person is a Hero or not?¡± ¡°¡­.OH!, If you put it that way, then yes.¡± When she pointed this out to me, I realized that possibility for the first time. Until now, I had never thought about it because the power of the [Flagmaker] had ensured that I meet a Hero, but it was true that [Akashic Compass] could be used to determine whether or not a Hero existed under the guise of searching for his/her whereabouts. ¡°Well, let¡¯s try it¡­ but only after we go to the inn.¡± ¡°Yes. Now let¡¯s enjoy our meal.¡± Our hands and mouths began to move, which had been stopped by our conversation, and we ate our dinner in no time at all. After that, I headed to the inn Tia had reserved for us, I sat down on the bed and activated the [Akashic Compass]. ¡°Materialize, [Akashic Compass]. What I¡¯m looking for¡­ nearest Hero¡­ No no. The location of the person closest to me that fulfills the conditions for me to return to the original world by being banished.¡± As if in response to my question, the image of a bearded old man working at a blacksmith¡¯s forge appeared in an empty metal frame that appeared above my hand. It was, without a doubt, my master, Dalton. ¡°Ah, Dalton-san.¡± I responded with a small nod to Tia¡¯s words, who was watching from nearby. ¡°So my master¡¯s reflection here means I can search for the Hero under these conditions. Then next is¡­the thing I¡¯m looking for is the location of the person who¡¯s second closest to me and fulfills the conditions for me to return to my original world by being banished.¡± With this way of asking, if there was no relevant person, nothing should be reflected. With that, Tia and I held our breath to see what would happen as we stared at the [Akashic Compass]¡­ ¡°¡­I can¡¯t see anything¡± ¡°So, I guess that means that the only one who is applicable is Master.¡± ¡°I knew there was only one person in the world. But then, is Dalton-san going to defeat the Demon Lord?¡± ¡°No, with the way it¡¯s going, he is probably going to make a weapon that can defeat the Demon Lord, I think? I don¡¯t remember him making anything like that before.¡± ¡°Then, does it mean we¡¯re going to help out this time too and make a great weapon?¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± This is just my hypothesis, but I believe that a Hero recognized by God was ¡°a person who will serve as a great catalyst for people to defeat the Demon Lord.¡± There were of course heroes like Alexis and Waffer who directly defeated the Demon Lord, but there were also heroes like Miguel and Rebecca who were trying to connect with the possibility of defeating the Demon Lord in the future, and heroes like Toby who were trying to prevent the Demon Lord¡¯s resurrection. "" (¡­Maybe the reason I¡¯m doing the second round is to collect the ¡°possibility of subjugating the Demon Lord¡± that I missed in the first round, and to defeat the Demon Lords of all the worlds?) Such a question suddenly came to my mind. In that case, I would say that I was in the palm of God¡¯s hand to the point where I reunited with Tia and wished to save her. ¡­ ¡°?What? Suddenly staring at someone¡¯s face.¡± ¡°¡­ Huh, it¡¯s nothing. Now then, Let¡¯s get some sleep.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll sleep over here.¡± Tia said and went to one of the beds at either end of the room. This time we were sharing a room since we were planning to stay for a long time. ¡°Good night, Ed.¡± ¡°Yeah, good night, Tia.¡± Tia crawled into bed and immediately fell asleep. Her sleeping face was so peaceful that I could picture her face in my mind as she fell into eternal sleep that day. Ah, yeah. I was able to save this face. Then I didn¡¯t care what God or anyone else thought. I¡¯m just going to be me. ¡°Good night.¡± I murmured softly once more, words that I was sure were no longer heard, and then I, too, slipped into bed and slept like a log CH 97 Today, as always, I was swinging my hammer and pounding the iron with all my heart. It was a routine that had not changed since the day I became Master Dalton¡¯s apprentice for the second time, but there was one thing that was different from the first day. It was ¡­ ¡°Hello. Ed, I brought your lunch.¡± Tia, who had entered the blacksmith shop from the store in a very natural manner, called out to me without the slightest hesitation. In her hand was a woven basket with a handle, I stopped hitting my sword and turned back to Tia, ¡°Ahh, As always, I am sorry, Tia but Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± I thanked her, and Tia responded with a smile. At first glance, it might look like I was a useless man being taken care of by her, but in reality, that was not the case. I have to make sure that Tia was involved with my Master by having her visit the smith frequently, or else she would be in trouble if she failed to fulfill the ¡°joining the party of the hero¡± requirement. I mean, to be honest, I wasn¡¯t absolutely sure that I could meet the requirements with this. But I couldn¡¯t let Tia do the blacksmithing, so this was the only way I could think of to help her. ¡°Sandwiches today, looks good.¡± ¡°Right? When you get back to the inn, be sure to tell the innkeeper what you think.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so today? I¡¯ll tell her at night.¡± Tia brought lunch from different places depending on the day. I guess she was paying attention to the menu, as it would inevitably tend to be the same if she kept ordering from the same place. If we were on an adventure, we might have to eat the same old food for months, if not weeks, but since we were in town, it would be better to have a variety of food. ¡°Dalton-san, if you would like some.¡± ¡°Ah, well, I¡¯ll take it then.¡± At Tia¡¯s suggestion, Master also smiled and reached for a sandwich. At first glance, his blunt manner and stern face seem to indicate that he was displeased at being interrupted from his work, but in fact he was in a good mood and smiling. If one could tell the difference in these facial expressions, one would pass Master¡¯stest, and Tia was easily able to tell the difference. It took me quite a while to get there, but it seemed to be a no-brainer for the Elf-sama, who excelled at communicating ¡­¡­ Muu. ¡°Ah, Hey Dalton-san. There¡¯s something I¡¯ve been thinking about, can I ask? ¡± Tia, who was also sitting on a chair and munching on a sandwich, spoke to My Master. My Master, who was not very good at socializing, was no match for Tia¡¯s friendliness, and answered her with a face that would make a child cry¡­ In other words, he answered Tia with a normal face. ¡°Hmm? What is it?¡± ¡°Whenever I come in, there doesn¡¯t seem to be anyone in the store, is that okay?¡± ¡°The store? It¡¯s true that sometimes when I¡¯m concentrating on blacksmithing, I don¡¯t know when a customer comes in, but I¡¯m fine. If they need me, they¡¯ll come back.¡± ¡°Ehh¡­.? No, that¡¯s not what I meant! I¡¯m just wondering if it might be possible for someone to steal a few of those magnificent swords on display as there¡¯s not even a store keeper there.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s what you mean.¡± At Tia¡¯s question, My Master smacked his knee and grinned. ¡°When we sell the swords we forge, we put a ¡°true mark¡± on them in a certain place. If you steal a sword from a storefront, of course you don¡¯t have a true seal, so you can¡¯t sell it or even send it out to be sharpened. If you were going to use the sword as a disposable or a piece of jewelry, you might do it, but would you go to the trouble of stealing a sword and carrying it out of town while avoiding the eyes of the guards? If that¡¯s the case, it would be much easier to kill some random adventurer outside of town and take his sword. So, well, the conclusion is that it¡¯s unlikely anyone would steal a sword.¡± ¡°Really? What about faking that ¡°true mark¡±?¡± ¡°Ha! A true mark is the skill of the craftsman who engraves it. For example, if a person can forge my true mark exactly like mine, it means that he himself has blacksmithing skills close to mine. Why would someone like that go to the trouble of forging a true mark? If you forge a sword in your own name, there¡¯s plenty of work out there for you, you know?¡± ¡°Ah, I certainly wouldn¡¯t do that.¡¯ Tia smiled bitterly at Master¡¯s words. If one had the skill to forge the true marks of famous names, it was more profitable to forge one¡¯s own sword, rather than forging the marks of second- or third-rate blacksmiths. So as a result, no one would forge a true mark, and there would be no such thing ¡­. which would mean that no one would steal a sword that couldn¡¯t be exchanged for money. ¡°But it¡¯s not like they never get stolen, right? From what I¡¯ve heard, there¡¯s at least one stolen every year.¡± ¡°OH, Really!? That¡¯s not good!¡± This was what I heard in the first round, not what I heard now, but it was before I came to this world, so it should be the same in this world. Tia¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at my words, but Master laughed it off as if he knew where I was coming from. ¡°Heh, even if 10 pieces are stolen, the thieves of eight of them will be caught easily. The other two or so will end up not being caught, but if it¡¯s one every five years or so, it¡¯s much better than hiring a troublesome store keeper. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s bold or rather appropriate. ¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s just like My Master.¡± It was easier to let the occasional theft go by than to worry about it and take countermeasures. Whether you think this was a cost-effective and brilliant response or just a random act was up to the individual, but since this store was run by Master alone, no one would say anything as long as he was happy with the situation. Aware of this, Tia only made an exasperated face, but with that expression, Tia turned her gaze towards me. ¡°I don¡¯t disagree with Dalton-san¡¯s thinking, but Ed, don¡¯t copy it, okay?¡± ¡°No I won¡¯t! I have no intention of opening a store in the first place!¡± ¡°What the heck aren¡¯t you training because you want your own shop?¡± ¡°Ah,, no. I just want to make the best sword for myself and my friends, so I have no intention of taking in an unspecified number of customers¡­Is that no good?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t. Just don¡¯t forget to always be objective. While you can do an unlimited amount of work for yourself, there will be no one to complain to when you make compromises. It is difficult to find the right answer only by yourself. Make a ¡°standard¡± that is the same for everyone, not just a feeling. Draw a clear line at the stage before completing the work, and don¡¯t waver from that line. The only way to draw that line is to decide for yourself, while experiencing pain to the extent that you don¡¯t die.¡± ¡°Thank you, Master. I¡¯m learning a lot.¡± ¡°Tsk! Don¡¯t say that with an obedient face!¡± I bowed my head seriously, and he frowned and turned away. He munched on his sandwich and went back to work without a word. This was the kind of attitude My master often adopted when he was embarrassed. (Fufufu, Ed¡¯s master is really cute, isn¡¯t he?) [You, don¡¯t ever say that!? It¡¯ll make My Master really grumpy!¡¯] [I won¡¯t. That¡¯s why I am telling you like this, right?] Gently touching my hand, Tia smiled mischievously as she communicated using [Missing Talk]. If this had been a normal conversation, even if it was in a whisper, I would have had a barrage of fists falling on my head. Let sleeping dogs lie. I didn¡¯t want to continue the dangerous topic and get hurt, so I also took a bite of my sandwich and finished my meal to change my mind. ¡°Well then, I guess I¡¯ll go back to work too. The lunch was delicious, Tia.¡± ¡°Thanks, but I didn¡¯t make it.¡± ¡°Hahaha. See you later.¡± ¡°Okay. See you later.¡± After lunch, Tia left the forge. After that, I immersed myself in blacksmithing again, and in the evening, Tia came to pick me up and we went home and went to bed. ¡­.After about another week of such days, one morning. ¡°Ah, looks like someone stole my sword.¡± ¡°What!?¡± I shouted dumbly in the morning at the words of my Master, who unusually had a bitter look on his face from the bottom of his heart. CH 98 ¡°What? Did it really get stolen?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­, sort of.¡± That day at noon. Tia asked with a puzzled look on her face, and My master mumbled a few words as he lightly turned away from her. The fact that the sword had been stolen was not important, but the fact that it had been stolen so soon after that conversation seemed to be a little embarrassing. ¡°Tch! Don¡¯t worry about it! They¡¯ll get caught soon anyway, and I have a little idea who might have stolen it.¡± ¡°You had an idea of who might steal, and you did nothing ¡­?¡± ¡°Shut up, shut up! It¡¯s fine if I say so! Oi Ed, hurry up, eat and continue!¡± ¡°Y-yes!¡± I was yelled at rather unreasonably, and I hurriedly stuffed my lunch into my mouth. Then Tia gently touched my hand. [Hey Ed, did you know the sword was going to be stolen?] [No, I didn¡¯t know.] With Tia¡¯s [Missing talk] We could have a normal conversation while eating. And in the first round, I never heard of any swords being stolen. Although, that doesn¡¯t rule out the possibility that My Master simply took care of the problem without my knowledge, so I don¡¯t know if it was stolen as a result of a change in the flow of events. ¡­¡­ [What do we do? Shall I look for one on my end?] [Hmm¡­ no, I don¡¯t think you need to do anything unnecessary.The sword that was stolen was not a special sword, it was just a common item sold in a store and the town guards should be able to handle it. If Master has an idea of who stole from him, I¡¯d hate to complicate things by doing something stupid.] [I see. I understand.] Tia¡¯s hand moved away from mine, and when we both looked at each other instead, there was a particularly high-pitched sound of an iron being struck. I smiled bitterly at my Master¡¯s silent complaints as he turned his back on me, the day went by uneventfully¡­ and five days later. As he said, the culprit was caught early, so My master and I went to the town¡¯s guardroom.. ¡°I knew it was you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Behind the cold iron bars was the self-proclaimed Hero who had argued with My Master on the first day. Facing us, beside him, was a guard with an apologetic look on his face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have bothered you, Dalton-san. I couldn¡¯t treat him like just another thief this time. ¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t care. And, It¡¯s been a long time, My Hero friend.¡± ¡°¡­You knew?¡± The Hero, who had been slumped down, looked up as he said this in a low voice. His eyes were bloodshot with hatred as he grabbed the iron bar separating them and shouted loudly, ¡°What do you mean, ¡°I knew it!¡±? You mean to say that you knew I would steal your weapons if you didn¡¯t give me a decent weapon!?¡¡You want to humiliate me, a Hero, to that extent!?¡± ¡°Oi, Oi, you¡¯re being very disrespectful. Why would I do that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit! If you had followed through on your agreement and given me a decent weapon, we could have been done with this! Shit, shit! You¡¯re wrong! Ordinarily, I would be on that side, and you, who broke your promise to the country, would be on this side!¡± ¡± ¡°Hah ¡­ Hey Guardsman, how did this guy get caught?¡± Ignoring the fussing Hero, My Master scratched his head and asked the guard. ¡°Well, ¡­ it looks like he went out to sharpen the sword he stole. The store reported it, so they took him down just as this guy was coming to pick up the sword.¡± ¡°I see. So you used the sword you stole from my store, right? How was it?¡± ¡°Huh!? It was a piece of shit! What the hell was that sword, it was so hard to use! Ah okay. You don¡¯t actually have skills, right? That¡¯s why you didn¡¯t forge a sword for me so that it wouldn¡¯t be found out! Oi, Guard! Get me out of here now! If not, call the Kingdom of Aktar and tell them this man is a fraud of the highest order!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous! There¡¯s no way Dalton-san is a fraud!¡± ¡°Even you are on this guy¡¯s side!? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re fooling the whole world with this town!? You¡¯ve got to be kidding me! The whole world is united against the Demon Lord, and you¡¯re going to betray humanity for your own selfishness!?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The Hero was just lashing out at the guard, who was filled with bitterness. My Master, who sighed heavily at the sight of him, spoke to the guard again. ¡°Guard-san, where is the sword that this guy stole? If possible, can you bring it to me right now?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. I will bring it to you now.¡± He said, and the guard who went to the back of the room immediately brought a sword. Master took it and slowly handed it to me. ¡°Oi, Ed. Look at this sword for a second.¡± ¡°Huh? Yes. ¡­. ¡­. Wow.¡± Looking at the sword handed to me, I involuntarily let out a groan. I see that no wonder it was called a good for nothing sword. ¡°Hey, you! If you¡¯re making that kind of noise, it means you know it¡¯s terrible, right!? Then let¡¯s talk together!¡± ¡°No, well, it¡¯s ¡­.not that it¡¯s terrible, it¡¯s more like it¡¯s poor. ¡­.¡± ¡°Gaahaha! Then Ed, use that sword to cut through the iron bars over there. You can do it, right?¡± ¡°Wha! Hey, Dalton-san!?¡± ¡°Sorry, Guard. I¡¯ll take full responsibility, so just go along with me for a bit.¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ are you sure?¡± ¡°I am not. It¡¯s not good ¡­. but if Dalton-san says so, I believe him.¡± I ask, to which the guard replied with a frown that couldn¡¯t be any clearer. Ah, seriously, I¡¯m allowed to cut it off? I mean, going by the flow, do I have to cut it? ¡°Oi, you. Back up a little bit.¡± ¡°T-There¡¯s no way you can do it! You can¡¯t cut these iron bars with such a¡­.¡± His voice trembling, the Hero still took a few steps away from the bars. Seeing that Master and the Guard have also moved away from my side, I drew my sword and readied it. ¡°Then, Let¡¯s do it¡­. HAH!¡± Exhaling shortly, I stepped forward with force and swung my sword down at an angle.The sword sliced through the bars with no problem, although it felt a little stuck, probably because the blade had not been sharpened properly. Then, having grasped the pattern, I made another horizontal flash. Then, with a rumbling sound, three broken bars fell to the floor. ¡°As expected of Dalton-san¡¯s sword. It¡¯s incredibly sharp.¡± ¡°Ridiculous!? It¡¯s impossible! When I used it, it couldn¡¯t even cut skin properly, let alone the shell of a rock turtle, so how could it cut iron!?¡± ¡°Ed, how did you like using that sword?¡± Asked by my master, who folded his arms with the two contrasting opinions of the guard and the Hero intact, I replied, looking at the sword in my hand again. ¡°I think this is to achieve both sharpness and durability, but the area that can be cut properly is very narrow. Unless you are very skilled, it¡¯s just an iron rod.¡± Yes, this sword was almost impossible to use to cut unless the blade was perfectly aligned. Although it had the ability to be called an excellent sword if one had the skill, for the majority of people it was nothing more than an ¡°iron rod in the shape of a sword,¡± a very troubling piece of equipment. ¡°That¡¯s the way it is. The sword I forge is for the right person. This one is the best of them all. And you, my dear hero, your skill is not yet at the stage where you can use it like that. So I sold you a sword¡­ that anyone can use. Even If I forged a sword exclusively for you, honestly, it would just be the same kind of sword. Train your sword seriously for another 10 years. Then, when you¡¯re good enough, ¡­. I¡¯ll forge you a sword, just like I said that day. A sword that only you can use.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± On the other side of the bars, the Hero crumbled. Was it anger or remorse that made his clenched fist tremble? ¡°Then this case is closed. If you say it¡¯s too much trouble because of his title of Hero, you can let him out, okay? I¡¯ll withdraw the report on my part. So, I¡¯m going home.¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± ¡°No, no, wait a minute! That¡¯s not going to happen!¡± As Master was about to leave, a guard hurriedly called out to him. Master turned to him and had a blatantly unhappy expression on his face. ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong with you, when I said it¡¯s okay for me to have my sword stolen!?¡± ¡°Of course, but we have a lot of paperwork to do! There¡¯s also the matter of the slashed iron bars, so I have to ask Dalton-san to stay here and handle the paperwork.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Ah, okay. You can do those things, as you see fit¨D¨D¡± ¡°That¡¯s not going to work! If you¡¯re careless, you won¡¯t be able to go home tonight!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll close up the store, then.¡± ¡°Oi, Ed!? You¡¯re not leaving by yourself! You¡¯re the one who cut that thing!?¡± My master stared at me with a terrible look on his face, but I was not intimidated by that. If I stayed here, I would have to deal with endless complicated documents. I would not go along with such a hell, even if my master asked me to. ¡°No, it¡¯s a problem in my Master¡¯s store, and my master said he would take responsibility for the iron bars. Well, then, that¡¯s that! ¡°EDDDDDDDDDDDD!?¡± ¡°Come on, Dalton-san. This way, please.¡± I quickly left the guardhouse, leaving the master with his arm firmly caught in the guard¡¯s grasp. Let¡¯s at least pray for his safety. ¡­.Good luck, Master. When Master came home late that night, he looked at me with intense resentment, and for the next three days, he became even more silent than usual and kept putting pressure on me, but that was a story for another time. (T/N: My Mouse decided to die on me, hence the delay) CH 99 ¡°Master, you¡¯ve got to get in a better mood.¡± ¡°Shut up, what Master! I don¡¯t remember taking as an apprentice a man who talks so much and then abandons me at the most critical moment!¡± Lunch time had become a regular occurrence. As I ate my thick meat sandwich, which had become a staple of my lunch, My Master turned away and said while shaking his rich beard. He has been able to talk to me normally, but it seems that he was still in a bad mood. ¡°But, even if I had stayed there, I would be of no use. Or would you have preferred me to stand idly by doing nothing while My Master was busy looking over and signing papers?¡± ¡°¡­ That won¡¯t be pleasant.¡± ¡°Right!? Then it¡¯s a good thing I went home after all!¡± ¡°Damn, you¡¯re getting better and better at that! You know, you could have brought me something to eat or something.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to leave the store empty right after it was robbed! But I couldn¡¯t just close down the store without permission, and to begin with, You wanted alcohol, didn¡¯t you? I can¡¯t give alcohol to a man who is doing paperwork in a stuffy office!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the details!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not detailed!?¡± ¡°Kuhuhuhuhu ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Then Tia, who had been watching the exchange between me and My Master, clamped her mouth shut and began to laugh. The two of us looked at her sullenly, but Tia¡¯s laughter didn¡¯t stop. ¡°What is it, Tia?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ed ¡­, I just thought you two are really close.¡± ¡°Huh!? Oi girl, I can¡¯t ignore that. What¡¯s so friendly about me and this heartless bastard!?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s that you don¡¯t get into fights when you argue like that? If you really couldn¡¯t forgive Ed, wouldn¡¯t Dalton-san have beaten him and kicked him out long ago?¡± ¡°¡­.Tch. Say whatever you want.¡± At Tia¡¯s words, My master said so and bit his sandwich. Even in this short period of time, Tia understood that any further teasing would really put him in a bad mood, so she glanced at me and laughed before blatantly changing the subject. ¡°By the way, what happened to the thief, or rather, the Hero?¡± ¡°Ah, I was wondering about that too. What happened, Master?¡± ¡°Hmm? Ah, He was released as usual and went back to his country.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯ve heard the story, but was it really okay to release him without any charges?¡± In response to Tia¡¯s simple question,My Masted folded his arms with a difficult look on his face. ¡°Well, if you ask me whether it¡¯s fine or not, it¡¯s probably not fine, but if you treat the Heroes as criminals, it¡¯s going to cause a lot of trouble. If we try to pursue it too hard, what nonsense he said may turn out to be true. If that¡¯s the case, the safest thing to do is to pretend from the beginning that nothing happened. I wanted to be reasonable, but I¡¯m not so young that I¡¯m willing to fight a country for something like that.¡± ¡°Eh, It¡¯s obviously a bad thing, but it¡¯s a lot of trouble to catch them, after all, the authority of a Hero is really great.¡± ¡°I wish I could produce results that match that. Seriously, it¡¯s impossible to keep using the contract that was decided 500 years ago. In the first place, these guys aren¡¯t really trying to defeat the Demon Lord right now.¡± ¡°Eh, Is that so!?¡± Tia, surprised, turned her head toward me. But even I was not that knowledgeable about the state of affairs in this world. Inevitably, I turned my gaze toward my Masted, who continued talking while stroking his beard. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s already been 500 years since the Demon Lord appeared. With this long time, it¡¯s enough for the concessions to be established. With the cause of fighting the Demon Lord, taxes can be squeezed as much as they want, and if there is any trouble, it can be settled by saying ¡°A Demon Beast did it¡± or ¡°it¡¯s the Demon Lord¡¯s fault¡± for the time being. It would be a waste of time to defeat an opponent whose evilness would not become a problem no matter what we forced on them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­then why did that Hero steal the sword from the shop?¡¡It¡¯s not like he wanted a strong weapon to fight the Demon Lord, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Either He just wanted to look good, or he couldn¡¯t stand the fact that he was denied ¡®being a Hero¡¯ because I refused. ¡­¡­ If you ask me which one is it, it¡¯s probably the latter? Otherwise, He would have called the country and pulled the big shots out. And then I wouldn¡¯t have been able to say no to him, so I would have to forge a sword for him. Well, it¡¯s performance will probably be the same as the other few swords, but it will be a ¡°Hero sword¡±¡® that emphasized appearance with a lot of decorations.¡± Saying this, My master grinned wickedly. It was so terrifying that even adults, let alone children, would run away barefoot. ¡°Wow, Master, you look so evil, huh?¡± ¡°Che, Shut up! I¡¯m going to make the sword exactly the way the customer wants, so it¡¯s fine. In fact, there¡¯s no shortage of requests like that, you know? I¡¯m not much of a decorator, so in that case I refer them to another blacksmith.¡± ¡°Eh!? Did My master show such consideration!?¡± ¡°Keep talking!¡± ¡°Guha!?¡± The impact that reverberated through the skull was so strong that it put the offensive power of an unskilled soldier to shame. ¡°Now, enough of this nonsense! Oi Ed, the sword you are forging, show me when you¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. I understand.¡± ¡°Ah, how quickly it goes by when you¡¯re having fun.¡± Master quickly left his seat, I hurriedly began to prepare, and Tia somewhat regretfully cleaned up the scene to end the lunch time. A short time later, I handed him the finished sword, and he stared at it with a serious expression on his face. ¡°H-How is it¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­, it¡¯s so-so.¡± ¡°Again ¡®so-so¡¯ huh¡­¡± Since the first day, I have received nothing but ¡°so-so¡± feedback from My master when he sees my sword. I could not help but feel a sense of inexpressible uneasiness at the lack of change, but as if he could see right through me, My Master¡¯s mouth twisted into a smile and said, ¡°You know, a blacksmith¡¯s skill is something that takes five to ten years to hone. You can¡¯t make visible progress in just a month or so.¡± ¡°No, I know, but¡­ I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°Heh, if you can say that without being rotten, you¡¯ll get a little better eventually¡­ By the way, Ed, this one has a very thin blade, why?¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, there was a time when I wanted to pursue sharpness, or rather, I used that kind of sword.¡± When asked by My Master, I explained the reason for the sword being only half the thickness of a normal sword. What I had in mind was naturally the ¡°Sword of Thin Life,¡± but since this one was just a practice piece, the degree of perfection was not comparable. ¡°Well, ¡­ the last time I had you cut the bars, I thought again, You, you¡¯re quite the master, aren¡¯t you? Why aren¡¯t you a Hero?¡± ¡°Why you ask, even if you say that¡­ I don¡¯t know the selection criteria for heroes.¡± The biggest reason was, of course, that I was not from this world, but it was also true that I did not know the criteria for selection of Heroes. Generally, it was said that they were appointed by the king or emperor, but since they were recognized by the country as well as the nobility, it was not just a matter of being strong enough. ¡°Well, that¡¯s right. I don¡¯t know about that either. But¡­ Hmm.¡± My master, who was looking at my forged sword from all angles and tapping it with a small hammer to check the degree of metal fatigue, placed the sword at his feet and spoke to me again. ¡°Hey Ed. You, do you want to try using my forged sword?¡± ¡°What!?¡± I had not expected such a suggestion, and again I made a dumb noise. CH 100 ¡°Master¡¯s sword, Me¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah, I remember that you are training to beat your own sword, right? Looking at your sword, I can understand there is a direction you¡¯re aiming for. That¡¯s why I dare to ask. Is that really the ideal perfected form you¡¯re aiming for? ¡° ¡°¡­.¡± I choked up when my Master looked straight at me with serious eyes. Right now, the sword I was aiming for was, of course, the ¡°Sword of Thin Life¡±. However, in the pursuit of the ultimate in sharpness, the sword¡¯s blade could not be made to have even the slightest bit of durability, and instead of being used all the time, the blade itself must be disposed of with each swing. Of course, the answer was no. That was nothing more than a sword that compromised everything but its sharpness. And since it required my blood and the banishment skill[ Master Smith] to use it, it may not be usable in a real predicament. Then that¡¯s why I was again training under my Master to make a sword that would surpass it. ¡°You seem to know what you¡¯re doing. Then, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a good idea to try using my sword? You don¡¯t have to keep using it, and seeing the work of someone better than you will help you with the swords you make. What do you think? It¡¯s not a bad deal for you, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­ but why are you suddenly hurrying me like that?¡± ¡°¡­for my dream¡± ¡°Master¡¯s?¡± Master slumped into a small chair in front of the anvil, and I pulled out my own chair and sat down in front of him. A slight silence passed between us as we faced each other across the anvil. ¡­ Eventually, he slowly opened his mouth. ¡°This isn¡¯t limited to swords, but there are guidelines for making something. In the case of weapons, there are two major guidelines that are absolutely necessary. Namely, ¡®Who will use it?¡¯ and ¡®What to defeat? ¡®. The conditions to making an excellent sword is meeting these two guidelines as broadly as possible. In other words, an excellent sword is ¡®can be used by anyone¡¯ and ¡®can cut any enemy¡¯. Is this enough?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, yes¡± Certainly, if you can make a sword that can defeat a dragon even if a child uses it, it would definitely be an excellent sword. However¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. Of course I know it¡¯s impossible. So, this is the continuation of what I just said: ¡­ My dream is to make a sword that can defeat the Demon Lord. It¡¯s not just me, this is the dream of my father, my grandfather, ¡­ our whole family. I¡¯ve been swinging a hammer and honing my blacksmithing skills since I was a kid because I really wanted to accomplish this. But here¡¯s the problem. Not only me, but even if you ask anyone in the world, no one knows what kind of being the Demon Lord is. Is it bigger than a cloud or smaller than a grain of sand? Is it harder than a dragon¡¯s scales, or is it squishy like a slime? We don¡¯t have any information, so in the end, the sword that can defeat the Demon Lord has to be a sword that can cut through anything¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡± If one wants to defeat an unidentified enemy, one needs a sword that can cut through whatever entity it is. It was quite a rough opinion, apart from if it would be feasible or not¡­ in theory it was correct. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I don¡¯t know who the Demon Lord is, so I can¡¯t help it! So, if we expand the conditions over here to that extent, the other condition ¡­ that is, ¡®who can use it¡¯ will become more demanding. For example, the sword that I gave you at the station was a sword that could cut through most things if used by a master swordsman. If one condition is ¡°it can cut through anything¡± the other condition must be ¡®super-class¡¯ or ¡®world¡¯s best swordsman¡¯, right? However, that¡¯s also a problem. Whether or not there is a swordsman with great skills has nothing to do with my blacksmithing skills, and in the first place, most powerful people are sheltered by the Countries as heroes and controlled so that they don¡¯t defeat the Demon Lord.¡± After a pause, he picked up a cup from a nearby table and slurped down the contents in one gulp. The contents were just water, so there was no way he could get drunk, but for some reason, I could see the passion in his eyes as he looked at me. (T/N: It ain¡¯t BL) ¡°Then along came you. You¡¯re not even a country bound Hero, but you¡¯re stronger than any guy I¡¯ve ever met. I can forge a sword that can cut through anything ¡­. and defeat the Demon Lord, assuming you use it! How¡¯s that sound? Won¡¯t you let me make my dream come true?¡± ¡°Master ¡­¡­¡± He squeezed my hand tightly and I felt the thick palm of my Master¡¯s hand. Ah, I see. I had trained until I had this kind of hand, but I had never had a chance to show it until now. I could never have guessed how regrettable it must have been. If I could, I would make it happen. However, I must ask him this. ¡°Just to make sure, even if you forge a sword for me, I won¡¯t fight the Demon Lord, okay? So I can¡¯t prove whether that sword can really defeat the Demon Lord or not, is that still okay?¡± ¡®Ha! I don¡¯t care. Of course, it would be great if you actually beat up the Demon Lord, but I¡¯m not so brazen as to ask you to break through the border security, become a wanted criminal, and fight the Demon Lord all by yourself.¡± ¡°Ah, do you really feel that way?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The reason for this is ¡°If the Demon Lord is inadvertently provoked and the Demon Beasts around the world are activated, it is likely to cause great disadvantages in the countries.¡± The main point is, they¡¯re sealing the border to prevent some idiot bragging about his skills from defeating the Demon Lord. You¡¯ll never get permission even if you apply for it, and if you go through without permission, you¡¯ll be beheaded on the spot, you know?¡± ¡°That¡¯s scary! They¡¯re really going all out to protect the Demon Lord, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Hey, hey, hey, don¡¯t be a prude, all right? That is the first and last wall to protect us. What it is protecting may be interpreted differently by different people.¡± I replied with a wry smile to my master¡¯s evil grinning face. So, the barrier that protected mankind from the Demon Lord had become a cage to trap the Demon Lord for the sake of profits? It¡¯s kind of hard to say, but if that¡¯s the way this world works, then I can understand why we shouldn¡¯t do anything unnecessary. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s the end of my answer. Now it¡¯s just a matter of whether or not you will agree. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hmmm, yeah. ¡­¡± I thought about My Master¡¯s question as he looked at me with expectant eyes. Even now, after hearing the whole story, it was still basically a win-win situation for me. If I could get a reference for the ideal sword I was aiming for, and also get a sword made by a top-notch craftsman, it was all win-win for me. The only thing I had to worry about was that I might be harassed in some way by having a special sword in my hands that not even the Heroes could get, but since Tia and I had no family or friends in this world that would make us vulnerable, and it¡¯s a place we¡¯ll be leaving in the not-too-distant future, we could ignore all the medium- to long-term disadvantages of displeasing the authorities. ¡°I understand. Then I¡¯ll accept your offer. Even if I say that, All I have to do is accept the sword and try it out.¡± ¡°Oh, Really! No, that¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t realize it because you are the one, but it¡¯s a rare opportunity to have a skilled swordsman actually use my sword and hear what he thinks of it, you know? I¡¯m so glad!¡± I was pleased to hear my Master¡¯s unusually excited words. I had never really thought about it since I trained and used it myself, but it¡¯s a lot of work to find someone like Alexis and have him wield the sword, for example. ¡°All right, then, let¡¯s get to work on the preparations! Woohoo, I¡¯m more motivated than I¡¯ve been in a long time! As My Master shouted to the heavens, I also thought about the ¡°ideal sword¡± that he would make. (T/N: 100th CHAPTER LET¡¯S GO!) CH 101 ¡°Is this all right, Master?¡± In the hot, sweltering blacksmith¡¯s shop, I removed all of my clothes and stripped naked. I was not completely naked, but I was wearing only one pair of underwear, and I felt naked. ¡°What, you¡¯re not going to take that off?¡± ¡°Please excuse me! Isn¡¯t this enough!?¡± ¡°Tsk, Can¡¯t help it. ¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­, you have quite a beautiful body.¡± (T/N: Author why you do this to me, IT AIN¡¯T BL) ¡°H-ha? Thank you¡­?¡± ¡°Can I touch you?¡± ¡°Uhyo!?¡± Master¡¯s rugged hands touched my skin. Sometimes he squeezed me hard, sometimes softly, sometimes roughly, sometimes gently, and the indescribable tickle made me wince. ¡°Don¡¯t move! Be quiet!¡± ¡°Ugh, okay, ¡­. Wait, Master!?¡± Suddenly, he hugged my waist. His arms were behind my back, and his hands grabbed my buttocks. ¡°Hey, Master! That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°I told you to shut up! Hey, tighten your ass up!¡± ¡°Eeee!? Like this?¡± ¡°Yes! Put more pressure on it!¡± ¡°Like this? Like this? It¡¯s too tight.¡± ¡°Huh? This is the limit, you¡¯re so¨D¨D¡± ¡°Good evening! Ed, I know I am late getting here, but ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± And then. I turned my attention to the voice coming from the entrance of the forge, where I saw Tia frozen in place as if she had been cursed with petrification. ¡°¡­¡­ Ha!? I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll be right out.¡± ¡°Wait, Tia. Why are you trying to leave?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I-I¡¯m fine! Yes, I know, you can get into that kind of relationship when you¡¯re holed up alone in a place like this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that! Didn¡¯t you listen what I just said!? Hey, Master, it¡¯s enough!¡± ¡°Ah, I get it, I get it. Well, that¡¯s certainly enough. You can get dressed now.¡± ¡°Haaaa¡­¡­¡± With Master¡¯s permission, I finally get dressed. In the meantime, Tia had also entered the forge, and before I knew it, she had prepared drinks on the table. ¡°Yes, come on in, both of you. If you don¡¯t keep yourself hydrated in this hot place, you¡¯re going to collapse.¡± ¡°Ah, My bad, Jou-chan.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome. So, why was Ed naked in Dalton-san¡¯s arms?¡± ¡°Ah, well, I was examining his body. Apparently, it was quite different from what I expected.¡± ¡°Ed¡¯s body?¡± ¡°Yes. As a matter of fact¨D¨D¡± To Tia, who nodded her head with a glass of water in her hand, My Master told her that his dream was to ¡°forge a sword that can defeat the Demon Lord¡± and that he is going to forge that sword for me to use. ¡°¨D¨DSo I decided to forge a sword for him. That¡¯s why I was examining his body so carefully.¡± ¡°Hmm, I get what you¡¯re saying, but is that normal?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Tia glanced at me, and I responded with a serious face. I didn¡¯t want her to misunderstand that all the blacksmiths in the world make their customers strip naked in front of their stores. If the next time I forge a sword for her, and she strips herself naked naturally, I will die, both mentally and physically. ¡°Gahaha! Yes, it¡¯s not normal. But this time, I really wanted to see it. After all, this guy is a pervert!¡± ¡°Eh, A pervert!? Ed is a pervert!?¡± ¡°Of course not! What are you saying!?¡± ¡°Aahn? Don¡¯t you realize it? You¡¯re quite a pervert to be able to wield a sword of that caliber with a body that shows no signs of significant training. Thanks to that, I have to make a lot of modifications to the sword I had in mind.¡± ¡°Ugh!? T-that¡¯s ¡­¡­¡± My body rewinded every time I went back to that world, so I certainly couldn¡¯t grow muscles or anything. I understood that better than anyone else, so there was no way I could argue with him. ¡°Really it¡¯s tough. I didn¡¯t expect you to have such a beautiful body. The formula I originally had in mind would probably be too heavy and difficult to use. That being the case, I¡¯d have to do a few trial runs. ¡­ It¡¯s annoying.¡± ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°Yeah. As I just said, I¡¯m thinking of changing the composition of the metals used for the sword to match it. But then, while there would be a surplus of heavy metals that were to be used in large quantities, there would not be enough light metals in stock. This becomes even more difficult when we have to do trials. However, since both of them are rare metals, they cost a lot of money, and above all, it¡¯s not like I can get them easily if I ask for them. That¡¯s why I¡¯m worried about what happened.¡± ¡°Material ¡­¡± My Master¡¯s concerns conveyed to me were indeed rather insurmountable. I don¡¯t know what these rare metals were, but I guess they were called rare because they were rarely found. But I had a special banishment skill that allowed me to snicker at that. If it didn¡¯t exist, there was nothing I could do about it, but if it was just hard to find, it didn¡¯t matter. ¡°Master, may I see that material?¡± ¡°Hmm? Yes, sure. Wait a minute.¡± At my request, Master got up from his seat and disappeared into the material storage area at the back of the blacksmith shop, and soon returned with a stone in his arms. ¡°First, this one. This one is called dark night stone, which is the heavier metal I was talking about earlier. This one is in fair quantity, so we¡¯ll be okay this time. ¡­ The problem is this one.¡± Of the two stones he was carrying, he removed the black one out of the way and held the dull brown one in his hand. ¡°This is a sunshine stone, a lighter metal. I don¡¯t have enough of this stuff. Once I make an alloy, of course I can¡¯t separate it cleanly, so I¡¯d like to have 30 kilos if possible, assuming I have to run trials to find the right ratio for you. ¡­¡± ¡°I see. By the way, what do you mean by rare? Does it come out of mines normally, but in small quantities, or is there almost no place where it is produced, or is it refined only in the body of a special demon beast?¡± ¡°Uee..¡± My words brought a look of disgust to Tia¡¯s face as she recalled the time when she obtained the pure mithril. But Master answered my question without worrying about it. ¡°The first one. Sunshine stones can be mined from any mine regardless of the type of metal, but on the other hand, there are no veins. The reason I can¡¯t get enough of it is that I can only find it occasionally when I¡¯m digging around in the middle of nowhere looking for new veins.¡± ¡°I see¡­ ¡­, then my next question is, are there any mines of those metals that we could go in and mine?¡± ¡°You? Ah, that¡¯s difficult. The mines are controlled by the country, so outsiders are usually not allowed to enter. If I had to say, you might be able to get in with me. ¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, then that¡¯s just fine.¡± ¡°What is?¡± I replied with a grin to my master who had a puzzled expression on his face. ¡°It¡¯s obvious, isn¡¯t it? Me, Tia, and Master, let¡¯s go dig for Sunshine stone together! If we can dig there, problem solved.¡± ¡°Oi, Oi, Oi, did you hear what I said? I said, it¡¯s a rare metal because you can¡¯t dig it up very often, okay?¡± ¡°Fufufufu, I have a secret plan for that. Can you trust me and give me a little bit of your time here?¡± As I said this seriously, Master folded his arms and thought for a moment. When he raised his face, I could see a strong determination in his eyes. ¡°¡­ Alright. At any rate, I don¡¯t have any hope of getting the sunshine stone. Besides, this is my dream in the first place. I entrust the first step to you.¡± ¡°Thank you very much. Then, for our dream!¡± ¡°Heh, Don¡¯t try that shit with me.¡± ¡°Ah, don¡¯t forget me too!¡± Master squeezed my hand, and Tia put hers on top of it. The first step of a dream that had grown into a three-person dream was taken here and now. CH 102 We started working energetically from the next day to achieve the dual goals of my master¡¯s dream and my own practical benefit. Although it was for a short period of time, it took about a month, including the preparations for closing the store, the procedures for various places, and the time to travel to the destination. Finally, we were able to enter a certain mine. ¡°Eh, this place? Even though it looks like it was closed decades ago, it¡¯s been properly maintained.¡± Tia said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Even though it¡¯s an abandoned mine, this place was originally a gold mine.¡± Tia looked around the unpopular mine, and My master stroked his beard with a knowing look on his face. ¡°Right now, the mine is exhausted, but if there is some technological innovation in the future that allows us to dig further, there is a better chance of getting new gold by digging here, where there was surely gold before, than by digging in the middle of nowhere. That¡¯s why the government controls the mine, and the inside is maintained in a certain way. Well, if not, it¡¯s not a place that ordinary people can enter.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Agreeing with My Master¡¯s words, I also looked around inside. The wood supporting the passageway was solid, and there were no broken lanterns for lighting. It seemed unlikely that any demonic beasts had entered the building. In addition, although it¡¯s quite obvious, even Master is not allowed to enter a gold mine that is being actively mined. I heard that an iron mine would be okay, but considering what I was about to do, a normally operating mine would not be convenient, so these conditions were more like a blessing in disguise. ¡°So what are you going to do now?¡± ¡°Huh, actually, here¡¯s what I¡¯m going to do¡­ Manifest [Akashic Compass]¡± I raised my outstretched right hand palm upward and manifested the [Akashic Compass]. Master was blatantly surprised by the appearance of a mysterious metal frame that suddenly appeared out of thin air and floated on the palm of my hand. ¡°Whoa!? What the hell!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a magical tool that I got through connections. It can only be used by me, and it has to meet some special conditions, but I can use it to search for things.¡± ¡°¡­ does that mean you can tell where the ore is buried?¡± ¡°Yeah. The sensing range isn¡¯t that great, though, so we have to walk all over the mine.¡± I replied gently to My Master, who had a serious expression on his face and a low, heavy voice. If the detection range of this thing is only one meter, it would be enough to make the workers a little more comfortable. But what if I could locate the ore over a range of 10 meters, 20 meters, or more without digging up the ground? That would be something that the country would kill me to get, and if it were over 10 or 20 kilometers , it could even become a reason for war. So I won¡¯t go into details. I just stared at My silent master¡­ before long, my Master let out an even bigger sigh. ¡°Haaaa¡­. Okay, I¡¯ll leave it to you, Ed.¡± ¡°Leave it to me!¡± If My master had inquired about it in depth, I would have had to think of different ways to get out. However, my master came all the way here without asking me anything, and was willing to stay without asking me anything. I responded to that trust with action. I walked around the tunnels, using both my [Akashic compass] and [Auto-Mapping] ¡­¡­ and stopped at the wall of one passageway. ¡°It¡¯s right here. It¡¯s about 30 centimeters deep.¡± ¡°Here? Okay.¡± My master started digging with a pickaxe at the place I instructed. Then, from the other side of the collapsed rock wall, a sunlight stone about twice my fist was dug out. ¡°Amazing, it really was there!?¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t the stone a little tiny?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Contrary my Master¡¯s excitement, I had a sour face like Tia. Considering the amount we need, these were reserves far below what we anticipated. But, as I was making such a disappointed face, Master slapped me on my back. ¡°Oi oi, why are you making such a dejected face! Normally, it would never be possible for you to find Sunshine Stones so easily, you know!? Besides, it¡¯s not like there¡¯s only one in this wide tunnel, right? ¡± ¡°Ah, yes. There is a response, but only if it is close to the wall that we can dig it out on our own, else it may be a little tough. For example, if we dig another three meters from here, we might find another Sunshine stone. ¡­¡± ¡°Ah, that would be tough.¡± He could dig with a small pick axe as far as his arm could reach, but he would have to dig a very large hole to get three meters beyond. It was not impossible, considering Master¡¯s physical and arm strength, but it would take time and be dangerous, so it was not something that could be attempted comfortably. As my Master and I were pondering the new problems we had encountered, Tia suddenly approached Master. ¡°Um, Dalton-san. Are all Sunshine stones roughly that big?¡± ¡°Hmm? Yeah, that¡¯s right. Of course, there may be some slight variations, but it shouldn¡¯t be too drastic.¡± ¡°I see. ¡­ Hey Ed, how precisely do you know where the stones are located?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s pretty accurate. ¡­¡­ what happened?¡± I tilted my head and asked Tia, who kept asking me questions in rapid succession. But Tia started to think for a while, and then, as if she had made up her mind, she looked at me and said, ¡°Ed, sit down there for a second.¡± ¡°Sit? Like this? ¡°No, no, no! Put your butt on the ground, stretch your legs out in front of you, and open wide!¡± ¡°Ggh!? Hey!?¡± I was suddenly made to expose my groin, and I screamed in protest, but Tia ignored me and sat down between my legs, and then she laid her left hand on my hand while leaning her back on me. ¡°Hey, Tia, what¨D¨D¡± [Show me] ¡°!?¡± A voice that was not my own, coming from inside me. I noticed that Tia had gone limp and unconscious in front of me, and I could feel her presence instead, as if overlapping with my own. [Show me the location of the stone. I¡¯m sure I can see it clearly now.] [That¡¯s how it is, I get it.] Understanding her intention, I pictured in my mind the exact location of the Sunshine stone. When Tia returned to her own body, having fully absorbed the information I shared with her, a flowing chant spun from her mouth. ¡°The earth shakes and crumbles in the formless sea of the crumbling moon, and the claws of the spirit tremble as it shatters in the dull light of its monstrous arms! Seize, grasp, pour, overflow it! In the name of Lunaritia, manifest the [Tranform Hollow] !¡± A round hole appeared in the rock wall in front of me due to the unleashed spirit magic. Sand spilled out of the hole, and when it eventually settled, Tia exhaled loudly and leaned on me once again. ¡°Phew. ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Good Job.¡± ¡°O-Oi. What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°As you can see, I¡¯ve turned the rock wall into sand. The Sunshine stone should be flowing over here as the sand spills out, so I think a little work is all that¡¯s needed to get them out.¡± ¡°Really!?¡± Hearing Tia¡¯s explanation, Master plunged his hand into the hole, looking half-convinced. He quickly pulled his arm back, and in his hand, of course, was the stone we were looking for. ¡°Oi oi, are you serious!? Amazing, Jou-chan!¡± ¡°Fufuun, this is nothing for me! How about you, Ed? I¡¯m also useful, right?¡± ¡°Huh? What are you talking about¡­? Huh, no way!?¡± ¡°Because I can¡¯t blacksmith or ¡­. do any heavy lifting, so I¡¯m not much use to you these days.¡± ¡°Haa, you¡¯re an idiot, Tia.¡± I held Tia from behind and gently stroked her head as she turned from her smug expression to one of dejection. ¡°You have always been there for me. If it weren¡¯t for you, I¡¯d probably be drying out in the forge right now, you know?¡± ¡°Really? For real?¡± ¡°Yeah, Really. Thanks for everything, Tia.¡± ¡°Fufu, that¡¯s fine! Ah, but please let¡¯s stay like this for a little longer.¡± ¡°As you wish, miss.¡± (T/N: Cute) I kept stroking Tia¡¯s head until she was satisfied, while smiling bitterly at My Master who was looking away with an uncomfortable expression on his face. (T/N: My college started so expect some delays, romcom will be posted either later today or tmw) CH 103 After that, thanks to Tia¡¯s great efforts, we succeeded in mining much more sunshine stones than we needed in about five days. We were so successful, far beyond our expectations, that it took us another 10 days to get back to the town, where we celebrated with smiles on our faces. ¡°Ha, It¡¯s the best! There¡¯s nothing like a drink after a hard day¡¯s work!¡± ¡°No, we haven¡¯t even started yet.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn!¡± My master, in the best mood I¡¯ve ever seen, was at his favorite tavern, drinking alcohol and gulping down its contents. The contents of the alcohol were quite strong, so if anyone other than the Miner tribe drank it in the same way, they would normally die. They really are amazing. ¡°Well, there¡¯s no denying that we have successfully completed the first step. Thank you, Tia, you saved the day.¡± ¡°Eheheh, really? Well, I did my best!¡± Tia, whose ears were slightly tinted red, smiled shyly at my compliment. I think maybe because she was tired, but she was getting drunk a little faster than usual. ¡­ Okay, I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s sober, I¡¯ll take care of it ¡°It¡¯s a shame, though, knowing it¡¯s still out there and we can¡¯t dig it out.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. No matter how good my magic is, I can¡¯t dig tens of meters deep.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We can¡¯t dig any more than that without adding more tunnels, and that¡¯s enough. So master¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, I know, I know. Take all you want.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± On the way, I begged Master to give me some of his surplus sunshine stones, and now I was officially allowed to do so. I have never seen this mineral in any other world, so it was worth studying along with the dark night stone that would be shared with me later. I couldn¡¯t wait to see what kind of things I would be able to make with it. ¡°So, Master, when will you start working on that sword?¡± ¡°Hmm? As soon as I am done eating here¡­. But still, I¡¯ll start tomorrow. I¡¯ll keep the store closed, so come around from the back.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s eat and drink to our heart¡¯s content tonight! One more time, cheers! ¡°¡±Cheers!¡±¡± We clanked our mugs against each other and we drank, ate, laughed, and made noise. And so, that night, we slept soundly while surrendering to the pleasant sense of intoxication. ¡­ And the next day¡­ ¡°Good morning, Master.¡± ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± I entered the forge from the back of the store as I was told, and in front of me, My master with the face of a craftsman was already lighting the furnace. Even though he had been drinking strong liquor at such a rate that I would not have drunk water, now I could not detect even the faintest trace of its remnants. ¡°As soon as it¡¯s ready, I¡¯ll start making the sword. This will be the blacksmithing of a lifetime for me, so I can¡¯t afford to teach you how to do it. However, I won¡¯t hide or show off my skills, so you can watch and steal as much as you like. As long as you don¡¯t get in my way, you can learn how to mix the alloys and the furnace temperature on your own. Is that all right with you?¡± ¡°I understand. That¡¯s enough for me.¡± The distribution of the alloys of a particular metal and the temperature of the furnace in which they would be melted was information that was normally forbidden to anyone outside of the workshop. To be allowed to see all of this information in its entirety was an unprecedented condition, and not something that a novice apprentice like myself would be allowed to do. Once again, I could feel the strong trust placed in me by my Master. Wanting to respond to the silent trust, my concentration naturally tensed up. ¡°Then, let¡¯s do it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Despite the excitement that filled the place, his voice was quiet and calm. My master¡¯s blacksmithing began, speaking not with words but with his arms, and I burned all of it into my eyes. ¡°Fu~¡­¡­Fu~¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± In front of the scorching furnace, Master was gazing into it with sweat pouring out of his body. Apparently, melting sunshine stones required a considerably high temperature. On the other hand, the dark night stone seemed to need more time to melt at a lower temperature. The furnace I had been using until now was also running at the same time to process the two metals at the same time, first making small plates to check the properties of the alloy. The first day was over when we had accumulated 10 or 20 pieces. On the second day, the actual sword forging began, and again two or three slightly different swords were made. ¡­. Then, two weeks later. ¡°¡­It¡¯s finished.¡± Master¡¯s hand held a single sword. It was an unusual single-edged sword, dark as the darkness of night at the back, which gradually changed color until it reached the blade, where it glowed a bright white-yellow like the morning sun that had risen. I was captivated by its beauty.. It was a work of art, but this sword was a weapon designed for actual combat. ¡°Hey Ed, try cutting that with this.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I accepted the sword handed to me and aimed it at the steel ingot indicated by my Master. The back of the sword was adjusted to be heavy, and while it required some strength to lift it up, when I swung it down, I felt as if it was being sucked into the earth. ¡­. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± With a stomp, the blade passed through the ingot in front of me without any resistance. As I moved the sword out of the way and placed it on the table, Master picked up the severed ingot and grinned at its cross section. ¡°Well done. Look.¡± ¡°Wow, this is amazing¡± When Master showed me the severed surface with a big smile on his face, it was as beautiful as a mirror. I knew this when I did not feel any resistance, but this was an incredible achievement. ¡°The closer you move to the outside, the heavier and stickier the dark night stone becomes, and the closer to the core, the harder and sharper the sunshine stone becomes. The sharpening process is designed to protect the blade, which becomes more brittle the more it is sharpened, as much as possible, while making it relatively easy to change the balance between sharpness and strength by changing the sharpening method. However, the slightest difference in sharpening can change the sharpness of the blade, and the blade becomes prone to chipping. It is difficult for an amateur to maintain the blade consistently, but you, with your excellent swordsmanship and blacksmithing skills, should be able to use it well.¡± ¡°Something like that¡­ well, that¡¯s right.¡± I chuckled to myself, but Master tapped me on the shoulder happily. ¡°Gahaha! Isn¡¯t that fine? If you neglect either training, you will not be able to use it. It¡¯s perfect for someone who gets carried away easily!¡± ¡°Eh, I¡¯ve never gotten carried away, have I?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± I was slapped on the buttocks, and sparks flew from my eyes. ¡°Ow!? What are you doing, Master!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just trying to cheer you up. Well then, let¡¯s try it out right away.¡± ¡°Oh, can we do that tomorrow? If that¡¯s possible, I would like Tia to accompany us.¡± ¡°Hmm? Ah, yes. That¡¯s right. Then you can go home for today.¡± ¡°Really? I understand¡­ Ah yeah, Master¡± ¡°Uh-huh? What is it? ¡°Does this sword have a name?¡± ¡°Huh? You can tell that just by looking at it!¡± My question was met with a look of disbelief from my Master. Well, there was certainly a name that came to mind at first glance, but there was no way I was going to say it out loud before hearing his answer. ¡°¡­.. you don¡¯t mind if I say it?¡± ¡°Sure you can.¡± ¡°Then ¡­ The Sword of Dawn.¡± There was no other name for a sword with a gradation in the blade that would change from dark night to morning. Rather, I looked at Master and wondered what the name would be if it were not this one. My Master¡¯s mouth, hidden by his beard, turned up wide in a smile. ¡°You do get it! Yes, this is the sword of hope that will defeat the Demon Lord and bring morning to the world. This is the masterpiece that I have created with all my strength, the [Dawnbreaker, the Sword of Dawn]!¡± The inscription [Dawnbreaker, The Sword of Dawn] shone brightly in Master¡¯s hands. This was the exact moment when the Hero Blacksmith created the Hero¡¯s Sword in this world. CH 104 The day after tomorrow. We left the inn together and met up with Master on the way to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild. For some reason, people around us were in a hurry, and we looked at the request forms posted on the bulletin board. ¡°Hmmm, there¡¯s nothing special. Tia, how about you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s complicated. Strong demons are only found far from the city, and my rank doesn¡¯t allow me to take those requests in the first place.¡± While I was working on my blacksmithing, Tia was not playing around either, of course. She was a new member of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild of this world, but because she brought me lunch every day, she could not accept requests to go far away from the guild, so her rank here was only a hair above that of a fledgling. But that was not surprising. In order to show that she¡¯s not just a strong thug, but someone who can be trusted, she needs to have a suitable background, it was rather healthy that Tia, who had only been a registered member for a few months, was treated as a mere novice. However, there was no doubt that that would be a problem in this situation, but before I could think of anything else, Master pointed to one of the request forms and spoke up. ¡°Oh, how about this one?¡± ¡°Rock Turtle? I heard it from somewhere¡­.. AH! That Hero guy!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about. If it¡¯s a demonic beast that a hero couldn¡¯t defeat, then it¡¯s a perfect test for the sword I made!¡± My master grinned and my lips also curled up in a smile. I had no more thoughts about that Hero guy, but if it was a test of the true sharpness for the master¡¯s sword, I surely felt just the right cause and effect. ¡°But, you can¡¯t take this one with my rank, right?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have to accept it, do we? Look, it says where the habitat is.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, that¡¯s true¡± Tia agreed with Master¡¯s words. Certainly the request form described the places where rock turtles have been sighted, and unless my knowledge of the surrounding geography was wrong, two days and one night should be enough to do it. ¡°So, what do you think, Ed? Can you do it?¡± ¡°I have no idea what kind of demonic beast Rock Turtle is, but if you think I can do it, I certainly can. After all, You are the one who forged this sword.¡± On my waist, I was wearing the [Dawnbreaker] , a sword forged by my master. Although the beautiful blade of the sword could not be seen because it was in a special sheath made by my master, the matte black metal sheath oozed a sense of weight and luxury that could be recognized even at a glance. ¡°Aren¡¯t you fired up. Hehe, then all that¡¯s left is to see your skills. Alright, then, let¡¯s get to it¨D¨D¡± ¡°Hey, hey!? Wait a minute!¡± As we were about to leave, someone suddenly approached us from behind. We turned around and saw a man in his forties standing there, who appeared to be quite experienced. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong you say, Dalton-san! Please refrain from taking an adventurer without accepting a request¡± ¡°And? What is it that adventurers are supposed to do? There¡¯s no rule that says you can¡¯t hunt demonic beasts unless you¡¯re commissioned to do so!¡± Master, who was suddenly in a bad mood, raised his voice, but the man, who seemed to be a guild employee, wiped away his sweat and continued his words. ¡°That¡¯s true, but that doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t stop newcomers from going to their deaths. And Tia-san is a popular person in this guild, so it¡¯s a bit ¡­ reckless to ask such a person to take on something that is ¡­ not even a request.¡± ¡°Oh, You are popular, Tia?¡± ¡°Fufuf, well yeah!¡± When I whispered to Tia, she puffed out her chest proudly and then called out the man. ¡°I appreciate your concern. But I¡¯ll be fine. This time Ed is with me!¡± (T/N: Everyone should have a Tia in life) ¡°Tia-san¡­Is Ed-san your friend?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Ed is very strong! He can even cut dragons in half!¡± ¡°Yeah. ¡­?¡± I was so happy to hear Tia¡¯s words as she hugged my arm, but the man gave me a skeptical look that could not have been more obvious. Not only that man, but even the adventures around us in the distance were throwing various gazes at me. ¡°Is such a wimpy little brat really so strong?¡± ¡°Just because Tia-san is a pure and innocent angel, you¡¯re deceiving her!? Unforgivable, absolutely unforgivable¡­¡± ¡°As expected, we need to destroy his crotch. Pretty girls have to be with other girls.¡± ¡­ Strange. I think the kind of criticism I was getting was different from what I expected. Also, that female adventurer who stared at my crotch with a crazy look in her eyes was super scary. ¡°Hey, Tia, what did you do here?¡± ¡°Grrrr, What, I was just going about my normal activities?¡± ¡°I-I see, normal huh¡­.¡± If we had worked together from the beginning, this wouldn¡¯t have happened. ¡­¡­ I see, so this is what happens when Tia operates normally away from me. I¡¯ll have to do something about this in the future¡­ No, Countermeasures. ¡°Oh just shut up! Anyway, he¡¯s my disciple and the best swordsman I¡¯ve ever seen! He¡¯s so much stronger than any of those mediocre heroes! So much so that I¡¯m asking him to use my word!¡± ¡°!? T-that¡¯s impossible¡­. then the thing he is wearing on his waist is¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s the sword I forged. I was looking for someone to test it out today. Got anything else to say?¡± ¡°No, no. If that¡¯s the case¡­I understand. Then be careful.¡± The Staff member finally backed off from my Master, was glaring at him. He was mumbling something and the way he was looking at me changed again from before. ¡°If Dalton-san forged that sword, don¡¯t tell me he is a Hero from some country?¡± ¡°Huh? But wasn¡¯t there a hero from the Alecto Kingdom here a while ago? He¡¯s not the same person, is he?¡± ¡°No matter if he is a hero or not, we must get rid of the bad bugs that cling to Tia-san¡­¡± ¡°M-Master! If we¡¯re done here, how about we get going? Here, Tia¡± ¡°Tsk, yeah.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± I urged my master and pulled Tia¡¯s hand and left the Adventurers¡¯ Guild to escape the fierce cold stares. After that, we reached the Rock Turtle¡¯s habitat without incident, and I once again drew out my [Dawnbreaker]. ¡°This is the sword that Dalton-san forged. It¡¯s so beautiful ¡­¡± ¡°Right? You get it, Jou-chan. Yosh, Ed, let¡¯s get to it!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The Rock Turtle, as its name suggested, was a large turtle with a rock-like shell about two meters long. Its weight made it powerful, especially the power of his jaws, which could effortlessly tear through metal armor, was astonishing, but there was no need to fight him head-on honestly. ¡°First of all¡­ let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Kuah!?¡± Gently approaching from behind, I slashed at the right hind leg. The sword needs to be considerably sharp to cut through the thick, flabby skin, but with Master¡¯s forged sword, I was able to cleave through it with ease. ¡°Kuahhhh!¡± ¡°Yes, too bad!¡± ¡°KUAHHHH!?!?¡± The Rock Turtle, with its legs cut off, tried to bite me with its surprisingly elongated neck. But when I sliced its snout in return, the rock turtle screamed and hurriedly retracted its head into its robust shell. In a normal hunt, this would be a dead end. Their hard shells were not easily broken even by heavy weapons, and their high resistance to magic meant that there was basically nothing we could do. The Hunt fails when Adventures fails to sever its neck when it was extended. This was the reason why Rock turtles were considered a powerful enemy¡­. I raised my [Dawnbreaker] up high in front of it. ¡°Let me show you a blow that will cut through the night¡­.HAA!!¡± ¡°!?¡± Flash. The shell harder than steel, the thick skin underneath, and everything in between were severed with a single stroke. I saw the Rock Turtle, which had died without knowing why, split to the left and right, and as soon as I released my remaining strength, Tia and My Master came over to me. ¡°Woaaaah! Isn¡¯t that awesome, Ed!¡± ¡°Amazing, Ed! You manage to cut such a big enemy in half!¡± "" ¡°Fufufu, well. So, what do you think, Master?¡± ¡°Ahh, It¡¯s perfect! But it¡¯s not like we will just stop here. I¡¯d like to get a few more test cuts, can you?¡± ¡°Let me take care of that!¡± ¡°Fufu, do your best, Ed.¡± I answered My Master¡¯s request with a smile, and went on to hunt more rock turtles ¡­ With other demonic beasts along the way. The sharpness of the excellent sword that was forged for me was great, and I myself enjoyed testing it ¡­¡­, which is why when I returned to town, I blatantly distorted my expression at the sight of what was waiting for me in front of that gate. ¡°Come on, hand me that sword.¡± ¡°Why not, another group of knights¡­¡± A group of fully armed knights and a man in robes standing in the center of the group. I was disgusted by the presence that reeked of power and trouble. (T/N: For those not on discord, Sorry for not posting and stopping at a cliffhanger. My college , as you know, began and I have my mid sems next month from 2 jan :¡¯ ) (Yeah my semesters were halved). I¡¯ll start posting some in Jan. Thank you for reading and supporting my translations.) CH 105 ¡°Hm? Did you just say something?¡± ¡°Huh!? No, no, no, no! It¡¯s nothing!¡± The man in the luxurious black robe looked at me suspiciously, and I hurriedly shook my head. Dangerous, dangerous, ordinary people don¡¯t often get involved with knights. I don¡¯t want to play the fool who says unnecessary things and puts himself in danger. ¡°What do you mean, ¡°Give me the sword¡±? Who the hell are you people anyway?¡± ¡°Oops, excuse me. I am Hauman, the man who was ordered by His Majesty the King to retrieve the ¡°Hero¡¯s Sword¡±. They are my guards, the knights of the kingdom. So, Dalton-sama. Please hand over the sword to me according to our agreement.¡± In response to the words of the black robed man who called himself Hauman, master replied with a puzzled expression. ¡°Wait, Wait! I don¡¯t understand? The agreement was ¡°If a Hero comes, I¡¯ll forge a sword for him¡±. It ain¡¯t like you can just snatch any sword I forged unconditionally, you know?¡± ¡°I know. But there is no problem. The other day, a hero belonging to our Kingdom of Aktor should have come here ¡°¡­.Did he ask you to get this sword?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what the hero wants. We have come to retrieve the sword that the hero should have as a matter of national policy, and that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Hauman and Master looked at each other silently. The master¡¯s power at a glance was overwhelming, but the enemy, too, was a high ranking person sent by the country, and he did not seem to budge an inch. Such an exchange of gazes and spirit continued for a while¡­ Surprisingly, it was my master who broke first. ¡°¡­¡­ ¡­¡­Ha, all right. Then, wait for a moment.¡± ¡°Eh, Master!?¡± My Master glanced at me when I raised my voice in surprise. Looking at his eyes, ¡­ yeah, I guess I should shut up and follow him here. ¡°If only you would hand me the sword here and now?¡± ¡°What? Are you an idiot? We¡¯ve been testing this blade, and if it¡¯s not taken care of properly, the blade will be damaged! Or what? Do you want me to hand it over to you covered in blood and grease?¡± At Master¡¯s words, Hauman slightly backed away. A knight near his ear whispered something into his ear, and Hauman let out a small sigh and continued. ¡°¡­I understand. I will accompany you to the workshop.¡± ¡°Che, do what you want. Come on, you two, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes¡± ¡°Y-yeah. ¡­¡­¡± As Tia and I followed our master who started to walk away, Hauman came up behind us with his knights in tow. The sensation that pierced my back was like trying not to let a criminal escape. [Hey, Ed¡­] I[t¡¯s all right. Let¡¯s keep quiet for a while.] [Understood.] I responded to Tia in my mind, who laid her hand on top of mine with a slightly worried expression on her face. Soon after, we reached Master¡¯s workshop, where Master turned around and called out to Hauman again. ¡°Okay, wait here¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t you let me inside?¡± ¡°Huh? I don¡¯t care if you go inside the store, but you ain¡¯t going in the forge, okay?¡± ¡°That sounds as if there¡¯s something you don¡¯t want us to see?.¡± ¡°Of course there is! It¡¯s a craftsman¡¯s workshop! Or do you want me to disclose my knowledge and skills as well!? If you demand that much, I¡¯ll break the contract right now, even if I have to pay a penalty.¡± ¡°Guh¡­ I understand. Hey, you guys, guard the area around the store. Don¡¯t let a single mouse escape.¡± ¡°¡±Ha!¡±¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Che, Let¡¯s go.¡± As the knights surrounded the store, Master led us into the store. Then we made it to the forge, where he finally relaxed and complained loudly. ¡°Urghh!! What a pain in the ass!¡± ¡°Hey, Master!? If you shout that loud ¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. This is a forge, you know? You can¡¯t see anything from the outside if you shut everything, and you won¡¯t hear anything even if you shout out loud.¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s always quiet outside when I come here.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± I¡¯ve always worked here, so I didn¡¯t realize it, but I see what you mean, blacksmithing is very noisy. I thought the reason we didn¡¯t get any complaints from the neighbors was because they were so understanding, but I guess he did have noise reduction measures in place. ¡°But what¡¯s up with those people! Coming out of the blue and saying, ¡®Give me the sword,¡¯ so disgusting!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that the movements of the Hero must have been reported to the country, even though he was acquitted of all charges. However, how did they know about the sword?¡± ¡°I have a permit from the government to mine sunshine stones. They must have known that I was going to forge a sword different from the ones sold in stores. As for how they came to know exactly about it¡­. Perhaps that Adventurer¡¯s Guild yesterday? The story leaked out from there and those guys who were standing nearby came to retrieve the sword in time.¡± ¡°So they were staying nearby?¡± ¡°I guess so. I¡¯m sorry for the trouble. Ed, give me that sword.¡± ¡°Y-yes¡± At my Master¡¯s request, I removed the [Dawnbreaker] from my waist by its sheath and handed it to him. Master immediately begins to clean the sword, and the beautiful blade was further polished to be even more beautiful. ¡°Master, what are you going to do now?¡± After the first trial cut, I talked to the master, who was checking the blade in detail. ¡°Hmm? What do you mean?¡± ¡°The sword. Are you going to give it to them?¡± If this was a threat from a thug in town, I could just punch him and be done with it, but if it was an official request from the government, it would be difficult to kick him out. People like me and Tia without any background could handle it, but my Master who has settled in this town would not be able to refuse the request. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll give it.¡± ¡°Well, I see. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ehhhh, ain¡¯t that too easily? Is it really okay, Ed!?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as good or bad. There¡¯s no way we can break through their surveillance¡­and escape with the sword.¡± At Tia¡¯s questioning look, I chuckled and shrugged my shoulders. If I had to say whether or not I could do it, I could easily do it, but if I did, I would be putting both ourselves and my master in a very difficult position. If a person¡¯s life was at stake, we have no choice, but if the master himself does not want to go that far, we can¡¯t. ¡°Yes, but ¡­ but is it okay with you, Dalton-san? I mean, You put all that effort into making this sword for Ed.¡± ¡°Huh? Hey Jo-chan, are you misunderstanding something?¡± ¡°Huh? Misunderstanding?¡± ¡°Yeah, I did say I am going to give them a sword, but I didn¡¯t say it will be the [Dawnbreaker], right?¡± ¡°Huh? Huh!? Wh-What are you talking about! Ah, you mean handing over another sword!?¡± ¡°No, Master, no matter how much you want to, wouldn¡¯t that be immediately obvious?¡± This was the Master¡¯s store, so naturally there were a number of swords struck by him. However, the items sold in the store and the [Dawnbreaker] are too different. We only showed the scabbard, so we could probably cover it up on this occasion, but if they examined it properly later, they would soon find out that the sunshine stone that we had permission to dig out was not used. ¡°The materials used for the swords sold in stores are completely different, aren¡¯t they? Even if it¡¯s your sword¡­¡± ¡°Hey, Ed, don¡¯t you get it? There¡¯s a sword made of the same material.¡± ¡°¡­¡­, N-no way!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I meant.¡± ¡°Eh, what!? Why do you two look like you know something!? Don¡¯t leave me out!¡± ¡°Fufufufu, this is going to be interesting to watch.¡± ¡°Yeah, hehehehe.¡± ¡°There¡¯s that evil face again! Mou! Tell me about it! Hey, Ed!¡± With Tia frantically tugging at my arm, Master and I had wicked smiles on our faces. CH 106 ¡°Well then, okay.¡± ¡°Tsk, just take it.¡± Hauman, with a disgusted smile on his face, took the sword from Master¡¯s hand and left the store. Normally, that would be the end of it, but I fear that won¡¯t be the case. Fortunately or unfortunately, my prediction came true, and three days later at noon¡­. we were eating lunch when we heard a ghastly yell from the store. ¡°What the hell is going on? Come out, Dalton!¡± ¡°What¡­ oh, it¡¯s you. What do you want?¡± I left my half-eaten sandwich on the table and followed my master, where I found Hauman, accompanied by two knights, staring at my master with a red face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you! What the hell is this!?¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to play dumb! What the hell is this shit!¡± With that, He took the sword, given to him a few days ago, from a knight behind him and slammed it on the counter. Considering how it was being treated, it was probably because Howman had come to the conclusion that it was not a valuable item. ¡°How dare you give me a fake sword! Do you take the kingdom of Aktor for a fool!?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one making a fool of me! Why do you say it¡¯s a fake!?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ for two reasons.¡± Howman stared at me as he said this in an angry voice, not hiding his frustration at my Master¡¯s words. ¡°First reason, you bastard went out to test the sword again. We know that you left town with this sword and that man had a sword on his hip that looked just like this one. When I heard that, I rushed to have this sword tested. But what do you think happened? No matter which of our country¡¯s elite knights I put to the test, they could not cut anything properly with this sword! That is the second reason! That means that you have presented me with a fake sword and have hidden the real one for that man to use! Now, tell me!¡± ¡°Haaaaaaaa ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± Seeing Hauman banging on the counter and threatening him, Master let out a long, loud sigh. Then he turned his head toward me and gave me the planned instructions with his mouth in a way that only I could understand. ¡°Hey Ed, draw your sword and hold it at the ready. And that knight over there! Give me your sword.¡± ¡°What? What are you doing¡ª-¡° ¡°You are telling me that the sword I forged is dull? Then why don¡¯t you try it and see which one is better? Now, give it to me.¡± ¡°But ¡­¡­ Hauman-sama?¡± ¡°Fine, give him. Just so you know, we still have other knights posted around the store, okay?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not important .. Ho, it sure is a nice sword. As expected of a state-issued sword.¡± While he picked up the sword on the counter, Master appraised the sword given to him by the knight and muttered to himself. Then, after confirming that I was ready, Master lightly tossed the borrowed sword towards me. ¡°Cut it.¡± ¡°Haaa!¡± I swung down my dark sword at the knight¡¯s sword that was flying in the air. Then, with a hard ¡°kiing¡± sound, the blade of the sword borrowed from the knight was sliced in half. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Eh?¡± ¡°Huh!? M-My Sword!?¡± ¡°So, you still think this sword is shit?¡± Master said with a smug look on his face, but Howman was panicking. ¡°N-No! Yeah!, I heard that the sword is quite sturdy. I just let its firmness get the better of me and you smashed it¡± ¡°Are you an idiot? Putting it aside, if it¡¯s fixed somewhere, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible to break a sword thrown into the air. If you can do such a thing, it¡¯s rather amazing. Hey, knight, how¡¯s that cut?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been cut ¡­ cleanly. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Right? A sword that can cut through steel is a joke?¡± ¡°But when our knights used it¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s just because you¡¯re not good enough. Even the best sword is nothing more than an iron rod if the wielder lacks skill. That¡¯s what I told that Hero when I refused to forge him a sword, you know?¡± Hauman gritted his teeth with a frustrated expression as my master agitated him. But apparently, he still hasn¡¯t given up. ¡°Ggghhh¡­.I get it. I¡¯ll admit that this sword is worthy of being the ¡°Sword Of Hero¡±. But what do you mean there is another one?¡± ¡°Hmm? Isn¡¯t it just one piece? The equivalent of this guy is¡­here.¡± So saying, Master took out two additional swords from the counter. Hauman¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment at the three ¡°Sword Of The Hero¡± lined up on the counter. ¡°Th-three!? Why three!? And they¡¯re all a little different!?¡± ¡°Yeah, their weights differ depending on the user, like its center of gravity. Uh, if you don¡¯t like the one I gave you last time, you can take another one, okay?¡± ¡°What!? Then give me all three!¡± ¡°Are you sure? There are three heroes in this world right now. That¡¯s why there are three of these swords. If you insist on taking them all, I¡¯ll tell the heroes of the other kingdoms when they arrive that the Kingdom of Aktor has taken them all, okay?¡± ¡°Gggggh! But then only our country will be ahead of the rest of the world. ¡­¡± ¡°So, What are you going to do? I don¡¯t have time for this. Decide quickly.¡± In front of Master, who was grinning while urging him on, Hauman was frantically thinking about something as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. After that, the two guards picked up the sword and practiced with it, and in the end, they only took the first sword, which we gave them the first time around, and stood in front of the shop. ¡°Ggghhhh¡­I am sorry for being so disruptive this time. Now, I will take this sword according to our agreement.¡± ¡°Yeah, Take it and get the hell out of here! If you say anything more, I won¡¯t deal with it anymore.¡± ¡°Nghhhh¡­., Excuse me! We¡¯re leaving!¡± ¡°¡±Ha!¡±¡± With a face covered in anger and humiliation different from when he came in, Hauman left the store with the knights in tow. After that, when we saw that the knights¡¯ presence had disappeared cleanly from around the store, we looked at each other and laughed heartily. ¡°Gahhaha! We finally drove them back!¡± ¡°Even so, Master you¡¯re quite a shrewd man, aren¡¯t you? I didn¡¯t expect you to hand over a prototype.¡± ¡°Oi oi, I didn¡¯t tell a single lie, right?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re right.¡± Master said that he would hand over the sword, but he didn¡¯t say that he would hand over the finished product [Dawnbreaker]. When asked by Haumann about the ¡°other sword,¡± he did not mention the finished product, but simply said that there were three swords ¡­. that were equivalent to the one in front of him, i.e., three prototypes. He certainly didn¡¯t lie in any way. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s a prototype, but it cuts perfectly. I was a little nervous, thinking that I might have to secretly help out in case it didn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s a prototype, just because it¡¯s not designed for you body doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s sharp, Ed¡± ¡°If I had to cut a rock turtle with that thing, I¡¯d have a pretty tough time, but I can handle a steel sword,¡± ¡°Hmmm. Eh, but then Ed ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re going to do with that, but I don¡¯t think they can use it properly. But I can¡¯t really say anything for sure.¡± Having shown them by cutting steel in front of their eyes, Hauman and his team know that that sword can really cut. However, it was not possible for them to reproduce that sharpness. Then what they¡¯re going to do to prove that the sword they brought back is real¡­ well, none of my business. ¡°Anyway, thanks to them biting the bait so quickly, the trouble is over! I also showed them that I have more than one sword, so they have no reason to complain if Ed is wearing it from now on! Now, let¡¯s eat and get back to work!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± If Hauman had not accepted the invitation, we would have had to engage in endless and needless trial tests, but we no longer had to worry about that. Now that I could finally devote himself to blacksmithing, I was more enthusiastic than ever. ¡°I¡­ what should I do? Maybe it would be fun to watch Ed work once in a while?¡± ¡°Hm? Don¡¯t you have your work as an adventurer?¡± ¡°..You know this girl I know, the way she looks at me lately is a little scary. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s a bad person, but¡­¡± ¡°O-oh..¡± There are so many things that come to mind that I won¡¯t go into it any further. It was much easier to deal with a government bigwig than it was to deal with people like that. "" ¡°I don¡¯t mind you visiting, but please don¡¯t get in the way, okay? Alright, let¡¯s resume work!¡± Master, with a big mouth full of sandwiches, stood up from his seat in high spirits. Thus, the noisy days of peacefully striking iron have returned to my daily life. CH 107 ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Master was staring at the sword I had forged. I¡¯ve experienced this many times before, but I always get nervous at this moment. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ not bad.¡± ¡°Haaa, another ¡®so-so¡¯ ¡­ hmm?¡± Thinking I had received the same response as usual, I shrugged my shoulders again today and decided to work hard from tomorrow. I was prepared to do so when I heard an unfamiliar word, and my body stiffened. ¡°M-Master!? You said it¡¯s not bad now. ¡­..!.?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not bad at all.¡± ¡°YAYYYYYYYYYYYY!¡± It has been a few months since I graduated from the Iron Sword and started forging Steel Swords. I was so pleased with the recognition I received for the first time that I let out a squeal of joy. I even stood up on the spot and struck a gut-pose with all my might. ¡°Finally! Finally, my master gave me an evaluation other than ¡®so-so¡¯¡­ ah, just to be sure, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s gotten any worse, right?¡± ¡°Yeah! You, Do you not even realize if your skills have improved or not?¡± ¡°No, you see, there is a difference between self-evaluation and other people¡¯s evaluation. You think you¡¯re growing up, but there are things that can go wrong, right?¡± ¡°¡­.Well, yeah.¡± Even if you think you are moving forward, it does not necessarily mean that you are moving in the same direction as the rest of the world. Just a slight tilt of the toe can easily cause the front to turn sideways, and you may even find yourself moving backward. ¡°Relax, your arms have grown properly. Ah, really properly¡­ Just like normal.¡± ¡°Master?¡± Suddenly, Master¡¯s expression clouded over. As I was feeling uneasy because I did not understand the reason for this, he let out a small breath and slowly began to speak. ¡°Hey Ed, do you remember when we first met?¡± ¡°Huh? Yes, of course. I asked you to be my apprentice, and I showed you my sword.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. When I saw that, I thought you were a genius. I was so scared inside that I wondered if such a young guy could forge a sword like this. But, in fact, it seems that the skill of the guy was raised considerably by some strange ability, but even with that, your skill was still quite impressive. If you are 20 years old now, that means you haven¡¯t wielded a hammer for 10 years, right? If you¡¯re that good with a hammer, you¡¯re a genius.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s¨C¡° ¡°But your growth since coming under my supervision has been normal, to say the least. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re a genius who¡¯s stagnating because you can¡¯t break out of your shell, nor is it like you¡¯ve exhausted your talent and you¡¯ve hit the ceiling. It¡¯s the same as a blacksmith who is not blessed with any particular talent, but whose skills grow through honest effort. To be honest, I don¡¯t get it. How did such a person become so skilled at that age? You should have been able to achieve the level of proficiency equivalent to someone who has been swinging the hammer for more than 10 years in just a few years, so why are you only growing normally now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I had no answer to my mentor¡¯s question. The reason for this aws simple: I have spent decades honing my blacksmithing skills, but my body was constantly rewinding to the state of a 20-year-old, but if I were to tell him that truthfully, he would not believe me. Like a child being pointed out for cheating, I gritted my teeth as he pointed out the ¡­ truth, or rather, the truth exactly as it was. Then, perhaps misunderstanding my attitude, he hurried to follow up. ¡°No, I get it. You swing the hammer diligently every day, so you are not at fault in the slightest. If there is anyone at fault it is me. It is my fault for letting you grow to an average level. That means my skills were not good enough to bring out your talent and let you grow to your full potential.¡± ¡°No way!? That is absolutely not true! For me, my master is the best master!¡± Those were undeniably my true feelings. Thanks to my master, I had grown not only in my blacksmithing but also mentally. If I had not met my master here, if I had traveled around the world in the original order, I feel I would have made some fatal mistake. ¡°What my master taught me is a treasure for me! I am grateful to have met you, there is no way that I will ever regret it!¡± ¡°¡­ Che, what are you trying so hard to do! It makes my ass itch!¡± As I desperately appealed to him, he turned his back to me. He was not drinking alcohol, but his cheeks looked a little red, and it was not only because of the furnace. ¡°Hey Ed. What are you going to do now?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°So, are you going to stay here and continue blacksmithing forever? Or are you going to ¡­ somewhere else?¡± ¡°!? Master, How¡­.!?¡± I revealed my surprise at his words. It has already been half a year since I came to this world. So if I could see some kind of growth, I would set off on my journey after that¡­ I had decided that, but I never dreamed that he would be able to see through it. However, seeing my surprise, my master continued to speak with a wry smile saying, ¡°What are you doing now?¡±. ¡°Of course I know that. If I don¡¯t know that much, how can I teach you? I¡¯m your Master , aren¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Master ¡­.! ¡°If you stay here, there are still many things I would like to teach you. Including that strange ability, you could be a blacksmith on par with me in 20 years. But you won¡¯t choose that, will you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Yes.¡± It was a clear word of farewell. A willingness to reject someone who expects more from you. Ah,. I wonder if all the people who expelled me felt this way. Did they send me off, overcoming such feelings? And yet, on the first round, I acted incompetent, betrayed expectations, threw everything away, and was kicked out of the world¡­ I was running away huh. ¡°Haha, I don¡¯t know what to do¡­¡± A self-mocking smile appeared on my face as I instinctively panicked and got down. I¡¯m glad he turned his back on me. I couldn¡¯t let my master see my face like this. But then I feel a gentle tap on my shoulder¡ª!? ¡°Guha!? M-Master, what are you doing!?¡± ¡°Shut up! You deserve to be hit for being such a pussy right now, you know!¡± ¡°Urghh, what¡¯s with that kind of a response ¡­¡­?¡± I was grabbed by the shoulder and forced to lift up my face, and suddenly I was hit by a strong fist on my cheek. I was blown away and my head was spinning, and in front of me was the face of my master, who looked ¡­ annoyed but warm in some way. ¡°There are two kinds of worries: the worry to make a decision or the worry to escape from something. And in my life experience, most of the troubles of the people who look like you now are usually troubles to run away from something. If you¡¯re my disciple, don¡¯t make that face! For youngsters like you, It¡¯s not about what you should have done, it¡¯s about what you¡¯re going to do! Answer me, Ed! What are you going to do now!¡± ¡°I¡­.¡± My cheek was still throbbing in pain from the beating I received with no restraint. It would be easy to heal it with ¡°regenerate,¡± but there is no way I¡¯m letting go of this pain ¡­. Master¡¯s love. ¡°I¡­ want to be a person who doesn¡¯t feel ashamed of those who sent me out.¡± ¡°What, you mean that? Then I¡¯ll be the first. You¡¯re my pride and joy, Ed. You¡¯re my proud disciple.¡± ¡°¡­. Thank you, very much, Master.¡± I stood up slowly and bowed my head deeply and profoundly under the weight of the tears that welled up in my eyes. I couldn¡¯t see the face of my master, who was probably witnessing the most pathetic face of the most pathetic disciple¡­ but I could clearly imagine his shy, sour face in my mind. CH 108 After that, I went about my day normally. I worked and ate normally, laughed at silly things, got slapped on the back,¡­,, the daily routine that had been going on for the past eight months. So three days later. Tia finished up the work she had taken on, and when it was finally time to go on our journey¡­¡­ back to our world, she didn¡¯t do anything special. ¡°See you¡± ¡°Ah, good luck¡±¡­ After an exchange that sounded like we were going shopping, we said goodbye to this world for good. ¡°¡­¡­Whew, We¡¯re back.¡± I opened my eyes to see a familiar white landscape. Tia, who was holding my hand, spoke softly to me. ¡°Hey, Ed, that was pretty easy, is that okay?¡± ¡°Hmm? Yeah, it¡¯s fine. We¡¯ve said our goodbyes.¡± ¡°Yeah. I hope so. ¡­¡­ Fufu¡± ¡°? What?¡± When I tilted my head and asked Tia, who smiled softly, she slowly walked forward with her smile still on her face. ¡°I¡¯m kind of ¡­ jealous. I was really just an afterthought to Ed this time, you know? Dalton-san was nice to me, but we didn¡¯t get to know each other that well, so I thought the relationship between the two of you was great.¡± ¡°I-Is that so? hehehe¡­¡± Tia turned around and said to me, and I scratched my head with a wry smile, feeling somewhat embarrassed. Nooo, while I¡¯m happy, this is really embarrassing, isn¡¯t it? The atmosphere here¡­ Ah, Right. ¡°Hey Tia, can you give me my sword?¡± ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± At my request, Tia used the [Single Bank] to retrieve a single sword from my [Stranger¡¯s Box]. My equipment was restored to its original state when I arrived here, so I couldn¡¯t retrieve it myself since I couldn¡¯t use my banishment skill here. ¡°Here you go.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I received the sword, put it on my waist, pulled it out of its scabbard, and held it up in front of me. The dawn that was born in a world that had been completely white was so beautiful that it awakened the eyes. ¡°Really, it¡¯s a beautiful sword. ¡­ Oh, by the way, you said before you were going to do some blacksmithing here, are you going to do that?¡¯ ¡°Uh,¡­. no, that¡¯s on hold for a while.¡± When I left this place, I was certainly full of motivation. However, now that I have met my master again and have been shown how inexperienced I am, I don¡¯t think I could make a sword more powerful than this no matter how much time I spend on it. ¡°I¡¯m going to go around the world more, collect materials and stuff ¡­.and then we¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°Really? So you won¡¯t even practice here?¡± ¡°Practice ¡­.?¡± Tia¡¯s words make my head go blank for a moment. Practice ¡­. practice? Well, it¡¯s not just to make the best swords that I do blacksmithing. Isn¡¯t it normal to train here to improve my blacksmithing skills? Or rather, there¡¯s no other world like the 048th world where I could devote yourself to blacksmithing, so I guess I have to practice here? ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry, Tia. I withdraw my previous statement. Do you mind if I do some blacksmithing? ¡± ¡°Why are you being so servile all of a sudden! Of course it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve already bought all the furniture and stuff while I was working.¡± Tia, smiling, took out beds and other things one after another from the black holes in the space. I hurriedly helped her, and in no time at all, a luxurious and comfortable living space appeared in a corner of the white space. ¡°How is it? It looks pretty good, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good, but ¡­ you bought a lot of stuff. Furniture was not cheap. Or rather, good quality furniture was clearly expensive, at least not the kind of furniture that Tia, a new adventurer by background if not by ability, could afford to buy with her earnings. She probably purchased them from the money she had earned in the past. ¡°I didn¡¯t know how long you would be in this world, so I thought I¡¯d just prepare everything I could think of. You know, I bought some tasty preserved food, too.¡± ¡°Oh!?¡± I unintentionally raised my voice at Tia who nibbled on the dried meat with a nice color. Ah, this is¡­ well, it¡¯s still okay, but¡­ ¡°Eh, what? There¡¯s also your share, you know?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I mean, ¡­. I told you this world doesn¡¯t make you hungry or sleepy, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, I know that. But if we¡¯re going to spend a long time here, it¡¯s easier to lie around and eat good food and¨C¡° ¡°Wait, wait, wait, hear me out. If you¡¯re not hungry, that means, for lack of a better word, that your organs aren¡¯t working or maybe something like that, right? What do you think will happen if you eat something in that state?¡± (T/N: Okay This is a good question) ¡°Eh¡­.?¡± At my words, Tia looked at the dried meat in her hand with a surprised expression, then rubbed her own stomach. ¡°Does that mean the food I eat will stay in my stomach forever?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never tried it because I couldn¡¯t use my banishment skill here. It¡¯s possible that since it¡¯s such a strange place to begin with, it doesn¡¯t matter how much we eat¡­but if the food we eat stays in our stomachs, if we eat at our usual rate, we¡¯ll be full of food in no time, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The dried meat slowly left Tia¡¯s mouth. Her complexion is obviously pale ¡­ Oh, but I must add an additional explanation for my even more heartless prediction. ¡°Well, there is a possibility that the amount of food you eat is digested normally! But in that case, in this world, it probably won¡¯t return to the soil, so it might stay there forever. ¡­.After that, it could be that the moment you land on the next world, you start throwing it all at once. In that case, it would be like a jab, or a bang, or something like that, at the moment you transfer to the other side¨D¨D¡± ¡°I won¡¯t eat! I will never eat or drink anything!¡± Tia shot dried meat at the black hole in the space with the force of a smack. I was used to that kind of problem when I was a mercenary or an adventurer, but that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t have a sense of shame, so I guess it¡¯s a reasonable decision. ¡°Hahaha, I think that¡¯s wise. Then, let¡¯s set up the furnace right away¡­ well, before that, let¡¯s check over there first.¡± With Tia looking sullen and pouty, I walked toward the white table that had been there since the beginning. There, again, a new book appeared, and after confirming the presence of Tia, who had arrived at some point and was peering at me from behind, I slowly turned the pages. There we read the journey of my teacher. The contents of the book, however, were all about how he was devoted to blacksmithing, which was very different from the [Result Books] we have been reading up until now. I was fascinated by reading it, but when I looked to the side, I saw that Tia had her eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Hmm, I know he¡¯s been working very hard, but I honestly don¡¯t understand how he¡¯s improved his blacksmithing skills, even if it¡¯s written so meticulously ¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s almost a technical book. It¡¯s hard to read this unless you¡¯re experienced. All right, let¡¯s skip a little.¡± Since it was not something that could be read only once, I skimmed through the page. Then, in no time at all, I was at the last chapter of the book, which was quite thick. ¨CThe final chapter ¡°Sword Of The Hero.¡± in the 006th World {Records Of the Hero¡¯s Story} Thirty years after his apprentice left his nest, Dalton, the hero blacksmith, put everything he had into the forging of a sword. He named the sword [Twilight, Sword Of Dusk] and retired as a blacksmith. He died of old age at the age of 143, an average lifespan for a member of the mining tribe. With the death of the great blacksmith, the battle for [Twilight] intensified. The [Test of the Sword] a test left behind by Dalton, which until then had only been allowed to be attempted by Heroes recognized by the countries, was now open to all, and people from all over the world came forward to challenge it, but none of them were able to do it. Three hundred years have passed since then. The former master craftsman had become a legend, and the [Twilight] was enshrined in a shrine built in the town, as it had become a tourist attraction and no one challenged the [Test Of The Sword] except during the annual festival. Some experts speculate that ¡°By imposing a trial that cannot be achieved, Dalton may have wanted to convey the message that we should not easily challenge the Demon Lord and threaten the current peace.¡± While that was becoming commonplace, a certain girl finally completed the [Test Of The Sword]. While the whole world was in an uproar, a young girl set out on a journey to defeat the Demon Lord alone, holding the [Twilight] which did not have a trace of rust on it. It is said that she carried a sword similar to [Twilight] on her back. CH 109 ¡°I, see¡­¡± I muttered as I finished reading my master¡¯s {Records Of The Hero¡¯s Story}. There were a few unpleasant developments in the middle of the story, but if this is the end, it is safe to say that Master was rewarded. If I was allowed to be greedy, I would like to know even if my Master¡¯s sword really defeated the Demon Lord. but this was only the heroic tale of My master¡¯s ¡­¡­ the Blacksmith Hero. It was inevitable that the best sword would end up in the hands of the right person, so it was an unattainable luxury. ¡°I wonder who the girl at the end is? It¡¯s also strange that she has a sword that looks like the hero¡¯s sword.¡± ¡°Hmm, if we¡¯re told that a girl appeared in the world where we haven¡¯t spent even a year, 300 years later, it¡¯s hard to imagine. Besides, I don¡¯t even know what kind of sword is [Twilight], let alone something resembling it.¡± ¡°From the name, it looks like your sword, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Tia¡¯s gaze turned to my waist as she said this. Certainly, going by their names [Dawnbreaker, the Sword of Dawn] and [Twilight, the Sword of Dusk], there seems to be a connection. ¡°It¡¯s possible that [Twilight] is a further upgraded version of my [Dawnbreaker] but if that¡¯s the case¡­. then maybe it¡¯s the word that we gave to the Hero of the Kingdome Of Aktor?¡± That sword was probably treasured as a sword similar to [Twilight], so perhaps this girl who has it was a princess from other country, or a descendant of the Hero from that time¡­.? ¡°¡­ Not possible. There are too many things I don¡¯t understand, like the world after 300 years. Well, let¡¯s just be happy that master¡¯s will didn¡¯t end up being twisted into a shitty interpretation.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Then, What are you going to do now?¡± ¡°You read what I read, and now I want to build a furnace for blacksmithing. So, I¡¯m sorry, but can you help me?¡± ¡°Of course! Do you want me to get your equipment out for you?¡¡Or will you do it yourself?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather do it myself¡± ¡°Okay.¡± At my words, Tia went to the bed she had just set up and lay down, and she held out her hand to me in the elegant manner of a noble young lady. ¡°Come on¡± ¡°Alright¡± I grabbed her hand reverently and the strength drained from Tia¡¯s arm. As I gently put her slumped hand back on the bed, I heard Tia¡¯s voice inside me. [You¡¯ve been very courteous to me, haven¡¯t you? Great, great.] ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?''¡± [Don¡¯t play tricks on me just because I can¡¯t move, okay?] ¡°I won¡¯t!? No, I¡¯ll do it if you want¡­ Do you want me to draw something on your forehead?¡± [If you do that, I¡¯ll sing loudly and continuously, you know?] ¡°¡­I¡¯d hate that.¡± While chatting idly, I put my hand into the [Stranger Box] which opened without any problem, and took out the contents one after another. First of all, of course, the iron furnace, which was the center of everything. Due to legal problems, I couldn¡¯t buy a new one, but I found a used one in good condition, so I took it out on the floor. Next was a large quantity of bricks to surround the furnace. The bricks made by miners, not dwarves ¡­, have a much higher heat resistance than those used in general construction, so you can actually make a rather good furnace just by assembling these bricks. Well, in this case, I was only going to use them as they are supposed to be used to avoid burns and to increase the thermal efficiency of the furnace. After taking out a set of other blacksmithing tools, such as an anvil, I grimly turned my shoulders and walked toward the bed again. There, I took Tia¡¯s hand, and Tia, whose body shook with a jerk, slowly opened her eyes and let out a small exhale. ¡°..Fu~ Are you done?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got what I need for now. I¡¯ll take care of the rest of the assembly, so you can get some rest, Tia¡± ¡°I just slept, so I¡¯m not tired enough to rest, but¡­ Ah, that¡¯s right.¡± Tia jumped up and walked over to the table where we had been, and placed her hand on the crystal ball that was glowing on it. Then she returned and seemed to be in a good mood. ¡°Oh, did you get any good skills?¡± ¡°Fufufu, secret!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a secret again¡­ You didn¡¯t tell me the last time either, you know? Is that still a secret?¡± ¡°Ara, you didn¡¯t notice? I¡¯ve already used that one, and I¡¯m sure you have felt it, too.¡± ¡°Huh!? That¡¯s a lie, When did that happen!?¡± I have no recollection of Tia doing anything special or me doing anything special. I was surprised and Tia gave me a mischievous smile and poked me on the cheek. ¡°Oh well, I put in a lot of effort for nothing.¡± ¡°Effort!? Gghh, I¡¯m sorry ¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. The last one I got is called ¡®A Pinch of Love Cookpot] and it says that when I cook a home-cooked meal, the flavor improves according to how much I like the person I¡¯m cooking for.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Certainly, among the lunches that Tia brought, there was a homemade dish that she mixed in with it. It tasted delicious as usual, but¡­ I don¡¯t remember it being particularly delicious. ¡°Eh, maybe you don¡¯t like me that much¡­?¡± ¡°What makes you think that! I don¡¯t know the details, but seeing your reaction, it seems like it won¡¯t become especially tasty and go beyond if it¡¯s cooked normally with normal ingredients.¡± ¡°Eh? Then what is the use?¡± ¡°You know, when we went to test out your sword, you praised the soup I made in the camp for being delicious, right? Actually, it was just a simple soup made from rehydrated dried meat.¡± ¡°Huh!?¡± Those words reminded me of the taste of the soup I drank that day. It wasn¡¯t amazingly good, but it was pretty tasty for a camping soup. I thought Tia had put a lot of time and effort into it, using lots of spices and stuff. ¡­ ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s a skill that raises the lower limit, not the upper limit.¡± I guess the point was not to make complex food taste better, but to make even the most basic of dishes taste better. For those of us who spend a lot of time out of town, with exceptions like this one, this is a pretty useful skill. ¡°From what I¡¯ve tried, it looks like you¡¯re right. Good for you, Ed, from now on you won¡¯t have to eat the not-so-delicious food when we¡¯re encamped.¡± ¡°I¡¯m honestly grateful for that¡­ Hmm? But then what about Tia herself?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. Because I like myself!¡± ¡°Ah,¡­, that¡¯s good to hear.¡± Well, is it also affected by the creator¡¯s liking of themselves? ¡­. Then it seems that Tia herself wouldn¡¯t feel bad no matter what she eats. ¡°Hey Ed, did you just make fun of me a little bit by any chance?¡± No, I didn¡¯t! I just thought it was great that you could be so straightforward and self-loving.¡± ¡°Really? If you hate yourself, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll have any fun every day.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± If everyone could truly love themselves, the world would probably be a much happier place than it is now. ¡­ I can¡¯t judge whether that would be good or bad, and to be honest, I was not particularly interested in it. If my partner in front of me was smiling happily every day, that fact alone was enough for me. ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll just go ahead and assemble these.¡± ¡°Now that I¡¯m back in shape, do you want me to help you?¡± ¡°Nah, It¡¯s a bit of a technical job.¡± ¡°I see. Then maybe I¡¯ll just enjoy the softness of the bed for a while longer.¡± Smiling at Tia, who buried her face in her pillow, I checked the materials I had taken out again before piling bricks around the furnace. The process of joining the bricks, which were different from ordinary bricks and whitish in color, with special clay was a simple but important process. Place bricks. Apply clay. Place bricks. Apply clay. Pile bricks on top of each other. Apply clay. Put the bricks on ¡­.? ¡°What is this?¡± Suddenly, I felt a knock and a light touch on my finger, not unlike a brick. I grabbed it and brought it in front of my face, and what I found in my hand was a blood-red jewel the size of an adult¡¯s index finger. CH 110 Shining in my hand was a red jewel that I don¡¯t remember taking out. Although I was puzzled by its obviously out-of-place presence, I had no doubt that it had been in my [Stranger¡¯s Box]. That¡¯s right. In most worlds, language and money were still usable, but in worlds where barter was preferable, or to prove that I have a lot of money, I have a number of precious metals and gems tucked away in my [Stranger¡¯s Box]. Moreover, this gem looked vaguely familiar, so I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s not something that Tia, who recently learned [Single Bank] put in there, but something I bought in some other world. How it ended up rolling around here, I wonder, ¡­¡­ did it get caught in a brick or something? ¡°Oh well. Hey Tia ¡­.¡± It¡¯s a reasonably sized gem, so it would be a shame to leave it lying around and lose or destroy it. Then I turned around to quickly put it away in the [Stranger¡¯s Box] and I hastily stopped myself from saying anything when I saw Tia sleeping peacefully. Well, even if you don¡¯t get sleepy, it doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t sleep. ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll probably have to keep Tia here for my own reasons, so it¡¯s simply good news that he has so many ways to pass the time. ¡°If that¡¯s the way it¡¯s going to be, I guess I¡¯ll do it as quietly as possible.¡± I shoved the jewelry in my hand into the bag at my waist and resumed bricklaying. After spending about an hour preparing the furnace, the next step was refining. This time, however, refining was in name only, and the purchased iron ingots were directly melted down for use. If one is concerned about quality, one should do it oneself from the ore refining stage, but ingots bought in miner¡¯s towns were usually of high quality, so ¡­. it¡¯s rather better to use this one if I don¡¯t use [Master Smith]¡­. as it is. ¡°Fufufu, it¡¯s in good shape.¡± After checking for heat leakage and melting of the steel, I nodded in satisfaction. From here on, it¡¯s the forging process, so it won¡¯t exactly be quiet. ¡­ Is it better to wake her up beforehand rather than startle her with a big noise? ¡°Hey Tia, wake up¡± "" ¡°Unn,¡­, Ed. Good morning.¡± ¡°Good morning ¡­¡­, Well, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s morning or not.¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh, yeah.¡± Tia¡¯s face, which had been sleepy for a moment, quickly cleared up. The ears, which had been drooping slightly, were now stretched out, a sign that she was fully awake. ¡°Wow, it feels strange¡­..I was not particularly sleepy, but when I lay down and closed my eyes, I fell asleep, and the moment I realized that I was awake, I lost all sleepiness.¡± ¡°Heh, that¡¯s how it feels. Besides, I¡¯m going to start forging now, so it¡¯s going to be a little noisy.¡± ¡°Nah, it¡¯s fine. Good luck.¡± ¡°Ye!¡± Turning my face back from Tia, who was sitting on the bed, smiling and waving, I switched my attention to the forge and began to work. I haven¡¯t used [One Heart Engage] so all I had now was this one arm that I trained under my ¡­ master. Then that is exactly what I will do with all my strength. I read the flames, faced the iron, swung the hammer, and questioned my five senses and experience about what [Master Smith] would tell me if I used it. I identified the slight errors I made, that would not have occurred if I had used my skills, and swung the hammer down with more skill and force than before in order to return it to its proper alignment. Hit, Fix, Alter, Pile, and finally, when it was all finished, Tia¡¯s voice came from behind me. ¡°Are you done?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. What do you think?¡± Looking back at Tia with the newly made sword in my hand, Tia, who was staring hard, tilted her head slightly and said. ¡°Hmm¡­ normal?¡± ¡°Hahaha, right?¡± I chuckled at her honest impression. Yeah, I guess that¡¯s it. This is my real skill. Of course, if I were to start with proper preparation, I could make a better sword than this, but I was still a long way from being a real blacksmith like my master. But that¡¯s okay. It was enough for now that I was able to strike a sword that was neither excessively praised nor mercilessly dismissed, and that someone ¡­ would pay for and judge it worthy of entrusting their lives to it for a fee. ¡°Oooh, now that I¡¯ve got some closure on things, it¡¯s time to move on!¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re done? I¡¯m still fine, okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not very good to get too deep all of a sudden, and this is, well, it¡¯s like a ¡­ break.¡± My Master¡¯s teachings were firmly alive in me. The sword I forged was a good sword, if not a great one. It was a great confirmation of this, but I was a little short-handed to continue. ¡°Maybe I should get the right minerals and ores before I continue forging. I want a little more practice.¡± My [Stranger Box] contains dark night stones and sunshine stones given to me by my master, as well as pure mithril lumps that I obtained in the first world. However, it was difficult to purchase large quantities of metal. If the quantity bought did not match the quantity made, the government would suspect that I was smuggling weapons, so I could not do anything reckless in the previous world. It was possible to buy new armor and immediately melt it down and turn it into material as a subterfuge, but this was an insult to the craftsmen who made them and I would not want to do it unless I was in a situation where I had to. ¡°Whether it¡¯s a noble or an outlaw, as long as I get a hero it should be resolved nicely.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a great choice. ¡­ I¡¯m not saying never, but don¡¯t do anything too reckless, okay?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I¡¯m not going to do anything reckless. We¡¯ve been through this before, haven¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡± I¡¯m not going to do anything that would make my master or the guys I¡¯ve met so far embarrassed, and I¡¯m not going to do anything that would make Tia sad. We may get a little bit of attention from the state authorities, but I¡¯m not going to do anything wrong, just something suspicious that would draw their attention. ¡°So, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes yes. Ah, my dear Bed-chan. Please wait until my next return.¡± I stood in front of the next door, hand in hand with Tia, smiling as she left the bed regretfully. We put our hands on the knob of the door, which was inscribed with the number 007, and it turned around without any resistance. ¡°If you¡¯re that reluctant to leave, how about we go get some more sleep before we go?¡± ¡°Ugh. ¡­¡­ that¡¯s a tempting suggestion, but I¡¯m afraid it would make it less special. Since I¡¯ve just bought a luxury bed, I¡¯d like to look forward to enjoying it for a longer time.¡± ¡°I see. Surely a bed where you only sleep once every six months is pretty special.¡± ¡°Right! I¡¯m a genius after all, to be able to look forward to going to the next world and coming back from it!¡± ¡°Yes. Tia is a genius.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I feel like I¡¯m being made fun of again, just a little bit.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just your imagination.¡± Our bodies disappeared behind the glowing door as we exchanged idle chit-chat. Now, let¡¯s see which world will be the next one, and hope for Tia-sense¡¯s great luck¡­..Ah, I¡¯ve opened it¡­. CH 111 ¨CWorld transfer complete. ¡°Ho!¡± I landed in the new world as usual and immediately checked my surroundings. It was noon, and there was no sign of anyone but us on the open plain. ¡°What is that!?¡± Tia put my inner surprise straight into words. What was in sight was an extremely large town, and beyond the towering chalk walls stood a huge statue of a man soaring to the heavens. ¡°A big stone statue? How did they carve something that big?¡± ¡°Ah, they say it was a miraculous work of God.¡± ¡°God?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. In response to the prayers of believers, God sent down stone pillars from the heavens and carved them into the shape of himself by a rain of thunder. Therefore, there is only that one statue of God in this world, and the place where it stands is the Holy Land, and the place that surrounds it is revered as the Holy City. ¡­ was it? Of course, it¡¯s a myth, so I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true or not.¡± ¡°I see. But you remembered right away this time, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s because it¡¯s just that distinctive.¡± A 300-meter tall statue of a man ¡­ or rather a god, with a rich beard, dressed in some kind of fluttery clothes, holding a book in his left hand and a thunderbolt in his right hand. There was only one world in my memory that had such a thing. This is the 086th world¡­ I see that person¡¯s world. ¡°Hey Ed. If you remember, can I ask you about this world? Or do you feel like it¡¯s better if I don¡¯t know this time either?¡± ¡°No, it shouldn¡¯t be like that in particular. It¡¯s quite a distance to the town, so we¡¯ll talk while walking.¡± As I stepped out to lead Tia, I slowly told her about this world. ¡°Well¡­ first of all, we¡¯re heading to the Holy City of Arlene, the largest religion in the world. And we¡¯ll meet the Saint there.¡± ¡°A saint? Not the Hero?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a difference in terminology. We may call her a hero, but in this world she is called a saint. Well, that¡¯s all there is to it, so if we just join the saint¡¯s party and go with them on their journey to defeat the Demon Lord, we¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Hee, it¡¯s easy to understand this time. Then I can play an active part!¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯m counting on you.¡± In fact, there aws nothing difficult this time. In fact, the first time around, I also sold myself as a scout who could play vanguard and was recognized for my abilities in a very ordinary way and was able to join the saint¡¯s party, not the hero ¡­. I was able to do so, but ¡­ ¡°? Ed, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Tia looked into my face from the side as my expression clouded as I recalled the past. The innocent look on her face made my chest darken with self-loathing even more. ¡°Ah, no. Just Tthe way I was banished back then. ¡­¡­¡± Seeing and talking to my mentor again made me realize exactly how badly I¡¯d done things. Seeing and talking to my master again made me realize exactly how badly I¡¯ve done things. But if I have to do the same thing, I can¡¯t afford not to explain it to Tia. Showing competence to make people trust you and hiding competence to make them lose trust in you. As I talked about this self-serving exchange with self-mockery, Tia, who had finished listening to everything, began to think with a difficult look on her face. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Tia? Did anything bother you other than the fact that I¡¯m a helpless piece of shit?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that! No, there¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You know. If it¡¯s absolutely necessary to be ¡®banished¡¯, Ed¡¯s way of doing things¡­ I wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s good, but I think it can¡¯t be helped. But at least as long as I¡¯ve been touring the world with you, we didn¡¯t have to be banished so harshly, right? I mean, it was just a normal goodbye, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ eh?¡± Tia¡¯s words made my mind go blank. It¡¯s not right, it¡¯s not right. No, it can¡¯t be. ¡­. that? In the first round, it was always a cold stare directed at me as I left the world. Throwing out the incompetent, kicking out the useless. I received apologetic looks, sympathy and pity, but none of the Heroes ¡°banished¡± me with a smile. But what about the second time around? With the exception of the very first world, Alexis¡¯ world, didn¡¯t everyone after that send me off with a smile on their faces? Waffle kicked me out? Dumped out by Rebecca?¡¡By Miguel, by Toby, and by my Master¡­.!? ¡°GRGHHHHHH!???!!?¡± ¡°ED!?¡± Suddenly, an excruciating headache hit me. Ouch, ouch! The pain was so intense that I thought my head was physically cracking, and I collapsed on the spot, sprawling on the ground. ¡°ED! ED! What should I do, medicine¡­but there¡¯s no injury¡­!?¡± It hurts, it hurts. No, don¡¯t think any more. Let go of your thoughts, cast off your doubts! Don¡¯t think, don¡¯t think! Forget, and don¡¯t forget. What¡¯s in front of me is always¨C ******* ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Tia?¡± ¡°Ed! Ed!¡± From the other side of my hazy consciousness, my will catched up with me. I looked up vaguely and saw Tia¡¯s face, her jade green eyes filled with tears. ¡°Oi oi, what are you crying for?¡± I lifted my languid arms and reached for Tia¡¯s cheek. I wiped the tears away with my thumb, and Tia hugged my head tightly. ¡°W-Wha!?¡± ¡°What you ask! You suddenly screamed and passed out!? D-Did you know how worried I was¡­..¡± ¡°Ah¡­I¡¯m sorry¡± Given my current position, it seemed that I was lying on my back with my head being held by her. I put strength into my back muscles to support myself, and I extended my hand, which had been touching Tia¡¯s cheek a little more, and gently stroked her head. Then, after Tia had calmed down and released my head from her arms, I stood up on my own. ¡°Hey, Ed!? Standing up suddenly like that¨D¨D¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s really nothing. I mean, what was it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line, isn¡¯t it! Hey, are you sure you¡¯re okay? Aren¡¯t you pushing yourself?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Look, this way!¡± When I moved my body, my rewound 20-year-old body moved very smoothly. Well, it¡¯s great to be young, isn¡¯t it? No, physically, I¡¯ll always be the same age I am now. ¡°I mean, Right! Hey Tia, how long have I been asleep?¡± ¡°Huh!? Let¡¯s see, ¡­ maybe not more than ten minutes. ¡­.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s no problem at all. However, if we take too long, the saint will go on a trip, so let¡¯s go to the town soon.¡± ¡°Okay, but¡­¡­ you¡¯re sure you¡¯re okay with it?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± Tia looked straight at me, and I looked straight back at her and nodded with a smile. In fact, my head felt clear, and I didn¡¯t feel sick. If I had to say, the unexplained headache itself was a cause for concern, but since I don¡¯t know the cause, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. ¡°Well, Okay., Even if it¡¯s not alright, the townspeople will be able to deal with it¡­ all right, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Ye!¡± I cheerfully replied to Tia, who was still looking slightly doubtful, and we proceeded on our way to the Holy City. Well, this time I thought we were off to a smooth start¡ª ¡°Stay here and be quiet!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­How did this happen?¡± In the dark, cold iron bars, I was left with a headache of a different kind. (T/N: Happy New Year Folks) CH 112 ¡°It¡¯s strange, How did this happen?¡± Cold stone walls surrounded me on three sides and sturdy iron bars in front of me. Lying on a hard bed, looking up at the sky through a small window, I was troubled by the absurdity that had befallen me. It¡¯s no surprise, but being thrown in jail like this was not the way it was supposed to be. So why was this happening? ¡­¡­ It all started when we arrived at the gates of the Holy City. ****** ¡°There¡¯s a lot of people here.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s a big town.¡± At the entrance to the Holy City, we saw a line of people waiting to be screened to enter the city. As the Holy City of the world¡¯s largest religion, it was not surprising to see a line of about 30 people waiting to enter the city, as it was visited by a large number of people every day. And the guards inspecting them were also accustomed to this process. The line was smoothly handled without any problems, and soon it was our turn. ¡°Next person. Present your name and ID.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Ed and this is Tia. Neither of us has any identification.¡± ¡°No ID? You look like a traveling mercenary to me.¡± ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯m doing an imitation, but I haven¡¯t registered. I was told that I had no talent, but even so, I couldn¡¯t give up on my dream of becoming a priest of the Arlene religion someday¡­ ¡± ¡°Hmm, I see.¡± As I said this with a wry smile, the man at the guard¡¯s side scribbled something down in a ledger book he kept on the side. Probably my name and a brief description of my face was being recorded. Incidentally, traveling mercenaries were almost the same as so-called adventurers, but the reason why not registering as a traveling mercenary was related to the priest¡¯s dream was because there was a rule that a person could not become a priest if they were engaged in a profession related to combat, such as a traveling mercenary or a guard. If I were to go into why such a rule exists, it seems to be a complicated situation involving doctrines and interests, but I don¡¯t have a complete grasp of the situation. Anyway, it was enough to know that a person is not allowed to take up such jobs if they are involved in the Arlene cult not only as a believer but also as a follower of God. ¡°Certainly, putting aside the girl with you, at your age¡­no, but at that level, is there still hope? I understand what¡¯s going on. Now let me examine your belongings one last time.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Since there was nothing suspicious, both Tia and I went through the physical examination with an open mind. Then the inspection was over without incident, and we thought we could enter the town ¡­.. Uoooooooooo!!!! ¡°Woah!? W-What!?¡± The moment I stepped over the white line drawn under my feet, there was a tremendous sound and a red light lit up around me. As I scurried about in my haste, nearly 10 guards immediately came and thrust their swords at me. ¡°Don¡¯t move! Stay where you are!¡± ¡°H-Huh?¡± ¡°Ed!? What are you people¡ª¡° ¡°W-Wait, Tia! It¡¯s all right. Just stay put. Okay?¡± ¡°U-Uh-huh. If Ed says so. ¡­.¡± Tia was about to go berserk when she saw swords pointed at me, but I tried my best to talk her out of it. I have no idea what¡¯s going on, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s a bad idea to lash out against the guards. But how did this happen? ¡°Um, what the hell¡­..?¡± ¡°Shut up! You bastard, You¡¯re showing signs of contaminated magic! Let me examine you again in detail!¡± ¡°Contaminated magic?¡± ¡°Just put your hands above your head and don¡¯t move! If you try to resist, I¡¯ll have you killed!¡± ¡°U-Understood¡­¡± I had invoked [Invincible] just in case, so my body would not be harmed even if I were to be cut down to pieces right here and now, but that assured my safety, not my innocence. My body was more carefully examined than before, and the bag on my waist was removed, and all of its contents were taken out onto the table. A wallet full of silver coins, preserves, knives, and other familiar travel items were laid out in a narrow space,¡­.Ah. ¡°This!? Oi you, what¡¯s this!?¡± ¡°Umm, that¡¯s ¡­¡­.¡± The guard man pointed to a red jewel about the size of an adult¡¯s index finger. Which reminds me, I had forgotten to ask Tia to put it away,¡­ ¡°What should I say, Jewelry?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t screw with me! There¡¯s a tremendous amount of contaminated magical reactions coming from this stone! There¡¯s no way this is just a gemstone!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what they told me. ¡­¡­¡± As for me, it was really just a gem, so I had no way to answer if they said it shouldn¡¯t be here. However, Tia, who was also being held against me with a sword, looked at the jewel and made a startled expression. ¡°Huh!? Why are you holding that, Ed!?¡± ¡°Eh? Does Tia recognize this?¡± ¡°What are you talking about!? You were the one watching it! Look, It¡¯s Toby¡¯s!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Haa?¡± At Tia¡¯s words, I dredged up the events of nearly a year ago, from my perspective, from my memory, and finally remembered. This looks just like the [Heart of the Demon Lord] that we were working on sealing at the time. ¡°¡­Huh? Why is that thing here? Maybe¡­.You brought it with you, Tia?¡± "" ¡°Of course not!¡± ¡°Gughhh ¡­¡­.¡± She yelled at me rather seriously, and I subtly choked up. But seriously, if Tia didn¡¯t bring it, how did this thing end up in my bag? No, I put it in my bag, but why was it in the [Stranger Box] before that? ¡°Oi, you bastard, You know what this is, right! Tell me, what is this!?¡± ¡°Uh, ¡­¡­¡­¡­, no, it¡¯s ¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± Now that I knew the answer, I frantically swept my gaze over the stone and pondered. There was no way I could honestly say that the stone looked just like the gem that contained the power of the Demon Lord of another world. Or rather, if the contaminated magic power has been detected, then there was still something in it¡­if not the power of the Demon Lord. If such a thing were to be brought into the Holy City, there was even a possibility of public execution in front of the statue of God, no joke. Why is this happening? Did I unknowingly invoke [Copy and Fake]? And even then, since it only looks exactly like it, it can¡¯t emit any contaminated magic. ¡­.? ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of this. Hey, take these guys to the jail in the back! Separately, of course!¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Following the guard man¡¯s words, the other guards put me and Tia in shackles. Tia appealed to me with her eyes, but my only answer was to shake my head. ¡­ I couldn¡¯t see a future where things would get better if I resisted and ran away at this point. ****** ¡°¡­..,So here we are.¡± The bag on my waist, as well as the [Dawnbreaker] just entrusted to me by my master, have been taken away, and I was spending a quiet night in jail. I had already removed my shackles, so I was able to secretly use the [Akashic Compass] to confirm that Tia was safe, but it seems that at least she was not in this cell block. ¡°Hmm, what should I do¡­?¡± I thought to myself as I gazed at the white crescent moon in the night sky. If I was the only one to get out, I could easily do so by using the [Mirage Shift] banishment skill. But, I have no intention of leaving my luggage¡­ at least the [Dawnbreaker], and I have even less intention of leaving the Tia alone. But the chances of us getting out of here quietly were even slimmer. A little research would quickly reveal that we had no history prior to coming here, and the fact that I had the [Heart of the Demon Lord] in my possession was irrefutable. A suspicious person with an unknown background who brought in a dangerous object would either be executed immediately or tortured and executed. If I had to say which, it would probably be the latter. Worst case scenario, I¡¯d go berserk? But then it would be hopeless to join the Hero¡¯s Party, and We¡¯d be stuck in this world. Still, it¡¯s better than dying, but burying my bones in this world as a wanted criminal was also ¡­. Hmmm. ¡°This way?¡± ¡°Yes! That¡¯s right!¡± And while I was thinking, I heard the voice of a strangely nervous guard and a woman¡¯s voice that gave me the impression of being somewhat cold. The two footsteps gradually approached me and ¡­. ¡°You are ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± An iron cage dividing our positions. Looking across it, I saw a woman a little older than me, with flowing golden hair and a white vestment covering her voluptuous body. ¡°Nice to meet you. I am Riel.¡± Saint Riel smiled at me as if she were a close friend. CH 113 ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Could you please leave me alone with this gentleman?¡± ¡°Heh!? No, it¡¯s ¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Ara, is there a problem? I¡¯m not even trying to enter the prison, and above all¨D¨D¡± To the guard¡¯s dismay at the sudden request, Riel flashed him a chilling smile. ¡°Do you think it is possible that I could be harmed by him?¡± It was absolute confidence. An unshakable fact. To doubt the power of the saint was to doubt the will of God, and the guard who was asked that question became speechless as if overwhelmed,¡­ and then, eventually, he became tired and conceded, ¡°I understand. I will be standing by the door, so if you need me, please let me know. I can¡¯t hear you talking, but if you shout, I¡¯ll be able to reach you.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The guard left the place after being seen off by Reil, who bowed. When I confirmed that the figure had disappeared behind the door, Reil spoke to me once again. ¡°I apologize for keeping you waiting. Let me introduce myself again. My name is Reil. I am known in this world as a Saint.¡± ¡°Quite Polite. My name is Ed. I¡¯m imitating a traveling mercenary, but I¡¯m not registered.¡± ¡°Yes, I have heard reports. I understand you are interested in becoming a priest of Arlene?¡± "" ¡°Yes, I am.¡± ¡°If so, this is perhaps fate. If all goes well, I will see to it that Ed-san¡¯s talent as a priest is recognized.¡± ¡°Oh, that would be an honor. Thank you very much.¡± ¡°No, no, that¡¯s fine. It is the mission of those who serve God to guide those who wish to serve Him. So for that purpose, let¡¯s get the troublesome things out of the way first.¡± With these words, Reil took out the gem from the pocket of her vestments and showed it to me. ¡°I¡¯ll be blunt, What is this? Where in the world did you get this?¡± ¡°I have already answered the guard, but I will repeat my response again. To me, it is just a piece of jewelry to be exchanged for cash. And if you ask me where I got it, ¡­. I don¡¯t know either.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know? How is that possible?¡± I shook my head helplessly and continued to speak. ¡°I can understand why people would be suspicious. After all, it is a gem that could be sold for a very high price. But really ¡­ really, before I knew it, it was in my hands. It¡¯s a very troublesome thing from what I hear, so I can imagine the possibility that someone shoved it into my bag, but whatever the case, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that I don¡¯t know anything about it myself.¡± ¡°Well, I see ¡­. you certainly haven¡¯t told a lie.¡± ¡°Oh, you can tell when someone is lying?¡± ¡°Fufufu, I am a saint, so I can tell if someone is lying,¡­., or if they are deliberately avoiding saying something so that they don¡¯t have to lie and can cover it up. And it seems to me that you really don¡¯t know why you have this gem in your possession.¡± ¡°Y-yes, that¡¯s because it is the truth¡± I felt a chill in my soul at the sight of Reil¡¯s slightly disappointed appearance. Her intuition was so keen that it could truly be described as a [Miracle of God]. It should not be something that is completely unexpected or beyond the scope of intention, but even so, the ability to obtain ¡°answers¡± to ¡°questions¡± with considerable accuracy is perhaps similar in nature to my [Akashic Compass] skill. This would be bad in various ways if she changed the way she asked. ¡­¡­ Well, I don¡¯t think she¡¯d be able to come up with anything related to the other world, so I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine¡­ ¡°Then, do you mind if I destroy this gem?¡± I was thinking about this when Reil asked me this question as she held the red jewel close to her face. She still had a smile on her face, but the pressure that oozed from it combined with her power would make you agree whether or not you wanted to. ¡°¡­break it?¡± ¡°Yeah, This is a very dangerous thing, and I would like to destroy it without a trace right here and now if possible. Is that alright with you?¡± ¡°Huh? Well, I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°¡­..Are you sure?¡± For some reason, she was a little surprised at my carefree response and asked me to confirm it. What is it? As for me, I¡¯d be more than happy to have you destroy such a dubious object. ¡­? ¡°Fuu. ¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± In front of my perplexed eyes, She yanked the collar of her vestments open and dropped the gem into it. Immediately, Reil¡¯s breasts, which had been hidden behind her vestments, began to glow with a faint light ¡­ Well, yeah. To put it simply, her boobs were glowing. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m really going to destroy it, okay? Is that really okay with you?¡± ¡°I-it is¡­.?¡± ¡°¡­ then¡± With palms on either side of her glistening boobs, Reil squeezed them closer together. Then there was a crack and a small sound of something shattering, and a few seconds later the light disappeared from her breasts. ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°H-how!? Even if you ask me how, ¡­ well, I thought it was amazing.¡± ¡°!? T-That¡¯s not what I mean! It¡¯s Ed-san¡¯s physical condition! Are you in pain, suffering, or feeling lost or tired?¡± Her smile faltered, and instead, she asked me with a slightly blushing face. What¡¯s that so cute¡­. but my physical condition? ¡°Ah, I am fine¡­?¡± I moved my body, but I didn¡¯t feel anything out of the ordinary. I didn¡¯t have any nausea, headaches, or anything like that, and I was perfectly healthy. "" But seeing me like that, for some reason, Reil pondered with a complicated look on her face. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have any effect? Surely there must have been a connection, but that can¡¯t be ¡­.?¡± ¡°Um, can I ask you one thing? There¡¯s something that¡¯s really bothering me.¡± ¡°¡­ Okay, I¡¯ll answer. That gem is¨C¡° ¡°No, it¡¯s not that! Um¡­why did you destroy it by squeezing it inside your chest?¡± I just couldn¡¯t help it. I know there were other things I should be concerned about, but something inside me was screaming to ask that as my top priority anyway. (T/N: Us Ed) Then, in response to my question, She quickly averted her gaze from me and began to speak in a low voice, which was a complete opposite of what she had been till now. ¡°, ¡­¡­¡­¡­, As you already know, as a saint, my body is protected by the blessings of God. In other words, once I enclose anything in my body, no matter how evil the power is, I can extinguish it without leaking it to the outside world.¡± ¡°I see, so you surround it with your strongest shield and crush it. But then, wouldn¡¯t it be okay to use other parts of the body?¡± ¡°O-Other parts!? How erotic!?¡± ¡°Erotic!?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that right!? Sure, it would be nice if it were a place where I could wrap it completely, but I can¡¯t put enough pressure with my thighs or armpits to crush that thing, and then the only place left would be my buttocks. ¡­¡­How could I possibly lift up my vestments and put jewelry between my buttocks in front of a gentleman? It¡¯s preposterous! You should be ashamed of yourself!¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Only the buttocks?¡± ¡°I do not know!¡± Reil¡¯s fist exploded on my face, as I was moving closer to the bars. The fist, protected by God¡¯s blessing, struck my nose with a thud, and I fell on my buttocks. ¡°You animal! You Pervert! W-What are you!?¡± ¡°I-¡­I¡­.¡± ¡°Saint-sama!? I heard a loud noise, what¡¯s wrong!?¡± ¡°N-Nothing!? Nothing happened! It¡¯s just that Ed-san here is the incarnation of eroticism beyond belief.¡± ¡°Ero!? What in the world did you do to our saint-sama?¡± ¡°I did nothing ¡­¡­¡± Why, why did this happen!? I just wanted to know why you didn¡¯t just wrap it up in the palm of your hand and break it¡­. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t get too agitated. I¡¯m fine, ¡­ just a little, Ed-san let his young body overflow with the eroticism.¡± "" ¡°Ho..!? What a vile thing!¡± ¡°NO NO! I REALLY DIDN¡¯T DO IT!?¡± I kept shouting, ¡°No,¡± while desperately dodging the spears that kept slamming into me through the cracks of the prison. It seems that the dawn of the prison was still far away. ¡­. CH 114 After that, we managed to clear up the guard¡¯s misunderstanding through my and Reil¡¯s desperate pleas. In the prison, we were alone again, and Reil bowed deeply to me. ¡°I am truly sorry ¡­.¡± ¡°Hah~ ¡­. well, yeah. I¡¯m glad we managed to work it out. ¡­ Well, on to the rest of the story.¡± ¡°Continue.. Huh!? No way my butt¡­¡± ¡°No!? N-no, it¡¯s not that. Anyway, let me talk, or rather, ask you a question.¡± ¡°As long as it¡¯s not ero, go ahead.¡± ¡°Gghhh ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡¯ I clenched my fists involuntarily, but I managed to suppress my emotions. That Reil had such a clumsy side to her? I¡¯d traveled for six months with her and I had no idea. ¡­. Let¡¯s leave that aside for now. ¡°So, once again, ¡­, what is the nature of the gem, or rather, the contaminated magic it was emitting after all?¡± At my question, Reil¡¯s expression, which had been gloomy, suddenly tightened. While I was slightly perplexed by her sudden change from warm and friendly to cold and imposing expression, Reil slowly opened her mouth and began to speak. ¡°Contaminated magic is, as the name implies, magic that has been contaminated. You know that all people in this world, not just people, have mana in their bodies, right? Then what do you think happens when they use magic or otherwise consume mana?¡± ¡°Huh? If they are consuming it, it decreases? When I was asked a question that didn¡¯t make sense, I answered in a dumb voice, but Riel quietly shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s not. When most people think of mana, they think of it as a leather bag filled with water or blood that circulates throughout the body, but in reality, mana is like dropping a dye called oneself onto a large lake. The world is full of mana, and by being born into it, one dyes the surrounding mana in one¡¯s own color. Only the water thus dyed is the mana that one can handle, and the used mana loses its color and returns to the original water again. After that, over time, the surrounding water will again be dyed in one¡¯s own color. ¡­ So the limit of how much water can be dyed in this way is the upper limit of a person¡¯s mana. In other words, mana does not increase or decrease, but is omnipresent and circulates throughout the world.¡± (T/N: This is an interesting take) ¡°Eh, Is that so!¡± I exclaimed with great admiration, having never heard of this concept before. Whether it was true or not, or whether it was true only for this world or for all worlds was something I had no way of knowing since I couldn¡¯t use magic in the first place, but I see, this is a new interpretation. ¡°But the problem there is the contaminated mana that I mentioned earlier. This mana does not naturally return to environmental mana, nor can it be dyed back into one¡¯s own mana. In other words, the world is effectively losing that amount of mana. No matter how huge the world is, if pollution that cannot be removed continues to spread, eventually all the lakes will become contaminated. And even if it does not go that far, if the minimum mana necessary for survival cannot be secured, all life on this land will be lost. I¡¯m sure you can understand how frightening that would be, can¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Yeah,. Well, that sure is a lot of work.¡± Listening to her story, I could tell how dangerous the gem I had brought in. Of course I would be immediately detained, and there was no way I could be beheaded without being questioned, even for a horrendously serious crime. ¡°Hmmm? Then why were you so concerned about my health when you broke that thing?¡± ¡°That is because, there was a path of that contaminated mana from the gem connected to Ed-san. This is a secret, but if you carry contaminated mana in your body, you can become stronger for a short term. Of course, there is a heavy price to pay for carrying more power in your body than a person can handle.¡± ¡°Ehhh!? Hey, eh, is that okay!?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not. That¡¯s why I asked Ed-san, ¡®Is it really okay to break it?¡¯. I thought that if you¡¯re self-aware and accepting that contaminated mana, you¡¯d somehow stand your ground to keep that gem from being destroyed. ¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what it is!? B-but, nothing special happened?¡± ¡°Yeah, It¡¯s very strange. I¡¯m not saying that it¡¯s not impossible to get your hands on a source of contaminated mana without being aware of it, so I had made arrangements to treat it immediately in that case, but I never imagined that you would really be fine. ¡­ What in the world is going on?¡± ¡°That¡¯s probably what I¡¯d like to hear the most. ¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I gave a wry smile, and Reil also tilted her head with a puzzled expression. Yeah, what is it!? Why am I having health problems without knowing it!? ¡°Ah!? Right, Tia!? Um, is my companion okay!?¡± The source of that gem was still unknown, but if it was in the [Stranger Box] it could have affected Tia. As I raised my voice in a panic, Reil softened her expression a little and answered me. ¡°Are you worried about your companion? I think she¡¯s fine. There was only one path extending from that gem.¡± ¡°Well, good. ¡­.: ¡°¡­It doesn¡¯t look like you brought that dangerous item intentionally. So that means it really was forced on you somewhere, but by any chance do you have any idea where?¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­ ¡­ sorry, but I really don¡¯t.¡± It was in another world, but as long as I cannot prove it or find it, there was no point in talking about it. It would not be called just a falsehood at that point, but it would also deepen suspicion in a bad direction, such as memories being tampered with by some means. Of course, if I could solve the problem by simply saying I don¡¯t know, I wouldn¡¯t be here. As I bowed my head lightly, Reil¡¯s furrowed brow deepened as she said, ¡°Fuuu¡­ I¡¯m in trouble, I¡¯m really in trouble. The only source of contaminated magic in this world is the Demon Lord. That is precisely why we must be absolutely certain of the source of that gem.¡± ¡°Demon Lord¡­As I expected¡­¡± It was just a small slip of the tongue. I was a little careless because we kept talking in the middle of the night and also because I had lost my mental fortitude to some stupid thing along the way. I blurted out, and Reil¡¯s eyebrows rose again. ¡°As expected? What do you mean, ¡°As I Expected¡±? Is there something that you haven¡¯t told me about yet?¡± ¡°No, no!? That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Ed-san!¡± She gripped the bars tightly and brought her face close to the bars. As a result, her large breasts were also squeezed into the gap between the bars and ¡­¡­ no, no, that¡¯s not important right now. ¡°Now, speak! I won¡¯t do anything bad!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m worried about¡­¡± ¡°Then why are you hesitating!? You don¡¯t want to sell out your friends? Or are they holding someone close to you hostage? Or¡­I-I get it, if it¡¯s just a little ero requests¡­.¡± ¡°No! Don¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°No need to be shy! Please enjoy the eroticism of rubbing me to your heart¡¯s content! If you know the secret concerning the Demon Lord, I¡¯m willing to sacrifice myself ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Stop it! Let me go, seriously!¡± Reil grabbed my hand and pulled it close to her chest. I was resisting rather seriously, but the God¡¯s blessing that she had made it impossible for me to remove the restraint. ¡°¡­¡­¡­ what are you doing Ed?¡± ¡°Hiiii!?¡± Suddenly, I heard a familiar but unheard voice from the other side of the prison ¡­ aisle. With all my strength and determination, I turned around ¡­. and there she was, my partner with a very nice smile on her face, looking very healthy. CH 115 ¡°T-Tia-san!? How!? Why are you here!?¡± ¡°Why you ask, because I¡¯ve been called.¡± Smiling, Tia had wooden shackles on her hands, and next to her stood another guard, different from the one who had just arrived. ¡°Saint-sama, I brought the girl.¡± ¡°Thank you. You may leave now.¡± ¡°Ha! How rude¡­.Che, Damn it¡± So the only three people left in the room were Reil, who was trying to get me to rub her breasts, me, who was desperately fighting against it, and Tia, who looked at me like I was horse dung on the side of the road. ¡­. Someone kill me. ¡°H-Hahahaha¡­ Yo Tia, how have you been?¡± ¡°Yes, Thanks to you. Looks like you are doing quite well, too, Ed?¡± ¡°No, no!? Oi Riel¡­ no, Sanit-sama. What the hell is this¡­?¡± ¡°I had talked to her before Ed-san. I told her about the contaminated magic and the gem, but then she said she was really worried about you. So I had asked to call her here after I broke the gem.Oh, the reason it wasn¡¯t right after I broke it was because I didn¡¯t know what kind of reaction I would get from you, you know? I didn¡¯t think it would be nothing, though.¡± ¡°H-heh. Is that so?¡± ¡°Yeah, I was so worried about you, Ed! Well, from the looks of it, looks like I was worried for nothing, right?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not! I¡¯m telling you, I can¡¯t remove my hand! Please let go of me!¡± Even though I was pulling on her arm quite seriously, not only her body but even her thin arm did not seem to budge. It seems that the blessing of God, which says, [No one can harm, no matter how strong they are] cannot be countered by me. ¡°But if you tell me a secret in exchange for rubbing my breasts, ¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that, you know?! You assumed that on your own! All right, anyway, let me talk it over with Tia first!¡± ¡°Hmm, consulting¡­. I understand. But not alone together, right here okay?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine! Let me go!¡± ¡°Okay, then.¡± ¡°Uh!?¡± The hand that was holding my wrist was suddenly released, and I fell backwards, slamming my ass into the hard floor. I was in tears, and my partner, Tia, looked down at me through the bars with a disappointed look on her face. ¡°So, why is this happening?¡± ¡°Haha, I wonder why. ¡­¡± With a wry smile in my tired voice, I told her the story of what had happened so far. Then Tia quietly approached me by the bars and plunged her own hand into the prison until it was just barely blocked by the shackles. ¡°Ah that¡¯s right¡­. Hey Ed, I really want to hug you right now, but this rude iron grid won¡¯t let me. So can you at least hold my hand? ¡± ¡°¡­. Yeah, sure.¡± Immediately sensing Tia¡¯s intention, I gently grabbed her hand. Then, as expected, Tia¡¯s voice echoed directly inside me. [I understand what¡¯s going on. So you¡¯re saying you can¡¯t convince her unless you tell her the whole truth?] [That¡¯s it. But we can¡¯t do that, right? that¡¯s why¨C] [Then why don¡¯t you just tell the truth?] ¡°¡­¡­¡­.Wha?¡± I let out an involuntary squeak, and Tia squeezed my hand. The way we stared straight at each other across the bars was like two lovers, but what was spreading in my head was not such a sweet atmosphere, but endless questions. [If I talk about it, she¡¯ll just think I am crazy. If that happens, I might as well join the Hero¡¯s party¡­] [That would be the normal case, but things are different now, aren¡¯t they? If hiding it won¡¯t make things better, I think it¡¯s better to talk about it. For the proof of another world, in addition to so much knowledge and information that can¡¯t be just brushed aside as delusional, you have [Stranger¡¯s Box] that cannot be obtained in this world, right?] [Yeah¡­.] Yes, there may be. Of course, the knowledge of the 86th world that I have is too limited to be absolutely certain, but there is a high possibility that the dark night stone and the sunshine stone, for example, which we have just obtained, are substances unique to this world. [And In the first place, something went wrong when your bag contained [Demon Lord¡¯s Heart], which we only saw in another world. If there¡¯s a cross-world problem going on, I think we¡¯d be better off explaining it to them and asking for their help. ¡­ What do you think? Oh, or is there a rule against explaining it, similar to how you can¡¯t leave the world without being expelled?] ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Her jade-green colored eyes stared at me and I was wracking my brain. It¡¯s only about my banishment skills that I¡¯ve told a little about, but until now I¡¯ve never told anyone that I¡¯ve traveled through countless worlds while being banished. ¡­.. Really? Why didn¡¯t I? Because, as I told Tia, you can¡¯t build a proper relationship if you talk such nonsense. ¡­¡­ Really? And there was no need to go out of my way to tell them until now. Where¡¯s the point in making statements that disrupt the loop when there¡¯s no need for it? There is no reason to do something that has no benefit and only carries a disadvantage. ¡­¡­ Really? Then what about now? By explaining that I¡¯ve been crossing over to different worlds, I might be able to explain how the [Demon Lord¡¯s Heart] came to be in my hands. It¡¯s worth explaining to get us through this. It would also prove that we have no background in this world, so we should rather explain. We should explain. ¡­..Are you sure? Yes, because there is no rule that prohibits me from explaining that I¡¯m from¡­another world. If that¡¯s the case, I should tell the truth. To the Saint in front of me. ¡­.Will it be really okay¡­.? The common sense that had built up inside me dammed up my intention to continue. But where does this common sense begin? What is it protecting? Or ¡­.what is standing in the way? ¡°¡­ Ed? What¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling sick perhaps?¡± ¡°Eh, uh, no, ¡­¡­¡­I¡¯m fine.¡± It was a short silence, less than 10 seconds. However, from my perspective, I felt a heavy fatigue, as if I had been thinking about it for hours. Oh, I¡¯m tired. My head is burning hot, but my body is freezing cold. I feel as if my existence is floating around unsteadily and helplessly, while the very foundation of my being seems to be submerged in deep, dark waters. Everything is crippled, everything is uncertain. If there is only one thing in this place that I can say with absolute certainty that I believe in, it is ¡­ ¡°¡­¡­ Tia¡¯s hands are warm.¡± ¡°Wha? What¡¯s with you all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Heheheh, it¡¯s so warm.¡± If I moved my hand, I could feel the warmth of her hand. I felt as if the warmth of this hand was the only thing that was keeping me in this place right now. That¡¯s why I said those words. ¡°Hey Tia, Do you think we should talk? I have always thought and decided for myself what I should do. I have always been the one to make the decisions. But now, for the first time, I¡¯m putting it in someone else¡¯s hands. But Tia¡¯s answer will be- ¡°Why don¡¯t you just do what you think is right?¡± Yeah, that¡¯s right. That¡¯s what Tia would say. My thoughts were once again clouded. So my answer is¨D¨D ¡°I¡¯d like to say that, but No.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? I wouldn¡¯t push away a younger boy who looks like he¡¯s about to cry like that!¡± My body was pressed against the iron bars as my clasped hands were yanked tight. Then Tia quickly chanted a magic spell to break her own shackles into pieces and put her arms around me from the other side of the bars and hugged me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ed doesn¡¯t have to carry the burden alone. I¡¯ll carry it too. ¡­ anyway, let¡¯s get this person involved. Let¡¯s tell her everything. Everything we¡¯ve ever done.¡± (T/N: AWWWWWWW, I shed a tear) Smiling, Tia gave off a gentle scent like a fresh green forest. CH 116 ¡°Ahem. Am I correct in assuming that you¡¯ve come to an agreement? ¡°Thanks to you. So where shall we start?¡± Tia, who had released me, answered the question from behind me by turning her body toward Reil. ¡°I see. In that case, the immediate problem is that Lunaritia-san broke her shackles. ¡­¡­ Well, they are wooden shackles after all, so they can be broken inadvertently. I will not question you about that.¡± ¡°Eh!? Ah, guu¡­ Ah, thank you very much.¡± Tia replied to Reil, who smiled, with a bitter smile on her face. The Saint is quite shrewd, making sure that I owe her for this situation. Well, in the current situation, it would be preferable to have a debt, so maybe she even calculated that much. ¡°The most important information I want to ask you is the origin of the gem. How did it get into your hands and how did it get here? ¡­.Please tell me all about it.¡± ¡°Alright. It¡¯s a long story, okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. The night is still long.¡± Tia slowly told Reil, who was probably prepared to stay up all night, about us. That we have been to many different worlds. That in order to get out of there, we have to meet the hero, join their party, and then be ¡°banished¡±. And in one of those worlds, we came across that [Demon Lord¡¯s Heart]¡­ Reil listened silently to the story, and eventually, when Tia finished speaking, she looked at us with a serious expression on her face. ¡°I see, the power of the Demon Lord of another world. ¡­.¡± ¡°Do you believe me?¡± ¡°I have no reason to believe, but I also have no reason to doubt. Because, for now, If we don¡¯t talk on the premise of ¡°I believe you¡±, nothing will move forward, right? At least, nothing equivalent to the gem brought by Ed-san has been found in this world. In fact, if there were more than one such item lying around, the world would be destroyed in an instant.¡± ¡°Ugh!? I knew it was a dangerous thing, but is it that dangerous?¡± ¡°Of course it is. A gem that unrestrictedly emits contaminated mana without consuming anything in particular is like an offshoot of the Demon Lord existing in the world without being known to the public. If left unattended, contamination will spread from that point, but if someone unknowingly picks it up, the person will also be contaminated, and if someone other than myself destroys it, a large amount of contaminated magic will erode the entire surrounding area. It is not an obvious threat like a mighty magical beast, but as long as it irreversibly advances the destruction of the world, it is the supreme threat to all living things in this world.¡± ¡°Ooo¡­.¡± It¡¯s dozens of times worse than what I imagined when I heard the story earlier. It is so bad that I honestly don¡¯t understand why I am simply in jail without restraints. ¡°At any rate, I¡¯m glad that Ed-san and his partner have an accurate understanding of the dangers of that gem. The only problem is that the information is ¡®You know what we don¡¯t know¡¯. If Ed-san and your partner brought the gem, that¡¯s one thing, but if you were in possession of a duplicate without your knowledge, then ¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s the problem? You¡¯ve already destroyed it, so that¡¯s it, right?¡± Tia tilted her head, but Reil shook her head with a serious expression. ¡°No, it isn¡¯t. The fact that we don¡¯t know why you had it means that the same thing could appear in the hands of you again. Frankly speaking, it has become impossible to both of you because of that single suspicion. As long as I don¡¯t know when and where that gem will appear, I can¡¯t let it out from under my watch.¡± ¡°Thats!?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s only natural.¡± Despite Tia¡¯s surprise, I nodded my head with a mixture of resignation and understanding. If I were in the opposite situation, I would demand the same thing. ¡°Ed, are you sure?¡± ¡°It¡¯s neither good nor bad. Heck, that matches our purpose. Did you forget? Riel, The Saint-sama¡­¡± ¡°Ah, Hero!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. In any case, we need to work with the Saint. Then it¡¯s rather convenient for us to be together. ¡°I see. As long as the two of you stay in this world, we will be working together whether you want to or not. At least for six months?, right¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s okay to be expelled earlier if we have developed a deep relationship with them, but I can¡¯t see how long it would take for that to happen, so I think spending six months is the best way to be sure.¡± (T/N: Uhh Correct me if I am wrong, I don¡¯t remember the other criteria except 6 months) ¡°Then it¡¯s settled! It cannot be immediately, but I will release the two of you from the prison, placing you in my custody. After that, you will go on a journey with me to defeat the Demon Lord.¡± ¡°I look forward to working with you.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Reil bowed politely, to which Tia and I replied with a smile. I thought this would finally be the end of the long night, but apparently Reil still had more to say. ¡°Haaa, it was a tough day for a lot of reasons, but I guess I can say it turned out well. I never thought I would be able to add someone who succeeded in subjugating the Demon Lord to my party¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? Ah, I see. Come to think of it, Tia, you did defeat the Demon Lord with Alexis and the others, right?¡± I had never paid attention to this until Reil mentioned it, but it is true that Tia has defeated a Demon King. ¡°Hehehe, sort of! Oh, but it was Alexis who actually defeated the Demon Lord, you know? I only assisted him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s still impressive enough. Um, Lunaritia-san? What exactly was the Demon Lord like?¡± ¡°Tia is fine. Demon Lord¡­huh? I don¡¯t know how to describe it, but just it was the Demon Lord.¡± ¡°¡­.That¡¯s not even a single piece of information.¡± ¡°I-I can¡¯t help it! It¡¯s something that can only be described as the Demon Lord! It¡¯s something ¡­¡­ black and terrific!¡± ¡°Haa¡­?¡± I slightly furrowed my brow at her childish comment. It seemed that Reil felt the same way, and with a slightly troubled look on her face, she further questioned Tia. ¡°Um, do you have any more specific information? How big was it, how many arms and legs did it have, or if I had to say, what kind of magical beast did it resemble ¡­¡­¡± ¡°It was ¡­. umm ¡­.¡± ¡°Tia?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t understand¡­.Huh?¡± Tia, with a furrowed brow, tilted her head while twitching her ears constantly. But how is that possible? Sure, from Tia¡¯s perspective, that would have been more than a decade ago, but that doesn¡¯t mean that the memory of the Demon Lord, with whom she risked her life in battle, could have been lost? ¡°Hmm, Demon Lord¡­Demon Lord¡­ No good, I can¡¯t remember anything¡± ¡°Hmm, If we go that far, does that mean there is some kind of cognitive inhibiting force?¡± ¡°Maybe. All I know is that we fought and beat them, but nothing concrete. ¡­.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± I myself have never met a Demon Lord, so I can¡¯t even imagine what the truth of the matter is. But if he were a Demon Lord capable of destroying the world, it would not be surprising if he were capable of making his own existence ambiguous. I don¡¯t get it¡­ what¡¯s the point of doing that? I don¡¯t know. Well, if it¡¯s said that¡¯s the kind of creature they are, then that¡¯s that. ¡°When I met the Demon Lord, I was ¡­¡­ surely very surprised, very angry, very sad, ¡­. and finally Alexis plunged his Holy Sword into the Demon Lord, ¡­.¡± ¡°O-Oi, Tia!?¡± Suddenly, tears began to spill from Tia¡¯s eyes. I hurried to reach out my hand, but I couldn¡¯t reach Tia¡¯s face because of the iron bars. ¡°Huh? Why am I crying?¡± ¡°Listen to me! Or rather, that¡¯s enough. You don¡¯t have to force yourself to remember! ¡± ¡°I agree. It is impossible that the battle with the Demon Lord was quite painful. I apologize for asking such an impolite question.¡± ¡°U-Un¡­¡­ Huh?¡± As Tia continued to shed tears with a completely unconcerned face, I quietly clenched my fists, feeling a sense of frustration that I couldn¡¯t put into words. (T/N: God damn this is getting interesting) CH 117 We all had indescribable feelings, and yet, two days later, we were somehow released from our cramped quarters. Looking down on the bustling streets of the Holy City through the window, Tia and I were facing each other in a room at a luxury inn that Riel had secured for us. ¡°Now, as promised, the two of you will accompany me on my journey. As a prerequisite, please Ed-san check all of your belongings at least once a day to make sure you are not carrying anything strange. Also, please refrain from traveling separately If you must do so, please be sure to consult with me in advance. Okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, no problem. I¡¯m just glad I¡¯m not locked up, to tell you the truth.¡± ¡°Well, it couldn¡¯t be helped.¡± I nodded my head in agreement with Reil¡¯s suggestion. The reason I was speaking casually was because Riel asked me to do so since we were going to be working together as companions. The first time, I was speaking formally all the time, so I felt a little uncomfortable, but the atmosphere that Reil wore was very different from the first round, so I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll get used to it soon. ¡°Well then, after some preparation, I think we should leave as soon as possible tomorrow, any suggestions?¡± ¡°Huh? Aren¡¯t you going to look for other companions?¡± I asked as Reil¡¯s words caught me off guard. It¡¯s a completely different story from the start, so memories of the first round were no longer useful except as a reference, but I should still at least ask about the companions I traveled with at the time. ¡°Other? Is it about the world of Ed-san¡¯s memories?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. At that time, Tia was not with us. Instead, we had an old warrior with a big sword on his back and a sorcerer who specialized in offensive attacks. I think both of them were trusted compared to my shitty attitude back then, and I thought it would be better to have them in the group, if we have to leave in the middle of the trip, right?¡± Looking back, I realize that Reil¡¯s attitude toward me at that time was a mirror image of my own attitude toward Reil. It seemed somewhat cold and harsh because that¡¯s how irresponsible I was. Reil, who was seriously trying to defeat the Demon Lord with her life, and me, who was acting irresponsibly to be banished. There¡¯s no way we¡¯d mesh and there¡¯s no way I¡¯d be accepted. Thinking that they would be able to cover for the hole I had left behind in the end was nothing more than an excuse for self-satisfaction¡­. The cold, sad look in Reil¡¯s eyes at that moment is still stuck in my soul as a needle of ice that won¡¯t melt. Then I must not repeat the same mistake. I would sincerely do my best to cooperate with her, but that would not change the fact that we would be leaving during the trip. That was why I suggested this, but she shook her head with a serious expression on her face. ¡°No, it is not. There are two reasons. One is that if we invite other people, we have to tell them about the situation of both of you. Since we are companions who entrust our lives to each other, it would be insincere to conceal the situation only from the new invitees, and such a relationship will soon break down. However, we can¡¯t tell them our secret. This is not only to ensure the safety of Ed-san and the others, but also because we cannot let them know anything about the ¡°Red Gem¡±. Of course those people may be trustworthy, but even so, we do not want to increase the number of people who know about this fact, even if it is just one person. Considering the possibility that the secret might leak out in some way, I would rather not increase the number of people who know about it.¡± ¡°Mmm, I see¡­ Well, that¡¯s certainly one choice.¡± The [Demon Lord¡¯s Heart] I¡¯ve had for some time was a high-grade dangerous item that deserves such excessive caution. If this was either ¡°it will never appear again¡± or ¡°it will definitely appear again,¡± then we could think of appropriate responses for each, but it is an uncertain situation where ¡°it might appear someday,¡± I think it is right that it is better for no one to know about it. ¡°Then what¡¯s the second reason?¡± ¡°Fufufu, that¡¯s¡­ I want you two to defeat the Demon Lord together with me.¡± (T/N: FINALLY) ¡°Huh!?¡± I did my best to sound dumb when Riel said it with a look of pride on her face for some reason. ¡°No, no, no, wait. I mean, didn¡¯t I tell you? We don¡¯t fight the Demon Lord and we don¡¯t defeat him. Otherwise, the existence of a Hero¨D¨D¡± ¡°I heard that from Tia-san. I mean, I was listening to Tia-san¡¯s story yesterday, and I was thinking ¡­. would you care to hear my conjecture?¡± ¡°O-oh?¡± I was wondering why you didn¡¯t show up yesterday. So, you were talking to Tia. But Tia¡¯s story¡­.What is it? ¡°Fuhn. Well, just ask!¡± ¡®Well, I¡¯ll ask you¡­.then, go ahead.¡¯ I glanced at Tia, who also turned her chest and showed me a nice smile. I felt a little sad that I was the only one who was left out of the group, but when I urged Reil to go ahead, she started talking again. ¡°Yes, I understand that you need to be expelled from the Hero¡¯s party in order to return to your original world. And if the Demon Lord is defeated, the hero¡¯s party is forcibly disbanded at that point, and that¡¯s why you always have to leave in the middle of it because you don¡¯t know if you can fulfill the conditions of ¡°banishment¡±. But, let¡¯s see, was it the ¡­. {Records Of the Hero¡¯s Story} ? According to Tia-san¡¯s story, in the case of a hero who defeated the Demon Lord, his or her subsequent activities were also listed in the book, right? Doesn¡¯t that mean that even if the Demon Lord is defeated, a Hero is still a Hero and the concept of a ¡°Hero¡¯s Party¡± still functions?¡± (T/N: O.O, okay I didn¡¯t think that) ¡°¡­¡­!?¡± I was greatly shocked by her words. If the {Records Of the Hero¡¯s Story} was a record of the hero¡¯s life, and if it continues after the defeat of the Demon Lord, then the hero will be a hero until his death,¡­, and that guess certainly seems correct. But if that¡¯s the case¨D¨D ¡°I also felt that the conditions for banishment were quite loose according to Tia-san¡¯s story. In other words, I judged that the conditions for Ed¡¯s group to return could be met by defeating the Demon Lord and then disbanding the group after completing their role. What do you think? Do you think I am wrong?¡± ¡°N-No¡­that¡¯s¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± It made sense. It was a realistic enough inference, given my experience travelling with Tia during the second round. But even before accumulating highly reliable information, I had thought of something similar. And those concerns are still unresolved. ¡°Sure, it might work, but what if it doesn¡¯t? In fact, once the Demon Lord is defeated, the authority of the heroes is gone and even if we are banished, we can¡¯t return ¡­¡­ it¡¯s my life and Tia¡¯s life itself that¡¯s at stake. Are you asking us to throw away a sure-fire, precedent-setting method and risk everything we have on an element of uncertainty?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right with me! Hey Ed, remember how I met you again?¡± ¡°How, that¡¯s ¡­. N-no way!?¡± ¡°Yes! The ability I was given before we came here ¡­. is called [Home Point], and it seems to allow me to transfer to [A place I recognize as the place I should return to]. Of course, it consumes a lot of mana¡­.¡± ¡°I am willing to make up for the mana that is needed. As a saint of the Arlene cult, not to mention my own strength, I offer my help to all the believers, and I will probably be able to do so for 10 years¡­. Even taking into account a margin of error, I believe that I will be able to provide the necessary mana for around 15 to 20 years.¡± ¡°H-Ho? Is that so?¡± When Tia once crossed the world to come to me, she paid a tremendous price in terms of her life span. Compared to that, it was certainly not such a bad deal to just stay in this world for an extended period of time. Aside from Tia, 20 years is a long time for me, an ordinary human being. But if I go back to the other world, my physical age will be rewound, so to be frank, it¡¯s not a big risk unless it¡¯s so long that I fear I will die of old age. So, if that is the case, ¡­ ¡°Can I¡­¡­ Can we defeat the Demon Lord?¡± ¡°Yes! Hey, Ed, We¨C¡° ¡°Let¡¯s defeat the Demon Lord together!¡± The shortest distance to the greatest ending I was never allowed to dream of, even after crossing 100 worlds. I could not help but make a stupid, dumbfounded face at the miracle that fell before my eyes. (T/N: Wow I like this arc.) CH 118 Defeat the Demon Lord. That¡¯s the question I¡¯ve always avoided. When a precipice appears in front of me on a journey of ¡°go as far as you can and then turn back,¡± I don¡¯t think it was wrong to choose to turn back rather than considering ways to overcome it and risking danger. But now, a bridge had been unexpectedly built on that precipice in front of me. Moreover, it was a stone bridge, not a ragged suspension bridge that looked as if it might fall down at any moment, but a very solid bridge. With such an arrangement in place, there was no way I could turn away from the end result¡­¡­. that is defeating the Demon Lord by choosing to cross the valley. That¡¯s why my hands couldn¡¯t stop shaking. I couldn¡¯t easily grab the two hands that were held out in front of me. ¨D¨DWhy bother taking the risk when there¡¯s no problem if you¡¯re just banished in between the journey like you always have been? ¨D¨DThe Demon Lord is strong, right? Can you really win against such a thing? ¨D¨DShouldn¡¯t the affairs of this world be left to the people of this world? Isn¡¯t it a bad idea for us, outsiders, to get so involved? In just a few moments of hesitation, countless negative thoughts flow through my head. I don¡¯t have to. I shouldn¡¯t have to. ¡­ The torrent of willpower became a storm, blowing around trying to blow me away, not letting me take a single step forward. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I frowned and slumped down, even though there was no physical wind blowing. What jumped into my field of vision was a sword swinging at my waist. [My dream is to forge a sword that can defeat the Demon Lord!] ¡°¡­¡­ Master.¡± I heard clearly ¡­¡­ in my ears the voice of my master, who was not here and already dead in the world beyond the door. I have earned the right to pursue my master¡¯s dream, which I thought I would never be able to fulfill. But if I run away, I will get my ass kicked by my master. ¡°There is no guarantee that we will make it back alive. Are you okay with that?¡± ¡°Yes! That¡¯s what I want! I mean, isn¡¯t that what I, who has defeated a Demon Lord before, should be asking Ed?¡± ¡°Defeating the Demon Lord is the long-cherished wish of everyone living in this world. I myself have no hesitation in doing so.¡± ¡°¡­.I understand. Then let¡¯s do it!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°Yay!¡± My hands were no longer shaking. As I laid my hand on top of the two offered hands, a smile naturally broke out on my face as the three resolutions became one. With a vigorous call, I had finally become a true member of the Hero¡¯s party. ****** The days that followed were the same mundane ¡­. and common adventures I had experienced many times before. We went to various towns and villages to gather information about the Demon Lord, and to acquire weapons, armor, magic tools, etc., to strengthen our forces. However, there were some differences from the past. I used my [Banishment skills] and [Memories of the first round] without hiding them. We went around to places where problems might occur later and dealt with them in advance. We easily obtained magic tools, the location of which would not have been known without going through several countries to gather information, and by continuing to make the first move, we were able to minimize the damage brought about by the Demon Lord and keep the situation in our favor. ¡°Gueh!? W-Why!? Why does a mere mortal have such high defensive powers!?¡± ¡°Hehehehe, that¡¯s¡­ because I can see through all of your tricks!¡± In the corridor of a castle. I appeared from behind a pillar with my companions, laughing and pointing a finger at the Demon Lord¡¯s army leader who failed to attack the minister of that country. After defeating the enemy, the minister, who had been stunned by the first attack, stood up and took Riel¡¯s hand with tears in his eyes. ¡°Oh, thank you, Saint-sama! And your friends! I was skeptical when I first heard your warning, but I never thought we would really be attacked by the demon Lord¡¯s army. ¡­.¡± ¡°This too is God¡¯s will. God is watching those who do righteous deeds closely. Please continue to strive for a good government and help us defeat the Demon Lord.¡± ¡°Of course, of course! We, the Kingdom of Alderaan, will fully support the Saint!¡± Tia approached me, who was watching from a little distance in front of the minister, who said this in a voice filled with enthusiasm. ¡°Is this going to be enough for this country?¡± ¡°Maybe. If the minister has not been captured, the country will not be disturbed, and they will support us with their national power. Even if they use the same tactics, they will probably take countermeasures when something like this has happened once before, so it won¡¯t be so bad.¡± ¡°Thank you for waiting, Ed-san.¡± And there, after talking with the minister, Riel joined us. From what I had overheard, she had been invited to a dinner party, but apparently she had successfully turned it down. ¡°Thank you for your hard work. I¡¯m sorry Riel, We need to hurry for the next one.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. Where to next? ¡°It¡¯s a nameless village on the frontier of a neighboring country. There, a plague breaks out. ¡­. Its true nature is a curse disseminated by the Demon Lord¡¯s army. If misunderstood and persecuted, the power of the curse will brew and cause considerable damage, as well as complicate relations with the elves who live nearby. But only if we know the species from the start. ¡­.¡± ¡°Yes. If you need a curse lifted, leave it to me!¡± ¡°Please. Well, in that case, I¡¯ll lose the chance to get involved with the elves, but you can bring Tia to greet them.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. Yeah, leave that to me!¡± At my words, Tia thumped her chest and said. If the relationship is not strained, it is unlikely that a visitor accompanied by a kindred spirit will be rejected. If we then solve the problem those elves are having¡ª that is, the Sacred tree in the middle of the village is weakening because of the magical beasts gnawing at its roots¡ªthey should be much more willing to assist us than they were in the first round. ¡°But then again, Ed, you look like you¡¯re having a lot of fun, right?¡± ¡°Hmm? You get it? Well, I¡¯m having more fun than I thought I would, being able to help people without having to worry about detailed excuses and stuff. I think I¡¯m going to get addicted to this.¡± The more ridiculous our demands were, the harder it would be for them to believe us. If Tia and I had gone directly to the castle and told them that there was a Demon Lord¡¯s Army trying to kill the minister and replace him, they would not have taken us seriously. Or rather, ¡°How do you know such information?¡± and we ourselves would be detained. In that case, the Demon Lord¡¯s Army would realize that the information had been leaked, and in the worst case scenario, we would be caught and punished, which could very well lead to a terrible end. It was only because of Riel¡¯s reputation as a Saint that we were able to reverse this situation, and it was only because we were able to gain such Riel¡¯s trust that we were able to prevent the incident from happening. An environment that I could not have wished for before. With such a set-up, it should be possible to break most of the currents that should have greatly disturbed the world, and ¡­. in fact, the effort has paid off. ¡°So we are finally here¡­.¡± ¡°Uwa, that looks like the real deal.¡± ¡°This¡­Demon Lord¡¯s Castle.¡± It had been about eight months since we left the Holy City. Around the same time that we should have been ¡°banished¡± halfway through our journey, we had arrived in front of the Demon Lord¡¯s castle, fully prepared. CH 119 A deserted castle town with shattered, pitted cobblestones. At the end of the street is a large castle with black stuff all over it. I have no idea what that black stuff is, but I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s something bad for you. ¡°But then again, Demon Lords really do live in castles, huh? Did the Demon Lord that Tia fought live in a castle too?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. But there was a small island in a black swamp, and on top of it there was a spiky castle¡± ¡°A spiky castle¡­?¡± Swamps aside, what is a spiky castle? Is it something with a pointed roof or a tangle of thorns? Well, I don¡¯t get it, but it¡¯s a Demon Lord¡¯s castle. ¡°As I told you before, this was once the capital of a country called the Duchy of Touick. I believe the townscape and the castle are exactly as they were then.¡± ¡°I see. If the Demon Lord¡¯s army is desperately doing civil engineering work, it¡¯s a little interesting ¡­. No, it¡¯s not interesting. If they had the ability to build, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to attack this far.¡± The reason we were able to talk so carefree in front of the Demon Lord¡¯s castle was, in part, because the human side¡¯s power had hardly waned as a result of us crushing the Demon Lord¡¯s Army¡¯s operations. Not only have we not been weakened, but the allied armies from the various countries have been in high spirits, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t forgive the Demon Lord¡¯s Army for using despicable means!¡± They have become a large army of 100,000, and even now they continue to attack the Demon Lord¡¯s army with an unprecedented sense of unity. The equipment was maintained by the dwarves, who had ample supplies due to the normal operation of the mine, and the number of casualties were surprisingly low due to logistical support by the elves who did not fall out and recovery magic by the Arlene believers whose power was not reduced by the conspiracy. As a result of throwing away our own weight and doing everything we could to save the world, the Demon Lord¡¯s Army no longer had the strength left to deal with us. ¡°It was all thanks to you, Ed-san. I¡¯m really grateful to have you as a companion.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s because Reil believed in me that we were able to come this far. Oh, and Tia, of course, right? We wouldn¡¯t be here like this if any one of us was missing. And that too will be over soon. ¡­. Reil¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Reil took a few steps forward on the spot and used the power of the [Divine Blessing] she carried in her body to make a hole in the warding covering the castle large enough for one person to pass through. As soon as we quickly passed through the hole, she herself slipped inside, and the hole was closed the next instant. ¡°Are you all right, Reil?¡± ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­ Yes, Tia-san, I¡¯m fine.¡± At Tia¡¯s question, Reil replied with a smile and a little sweat on her forehead. Even the Saint Reil could only open a small hole for a short time, which is why people are unable to defeat the Demon Lord with an army,¡­, and that¡¯s why the Hero¡¯s Party exists. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go when Riel¡¯s breath is in order. It¡¯s unlikely that there¡¯s anyone inside, still don¡¯t let your guard down, okay?¡± ¡°Ara, who are you talking to? Certainly not me, who has experienced subjugating the Demon Lord and is Ed¡¯s wonderful older sister, right?¡± ¡°Fufu. Yes, I¡¯ll be careful.¡± I nodded with a smile, and with renewed vigilance, we proceeded through the castle. But strangely, there was no enemy to be seen even inside the castle,¡­, and then we arrived at the great hall. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you, Hero.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Standing alone was a single being, his entire body encased in pitch-black metal armor. The voice sounded like a man, but it was highly doubtful that inside the armor, which was leaking black smoke, was a humanoid. ¡°I was one of the Four Generals of the Demon Lord¡¯s Army, Galgados of the Collapse¡­¡± ¡°Was¡­?¡± At the somewhat self-mocking words of the other, who introduced himself as Galgados, Reil tilted her head slightly and asked, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. The Demon Lord¡¯s Army is on the verge of collapse and no longer has a military structure. The only one of the four remaining generals is me, and I can¡¯t possibly make a name for myself. I¡¯m already a defeated soldier¡­ and this is all your fault. Hero of Reading Time, Ed¡± ¡°What, Me!? No, I¡¯m not the Hero. She¡¯s the Hero here.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± I tried to clear up the misunderstanding, but Galgados shouts abhorrently. The black smoke leaking from his armor billowed up for a moment, but it was only for a moment. ¡°¡­¡­ Fuu. Yes, indeed, the Hero who avenges the Demon Lord is probably this girl there. But it was all your skill, wasn¡¯t it, that drove the Demon Lord¡¯s army to this point of destruction? Do you think that the existence of you, the abomination who has destroyed all of our plans, is not known to us?¡± ¡°Even you think that. I honestly think it¡¯s overrated. ¡­¡± The knowledge of the first round I had was already dismissed about two months ago. Therefore, if we were forced to retreat here and the Demon Lord¡¯s army reemerged, we would no longer be able to stop the plot from happening as we have done in the past. If that happens, the tragedy that should have been prevented will once again befall this world as a daily occurrence. In short, we are not only chasing, but also being chased. We have an overwhelming advantage, but we are also the ones who have no choice. ¡°Nonsense. If it weren¡¯t for your ability to read ahead, this wouldn¡¯t have happened ¡­.Why would someone like you appear apart from the Hero!¡± ¡°Even if you say that, isn¡¯t it just bad timing or bad luck? I mean, it¡¯s all about how you conduct yourself on a daily basis.¡± ¡°Kukk, hahaha! You preach to me, a member of the Demon Lord¡¯s army, about my daily conduct! That the abominable vanguard of God has punished us for not pleasing him! Very well, pay for that insult with your own body!¡± ¡°I will not allow that!¡± I drew my sword and clashed with Galgados. Master¡¯s [Dawnbreaker] caught Galgados¡¯ sword perfectly, and in fact, sliced the blade off. ¡°Gather and spread water, on the white and freezing blue moonlit night, reflecting the dim light and the breath of the diamond ice spirit! Spread, harden and freeze, under the name of Lunaritia, manifest [Freezing Area] !¡± ¡°Freezing type? Do you think something like this will even work on me!¡± In the meantime, Tia¡¯s spirit magic was activated, and a world of glistening white ice spread out around me and Galgados. However, Galgados didn¡¯t seem to be hurt by the white ice sticking to his black armor, but rather, my body¡¯s movement became worse when exposed to the cold air. ¡°Hahaha, you¡¯ll die because of the magic of your friends! Eat this!¡± ¡°Come!¡± I tried to catch the sword as it swung down at me. Then, just before Galgados¡¯ sword struck me, there was a flash of silvery white light, and his sword did not even graze my clothes, let alone my body. ¡°What!?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let you!¡± Even if only for a very short time, she can lend that blessing to someone else, a believer or not. ¡­ That was the result of Reil¡¯s training, and because I believed in it, I could swing my sword in a deadly place without fear of death. ¡°Haaaa¡­.This is the End!¡± A horizontal line. I swung my [Dawnbreaker]¡± and sliced Galgados¡¯ armor in half. But the opponent was a mysterious being. I remained vigilant, not letting down my guard, considering the possibility that he wouldn¡¯t die from that much. ¡­.. ¡°¡­¡­.. Brilliant. I was a defeated soldier after all.¡± A black haze was rapidly billowing out of the armor that had been cut. The voice echoing in the room lacked the strength of the previous one, and we could hear that its life was coming to an end. ¡°But don¡¯t forget. The Demon Lord is a completely different being from us. No matter how much wisdom you may have, you are powerless in the face of his overwhelming power. We will be waiting for you ahead in the land of the fallen losers. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The rising haze vanished, and with a clatter, the armor crumbled. And even the armor quickly turned to dust, leaving nothing behind. ¡°¡­Fu~. I am sorry, but I don¡¯t think we are going to go there, right?¡± ¡°Yes, we will not lose. We will defeat the Demon Lord, ¡­ and survive.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! We still have a long life ahead of us and a lot of things to do!¡± ¡°Right,¡­., let¡¯s go.¡± With our backs turned to the enemy, who left only a name and a word, we looked at the door at the end of the hall. The black ivy-like covering the luxurious pattern¡­ it was ahead of us. Over the course of more than 100 years, I have traveled across the worlds more than 100 times. The time when I will face the Demon Lord for the first time is almost here. CH 120 ¡°Now, we have to open this door to see the face of the Great Demon King. ¡­¡­ Is it fine to touch this?¡± The large door that separated us from the Demon King was a double swing door, and the handle to pull it from this side was also entangled with black ivy. Up close, it looked somewhat sticky, and to be honest, I was a bit hesitant to touch it. ¡°If you¡¯re asking me if it¡¯s fine or not, it¡¯s not, but with a door of this shape, we can¡¯t open it without touching it, right?¡± ¡°Umm, Shall I do it then? I have God¡¯s Blessing, so I think it will be fine if I touch it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind you doing it, but I don¡¯t think you can open it with your arm strength,¡± he said. But I don¡¯t want you to use your strength for something like this, so I¡¯ll just use a suitable stick for now. ¡­..!!?¡± Just as we were about to stick a stick in the handle hole to try and pull it, assuming it would break, the door slowly opened without us doing anything. The overwhelming presence leaked out from the gap as if overflowing, and the tension that should have been somewhat relaxed was suddenly brought to a state of alertness. ¡°Oi, Oi, this again¡­.¡± I muttered to myself, cold sweat pouring down my forehead at the sight that lay on the other side of the open door. The white polished stone floor was about the size of a dance hall. It was a little cramped for dozens of people running amok, but it was big enough for the three of us to fight on. In contrast, there were no walls or ceilings at all. Yes, they did not exist. Outside the floor was a pitch black space, and even goblins could understand that it was not an ordinary place. What will happen if I touch that black part when I¡¯m pushed to the side? I don¡¯t even feel like trying it out. And in such a peculiar space, there was only one chair that looked like a throne, framed in gold. The person sitting on the chair directly in front of us, probably about 30 meters away, was no doubt the person we came to defeat. ¡°¡­Is that the Demon King?¡± ¡°I wonder, He looks more ordinary than I thought he would.¡± The Demon King was sitting on the throne, his whole body covered with a larger amount of black miasma than that of Galgados, whom we had just defeated. Thanks to this, I wasn¡¯t sure what he looked like, but judging from his hands and feet protruding slightly from the edges of the miasma, he was probably about the same size as me, an average human male. I had imagined a more incomprehensible creature when I heard the name [Demon King] but as long as it had the same humanoid form, there were plenty of ways to fight him¨D¨D ¡°¡±¡±¡±KikiKikiKakiKikiKakakakakakaka!!!¡±¡±¡±¡± (T/N: It¡¯s in raw I don¡¯t know its alternative in english) ¡°Ughh!?¡± ¡°Kyaaaah!?¡± ¡°Gghh¡­!?¡± It was probably the voice of the Demon King. We involuntarily held our ears as dozens of cacophonous sounds, like metal scraping against metal, echoed through the air. ¡°Riel, just now!?¡± ¡°No, it was not an attack. He simply said something.¡± ¡°I see, we can¡¯t understand each other. Tia!¡± ¡°I know,¡­¡­, I¡¯m fine now.¡± Tia¡¯s invoked spirit magic gently enveloped our ears. Now we were no longer bothered by his voice, but the battle had not even started yet. ¡°Fuuu¡­Now that we can hear properly, just to confirm, are you willing to have a discussion or something?¡± ¡°¡±¡±¡±KikiKikiKakiKikiKakakakakakaka!!!¡±¡±¡±¡± At my words, the Demon King rose from his throne. When the black miasma rumbled and his hand went to his waist, he pulled out a long, rotting sword from it. It was a cheap, rusty, and shabby sword that looked as if it would break at any moment, but when the black miasma gathered there, a black magic sword was born in a flash. In other words, the opponent was ready to fight. ¡°Well, that was expected. I¡¯ll attack, you two cover me!¡± ¡°Leave it to me!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± At a glance, even though he looked like a Swordsman, the Demon King¡¯s means of attack were completely unknown. If that was the case, it was better to act in such a way that we can make the best use of our own position, rather than the other party¡¯s position. ¡°Hahh!¡± I ran normally up to the halfway point, and then activated the [Hermes Dash] in the last 10 meters. The [Dawnbreaker]¡¯s surprise slash, enhanced by the super-acceleration, was however easily blocked by the sword in his hand. ¡°Huh, What the hell!? How? What¡¯s happening!¡± One was the sturdiness of the Demon King¡¯s defense. There was definitely a rationale in the way he carried his sword, and it was not due to his natural ability to use the sword. And other was the physical hardness of the black sword. With such a rusty, ragged sword at its core, I couldn¡¯t cut through it with the [Dawnbreaker] that my master had forged . Then it was highly likely that the black miasma clinging to the sword completely nullifies physical force and can only be broken through by magic. ¡°Our attacks won¡¯t work if we don¡¯t remove the miasma with magic! I¡¯ll aggro him, you two cover me!¡± ¡°¡±Roger!¡±¡± ¡°So you¡¯ll have to play with me for the time being!¡± ¡°¡±¡±¡±KikiKikiKakiKikiKakakakakakaka!!!¡±¡±¡±¡± I still didn¡¯t know what he was saying, but it didn¡¯t matter much. I just kept on cutting and dicing with the Demon King, while Tia and Reil¡¯s magic kept on chipping away at his miasma. His base physical strength was quite high, so my personal battle situation was somewhat disadvantageous, however, I was able to withstand the Demon King¡¯s attacks with my skills, and even if I was injured, I could still fight because Reil¡¯s recovery magic would arrive instantly. ¡°Release, [Wind Edge]!¡± ¡°[Holy Ray]!¡± ¡°¡±¡±¡±Kakakakikikokokokoko¡±¡±¡±¡± ¡°There!¡± When the magic of the two of them had thinned the miasma out, I put all my strength into slashing with my [Dawnbreaker]. Then, for the first time, my sword felt the response of a proper cut. It was proof that my guess that a physical attack would be able to injure him if the miasma was thinned out with magic was correct, and it was a solid confirmation that we could hurt the Demon King if we worked together. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go! Keep it up!¡± With confidence, I exchanged sword blows more vigorously, and Tia and the others¡¯ magic hit the Demon King, who was focused on dealing with my attacks. After repeating this several times and when the miasma faded, I used their magic as bait and drove my sword into the Demon King. That perfect coordination definitely continued to inflict pain on the Demon King. There was no way to know how much was left, but we were sure that we had the Demon King cornered,¡­¡­, and as we continued to fight on with all our might, the miasma that the Demon King wore suddenly trembled loudly in front of us. ¡°All-out defense!¡± Quickly jumping away from the spot, I dashed towards Tia and the others behind me.The moment I reached them and we were enveloped by the silvery-white wards that Reil had created, a black ripple surged through the battlefield accompanying a shockwave, and at the same time, a black miasma rose up from the Demon King¡¯s back at a tremendous rate. ¡°Oi oi oi oi, What is that!?¡± The rising miasma took the form of a man¡¯s upper body with wings, and in his hand he carried a black sword that matches his enormous physique. In other words, the blow just now wasn¡¯t a last desperate attempt when he was about to lose¡­ ¡°Haa~, Looks like the real battle starts here.¡± ¡°W-We¡¯ll win¡­¡± ¡°¡±¡±Kakakakakakakaka¡±¡±¡±¡± ¡°How convenient for you to start all over again, huh? Oi!¡± I held up my sword again, swearing heartily at the winged giant that sprouted from the body of a small man. (T/N: I¡¯ll go with Demon King from now on instead of Demon Lord) CH 121 ¡°¨CI guess we can¡¯t defeat him just by cornering him once, but that¡¯s a Demon King for you. However¡ª¡° I advanced undaunted towards the Demon King, who had sprouted a huge upper body from his tiny body, like a fairy tale of a Demon God coming out of a lamp. Then a huge sword, matching his physique, swung sideways at me. First of all, this guy¡­! ? ¡°Get down!¡± I intercepted his sword with the back of my [Dawnbreaker] , a single-edged sword, while shouting behind me. However, the power of the five-meter sword was just as fierce as it looked, and my small body was easily knocked away like dust in the wind. ¡°Uuoooohhh!?¡± If I let myself go with the momentum, I would go off the stage and crash into the black wall. I hurriedly thrusted my sword into the stone floor and stayed just in time, immediately activating the [Hermes Dash] to get to Tia and the others. In the meantime, the Demon King was about to deliver a devastating slash to Tia, but just as it hit the target, a silvery white light scattered, and the Demon King¡¯s sword was lightly flicked up. ¡°Thanks! Are you okay!?¡± ¡°Yeah, somehow¡­¡­, but it¡¯s difficult to do it in a row. If it¡¯s only me, I¡¯ll be fine, but the [Blessing] I granted to Tia-san would be shattered by a single blow.¡± ¡°Roger. I¡¯ll go on the offensive, and Reil, you take care of the defense.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Without waiting for Reil¡¯s reply, I stepped in front of the Demon King again. Then he swung his sword again to slice me ¡­¡­ or rather smash me, but I don¡¯t intend to repeat the same mistake twice. ¡°Goooohhh¡­.!¡± His slashes came pouring down on me like a storm and I intercepted each and every one of them with my [Dawnbreaker]. My whole body was making an unpleasant sound, but I didn¡¯t have time to worry about it. ¡°¡±¡±Kokakokekikikokokakikokakokekikakoki¡±¡±¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying!¡± While complaining about the mysterious cry, I endured the Demon King¡¯s aggressive but half-hearted attacks. The main body of the Demon King was probably that small body that I was fighting with just a moment ago. The upper half of the body that grew out of it had an opening due to its enormous size, and honestly, if it were just me, I could run in and attack the main body below. But in that case, if the two people behind me were to be attacked, I would have no way to protect them, and more importantly, I alone would have no way to deal with the black miasma that the Demon King wears. Therefore, Endure. Endure, for now. Because ¡­ the opportunity will soon come. ¡°¨CManifest, [Star Hastur]!¡± Tia, the only one who had been chanting the entire time, completed her magic, and the storm-clad star pierced the Demon King¡¯s huge body. But the gurgling black miasma converged towards the large hole in his chest, and in no time at all, the Demon King had regained his original form. ¡°¡­..Not good enough, huh¡± ¡°I think the top is not the main body. I think his power has been reduced, but it¡¯s impossible to defeat him without hitting the bottom.¡± ¡°Looks like it. Okay, I¡¯ll prepare myself.¡± Tia then took out a bow using her [Single Bank] skill. The particular one that was given to her when she saved the village of elves was a powerful magic tool that could carry the power of spirit magic on the arrow that it launches. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll do my best too. Riel, please.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± The pain disappeared from my body with the restorative magic. I can¡¯t get rid of my fatigue, but it¡¯s too late for that. ¡°Hey, you little balloon bastard! I¡¯m gonna play with you some more!¡± ¡°¡±¡±Kakakakokakokikekokakokakokakeki¡±¡±¡± Thrice I stepped forward, and a giant slash poured down on me from the DemonKing. This time, at the same time, his wings flapped and countless feathers pierced the floor, and seconds later, they exploded one after another. ¡°Is it necessary to use it now? Well, Fine by me!¡± If there were more people or if the party members were dispersed, it would be one thing, but I don¡¯t think an AOE attack would be effective with only three people in two separate roles. So is it possible that he is changing his attack method based on the damage he takes, rather than thinking about it? It¡¯s somewhat concerning, but it¡¯s a big help to me because the frequency of attacks with the sword were slightly reduced because of it. ¡°Hey hey! What¡¯s wrong! You¡¯re not putting your back into it!¡± ¡°¡°¡°¡°Kakokakokakokikikikikikikiki¡±¡±¡±¡± However, the situation was actually not good at all. In the first place, his sword strikes were too strong to be received by a human body, or at least a shield, but I was receiving them on the back of my long sword. Thanks to the foresight of my master who gave me the single-edged sword [Dawnbreaker], I¡¯ve been able to keep up for now, but I was approaching my limit slowly. ¡°Goo¡­ uh¡­ not yet!¡± A nasty buzzing sensation informed me that the blood vessels in my arms and legs have been severed. I could neither see them nor had time to look at them, but under my clothes, I was sure there were dark stains spreading all over my body. Then Reil¡¯s recovery magic, but it wasn¡¯t enough to keep up. And it seemed that the exploding feather attack, which I thought was pointless, was exquisitely cutting down on Reil [Blessings]. That side was out of my control, so it would be arrogant, not to mention extravagant, to ask for more. It¡¯s hard for all of us¡­. And finally, a move to break through this painful situation was completed. ¡°¨CManifest, [Star Hastur]!¡± Tia¡¯s spirit magic was activated again. In conjunction with it, I ran forward, but¡­ ¡°¡±¡±¡±Kakakakakakakakakakakakakakakaka¡±¡±¡±¡± Holding his hands in front of his chest in a defensive posture, the Demon King¡¯s huge body blocked Tia¡¯s magic. The Demon King¡¯s victorious blow landed right on top of my head. ¡°ED-SAN!?¡± With a screeching voice, Reil hurled a [Blessing] at me. It did indeed bounce off the Demon King¡¯s sword, but at about the same time, countless feathers fell densely on me and my surroundings, causing a huge explosion. In the midst of the billowing smoke, I was shocked by the lethal blow¡­that¡¯s why I grinned and shouted. ¡°Tia!¡± ¡°IKKEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!¡± A silver light arrow was shot out from Tia¡¯s hand. The silver spirit sword, which was strengthened by imparting spirit magic, was launched as an arrow, and it became a flash that pierced through everything and pierced the Demon King¡¯s main body. ¡°¡±¡±¡±Kakakakikikikiki!?¡±¡±¡±¡± The silver spirit sword that pierced him shattered, but the black miasma that the Demon King wears also disappeared. Of course it immediately began to heal itself, but ¡­ I was faster than that! ¡°HAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡± During this trip, I never once used my combat banishment skills. Assuming that everything was known to the Demon King, and making him think that my true strength was only this much. But now, I nullified the attacks with [Invincible], healed all the wounds with [Regenerate] and using the impact of the feathers from earlier with [Orbit Reflector] in conjunction [Hermes Dash], I jumped out of the way¡­¡­. Flesh and bone ripped and bones shattered, the whole body a mere sack of blood, yet the sword pierced straight through the Demon King faster than sound. ¡°¡±¡±KoKo¡­ Koki?¡±¡±¡± With an unexpectedly hard response, my sword ¡­ Master¡¯s [Dawnbreaker] pierced through the chest of the Demon King. At the same time, the black miasma that the Demon King was clad in suddenly dispersed into the surrounding area, finally revealing the Demon King¡¯s true form. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.Huh?¡± Someone¡¯s voice, but all of us shared the same feeling, echoed softly. The black miasma had been removed, and the Demon Lord was about the same size as an average adult male, with a human face that could be found anywhere. He was about the same height as me, about the same shape as me, and¨C ¡°¡­¡­ Ed?¡± ¡°Ed¡­san?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ what the hell¡± The Demon King had the same face as me. (T/N: HAAHHHH!!??????) CH 122 What if the enemy you were fighting with all your strength against had a face just like yours? Of course you would be surprised. You would be surprised, but that¡¯s all. Like Mikigami, who used to train waffles, enemies who imitate our appearance are rare, but they do exist. Considering that, It was not at all surprising that the Demon King had the same kind of power. (T/N: It was Mikigami right? Correct me if I am wrong) ¡°Haa¡­!?¡± Therefore, I was surprised only for a moment. I immediately put all my strength into my arm and tried to slice through the Demon King, but the sword, which was firmly embedded in his arm, did not budge even if I pushed or pulled. Then, the Demon King reached out his hand toward me. Normally, I would have immediately taken my hand off the sword and jumped away. But right now I held in my hand the Dawnbreaker, the sword of dawn forged by my master. I felt the slightest hesitation in letting go of my master¡¯s dream,¡­¡­, and that naivete made the Demon King grab my arm. ¡°Guaaaa!?¡± ¡°ED!¡± ¡°ED-SAN!¡± The Demon King¡¯s arm tightened like vines, and I screamed out at the pain inflicted. That¡¯s strange. Why does it hurt so much?Why ¡­¡­ ¡°[Invincible]¡­.is not working!? GAHHHH!?!?¡± ¡°¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±Kakakakakakakaka¡­¡­ka¡­¡­ka¡­¡­¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡± "" No, not just [Invisible], even ¡°Regenerate¡± was also not invoked on the part of the arm that was grabbed and bloodied to the point that I thought it was going to be crushed. Damn, I didn¡¯t think my skills would be disabled! I was kind of expecting it, but right now¡­! ¡°LET GO OF ED!¡± With Tia¡¯s voice coming up behind me, a slender sword stabbed the Demon King in the face from diagonally below, grazing my neck. It was aimed directly at the Demon King¡¯s eyeball, but the tip of the well-made steel sword shattered, and he was not affected in any way. ¡°¡±¡±¡±Kakakakakakakaka¡±¡±¡±¡±¡± ¡°No way!? Even after stripping off his Robe Of Darkness!?¡± Tia gave such a fancy name for that black miasma. No, now is not the time to be thinking about that! But something ¡­. what is this?¡¡Something different from pain is getting inside of me and ¡­ no, or is it being sucked out of me ¡­? ¡°Eat This, Demon King! [Divine Aura] and [Holy Ray]!¡± A pillar of light rained down from above the Demon King¡¯s head due to holy magic from self-enhancement. However, the Demon King, who was pierced through the brain by it, still did nothing ¡­¡­ Is he smirking? ¡°¡±Kakkakakka ¡­. kuha!¡±¡± ¡°Kyaaa!?¡± The Demon King swung his right arm and I heard a scream from behind me. I couldn¡¯t move my body, even though I wanted to check on the two of them right now. If only my [Stranger Box] would open, I could pull out my spare sword, slash my right arm where it¡¯s grabbed, and just take off. ¡­. Shit, Shit, Shit! ¡°Get off me! Get the fuck off me! If you did anything more to Tia and Riel, You are in for a world of pain!¡± I noticed that my right arm, which was turning black, was no longer transmitting any sensation. I kicked him in the groin and head-butted him in the nose, but the Demon King¡¯s face didn¡¯t change from a smirk. I never thought the day would come when I would hate my own face. ¡­.! ¡°Kaka¡­.Found you, Caught you¡­At last, the time has come!¡± ¡°Huh!? That language!?¡± The cries of the demon king, which had been nothing but a cacophony of countless overlapping sounds, were unified into a single sound, and with a richer expression, human words were spun out. Seeing my surprised face, the bastard was smiling happily. ¡°That¡¯s right! I am you, You are me! The one crushed by that Annoying God, The 100th Demon King!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! Tia, do it!¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry!¡± In response to my call, Tia swung down her thin sword that had been cut in half. The Demon King, who knew that such a thing would not work, did not react, but it was not the Demon King that Tia was aiming at. ¡°Gahh!¡± ¡°WHAT!?¡± ¡± ¡®What!?¡¯ It¡¯s not that, you idiot!¡± My right arm, which had been held by the Demon King, was cut off from the base of my shoulder, and after being freed, I kicked with all my might at the hilt of the [Dawnbreaker] that was still stuck in the Demon King¡¯s stomach. ¡°Gaahh!? Me¡­.Why do you reject!?¡± ¡°I hate to break it to you, but I ain¡¯t gonna be friends with someone who looks the same! It¡¯s confusing!¡± ¡°For such a reason!?¡± Of course I didn¡¯t mean it, but for some reason the Demon King was shocked. I dashed to take advantage of the situation! ¡°ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA!¡± I took this opportunity to slam my fist into the hilt of the [Dawnbreaker]. Although my fists were all messed up because I couldn¡¯t use my banishing skill for some reason, it didn¡¯t matter because of the adrenaline rush I didn¡¯t feel any pain! ¡°Guh, Gah!? W-wait! Stop it! After going through thousands, tens of thousands, even billions of cycles, A miracle has finally arrived! That¡¯s why¡ª¡± ¡°Like I said I don¡¯t know! Or rather, Who the hell are you anyways!¡± ¡°GAhhhh¡­.I am, I am¡­..!¡± The Demon King¡¯s body cracked, and red light leaked out from the cracks. Though he was in human form and moved like a person, his body was like a stone. ¡°S-Soon this body¡­.Alright then, If you are going to reject me to this extent¡­¡± ¡°Now¨D¨D¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I will give you the truth. Now, remember.¡± ¡°IT¡¯S OVER!¡± The Demon King grabbed my ankle as I kicked with all my might. At the same time, something incomparable to when my arm was held entered me all at once, and ¡­.!? {It¡¯s me, it¡¯s me¡­ poor me, Ed¡­The one who¡¯s been stripped of the name at the end, the one given the role of clown, Ed¡­ remember that reality. Your name is¡­} Pakiiiiin! ¡°Gyahh!!?¡± The Demon King¡¯s body, having exceeded its limits, shattered into a red jewel. The hand that was holding my leg was gone, and countless pieces rained down on me as I fell on my buttocks, but strangely enough, they did not pierce my body, but all disappeared as a black haze. ¡°Ed! Are you okay!?¡± ¡°Ed-san! I¡¯m treating you now! I can¡¯t regenerate your arm right away, so I¡¯ll just stop the bleeding and start with your hand.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. Thanks.¡± Seeing me, Tia and Reil rushed over in a panic. Tia stood in front of me, wary of the shadowy demon king, while Reil¡¯s restorative magic healed my knuckles. ¡°Gyaaahhhh!!!???¡± ¡°Because your nerves are healed, that¡¯s why you are feeling the pain. Here, keep this in your mouth so that you don¡¯t bite your tongue!¡± ¡°Fugoh?!¡± While my mouth was stuffed with a piece of cloth and the pain was about to burn through my consciousness, I could feel another presence inside me, another person who was calmly watching me. (Oh, I see. Is this what it is¡­) It¡¯s a memory that I had lost, that was gone. It¡¯s not me, Ed, who was given a personality by a god to a soul that had its power and memories shattered to a hundred pieces. It¡¯s the past of the strongest Demon King who possessed the power to end everything. (T/N: GOD FUCKING DAMN) (I see, you¡¯re definitely me. Damn, you¡¯re pushing me into something troublesome.) The Demon King of the Demise, credits roll. With the future and the past rolling in an unexpected direction, I was bitterly thinking about what to do from now on. (T/N: Next Chapter from 20th march, got my end sems at the start of March) CH 123 ¡°At last it¡¯s over¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, it sure is.¡± After that, we ran out of the Demon King¡¯s chamber, which was rapidly becoming unstable, and we evacuated to the outside of the castle. At about the same time, the protective wards covering the castle disappeared, and the majestic castle was transformed into rubble just like the surrounding townscape. Feeling moved witnessing this, Reil once again bowed deeply and called out to us. ¡°Thank you very much, Ed-san, Tia-san. Thanks to the two of you, I was able to accomplish the feat of defeating the Demon King. As a human being living in this world, let me offer my heartfelt thanks.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s fine. Right, Tia?¡± ¡°Yeah! We fought together, and it feels quite lonely if you treat me with such respect.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­ Fufu, Alright then.¡± Reill smiled softly at us, and we smiled back. The sky was blue and clear, as if to celebrate the new beginning of this world. Incidentally, the arm that was cut off by Tia had already healed. It would have been difficult with only Reil¡¯s magic, but since I was able to use my banishment skills after his death, I was able to regenerate it by [Regenerate]. I had never healed an injury this large before, and to be honest, it was a little scary to see the flesh rising up from the amputated surface and becoming an arm. I was convinced that this was indeed the power of the Demon King. ¡­ Let¡¯s return to the present. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not completely over yet, right? There are still remnants of the Demon King¡¯s Army.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. But the majority of them are already gone, so it¡¯s just a matter of time.¡± ¡°Well, it wouldn¡¯t take long for 100,000 soldiers. Ah, if we had that many reinforcements at that time¡­¡± ¡°Then I¡¯d be wondering how I was ever going to get expelled.¡± I chuckle and get on board with Tia¡¯s joking statement. If a similar coalition force had been formed in that world, what would ¡­ really have happened? ¡°I know right. If we had managed to get to the Demon King this quick at that time, it would have been difficult to even leave the party with an injury on purpose. ¡­¡­ Worst case scenario, I could peek in on you changing just like I did the first time?¡± ¡°Ed no ecchi!¡± ¡°Huh!?¡± Tia slapped my nose and puffed up her cute cheeks. ¡°Ah, So Ed-san really is a pervert after all! But now that he has defeated the Demon King, I may at least offer you my body in return. ¡­.¡± ¡°Ed no ecchi!!!!¡± ¡°Gghhhh?!¡± Tia¡¯s fist exploded on the tip of my nose in front of Reil, who swayed her hips with her cheeks stained. It was three times more painful than before. ¡°Isn¡¯t that unreasonable, Tia-san?¡± ¡°Hmph! I have no mercy for the enemies of maidens!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry! It¡¯s my fault¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not Riel¡¯s fault¡­ No, it¡¯s Riel¡¯s fault? Let¡¯s leave it at that, since thinking about it too deeply doesn¡¯t seem to do any good, but now that we¡¯ve defeated the Demon King, it¡¯s time to say goodbye.¡± ¡°What!?¡± Reil¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at my words. But that reaction was also a surprise. ¡°Why are you surprised? We¡¯ve defeated the Demon King, so our journey ends here, right?¡± ¡°But, you know, we could at least have a victory celebration, or at least a report to everyone in the world that we defeated the Demon King? And I¡¯m sure there are plenty of people out there who would love to see the two of you as Heroes.¡± ¡°No, that would make it difficult for us to return home, you know? If the ¡®banishment¡¯ fails, so be it, but if not, now is the best time. Me and Tia fought the Demon King, but during the battle both of us died and not even our corpses were left behind, it does make sense, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true¡­!¡± While she looked at me condemningly, Reil kept her mouth shut there. She was not just a saint with a title. Because of her power, she has taken countless lives, and her youth and beauty have been used politically beyond the Arlene Church to which she belongs. Then, of course, I know what will happen when we return. Naturally, we would be cheered by the general public, and with the cooperative relationships we have built with various countries, we would not be treated so negatively. But the closer the relationship is, the harder it will be to sever. We are simply leaving this world, so it can be said that it doesn¡¯t matter, but for Riel, who remains here, it would be different. If we were to suddenly disappear one day, it was inevitable that inquiries would flood in to Riel as our comrade who helped us defeat the Demon King. ¡°Is my position or existence ¡­¡­ dragging the two of you down?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not wrong either, but the root cause is the fact that we defeated the Demon King in the first place. Well, in life you meet people and you have to say goodbye. It¡¯s no use worrying about it. So, you have to do it.¡± ¡°¡­Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. okay.¡± Seeing me and Tia gently holding hands, Reil folded her hands in front of her chest as if she was praying and looked straight at us. ¡°Through the power of these brave warriors from another world, the Demon King of this land has been vanquished, and peace has been brought to this world. For your courage and humanity, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you. And good-bye. As long as I live, I will never forget you both.¡± Pikon ¨CConditions met, Ten Minutes Remaining Until Return. I heard the usual voice in my head as I heard Riel¡¯s words, as if she was forcing a smile. ¡°Oh, It worked!¡± ¡°Does that mean that you were able to ¡®banish¡¯ without problems?¡± ¡°Yeah, Right. With¡ª-!?¡± Suddenly, Reil jumped on my chest. Her arms were firmly around my waist, and her eyes were filled with tears. ¡°WHY!? Why are you getting ¡®banished¡¯!? Even though I am so, so grateful to you¡­ am I not even allowed to send you off wishing for your happiness!?¡± ¡°Haha, thanks Reil. But that¡¯s OK. I can¡¯t do anything about the concept of ¡®banishment¡¯ itself. It¡¯s a lot of progress just to be allowed to expand on this stupidity. And now, thanks to you, we¡¯ve taken it a step further. We can¡­ now go home after defeating the Demon King.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Reel. Thanks to you, I¡¯m on track to leave the world after doing what I need to do. So thank you. You are the catalyst that will allow us to save all the worlds we will visit in the future. You were definitely a saint.¡± ¡°Tia-san, ¡­¡­! Reil, who had just left me, now embraced Tia. Tia¡¯s face as she rubs Reil¡¯s back was ever so tender, like a Holy mother holding a saint in her arms. ¡°Tia. It¡¯s about time¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡± Tia, who had moved away from the groggy Reil, held out her hand to me as I called out to her. Then we held hands, and I called out to Reil for the last time. ¡°You know, Reil, thanks to you, the Demon King has disappeared from this world! Even if I had to do it all over again, no Demon King would ever be born in this world again! Be proud! You saved this world forever!¡± ¡°Ed-san¡­ Yes, I understand!¡± ¡°I had a great time, Reil! I know we won¡¯t see each other again, but we will always be friends!¡± ¡°Tia-san! Of course! But don¡¯t say I won¡¯t see you again! I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll get to see you both again, based on that skill!¡± ¡°Fufu, really? Then I¡¯ll look forward to seeing you again. Oh, but don¡¯t be reckless, okay? I won¡¯t forgive you if you shorten your lifespan like I did!¡± ¡°Understood! I might end up becoming an auntie or an old lady¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine! See you¡ª¡° ¡°See you!¡± ¨C3¡­2¡­1¡­ World Transfer Commences For the first time, while seeing someone off. For the first time, while being seen off. The bodies of Tia and I, holding hands, turned into light and were ¡®banished¡¯ from this world. (T/N: Man this goodbye hit hard) CH 124 ¡°Haaaaaa¡­.I am so tired this time.¡± After safely returning to the [White World] I stretched out on the spot and took a deep breath. We were there for a period of time,but most of all, it was too different from what I had done before, and the end result was so different that it filled me with an indescribable sense of completion. ¡°Good work. I¡¯d like to have a cup of tea¡­.but I guess it¡¯s not possible.¡± ¡°Hahaha, I can¡¯t drink it, but¡­ you were able to subdue the Demon King, so why not try that too?¡± ¡°Ugh!? Hey, I¡¯m a little interested, but I think I have too much to lose¡­ mumumu¡± At my words, Tia wrinkled her brow and started to worry. Even for me, I¡¯d be interested to see what would happen if we ate and drank here,¡­ but, no, can we do anything now? ¡°Hmm¡­ I guess I won¡¯t. More than that, Ed¡­¡± ¡°I know, {Records Of The Hero¡¯s Story}, right? Now¡ª¡° ¡°No, not that¡± Tia stopped me with a serious look on her face as I was about to walk over to the table. ¡°Hey Ed. What were you talking to the Demon Lord about? What is the reason behind the Demon King looking like you?¡± ¡°Ah, Are you curious?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m curious! I don¡¯t want to force you to tell me something you don¡¯t want to tell me, but I¡¯m going to make sure you know I want to hear it! Besides, I have something on my mind too¡­¡± ¡°Well, what is it?¡± It was subtly predictable, but I still asked Tia. But unfortunately, my hunch at times like this was rarely wrong¡­. ¡°You know, I just remembered. When I fought with Alexis and the others¡­ the Demon King at that time looked exactly like you, Ed.¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­..¡± Yes, correct answer. When I made a slight scowl at the most unpleasant correct answer in the world, Tia continued. ¡°That Demon King was covered in black miasma at first, too. But when Alexis cut through it with his holy sword, he found ¡­. well, yes, it was the same as this time. Of course, I knew right away that it wasn¡¯t Ed himself. But I was definitely surprised, and more importantly, Alexis was very angry. He said, ¡°How dare you mock our comrade who gave up his life to pave the way for us! Heroes are not so naive as to get upset just because you look like them!¡±. After that, as you know, We defeated the Demon King, and somehow I seemed to have forgotten about it, but when I saw the face of the Demon King ¡­ just now, I suddenly remembered. That¡¯s what happened at that time. If it was only in that world, it could still be explained, but if even the Demon King from the other world had Ed¡¯s face, then there must be some connection between Ed and the Demon King, right?¡± (T/N: Man Alexis one of the best heroes) ¡°¡­¡­ Well, yes. There is atleast a strong connection. It¡¯s a long story, it¡¯s not interesting, and it might make you feel awful to hear it, but ¡­.. do you still want to hear it?¡± I didn¡¯t want to willingly talk about it, but I couldn¡¯t avoid answering the question if asked. If I ignore it here, the question will remain in Tia¡¯s mind forever. ¡­. If I choose not to tell her, my relationship with Tia will slowly break down. Rather than clinging to it and turning away from the rottenness, it would be better to come clean here. I was ready to make my decision, but Tia took my hand with a smile on her face. ¡°Yeah, tell me. I¡¯m sure I¡¯m here to know that and carry it together with you.¡± ¡°¡­ I see.¡± Man, why is Tia like this? How can she be so ready to take on my personal crap before even listening to me when I have no intention of letting her take on any of my personal shit? She is a bottomless idiot. The ultimate softy. But I¡¯m willing to talk to the elf lady in front of me if she asks for it. Then let me tell you a story. The story of the Demon King and God who were once born somewhere in the world. The story of Ed and the Demon King, who are still in the middle of their journey. Once upon a time, there was a Demon King who had the power to end everything. And God was very fearful of the existence of such a Demon King. After all, if he had the power to end everything, he might be able to ¡°end¡± not only the world he had created, but even God himself. Although the Demon King was neither hostile to God nor engaged in destructive activities, God, who could no longer stand the fact that there was an existence that could threaten him, challenged the Demon King to a battle. After a long and bitter battle, God finally defeated the Demon King. However, although God was able to defeat the Demon King, he was not able to destroy him. This is because the [Power to End All] was the power of the Demon King, not God¡¯s power. Therefore, God extracted the power and memories from the Demon King¡¯s soul, shattered it into 100 pieces, and scattered each piece in a different world. Then, the soul of the Demon King, which has lost its will and power, was sealed in [Eternal White] where not even time has passed. However, God was still not relieved. The soul and power, which were originally one, were drawn to each other, and one day, they might even cross the boundary of the world and return to their original state. Then God thought ¡®If the Demon King cannot be destroyed by me, I will dye his soul with despair so that one day, when he regains the [Power to End All] he himself will wish to disappear and be gone.¡¯ Once such a mechanism was created, the Demon Lord would destroy himself without doing anything else. ¡­ God carried out such a wonderful idea without any hesitation. God then implanted false human memories in the soul of the ignorant and innocent Demon King, gave him a fragile human body, and imposed a test on him for the sake of his plan. That was, ¡°If you want to return to the world where you were born, you must visit 100 different worlds and be ¡°banished¡± in all of them.¡± The Demon King¡¯s instinct to ¡°return to the original¡± had been replaced by a nostalgia to ¡°return home,¡± and the Demon King¡¯s soul, processed into a clown doll, desperately wandered across other worlds and was harshly ¡°banished¡± wherever he went. He was humbly accompanied by a hero who went to defeat a fragment of his own power, but the soul of the Demon King, who lacked not only the ability to fight but even the common sense of that world, was shunned, disgraced, and cursed in all worlds, but he still continued his activities with the single-minded desire to ¡°return to his original world.¡± And when the soul of the Demon King, finally banished from 100 other worlds, passes through the door with false nostalgia and thoughts of a nostalgic home that does not exist, ¡­ there was a clown doll with all memories erased and returned to its initial state. Yes, it was an eternal circle. A tragedy and a comedy that will never end, given to the Demon King who had lost the [Power to End All]. The soul of the Demon King continued to be rejected and banished by human beings for a period of time so long that the world born of stone will return to stone again, and for repetition that was even more numerous than the number of stars. Memories disappear. But the dark thoughts that have stuck in his soul will not disappear. At the end of a long, long repetition, the power that leaks out of the world and accumulates little by little each time a fragment of its power comes in and out of the world of existence eventually comes to fruition as a crystal ball in [Eternal White]. It was the power to make any wish come true in the form of an ¡°end¡± for anyone who touched it. If the soul of the demon king, tired of being here, wished for its own extinction, everything would be as God intended. But the soul of the Demon King did not wish for that. The soul of the Demon King, who had been endowed with a personality that prevented him from being driven by anger or revenge, was therefore moderately kind. The Demon King¡¯s soul, which not even the gods would destroy, exceeded his expectations slightly in terms of its resilience. The soul of the Demon King did not wish to escape from the painful reality or to disappear from his uselessness, but to ¡°become strong enough not to bother anyone and to help those who helped him.¡± Thus, the soul of the Demon King put an end to his ¡®powerlessness¡¯ and became able to use a portion of the power accumulated in the crystal ball as his own. And from that day on, slight cracks began to appear in the perfect plan of God¡­ CH 125 Now, being able to use the Demon King¡¯s power accumulated in the crystal ball, the clown doll that housed the Demon King¡¯s soul had become a little stronger. However, that was far from enough to deal with the infinite loop created by God, the [Eternal White]. In addition, every time it looped, it lost the power it had acquired along with its memories, and as a result, there was not much difference between it and the previous state. However, by repeating such a state for thousands or tens of thousands of times more, God¡¯s calculation went wrong again. The power stored in the crystal ball was directly used and consumed by the Demon King¡¯s soul, and the power of the crystal ball, which should normally only fill up after the banishment from 100 worlds, was shifted slightly, and to my surprise, it showed its power right after a new round of the looping had begun. This time, too, the Demon King¡¯s soul, which had thought that its memory had been erased and brought into an incomprehensible world, was astonished by its existence. It was only natural that, having been subjected to an unreasonable ordeal, a means of ignoring it all suddenly existed in front of him. As a result, the Demon Lord¡¯s soul wished to ¡°go home now¡± and ¡°finish that lap¡± to enter the door from which it had just emerged, and a new lap began immediately after being stripped of almost all its memories and powers. However, that was exactly how the collapse began. When the soul of the Demon King who entered the next cycle was ¡°banished¡± from the first world, the power of the Demon King, which had not been consumed in the previous cycle, was doubled and flowed across the world into the [Eternal White]. The torrent caused a fissure in the narrow road that connected the world, and the road widened rapidly with each subsequent lap. Once that happened, the change was rapid. With each lap, the power that the Demon King¡¯s soul gained grew, and even the concept of ¡°banishment¡± from the world became more lenient as the path widened. Because of the tampering of memories and consciousness, the soul of the Demon King himself had been unaware of this for a long time, but now the Ark of the Time created by God was full of holes. In such a broken world, the demon king¡¯s soul finally stabbed the finishing blow. With the power of the crystal ball accumulated three times, he wished, ¡°I want to carry over all my memories and powers and start over.¡± (T/N: OH SO THAT¡¯S WHAT HAPPENED) It was a forbidden and fatal wish to end the laws that supported the very foundations of this world. Finally, the soul of the Demon King, spiraling out of the eternal circle, deviated from the path laid down and forced by God and began to live as it pleased. ¡­. ¡°And, well, something like that?¡± I exhaled after finishing my long story. In a normal world, I would be thirsty after talking this much, but in this place, it didn¡¯t happen. And it was the same for Tia. She listened intently to what I had to say and twisted her head with a difficult expression as she tried to digest it in her own mind. ¡°Let¡¯s see, ¡­. so that means Ed is the Demon King, right? ¡°Oh, yeah.¡± If she didn¡¯t even understand that, I would be tempted to hold my head, but I guess she wasn¡¯t that dumb. Good, good, good. ¡°So, in all the worlds, including ours, there is a shard of Ed¡¯s power in the form of the Demon King?¡± ¡°Mm, you¡¯re right, ¡­. I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not the one making them go wild, so take your complaints to God.¡± ¡°And for ¡­ Ed, you¡¯re saying this isn¡¯t the second time around?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I guess so.¡± ¡°I see ¡­¡­¡± Tia, who had been sitting on the floor listening to the conversation for some reason, stood up and came to my side and held my head tightly to her chest. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to go through that.¡± ¡°Haha, this is nothing.¡± My memories were as hazy as the other side of a sandstorm, but I certainly had painful and sad memories. But even as I recalled them, I still felt no bitterness toward the Heroes who had treated me so ill. Because, you know, right? An amateur who doesn¡¯t even know how to hold a sword forcibly joins a party of Heroe for some reason? It¡¯s only natural that they would be angry and kick me out. Of course, I had my own reasons for doing so, and I was desperate to do so, but it was of no concern to the Heroes. ¡°I don¡¯t remember, but did we ever say anything bad to Ed?¡± ¡°Of course, it was terrible but it was the truth. ¡®Even if you try to force your way along like that, nobody will recognize you as a member of the Hero¡¯s party. That¡¯s why you won¡¯t be able to gain any fame. Furthermore, real allies are being put in danger just to protect you. Be aware of your own uselessness and disappear already!¡¯. Again, I don¡¯t hold it against you, okay? I was acting like a piece of shit at the time, and I deserved to be told that, but I had no other way out of the world, so I was forced to do what I thought was best for me. I¡¯m just thankful I didn¡¯t get cut down.¡± ¡°Ed¡­¡­!¡± The arms holding my head tightened. Tia¡¯s chest was quite thin, so it honestly hurted a bit, but I wasn¡¯t wild or brave enough ¡­¡­ to point that out in this atmosphere. The Demon King of the End can read the atmosphere. ¡°That¡¯s all? I was thinking you might say, ¡®You¡¯re the enemy of mankind, and you¡¯ve been deceiving us all this time!¡¯ or ¡®How can a puppet created by God pretend to be human?¡¯ ¡° ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that! Because Ed saved me ¡­. no, not just me. Alexis and all the other Heroes of the world, you helped us all! Or do you suddenly want to destroy the world now that you remember you¡¯re the Demon King?¡± ¡°Nah, that¡¯s not it. Besides, I never wanted to destroy the world in the first place. It may not be very convincing since the power that was shattered seems to be causing chaos, but¡­¡± ¡°No, I believe you. Because the current Ed is the Ed I know.¡± The words, so honest, soak into my heart ¡­ penetrated into my soul. I couldn¡¯t see it because she was hugging me, but I¡¯m sure that Tia¡¯s eyes were now filled with overflowing trust. ¡°But¡­I am a personality created by God, right? I ain¡¯t a decent human being to begin with, remember?¡± ¡°Even if you say so¡­ since the last time you lost your memory and became the current Ed, you¡¯ve been alive for over 100 years from your subjective point of view, right?¡± ¡°Yes. The first round ¡­ or was it before the first round?¡¡I¡¯m taking over the memories from that time, so that¡¯s how I¡¯m feeling.¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing wrong with that. No matter how it started, you¡¯ve lived a normal human life since you were born, Ed, so that¡¯s Ed now, okay?¡± ¡°Uh,¡­¡­ I see?¡± Although it varies from world to world, the average lifespan of a normal human being is roughly sixty to eighty years. There are very few special people who live longer, but excluding those special cases, I now spend more time as ¡°Myself¡± than I did in most of the world before. Then, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s too exaggerating to say that it is indeed the development of an individual personality called ¡°Myself¡±. It would be rather unnatural to live 100 years and not develop even a single individuality. ¡°Well, then, what about my body? My body wasn¡¯t born normal, okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I don¡¯t know if I should be saying this now, but every time we come back here from another world, our bodies are rejuvenated, or rather, rewound, right? So is my body the same as my original body in the first place? I can¡¯t say that my body is the same as a normal elf¡¯s.¡± ¡°O-oh ¡­.?¡± I had never thought about whether my body was normal or not. But now that I think about it, it¡¯s hard to say that I¡¯m normal, even if you take the Demon King out of the equation. I¡¯m not an elf, and the fact that I¡¯ve maintained the body of a 20 year old for 100 years was certainly abnormal. ¡°Then¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Is that okay?¡± I swallowed, and Tia patted my head lightly before releasing me from her arms, looking me straight in the eye and smiling. ¡°Of course it is! I don¡¯t care if your the Demon King or not, Ed is the Ed I know. Nice to meet you, Ed!¡± ¡°¡­ Ah. Nice to meet you, Tia.¡± It was accepted so easily, so easily, as if it were a matter of course,¡­ and I returned her smile with a smile, feeling so discouraged that I wanted to cry. (T/N: Just finishing this arc, will post its last chapter whenever I am done with it. Next Arc From 20th March.) CH 126 ¡°Well then, Let¡¯s read the {Records Of The Hero¡¯s Story}!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± With a renewed spirit, I led Tia to the table. There, I found the {Records Of The Hero¡¯s Story} and as usual, I picked up the book and opened it. ¡°N-No! Don¡¯t read it, Ed!¡± ¡°!? What¡¯s with you all of a sudden?¡± ¡°You cannot breach a maiden¡¯s privacy like this! Ed no ecchi!¡± ¡°Haa¡­?¡± When I was reading¡­.about Reil¡¯s life when she was a young maiden, all of a sudden Tia took the book out of my hand. In front of my bewildered face, Tia was snorting, her ears twitching. ¡°What is it, You didn¡¯t care about it when it was Rebecca¡­¡± ¡°Did you say something?¡± ¡°No? Nothing?¡± Tia stared at me, and I hurriedly turned away and whistled. After a few moments of awkwardness, Tia finally put the book back on the table. ¡°Yes, you can read it from here.¡± ¡°¨CWhat the hell was written¡­¡± ¡°No! You have to hear this from the person herself! If you try to sneak and read it behind my back, I¡¯ll scribble ¡®Incarnation Of Eros¡± on your back, okay?¡± ¡°Ugh, I don¡¯t want that. ¡­ Okay, I¡¯ll not read the previous pages.¡± Trembling at the incredibly terrible penalty of being socially obliterated, I looked at the part of the book which I had been given the permission to read. It was just after we had defeated the Demon King, and it was also the last section of this book. ¨CThe Final Chapter: Peace and War in the 007th world {Records Of The Hero¡¯s Story} The hero Riel and her party defeated the Demon King, but the two companions who had fought with her had died in the fierce battle against the Demon King. The people of the world mourned for them, and together with the Saint Reil, they were recognized as Saints of the Arlene cult, and their names and figures were passed down from generation to generation. The loss of their common enemy, the Demon King, combined with the large armies that they organized to defeat him, led to several wars, but under the command of the Hero Riel, the followers of the Arlene faith united. The scale of the wars was suppressed by their efforts to maintain security, and for the next 50 years, the world was able to enjoy a degree of peace and tranquility, while keeping tensions hidden behind the scenes. When peace was finally won through the shedding of a great deal of blood, people desired the blood of others so that they will break it themselves. It is said that in his later years, Riel sarcastically remarked, ¡°The Demon King I know is much better than this,¡± but she never told whether it was true or not. ¡°This girl¡­¡± After reading the contents, I had an indescribable look of reluctance on my face. I see, if the human side was too enthusiastic, after defeating the Demon King, there would be a surplus of military power and war would ensue¡­. But then again, it would be better to have strong reinforcements to defeat the Demon King. However, it¡¯s not right to secretly manipulate the army after defeating the Demon King. ¡°I can think of things to reflect on right away, but I¡¯m not sure how to reflect on them.¡± ¡°Well, this is what it is, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s the choice of those who live in that world, so it¡¯s arrogant to think that we¡¯re responsible for it, isn¡¯t it? ¡± ¡°It¡¯s not exactly satisfying, but yeah, I guess so¡­¡± We were strangers to that world, and it would be presumptuous of us to take responsibility for the state of the world after we left. But, keeping in mind that there will be such things in the future, it might be a good idea to leave a little advice before we leave. ¡°Well then, all that¡¯s left to do is to ¡­.the new ability, yes! Hey Ed, you said earlier that your banishing skills are the power of the Demon King, right? Why would a power so similar to that be available to me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.. yeah why is that?¡± I turned my head to look at Tia, who asked me why she could use something similar to my banishment skills . I couldn¡¯t think of any reason why Tia¡­¡­. would be able to use something close to the Demon King¡¯s power that I¡¯ve regained through my banishment skills To wield the power of the Demon King, you need his soul. If that was the case, it would not be possible to lend the power to anyone else, and since there was only one soul, in effect, no one but me could use it. Then why was Tia able to use it? The most likely possibility is ¡­¡­ ¡°¡­.No No No No No, That¡¯s not right, I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Hmm? Did you come up with something?¡± ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s not like I thought of something, or rather, I had a flash of an absolutely impossible possibility¡­¡± ¡°What? Tell me?¡± ¡°To use the power of the Demon King, you need the soul of the Demon King. The soul of a person cannot mix with the soul of the Demon King in living state. The only time there¡¯s a chance of mixing is when the soul leaves the body and when it inhabits a new body, that is, when it dies and when it¡¯s born. And since we¡¯re both alive, that means the only inevitable possibility is if a new life is born between me and Tia. ¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!? Ed no ecchi!¡± ¡°Guha!¡± Tia¡¯s fist, her face bright red, exploded at the tip of my nose. I felt sparks coming out of my eyes, but even so, Tia¡¯s fist didn¡¯t stop. ¡°Idiot! Pervert! Pervert! Don¡¯t tell me you did something weird while I was sleeping!?¡± ¡°Ow, ow, ow! No, no, no, no! That¡¯s not true! This is the only possibility I can think of, but I noticed a contradiction in it since I haven¡¯t done anything, so it made me realize it must be something else!¡± ¡°¡­Really? If it¡¯s a lie, I¡¯ll get really angry, you know?¡± ¡°I swear! I swear!¡± Tia¡¯s fist, which was beating me, lost its momentum, and finally, peace returned to my face. ¡°¡­¡­ I get it, I believe you. No, I know Ed would never do such a thing, but I can actually use your powers, so ¡­.what does that really mean?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m sure there are still plenty of things I don¡¯t understand even though I¡¯ve regained a little bit of my memory as the Demon King. It might be different if I could regain all my powers and memories.¡± ¡°I see. ¡­ So I guess our course of action from here on out will be to defeat the Demon King and recover your power and memories in every world we go to?¡± ¡°Yeah, That¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do for now. Of course, if we come up with a better idea during the course of the trip, we will consider changing course. In short, we will maintain a high degree of flexibility and respond flexibly in light of the situation at hand.¡± ¡°¡­.? Is that any different than just doing whatever comes to mind?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not! Mainly in terms of coolness or persuasiveness!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.., I guess so.¡± Tia, who had placed her hand on the crystal ball and made it glow, walked straight to the new door. I hurriedly followed her back, but somehow I felt Tia¡¯s attitude was cold. ¡°W-What¡¯s with the cold attitude? Did I say something weird? ¡°Nothing!! I just thought¡­ fufu, Ed is Ed after all.¡± ¡°¡­Is that a compliment ? Or are you making fun of me? ¡°I¡¯m making fun of you¡± (T/N: ¡°¥¨¥É¤Ë¤·¤Æ¤ë¤Î¤è¡± this is the sentence I don¡¯t really get why he says that in the next line. If anyone of you know please comment. Thank you) ¡°A verb?! A new word with my name attached to it is suddenly being created?!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a Demon King, you should be able to handle that much. Come on, let¡¯s get out of here.¡± ¡°Wait! At least let me take care of my master¡¯s sword! Hey, Tia-san! Take it out, please!¡± ¡°Oh, well, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. ¡­¡­ Here you go¡± ¡°Oh, thanks!¡± Receiving the [Dawnbreaker] that she took out from the [Single Bank], I repaired it properly in the forge, which I haven¡¯t used much yet. But still, it was the Master¡¯s sword. I was able to slay the Demon King without a hitch, and the blade didn¡¯t even chip. ¡°Okay, okay, okay. I¡¯ll finish it soon, so please wait a moment.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one who rushed you, but there¡¯s no need to rush. I don¡¯t mind watching you do it.¡± Tia, whose expression changed from time to time, now gazed at my work, as if she was in a good mood. I really don¡¯t understand the female mind. Well, I don¡¯t mind if she¡¯s in a good mood. I was used to taking care of swords, but rough maintenance is a disgrace to a swordsman¡¯s reputation. Listening to Tia humming in a good mood, I polished the [Dawnbreaker] and after confirming that its blade had regained its dawn glow, I walked through the door to a new world with Tia. CH 127 ¡°Yosh¡­Oh?¡± This time we landed in a rather dense forest. Even though we were surrounded by tall trees, somehow it was not dark. This is ¡­ ¡°Ara, is this an elf forest?¡± ¡°You know this?¡± ¡°Of course! Who do you think I am!?¡± Tia was a little peeved at my slight surprise. Of course, we both knew this and were just joking around with each other. Incidentally, an elf forest was a forest where a certain number of elf settlements existed. The trees in such forests are said to be strongly influenced by the spirits, and have the advantage of being stronger, harder to burn, and lusher than the trees in ordinary forests. The fact that the surrounding area was bright even though the light was supposed to be blocked by the dense foliage and branches was probably due to such spiritual influence. ¡°By the looks of it, the village is that way? Is that our destination?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. One of the elves in the village is a Hero, we will be cooperating with them¡± ¡°Alright. So, as we head over there, can you tell me about this world?¡± ¡°Hey! Be careful¡­it goes without saying.¡± I have never seen a single elf catch their foot on a tree root while walking through the forest. Even when they were hunting and moving at high speeds, it was unlikely that Tia would trip over them while talking. I¡¯m the one who should be careful. ¡°I¡¯ll reiterate, we¡¯re going to the Elven Village. There are many things that will happen there, but I won¡¯t say anything about that now. Because it will be too suspicious to know the ins and outs of a village we are visiting for the first time. Why don¡¯t you just be natural and not think too hard about it?¡± ¡°In other words, it¡¯s the same as usual, isn¡¯t it? In that case, shouldn¡¯t I ask about the Hero and the Demon King?¡± ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll tell you secretly after we actually meet in person. There shouldn¡¯t be any problem with that. As for the Demon King¡­¡± ¡°¡­ What¡¯s wrong? Something hard to say?¡± Seeing my troubled face, Tia tilted her head and asked, ¡°It¡¯s not that. As far as I remember, I have never heard of the existence of Demon King in this world¡± ¡°Huh? Does that mean there is no Demon King?¡± ¡°Up until recently, I might have answered ¡®maybe so¡¯, but now I can affirm that that is absolutely impossible. You remember how it was in Rebecca¡¯s world? That ¡®the Demon King is a fairy tale¡¯? Maybe, but I think it¡¯s like that here, too, and the existence of the Demon King is not widespread among the general public. But is it treated like a myth, or is it unknown around here because it¡¯s active in distant places, or is it so stealthily active that it hasn¡¯t even been discovered?¡­.This is the first time we¡¯re going to look into those differences, so it might take some time.¡± ¡°I see. Well, it¡¯s all right, I guess? There¡¯s no reason to rush.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly right¡­ Look, it¡¯s coming into view.¡± We could see a building that had clearly been altered by human hands in the scenery peeking through the gaps between the trees. As we approached the building, a voice suddenly called out from above us. ¡°Who are you people!? What is your purpose for coming to this village!?¡± ¡°Oops, my apologies. We are ¡­.Tia?¡± The person directly calling out to us was the elf on the watchtower at the entrance to the village, but I could also sense multiple other individuals aiming at us from the trees nearby. But I pretended not to notice it and raised my hands above my head, and just as I was about to say hello to ¡­, Tia restrained me with her hand and stepped forward to speak. ¡°I am Lunaritia, an elf born under the protection of the spirit tree of Kilkia, in the east of Nortland ! As a place for the leaves of the dancing trees to gather in the wind! I seek a momentary refuge in the lands of my brethren, far, far away!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­? What?¡± The elf standing on the watchtower looked puzzled as Tia spoke cheerfully, and Tia, seeing this, looked at me, with the same puzzled expression on her face. ¡°W-What should I do, Ed?. Even though it¡¯s a customary greeting between elves, I can¡¯t get through to him!¡± ¡°You¡¯re from a different world ¡­. and when you¡¯re far away, even the rules are different. What are you going to do about it?¡± The way I knew the process was that I would be warned here, but insist that I was just a traveler, and then I would be given permission to enter the village by completing some of the tasks that the elves would give me. However, Tia had greeted them so openly that the elves in the village were looking at us as if they did not know how to react. It was only natural that anyone would think that there must be some kind of agreement if someone so brazenly announced themselves, and if they have no idea what it is, they would hesitate to respond in a rash manner. What ¡­do I do? If I were alone, I could use the standard ¡°I¡¯m lost, please help me,¡± but since Tia, an elf, was with me, there was no way I could get lost in the forest, so I rejected this. The would-be hero was not recognized as a ¡°Hero¡± yet in the village, so a complete stranger visiting them would be considered suspicious. Then¡­Ah! ¡°Excuse me, but is there something disturbing going on in this village?¡± ¡°Hmm? What are you, suddenly ¡­¡­?¡± This time I stepped out in front of Tia to talk to the elf on guard, and he, who had returned from his sea of contemplation, gave me a quizzical look. Okay, okay, I¡¯ve got you. Then ¡­ ¡°Well, actually, this lady ¡­., my traveling companion Lunaritia, said that she felt the shadow of a spirit near here. So we were exploring the area, and while doing so, we found this village ¡­ and I thought that the shadow might be in this village. Of course, I don¡¯t have any proof of this, but I wonder¡­ if something happened ?¡± ¡°Shadow of the Spirit¡­ that elf, said?¡± ¡°Yes. Right, Tia?¡± ¡°Heh!? Oh, uh, Yeah! Yes! Somehow, there was something that felt like really dangerous!¡± ¡°D-dangerous!? What the hell is that¡­ no, but¡­¡± Tia¡¯s words, which she understood what I was saying and took part in the conversation, caused the elf on guard to return to a puzzled expression. This time, however, the look of bewilderment was different. Of course it was. The danger level was quite different between ¡°a fellow countryman who says something that you don¡¯t understand but seems problematic to dismiss out of hand¡± and ¡°a stranger who somehow knows that there is a problem in the village.¡± As I was thinking, how to negotiate¡­. another elf appeared on the watchtower, and after they talked about something together, he approached us again. Perhaps the instructions from above had been received. ¡°Yosh, all right! Let us invite our distant brethren and her friend into our village! Wait a moment while I open the gate.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± I replied and waited for a moment, and then the large wooden gate towering in front of us was pushed open. At first glance, the fence surrounding the village next to the gate looks like a simple wooden fence. But it was a complete trap. Unlike its appearance, it was protected by a strong magic, and if you tried to jump over it, you would be tortured by hell. I would probably be able to push my way through if I used my banishment skill, but since they opened the gate normally, of course I wouldn¡¯t do that ¡­. While I was thinking such a foolish thought, a nice-looking young elf man stepped out from the open gate. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to keep you waiting. Lunaritia-dono, and ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m Ed.¡± ¡°I understand. Then, Lunaritia-dono and Ed-dono. Our village head is pleased to welcome you both, so would you mind accompanying me first?¡± ¡°Yes, of course. You alright with it, Tia? ¡°Of course. I mean, the village head is going to go out of their way to meet with us, you know? ¡°Yes, the village head was interested in Lunaritia-dono¡¯s greeting¡­.and perhaps a few words about Ed-dono¡¯s earlier comments. This way, please.¡± Guided by the man, we entered the village of the elves. What greeted us was not a simple but lively town ¡­, but a quiet town with a somewhat dark atmosphere. CH 128 ¡°What should I say, the atmosphere in the village feels gloomy. ¡­¡­ What¡¯s really going on here?¡± Unlike human towns, most of the buildings in the elven villages were made of natural materials. Although there were no houses built on trees, a good number of the houses were made of wood, and although the streets were paved, there were no cobblestone pavements. And such a townscape ¡­ A village? The elves living in the forest were naturally present, but their expressions were all gloomy. The forest where we landed seemed brighter than the village where the land had been cleared. ¡°That¡¯s not for me to say, ¡­, although I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll know right away because there¡¯s no way we can hide it.¡± ¡°? Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. This way.¡± We walked through the village, guided by the elven man. Then a large tree came into view in front of us, and as we approached the tree, Tia¡¯s expression turned grim. It was a spirit tree. A large tree, if not a giant tree, about two times larger than the surrounding trees, and its pale light was a sign that the tree was filled with the power of the spirits. But now, there was a shadow on the light. This was because something like a black vine was entangled in the lower half of the spirit tree, and the black haze generated by the vine was blocking the light. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.. terrible.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Please talk to the village head. We are almost there.¡± The man who was guiding us distorted his face in pain at Tia¡¯s muttering, which must have leaked out unintentionally. We walked and eventually arrived at a large meeting hall-like building, where we were ushered into a hall where an elderly elf with a long white beard and a mature elf man who looked to be in his forties or fifties were waiting for us. ¡°Welcome, my fellow brethrens from far and wide. I am the head of this village, Torutilato. And this is ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Hohoho, I am just an old elf, who has lived the longest in this village. I came here because I heard that someone had appeared who greeted in a very nostalgic way. ¡­. you are quite young, eh? Who in the world taught you that greeting?¡± ¡°Huh!? Um, that was normal in my village¡­ but it seems it¡¯s different around here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. People who used to make such ostentatious greetings have long since disappeared in the last 300 years. It¡¯s been 200 years since I last heard it myself. Now there is no one to teach it.¡± ¡°Does it mean anything?¡± Tia asked with a serious expression, but the old elf, who identified himself as just an old man, laughed, rubbing his beard in amusement. ¡°Hohoho! Meaning! If you ask me what it means, it¡¯s because it¡¯s long, right? I guess the majority of people thought that it would be better to just greet people normally without being so ostentatious, and that¡¯s why no one says it anymore.¡± ¡°Huh? Is that¡­okay? Tradition should be preserved and handed down, right? ¡°There is no good or bad. It¡¯s the flow of the time. What is necessary is born and what is unnecessary disappears. Some of the things that disappeared may have been necessary, but if they are truly necessary, they will be born and disappear again and again, and one day they will take root as common sense. If you try to preserve what is unnecessary, it will eventually disappear. If you try to erase what is necessary, it will always come back to life. That is how we have erased something and brought something back to life. It is the privilege of youth alone to claw at the great will that flows in the heavens.¡± ¡°Huh. ¡­¡± Looking at her expression sideways, it seems that Tia was not quite sure what to make of it. Well, to be honest, I don¡¯t understand it either, maybe it¡¯s an elf feeling or an elderly feeling ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t have either. Yeah, I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯ll agree that it sounds like he is saying something profound. ¡°Hohoho, You don¡¯t need to force yourself to understand. Anyway, I just wanted to meet a young lady who was talking about something I hadn¡¯t heard in a long time. I am sorry, chief, but my business is done now.¡± ¡°I understand. Well, that¡¯s enough about the elder¡¯s business, let¡¯s move on to mine. I heard you said earlier to the watcher that you felt the shadow of a spirit. ¡­ Did you see it before you came here?¡± ¡°Yes. It was in a very, uh¡­ terrible state.¡± ¡°Right. I thought I was doing my best to do something about it, but I am ashamed as the ¡­. village head that even outside of the village, signs of it had leaked out.¡± ¡°No, no!¡± Tia hurriedly shouted because she didn¡¯t actually feel anything. But the village head shook his head emphatically and continued talking in a somber voice. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Although it has only been 30 years since I took over as village head, years have nothing to do with my duties. Therefore, I would like to ask you, have similar problems occurred in other villages?¡¡If you can do something about those black vines, please tell us how. Of course, I will give you a reasonable reward. ¡­¡­ how about it?¡± ¡°Ed?¡± ¡°Yeah, First of all, would you mind showing me the spirit tree again?¡± When Tia asked me to talk about it, I answered, and the village head looked at me with a surprised look on his face. ¡°You are going to look at it? Not Lunaritia-dono? ¡°Oh, no, of course Tia will come along. But I have my own knowledge and experience. If there¡¯s something I might get to know if I look, I¡¯d better look. ¡­..Or is there a rule against letting humans near it?¡± ¡°U-uh, There¡¯s no particular rule about that, but ¡­¡­ no, but ¡­¡­.¡± At my suggestion, the village head folded his arms and began to ponder. According to my knowledge and experience so far, there was no strict rule as to whether or not elves can have extra people of other races near the spirit tree, and it may or may not be a problem depending on the feelings of the elves who live there. If we could gain the trust of the elves, we would be able to get close to them, but there was no trust, as we had just met them. In short, we need to make a good first impression¡­. ¡°Please, Satocho-sama, I cannot bear to see the spirit tree in that state. I don¡¯t know if we can do it, but if there is anything we can do, we would like to help somehow.¡± (T/N: Satocho-sama:- Village head/Chief) Unlike me, who was somewhat calculating, Tia, who had completely good intentions and turned even my ¡­ own greed into good intentions, expressed her desire to the village head. Perhaps sensing Tia¡¯s heart in those large jade eyes, his mouth eventually opened slowly. ¡°¡­ I understand. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll allow it. No, rather, I¡¯m in a position to ask. Please save the Spirit Tree.¡± ¡°We will do our best. Right, Ed?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s go right away. Elder and Anaiale, come with me.¡± ¡°Understood¡± ¡°Hoho, Alright¡± The village head, Torutilato-san, Anaiale-san who guided us, the elder who seemed to have lived more than 300 years judging from his story, and me and Tia. The five of us walked back the way we came and walked to the spirit tree. Along the way, there were elves standing guard, but when the village head called out to them, they naturally gave way. When we reached the base of the tree, the village head opened his mouth again. ¡°This is the current state of the spirit tree. We frequently use spirit magic to promote plant growth, and I have tried special fertilizers and holy water imported from the land of humans, but the situation has not improved in any way. I would like to say that maintaining the status quo is the best we can do¡­.but even that is tough these days.¡± ¡°Poor thing ¡­¡± The tree was covered with a thin layer of black ivy, and the mist emanating from the ivy was indescribably painful. Tia slowly reached out her hand to touch the tree.¨D¨D ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t touch¨D¨D it!?¡± Tia¡¯s hand gently touched the trunk of the tree. CH 129 ¡°Are you crazy!? Why¨C¡° ¡°Shh!¡± I controlled the village head with my hand while gesturing to him to keep quiet. In the meantime, Tia was concentrating with her eyes closed, still touching the spirit tree, and the black mist was gradually beginning to cling to her body. ¡°Oi, Ed-dono! Are you sure you don¡¯t want to stop her?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. Let¡¯s just wait and see until the very last minute.¡± I¡¯m worried too, but Tia showed no signs of suffering. Then I should trust Tia. As I watched, waiting so that I could immediately pull her away from the tree if she showed even the slightest strange reaction, Tia eventually pulled her hand away from the tree and staggered away from it. ¡°Tia!? ¡°¡­ Ah, yeah. I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m sorry?¡± ¡°Haha, it¡¯s fine if you¡¯re okay.¡± I chuckled, trying my best to keep my composure. I didn¡¯t want to let her know that my hands were sweating profusely. Men always want to look cool. ¡°So, did you figure anything out?¡± ¡°Yeah, It¡¯s like the ¡­¡­ power is being sucked out of the tree? The power of the spirits that resides in it has gone somewhere else, and yet no new power is coming in. ¡­ If this continues, in the not-too-distant future it will just become a tree, not a spirit tree.¡± ¡°What!? No way¡­!¡± ¡°Eh, is that what spirit trees are like?¡± The village head was exaggeratedly surprised by Tia¡¯s line, but I couldn¡¯t hide my surprise in another way. I had always thought that a spirit tree was a type of tree called a spirit tree, but if it¡¯s just a tree, then perhaps it¡¯s not? ¡°I see. I guess you don¡¯t know that. A spirit tree is not the name of a special tree, but a tree in which many spirits dwell. And the reason why so many spirits dwell in a particular tree is because the inside of that tree is the most comfortable place for the spirits in the neighborhood.¡± ¡°Comfortable¡­.? How can I put it¡­¡± ¡°Ho-ho-ho, quite ordinary?¡± ¡°¡­¡­, well, yes.¡± I had imagined something more sacred or special, so it was quite unexpected that they were simply gathered in a comfortable place. But my reaction made the elder laugh, scratching his beard with even more amusement. ¡°Hohoho! Of course the spirits would want a comfortable place to dwell!¡¡Furthermore, the reason why the elves build their villages near the spirit trees is because they are comfortable there as well. It is not that the elves cannot live without the tree, or anything like that.¡± ¡°What!? I-Is that so!?¡± ¡°What? Ed didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of it! Because elves are very protective of their spirit trees!¡± Tia said this with a shocked look on her face, and I exclaimed with all my might. But Tia, seeing my reaction, gave a wry smile. ¡°Well, the presence of a spirit tree is a clear guarantee that it is a comfortable place for us to live. If the tree is weakening, for whatever reason, the power of the spirits nearby is weakening,¡­, which means it will eventually become uncomfortable unless it is addressed. In that sense, we take good care of them, and we are usually attached to them afterwards. Well, the spirit trees in our village are like our grandparents who have been watching over us since the earliest times, right?¡± ¡°Another misconception that people tend to have is that we elves reject civilization. It is not that we hate or deny civilization, it is just that natural objects, mainly wood, are easier for spirits to dwell in, and as a result, it is easier for us to have a comfortable environment, you understand? To a simple person like you, who cannot feel the power of the spirits, I would say, yes. It¡¯s like saying, ¡°I¡¯d rather live in a house far from town, where the sun shines and the wind blows pleasantly, even if it¡¯s a little inconvenient, than in a house where there are many stores nearby and it¡¯s convenient for shopping, but there¡¯s a bar nearby and the noise and smell of drunken people is in the air every night.''¡± ¡°I see¡­..¡± I nodded in deep agreement with the elder¡¯s explanation, which seemed to supplement Tia¡¯s words. Wow, it wasn¡¯t about principle or religion or anything like that, it was simply that this state of affairs was in the best condition and they were keeping it that way. Wow, I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing before. ¡­ Really. ¡°Hahh. I was completely wrong about elves.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t correct it because it¡¯s not a misunderstanding that we¡¯re bothered by. That is also the way of the time. We are not left behind; we are here by choice.¡± ¡°Ha! No, I have learned a lot. Thank you, Elder.¡± ¡°What, I don¡¯t mind this much. Hohohoho.¡± ¡°Wait, we¡¯re getting off topic! It¡¯s not about that, it¡¯s about the spirit tree!¡± ¡°Oh, yes. Sorry.¡± It was a pretty interesting story to me, but surely the state of the spirit tree was an order of magnitude more important. Nodding with his eyes at my honest apology, the village head turned to Tia once again. ¡°So, Tia-dono, what do you mean when you say that the power of the spirits is being sucked out? Or rather, was it safe for you to touch this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to say this, but¡­. Perhaps even someone other than me, who can touch the spirit tree and see the state of the spirits, would come to the same conclusion. And as for why it¡¯s okay to touch it¡­ I¡¯m not sure why, but somehow it is.¡± ¡°What do you mean by ¡®somehow¡¯?! That¡¯s just unbelievable¡­¡± ¡°I understand! I do understand, but even though I knew that, I still felt like it would be okay to touch it, and since nothing actually happened, I can¡¯t really explain the reason¡­¡± Tia glanced at me as she answered in a timid manner to the village head, who looked suspiciously. I don¡¯t know anything about spirit magic either even if you look at me like that,¡­¡­ hmm? ¡°Huh? Speaking of which, I think I¡¯ve seen something similar to this recently¡­?¡± ¡°You saw!? Ed-dono, where the hell did you see that? ¡°Where was it¡­ ah!?¡± As I racked my brains, a flash of lightning flashed through my mind. Yes, this looks just like the ivy-like thing on the door leading to the Demon Lord¡¯s place! Which means that ¡­. ¡°Ed-dono!!N-no way!?¡± While the village head was surprised, I slowly reached out my hand to the spirit tree. Then, of course, a black haze clung to my body, but I felt no effect on myself. No, nothing at all? It feels like it¡¯s trying to connect to somewhere¡­. It¡¯s bad!?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong!?¡± ¡°¡­, I see, I see. I think I know what this is, Satocho-dono .¡± ¡°Eeeeee!? What the hell is that!?¡± ¡°This is something called pollution magic, a special kind of magic that cannot be purified or converted into other magic¡­was it? And, if you come in contact with it, the magic power in your body will gradually be replaced by this contaminated mana, which is dangerous and will eventually lead to death. I guess that the reason why the power of the spirit is gone is that the power sucked out from here is going to the source of pollution magic, and this pollution magic is being sent instead.¡± ¡°Such a thing¡­ so, how should we deal with it? Should we do something about the source?¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s the only way. Or if you can use extremely powerful holy magic, you might be able to push back with that, but ¡­.¡± Perhaps, but I think that with a force as strong as Reil¡¯s, it would be possible to push out the contaminating mana that has accumulated inside the spirit tree and drive it out. In that case, there would be a new problem of how to deal with the contaminated mana, but that is a different problem, so that¡¯s okay for now. But Reil was a saint and a Hero. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that easy to find someone who can do the same thing. ¡°We have no knowledge of anyone who has such a powerful power. The reason Lunaritia-dono and Ed-dono are okay with touching this is because they have that kind of power, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°No, we don¡¯t. We have been studying this before, so we are just a little more resistant than other people. It is just as bad if you touch it for a long time.¡± Aside from Tia, the source of the contaminating mana power is my power, so it doesn¡¯t matter to me how much I touch it. However, since I don¡¯t know what kind of actions the Demon King of this world will take as a result, it wasn¡¯t a complete lie to say that it would be bad if I touched it. ¡°So, we still have to hit the source of the contaminated mana?¡­¡­ Do you know where it is? We will help you as much as we can!¡± ¡°Thank you very much. I would like to cooperate with your investigation, even if it is only in a small way. Therefore, I would like to ask for permission to stay in this village.¡± ¡°I understand. I will give you permission in the name of the village head. Thank you very much.¡± The village head, who had regained his composure, held out his hand to me. I smiled and took his hand, and somehow we managed to get permission to stay in the village. CH 130 With the help of the village head, we were able to rent a room at an inn, which was the only one in the village. After being introduced to some of the village representatives and having a brief explanation of the rules and regulations of the village and where not to go, I returned to the inn for the night ¡­. and found a defenseless Tia in my room. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s been ages!¡± ¡°Hey, hey, aren¡¯t you a little too relaxed?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but giggle at Tia as she rolled around on my bed. But even as I pointed this out, Tia didn¡¯t even get up, keeping her face buried in the pillow. ¡°It¡¯s nice, It¡¯s like coming home, it¡¯s so calming. You see, the elven village I went to with Reil in the previous world was like. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ah, well, We were busy back then.¡± In the previous world, we had saved an elf village. But at that time, we were in the middle of running around the world to get assistance in defeating the Demon King, so we could not stay in the elf village for a long time. In contrast, this time they have said they will investigate the cause, so there was no need to leave here in a hurry or get kicked out. Then there¡¯s certainly no reason to stop Tia from enjoying ¡­¡­ the atmosphere¡­¡­ of her hometown that she hadn¡¯t experienced in a long time, even if it¡¯s not strictly true. ¡°Hey Ed. Speaking of which, why did you say that?¡± ¡°That?¡± ¡°The Demon King. If it¡¯s you, you would have known where the Demon King is right away, right? Then why didn¡¯t you just go and defeat him?¡± Tia looked up from her pillow and asked me curiously. But that question was exactly why I couldn¡¯t help but smile again. ¡°Hey Tia, aren¡¯t you forgetting the original guideline of action now that we¡¯re able to defeat the Demon King? The condition for us to leave this world is not to defeat the Demon King, but to be exiled after joining the Hero¡¯s party. If we easily defeat the Demon King by ourselves, how are we going to join the Hero¡¯s party after that?¡± ¡°Oh, I see. Then what about the Demon King? Don¡¯t tell me we¡¯re not going to defeat him?¡± ¡°The plan for now is to casually meet with the Hero in this village under the guise of investigating the spirit tree, and then negotiate with the village head to have them accompany us on our journey to defeat the Demon King.¡± ¡°Heh. The opposite of the usual, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Up until now, we had always been a part of the Hero¡¯s party. However, in this world, the Hero has not yet formed a party with anyone, nor are they aware that they are the Hero in the first place, nor did they engage in any activities that would be typical of the Hero. Therefore, we need a plausible reason to ask them to accompany us on our journey. ¡°¡­¡­ Are? But that¡¯s something we can do in this timeline, right? What did you do before?¡± ¡°Hmmm? In the first round, it took me two months just to enter this village in the first place. I finally gained their trust and entered the village, but I had no idea why the spirit tree was like that, so I just stayed here for half a year and then got kicked out.¡± ¡°What? I don¡¯t feel like there¡¯s a single good thing about it.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help it! Looking back on it now, it¡¯s not like I was able to do anything back then.¡± This is the 62nd world. In other words, it was much earlier than the world of Reil. At that time, I had become reasonably strong, but of course I had no knowledge of pollution magic or the power of the Demon King, so there was really nothing I could do against the spirit tree that was wrapped in black ivy. ¡°I had a feeling that the Hero was here, so I tried to get into the village, but from the elves¡¯ point of view, I was a suspicious person who persistently tried to enter the village without knowing why at a time when the spirit tree was in trouble. And when I did get into the village after a lot of effort, I couldn¡¯t do anything about it because the Hero was just a child, and then even after desperately trying to get into the village, I did nothing but play around¡­. I had to deal with a lot of confusion and trouble. Well, I did get kicked out after six months, so I was able to return to the white world safely. ¡­¡­ Well, looking back, I can¡¯t think of another world where I was forced to waste as much time aimlessly as here.¡± ¡°Hmmm. Isn¡¯t that strange, A Demon King who hasn¡¯t even been confirmed to exist, and a child Hero ¡­¡­?¡¡From the way things have been going, shouldn¡¯t the timing of our coming here be more like when the Demon King started rampaging and the child grew up to become a Warrior?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t doubt that, but there¡¯s a lot we don¡¯t know about world travel, and more importantly, we don¡¯t know how to find out.¡± ¡°Sure, we can guess from the trends we¡¯ve seen so far, but there¡¯s no way to know for sure. ¡­¡± I shrugged my shoulders and replied, and Tia buried her face in the pillow and muttered. I can¡¯t help it, there¡¯s nothing I can do. It was tempting to abandon my thoughts with words like that,¡­, but now that I¡¯ve regained my memory as the Demon King, there¡¯s something that¡¯s stuck with me. (I had accepted it carelessly so far, but now I look back and see that every time we had jumped, it was definitely a turning point in history. If so, is there something we should be interfering with at this time? Remember, remember ¡­. what¡¯s the difference between the first round and the second round now?) I clawed desperately at my not-so-pleasant memories. I tried to recall not only the first round, but even the crappy memories before that, but there was only a margin of error difference there. ¡°Hah,, I don¡¯t get it!¡± When I scratched my head in frustration, Tia finally got up from the bed, took my hand, and patted my head lightly. ¡°Look, you shouldn¡¯t be so rough with yourself, okay. We¡¯ve only just arrived, so it¡¯s fine. Tomorrow, when we go around the village, you will probably notice or remember something. Well, first, let¡¯s go see this Baby Hero, shall we?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Hah, that¡¯s right.¡± I should have thought there was no need to be in a hurry, but unbeknownst to me, I was in a hurry myself. I was grateful to Tia for reminding me of this, and as I turned around, I slid my hand under Tia¡¯s armpit and pulled her out of the bed. ¡°H-Hey!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just going to go to bed now that we¡¯ve decided on tomorrow¡¯s schedule of activities. So, Tia, go back to your room.¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s already kind of a hassle. Can¡¯t we sleep here together?¡± ¡°Of course not. They took the trouble to get us two rooms, so you should sleep in your own room.¡± ¡°Yes. Che, Ed, you are stingy.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Nothing? Good night.¡± I laid down on my bed again as Tia, with her tongue sticking out, left the room, closing the door behind her. The comfortable warmth that remained there had me sound asleep in no time at all. ¡­. And the next morning, after finishing breakfast, we started investigating the elven village as planned. ¡°This way?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The destination was a residential area. Because We were heading towards the place where outsiders are least likely to set foot and where people wouldn¡¯t want me to go, we were looked at with suspicion many times. However, as we continued to walk, what I found there was just an ordinary house. ¡°I¡¯m off!¡± A boy of about 12 years old burst cheerfully out of the door of the house. He had reddish-bronze hair, which was unusual for an elf, and he was the Hero of this world ¡­¡­..? ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°? What¡¯s wrong Ed?¡± ¡°No. ¡­¡­ eh?¡± Tia¡¯s words drifted from right to left in my ears and disappeared. I continued to stare at the boy with that much concentration, but I could no longer hide my astonishment at his back as he moved away from me. ¡°No way, why ¡­.!?¡± The boy who was supposed to have been the Hero all this time. But I couldn¡¯t feel the slightest sign of him being a Hero at all. CH 131 Strange. This is not possible. I have been to many other worlds, and even before the first round, including the time when I was living in the gruesome days of suffering due to the conspiracy of God¡­., there has never been a time when a Hero ceased to be a Hero. But right now, I certainly didn¡¯t feel any sign of being a Hero from the boy running away in front of me. What is this.¡ª-!? ¡°Ed? What¡¯s wrong? Is that child the Hero?¡± ¡°Y-yeah¡­he should have been¡­.¡± ¡°? What do you mean?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t now.¡± I barely managed to squeeze out a reply to Tia. I really don¡¯t know¡­. But I certainly want to know why, but I can¡¯t just ramble on in the middle of the street like this, especially when the people around us are giving us the look that says,¡± there¡¯s a stranger here¡±. ¡°¡­.Fine. Let¡¯s just walk.¡± Tia pulled my hand somewhat forcefully as I stood there, unable to recover from the shock. As I walked away, Tia spoke to me not with her voice but with her mind. [Have you calmed down? Would you like me to sing you a lullaby?] [No, I am not sleepy¡­] [Oh, Really? But once you go to sleep, you will naturally calm down, right? And over here, it¡¯s okay to sing to your heart¡¯s content.] [Haha, well if you were walking around town singing lullabies, you would definitely look like a weirdo.] By having a silly conversation, my heart, which had been boiling with surprise, gradually quieted down. I let out one big breath and spoke to Tia normally, smiling at my own pettiness. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m fine now.¡± ¡°Thank goodness. About what¡¯s going on¡­Should I ask now or is it better to ask later?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you now. There¡¯s very little I can explain. You are right, the kid who just came in was supposed to be the Hero, but ¡­¡­ apparently he¡¯s not the Hero now.¡± ¡°So, what about now? Does that mean you¡¯re going to become a hero from now on?¡± ¡°Well, who knows¡­¡± I was frustrated that I could only reply brusquely. To begin with, when I jumped into another world, there was always a Hero there from the beginning. I have never seen the moment when someone becomes or ceases to be a Hero, and based on the {Records Of The Hero¡¯s Story} and the verification with Reil before this, a Hero was a Hero until death. ¡­¡­!? (Wait, die? Don¡¯t tell me the Hero is going to die and be replaced?) I put my hand over my mouth and stifled my voice at the prospect that came to mind. Forcing myself to swallow and suppress a feeling of disgust bordering on heartburn, I forcefully pulled on Tia¡¯s hand and walked into the shadows nearby. ¡°Hey, Ed!? What¡¯s wrong!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tia. Wait a minute. Manifest [Akashic Compass].¡± The Demon King¡¯s power banishment skill responded exactly to my whisper. Then I visited the location of the Hero, and what I saw there was not that boy, but ¡­¡­ ¡°The Elder!? What, the Elder is the Hero?¡± ¡°¡­I see, I see.¡± Beside Tia¡¯s astonishment, I was convinced of one fact. It was true that I had never met that elder person in the village before. I just thought it was because he was not interested in me that I had never met him. ¡­ ¡°Calm down and listen, Tia. That elder¡­ will probably die within two months.¡± ¡°¡­. what¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°As I told you last night, it took me two months to get into this village on my first round. And when we met here two months later, that boy was definitely the Hero. So I think that during those two months, that Elder died and the Hero was replaced.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­..?!¡± At my words, Tia looked startled. But it was only for a moment, and soon she grabbed my shoulders and rocked my body. ¡°Ah, But if we know that, we can help him right!? Hey, Hey Ed?¡± ¡°Oh, oh!? Yes, that¡¯s right. If he dies from external factors, there is a possibility that he can be saved, but¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°¡­When I came to this village, I didn¡¯t feel that anyone had died in an incident or accident. I was thinking that maybe he had died of old age. Considering that, I thought maybe he died because of old age ¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ yeah.¡± Tia¡¯s hands, which had been gripping my shoulders, slowly weakened. No matter how many memories I have of the past, I can¡¯t do anything about people¡¯s life expectancy. Even so, if it was 10 or 20 years in the future, I may be able to extend it somewhat by having them change their lifestyle, but when it comes to the life expectancy of an old man who will die in two months, there really was no way to do anything about it. ¡°I, see. Right¡­ It¡¯s quite presumptuous to think that we can extend someone¡¯s lifespan.¡± ¡°I understand that your feelings are heavy now. The most we can do is to be a little concerned about him and tell the village head about it, okay?. But if we are too specific, they might suspect that we did something. ¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I want to do something, but I can¡¯t do anything. Tia¡¯s expression was distorted by this bitterness, but I also didn¡¯t know what to say to her. ¡°¡­¡­ at least.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°At the very least, I want to make the Elder happy. What¡¯s the best way to do that?¡± ¡°Well, I guess you¡¯d have to ask him?¡± "" ¡°Fufu, that¡¯s right! Hey Ed, from now¡ª¡± ¡°I know. Let¡¯s just call it part of the investigation and go talk to the Elder.¡± ¡°Yay! That¡¯s my Ed!¡± Tia¡¯s face lit up and she jumped on me, hugging my neck. I caught her and spun around, setting her down at a brightly lit alleyway and we started walking. Fortunately, the Elder was a well-known person, and we could easily find the house by asking people nearby. ¡°Hello! Are you there, Elder?¡± ¡°Hohoho! I¡¯m coming!¡± A quiet house with a slightly different structure from the others, located somewhat far from the hustle and bustle of the city. When Tia called out to him at the entrance, the Elder came out of the house with energetic steps. Well, from the looks of it, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to take two months, but then again, it¡¯s really easy for people to die. ¡°Hohoho, if it isn¡¯t the young lady from yesterday? What brings you to this old place?¡± ¡°Yes! I wanted to ask you about the spirit tree, this village, and many other things.¡± ¡°Ho! Certainly, Certainly. I¡¯ll talk to you as much as you want if it¡¯s okay with you. Come on, don¡¯t just stand there, go over to ¡­¡­ or better yet, go over there.¡± The Elder, who seemed to be trying to invite us into his house, unexpectedly walked out of the house. We followed the elder as he walked, and just halfway around the house, we were struck by the strange sight. ¡°Is this¡­ are the inside and outside of the house connected?¡± "" ¡°Hoho. This is called a bench. You can open the door and you are connected to the outside, and if you sit like this, you can easily drink tea while looking out. So I sit here sometimes.¡± ¡°I-I see¡± I sat down on a wooden bench that seemed to grow out of the house. Tia was sitting right next to me, patting the surface of the bench with a nostalgic look on her face. ¡°Wow, I haven¡¯t seen this ages.¡± ¡°Was it rare even where you lived?¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t much of it, you know. See, there¡¯s only a door separating the inside and outside of the house, so quite a bit of air comes in. Some people like it because it has a certain elegance to it, but most of them are old people.¡± ¡°Heh.¡± ¡°Hoho, that¡¯s right. As we get older, it becomes more and more difficult to go outside, so we want to feel the outside while staying at home. Here, have some tea. It¡¯s hot, so don¡¯t burn yourself.¡± ¡°Thank you, Elder.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± We thanked the elder, who returned with a steaming ceramic cup on a thin wooden tray, and reached for it. After letting the steaming cup cool, we drank it, and the savory flavor, different from that of black tea or herbal tea, filled our mouths. CH 132 ¡°Good tea, isn¡¯t it? And the garden too.¡± ¡°Yes, It¡¯s very nice!¡± In our hands, we had a cup of refreshing light brown tea, and in front of us was a garden with colorful flowers. Both were simple but elegant, and just being there seemed to relax our hearts. ¡°Hoho, I¡¯m glad you like it. Well, aside from the tea, I haven¡¯t done anything to the garden.¡± ¡°Eh, is that so!? No, but¡­¡± The flowers in the garden were of various kinds, but they were clustered in a certain area. It was hard to believe that these were natural blooms, but the elder answered my question with a happy smile. ¡°Ahahah, It¡¯s not a lie, you know? The spirits do this on their own. The seeds of the flowers that fly in the wind fall here just in time, or the nourishing soil that is carried away by the rain happens to accumulate here.¡± Hmm. So the gathering of spirits was the true nature of this garden. But, If that¡¯s the case¡­. ¡°If the spirits love you that much, wouldn¡¯t you be able to create an even more amazing garden if you used your spirit magic properly?¡± Tia¡¯s question seemed to express my innermost feelings. The Elder¡¯s ears twitched, but his smile remained unchanged. ¡°Hohoho, Yes. If I wanted to, I could make a mountain out of this little garden and a river running through it, and create a garden that would be a condensed version of nature. If I were younger, I might have stuck to such a plan. But I am too old. I don¡¯t want to do everything in my power, but it is enough to just have a little bit of feeling for things as they are. But ¡­.¡± ¡°Elder?¡± For the first time, the Elder¡¯s expression became slightly clouded. His ears were drooping, and he was not displaying the same vigor he had shown just a few moments ago. ¡°The spirit tree is in such a state. The power of the spirits in this area is gradually weakening these days. If things continue as they are, in less than 10 years, this flower garden may become nothing more than a meadow. That would be a little sad. Well, the only saving grace is that my life will probably end sooner than seeing such a lonely garden.¡± ¡°But! Both you and the garden are so healthy, why¨C¡° ¡°Hohoho. I know. I haven¡¯t counted my own age since I passed the 300 mark, but even so, I know that my life is about to end. I feel like I¡¯m getting closer to the ¡­. spirits. I think the weakening of the body makes it easier for the soul to come out, and that in turn makes it easier to be in touch with the spirits.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Tia was unable to say anything because she had heard from me about the Elder¡¯s life expectancy. Then the Elder gently touched Tia¡¯s cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look. I have lived long enough. If I have any regrets, it is that I will not be able to see the beauty and vibrance of the spirit tree again. ¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do something about it!¡± ¡°O-Oi, Tia!?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out! That¡¯s why¡ª¡° Ignoring my surprise at her sudden declaration, Tia turned her forceful gaze on the Elder. The elder, however, had a troubled smile and removed his hand from Tia¡¯s cheek. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean it that way. Young people should not overwork themselves for the sake of an old man like me who has no future. Do what you can, as much as you can. If you hurt yourself by pushing yourself too hard, you will hurt the man next to you. Don¡¯t be in a hurry. Take one step at a time. Just receiving your kindness, it¡¯s more than enough for me. Thank you.¡± ¡°Elder¡­.¡± The Elder had a broad smile on his face, and neither Tia nor I could say anything more to him. After drinking tea and looking at the beautiful garden ¡­¡­, we had some casual conversation and left the elder¡¯s house. ¡°Well, see you later.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Thank you for your time. Excuse us.¡± With the Elder seeing us off, Tia and I bowed and started walking. After a while, Tia looked at me with a determined expression on her face. ¡°Hey, Ed.¡± ¡°I know what you¡¯re going to say. But honestly, it¡¯s not a very good move, you know?¡± The current Hero was the Elder, but the maximum life expectancy of the Elder was approximately two months. In other words, we will not be able to fulfill the ¡°work together for half a year¡± requirement for our return, and in the first place, it was too impractical to go on a journey to defeat the Demon King with an old man who has only a short time left to live. ¡°The best thing to do would be to wait for the boy to become a ¡®Hero¡¯, and then talk to the village head and take him on an adventure to defeat the Demon King, spending half a year defeating him and then returning, where we would part ways and ¡­. be banished. This way everything would work out.¡± ¡°I know! I know, but¡­¡± ¡°I see. If you understand, then it¡¯s good.¡± I pulled Tia¡¯s hand and continued on our way. My plan was to return to the inn, but when we reached the main street, I turned my feet in the opposite direction from the inn. ¡°Ed? That¡¯s not where the inn is, right?¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Tia. You know¡­ right?¡± ¡°Eh ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the best way, but it¡¯s not the most satisfying way. So how about we kick some risks and problems and do what we want to do¡­ that¡¯s how we do things, right?¡± I grinned at Tia, who looked at me with her mouth hanging open. Then Tia¡¯s jade eyes first widened, then slowly filled with tears, and finally sparkled as she jumped toward me. (T/N: Someone is a softie) ¡°Ed! You¡¯re the best!¡± ¡°Hey, hey!? Stop it! It¡¯s embarrassing!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine! I am going to brag to everyone that my partner is the best!¡± ¡°Ah, I get it already! Get away! We have to hurry and go shopping, or the store will close!¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right! Hurry, hurry!¡± ¡°This girl. ¡­¡± Tia, separated from me and then running quickly ahead, turned and beckoned me, and I followed her with a wry smile. Most of the things we originally needed were in the [Stranger Box] so after purchasing some extra preserved food, we went to the village head and told him that we would be leaving the village for a while tomorrow to do some more investigation, and then returned to the inn. ¡°Uh, I want to hurry!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be reckless. Even if we know the direction thanks to [Akashic Compass], it¡¯s still dangerous to walk in the forest at night. Even the village head warned us about that, right?¡± ¡°I know! But don¡¯t you think we¡¯d be fine?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not impossible if we push ourselves, but¡­¡± If we are talking about the fastest, leaving Tia here and me acting alone would theoretically be the fastest way to reach the destination. If I were alone, I could force my way through with [Invincible] and [Hermes Dash] However, the world was not as simple as saying, ¡°Just drive straight toward your destination and you¡¯ll get there.¡± If there were mountains and valleys it would work, but if there were big rivers and oceans, it would be impossible to just jump over them, and if I had to cross a border, I would have to go through all the formalities. It was possible to get through by using [Mirage Shift] but trespassing borders was usually a felony, so it would put a big restriction on subsequent actions. The time wasted and the risk taken were too great compared to the time that could be saved, and honestly speaking, it was not worth it unless the circumstances were very serious. And even if I make it that far and get to the Demon King, if you ask me if I can defeat him alone,¡­. yeah, it¡¯s still impossible no matter what I think. ¡°Nope, Nope. I know how you feel, but don¡¯t be in a hurry. First of all, after we leave the forest, we need to go to a nearby town, register with the Adventurers Guild and get an ID card. We need to gather information on the Demon King outside of this village to know how to move forward.¡± ¡°Ugh ¡­¡­ what a hassle ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I agree, but it¡¯s necessary.¡± In that sense, the existence of Riel was a god send, as she was able to take care of all these complicated procedures and certifications by saying, ¡°It¡¯s God¡¯s will.¡± I had almost forgotten how troublesome it was to be an adventurer. ¡°Got it! But first thing in the morning! We¡¯ll leave first thing in the morning!¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Let¡¯s go to bed early today.¡± ¡°Okay! Good night!¡± I watched Tia fly out of my room with mild amazement and a smile on my face, and went to sleep early to prepare for another departure. The next day, I visited the village head¡¯s house to say a few words before our departure. ¡­¡­ ¡°Please will you allow this child to accompany you on your journey?¡± ¡°P-please!¡± With these words, the soon-to-be Hero appeared in front of us. CH 133 ¡°Um, Satocho-sama? What do you mean by accompanying this child¡­?¡± The village head¡¯s eyes were on Tia, but I asked him why. The village head turned his head back to me and explained the reason. ¡°It is definitely abrupt. Let me explain it properly. The truth is that it is time for this child to leave the village, but with the spirit tree in the state it is in, I don¡¯t want to reduce the number of warriors in my village, but I can¡¯t send this precious child out alone. So I was wondering what to do, and then I heard that the two of you were leaving the village to conduct an investigation. So I was wondering if you could take him with you.¡± ¡°Excuse me, what do you mean by ¡°out of the village¡±?¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh, it¡¯s no wonder that Ed-dono, an ordinary person, doesn¡¯t know about this. In this village, when a child turns 50, he or she is sent out of the village for a certain period of time. This is to avoid the child¡¯s knowledge and common sense becoming narrowed and fixed by being shut up in the village.¡± Hooo, I didn¡¯t know there was such a custom. It was certainly a reasonable or even a necessary ritual. I nodded my head in agreement, understanding that they wanted to avoid having the village warriors leave the village for a long period of time under the current circumstances. ¡°So, what do you think? If it is a survey, there is not much danger, and from what I have heard, both Lunaritia-dono and Ed-dono are accustomed to traveling. Of course, we¡¯ll pay for that separately from the investigation of the spirit tree, and you can stay with this child until he gets used to the outside world.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ how long will it take to get used to the outside world? Will it be possible to bring the child back to this village, depending on the results of the investigation?¡± ¡°There is no problem bringing him back to the village. In the past, there used to be a rule that once a person left his/her village, he/she should not return for 50 years, but this rule has been abolished now because there were many cases of people who did not return to their villages after the period and started their families outside the village. While it is unacceptable that a short stay in a nearby town is all it takes to separate themselves from their family and hometown¡­ no one says anything if they come back occasionally and stay a few days, and it is even recommended that they tell the children and their parents about the outside world. As for how long he should be together with you¡­ right. How about we give it a year at most, or until Ed-dono determines that he is capable of working alone?¡± ¡°A year!? Isn¡¯t that too short a time!¡± The boy looked at him and us alternately with a startled expression on his face. But the village head placed his hand on the boy¡¯s head and continued his words with a laugh. ¡°Don¡¯t be unreasonable, Eleas. If the elven warriors in the village accompanied you, you could certainly stay with them for ten years or so, but aside from Lunaritia-dono, Ed-dono is just a human. I can¡¯t trouble them for that long, and I shouldn¡¯t take advantage of them. However, this is certainly a special case. If you find it unreasonable, you are allowed to return to the village and try the separation ceremony again in a few years¡¯ time. How about that?¡± ¡°¡­I, I understand, if that¡¯s the case. Lunaritia-sama, Ed-sama, I¡¯ll probably cause you some trouble, but what do you think? Would you be willing to accompany me?¡± ¡°Hmmm. What do we do Ed?¡± Tia looked at me with a troubled look on her face as the boy stood up straight, looking nervous. I told the village head that this was just a research trip, but what we were actually going to do was a trip to defeat the Demon King. The severity and danger of this trip was naturally different from the investigations in the neighborhood, and it was not a level of difficulty that could be taken by a child leaving the village for the first time. But ¡­. ¡°Let me just clarify a few more things. First of all, the reason we are going on this trip is certainly to investigate the cause of what happened to the spirit tree, but investigating the cause means that we may get to the cause and possibly work to eliminate it. In other words, this is not a safe trip, even if it is called a survey. Of course, if you decide to accompany us, we will take your safety into consideration as much as possible, but we cannot assure you that we will ¡­. absolutely protect you. Are you okay with that?¡± ¡°Muu, that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The village head pondered with a difficult look on his face as I asked him with a serious expression, and the boy Eleas¡¯s expression instantly turned pale. I understand how he felt, because he thought we were just going to take it easy and go somewhere nearby, but now we might be involved in a battle with someone who would do that to the spirit tree. ¡°¡­If the cause is identified, would you consider coming back here once? As a special case, we can allow for an extended stay in the Eleas home at that time.¡± ¡°If the cause of the problem is nearby, it would be possible, but if the cause is weeks or months away, for example, it would be difficult. Of course, we can still give priority to returning, but ¡­. that means leaving the tree in a state of pain, so we have to assume that it will be too late.¡± ¡°Muu, that¡¯s true. Hmm¡­¡± ¡°Um, Satocho-sama? If that¡¯s the case, you don¡¯t have to force them to accompany me¡­. You see, after the problem with the spirit tree is solved, I can leave.¡± ¡°You never know when it¡¯s going to happen, do you? It is true that a gap of five or ten years is not a big deal for us elves, but this is a milestone ceremony. Unless there is a war or some other serious circumstance, we want to send you off properly. Well, ¡­., how about at least accompanying him to the nearest town and spending the first week or so with him? If there is no problem with that, the rest will depend on the circumstances of Ed-dono and others at that time and the will of Eleas. On the other hand, if he is clearly inexperienced, we would like him to be sent back to the village. Ah, regarding the escort to the village, if it¡¯s not convenient for Ed-dono and Lunaritia-dono, I don¡¯t mind you asking the elven adventurers who are active locally. We will pay for that. How about this?¡± ¡°Hmmm, If that¡¯s the case¡­How about it, Tia?¡± ¡°¡­Alright, I¡¯m fine with that.¡± ¡°I see, and what about you, Eleas¡± ¡°Umm, I¡­.¡± At the words of the village head, Eleas was troubled. It was certainly a bit heavy for a child to make a decision of his or her own volition. ¡­ Hmmm. ¡°Oi, Eleas¡­-Kun?¡± ¡°Eleas is fine. W-What is it Ed-san¡­-sama?¡± ¡°Haha, Ed-san is fine. Well then, Eleas. This is just a small piece of advice, but if you¡¯re struggling, it might be better to just stop. Even a journey that involves moving from town to town can easily lead to death if you¡¯re constantly worrying and getting lost. To be indecisive means that you¡¯re lacking in knowledge, experience, determination, or perhaps all three, and that can be fatal.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Eleas frowned at those words. But do not misunderstand , my words are not over yet. ¡°But they can be learned and developed through actual travel. The journey will be full of pain and suffering, but if you trust us and follow us, we will do our best to teach and train you. What will you do? You can either stand tall and take your chances, or you can step back and get ready. But the only time to choose is now. You have to decide for yourself right here, right now.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Earth, who had been slumped down, let out a small voice. Eleas, who had been slumped down, let out a small voice. After a few seconds of hesitation, he took a step toward us with his fists clenched. ¡°I¡¯m going. Please let me go with you.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes! Because I can always prepare myself, but I can only go with Ed-dono and the others now, right? If I have a warrior to protect me, it will be no different if I stay in the village. If I¡¯m going to leave the village anyway, I want to be able to stand on my own two feet!¡± His eyes, the same reddish-bronze as her hair, looked straight at me. I grinned at their eyes, which were shining with hope, pushing aside any anxiety. ¡°All right! Then we¡¯ll train you! Nice to meet you, Elease!¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Elease-kun!¡± ¡°Thank you very much! Ed-san, Tia-san!¡± Eleas was not yet a Hero. Therefore, this was not a Hero¡¯s party. Yes, this was the first moment since I started traveling around the other world that I formed a party with someone other than a Hero. CH 134 We left the elven village before noon, with Eleas joining our party. Eleas was leading the way now, as a guide and to see what he could do, and Tia and I were following him, chatting about nothing important. This ¡°chatting¡± was also an excellent training exercise. If I couldn¡¯t be vigilant of my surroundings after devoting so much of my attention to conversation, I wouldn¡¯t be able to live out my days as an adventurer. ¡°Even a child is fast, as expected from the elves.¡± ¡°Thank you, Ed-san. I¡¯ve been hunting in this area with my friends.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve hunted before, ¡­., that¡¯s right. They wouldn¡¯t send a guy out with no combat experience at all.¡± ¡°Hahaha, Right¡­There¡± Eleas, prepared to draw his bow even as he spoke, exhaled a short breath and shot an arrow. The arrow pierced the feet of a nearby Gray Wolf, and the three or so Gray Wolves that were there turned and ran away. Tia confirmed this and asked Eleas with a serious face. ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you hit just now? Or did you miss it?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t hit it. It is quite a long way to the town, so I thought it would take less time and be less dangerous to let them escape than to finish them off poorly and get into a fight.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. If you made the decision after thinking it through and were able to follow through with it, then you passed the test. You were so timid before you left, but look at you now!¡± ¡°That was, you see, I was a little nervous¡­¡­ Give me a break, Tia-san.¡± ¡°Fufufu, what should I do?¡± Tia smirked happily at Eleas, who pleaded with a troubled look on her face. I had no worries to begin with, but it appeared that the two of them were getting along just fine. ¡°Tia, don¡¯t tease him too much. By the way, Eleas, from what I¡¯ve seen so far, do you use a bow as your primary weapon?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I was thinking of using a bow as my primary weapon with spirit magic to support it. I had heard that elven archers are favored in most parties because they can make simple, disposable arrows with spirit magic from branches around the area.¡± ¡°I see, certainly an archer who doesn¡¯t run out of arrows would be strong, ¡­ hmmm.¡± ¡°Um, what is it?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. Just stay alert and keep moving forward.¡± ¡°? I understand.¡± Tilting his head slightly, Eleas continued to advance, and after that, he proceeded to defeat or drive back the demonic beasts without any problems. The overnight encampment went without a hitch, and by just after noon the next day, we had made it to the nearest town. After registering as adventurers with Eleas, we went to the guild¡¯s recommended armory. ¡°Um, Ed-san? We have weapons and armor from the village, so we don¡¯t need to buy. ¡­.?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. There are a lot of weapons here that you won¡¯t find in the elven village. You never know what¡¯s right for you until you actually use it, and even if you¡¯re an archer to begin with, you should at least have one melee weapon, right?¡± ¡°Huh. Is that how it is?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the way it is. So, Old man, can I see some of your weapons?¡± ¡°Alright. If you¡¯re a beginner, just get one of those cheap ones on the shelf over there. But not the cheapest one at the far end. They are disposable weapons for those who can use them properly. If a beginner uses them without knowing it, the weapon will break and you will die in no time.¡± ¡°Got it! Let¡¯s go. What about you, Tia?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to look at some swords. It¡¯s going to be hard to find a replacement for my beloved sword.¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­ I understand that too. I hope there¡¯s something good.¡± Tia responded to my words with a quick wink and moved away from us. The beloved sword that Tia had lost was, of course, the Silver Spirit Sword. I had thought that if I did well, it would be registered as her default equipment, but when we returned from that world, the Silver Spirit Sword was not on her waist. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because it was used against the Demon King, or if it was simply too high in rank, but anyway, the sword Tia was using right now was like a backup. If I am able to replenish the materials in this world, I would like to forge that sword again when I return¡­. I¡¯ll keep it as just a secondary goal for now. While I was thinking about this, Elease and I arrived at a shelf where many weapons for beginners were on display. There were, of course, the usual long swords, but there were also large swords, daggers, spears, handcuffs, and the odd one such as a sickle, a chained iron ball called a morning star, and a spiked iron rod. ¡°Uwa, there are so many different types of weapons. Some of them I¡¯ve certainly never seen before.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this, but in a good way. I didn¡¯t expect this much variety. ¡­¡­¡± Although I had my doubts about whether a beginner can use a morning star, the assortment of items on the shelves was truly impressive. While Eleas was browsing through the various items, I found the one I wanted and picked it up from the shelf. ¡°What¡¯s that, Ed-san?¡± ¡°This is a twin sword. It is a perfect melee weapon, but it can also be used as a throwing weapon if you have the muscle power. Once you learn how to use it, you can use both hands for either attack or defense at the moment, so it is a weapon that has both a strong defense and a high offensive capability.¡± ¡°Ooo, it looks very powerful!¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s my recommendation. Do you want to try it?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Eleas held the twin swords and started swinging them around. The Old man looked at me from the back of the store with a dumbfounded look on his face, but I paid no heed to that. Well, I understand what he was trying to say. Apart from the irony that it was on this shelf, the twin sword was not a weapon I would recommend to beginners by any stretch of the imagination. The short blade length meant that you had to get close to the enemy in order to attack, and the lack of centrifugal force made it difficult to generate power. It was a weapon for experts, requiring not only a high level of physical ability but also quick and sophisticated judgment to master. Of course, I kneww that, but I dared to recommend it to Eleas. Because¨C ¡°Wow, this is really easy to use! Look!¡± ¡°Yeah, it looks pretty cool.¡± ¡°Heh heh, right?¡± Eleas¡¯s Swordsmanship wasn¡¯t that of someone who had just picked up a twin-sword for the first time. Yes, from what I saw in my banishment skill [Rainbow Glasses] he had a talent for twin swords at a level that was something to be praised. Or rather, his talent as an archer was honestly ordinary. The same went for spirit magic; if he took advantage of the fact that he was an elf and trained for a long period of time, he will eventually reach at least the top level, but that was the limit. Even if he was not lacking in the skills needed to be an adventurer, he was not at all skilled enough to be a Hero to fight against the Demon King. But with the twin swords, it was different. If I could pass on what I know about swordsmanship and trained him in my own unique way, he would be able to overcome his mediocre talents in no time at all. ¡°I like it! If I could imbue spirit magic on this, it¡¯ll be even better ¡­, but I don¡¯t have enough money to buy a weapon made of mithril.¡± ¡°Hahaha, Work hard to make money from now on. So, What do you want to do? Want that one?¡± ¡°Yeah! Mister, I¡¯ll have the twin swords!¡± ¡°R-Right¡­¡­ Hey Nii-chan , is this guy really a newbie? No, he¡¯s an elf, so he¡¯s probably not as old as he looks.¡± ¡°He¡¯s definitely a newbie. We just registered as an adventurer today, you know?. It¡¯s amazing how talented these young guys are.¡± ¡°You are young enough too¡­. Hmm, Certainly. Come here, I¡¯ll find you a sheath that fits it.¡± ¡°Okay! Ed-san, I¡¯ll be right back¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll wait here and make sure you get it right.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The discouraged Old man with a resentful look on his face and the dancing feet of Eleas disappeared into the back of the store. Fufufu, the future hero enhancement plan, is off to a perfect start. CH 135 The one-week period promised to the village head. We had come to a nearby forest to see the culmination of the week¡¯s work, and in front of me and Tia, who had accepted a request to take down a beast, Eleas was engaged in battle with a single demonic beast. Eleas, who was about 150 centimeters small, was confronted by a huge red-haired bear that must have been about three meters long. A stranger looking at it would be tempted to yell out, ¡°Run now!¡±¡­. but predator and non-predator are, in fact, complete opposites. ¡°Gahhhh!¡± ¡°Hahhh!¡± With a yell, the giant bear ¡­. Darlton Bear swung its thick arm down toward Eleas. But he stepped forward and slashed the palm of the Bear¡¯s hand that was coming toward him with his right sword, with a sputtering slash. ¡°Gahhh?!¡± If his opponent was someone who knew how to fight, he would have continued to swing his arm without worrying about injuries. If he had done so, Eleas¡¯ small body would have been blown away by the bear¡¯s powerful arm, and he would have been at a disadvantage. But even a demonic beast was still a beast. The sharp pain in the palm of its hand caused the Bear to pull back, and as a result, Elease successfully slipped into the Bear¡¯s pocket and stabbed him deeply in the stomach with his left sword. ¡°Guahhhhhh!¡± ¡°Oops!¡± The furious Darlton Bear swung its arm at him again, but the small Eleas slipped under him and, taking advantage of the opportunity, stabbed his right sword into the back of Darlton Bear¡¯s right thigh and kicked the hilt to escape. ¡°Gah! Guaaaah!¡± "" ¡°Uwa, Scary¡­Fufu¡± He had already lost both of his swords, while the bear was flailing irs arms recklessly in pain from the deep stabs of the sword. But Eleas was in no hurry. His twin swords, which were only long till his elbow, were highly portable, and the specially made sheath on his back was designed to hold three pairs of six swords. That meant he still had four swords. ¡°If it¡¯s on the rampage, there¡¯s no need to approach him.¡± Nevertheless, his weapons were by no means limited to twin swords. He picked up a nearby fallen branch and turned it into an arrow with spirit magic. It would be difficult even for a skilled archer to hit an arrow that had no feathers or arrowheads, just a straight wooden stick with a pointed tip, but he had spirit magic. ¡°Go!¡± With a hissing sound, three arrows, each clad in green wind, were shot out at the Bear in rapid succession. Two of them were easily broken off by the swinging arms, but the last one pierced its right eye. ¡°GUAHHHHH!!!!!!!¡± Deprived of sight along with pain, the bear, completely out of reason, rushed toward him with its huge body. However, the sword that was still stuck in its stomach and thighs was causing it pain just by moving, and its body was slightly slumped and its thrusts were not fully powered. Then, Eleas tossed his bow nearby and, undaunted by the approaching giant, pulled out two swords from his back and wrapped them with the spirit magic he had prepared to put on the arrows and hurled them at the Bear. The weight of the light wooden arrows and the short iron sword was completely different, so the swords were not fast enough to pierce the thick fur of the Bear, but when they flew in front of its face, the Darlton Bear reflexively turned its face away from them. And Eleas did not miss that opportunity. ¡°This is¡­ THE END!¡± Drawing his last two swords, Eleas slid under the bear and stabbed it in the throat with his right sword, and without a moment¡¯s pause, he thrust his left sword into the bear¡¯s shoulder, forcing it to break free with the force of his arm, and spinning in midair, he dropped his heel onto the Bear¡¯s head. ¡°Ggagh!? Gooooo¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The weight of its own body and the impact of the kick drove the dagger deep into its throat, causing the Bear to squirm in agony. After taking up the distance again, Eleas picked up the bow that had fallen to the ground and held it at the ready, but when Bear eventually stopped moving, he finally released his stance after a count of thirty. ¡°Fufufu¡­ So, How was it, Ed-san!?¡± ¡°Yeah, it was fine¡± I emerged from the grass and told him, who reported his victory, with a smile. Tia, who was also hiding and watching the situation, approached the dead Darlton Bear and closely observed where and what kind of wounds it had. ¡°Fine, huh¡­. I thought I was getting stronger¡± ¡°But, you are really getting stronger, you know? It¡¯s a hell of a thing to be able to beat this thing in a week. But that¡¯s not the problem. ¡­.¡± A Darlton Bear was a demonic beast that took a party of three or four adventurers to defeat. But Eleas, who had only been an adventurer for a week, had single-handedly defeated this beast, so his growth was nothing short of amazing. I knew he had talent, but I didn¡¯t expect him to grow at such a rate. But the all-too-easy increase in ability had also brought with it its own downsides. ¡°I know you¡¯re getting stronger, but you could have fought a little more carefully.¡± ¡°Tia-san. Carefully¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. For example, now that you¡¯ve used up your entire stock of twin swords, what are you going to do if another demonic beast attacks you before you can retrieve them? It¡¯s good that you remained vigilant but that¡¯s a minus.¡± ¡°Eh, but I did it because I thought it was necessary?¡± ¡°Did you have to throw your sword when Darlton Bear came at you? You could have dodged to the side, or you could have mixed the stones with the wind and sent them flying. Did you really have to throw the sword?¡± ¡°Ugh, well, that¡¯s ¡­¡­¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t fight this wildly when you were helping to hunt in the village, did you? I know you¡¯ve gotten stronger, but don¡¯t let your strength get in the way.¡± ¡°Ugh ¡­¡­ yes ¡­¡­¡± Tia scolded him, and his face became very gloomy. The growth of his mind had not caught up with his rapidly increasing ability, and he had become careless and conceited, which he should not have been. ¡­. In other words, he was ¡°getting on a roll,¡± which was the problem that he must overcome now. But these mental things are hard to notice if you are on your own, and even if you do notice them, you can¡¯t fix them. He didn¡¯t realize it before because he never left his village, but now he understands better. (If we hadn¡¯t come, this would have probably killed him.) If the spirit tree had remained in that state, Elease would have had to leave the village not too far in the future even if we hadn¡¯t come. In that case, I didn¡¯t know whether he would go solo or in a party with someone else, but at some point he would realize that he had a talent for twin swords, and he would grow up to be conceited and leave his friends behind¡­ and die easily when he let his guard down. Thus, the story of the Hero ended without him even realizing that he was a Hero, leaving only a glimpse of his rapid growth as a Hero. ¡­. It somehow makes sense to think that we were sent to prevent this from happening. ¡°¡­¡­I guess that¡¯s enough from me for now. How about you, Ed?¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh, yeah. ¡­¡­ Hey Eleas. This is the end of the promised week, so what do you want to do?¡± While I was thinking about something unimportant, Tia¡¯s sermon seemed to have ended. She asked me to talk again, and I asked Eleas. ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes. In the past week, Your ability has increased to a level far beyond what it was when you were in the village. There is no doubt about that, but on the other hand, you lack the discretion and prudence that you used to have. In short, the stronger you are, the more likely you are to die. This may sound contradictory at first glance, but do you realize it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Well, yes.¡± ¡°Hahaha, don¡¯t you understand? Well, I get it. The bigger you get, the smaller we must seem to you, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± His slumped gaze slightly slipped away from mine. I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at his very obvious reaction. ¡°It¡¯s easy to understand, Eleas. Then I¡¯ll show you the reality in a more easy-to-understand way.¡± With that, I drew my sword from my waist, not the [Dawnbreaker] but the steel sword I bought as a spare. ¡°Come at me. The Peak of swordsmanship¡­ I won¡¯t say that, but I¡¯ll show you a little bit higher.¡± CH 136 ¡°Right now?¡± ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re not too exhausted to move, right? Tia, I need you to set up a perimeter.¡± ¡°All right.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it. Now, go get your weapons and get ready.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± As I said this while shaking the tip of the sword, Eleas, with a mortified expression on his face, retrieved the sword from the corpse of Darlton Bear, washed off the blood with spirit magic, and holstered it together with the bow. Then, with a pair of swords at the ready, he turned to me and spoke again. ¡°Um, are you serious?¡± ¡°Of course! I¡¯m not going to say something weak like holding back. Even if we feel a little awkward with each other after this match, as long as we don¡¯t disagree with each other, we¡¯re only a party until today anyway. So don¡¯t worry about anything and come at me with all you¡¯ve got!¡± Depending on how you look at it, it could be interpreted as ¡°I¡¯m going to beat the shit out of the new guy who¡¯s getting too cocky,¡± or from Eleas side, ¡°I have no problem embarrassing the guy who¡¯s acting like a senior.¡± Therefore, He smiled a little and gave his answer with a smile mixed with a sense of superiority. ¡°¡­ Understood. Then I won¡¯t hesit¡ª!?¡± Eleas, who was holding his swords in an irregular manner, with his left hand in the forward direction and his right hand in the reverse direction, lowered himself and lunged toward me. If he had just come straight at me, I would have kicked him in the face and that would have been the end of it, but when he took a half-step into the space between my swords, his body suddenly shifted to the right with an impossible maneuver. Taking advantage of his light weight, he forcibly changed his trajectory by daring to blow himself away with his spirit magic. ¡°Hmph!¡± "" ¡°Sweet.¡± I blocked his sword that was about to cut through my side as he ran by me, by switching the sword to my left hand. I also tried to hook his leg by extending my right leg, but he evaded by jumping over and ran through behind me. ¡°Haaah!¡± Eleas, which should have been running at full speed, however, instantly reversed and thrust his sword at me. This was also spirit magic. What I could only do with a huge banishment skill, Eleas could reproduce with a very simple spirit magic. I was envious and if I had been a demonic beast, I would have easily been struck by a blow, but ¡­¡­ ¡°You IDIOT!¡± ¡°Agh!?¡± Twisting my body with my left leg as my axis, I dodged his thrust from behind. I then half-turned my body and slammed into Eleas with the centrifugal force using my sword, which sent his small body flying about two meters. Although the defense with the sword was barely in time and it was far from a fatal wound, Eleas, who had already gained an advantage in the spacing, now had to start all over again by getting in close again. ¡°Who speaks up when trying attack from behind!¡± ¡°Ggh, then!¡± Elease, with a frustrated expression on his face, now switched his right to his forward hand and slashed at me with both swords. The fact that he was using two swords simply meant that he had twice as many moves. Right, left, up, down, Eleas¡¯ swordsmanship comes down on me like a storm in a beautiful trajectory, just like the basics. But it didn¡¯t work on me. With only one long sword, I block all the attacks of the two swords, which were faster and more efficient than the two swords of Eleas. ¡°How!? How can you block all of them?!¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because I know from where they¡¯re going to come!¡± You can¡¯t do¨D¨D ¡°I can do it and I understand! That¡¯s your immaturity! This guy!¡± ¡°AUGGH!?¡± While preventing the swords from flailing about, I kicked Eleas in the stomach. Normally, this would be a bad move that would likely result in a cut to my leg, but Eleas, who had focused all of his attention on the sword fight, could not prevent me from doing so. The distance between us widened again, and Eleas pressed his belly painfully. ¡°Damn it, why ¡­ even though I¡¯ve gotten stronger!¡± ¡°No, You have certainly gotten stronger. But that strength has no core. Both your mind and your body are being controlled by the strength you¡¯ve acquired. So you can overpower a lower-ranked opponent, but you can¡¯t handle a higher-ranked opponent. Because normally, with that much skill, you¡¯d make it much more of a struggle.¡± ¡°Hah?! Are you looking down on me!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯m just telling you the reality.¡± (T/N:Kinda refreshing seeing this trope) Cut, thrust, slash, sweep, slide. I was assaulted by dozens of sword dances, including a wide variety of sword cuts and sword changes, with no two swords having the same pattern. But I still couldn¡¯t get through. The only thing I could do was to match my sword with his. The sword, mastered only by talent in a short time, was too beautiful¡­ and I could see the whole picture from the sword muscle to the way the power was applied. Even though the technique will have tremendous effectiveness against demonic beasts, those who have learned swordsmanship may feel a sense of illusion, being taught to defend against it with the words ¡®please block this¡¯. ¡°Why!? Why can¡¯t I get through!? If you were a demonic beast, you would have been torn apart by now!¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s because I¡¯m not a demonic beast. And this isn¡¯t getting us anywhere. Hmmm.¡± With a snap, I deflected both of Eleas¡¯ swords. He immediately tried to pull out a new sword from the holster on his back, but ¡­. it fell to the ground. I put away my iron sword and readied the [Dawnbreaker]. ¡°Ugh,¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± Eleas¡¯ hand¡­ no, not just his hand, his whole body was trembling. Despite that, he somehow managed to take the third pair of swords and assumed a stance, but with his waist so timidly withdrawn, it was only a stance in name. Even in the face of such Eleas, I showed no mercy. I held my sword in a natural stance, but concentrated my mind on killing the enemy in front of me. Whenever Eleas¡¯ body shook, I envisioned myself slashing at him, taking advantage of the opportunity. ¡°Hi¡­¡­hii¡­..¡± Five bodies, then ten, and in no time at all, Eleas¡¯s corpses were piling up in my imagination. Tears were in his eyes, and he looked as if he would collapse on the spot at any moment. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I took a step towards him. Eleas stepped back, but I took another step to catch up with him. The chase ended after three steps, and Eleas, who had stopped moving, was already between me and my sword. I slowly raised my sword and swung it down at the Eleas. "" It moved like the steps of a tortoise. You could follow it clearly with your eyes, and it was so slow that even a child could dodge it by simply jumping back. But Eleas¡¯ eyes were glued to the sword as it was being lowered,¡­., and I stopped it just as it touched the tip of his nose. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is this the End for you? Getting slashed like this?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Ah¡­ UWAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡± The screaming Eleas threw the sword in his left hand towards my face. The sword was not thrown to stab, but rather in a trajectory that was really just a throw, so I couldn¡¯t dodge it by moving my head. Furthermore, he used his spirit magic to roll up the surrounding branches and leaves to block my vision,¡­. and when it cleared, Eleas¡¯ figure disappeared before my eyes. ¡°Hmm.¡± I searched for signs around me, but I didn¡¯t feel that he was lurking somewhere, to get a jump on me. I glanced at Tia, and she casually looked in the direction from the forest to the street. In other words, he had clearly realized the difference between his and my abilities, and decided to make a run for it. This was just a training exercise. Of course I had no real intention of killing Eleas, and I¡¯m sure even he knew that, but he ran away. Towards the future Hero who is such a ¡°smart coward¡±¨D¨D ¡°It seems like he remembered¡­ looks like it, right? In that case, I guess it¡¯s a passing grade.¡± (T/N: I am kinda confused on the first part, any help will be appreciated. This is the raw->¡°¤É¤¦¤ä¤é˼¤¤³ö¤·¤¿¡±) I laughed, offering words of praise that could not possibly be heard. CH 137 ¡°¡­¡­ Hey Eleas, you don¡¯t have to be so scared, you know?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ughh.¡± Using [Akashic Compass] I easily pinpointed Eleas¡¯ location, and after catching him, we returned to where we fought. But for some reason, as soon we got back, Eleas hid behind Tia with a face like a puppy that had been abandoned. No, well, it¡¯s because I scared him. ¡­ This makes it hard for me to talk to him. ¡°Look, the mock battle is over. It¡¯s not scary, it¡¯s not scary, okay?¡± ¡°¡­.I feel like you are making fun of me, and I don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°Then what should I do¡­ Anyway, come here and listen to me. Huh?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If Ed does something weird, I¡¯ll take care of him!¡± ¡°Yes. ¡­.¡± With my coaxing and Tia¡¯s cheering, Eleas came to me. But there was still a hint of trepidation in his demeanor, and a subtle sense of guilt welled up inside me. No, no, no. I just did what I needed to do by turning my heart into an ogre. ¡°Fuuu¡­ then, I¡¯ll ask you again, how was the mock battle just now?¡± "" ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I understand now what you were saying, I¡¯m still weak.¡± ¡°Uh, no, that¡¯s different ¡­, but it doesn¡¯t matter right now anyway. More importantly, how was it confronting me?¡± ¡°How ¡­¡­ it was, um ¡­¡­ scary. ¡­.¡± (T/N: This is without any skills sheesh Ed) ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it! Fighting is scary. You¡¯re fighting for your life, after all. And that¡¯s the feeling you¡¯ve forgotten so well in the last few days.¡± ¡°Wha¡­.?¡± Eleas¡¯ mouth dropped open when I pointed this out. The sense of crisis had been missing from his mind to such an extent that he took such an attitude. Ah, I¡¯m glad I did it here after all. ¡°Hey Eleas, you never felt scared in your recent battles, did you?¡¡You may have thought you were in danger, but you never once thought beyond that ¡­. that you would die. Right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s ¡­¡± At my words, Eleas looked a little puzzled. Because of this, He easily won the battle, even though we chose a demonic beast with only a margin of safety as his target for defeat. That was why I had chosen a slightly stricter approach this time, but even so, he got through it unscathed. There¡¯s no way a kid who just became an adventurer wouldn¡¯t get drunk on his power. So, I was not going to scold him, and if possible, it would be better to take the time to slowly teach him how big the world is,¡­¡­, but there were circumstances that didn¡¯t allow that to happen this time around. ¡°If it¡¯s normal, well, that¡¯s okay. That kind of growth is a privilege of youth, and whether or not you can recover when your talent is defeated by reality is one of the qualities of an adventurer, so even failure is a valuable experience. But in your case, you became too strong too quickly. You couldn¡¯t make any more mistakes because you skipped all the opportunities to experience that kind of thing and became stronger. Do you understand? You beat a Darlton Bear unscathed, but it wasn¡¯t an easy victory. You just didn¡¯t realize it, but you managed to beat an enemy who would have put you in a tight spot and left you to die with just one small wound. What if goblins or something else had intervened?¡¡What if you get caught on muddy ground after a rain? What if you accidentally step on a tree root and stumble just a little? Those ever-present little bits of bad luck and carelessness can easily kill you.¡± ¡°Ugh! B-but then, you could have just said it with your mouth¡­..¡± ¡°Idiot, that doesn¡¯t make any sense. Because you knew that much, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Hah!?¡± ¡°I am more surprised that you are surprised! Eleas you¡¯ve hunted with adults in the elf village before, right? Then there¡¯s no way you wouldn¡¯t know such an obvious thing. If you¡¯ve been hunting for years, you¡¯ve seen, heard, and experienced it all. Even against wild beasts that are not even demonic beasts, it is easy to kill people if you are not careful. That is why a hunter must be extremely careful when facing any kind of prey, and hunt the prey seriously. That is why a hunter, no matter what kind of prey they are confronted with, takes precautions and hunts their prey seriously. Or what? Did the guy who taught you how to hunt teach you that the prey is just a small fry that runs away when it sees you, so just shoot a bow at random and it¡¯ll be alright?¡± (T/N: Kinda new for Ed to be this serious) ¡°That can¡¯t be true! There¡¯s no way¡­ That¡¯s right, it can¡¯t be true¡­¡± At first, Eleas raised his voice, but soon his voice became quieter as he reflected on his past actions. Although he may look about 12 years old, the elf Eleas was 50 years old. In fact, on the way from the village to the town, he had been fighting even goblin-sized enemies with great caution. Then how could I not know? It was impossible not to remember. There was no way that one could really forget in a week the common sense that had been accumulated over the past years. ¡°This time you remembered your fear of death for the first time in a few days when you fought me. You realized yourself what it was like to fight and how careless you were. So, well, now you just have to make sure you don¡¯t do the same thing again. Now you are just a long, thin branch of strength grafted on top of a big tree forged in the village. When you climb up on such a tree and look down at the earth with pleasure, it will soon break and you will fall. So water it well, pay attention to it, and let the branches grow into a big tree worthy of the tree¡¯s stump. Don¡¯t just make it grow taller, make it thicker, sturdier, and with a solid foundation. Then your tree will become a giant tree that will pierce the heavens. I guarantee you that.¡± ¡°Ed-san¡­¡± I gave him a thumbs up, and Eleas gave me a look that cleared his doubts. "" ¡°Thank you, Ed-san. Your advice really hit home.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. I¡¯m relieved that you agree with me. Some people don¡¯t get it, even if I say so much.¡± There are a certain number of people who, once they become stubborn, will never listen to the opinions of others. No matter how sound the advice is, it is meaningless to such a person. If you still want to help them, the only way is to somehow build a relationship of trust with them in a very roundabout way, and then gradually guide their opinion¡­.. To be honest, if it is not a very important partner, I would consider abandoning them. ¡°Fufu, If Ed-san hadn¡¯t beaten me so easily, I might have thought, ¡°What¡¯s a guy who is weaker than me talking about the obvious?¡± I might not have taken it seriously. Even so, I¡¯m sure I would have realized it at some point, but it seems very likely that when I realized it¡­.that¡¯s when death would be inevitable¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s standard for the villain of a story to say something like, ¡®If only I had done that back then¡¯ . I mean, I went through a period like that myself.¡± ¡°Eh, Really!?¡± ¡°Well, when it comes to getting carried away with sudden power and doing stupid things, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anyone who can outdo me, you know?¡± There was a time in the latter half of my first round, when I was getting stronger with all my banishment skills, and I was getting on a roll. It hurts too much to think back on it now, but that¡¯s why there¡¯s no shortage of stories of failure, and it¡¯s safe to say that it was necessary, considering that I understood how Eleas felt because I had been there. ¡­ okay? Yeah. Let¡¯s put it that way. ¡°Well, what can I say about that ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Ha! Stories about stupid things done by fools are just something to laugh off with a drink! Besides, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s a story worth telling sober¡­ Unless, maybe you want to hear it?¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to!¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re not going to leave me out of such an interesting story, are you?¡± After the sparkling eyes of Eleas, even Tia, smiling with a grin on her face, was impatient to talk about my failures. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t really want to talk about it too much, to be honest. ¡­¡± ¡°You brought this on yourself, you think you can get away with it without talking? Now, that¡¯s enough for today, let¡¯s go back to town and hear what Ed has to say!¡± ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s go Ed-san, Tia-san!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have an option to not speak, huh¡­.¡± ¡°Eleas-kun, you¡¯ve worked hard today, Ed¡¯s going to treat you to anything you want.¡± ¡°Really!? Thank you, Ed-san!¡± ¡°And it¡¯s on me!? Isn¡¯t it usually the one who listens that buys the drinks?¡± ¡°What, Ed, you¡¯re not going to let Eleas-kun buy you a drink? That¡¯s not exactly the way you want to treat your elders, you know?¡± ¡°Guu!? I didn¡¯t mean to do that¡­I understand. I¡¯ll pay for it¡± ¡°Yay! Thank you, Ed-san!¡± ¡°I¡¯d like you to do the same for me, then, when you¡¯re done talking and you¡¯re depressed, I¡¯ll pat your head, okay?¡± ¡°No need! I am not definitely paying for you!¡± ¡°Yes yes. I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ tsk.¡± Even though this incident didn¡¯t happen during the first round, I can picture in my mind¡¯s eye me being forced to buy a meal for two. Biting back the unreasonableness of the world, I followed them back to the town with a wry smile on my face. CH 138 It has been two weeks since the appointed day ¡­., that is, three weeks since we left the elf village. We were still working with Eleas in the first town. The reason for this was that Eleas, who had become so inconsistently strong, had no one else to partner with but us, and he herself wanted to continue adventuring with us, but the ¡­¡­ most important reason was that we had discovered that the location of the Demon King was much closer than we had thought. ¡°Well then, Ed-san, Tia-san. See you tomorrow!¡± ¡°See you later. Sleep tight and get some rest, okay?¡± ¡°Good night, Eleas-kun¡± The third night of the third week. After saying good night in my room at the inn, Eleas returned to his room, and Tia, who showed no sign of returning to her room, looked at me and smiled. ¡°Anyway, It was kinda nostalgic¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not so much that I feel nostalgic¡­ No, I guess I am being nostalgic after all.¡± That night when the one-week deadline arrived. I ended up treating them to dinner, and in desperation, I told them about my many failures in an amusing manner. But, well, the distance between us had become a bit closer than I had expected, and I feel that I was long the ¡°Senior Adventurer¡± but more like a ¡°Friendly Neighborhood Nii-chan¡±. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re overly familiar, but it¡¯s like my sense of wariness has decreased notably, just like relatives¡­? ¡°Ah!?¡± ¡°? Something wrong?¡± ¡°Uh, no. Nothing.¡± Looking at Tia, who was completely defenseless, I couldn¡¯t help but smile. Yeah, the closeness I felt to Eleas was the same as with Tia. What is it? I have always had an image of elves as being rather uptight or cold and unapproachable, but I wonder if they were in fact a very friendly race. Or Were these two the exception? Well, I don¡¯t know for sure. Incidentally, it was not only Eleas who changed his attitude after the expos¨¦ but also Tia had started looking at me very kindly and taking care of me. Tia, who was acting like a big sister, was slightly annoying, but the fact that she wasn¡¯t maliciously teasing me also made it worse. ¡­. No, that¡¯s all right now. ¡°Now, Tia. The usual routine report, How¡¯s it going for you?¡± ¡°Hmmm. No. I still don¡¯t have any information.¡± Tia, sitting on the bed with a slight look of impatience and irritation on her face, said. I had asked Tia to gather information about a Demon King-like entity, but it seems that she had no luck this time either. ¡°I see. Then there¡¯s a good chance they haven¡¯t done anything noteworthy yet.¡± With that said, I took out a paper map from the [Stranger¡¯s Box] and spread it out on the table. It was not a shoddy map that one could buy at the Adventurer¡¯s Guild that showed the connections of the roads, but an extremely elaborate map that was made using [Copy and Fake] and [Auto Mapping] ¡°Well then, on my part, ¡­¡­ the location of the Demon King is almost certain.¡± Several black dots struck on the map and lines extending from them. By adding a new one to it, a black line intersects the still blank part of the map. My banishing skill [Akashic Compass] could only tell me the direction in which the object I was looking for was located. If it were an ordinary object, I could just go straight ahead, but this time, the object I am looking for was the Demon King. If I got too close and made unexpected contact, it could lead to a battle, so I went out alone and used the [Akashic Compass] from a distance to determine the direction in which the Demon King was located, and then I was able to locate his location¡­ It was finally a fruitful result. ¡°Based on the information I¡¯ve gathered, I think it takes about a week by carriage to the nearest town. From there, it¡¯s probably another three or four days on foot¡­ But I don¡¯t know the exact details after this point. I think we should gather information about the surrounding area in the nearby town as a precaution before we launch an attack.¡± ¡°Yeah, It¡¯s pretty close.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s close. We still have a chance¡­ a chance to make it in time.¡± If the Demon King is definitely there, and if it is possible to come into immediate contact with him and easily defeat him, there is still a possibility that we will somehow make it in time for the Elder¡¯s lifespan. However, the elder¡¯s life expectancy was only estimated to be ¡°within two months¡± so whether we would really make it in time is still unknown. Nevertheless, the current situation was the best and the fastest. If we wanted more, we would have had to abandon Eleas and work tirelessly, but even that has its limits. At the worst, there was a possibility that the Demon King was in a place that we could not reach even after chasing for two months. In other words, the current feelings were based on hindsight. I was feeling ¡°If we are focused on that, we can deal with it faster¡± because the Demon King happened to be nearby by chance. If the Demon King had been far away all along, I would have felt ¡°There was no way we could have made it in time, why did we abandon Eleas and focus on investigating the Demon King?¡± ¡°I get it. Then we leave town tomorrow?¡± ¡°No, the wagons aren¡¯t leaving, so we¡¯ll leave the day after tomorrow. Then all that¡¯s left to do is to figure out what to do about Eleas¨D¨D¡± ****** ¡°I¡¯m going! Please take me with you!¡± The next day, when we explained that we had identified the location of the cause of the pollution of the spirit tree and that there was probably a vicious demonic beast there that would be the source of the problem and that we would have to fight it, Eleas told us so almost without hesitation. Then, Tia said to him with a troubled look on her face. ¡°That said, ¡­. hey Eleas-kun. You heard what we said, right?¡¡Where we¡¯re going may be far more dangerous than what you¡¯ve seen so far. So¨D¨D¡± ¡°But! You two are going to such a dangerous place to save the spirit tree in my village, aren¡¯t you? Then I, the elf of that village, should be the one who has to fight first!¡± ¡°That may be so, but ¡­¡­ Ed! ¡°Hmmm¡­¡­ hey Eleas. The place we¡¯re going to is a place where even we might die. If you¡¯re going to follow us there, does that mean you¡¯re prepared to die too?¡± Tia looked at me with a troubled face, and I asked Eleas. Then, Eleas shook his head slowly with a thin smile on his face. ¡°No way! I won¡¯t die. In order not to die¡­in order to prevent anyone from dying, I want to go with you.¡± ¡°Ho?¡± At first glance, it sounded like the statement made by Eleas on that day when he forgot his fears and became arrogant. However, the determination conveyed in his words was completely different from that of that day. ¡°I think the reason I have become so strong so quickly is because God must have gotten to me in time to help Ed-san and the others. I don¡¯t think I would be a hindrance now and if I could, I would sneak into the shadows to provide cover, or at least get a safe place a little further ahead ¡­. or at least if I felt it was too dangerous, I would return to town on my own, I would leave on my own right there. I will leave. So please, I beg you! Please let me fight alongside you for the sake of everyone in the village where I was born and where they raised me and sent me off!¡± ¡°¡­ Alright. Then let¡¯s go together.¡± ¡°Huh! Yay!¡± Eleas, who had been bowing deeply, looked up at my words with a shining smile. But Tia looked at me with concern. ¡°Ed, are you sure?¡± ¡°Yeah, If he is not taking the situation lightly or overconfident in his abilities, and he wants to fight for what is important to him, that is already a warrior¡¯s decision. In that case, no one wants to regret ¡°I should have done it¡± when they succeed more than ¡°I should have quit¡± when they fail. Besides,¡­¡­, after all, a Hero is indispensable in defeating the Demon King, right?¡± Tia gave me a bewildered smile as I curled the corner of my lips upwards ¡°¡­¡­Well, yeah. Okay, then I¡¯ll just do my best to be prepared for that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m counting on you.¡± With a future hero, the best partner, and me, the current Demon King, there was no way we could be defeated by a Demon King who was only 1/100th the size of the Demon King. Thus, the Hero¡¯s, without a single hero, set out on a journey to defeat the Demon King without a single person missing. (T/N: Sorry No Coffee chapters today, I was out so didn¡¯t have time) CH 139 We easily made it to the place where the Demon King was supposed to be, the nearest town, without any particular incident. Well, it was only a matter of riding in a horse-drawn carriage on a proper street, so it was only natural. We visited the Adventurer¡¯s Guild in the town we arrived at, and first tried to gather information about the place where we thought the Demon King was. ¡­. ****** ¡°Ah, that¡¯s the Forest of Tranquility, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°The Forest of Tranquility? Is it really a place with such a big name?¡± I casually broached the subject with the young lady at the reception desk, asking her about the topography of the area. I thought it was a rather empty place since Tia couldn¡¯t find out anything about it. ¡­¡­? ¡°Ahaha, indeed it sounds like it could be the name of something, but actually there¡¯s nothing there. To be precise, it¡¯s more like there used to be something but now it¡¯s completely gone¡­¡± ¡°Gone? What do you mean?¡± The lady at the reception desk continued talking to Tia, who was tilting her head next to me. ¡°About 10 years ago, the number of demonic beasts living in that forest gradually decreased. With that, the plants that could be used as a source of income stopped growing, and even the number of animals decreased. ¡­ Now there are only small insects in there. So it¡¯s kind of been called the ¡®Forest of Tranquility¡¯ for the past few years.¡± ¡°Not just demonic beasts, but almost no flora or fauna? How is that possible?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying that there are no plants at all. ¡­.¡¡There are some plants and flowers that are not worth any money, but they grow normally. In the beginning, there were a lot of lumberjacks who came here because they didn¡¯t want to be disturbed, but it seems that the quality of the trees has declined over the years, so now there are only a few requests a year for surveys.¡± ¡°I see. ¡­¡­ Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome. We thanked the young lady at the reception desk and left the Adventurers¡¯ Guild. Afterwards, we gathered in our room at the inn and decided to rearrange the information we had just heard. ¡°That¡¯s how it is¡­ So Eleas, what did you think when you heard the story at the Guild?¡± ¡°Eh!? Umm¡­ it¡¯s a mysterious forest.¡± ¡°Oi Oi, Don¡¯t state the obvious¡­¡± I chuckled, and Eleas rushed to speak up. ¡°I-it¡¯s not like that!? It¡¯s not that I haven¡¯t thought about it, it¡¯s just that it¡¯s really strange. ¡­¡­ From what I¡¯ve heard about the disappearance of demonic beasts and animals and the quality of the trees, it¡¯s possible to consider that the power of the earth has weakened and the forest itself is dying. However, if that were the case, wouldn¡¯t the trees and grass be visibly withered for everyone to see¡­.¡± ¡°Fumu, good. You¡¯re thinking about it. So, Tia, what did you think?¡± Eleas, with a sullen face, was poking me on the shoulder, but I didn¡¯t pay attention to that, and talked to Tia. Tia gave us a warm look and shared her thoughts with us. ¡°I think Eleas¡¯ point is valid. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the earth¡¯s power that¡¯s weakening in the Forest Of Tranquility.¡± ¡°Hmm? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Of course, it is the power of the spirits.¡± ¡°Ah!?¡± Eleas raised his voice at Tia¡¯s words. ¡°Fufu, Isn¡¯t it obvious? It¡¯s the root of the entity that¡¯s stealing power from the spirit tree, right? Then it must be the power of the spirits that is being lost from there! I think the reason why medicinal herbs of any kind don¡¯t grow anymore while regular trees and plants do is because of the different amount of spirit power it takes to make them grow. Most of the plants that the guild buys from us have a high concentration of magic, so their growth must be affected by the power of the spirits.¡± ¡°I see! As expected of Tia-san!¡± ¡°Umu, umu, that¡¯s a good point. Well, I¡¯m the last one. ¡­. I agree with both of you, and I¡¯m reading that not only is it deprived, but that the ¡®pollution magic¡¯ is permeating thinly over that area. If you were to take away an inexhaustible amount of spirit power centered there, it would have an effect on the surrounding area, wouldn¡¯t it? Instead, by taking away a certain amount of power and filling it with contaminated magic, it would appear at first glance that there is no imbalance, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Oh! Certainly, if there is such a thing as a being that sucks the power of the spirit, the elves would immediately recognize it. But since the amount of power taken is being filled in sequentially, there is no void that¡¯s being created ¡­, so no one has noticed it until now?¡± If water were draining from a large lake at a great rate, anyone would notice the anomaly. But what if something else enters the lake to make up for the loss of water? At least from the outside, no one would notice any change in the lake. The only time anyone would notice is at the very end, when even the surface of the water has been replaced by something else. At first glance, there is nothing unusual going on. At a quick glance, nothing out of the ordinary was happening. That was why the ¡°Forest Of Tranquility¡± was not caught in Tia¡¯s information gathering, which was looking for overt anomalies. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about. Maybe, at this stage, the Demon King doesn¡¯t have much power. So he gathers power around grass and other plants that contain a lot of magic, and the animals that feed on them feel the effects of the ¡°pollution magic¡± that accumulates in their bodies and flee the forest, and then the stronger animals and magical beasts that feed on them disappear¡­. I think that¡¯s what¡¯s going on. In other words¡­¡± ¡°We can easily take it down now¡­?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± I grinned at Tia, whose jade eyes widened. It¡¯s an impromptu conjecture, but I was rather confident in it. The reason was that Eleas, the hero of this world, will be in his prime about 100 years from now. If a Hero was born to prevent the rise of the Demon King, then they would originally face each other in the future 100 years from now. If this world¡¯s scenario was that the Demon King, having built up his power over the coming decades, would begin his activities, and the Hero Eleas would defeat him,¡­¡­ it was quite possible that the Demon King was also vulnerable now that the next generation of heroes had not even been born. ¡°Uwaa, you two are awesome!¡± ¡°Haha, well, it¡¯s just a difference in the amount of information and experience we have, so it¡¯s not something to brag about.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s amazing! Both of you are what I¡¯m missing.¡± ¡°You can grow up slowly. But you can¡¯t just spend your life in idleness, no matter how long you elves live compared to other people, okay?. Just living for a long time doesn¡¯t make a person grow up. Whether you become a child who lives long enough or a skilled adventurer depends on your attitude.¡± ¡°Understood, Tia-san!¡± ¡°Muuu¡­¡­¡± Tia¡¯s words were slightly painful to my ears, but I decided not to listen to them. Yes, I¡¯m still in the process of growing up. It is possible that my actual age is like billions and billions of years old, but my mental age is 20 years old! It¡¯s just the beginning, it¡¯s just the beginning. ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s do our best together, Eleas.¡± ¡°? Yes, I will try my best!¡± I tapped him on the shoulder, and he responded with an innocent smile, though Eleas looked a little strange ¡­.. Oh, how dazzling young people are,¡­.. No, I¡¯m young too! I¡¯m sure I¡¯m young! It¡¯s all about the feeling! ¡°A-Anyway. So, We have easily gathered the information we wanted. Then I¡¯ll go and see the site in person later. ¡­. Eleas, what about you?¡± ¡°Right. Based on what you just said, it doesn¡¯t sound that dangerous, so I think I¡¯d like to go with you. ¡­. How about it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. What about you, Ed?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s okay taking him with us. But if I or Tia tell you to run away, don¡¯t ask why and immediately run away as fast as you can. Understood?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good answer. Then, let¡¯s have a good meal and get some rest today, and tomorrow we¡¯ll go to this ¡®Forest Of Tranquility¡¯ ¡° The meeting was settled neatly, and no one raised any objections. Then, tomorrow, all of us finally meet the Demon King of this world. CH 140 ¡°¡­¡­What can I say, it¡¯s just another normal forest?¡± Three days¡¯ walk from the town. We stepped into the ¡°Forest of Tranquility,¡± which we had come to in a hurry, and Tia looked at me with a startled expression when I muttered something. ¡°Eh, you are lying!? What part of this is a normal forest?¡± ¡°Ugh!? I meant.. in general?¡± Looking around again at Tia¡¯s suggestion, this place where trees and grass were growing normally looked like just a forest. The only thing that was unusual was that there were no signs of monsters or beasts around, but most wild beasts would run away at the first sign of a person, and even monsters were not encountered that often unless we were in a place with a high density of mana. After all, from my point of view, the current situation was a peaceful forest. But to my words, Tia shook her head in disbelief. ¡°Incredible¡­ It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever thought that I couldn¡¯t understand Ed so much.¡± ¡°Yeah, ¡­? What about you, Eleas? Do you feel anything?¡± ¡°Yeah, It feels a bit suffocating, like something important is missing¡± ¡°Right! There is no spirit power around here that we would normally ¡­. take for granted. To put it in a way Ed can understand, it¡¯s like the spirit version of climbing a high mountain and the air getting thinner, I think?.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right! Well, I certainly don¡¯t get it. Tia¡¯s analogy was extremely convincing, but at the same time I knew that I couldn¡¯t understand it in any way, because I couldn¡¯t feel the power of spirits in the slightest. ¡­ Is it because this body of mine is human that I can¡¯t feel the power of spirits? Or is it because I¡¯m a Demon King and I¡¯m incompatible with spirits or something¡­¡­? ¡°Wait. Is that okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m going to die just because I¡¯ve lost the power of the spirits. It¡¯s just that my body is confused because of the loss of something that I take for granted. Also, it¡¯s impossible to use spirit magic here as usual. If there is a battle, I am sorry to say but I may not be able to be of much help.¡± ¡°¡­.Right. It¡¯s fine, It¡¯s better to know in advance.¡± Tia, who was unable to use spirit magic, would have much lower combat power. She would still be stronger than the average adventurer, but if she fights the same way she always does, she may make an irreversible mistake. We have to be careful about this. ¡°Then I guess it was rather a good thing that we brought Eleas.¡± ¡°I think so. I think that Eleas-kun is stronger than I am now in terms of pure swordsmanship without the aid of spirit magic.¡± ¡°No way!? That¡¯s¡ª¡° ¡°It¡¯s true. Counting on you, okay?¡± ¡°Tia-san ¡­. Yes, I¡¯ll do my best!¡± When Tia easily admitted that she was the weaker one and relied on Eleas, who was younger than her, Eleas was surprised and puzzled, but responded with a good spirit. Of course, neither Tia nor I had any real intention of relying entirely on Eleas, but it¡¯s good to be motivated. I¡¯ll just have to provide the necessary support so that he doesn¡¯t spin out of control. And so, while engaging in light conversation like this, we continued onward through the forest. We arrived at our destination with the [Akashic Compass], which was introduced as a ¡°useful magical tool¡± to Eleas, and found a magnificent tree that was about twice as thick as the surrounding trees. ¡°It must be here.¡± "" I went around the tree in a circle to check, and the response was definitely this is THE TREE. There was a small peep-hole in the trunk, so it was probably in there. ¡°I¡¯m getting a reaction from this hole ¡­., now what do we do?¡± ¡°Look into it? Or should I stick my finger in?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to do either of those things.¡± Tia said jokingly, to which I replied with a wry smile. Only a dumb goblin in heat could imagine having fun in such a dangerous place. Of course, my head was not made for such happy imaginings. However, it was also true we would find nothing staying like this. So we want to somehow widen this hole so we can see inside. ¡­. ¡°Can¡¯t you just burn this hole with magic?¡± ¡°Hmm, normally I can do it, but it¡¯s impossible in this place. Like I said earlier, it¡¯s impossible to control the output, let alone the precise control.¡± ¡°I see. Well, if you can¡¯t do it, I guess there¡¯s nothing we can do.¡± ¡°Um, can¡¯t we just try sticking a stick or something in there?¡± ¡°I do have a way to do it manually, but it¡¯s inside¡­ there? I want to confirm it without stimulating anything if possible. Which is better, cutting it down or not?¡± If we cut it down, a large shock would be generated, but it would only be transmitted secondarily to the contents. On the other hand, if a stick was inserted, even though it was a small shock, it would directly stimulate the contents, so I think this was more dangerous. And that action was more like an attack, regardless of the intent. ¡°Hmmmmmmm¡­..Yosh, Let¡¯s cut it down!¡± After a reasonable amount of contemplation, I chose to cut down the tree. When cutting down a tree, we can get away from it as soon as it is cut down, but when poking it with a stick, we have to hold it in our hand at a short distance. Once that was decided, all that was left was to do it. I had them stand back and took the [Dawnbreaker] in my hand and readied myself. I was thinking of cutting off the top part from the peep hole first, and if that didn¡¯t make any difference, I was going to cut off the hole part from the base¡­¡­.!? ¡°¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±KikiKiKakiKikiKakakakakakaka!!!¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡± ¡°Whoa!?¡± As if sensing my murderous intent, a familiar cacophony of sound suddenly echoed from within the hole. At the same time, the tree that seemed to contain the Demon King¡¯s power began to tremble and wither at an alarming rate. ¡°Tsk, he¡¯s on the move!¡± ¡°What should we do, Ed!? Attack?¡± ¡°No, Wait a minute.¡± It was quite an unfortunate encounter last time, but it may not be the same this time. In front of me, the dead trees condensed into a human-like shape as I stood on guard, protecting Tia and the others behind me. ¡°¡°¡°¡°Kukakakikakokakoki¡­¡­¡­¡­kukii!¡±¡±¡±¡±¡± It also spewed a black miasma from the chest area, but it did not spread indiscriminately and only lingered around the dead wooden doll. After waiting for a while, the black miasma cleared up and¡­ there was a crude wooden doll that looked like me. ¡°Kuka,¡­¡­ Kaki¡­¡±¡± ¡°What is that, Ed-san¡­? Tia-san, what the hell is this¡­!?¡± ¡°Shhh! Shut up now!¡± Eleas, who was the only one here who did not anticipate this, asked Tia a question, but Tia responded sharply. I was able to confirm that Eleas was not distraught at all from that exchange alone, so I called out to the Demon King in front of me once again. ¡°Yo, Maou-sama. Do you understand me?¡± ¡°Ka, kiki¡­.Stomach, Hungry¡­.¡± ¡°Are you hungry? Well, Want some ¡­. food?¡± I take a piece of dried meat from my waist bag and hold it out in front of the Demon King¡¯s face. The Demon King looked at it curiously and ¡­¡­ his gaze crept up my arm, up my chest, and up to my face. ¡°Stomach, Hungry¡­ Power¡­ Power, Power? Power¡­. Alot¡­.?¡± ¡°I have a really bad feeling about this, but why don¡¯t we talk about it first? Conversations are important, you know?¡± ¡°POWER POWER! POWER EAT! I, ME, SAME!¡± ¡°Damn it, is there no room for discussion!?¡± Numerous black tendrils extended from the body of the Wooden Demon King. I hastily jumped away from the scene while cutting them off, and my dependable companions lined up beside me. ¡°Well, yes, of course. I knew this would happen.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you attack first?!¡± ¡°There are certain steps that adults have to take even though they know! Let¡¯s go!¡± Me, Tia, and Eleas. Holding our swords, in front of chuckling wooden Demon King with his tendrils wiggling. Looks like the other side is totally willing to do the same. ¡°Now, Subjugation Of Demon King, BEGINS!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Yes! Wait, DEMON KING!?¡± Leaving the astonished Eleas behind for a moment, Tia and I leaped at the Demon King. CH 141 ¡°UOOOOOOOHHHHH!!!!¡± With a yell of determination, I struck down the torrential downpour of tendrils with my sword. But the tendrils which caught my sword were difficult to cut off, and even if I did, it grew back quickly, so I was forced to stop where I was. (Tsk. If my opponent wasn¡¯t the Demon King, I could push him with the [Invincible]¡­). What comes back to my mind was the previous deadly battle with the Demon King. At that time, I had my banishment skill sealed by being grabbed by the Demon King, and Tia cut off my arm as compensation for escaping from that restraint. I learned two things from that. One was that banishing skills, such as [Invincible] do not work on the Demon King and may all be nullified. The other was that if the Demon King is touched, my banishing skills will be sealed and may not be restored until I defeat him. Of course, both were just possibilities, not absolutes. I¡¯m not absolutely sure, but ¡­. I have no desire to test it. If that was the case, what was required of me was the extraordinary feat of dodging all of the Demon King¡¯s attacks and striking a blow to its main body. (Then, I¡¯d like to create a bigger gap somehow. ¡­¡­) I glanced to the left and right and saw that Tia and Eleas were also fighting there. However, the scene was a little different from what I had expected before coming here. ¡°HAH! YAHHH!¡± With a short shout, Eleas, who was wielding his twin swords in all directions, was able to handle the tendrils well enough with the number of cuts he was making. He was a warrior who had only just become an adventurer, so he was doing far better than we had expected. ¡°Kuh! You!¡± Tia, on the other hand, was swinging her sword frantically with a twisted expression on her face. The thin sword was not suitable for cutting, and more importantly, the spirit magic was blocked. Her movements , which were less sharp than usual, looked quite dangerous. ¡°Tia, don¡¯t overdo it! Stand back and support me with your bow!¡± Don¡¯t be silly! A sword can take down more of these just by standing here, but a bow with no spirit magic on it would be absolutely useless!¡± ¡°That may be true, but ¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have an idea. I¡¯ll definitely make an opening, so Ed be ready to strike then!¡± ¡°¡­Got it!¡± If Tia said so, I just have to believe it and wait . I took only half a step forward and continued to desperately defend against the slightly more violent tendrils attack. A little harder, a little louder. A little harder, a little louder. As my strength and concentration were being whittled away, the distance between me and the Demon King was slowly closing. But a little more. I want to get a little closer if I want to get the kill. The future hero responded to my intentions unexpectedly. ¡°YAHHHHH!!!!¡± A life-threatening battle was a more valuable experience than any kind of training. Eleas¡¯ swordsmanship, which had continued to grow in the course of the battle, finally began to push back the black tendrils. I glanced at Eleas and saw a large bead of sweat on his forehead, and he seemed to have no energy to spare. ¡­. However, his sword dance, which could be called his final shining moment, slowed down the tendrils that had been attacking me and Tia greatly. ¡°Good job, Eleas! Take it easy and back off!¡± ¨CI took two steps toward the wooden Demon King, and without looking back, I threw my praises to Eleas. At the same time, the tendrils became more intense all at once, but I just barely managed to stay on my feet. All that remained was to¨C ¡°The spear of the red sunset shines red and swirls with flames, a pair of four-fingered spirit arms that cling to the light and pierce through! Piercing, tearing, burning, and extinguishing! In the name of Lunaritia, manifest the [Volcanic Lancer]!¡± A chanting was heard behind me. But I couldn¡¯t feel any heat behind me. ¡°Hah, hah ¡­. If there are no spirits nearby, then bring a spell that can be activated in a place where they are present¡­ Three seconds!¡± I won¡¯t check. I will not take my eyes off the Demon King. With all my might, I knocked away the tendrils, and as I sat back and gathered my strength, a spear of fire rained down from the ¡­. heavens and pierced the wooden Demon King¡¯s brain. ¡°AZIIIIIIIIIIIII!?¡± The wooden Demon King cried out as his body was engulfed in flames. But there was one more spear of flame that rained down. The Demon King¡¯s tendrils all crowded toward the heavens to prevent it,¡­. and an empty path formed in front of me. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­!¡± There was no need to go out of my way to inform the opponent who had exposed me. I just silently advanced and slashed my [Dawnbreaker], filled with my dreams and accomplishments as a Demon Lord killer. In the blink of an eye, four flashes. The Demon King¡¯s four limbs were cut off, and when I was about to send his head flying, his face, which had been looking up to the heavens, twirled around and looked at me. ¡°GOBAHHH!!!!¡± Dozens of black tendrils sprouted from his gaping mouth. But that much¨C ¡°Whoa!?¡± ¡°Huh!?¡± If the scream I heard behind me had been Tia¡¯s, I would have sent the demon king¡¯s head flying as it was. But because it was Eleas¡¯ voice, I turned around ¡­. and saw a large amount of tendrils growing from the arm I had cut off, extending toward the battle-weary Eleas. ¡°DAMN IT! ELEAS!!!!!¡± Two, three. Eleas flicked the oncoming tendrils with his twin swords, but Eleas, who had used up all his strength, was unable to prevent them any further. I quickly swung my [Dawnbreaker] to cut off the tendrils extending toward Eleas, but there was nothing that could be done if the blade was connected the next moment after it passed by. What then? Rationally speaking, the best thing to do is to abandon him. I don¡¯t know what would happen if he touched those tendrils, but it would still be possible to treat him as long as he didn¡¯t die instantly. The worst thing that could happen, on the other hand, was that I would be injured protecting Eleas. I am the only one who can fight the Demon King here, and if I can¡¯t fight, the situation will quickly become unfavorable. ¨D¨DI should abandon the child brat who is not even a hero at the moment, having met him less than two months ago. He is just a necessary sacrifice for a sure victory. ¨D¨DIf me and Tia are still alive and well, we can reorganize as much as we want. If anything, the more Eleas attacks, the less the Demon King has to attack, so it¡¯s better to have him hold back him a little to improve the odds of winning, don¡¯t you think? Eleas would be happy to be of use. ¨D¨DThe power of a Hero is inherited by someone else when he dies, right? Then, even if Eleas dies, someone else will become a hero. Next time, if you can properly defeat the Demon King together with the hero¡­ ¡°¡­.the heck, I KNOW THAT!!!!¡±¡± I activated [Hermes Dash] and hugged Eleas body from the front to protect it. A moment later, the black tendrils touched my back, and from there something eroded my body as if it were taking root. ¡°GAHHHH!!!????¡±¡± ¡°ED-SAN!?¡± ¡°EDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!!¡± The pain as if I had been stabbed through with a burning iron stake, and the discomfort of something inside me being sucked ¡­¡­ or even eaten away. I stumbled unsteadily, but this time, fortunately or unfortunately, my body was still moving! ¡°HYAAHHH!!¡± I half-turned my body and smashed tendrils connected to me with [Dawnbreaker]. This time I was able to sever the tendrils without them reconnecting, but the weariness and sense of loss that overtook my entire body made me fall to my knees on the spot. ¡°ED-SAN! ED-SAN! NO No! It¡¯s my fault¡­.!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t flinch! This is just the beginning!¡± ¡°AHAHAHAHAHAH! DELICIOUS! DELICIOUS!¡± I yelled at the upset Eleas, and looked up with energy. I was staring at the Demon King, whose arms and legs had been cut off and bound together with the outstretched tendrils, screaming with an ecstatic expression on his face. CH 142 ¡°POWER POWER! DELICIOUS DELICIOUS! MORE MORE EAT!!!!!¡± ¡°Shut up! won¡¯t be bullied any longer!¡± The wooden Demon King, who had regained his human form, once again extended countless tendrils towards me. The surface of his body, which should have been charred black, spilled out in tatters, revealing the glistening skin beneath, and if anything, it felt more human-like than before the burning. Or perhaps ,he got a power boost from consuming a piece of me. Damn, then at least give me my money¡¯s worth! ¡°UOOOOO!!!!¡± With a yell, I desperately swung my sword. I can¡¯t seem to use my banishment skills this time either, but my swordsmanship was something I¡¯ve honed myself, not the Demon King¡¯s power. As long as my body moves, I can swing my sword and fight. ¡°Ed-san! I¡­¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t fight, stay back, Eleas! I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t afford to protect you!¡± Behind me, I heard Eleas¡¯ trembling voice. But I didn¡¯t even have time to turn around. The fragments of tendrils that remained on my back were still rooted in my body, and the searing pain from them was relentless in its attempts to erode my concentration. ¡°Ed, are you okay!?¡± ¡°Yeah, I can still fight¡­¡­ Tia, can you do that again just now?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t! It¡¯s like the area without the power of the spirits extends all the way to the sky.¡± ¡°Damn, he is taking precautionary measures,¡­., A pain in the ass.¡± The Demon King in front of me was not just wielding tendrils in the dark, he seemed to understand how to use his increased power properly. Not good ¡­ This is going in a bad direction. (Should I step back? No, but¡­) At the moment when I cut the tendrils with my sword, I started to think, ¡°How am I going to fight?¡± little by little. Considering the circumstances, it would be best to retreat and regroup. If we can somehow remove the tendrils, there was a chance that my banishment skills would return, and if we could get out of the range where the spirit magic was disabled, Tia could launch and aim her magic from a long distance, as she did just now. But I don¡¯t think the Demon King, who was definitely stronger than when we first met, would let us escape without a fight, above all, if I run away, I don¡¯t know if I will be able to get close again to this same distance as I am now. However hard I try, my power didn¡¯t seem to return. The space where Tia¡¯s magic could not be used continued to expand, and the possibility of my sword not reaching seemed much higher. (I want to retreat, but I can¡¯t. But I can¡¯t even think of a way to reverse the situation. ¡­. What are we going to do!) The number of tendrils of ivy extending from the Demon King was gradually increasing in number and power, but now that most of them were coming toward me, Tia managed to hold her own, but of course there was no room to spare. And I¡¯m slowly losing ground. My sword, in pain, was lackluster, and I had been forced to take several backward steps, since a while ago. If I go back any further, I won¡¯t be able to protect the Eleas. ¡­.!? ¡°GGGHHHH!?¡± With a jerk, my body jolted against my will. That split-second gap was exploited, and black tendrils wrapped around my arm.. My freedom was instantly taken away from my body, and my body parts were sucked up again. ¡­. I turned my only freely moving eyeball to look at my condition, and saw that the tendril, still attached to my back, had somehow become connected. Perhaps he reconnected by getting around my blind spot. ¡°D-Damn it¡­. Did I screw up¡­..?¡± ¡°ED!? Hold on, I¡¯ll ¡­¡­ KYAAAH¡± ¡°Tia ¡­¡­!¡± The offensive against Tia was intensified by my capture, and the black tendrils wrapped itself around her body as well. Tia, who could not use spirit magic, could not do anything about it and was quickly entangled in them. No, No, No, No, No! I was in a desperate situation and my thoughts were accelerating at a tremendous pace. I was thinking only about ending this crisis, willing to use any means necessary, when something inside me cracked. ¡°¡­¡­ Eleas?¡± Eleas, who had been slumped down on the spot, suddenly stood up unsteadily. In response, the Demon King¡¯s tendrils attacked Eleas, but he cut them off nonchalantly. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s hot. ah, it¡¯s hot. something hot is suddenly welling up inside of me. What is this?¡± With each step, Eleas came closer to us. The tendrils, doubled in number since the previous check, attacked him, but once again, all of them were easily cut down and disappeared in a cloud of dust. ¡°Eleas, you ¡­¡­!?¡± ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve ever experienced something like this. Even though it¡¯s the first time¡­I understand. More clearly than the day I first held these twin swords. Ah, I was born to do this.¡± All the tendrils, except that which restrained us, rushed at once around Eleas, who muttered quietly. But even these did not reach him. The twin swords that were being wielded became silver flashes that cut through the darkness and would not allow anything to touch it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have caused you so much trouble. I overslept a bit¡­but it looks like I didn¡¯t come late.¡± ¡°Ed, what is that¡­¡­!?¡± ¡°Yeah, That guy, now Eleas is ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°KYUAAAHHH!!! HURTS! HURTS! NOT DELICIOUS! I HATE YOU! STOP!¡± The furious Demon King extended black tendrils towards Eleas with the force of a muddy stream. But it was too late.The sun has set and a new sun has risen. Oh, how dazzling it was. In order to destroy the Demon King and save me, the Demon King, Eleas was moving forward with ease. A defense mechanism created by the world to eliminate the power of the Demon King, a foreign substance imposed on it from outside by God. If its power is fully demonstrated, it can only bring about the inevitable end. ¡°NO! NO! SCARY! SCARY! STOP! STOP!¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know what you are. But if you want to deal with us for your own reasons, I¡¯ll deal with you for mine.¡± ¡°SHUT UP SHUT UP! STOMACH HUNGRY, EAT! THAT¡¯S WHY! I DON¡¯T CARE!¡± ¡°Everyone¡¯s important spirit tree¡­ Ed-san and Tia-san. I¡¯ll have everything back¡± ¡°NO! EAT! YOU, DISAPEARRRRRRRRRR!!!!!¡± A black mist suddenly erupted from the body of the Wooden Demon King, and darkness covered the entire area as if it were night. With all vision lost, the sound of wind rushing through the air echoed around the area,¡­¡­, and the black mist that filled the place and the tendrils, all of it was cut into pieces by the twin swords wielded by Eleas. ¡°¡­.IT¡¯S OVER!¡± ¡°GIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!?!?!!!!!!¡± Under the restored light, Eleas, standing in front of the Demon King, plunged his sword into the Demon King¡¯s chest with a fierce, piercing thrust. The wooden pieces that made up the Demon King¡¯s body crumbled and decayed. ¡°Aa¡­..aaa¡­.Stomach, hungry¡­¡­¡± All the pieces of wood turned to dust, and the red stone stuck at the tip of Eleas¡¯ sword shattered. At the same time, the tendrils that had restrained us also vanished, and I hurriedly supported Eleas¡¯ body as he fell down. ¡°There¡± ¡°Ed! Eleas-kun! Are you two okay!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Eleas will be ¡­¡­ fine, too.¡± In my arms, the unconscious Eleas was sleeping peacefully. There were no external injuries, and this was probably just him sleeping after using up all his strength. I could feel the presence of the Hero¡¯s power in his body, but it would probably never be wielded again. After all, the Demon King had already been defeated. He defeated the Demon King in just five minutes after his birth. That was the first and last heroic tale that the brave Eleas left behind in this world. CH 143 ¡°We managed to get through this one too. ¡­..¡± After the battle, we walked out of the forest. Eleas was still asleep on my back, and Tia was on the lookout, but so far there were no signs of any monsters or anything attacking us. Well, even if the Demon King was dead, it would be weeks or even months before the power of the spirits would return to this land, so it was not surprising. ¡°Eleas-kun, that was amazing¡± ¡°I know right. I know he was coming to save us but I still got the chills.¡± If that thing cut me down, I wouldn¡¯t be turned to dust and die ¡­¡­ by any chance, would I? If I could die from that, I wouldn¡¯t have been split into 100 and one and trapped in an infinite world by a being like God. ¡°Haha ¡­. Oh, yes. This time it was Eleas-kun, not Ed, who finished him, but did you recover the Demon King¡¯s power?¡± ¡°Hmm? Ah, it¡¯s okay.¡± Tia asked me, and I responded by squeezing and opening my own hand to see how it felt. I could already use my banishment skills, and it felt as if their power had increased a little. ¡°Maybe, the condition for retrieval is that the Demon King dies while connected to me?¡± ¡°Huh? Ed must be caught by the Demon King every time and say ¡®GUAAH!¡¯?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ No, there must be a better way, I think.¡± ¡°Fufu, is that so. I think you should think about it carefully, you know?. After all, every time you get caught by the Demon King and rescued by a hero, you¡¯re like a princess in a fairy tale.¡± ¡°Gghhh¡­., that¡¯s not true.¡± I reply to the giggling Tia with a bitter, wry smile. Yeah, I¡¯ll seriously consider it. I wish I could train somewhere¡­. or something so that even if the Demon King touched me, he won¡¯t be able to block my powers. We made it back to the town from which we had left without incident, exchanging such chit-chat as we went. We discussed the possibility of taking Elease to a church in a large town if he continued to sleep, but he woke up normally the next morning, so there was nothing we had to worry about. However, Eleas seemed to have only a hazy memory of the time between his awakening as a hero and his passing out, and no matter how much I and Tia explained to him that ¡°you awakened to some great power and defeated a dangerous enemy that was attacking the spirit tree,¡± he seemed to have no idea what was going on. However, whether he was aware of it or not, the truth The three of them returned to the elven village to check on the condition of the spirit tree, and what awaited them there were the elves who welcomed the young heroes. We passed through the line of people who were verbally expressing their gratitude, and were ushered into the same meeting place we had visited on the first day. This time, however, there were many people gathered there as well, and the dignified village head¡¯s face was overflowing with joy that he could not hide. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re back Lunaritia-dono and Ed-dono, thanks to your help, the spirit tree has been restored to its original state. We will give you the promised reward later, but first, please accept our heartfelt thanks. And Eleas. I couldn¡¯t be more pleased as a village head than to see you, who had just left his village¡­..become a great warrior and save the spirit tree in the blink of an eye. You are the pride of our village. It was a great deed, O Hero Eleas.¡± ¡°Thank you, Satocho-sama.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°T-thank you very much¡­¡­?¡± While Tia and I bowed our heads in thanks, only Eleas had a puzzled expression on his face. Seeing this, the village head laughed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Eleas? Why are you making that face?¡± ¡°Um, I think I¡¯ve explained this several times already, but I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯ve actually defeated anyone and¡­ it¡¯s like I¡¯m being praised for something I haven¡¯t done, and it¡¯s making me feel uneasy.¡± ¡°Hmm. Is that correct, Ed-dono?¡± ¡°Haha, Eleas definitely defeated the source of the problem. I have no hobby of taking credit for something I didn¡¯t do, and conversely, I have no intention of doing anything that would force an inexperienced warrior to take credit and bring him closer to death. It was definitely him who not only saved us when we were captured by the enemy, but also beat us as it were. However, I don¡¯t think we should put too much expectation on young warriors¡­¡­ because He was so desperate that he lost his memory and that¡¯s why he was able to do that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. As for Eleas, we will have another look at his abilities later on. There are many warriors who would like to have a showdown with the hero who saved the Spirit Tree. Is that alright with you, Eleas?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. Of course. It¡¯s good for me to be known for my abilities.¡± ¡°Fufu, Be ready to be surprised, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. Do your best and surprise everyone!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll do my best!¡± Eleas replied nervously, but there was no trace of fright on his face. As a result of several mock battles on the way back to the village, it was true that he no longer had the overwhelming strength he had when he fought the Demon King, but he had normally maintained the twin sword skills, which were a joke before, and I am sure the warriors in the village will be greatly surprised. It would be fun to gloat over it and say, ¡°I raised that kid,¡± but ¡­.we have something to do before that. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s really gone, So beautiful¡± ¡°True, It¡¯s overflowing with the power of the kind spirits,¡­. thank goodness.¡± After separating from Eleas, who was led by the village head, Tia and I arrived at the spirit tree. The black tendrils that had been entangled in the tree were no longer there, and a faint warmth could be felt from the pale light emanating from the spirit tree. ¡°I wish we could have shown this to the Elder. ¡­.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­.¡± I had been prepared for this since Eleas awakened to his heroic powers, but as I had expected, the Elder had already passed away. The funeral for the Elder, who had died in his sleep at home, was already over. The body was buried in the garden of the house and then left to decompose by the ¡°funeral magic¡± used by the elves, and a young tree was planted in the resulting humus. It¡¯s said that the Elves live with the values of coexisting with nature and spirits, with their decaying bodies becoming the source for new life to sprout. However, it wouldn¡¯t be lonely to sleep in that garden where spirits come to play. I¡¯ll go visit it with Tia later [Hoho, there¡¯s no need for that.] ¡°? Tia, just now¡­ Tia?¡± Suddenly, I thought I heard a voice and looked around, but there were no people around, probably because they were gathered toward Eleas. I asked Tia if that was the case, and for some reason she raised her eyebrows and looked at the spirit tree curiously. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Tia? Something on your mind?¡± ¡°Yeah. Right now, I felt the presence of the Elder from the Spirit Tree¡­¡± ¡°Is that so? But his body is in the garden of his house, right? If so, then ¡­. no, by any chance?¡± ¡°By any chance, ¡­. what?¡± ¡°The elder said something like, ¡®When you get old, you get closer to the spirits.¡¯ So I was wondering if, by any chance, when you die, your soul becomes a spirit, and it inhabits this tree.¡± ¡°Eh? There¡¯s a difference between a dead person and a spirit. But, yes. Although it may only be a slight possibility, if you died and for a little while, if you could be mistaken for a spirit and could stay here, then¡­ would that be possible?¡± ¡°Well, who knows. I don¡¯t really know, but we should assume that¡¯s what happened, right?¡± I didn¡¯t know anything about spirits, and I have no idea what happens to the souls of dead elves. But if I don¡¯t know something, I should be able to interpret it in a way that suits me. It¡¯s a convenient excuse for those of us who were alive, a self-satisfaction to keep us from getting depressed. Even though we knew it was a kind and selfish lie, it¡¯s much better than spending time sinking into regret. ¡°Indeed, We might not have made it in time while he was still alive, but We made it before his soul went somewhere else after death. I think the elder wouldn¡¯t be angry if I just thought that way on my own, right?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ yeah, I think so.¡± As I gazed at Tia¡¯s smiling profile, I couldn¡¯t help but reach out my hand. Then a gentle breeze brushed against my cheek¡ª Pikon! ¡ªConditions met. Ten minutes left until return. ¡°What!? Why!?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong Ed!?¡±¡® ¡°It said the condition has been met. ¡­. says it is sending us back in 10 minutes.¡± ¡°What!?¡± In exactly the same words, Tia also expressed her surprise. No, really, why? Don¡¯t tell me Eleas ¡°banished¡± us? But we¡¯ve only been together for about three months, so that doesn¡¯t seem possible¡­ [..¡­thank you] ¡°Huh!?¡± At the strange voice I heard again, I looked at the spirit tree. Of course the tree didn¡¯t talk because it wasn¡¯t that demon king¡­. but I couldn¡¯t help but feel a faint flicker of its light, as if it was telling me something. ¡°No way. ¡­¡­?¡± There were two conditions for me to be ¡°banished¡± from the world. I must either work with a Hero for more than half a year, or be recognized as a companion by gaining a certain level of trust, and then be banished in that state. I¡¯ve never envisioned it before, but what if the gratitude the Elder have for us was synonymous with trust? And what if, instead of kicking us out, the Elders¡¯ own departure from our midst would result in the same as ¡°banishment¡± ¡­? ¡°Ha. What, were you really there? Or ¡­..?¡± ¡°Hey Ed, what are you talking about!? I haven¡¯t even prayed to the Elder¡¯s sapling yet¨D¨D¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to be necessary. It looks like the Elder there has just left.¡± I grinned and turned my gaze toward the spirit tree. Naturally, Tia looked puzzled, but her expression soon changed to a smile. ¡°The Elder!? ¡­¡­ Understood. If Ed says so, then so be it. I¡¯m glad I was able to keep my promise. Good-bye, Elder. May the leaf that withers return to the earth and one day become a leaf of a great tree and we will meet again.¡± I closed my eyes and put my hands together with Tia, who was chanting a prayer. After waiting for a while, our bodies disappeared from this world. ¡ªThree ¡­¡­Two ¡­¡­One ¡­¡­World transfer is now underway.¡± At that moment of departure, I felt the gentle fragrance that filled the Elder¡¯s garden reach my nose. CH 144 ¡°¡­ And back. Ha, It was quite busy this time.¡± Having safely returned to the [White World] I let out a big sigh of relief. However, since our return was quite irregular this time, I was not without any worries. The same seems to be true for Tia, who was standing next to me, her expression slightly clouded. ¡°I guess so. I wanted to at least say goodbye to the village head and Eleas-kun, but ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I understand how you feel, but it¡¯s impossible, you know?¡± There was only a 10-minute time limit until the return was initiated. While this would be sufficient if all we wanted to do was simply leave, it was far too short a time for a case such as this. ¡°If we were to do it, It would be like looking for the Eleas and the others who would be in a festive mood and testing their skills, then unilaterally yelling ¡®We¡¯re leaving right now!¡± and then run away, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s better not to say anything.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Our disappearance will cause more than a little confusion among the elves, but still, it was much better than to dampen the festival and sow the seeds of further confusion and then run away. If I had to say so, I¡¯d at least leave a note ¡­. but no. I still feel that walking away without saying anything would have the least impact. ¡°¡­ That¡¯s right. Even if we think about it, we can¡¯t return to that world, so let¡¯s change topics!¡± ¡°Yeah! Well, let¡¯s read it right away.¡± Tia patted her cheek lightly and said, I nodded with a smile as I walked towards the usual table. There was {Records Of The Hero¡¯s Story}¡­..? ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°There are two copies?¡± On the table, for some reason, there were two copies of {Records Of The Hero¡¯s Story} on the table. At a glance, they looked almost the same, but the one labeled ¡°First Volume¡± was almost twice as thick as the previous one, while the one labeled ¡°Second Volume¡± was so thin that it made me feel uneasy. ¡°Hmmm? Because there were two brave men, there were also two copies of {Records Of The Hero¡¯s Story}? If put that way, it makes sense. ¡­ Well, that¡¯s okay. Well, let¡¯s read the thin one for now. Maybe it will tell us what happened after we left.¡± ¡°Yeah¡± It was needless to wonder which {Records Of The Hero¡¯s Story} was for. The book that was opened was mostly made up of its cover, and the contents were so thin that it was sad. ¡°Wow, there aren¡¯t many pages!? Let¡¯s see¡­¡± Reading the book while bracing myself, I found that the story began with my capture by the Demon King, and frankly speaking, there was nothing of note in the book. Since the story was written from Eleas¡¯ point of view, I could understand a little about his feelings at the time, but I knew that from seeing his face and from the conversations we had afterwards, so I was not surprised. So, as I read the book quickly, I flipped through the pages and reached the last part of the book in no time. ¡ª 008th World {Records Of The Hero¡¯s Story, Vol. 2} Epilogue: The Ancestor is With the Hero The two companions who had trained and guided him disappeared without a trace. The Hero Eleas and his compatriots searched not only in the village but also in the surrounding towns, but they could find no trace of their departure. One day, they suddenly appeared, guided the Hero to save the spirit tree, and then disappeared after completing their mission. The way they were, some people wondered if they had been sent by the spirits to save them. But Eleas laughed it off and denied it. He said, ¡°Those two people are not such uncertain entities, they certainly traveled with me. Please don¡¯t treat those memories as if they were dreams or illusions.¡± Although Eleas became a hero in his later years and created many legends, the names of the duo always came up in his childhood memories as he spoke of them from time to time, and he always said, ¡°They were my mentors and friends for the rest of my life.¡± ¡°Uh ¡­¡­ Well, That¡¯s how it feels, huh¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s how it feels.¡± I gave a faint-smile that I couldn¡¯t quite put into words and met eyes with Tia, who wore a similar expression, and said. While I feel apologetic for causing trouble, I can¡¯t help but feel happy that he seemed to hold me in such high regard. Also, since the Demon King had already been defeated, Eleas¡¯ activities as a Hero were already over at that point, and as a result, there was really nothing we could do about the fact that the contents of the {Records Of The Hero¡¯s Story} were thin. At any rate, it¡¯s enough to know that he didn¡¯t make a bad decision like continuing to look for us all the time. ¡°Well then, Next one.¡± ¡°This is the Elder¡¯s book, right?¡± ¡°Maybe. Then let¡¯s read it. ¡­.¡± I set aside Eleas¡¯ {Records Of The Hero¡¯s Story} on the table and opened the thicker {Records Of The Hero¡¯s Story}. As expected, this one was filled with more than 300 years of the elder¡¯s life, and Tia and I read it slowly. ¡°Heh, Elder¡¯s name was Galgadore? I didn¡¯t hear that.¡± ¡°A forbidden love beyond race with a princess from a foreign land!? But the princess¡¯s fianc¨¦ is a friend of the elder, and he wavers between love and friendship while heading alone to defeat the black dragon for the sake of ¡®justice¡¯¡­ Ed, next! Turn the page quickly!¡± ¡°R-Right.¡± Although the Demon King did not appear in the book, Tia was so excited by the Elder¡¯s repeated valiant actions that she was more than compensated for, and I was also reading the book with great interest. Lost in the absence of any desires, I immersed myself in reading the thick book¡­ and finally reached the end ¨CThe 008th World {Records Of The Hero¡¯s Story,Vol.1} Epilogue: And the World Continues The great hero Galgadore created countless tales of valor during his life. However, he could not reach the Demon King, and his life ended halfway through his ambition. For the last time, the Hero, Galgadore, who was too old to regret it, dreamed of the journey of his youth. The hidden feelings were left unspoken as they parted as friends with a fleeting heart. Yet, they were tossed about by the rough waves of fate and led to the next hero. At the moment his life was about to expire, the image of the young hero, with the shadow of his two precious friends was dwelling in his mind. The spirits will continue to bring flowers to the garden where he sleeps. A hundred years later, the Young Hero who succeeded him will simply love them peacefully, without knowing anything about them. Even if they do not tell, even if they do not convey, their hearts will remain and their aspirations will be carried on. The liberated souls will return to the world through the radiant tree, and one day they will return to their loved ones. Life goes around. Thoughts will revolve. And the world will continue. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± After reading the whole book, I gently closed it and fell into silent contemplation. My life experience seemed to be more than a little inadequate to put into words the feelings that were going through my heart. ¡°Sniff¡­.¡± I heard Tia sniffling quietly. When I slowly opened my eyes, I could see that her jade green eyes were filled with tears. "" ¡°What is it, Tia, Crying?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m overflowing with various feelings¡­¡± ¡°I see.¡± The time we spent with the Elder was not even equivalent to a whole day. However, the 300-odd years of the Elder¡¯s life were certainly etched in our minds as well. ¡°What can I say, it makes me want to do my best¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I feel like I really want to do my best right now! Hey Ed, let¡¯s go to the next world!¡± ¡°Okay, okay. We¡¯ll go to the next one after We¡¯ve done what you have to do.¡± While I carefully placed away the books, Tia put her hand on the crystal ball, gained new powers and then ran toward the door. ¡°I don¡¯t think I ever asked you what kind of abilities you acquired last time, is it still a secret?¡± ¡°Is that so? Well, I¡¯ll tell you when necessary.¡± ¡°What? Depending on what it is, it might affect our future plans, you know?¡± ¡°Nope! There is a right time for everything. I¡¯ll tell you when necessary, so just be patient until then.¡± "" ¡°Urghhh¡± Tia poked me on the nose with her index finger while smiling. When put that way, I feel it would be tactless to pursue it any further. ¡°Can¡¯t help it.¡± I was no match for a crying child, an old man, and Tia. I opened the door to the next world with a wry smile on my face, thinking that I had so many opponents to defeat. CH 145 A huge army of demonic beasts, like dense clouds and haze, was rushing in front of us. A red-haired female knight, who appeared to be in her mid-20s, perched on top of the wall protecting the town, undaunted by the situation, brandished her sword and gave orders. ¡°Archers, FIRE!¡± A large number of arrows were shot from the top of the wall in time with the order. They pierced the herd of monsters, killing hundreds of them in the process, but such obstacles were not enough to stop the movement of the herd. Trampling down their dead ¡­. or dying comrades, the demonic beasts approached the town. ¡°Next! Mages, FIRE!¡± Following the order, the swarms of demonic beasts were covered with fire, lightning, wind, ice, and other offensive magic. The loud explosions and blood splashed everywhere, and finally the momentum of the demonic beasts waned. But they did not stop just because they waned. The first to arrive at the defense wall side ahead of the others were four-legged demonic beasts of the Wolf and Boar type, which were quick enough to evade bows and magic. The stone defense wall was five meters high, and a human could not climb it without a ladder, but a demonic beast¡¯s physical ability would be a different story. It climbed up rather easily by hooking its claws into the slightest gap, not to mention by leaping in one go. What then? It¡¯s obvious. That¡¯s what ¡­¡­ we¡¯re here to prevent. ¡°ORAA!¡± I swung my sword in a spirited attack, and the head of the grey wolf that had leapt at me to bite off my throat flew off. The head, with its foul-smelling mouth still open, flew across my face, but I didn¡¯t have the time to worry about that. ¡°Suuu¡­.HAH!¡± While Inhaling, I readied my sword once again, and as I exhaled, I swung my sword at the same time. By synchronizing my breathing with sword blows and swinging the sword in an arc, I continued to cut down enemies without rest, which was an essential skill for a swordsman who deals with a large number of enemies on his own. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re on a roll, rookie! You didn¡¯t volunteer for the death line just for show, did you?¡± ¡°Well, yeah!¡± I answered with a wicked smile to the lighthearted words of my senpai, who was fighting about 10 meters away from me. Dozens of other warriors have been stationed at this place called the ¡­¡­¡±death line¡± because it had the highest risk of death and crossing it allowed attackers to climb the barricade and harm the rear guard and townspeople. However, every one of them was adapting to the situation and continuing to fight. In fact, this was the everyday life of this town. The swarms of demonic beasts that come in from the ¡°Black Forest¡± to the west, and the town¡¯s raison d¡¯etre was to keep fighting them off, and it is precisely because it has succeeded in doing all of these things that this town exists. The Walled city of Drasdon. This was one of the seven forts that separated mankind from the demonic beasts in this world. ****** ¡°Here¡¯s to today¡¯s victory!¡± ¡°¡±CHEERS!¡±¡± Back in town after a hard-fought battle, I joined my colleagues in a bar for a pint of ale. It¡¯s a light ale, but it was luxuriously chilled, and it tasted so good that it seeped into the body heated up from the battle. ¡°Arrgh! This is irresistible. I live for this one drink!¡± ¡°Heh, Gastor, you always say that.¡± ¡°Of course! I¡¯m not like you, I don¡¯t cheat around. You¡¯re saying you¡¯re messing around with another girl?¡± ¡°Uwaa, Thomason, Again!? Who is it this time!?¡± ¡°The waitress from the bar three tables away. Look, that one with the big tits. ¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, I see! So that¡¯s why we¡¯re having the party here today. Why do we have to be dragged into Thomason¡¯s affairs though? Their stew was so delicious over there¡­¡± ¡°Shut up! A huge chest is needed to hold my holy sword!¡± ¡°You must be mistaken about the sex sword.¡± Foolish talk trickled out of the mouths of the men sitting at the table. It was to heal the wounds of the mind and body, to wipe away the fear, to be grateful to be alive, and to gain the energy ¡­. to fight tomorrow, in other words, it was absolutely necessary. I would like to be a part of it, but there is a reason why I can¡¯t. And that reason was coming up behind me right now. ¡°Ara, everyone seems to be having fun, huh?¡± ¡°Oh, Jou-chan! Hey fellas, the Elven Princess has come to congratulate us on our victory!¡± ¡°Your Magic was amazing today, Tia-chan! Come on over and have a drink with us!¡± ¡°Tia-chan! Don¡¯t always hang out with Ed, spend some time with me too! I¡¯ll buy you anything you want.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to pay off all your debts to prostitutes before you can talk like that, you idiot! How about me? If you shake that cute little butt of yours on top of me, I¡¯ll do anything for you¡­ Urghh?!¡± ¡°Keep that shitty mouth shut until you die!¡± I hit the head of my colleague who was talking nonsense a little harder than usual. The guy who was hit looked at me with resentment while holding his head, but I didn¡¯t care about that. Tia only smiled bitterly in the face of this series of exchanges. At first, she was puzzled by the unreserved and idiotic remarks, but after three days, she probably got used to it, for better or for worse. ¡°So, what¡¯s up, Tia? Something up?¡± ¡°Yeah, I need to talk to you about something ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go back to the inn.¡± In response to Tia, I gulped down the contents of my mug and stood up. I briskly ignored the cheering voices behind me, purchased a few dishes along the way, and we made our way back to our room at the inn. ¡°Fuu~, Are you all right, Tia? They¡¯re not bad guys themselves, but no matter how many times I tell them, they just can¡¯t help their foul mouths.¡± ¡°Fufu, I don¡¯t mind. I¡¯m used to it now and actually don¡¯t feel bad about it. Ah, but I kicked the person who secretly tried to touch my butt.¡± ¡°Scary¡± Tia laughed mischievously and I gave her an exaggerated scared look. We then looked at each other and laughed, and once again began talking over the food we had laid out on the table. ¡°Nevertheless, the demonic beasts really have been attacking us the whole time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± This fortress was attacked by demonic beasts every day. Sometimes once a day, sometimes two or three times a day, and depending on the type of beast, the next attack may come before we can fully defeat the previous one, so there was never a moment when we could relax. It seemed that some people tried to find out where in the world all these magical beasts were coming from, but no one ever heard of an answer to that question. But ¡­ ¡°This is the Demon King¡¯s fault, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Well, I think so.¡± I could only assume that such an abnormal phenomenon was a result of the power of the Demon King. However, since the existence of the Demon King was not recognized in this world, no one had been able to reach that answer. There must be some cause for this, or at least some talk about it, but conversely, this was also the limit of the current situation. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, if we defeat the Demon King, will the attacks stop?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Unlike the Kuronuri in the Waffer¡¯s world, the demonic beasts in this world looked familiar, even to us. In other words, rather than the Demon King creating the demonic beasts themselves, it would appear that he was interfering with the beasts in some way, causing them to multiply abnormally. In that case, the only thing that would be prevented by defeating the Demon King would be the abnormal multiplication of Demon Beasts, not the disappearance of the Demon Beasts themselves. Even so, attacks of this magnitude should cease to occur frequently, and it will certainly be much safer than it is now. ¡°In other words, the problem is¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, How to defeat the Demon King.¡± I said with a sullen look on my face as I boldly bite into the meat skewer in my hand and down it with a mug of ale ¡­. unfortunately this time it¡¯s not cold ¡­.. We had to plow through the seemingly inexhaustible number of Demon Beasts and defeat the Demon King, who might be hidden in the depths of the forest. It was a simple yet difficult problem, and even today I was unable to find the answer. (T/N: Need Tia X Ed romantic moments¡­.) CH 146 We came to this world¡­ the 055th world about a week ago. When I remembered what kind of world this was, I ran into town as fast as I could with Tia in tow and registered as a mercenary to fight on the front lines there. After a minimal criminal background check and a simple competency check, We were actually assigned to the battlefield three days ago. However, due to the intense battle after battle after battle, both Tia and I have been accumulating fatigue, and apart from the bare minimum explanations, we just sleep like logs. Having become somewhat accustomed to such days, we we finally able to have a leisurely conversation now ¡°What was Ed like the last time you were here?¡± So, in response to Tia¡¯s question as we continued eating, I looked up at the ceiling and thought back to that time. ¡°That time¡­ If I remember correctly, I was walking through the forest casually when I was confronted by the presence of a tremendous amount of magical beasts behind me, and I ran for my life and reached the town just in time to fight and fought at the ¡°Death Line¡± together with those guys¡­. and then just kept fighting in a haphazard fashion, I guess?¡± ¡°Oh, So that¡¯s why you were pulling my hand so impatiently at that time. Well, I soon found out why.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s impossible. I can¡¯t do anything about sheer numbers¡± I shrugged and replied to Tia, who giggled. I really thought I was going to die at that point. I was getting stronger there, but there was no way I would have managed to go up against such a large army. Now I¡¯d ¡­ no, I¡¯d still choose to run away. I could fight alone with my banishment skills, but I would never be able to do it while protecting Tia. Yeah, there¡¯s no way around the sheer numbers. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m getting off track here. So, about how to defeat the Demon King¡­ have you come up with any good ideas?¡± ¡°Hmmm ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± Tia¡¯s expectant gaze, however, made me stop eating and all I could do was grunt with a frown. ¡°I just told you this: the sheer numbers can¡¯t be handled by an individual. That¡¯s why I had the Allied Forces formed at the time of Riel. But in this world, the existence of the Demon King was not recognized, so we can¡¯t do anything unless we can prove his existence first. Or maybe we can rise to the top so that we can get command of a large army. ¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not very realistic, is it?¡± I think that a small research team could become the leader if they worked hard for a year or two in this place. However, it would take an army of at least several thousand, and preferably tens of thousands, to break through that huge army of demonic beasts. I have no connections in this world to be a military man of that level. The right to command a large army on my own was like taking over a country. ¡°The most likely plan at the moment is to show the upper management the existence of my [Akashic Compass] and convince them of its performance, and then ask them to send out the army. ¡­.¡± A magical tool that no one but himself can use, presented by a man from who knows where. It was insane to believe in such a thing and to invest a number of national troops in it which could destroy the country if it failed. In fact, it would be more sane not to believe in it, and on the contrary, there was a high possibility that I would be trusted to be useful and as a result be used politically by various forces, and that my life would be threatened because of it, too. The road leading up to the main objective, which was to defeat the Demon King, was too far and the risk we were taking was too great, so it was really a last resort to reveal my abilities to an organization rather than to an individual. ¡°So we¡¯ll have to wait and see for the time being. I¡¯d like to get to know the Hero of this world a little better.¡± ¡°The Hero is that knight who is always giving orders, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± The female knight who gives orders to the division in charge during the battle at the defensive wall. She was the hero of this world and her position here ¡­..was that of a very common knight. Since the existence of the Demon King was not recognized, of course no one knew that she was a Hero. ¡°Hero means she¡¯s strong?¡± ¡°Ummm, it isn¡¯t supposed to be particularly strong. Maybe, but I think she has good commanding skills. Or maybe she¡¯s unaware of her ability to inspire her allies? Either way, it doesn¡¯t feel like she is standing out right now.¡± ¡°By ¡®now¡¯ you mean it¡¯ll be different in the future?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± In the previous lap, the six months I was here, she did not rise in the ranks or attained a major position. And what happened after that was impossible for me to know at that time. Being a Hero, she must surely have something that could be a turning point in history, but sometimes we don¡¯t immediately know what it looks like until it takes shape. ¡°¡­.It feels like you are using ¡°maybe¡± and ¡°probably¡± a lot this time Ed, doesn¡¯t it, ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Haha, my bad.¡± I wish I could say for sure, but all I could say was that I don¡¯t know what I don¡¯t know. Besides, it would be so much easier in this world to just get ¡°exiled¡± and leave. I think that when we joined as a mercenary, we were recognized as members of the ¡°Hero¡¯s Party¡± and under the current circumstances, if we try to leave for any appropriate reason, that would be enough to be recognized as ¡± banished¡±. In my opinion, although the danger level was high because every day is a battle, the difficulty level of banishment was extremely low because there was no need to go through the trouble of pleasing the Hero or solving problems ahead of time so that they would not hate us. In fact, if I was in danger, I wouldn¡¯t even get hurt if I secretly used my banishment skill, and if the ¡°Death Line¡± couldn¡¯t be breached, then Tia in the rear would be safe. ¡°¡­¡­. Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to be cynical. I can¡¯t come up with any solutions either. Maybe I¡¯m just a little tired after all?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s my fault for not trying to find out because I didn¡¯t really know anything. It would have been easier if I had gathered more information before, but it¡¯s too late now.¡± The position of mercenaries was, of course, low. Considering the way mercenaries were supposed to be, ¡°accept requests for money, and if things go wrong, run away as soon as possible,¡± it was only natural that they were treated in a similar manner, if not as disposable and expendable items. And if someone like that tried to gather information about what the upper echelons of the military think about what they were fighting for,¡­they would attract unwanted attention and face severe consequences. There was no way I would take a risk that I didn¡¯t have to if I just wanted to get out of this world, and as a result, most of my memories of this place were of ¡°just fighting¡±. ¡°My fault or not, please don¡¯t say things like that! That¡¯s right, it¡¯s normal not to know what the future holds, so let¡¯s just take it easy like you said. I¡¯ll also try various things with spirit magic¡± ¡°Oh, but don¡¯t overdo it. If you do something wrong and get kicked out, you won¡¯t be able to return to your original world.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. But it¡¯s okay. I am surprisingly charming, aren¡¯t I?¡± With a wink, Tia said jokingly. Since the ratio of men, whether mercenaries or soldiers, was overwhelmingly high, Tia¡¯s rather young and beautiful appearance invited a protective feeling, and her cheerful personality was well liked by many people. However, since she is an elf who has lived for over 100 years, she probably knows how to handle rough men, and considering Tia¡¯s abilities, she probably wouldn¡¯t be easily harmed¡­. But I¡¯m still concerned about it. ¡°Really, don¡¯t push yourself, okay?¡± ¡°Ara, are you worried about me?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? I mean, I wouldn¡¯t go around punching my colleagues¡¯ heads, but¡­ when you were with My Master, you had some trouble, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Ugh. ¡­¡­, yes, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll be careful.¡± I smirked and said to her, and Tia furrowed her brow and said, Sure, it was a place where the male ratio was overwhelmingly high, but that doesn¡¯t mean there weren¡¯t women here. And as for that one, I couldn¡¯t just punch them and be done with it, so it would be best to ask her to pull her own weight. ¡°We¡¯ll have to kill the monsters again tomorrow. Let¡¯s do what we have to do and get some sleep.¡± ¡°Yeah, Oh, how I wish I could take a bath once in a while.¡± After a quick cleaning up of the meal, Tia moved to her room. It was not a cheap inn by any means, but it did not have a bath. Still, Tia was the one who cleaned herself up with spirit magic, and some of the guys said her sweat smelled good ¡­¡­ No, this is the one I shouldn¡¯t mention. Now, what kind of day will tomorrow be? I hope there will be something fruitful in the future, not just slaying monsters. ¡­. With this fantasy in my head, I finished getting ready and threw myself on the bed. CH 147 It was impossible to come up with a good idea in just a few days, and today, after finishing work, I was at a bar drinking sake with my friends, clinking beer mugs. ¡°Arrgh! This is irresistible. I live for this one drink!¡± ¡°¡­ Gastor, you really say that line every time.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Ed. I don¡¯t feel like my day is over unless I hear that line from Gaston.¡± ¡°I¡¯m with you! It¡¯s kind of a relief to feel like ¡­. today is over and done with.¡± ¡°What, you guys love me? Then you can at least buy sake f¨D¨D¡± ¡°¡±I REFUSE¡±¡± Gastor frowned when we all said the same thing. But that was only for a moment. He immediately laughed and poured some ale into his mouth, and his red face quickly turned bright and happy. While I was enjoying food, drink and silly conversation as usual, an unusual visitor unexpectedly came up behind me. ¡°Hm, you look like you¡¯re having a lot of fun.¡± ¡°Oh, Jou-chan¡­No, Captain!?¡± ¡°Eh!? What does a distinguished knight captain want in a bar like this?¡± The drunkards¡¯ tone was rough, but they were not being sarcastic; they were just letting their drunken minds dribble out questions. The female knight seemed to understand this, and what was on her face was not anger or annoyance, but simply a wry smile. ¡°I¡¯m not really your captain, ¡­ and yes, there¡¯s a reason. The reason I¡¯m here today is to talk to you about a new guy who just joined us recently and is doing very well.¡± ¡°Why is it that Ed gets all the attention? Ugh, why do these scrawny brats always get all the girls?¡± ¡°Oi Ed, I¡¯ll keep Tia-chan in the dark and you¡¯ll let me know what happens later, okay?¡± ¡°Captain! Don¡¯t I deserve a reward too? I think I¡¯ve been working pretty hard!¡± ¡°I really wish you guys would stop with that¡­ Sorry about that. I¡¯ll make sure to give them a good punch later.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It is true that I am a knight and a nobleman, but I am not so tactless as to flaunt my status in a place like this. I¡¯ve reserved a nice restaurant, would you like to have a meal together?¡± ¡°Thank you, I will.¡± I left the place with the female knight while listening to the idiots who were making a racket in the background again today. But as we were leaving the bar, I stopped and she started talking to me. ¡°Well, actually, I¡¯d like to invite one more person to dinner, if that¡¯s all right.¡± ¡°Another person? I don¡¯t mind, but who?¡± ¡°Mm, actually there is another woman besides you who entered the same day and is active. I believe it was an elf spirit magic user. ¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, you mean Tia by any chance? Then she¡¯s my friend ¡­¡­, or rather, a companion I¡¯ve traveled with up to this point, so there¡¯s no problem.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s quite a coincidence¡­ Well, it makes sense that your companions would be strong considering your abilities. Let¡¯s invite Tia too and have a meal with the three of us¡± ¡°Understood. If it¡¯s Tia, she should probably be drinking with the rearguard group¡­ is it the bar over there?¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go there.¡± She nodded at my statement and easily found Tia at the bar we visited, and the three of us were led by her to a private room in the restaurant, which was expensive to look at. When we were all seated there, she introduced herself once again. ¡°Then, let me introduce myself again. I am Amelia Carlton, belonging to the 3rd Corps stationed in Drasdon, the Kingdom of Leverdead.¡± ¡°Carton-sama huh, I am Ed, a wandering mercenary¡± ¡°I¡¯m Lunaritia. Like Ed, I¡¯m also a wandering mercenary¡± ¡°Ed-kun and Lunaritia-kun. Nice to meet you. Ah, aside from official occasions, you don¡¯t have to use ¡°sama¡± on a regular basis, okay? Amelia is fine.¡± ¡°Is that alright? Isn¡¯t it disrespectful to call a noblewoman by their first name?¡± ¡°Uh, no, I didn¡¯t say you don¡¯t have to use honorifics, rather I was going to say you can call me ¡°Amelia-san¡±¡­¡± ¡°Ah, right, of course. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Amelia looked a little troubled, and I bowed my head in a straightforward manner. Then Tia looked at me with a puzzled expression on her face. ¡°Reallly, what are you doing Ed ¡­. Oh, and you can call me Tia. Nice to meet you, Amelia-san.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± The greeting ended amicably anyway, and we proceeded to have a nice conversation and shared a meal. We were asked about our recent activities, our hometowns, and our personal histories, but we had thought this through, so we were fine. Both Tia and I responded in a casual manner, and since Amelia was probably not interested enough in the subject to go into it in depth, the conversation was lively enough to switch from one topic to the next. ¡°Right Ed-kun, I wanted to ask you something, as you¡¯ve been fighting here at Drasdon for a week or so, did you feel any sense of discomfort or something that felt out of place in the battles here?¡± ¡°Discomfort, you say? Is there a specific intention behind your question?¡± ¡°I have been fighting in this fortress city for seven years since I was appointed as a knight at the age of eighteen. So I don¡¯t know how the battles are in other places. But as you are a mercenary, you must have a lot of experience in fighting with the monsters that are active in the inner cities, right? If so, I was wondering if there is any difference in the activities of the demonic beasts there and here.¡± ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s how it is. Then the biggest difference is the frequency of attacks. There is no place in the interior, or anywhere else for that matter, where demonic beasts attack so frequently and in such large numbers. Since demonic beasts are living creatures, it takes time for them to multiply and they need food, so it is overwhelmingly strange to have them attack us day after day, ignoring all of that.¡± ¡°Hm, that is certainly be true. Everyone feels that this is an anomaly, and teams have been sent to the ¡°Black Forest¡± numerous times to investigate the cause, but they have not yet been able to determine the cause. Well, with that many demonic beasts, it would be difficult to even take a hundred steps, so it¡¯s unavoidable. ¡­.¡± Amelia frowned, and I nodded in agreement. It was natural that there would be no results if we tried to investigate a mass of uncertain factors, such as something that might be somewhere within the almost inexhaustible swarm of demonic beasts. ¡°Also, yes. I think the demonic beasts here probably revive in exactly the same place and at the same time.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ what?¡± The expression on Amelia¡¯s face suddenly turned stern at my casual remark. ¡°What do you mean? Why do you think so?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just guessing, but I think those guys probably resurface deep in the woods when they suffer near total destruction. At least if they¡¯re springing up in places where people can pass by to watch for things, they¡¯d have been recognized by now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Right. Go on.¡± ¡°So, I think that the demonic beasts that revived deep in the forest would immediately start moving toward us. But even if we talk about demonic beasts, the speed of movement differs depending on the type of beast, doesn¡¯t it? Big ogres and trolls are slow, but wolves and boars can run through the forest and come close to the town in no time. So basically, their raids are the most common. And then, when they are almost wiped out, they come back to life deep in the forest and come at us again, but on the way they catch up with or overtake the ogres, and depending on the timing of that, I think the composition of the enemy forces that reach the town changes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a very interesting opinion. But if it¡¯s true¡­¡± ¡°If the time between the defeat of each type of demonic beast and its subsequent attack is properly measured, it may be possible to know in advance ¡­what type of demonic beast will attack at what time. However, we shouldn¡¯t be overconfident, as there is a possibility that it could be used against us and catch us off guard.¡± Amelia kept staring at me with a serious expression on her face as I gulped down my mug. 7/10 CH 148 ¡°I see¡­.Ed-kun, you are not only good with a sword, but also with the head.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a deal. It¡¯s just an idea that came to mind, and it only applies to this one week. If it were a longer period of time, it would probably be different.¡± I scratched my head as I said to Amelia, who looked genuinely impressed, and not in a flattering way. I was not being modest either, because I had no proof that this was the case. Well, I think the results were rather accurate since they were obtained by combining the [Akashic Compass] and [Auto-Mapping] but it would be too soon to explain them. ¡°Fufufu, No need to be modest. As a matter of fact, there have been a number of people like you, Ed-kun, who have investigated the possibility that there is some pattern to the attacks of demonic beasts. But for the life of me, I couldn¡¯t make them coherent. ¡­ Well, I didn¡¯t realize that the raid itself was further divided into different types of demonic beasts and and measuring time for each unit¡­ that was a blind spot¡± ¡°Seriously, Ed is really perceptive to notice something like that. I, on the other hand, was just blasting magic from above and didn¡¯t notice at all.¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s because I was fighting in the ¡°death line¡±. You see, from above, you can just blow up all the dumpling-shaped targets at once, but the demonic beasts that come up to the ¡°death line¡± are of different types due to their different speeds, right? So it just occurred to me to think of each one separately.¡± ¡°Hmm, I didn¡¯t realize that fighting in the ¡®death line¡¯ would lead to such a discovery. ¡­ I should try fighting in the ¡®death line¡¯ at least once, huh?¡± When Amelia said something disturbing with a serious expression on her face, I couldn¡¯t help but raise my eyebrows and speak out in a reluctant voice. ¡°No, please stop, Amelia-san. I can¡¯t help but worry when I think about what might happen if the Knight-sama fights on the front line and something were to happen¡­ so please stop.¡± ¡°Why? My life and death have nothing to do with your work, right?¡± Amelia tilted her head curiously at my words. What a naive ¡­., or should I say, she is not really dyed in the color of aristocrats. ¡°Ah ¡­. Maybe, but if you really want to do it, you could assign a few regular soldiers to the escort mission, pretending to be mercenaries, you know? Because The equality of the value of life applies only to the god without will and the demon beast without wisdom.¡± Lifespans, natural disasters, accidents, and other ¡°fates¡± take life equally, whether it be a king or a bandit. Wisdomless demonic beasts also just devour indiscriminately the life in front of them. But other than that,¡­. that is, for humans, human life was not equal. If you kill one person and save 100 people, it would be rational to kill one person, but if that one person was important to you, it would be human nature to kill the 100 people. ¡°Hahh, It¡¯s a mess, isn¡¯t it? ¡°Yes, indeed.¡± Amelia smiled bitterly at me, and I made the same face as she did as I downed my glass. The wine, which was supposed to be of high quality, tasted a little bitter, probably due to the atmosphere of the place. We finished our meal without incident and returned to our fighting days. However, Amelia, perhaps because she liked our company, would occasionally ask us out for dinner after that. And today, we were having dinner with Amelia again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for dragging you guys all the time. I enjoy talking with you guys so much that I just can¡¯t help myself.¡± ¡°Hahaha, we don¡¯t mind. Right, Tia?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Since we are treated to delicious meals every time, it¡¯s worth putting up with some jealousy.¡± ¡°Mu¡­¡± Amelia frowned at Tia¡¯s casual response. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Is it bothering you guys that I¡¯m calling on you?¡¡If so, I wouldn¡¯t mind if you refuse. ¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it. Of course, if you¡¯re desperately trying to curry favor with someone important by being sycophantic, it¡¯s unpleasant, but if you become friends with someone who happens to be important, there¡¯s no need to worry about being criticized. You can just laugh it off at such a person.¡± ¡°I see¡­ I¡¯ve been thinking about this for a while now, but Tia-kun is something else. She¡¯s stronger than I thought¡­¡± Tia smiled at Amelia, who was choosing her words delicately. ¡°Ara, thank you. But I¡¯m just being myself. Amelia-san, you are the same, aren¡¯t you? There are many knights in this town, but you are the only woman.¡± ¡°Yeah, I am the daughter of a small baron. My brother has taken over my house, and the future that awaited me was to marry into a suitable lower class noble family or even a wealthy merchant family. ¡­. but I really wanted to try living on my own. Rather forcefully, I overcame my parents¡¯ opposition and became a knight. Well, that¡¯s why I was suddenly sent to this town, which is on the front line, and yet I¡¯ve survived to this day, so I guess I¡¯m kinda of living¡­.as I please?¡± ¡°There you go! See, Even you are strong, Amelia-san¡± ¡°Hahaha, is that so.. This is the first time I¡¯ve been told something like that without flattery or sarcasm. Thank you.¡± Tia¡¯s straightforward words, without any hidden agenda, brought a beaming smile to Amelia¡¯s face. I¡¯ve heard before that having tanned skin as a noble lady was considered as something negative, but it seemed that the nobles in this country have no sense of judgment to cast aside such a lovely smile just because of that. ¡°Ah, come on, that¡¯s enough! Anyway¡­ let¡¯s talk about something that may exist in the depths of the ¡®Black Forest¡¯ today!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± She blatantly changed the topic, but I was not tactless or brave enough to poke into it. I took a quick sip from my glass of sake, and then got on the unusual topic. ¡°Yes, there¡¯s something. As I have told you before, there is no way that such a large number of demonic beasts can continue to reproduce naturally. There has to be a cause. ¡­ The question that arises is whether the cause is ¡®something¡¯ or ¡®someone.¡¯ ¡± I said, ¡°Hoho, something or someone?¡± As for me, I was almost sure that the answer was ¡°someone¡± ¡­¡­ that was, the Demon King, but I was curious to know what people in this world thought about it. Sensing my attitude, Amelia made a mysterious expression and continued the conversation. ¡°Yes. The most likely explanation for the ¡°something¡± is that the magical beast is being duplicated by a far ancient magical tool. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true or false, but the technology to increase a single person into hundreds or even thousands of people existed a long time ago. ¡­. I don¡¯t know why such a thing existed a long time ago.¡± ¡°Ah, that sounds like something that might be possible.¡± Every world had a story about a super civilization that existed far back in the past, which was unimaginable at present. Normally, one would think that since the technology was destroyed in ancient times, the current technology that was flourishing today would be superior, but I guess that¡¯s what we call romanticism. ¡°Incidentally, the most likely explanation for ¡®someone¡¯ is that a vicious demonic beast sealed away in ancient times continues to create an infinite number of followers from its own body.¡± ¡°What is this ancient thing? For us elves, it¡¯s hard to understand what humans mean by ¡®ancient¡¯ because there are usually records of it. ¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Tia. It¡¯s romantic!¡± ¡°Even if you say so¡­¡± The average lifespan of elves was about 300 years, so if you look back five generations, they existed 1000 years ago. And since records are usually kept for about five generations, a story like ¡°A great nation that died out a long time ago¡­¡± in the human sense is reduced to the scale of ¡°My grandfather heard this story from his grandfather ¡­..¡±. it may be hard to feel romanticism at that scale. ¡°Haha, it¡¯s funny how different life spans can lead to different perspectives. So, what do you think? Do you two think that the abnormal proliferation of demonic beasts ¡­. no, what, or who, or what kind of thing is responsible for the proliferation?¡± ¡°Well, yes, I do. I think it¡¯s ¡®someone.¡¯ ¡° Since I¡¯ve been asked to talk about a topic, let¡¯s talk about one here. Amelia looked at me with interest again this time CH 149 What is the cause of the abnormal proliferation of demonic beasts? When I answered ¡°someone¡± without hesitation to such a standard riddle in this world, Amelia¡¯s mouth twisted in amusement. ¡°Hooo, you said it without hesitation. What is your basis for that?¡± That was, of course, because I know there was a Demon King in this world¡­but I can¡¯t say that. I will speak my reasoning using only the knowledge I have gained in this world, while subtracting the truth. ¡°If I put it very simply, it¡¯s a process of elimination. If it is ¡®something,¡¯ it could certainly be a magical tool left behind by an ancient super civilization. They made a magical tool that could multiply demonic beasts for use in warfare, but because the part that controlled the demonic beasts was flawed, the beasts multiplied abnormally, and the civilization was swallowed up by it and the magical tool was destroyed, but for some reason the multiplying part restarted ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Uwa, What¡¯s that! That sounds very plausible!¡± ¡°Mm. That¡¯s an inference I might be willing to accept just by listening to you, but why does it disappear by process of elimination?¡± Tia and Amelia seemed to be fascinated by the story with sparkling eyes, but unfortunately, I gave them a small shrug. ¡°Because this assumes that there is a ¡®mysterious ancient civilization¡±. If there is such a civilization, and if that civilization created a magical tool that multiplies demonic beasts, it would be difficult to satisfy both of these conditions. Or is it just that I don¡¯t know about it, and the existence of an ancient civilization has actually been confirmed somewhere?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ No, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ve never heard of it either. I can¡¯t deny the possibility that the upper class is keeping such information secret, since I am after all a low-ranking aristocrat.¡± ¡°There is no such thing. Because if such a thing were really confirmed, they would probably be more desperate to invade the Black Forest and start securing magical tools.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If it¡¯s such an amazing thing, the army will move just by the ¡®possibility of its existence¡¯. In fact, the demonic beasts have already attacked us.¡± Tia pursed her lips in a bored expression at my answer, while Amelia looked slightly disappointed. Although I also love romance, it¡¯s precisely because romance doesn¡¯t necessarily have to be grounded in reality that it can be considered romantic. ¡°Hmmm, so in your opinion, Ed-kun, it¡¯s less likely to be ¡®something¡¯ and more likely to be ¡®someone¡¯ as a result?¡± ¡°Yes, I think it is much more likely to be a mutation of a demonic beast or something like that than something made by human hands. For example, ¡­. yeah, like slime.¡± ¡°Slime?¡± Amelia tilted her head curiously at the name of the demonic beast I gave her. A slime was a demonic beast with a round core surrounded by a mucus-like body. They were omnivores with low intelligence and could eat anything, so if they fell from a tree on your head when you were not paying attention, they would be a threat. However, it does not intend to attack living creatures and mostly eats things like grass on the ground, so they generally go unnoticed. ¡°You see, slime multiplies on its own, right? The point is that it can completely self-replicate, but what if the slime evolves abnormally and its ability to self-replicate is enhanced? The body of the slime is that nucleus, so what if, for example, the nucleus enters the goblin¡¯s body, creating a goblin that multiplies indefinitely? Or if it extends to other demonic beasts, ¡­¡­ a slime that eats up everything it can find in the world and grows inexhaustibly with its nourishment. What if it¡¯s attacking us in search of new food ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s ¡­¡­ terrifying. But is such a thing really possible?¡± ¡°I think the possibility is not zero. Even for us humans, a man¡¯s seed enters a woman¡¯s womb and becomes a baby that grows up like this, so if there is enough nutrition and information, it is more likely to continuously create a complete body from meat pieces than having some mysterious magical tool.¡± ¡°Hmm. ¡­¡­.¡± At my words, Amelia folded her arms and began to ponder. I¡¯m actually a little surprised at how plausible it sounded for a story I just made up at random. What if the Demon King who should probably be there is a slime man like me? ¡­. Anyway, I¡¯m going to defeat him. ¡°Ed, you have a very vivid imagination. All I can think of is a demonic beast growing out of the ground.¡± ¡°Ground huh¡­ well, the truth might be that simple, you know.¡± ¡°Haha, perhaps.¡± Tia said this as she poked at her pasta with her fork, and Amelia and I couldn¡¯t help but smile. We were relaxed just enough to enjoy the meal, and we continued talking and laughing about different topics. ****** Every day we fought the monsters that came in, and when it was over, we enjoyed drinking good wine and fooling around with our friends, and sometimes Amelia invited us to have dinner with her. ¡­.These days, though dangerous, were also fulfilling. Time passed quickly without finding a good solution,¡­., but the world was not so kind as to allow such stagnation forever. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± After the battle, it¡¯s the usual bar. But even as the mugs lined up in front of us, there were none of the usual smiling faces there. The seat of the person who should be the first to speak was left empty. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ tsk! Arrgh! This is irresistible. I live for this one drink!¡± ¡°Jonathan, you ¡­¡­! One of the mercenaries picked up the mug that was placed in front of him roughly and said the words. Another mercenary looked at the man ¡­. Jonathan as if to condemn him, but Jonathan slammed the mug down on the table. ¡°Shut up! Somebody ¡­. has to say this, or it ain¡¯t gonna start! Even I¡­ for something like this.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ My bad.¡± ¡°Che, That bastard, Gastor, such a clumsy warrior¡­.¡± The faces of everyone in the room were uniformly gloomy, and no one touched the steamy dishes. I knew it. Everyone, including myself, was prepared for that. If you fight in a place called the ¡°Death Line,¡± it¡¯s not uncommon to die, and that¡¯s why appropriate rewards are paid. For money. For honor. To protect someone. Or simply to continue to seek the thrill of the fight. For a variety of reasons we fought ¡­ and the guy who had just had a little bad luck pulled out. That¡¯s just the daily routine that has come our way. ¡°¡­¡­ Can¡¯t stay down forever. Let¡¯s just have fun on our own. Otherwise, even Gastor will miss us.¡± ¡°Ed ¡­¡­. Alright, let¡¯s make some noise and give that fool Gastor a grand send off!¡± ¡°Oi, Nee-chan! Bring me a large barrel of booze! We¡¯re having a Gastor mourning match today!¡± ¡°You guys, don¡¯t kill people on your own!¡± Gastor returned to our table after finishing his business. He plopped down in the open seat, took a gulp of cold ale, and opened his mouth. ¡°Arrgh! This is irresistible. I live for this one drink!¡± ¡°Heheheh, that¡¯s what Gastor should be like!¡± ¡°Of course! I won¡¯t change until I die!¡± Gastor laughed openly at his companion¡¯s words, but it was by no means the same as usual. On his right shoulder, something that should have been there was completely gone. ¡°Though, I ain¡¯t got a death wish, you know. You saved me there, Ed. Thanks.¡¯p ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I mean, if only I¡¯d come in a little earlier¨D¨D¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you say that! I was supposed to die, but I only lost an arm!¡¡We avoided the worst, ain¡¯t that a big deal? I don¡¯t really feel like holding a grudge even though I have things to be grateful for. Well, if you¡¯re offering to treat me to drinks as an apology¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pass.¡± ¡°So quick! At Least think about it!¡± ¡°So, Gastor. Are you going to leave after all?¡± Another fellow spoke to Gastor, as me and Gastor were having our customary exchange. It was a confirmation of what Gastor had said when he came out of the treatment room. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯ think I can fight at the ¡°Death Line¡± with my arm being like this. I¡¯ll go back to the countryside and work as a guard in the village. Even with one arm, I can smack some goblins.¡± ¡°I could have regenerated your arm if I hadn¡¯t spent all the rewards from this place on booze and women. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°You idiot! We don¡¯t know when we¡¯re going to die, there¡¯s no way we¡¯re going to save any money! It¡¯s okay, I have lived a short, fat life here!¡± There was no regret on Gastor¡¯s face when he smiled like that. Well, he doesn¡¯t seem to have any remorse, so I guess that¡¯s the way of life for Gastor. ¡°Haaa, I don¡¯t have a choice, I¡¯ll buy you a drink today at least.¡± ¡°EH, you don¡¯t mind, Ed!? Oi Nee-chan, bring me all the booze in the shop!¡± ¡°Are you an idiot!? I¡¯m only buying you one drink!¡± ¡°What the hell, it¡¯s my last day here, so don¡¯t be petty!¡± ¡°You may be leaving, but I¡¯ll continue to live here! Hey, cancel that order from earlier! Even if you bring it, I¡¯m not paying any money!¡± ¡°If Ed¡¯s buying, then so be it. I¡¯ll buy you a drink too. ¡­. Give me three roasted beans!¡± ¡°Then me too. Two meat skewers¡­ no, give me one!¡± ¡°You guys are being too harsh on me! Damn, Oi Ed, you want a drink? Then Nee-chan, give me the most expensive drink in the store! I don¡¯t care what it tastes like, just the most expensive one!¡± ¡°You better order some good tasting booze there, ¡­¡­.¡± I laughed as hard as I could at Gastor, who made a stupid order. Even if it¡¯s not death, goodbye was still goodbye. After sharing a laugh at Gastor¡¯s expense as he made a face after taking a sip of the strong liquor, we said our goodbyes and returned to ourdaily routine, which had become a bit quieter. And so, we continued to fight day after day for various reasons, whether it was for money, honor, protecting someone, or simply seeking the thrill of battle. CH 150 The lively crowd has left, and my daily life was a little quieter ¡­¡­, but that didn¡¯t last too long. If it were because a newcomer had just joined the team, it would be peaceful, but unfortunately, all that was heard was the sound of bells announcing an attack by demonic beasts. Kahn-kahn-kahn-kahn! ¡°Shit, already! There was an attack just a few minutes ago!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the interval between attacks getting shorter these days? The number of demonic beasts seems to be increasing. ¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s all in your mind, right? I¡¯ve never had so much free time that I could tell the difference. Now, stop wasting your time and get to your post!¡± With my colleagues exchanging light banter, I too passed through the town gate and stood at my post. I pulled out my sword and readied it, and soon after, a huge number of demonic beasts flooded out of the forest in front of me. From there on, it was business as usual. Bows rained down, attack magic blossomed, and I slashed and killed the remaining demonic beasts incessantly. The [Dawnbreaker], forged by my master, was as sharp and sturdy as ever, and the corpses of demonic beasts piled up around me. Kahn-kahn-kahn-kahn! ¡°Phew, finally over¡­¡­ hmm?¡± The bell that signaled the end of the battle rang five times. But even though the bell rang five times, it rang again soon after. Kahn-kahn-kahn-kahn! ¡°Not yet! More of them are coming! Everybody back to your posts!¡± ¡°No way!?¡± Hearing Amelia¡¯s voice coming from the top of the wall, I hurriedly prepared my sword and looked ahead. I saw something approaching through the trees in the forest. ¡°Hey captain, what¡¯s going on with the replacements!¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to arrange for a replacement, but it won¡¯t be anytime soon!¡¡Hold on for a while longer!¡± ¡°Tsk, Can¡¯t help it!¡± Amelia answered someone¡¯s question, and someone else complained. Mercenaries may appear to be free, but in fact they were bound by contract. Unlike regular soldiers, they were not charged with a crime for running away, so if they were about to die, they might run away, but for those who like to stand here, the current situation was not yet so hard that they would pay a huge penalty to run away. ¡°It¡¯s a good time to make some money! Get fired up!¡± ¡°Wow! Emily-chan, please wait!¡± ¡°I¡¯m only waiting for your bag of gold coins to arrive!¡± Every one of them was saying random things and putting their energy into their tired bodies. With that in my ears, I readied myself again and found that there were more demonic beasts arriving at our side than before. The power and number of attack magic, not to mention arrows, were clearly less than before. Well, mana doesn¡¯t recover that easily. We still managed to fight off the beasts, and the third bell never rang, and I was able to return safely to the town to switch places with my replacement. After this, I would normally have gone out to a bar with some random guys. ¡­. ¡°What¡¯s up Ed, you don¡¯t want a drink?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jonathan. Today¡¯s battle was a hard one, so I¡¯m just trying to get back into the swing of things and take care of my equipment.¡± ¡°Then it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll drink for you!¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± A mercenary who neglects to take care of his equipment would never survive in such a harsh battlefield. We parted without any particular talk, and I returned to my room at the inn, but what I was going to do there was not to take care of my equipment. Slowly displaying the [Auto-Mapping] I organized the map of the neighborhood and the information I had gathered in my mind and frowned. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­This is bad.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Whoa!? Tia!?¡± Suddenly, a voice called out to me from behind, and I couldn¡¯t help but let out a surprised yelp. I don¡¯t know why, but it¡¯s hard to sense Tia¡¯s presence these days. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line! I saw Ed leaving by himself, so I followed you. So what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­ well, I see. Tia can¡¯t see it.¡± ¡°Are you using some kind of power? Then¡­¡­¡­¡­Yes!¡± Tia walked past me and reached out her hand toward me as she lay down on my bed. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°So, if I use [Heart Engage] to get inside Ed, I can see what he sees, right?¡± ¡°Ah! I see, so there¡¯s another way to use it.¡± In my mind, it was an ability to use my banishing skills in the [White World] but surely if Tia¡¯s consciousness is inside me, then she can share what I¡¯m seeing. As soon as I took Tia¡¯s white hand, I felt the power drain from it, and instead something warm, nostalgic, and mysterious entered me. [Ohhhh! It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve been inside Ed. So, what¡¯s up?] [Look at this.] Still not used to the sensation of hearing Tia¡¯s voice from inside me, I traced my finger over the map displayed on the [Auto-Mapping] [Uwa, it¡¯s displaying a pretty big area, isn¡¯t it?] ¡°Fufufu, I sneaked out on an expedition on my day off to fill up the map.¡± Using the [Mirage Shift] banishment skill, I could move regardless of whether there was a herd of demonic beasts or not. The time limit was one hour, so I could only go as far as 20 minutes one way, but even so, I was able to complete a map of a reasonable area because I used the [Hermes Dash] in combination with it. ¡°Let¡¯s get to it. First of all, this is how demonic beasts moved when we first got here.¡± [Amazing! The red dots are moving! Wow, it was like this.] ¡°So, the next one was two months ago. And this one was one month ago¡­ and this is today.¡± [Ummm, ¡­¡­, Are the number of enemies increasing by a little bit?] ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. Can you tell by color-coding?¡± Using my abilities, which probably increased thanks to the fact that I recovered some of the Demon King¡¯s power, I can change only the Wolf-type demonic beasts to yellow dots from among the attacking demonic beasts. [You can even do that! I wish I had this kind of ability too. ¡­. Hmm, wait a minute? Looking at it like this, they didn¡¯t increase?] ¡°Yes, The number of demonic beasts is not increasing. The reason why it feels like they are increasing is because the frequency of attacks is increasing.¡± [¡­The frequency of raids is increasing even though the number is not? Is that possible?] ¡°Yes, it¡¯s possible. I can think of only one reason why this might be happening.¡± If the number of demonic beasts attacking at one time is halved, the frequency of attacks can be doubled. Or, if the number of demonic beasts itself is doubled, then of course the same forces can double the number of attacks. So how do we increase the frequency of attacks without reducing the number of attacking forces or increasing the total number of demonic beasts? The answer was simple. If the place where the demonic beasts are resurrected is closer to us, the frequency of attacks can be increased as the travel time is reduced. In other words¨C ¡°The entity that is resurrecting the demonic beasts¡­¡­ is getting closer to us.¡± [!? What, it¡¯s a big problem!] ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why I said it¡¯s bad.¡± We¡¯ve been wondering how to get to the Demon King for a long time, and it seems that he was coming this way from the other side. It certainly saved us a lot of trouble, but that means that the area right next to this town will become a battleground, so it¡¯s not a situation we would welcome with open arms. [What are we going to do? If it were just the Demon King it¡¯s one thing, but against such a large number of demonic beasts we can¡¯t do anything on our own, can we?] ¡°I know that. If the Demon King doesn¡¯t suddenly start going all-out, we should still have some time, so for now¡­ we should consult with Amelia.¡± If there is a limit to what you can do on your own, you can always ask for the help of an organization. I will make full use of the connections of the noble family that I unexpectedly obtained. 8/10 CH 151 The day after work, the day after I came to the rather roundabout decision ¡­. to decide on a future course of action. I turned down an invitation from my friends and went looking for Amelia on foot again today. Unlike the mercenaries, Amelia was dressed in a solid metal armor, and fortunately, she was easy to spot, and she stopped and looked back at me when I called her name. ¡°My, If it isn¡¯t Ed-kun. It¡¯s rare to see you alone. How may I help you?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d like to talk to you about something, or rather, discuss something with you. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? Alright. Shall we go to the usual place?¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Since we had already shared many meals together, Amelia readily agreed. We went into the private room of the restaurant, which was becoming a familiar place for us, and I told Amelia some of what I had told Tia yesterday. This was because the existence of my banishment skills, especially [Auto-Mapping] must be kept an absolute secret. If anyone in the military were to find out about my ability to easily make maps, the only two options would be to be tamed or just plain killed. I don¡¯t mean to question Amelia¡¯s personal sense, but that said, she would be powerless before the might of the military. ¡°The source of the ever-increasing number of demonic beasts is getting closer. ¡­¡­ That¡¯s certainly one way to look at it, but Ed-kun, what exactly do you want me to do with that story?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking you to expand this town¡¯s defensive forces to the greatest extent possible.¡± ¡°Even if you say that¡­¡± At my words, Amelia raised her eyebrows as hard as she could and continued to speak with a reluctant face. ¡°The frequency of attacks by demonic beasts has increased, and the town¡¯s defenses have become a bit inadequate. We are aware of this and would like to gather more manpower if possible¡­.but even Ed-kun knows that it¡¯s not as easy as it sounds, right?¡± ¡°Of course. We¡¯ve probably already gathered what we can here.¡± Mercenaries, who could be bought with money, have already gathered in this area. If we raise the reward even higher, we may be able to attract a few more, but to be honest, it¡¯s a bit of a long shot since some people may feel it¡¯s too risky and leave. However, it would be impossible to say whether they would dispatch the regular army that remains in the country or the army that the local nobility may have over here. Unless there was a very imminent crisis that was clearly visible ¡­¡­, no, they may be reluctant to send troops out of self-interest, so we can¡¯t expect that anyway. As a last resort, a conscription order could be issued, but only royalty could issue such an order, and above all, even if farmers and merchants were given swords, they would not even serve as meat shields against a large army of demonic beasts. I was not stupid or devilish enough to count them as a fighting force. The impasse is in all directions. No matter how we do it, we can¡¯t increase our defenses any further. The conclusion I came to was also close to Amelia¡¯s¡­.but there was one crucial difference ¡°It would certainly be difficult to increase the total number of defensive forces. Then why don¡¯t we just borrow them from somewhere else?¡± ¡°Borrow!? From where in the world!?¡± ¡°That, of course, was from ¡­. other walled cities that will have more than they can handle¡± ¡°¡­¡­? What in the world are you talking about?¡± Amelia showed a puzzled expression as I grinned and spoke. But, of course, I had expected that. ¡°As I said before, the source of the demonic beasts is getting closer to us. That means that other walled cities, especially those far from here, should be seeing a decrease in the frequency of attacks by demonic beasts. So, how about we ask them to transfer their forces to us?¡± ¡°Wait, wait, wait! It is only your theory that the source of the problem is approaching us, isn¡¯t it? How can one person¡¯s unsubstantiated information move the forces of a walled city!¡¡You think I¡¯m royalty!?¡± "" ¡°Not that. While it¡¯s true that having royalty stay here would strengthen our forces, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m after. I don¡¯t think you can do that, Amelia-san. So what I¡¯m asking is for you to connect me to someone higher up who can make that kind of decision.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ So you¡¯re saying that you¡¯d like to take the trust I have in you, Ed-kun, and add it to the trust I have in myself, and negotiate it with my superiors?¡± Amelia¡¯s eyes sharpened and she stared straight at me. But I faced it head on and never looked away. ¡°Certainly, I think I¡¯ve become somewhat close with Ed-kun and the others. However, I don¡¯t think our relationship has reached a level where I can lend out the name of Amelia Carlton. Even though it¡¯s a rural baron¡¯s house, the name of a noble is not something to be taken lightly, you know?¡± ¡°I know. Here¡­¡­ this.¡± Saying this, I removed the [Dawnbreaker] from my waist and placed it on the table. Amelia, who took it in her hand and pulled the sword out of its scabbard, looked astonished at the brightness of the sword¡¯s blade, which was like the dawn. ¡°This is ¡­¡­ a wonderful sword. Even with my appraisal skills, I cannot tell how much value this sword holds.¡± ¡°I will leave that with you. So could you please connect me? ¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I don¡¯t get it. This is your precious sword, isn¡¯t it? Why are you so fixated on this that you¡¯re willing to entrust it to me? What is the reason for you to go to such lengths?¡± ¡°This Sword was entrusted to me by my master and is as precious to me as life itself. I entrusted it to you because I trust you, Amelia-san, and because I decided that it would take that much to make up for the lack of trust you have in me. And I am willing to do this much for ¡­¡­ my purposes, I suppose.¡± ¡°Purpose? Ed-kun, what is your objective?¡± ¡°To take down the source.¡± Shortly but clearly. Amelia looked back at me doubtfully as I asserted this. ¡°Do you aspire to be a hero?¡± ¡°Haha, It¡¯s not that big of a deal. But if the main culprit is defeated, there will no longer be an overabundance of demonic beasts in this world. Even though strife will not disappear from the world, there will be a fewer people crying unreasonably ¡­. so that they will have more opportunities to drink good wine with their friends. Above all, I want to live a life that I can be proud for ¡­..those who have supported me up to now. Well, that¡¯s my selfish reason.¡± ¡°Haa, What can I say¡­¡± As I shrugged my shoulders lightly and spoke, the tension seemed to dissipate from Amelia¡¯s expression, and she gave a wry smile that was hard to describe. ¡°I understand. But all I can do is introduce you to you and set up a meeting where you can be heard. After that, I don¡¯t know if your proposal will be accepted, and in some cases, you may even be punished for disrespect. In that case, unless it¡¯s an extremely unreasonable situation, I won¡¯t help Ed-kun, nor will I be able to. You have the determination to bear various dangers and still convey your message¡­ Is that right?¡± ¡°Yes, I am. Please do it.¡± I quickly got up from my seat and bowed deeply on the spot. I felt the presence of someone approach my side, and Amelia¡¯s hand was placed on my shoulder. ¡°You really are an interesting person¡­ I thought that about you before, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be this crazy,¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­.Can I take that as a compliment?¡± ¡°Suit yourself. Well, let¡¯s get back to eating. The food is getting cold.¡± ¡°Ah Right¡­¡­ sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I mean, if we were going to talk this much, should I have asked them to wait to serve the food?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m really sorry¡­¡± I just keep apologizing to myself for my inattentiveness. Gosh, if only Tia was with me at times like this¡­¡­ No, no, no, I can¡¯t rely on Tia here. She has her own responsibilities to take care of¡­ ¡°Well, it¡¯s a good dish to begin with, so it won¡¯t lose its flavor even if it cools down a bit. It¡¯s the same as you, Ed-kun.¡± ¡°Who? Me?¡± As I let out a dumb voice, not understanding what she meant, Amelia, who had returned to her seat, smiled happily as she stabbed a fork into the pasta in front of her. ¡°That¡¯s right. The words of a person with a strong core will resonate no matter how you mend the surface. Even if you say you are doing it for yourself, if it saves the world, ¡­. people will call you a hero.¡± Feeling the affection in Amelia¡¯s eyes, I could only give a wry smile to cover up my embarrassment. CH 152 Three days later. Amelia, wearing the [Dawnbreaker], guided me to a room in the guardroom, which was surprisingly located right next to the wall. Waiting for me in the sturdy stone building was a dark-skinned man in his forties standing in one corner of the room and a man who appeared to be in his fifties seated at a magnificent table. The older of the two, the one sitting there, looked at me with a gaze af if appraising me and started talking to me. ¡°Hmm, you must be the mercenary Carlton was talking about. I am Charles Brown, who is in charge of the defense of this Drasdon.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor meeting you, Your Excellency Brown. I am Ed, a mercenary. Thank you for taking the time to meet with me.¡± ¡°If you think so, please tell me your request concisely. Do you have something you want to say to me?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Now then¨D¨D¡± Without being needlessly overbearing, Your Excellency Brown was responding with dignity befitting his position as a superior, and I proceeded to explain for the third time. But upon hearing this, His Excellency Brown¡¯s expression remained tense and unmoving. ¡°¨D¨DSo, my proposal is to see if we can move troops from other defense cities,¡± ¡°I see. It¡¯s certainly a thought-provoking opinion, but ¡­. is that all you have to say?¡± His Excellency Brown glanced towards Amelia. His intention being, ¡°Did you call myself all the way here just to listen to this nonsense?¡± or something along those lines? Amelia, however, did not budge an inch and remained silent. ¡°¡­¡­ Understood. Ed-kun, was it? Your valuable input¨C¡° ¡°Please wait, Your Excellency. Of course, I did not ask for you just to waste your valuable time on this nonsense.¡± "" I took the initiative from His Excellency Brown, who was about to break off the conversation, and said so myself. I knew this was going to happen. Then I¡¯m going to take ¡­. this conversation in the direction I want it to go! ¡°I¡¯m also considering ways to turn that proposal into more than just idle talk,¡± ¡°Oh? What exactly are you going to do about it?¡± ¡°I am prepared to single-handedly plow through the hordes of demonic beasts and provide information on their source ¡­¡­ the Demon King.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ what?¡± This time Amelia looked at me with a startled expression on her face,¡­., Well, that went well. I didn¡¯t dare tell Amelia what was going to happen next to heat up the atmosphere of the place, but I think it¡¯s going to be fine. ¡°What do you mean? Do you really think you can plow through that many demonic beasts?¡± ¡°I can do it alone, with certain conditions. And also, there is another way to send information directly from the site to my companion, using a special method.¡± ¡°What is this special method?¡± ¡°I cannot answer any more than that. But I can tell you that it is a personal ability that cannot be duplicated by anyone else, and that it is extremely reliable.¡± ¡°Hmmm. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± That¡¯s where, for the first time, His Excellency Brown had a contemplative look on his face. He¡¯s probably thinking, ¡°If I can get information using these two disposable mercenaries, that¡¯s good enough, but what about concerns about the certainty of the information we get itself?¡± ¡­. Of course, I¡¯ve already thought of that. ¡°Your Excellency. I understand that you are wondering how much value to place on the information of wanderers like me. So let me make one more suggestion.¡± ¡°What is it? Are you sauing that you want military to accompany you?¡± ¡°No, sir. I want you to test me to see if I am capable of carrying out the task without a doubt.For example¡­ how about this? How about having Your Excellency stay for a short time in a tightly guarded secret room, and I will come to you through all the security? Then, without stepping out of the room, I could pass on your message to someone outside, thereby proving my ability?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Argo, what do you think?¡± When His Excellency Brown spoke for the first time to the man ¡­. who had been standing in the corner of the room silently for a long time, probably in the position of a deputy or something like that, the man called Argo opened his tightly knit mouth and began to speak. ¡°Hmm, Certainly that would prove the man¡¯s ability. ¡­ In that case, I think it would be better for His Excellency to stay not in a military base that is really difficult to penetrate, but in an underground warehouse or some other place that is restricted but still less important.¡± ¡°I see. Considering the possibility that Ed-kun might be a spy¡­. from an enemy country, it¡¯s a necessary measure. However, wouldn¡¯t it be insufficient to demonstrate his abilities?¡± ¡°If so, how about a prohibition against engaging the soldiers assigned to guard? If he is expecting a pack of demonic beasts, it is assumed that he will ¡°neutralize the enemy if found.¡± However, if we demand complete stealth operation by prohibiting that, it would increase the difficulty level accordingly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ but what do you think, Ed-kun? You think you can get into our guarded base without being spotted and without hurting the soldiers guarding it?¡± ¡°I can.¡± Without even a moment¡¯s hesitation, I declared it up front. The conditions may be quite severe, but the stricter the conditions, the higher the level of trust in me, which was more than I could have wished for. ¡°Immediate answer. Carlton, what do you think?¡± ¡°M-me!?Umm ¡­¡± Amelia looked slightly flustered when His Excellency Brown asked her to speak. But when she saw me and touched the sword on her waist,¡­¡­ hesitation disappeared from her face. ¡°If he says he can do it, then he can do it. And if he can prove he can do it, I think the value of the information he is willing to risk his life to provide will be immeasurable.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­ I see. Let¡¯s see what you can do. Carlton will contact you with more details. You are dismissed for the day.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Excellency. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡± I bow and leave the room with a gut pose in my mind. Amelia came out a little later and spoke to me with a mixture of protest and concern in her voice. ¡°What on earth are you doing, Ed-kun? Do you really think you can accomplish such an impossible task?¡± ¡°You just agreed that I could.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, don¡¯t worry. Actually, I can handle it with ease,¡± ¡°What do you mean, with ease!? His Excellency Brown and Argo-dono are not easy people to please. With an offer like that, they¡¯ll definitely have strict security measures in place¡­¡± ¡°Fufu, that proves more clearly what I am capable of, which is more than I can say for myself.¡± ¡°¡­..Hey, if it¡¯s not too much trouble, could you explain the basis of your confidence to me alone? I promise not to report it in advance,¡± Amelia asked me with a serious expression on her face, and I put my hand on my chin and thought briefly about it. ¡°Right. I¡¯ve already finished trying to get His Excellency to empathize with my surprise more strongly by increasing the number of people, so that¡¯s fine. You can report it ¡­¡­, although even if you did, I don¡¯t think they¡¯d believe you, and I don¡¯t think you¡¯d be able to handle it even if you knew.¡± ¡°So much ¡­. okay. Let¡¯s hear it.¡± ¡°Then ¡­..¡± Amelia nodded mysteriously and looked at me, and I explained to her how I planned to get to His Excellency. Amelia was first surprised to hear this, then gave me a suspicious look, and finally sighed tiredly after much worry. ¡°¡­.Haa, I see. Perhaps trusting you for the first time was a mistake, and I am now regretting it a little¡­ But even that, you would just laugh and brush it off, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Fufufu, please look forward to the day.¡± ¡°I get it. Well, let¡¯s hope you do it in moderation.¡± I grinned at her, and Amelia gave me a wry smile in return. The stage was set. All that¡¯s left was to show what we can do. CH 153 Although I was prepared to be ostentatious, the proof of my abilities to His Excellency Brown ended easily and without any problems. Well, yes. That was only natural. No matter how many guards they gathered or how tightly they locked the thick metal door, once I used the [Mirage Shift] all I had to do was walk up to it, so there was no way I could fail. There were some magic barriers, but they were not even a thin layer of resistance in the face of the Demon King¡¯s power of banishment skills. Once I reached his Excellency, it would be easy to convey the information. After getting the agreed-upon wording from His Excellency Brown, who was rather seriously surprised by my sudden appearance behind him in the underground secret room with only one front entrance, After hearing the agreed-upon phrase from him, I wrote it down on a piece of paper and pretended to put it in my waist bag.. but I actually put it in the [Stranger Box]. Then all that was left was to wait. Once every five minutes, Tia, who was examining the contents in the [Single Bank] took out the piece of paper when she noticed its existence and read its contents, which were then transmitted to Argo-shi, who was outside via Amelia. When Argo-shi appeared in the basement, his surprise reached its peak. Even after the intrusion was allowed, He must have installed a variety of sabotage measures to prevent me from communicating the information, but all of them failed ¡­., and He learned that the information was transmitted to him as it was without even a trace of any sabotage ¡­. ¨D¨D¡±I see, I understand that you are excellent. However, I have no understanding of how excellent you are. At the very least, I am grateful that you are not a spy from another country.¡± Such a compliment?I will never forget the stiff smile on the face of His Excellency Brown. I think I have shown a little too much competence, which may lead to restrictions or surveillance of my future activities. ¡­. I¡¯ll just accept that as a necessary expense. If we don¡¯t get through this, there will be no ¡°future¡± at all. So, after completing the necessary procedures, the last thing I had to do. That was, of course, to persuade ¡­..Tia. ¡°Hey, are you sure you want to go alone?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It was the night before my departure to the ¡°Black Forest ¡± the next day. For some reason, Tia was relaxing in my room, and when she asked me why, I replied with a wry smile for the nth time. ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve explained it to you a million times, right? I can handle it if I¡¯m alone, but I can¡¯t handle it if I¡¯m not alone.¡± ¡°I know! I know, but¡­but it doesn¡¯t mean that Ed will be absolutely okay, right?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure, but even ¡­. Tia knows about my banishing skills, don¡¯t you? A demonic beast is no match for me, even if I am alone.¡± I told Tia, who stared straight at me with her jade eyes wide open, with a wry smile. In fact, it really doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s only demonic beasts. It was virtually impossible to defeat them all, but if I use [Invincible], no matter how many hordes attack me, I won¡¯t even get a scratch, and I can easily escape by running through them with [Hermes Dash]. And if the worst comes to the worst, I can disappear completely with [Mirage Shift] so I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any better way to ensure my safety. ¡°But you can¡¯t use your banishment skill unless you¡¯re awake. What if you don¡¯t get to the Demon King in a day?¡± ¡°Well¡­For that. Alright then, I¡¯ll find a good spot to sneakily take a nap or something. I¡¯m not a newbie either, I know a thing or two about camping.¡± ¡°If so, ¡­. what if the Demon King catches you by surprise? If the he touches you, you won¡¯t be able to use your banishment skill, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± I was at a loss for words, having been hit on a sore point. Yes, that was the biggest concern in this forced investigation. No one, including myself, knows the details of what the Demon King of this world look like or what kind of powers they possess. If the [Akashic Compass] shows only a black haze, all I know is that he has the power to replicate or revive demonic beasts, and everything else is unknown. Therefore, at the very least, I could not let the Demon King attack me. In order to do so, however, I must discover the unidentified Demon King first, investigate him without being noticed if possible, and escape back. ¡°I¡¯ll ¡­.. handle that part well.¡± ¡°Alone?¡± ¡°¡­¡­, yeah, alone.¡± If there are two of us, we can cover for each other in case of failure. But with one person, it¡¯s over. I understand what Tia was trying to say, and I can understand her feelings. If the situation were reversed, I wouldn¡¯t be able to easily agree to send Tia off to her death alone either. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then tell me just one thing. Is the reason why Ed is going to investigate the Demon King alone because it has the highest success rate? Or is it¡­ for my sake?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­. because it has the highest success rate.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not lying, are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lying.¡± I answered Tia¡¯s question like a parrot. Yes, even thinking about it with a cool head, this would have the highest success rate. I mean, if Tia and I had a way to break through the hordes of demonic beasts, we would have done so from the beginning to defeat the Demon King in the first place. So, this is correct. It should be¡­ correct. Just because something is correct doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s the right answer, but unfortunately, the future that foresaw this didn¡¯t exist in the first round. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± We stared at each other in silence. If you don¡¯t know the right answer, it¡¯s whose will was stronger. I too looked straight into her eyes, and the seriousness of my own face reflected in her eyes reaffirmed my own feelings,¡­., and the first to move was Tia. ¡°I understand. Then Okay!¡± ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°A promise! Here, Ed, why don¡¯t you take out your pinky and twirl it around my finger?¡± ¡°? Like this?¡± I was puzzled when Tia suddenly held out her right hand with only her pinky finger raised, and I placed my own pinky on top of hers. Then, Tia¡¯s pinky folded, and they were joined together more tightly than I had expected. ¡°Promise! Ed must come back to me in one piece! You too, Ed!¡± ¡°Y-yeah.., I¡¯ll come back to you, Tia. I promise.¡± At Tia¡¯s prompting, the moment I said that, I felt a snap and a jolt on my pinky finger. I was so surprised that I involuntarily let go of her finger and noticed that there was a translucent red thread connecting my pinky finger and Tia¡¯s pinky finger. ¡°Oi Tia, what¡¯s this!?¡± ¡°Fufufun! This is an ability called [Promise Link] that allows me to see the promises I¡¯ve made to the other person. If you break it¡­.¡± ¡°W-What¡¯s going to happen?¡± I gulped and asked, and Tia smiled happily at me. ¡°Fufu, a secret! But don¡¯t break your promise because you¡¯re going to get hurt very badly, okay?¡± ¡°Huh? Well, I don¡¯t really have any intention of breaking it so it¡¯s fine¡­ but it¡¯s still bothering me¡­¡± ¡°Oh, just so you know, it¡¯s absolutely not okay to break it just because you want to know what will happen! If you do something like that, I¡¯ll never forgive you for the rest of your life, okay?!¡± ¡°O-Okay, I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Apparently, it¡¯s no good to try something out of curiosity. Well, I don¡¯t intend to break the promise I made earlier, because it would effectively mean that I would be dead. ¡°Well, I¡¯d better get back to my room. Good night, Ed.¡± ¡°Yeah, good night, Tia.¡± Tia left the room with a refreshed look on her face as if she had done what she had to do. Holding my right hand above, I could see the thread slowly moving¡­.Did it vanish? No, Did it come out? ¡°¡­ Can you consciously make it appear and disappear?¡± It seems that it is not a physically tangible existence, and probably only visible to me and Tia, but¡­ yeah, it¡¯s probably better to keep it invisible by default. If it¡¯s visible, I might inadvertently try to be sneaky and get caught. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s sleep¡± It¡¯s as if¡­ or rather, it feels like I have a string attached to me, but strangely, I don¡¯t feel any negativity about it. I flexed and stretched my pinky a couple of times, then closed my eyes tightly and drifted off to sleep, trying to get my strength up for tomorrow. 9/10 (T/N: Apparently My college starts tomorrow, expect similar delays as before) CH 154 In the forest, where it was still dark in the daytime, I ran along the beaten path. Fortunately, there was no sign of demonic beasts around me, so I was moving forward at a good pace¨D¨D (Well, So much for good pace, huh?) The loud vibrations echoing from the front made me rush to climb a nearby tree and hide myself in the thick foliage. After waiting for about five minutes, a large number of demonic beasts ran past my feet. (¡­Phew, this passed too) After making sure that there was no longer any sign of anyone moving around me, I climbed down from the tree and resumed my progress. At first I counted the number of encounters with demonic beasts, but in no time at all I had stopped at over ten. With such frequency, it was useless to count. (The one earlier was a goblin, and this one was an oodle rat. Neither of them are strong demonic beasts ¡­, so I guess all the ones in this forest are only demonic beasts under the influence of the Demon King) Normally, only powerful demonic beasts, which were the top predators, would move in such a haphazard manner. However, all of the demonic beasts I encountered in this forest, without exception, did not hide or look around while on the move. In other words, although they were weak demonic beasts, they were not worried about being attacked by stronger demonic beasts at all. This was proof that all the demonic beasts in this forest were under the influence of the Demon King. Well, since so many of them come to the walled city so often, it was obvious that this had already happened. (¡­Come to think of it, isn¡¯t this the Demon King¡¯s army? Well, I guess it¡¯s not really being controlled as a proper army though.) They will rise from the dead, advance in a straight line to the sphere of human life, and fight to the death. Even though they were given very simple orders, if they were operating under a unified will, it would still be an army. If the people of this world had recognized the demonic beast attack as a ¡°attack in waves like an army¡± at an earlier stage, could they have handled it differently? If they had understood that they could only ¡°faithfully carry out the order to attack,¡± rather than instinctively attacking, or if they had responded differently ¡­¡­ (Ha, it¡¯s too late now) I put aside my useless thoughts and focused on moving forward once again. As expected, it was not possible to reach the location of the Demon King in a day or two. ¡­..It has already been five days since I started advancing through the ¡°Black Forest¡±. Seeing an opening,I used [Hermes Dash] and [Mirage Shift] to advance, I must have gone quite a distance, but I still haven¡¯t reached the Demon King. (¡­¡­I should rest) Aware that I was talking to myself more and more, I stopped behind an inconspicuous rock and took out water and food from the [Stranger Box]. It was really great that I didn¡¯t have to eat the friggin¡¯ mucky preserved food because Tia was always filling it with food in a timely manner, However, on the other hand, I can¡¯t exactly eat freshly cooked food that has a strong smell. But it was heavenly compared to biting into a piece of hardened black bread and a piece of dried meat. In fact, it tastes amazing. Why? ¡°¡­¡­ Oh, yeah. Come to think of it, doesn¡¯t Tia have that skill?¡± I think it tastes better when Tia is involved in the final stages of the cooking process, right? Well, if it tastes good, I have no complaints. After putting a piece of paper in the [stranger Box] with my impressions of the food and the progress so far, I get up again and start moving forward through the forest. ¡°!?¡± And just then, I sensed a large number of demonic beasts ahead again and quickly climbed up a nearby tree. Unfortunately, what came was a massive pack of Grey Wolves. Although it wasn¡¯t something that could drift far away, it was impossible for there to be no remaining scent of our meal. Moreover, Grey Wolves are troublesome creatures with a keen sense of smell. (¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­) I tried to keep my body as small as possible and my breath as quiet as possible to see what was going on. Then a gray wolf passed by my feet,¡­. and several of them stopped close by and scurry around, twitching and moving their nose. (Damn it, what should I do? Use [Mirage Shift] ?) Once I use it, I can safely leave any situation. However, once I use it, I cannot use it again for 24 hours, so it is not a skill that I can use to expel people lightly. Then what should I do? If it¡¯s just Grey Wolves, it¡¯s easy to defeat them. If only they come towards me, no matter how many there are, they won¡¯t be a match for me. However, it would be very difficult to chase and defeat all of them if they escaped in a heap, and if I did so, I would encounter other packs of monsters and be unable to catch up with them. The only thing I should be wary of is that the Demon King might attack me in the midst of a crowd of demonic beasts, and if he gets one hit and all my banishment skills are disabled, you can guess what will happen to me ¡­¡­. Then at the very least, I should refrain from any reckless activities until I have confirmed the appearance of the Demon King. (¡­¡­ Right. There¡¯s that thing. It¡¯s time to use it, huh?) I suddenly remembered something and I activated the banishment skill, which I rarely used. Then my presence assimilated with my surroundings, and soon after, the Grey Wolf¡¯s eyes did indeed look in my direction, but ¡­¡­ ¡°¡­.OOON!¡± The howling grey wolf, however, left the scene without paying any attention to me. After counting to 100, I finally relaxed my chest and released the tension in my body. ¡°Hah ¡­¡­ saved my life. What the heck, it works.¡± Just now I used the banishing skill [Vanishing Idea]. It is a skill that makes my presence blend into the surroundings, creating a situation where I am visible but unnoticeable. ¡­. In fact, until now, it was a completely useless skill. The reason for that is because in order to conceal my presence, there must be a large number of beings of the same species as me in the vicinity¡­ In other words, it can only be used in a crowded place, and its effectiveness is greatly reduced if the enemy recognizes and searches for me. It¡¯s a skill, which lowers the rate of me being recognized when I¡¯m blending in a crowd and not noticed as myself. However, when I tried it for the first time in a while, I found that it seemed to have been powered up as well. Of course, if I move in an unusual way, I will be immediately recognized, but conversely, if I stay still, it seems that I can expect a considerable recognition blocking effect. ¡°This is effective, helps me save [Mirage Shift]¡± Not that anyone was watching, but I was grinning and giggling as I made my way through the forest again. With more covert means at my fingertips, my speed of progress increased ¡­¡­ and finally, it appeared before my eyes. (¡­¡­ found it) Standing there in the dark forest, something cloaked in black miasma. I don¡¯t need to check the [Akashic Compass] response to instinctively know that that¡¯s part of the Demon King¡¯s ¡­¡­ my power. Its progress was quite slow, and at this rate it would take at least two months to reach Drasdon. (But what is it? What is it doing?) I had thought that the Demon King was surrounded by an endless stream of demonic beasts, or rather, that they were continually resurrecting. But for some reason, there were no demonic beasts around the Demon King, and instead, a black miasma that had suddenly separated from the Demon King was flying and dispersing to various parts of the forest. (Is it flying something?) Does that mean there¡¯s a good chance that the demonic beasts are resurrected at the destination of that thing? I¡¯d better check.) If he can resurrect the demonic beast at a remote arbitrary location, rather than around him, then the way to deal with it changes. I carefully turned myself around on the tree, trying not to make a sound. But when I look back, I see a black, round miasma floating right next to my face¨D¨D {¡­..Found You} The moment I heard the voice coming from the bright red crack in the black miasma, I kicked the tree branch with all my might without any hesitation at all. CH 155 ¡°WOOOAAHHHHH!!!????¡± I was surprised! Super surprised! I couldn¡¯t help but raise my voice in surprise as I activated my [Hermes Dash] and bounced around through the trees to escape from that place. There¡¯s no way I could have let my guard down while keeping an eye on the Demon Lord. In fact, I was more alert than when I was facing him, trying not to be discovered, but I still couldn¡¯t notice anything. This suggests that the black miasma sphere can only be detected by sight and nothing else It is amateurish to say, ¡°If you can see, it must be easy¡±. It was true that there was a vast amount of information that could be obtained from the sense of sight, but the human eye could only see the front of the image no matter what we did. That¡¯s why we cover most of what we can¡¯t see with what we collectively call ¡°signs,¡± such as slight sounds and shimmers in the air, to not be caught by that is¡­ I absolutely have to report it. (2, 3, 5¡­Is it impossible to face from the front?) I took out a piece of paper and a pen from the [Stranger Box] and wrote down the characteristics and abilities of the Demon King that I had learned so far, while taking a large detour, giving up on the shortest possible escape. I could write letters while running at high speed thanks to the [Lovely Writer] a banishment skill that allowed me to write beautiful letters in any situation. Fufuf, When I got it, at first I was like ¡°What the hell is this!¡± but now you are shining at your best! ¡°.. Now then.¡± I put the paper back in the [Stranger Box] with a brief summary of the necessary information in my handwriting, as if I were a different person, and I once again check my surroundings. There were probably 20 or so floating balls of miasma, but that was only what I could see. I tried using both [Auto-Mapping] and [Akashic Compass] to display them, and found that there were so many of them spread out over such a large area that it was ridiculous to even count them. ¡°As expected of the [Akashic Compass] you can¡¯t deceive it¡­Woaah!!!?¡± As the red dot approached from behind, I twisted my body on the spot and the miasma ball passed by my side, slipping through the tree trunk that was behind me. Wait a minute, does that mean it¡¯s physically immune?! ¡°You¡¯re kidding! What kind of cheat is that!¡± Due to our extremely poor compatibility, I can¡¯t help but lash out in verbal abuse. Even if I back up against a wall, it¡¯s pointless if I can only confirm with our eyes. I can¡¯t prevent it unless there is at least another person standing with me back-to-back, vigilant of our surroundings from all angles. In fact, even that might not be enough if it can be slipped through the ground. ¡°Oraaaa!¡± I tried cutting a nearby floating miasma with my sword to see if it would work, but again, there was no response. It swayed on the spot as if it was mocking me, and I jumped back to avoid it as it came toward me with a jerk and bounce. Damn it. This really sucks. As a purely physical swordsman, I have no way to deal with this when my sword doesn¡¯t work. No matter what kind of expert I know, it¡¯s impossible to keep dodging an attacker who doesn¡¯t even let you feel his presence, ignoring walls and other obstacles, without even glancing at you. ¡°Tch, I¡¯ll leave the match for next time!¡± I spat a few words at the main body, which had long since disappeared from sight, and this time I activated [Mirage Shift] and ran away as fast as I could. Don¡¯t say I¡¯m pathetic, but bringing back the information alive was the honor of a scout, and pushing hard against an unfit opponent would make me look like a fool. Besides, I have a promise to keep with Tia. With the red thread extending from my pinky finger, I plunged into a tree trunk that could no longer be an obstacle ¡­¡­ ¡°AUGGH!?¡± Instantly, my body rolled to the ground with a powerful thud. The [Mirage Shift] had already been released, and my whole body ached as I was hit by the lumpy roots of the tree. ¡°What¡­.!?¡± Frantically I looked up and saw the tree I must have slipped through. Then, a black miasma slipped out of its trunk and moved up and down happily in its place. No way, was it hidden in the trunk? Predicting the route I would take to slip through with [Mirage Shift] it was in a place where I would never see it¡­..!?¡± ¡°Ku¡­I-it¡¯s not over yet!¡± My body was sore from the impact of the fall, and as expected, I was unable to use my banishing skills. But I wasn¡¯t fatally injured. I turned my back to the Demon King and ran as fast as I could. I was hit several times by miasma balls, but it didn¡¯t matter because I had already lost the ability to use my banishing skill. I can do this! It¡¯s enough to escape¡ª- ¡°Gururururururururu¡­¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right, you guys were there too.¡± From beyond the forest, a swarm of demonic beasts appeared. I stopped for a moment to catch my breath, then I readied my sword and charged into the midst of them. ¡°I was going to let you go¡­ but with such a warm welcome, I can¡¯t just ignore it and not respond!¡± Right, left, up, down, I ran through the forest, swinging my sword. But while my enemies were an inexhaustible, death-defying horde, I was alone. Now that I couldn¡¯t even use my banishment skill, the number of small wounds on my body was increasing little by little. ¡°ORA ORA ORA! It¡¯s not over yet!¡± I sliced a leaping grey wolf in half, and moved forward, blood and guts pouring from its head. The goblins clinging to me were kicked off their heads, and the orcs standing in my way were crushed to the knees, unable to move, and then I just walked by their sides. Don¡¯t misunderstand the objective. It is impossible to annihilate them all, so just kill the minimum number of enemies that are approaching and run for my life. Sweat erupted. Blood flowed. The taste of iron rust flooding my mouth, whose could it possibly be? If it were a vampire, they could power up with this blood, but unfortunately, I was a Demon King, so such a thing was impossible for me. Keep going, keep going. Keep going. Now that I can¡¯t use my banishment skill, how far is it to the town if I run normally?¡¡Calculations were meaningless. One step forward was one step closer. That fact alone was enough. Don¡¯t stop your feet. Look ahead. I can do it. I can do it! I¡¯m not done yet¡­?! ¡°Shit!?¡± The sword, which had dug into the belly of the bulging orc, stopped its movement in mid-air. The sword I was wielding now was not the [Dawnbreaker], the rare and famous sword forged by Master Dalton, but an ordinary steel sword, even though it has been well forged. Although it had accomplished the feat of cutting down hundreds of demonic beasts,¡­¡­ that was the limit of this sword. ¡°Ugh,¡­¡­ Raaaaah!¡± Still, when I forced myself to swing the sword, the blade, which had already chipped, was distorted into a snarl. The fact that it didn¡¯t break was good enough, but this was no longer a sword, but only a blunt instrument, a distorted steel rod. Still, I keep going. I beat the swarms of demonic beasts that attacked me at once with the steel rod as I advanced single-mindedly. Bitten on the arm. My legs torn . The distance I easily covered just a few minutes ago was now incredibly far. But I moved forward. As long as I don¡¯t give up, the end will come. Even if I lose my footing and fall to the ground, I struggle with my arms and grab with my fingers, moving forward even by a millimeter. ¡°Fufuf¡­.is it over?¡± With my consciousness fading, I realized that the demonic beast had moved away from my body. Instead, there was a black miasma in front of my eyes. I¡¯m sure that underneath the miasma was a demon king that looked just like me,¡­¡­, but at any rate, what I heard was a high-pitched voice like a child¡¯s. ¡°Can¡¯t run anymore? Is it over? If that¡¯s the case¡­.Can I eat?¡± ¡°Hah ¡­¡­hah ¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± I wanted to say something back, but all I could do was cough up the blood that was stuck in my throat. Damn it. Is this the end? No, but I¡¯m the Demon King that even God couldn¡¯t destroy, right? Then, can¡¯t I just be dead? I might be resurrected surprisingly easily, ¡­¡­, No, no, no! What am I giving up for? I should think of a way to do something! ¡°Can¡¯t move. Boring¡­.Enough. Well then¡­¡± Come on, this is a life or death crisis! I should awaken some incredible power or something! Like using the Demon King¡¯s power to blow away everything in the surrounding area or reviving with a super muscular steel body that can withstand any attack! ¡°Itadakimasu!¡± In the center of the black miasma, a large, red, gaping mouth appears. It swallowed me head first and my ¡­ consciousness fell into darkness. CH 156 (¡­¡­ What is this place?) Before I realized it, I was drifting in a pitch-black space. Well, not just dark, but black? Anyway, everything around me was black and there was no ground, so I couldn¡¯t tell which way was up or down. Was I floating, falling, or flying horizontally? There was no wind or scent, so I really didn¡¯t know anything. (I¡¯m ¡­¡­ nnnn) The moment I became aware of my own existence, the sensation returned to my body. Something was seeping into my body from my fingertips, which did not move even a twitch no matter how much effort I put into them. At the same time, an indescribable feeling of discomfort clinged to my entire body. It was like having rain-soaked clothes sticking to your skin. It was incredibly annoying, but there was nothing I could do about it. (What is this? What kind of situation¡­oh, right. Come to think of it, I feel like I was eaten by something. So this is what it feels like to be eaten by the Demon King..?) It doesn¡¯t make sense, to put it mildly, that this is the result of being swallowed whole from the head down. Is it possible that the body is already gone and the Demon King has captured me in a spirit-only state? (Haa, I messed up. Damn it, I wasn¡¯t a good match. A guy like that can easily be defeated by using absolute magic, right? If only I had come here with Tia from the beginning. ¡­¡­ No, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to break through the horde of magical beasts.) It should be a rather desperate situation, but somehow there was no sense of frustration in me. The black world embraced me, and I was aware of the power of the Demon King who was trying desperately to enter my mind. ¡­¡­ Then suddenly, a voice echoed in my head. ¨CWhy? (From this feeling, the Demon King¡¯s goal must be to merge with me, right? No, more accurately, it¡¯s to return to the way things were?) ¨CWhy? (Then is winning or losing a matter of initiative? So the result is all the same. ¡­¡­) ¨CWhy? (But if I think about it, everything ultimately comes down to me, the soul of the Demon King. In addition, I have already collected the power of two other Demon Kings. I used to think that the Demon King was incredibly strong and had no way to fight back from a human perspective, but in reality, this entity is just a fraction of my power.) ¨CWhy? (That¡¯s right. Why ¡­¡­) ¨CWhy was I so scared and running away from an opponent like this? Suddenly, I felt the world tremble. The all-encompassing blackness, which had no variation or texture, pulsated and thrashed violently. My arm extended forward as if with no resistance at all. As I focused my consciousness, the power that was slowly seeping into me was suddenly and forcefully sucked into my being. ¡°Oh, this guy is amazing!¡± It¡¯s nothing. There¡¯s no point in resisting. It¡¯s my own power that wants to return to me, so I should accept it actively. However, the control belongs to me. There¡¯s no obligation to listen to the claim of my big toe suddenly saying ¡°I¡¯m the boss from now on!¡± If I squeeze my fist tightly, the consciousness of this world¡¯s demon king, who was innocently playing around by multiplying and chasing after things like a child killing bugs, shatters more easily than candy. If that¡¯s the case, then all I need to do is collect all of my power and it will be over. I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s happened to my physical body, but well, [Regenerate] should take care of it. It has to, or else I¡¯m in trouble¡­ right? Just to be safe, I¡¯ll gather my energy and activate my abilities a little early¡­ alright, this should do it. ¡°Haha! Absorb it, Absorb it!¡± The black that had filled the world was now covered with white polka dots. The dots gradually increased in size and number, and already about half of the world had turned white¡­though it¡¯s strange to say that the white is ¡°spreading¡± since it seems to be filling up where there was nothing before. Anyway, that¡¯s how the world was changing. That¡¯s good. Really good. Power surges throughout my body, and an indescribable sense of omnipotence fills me. I could probably defeat any enemy now, and I feel like I could eat the rumored excruciatingly spicy hot pot without spewing fire from my butt the next day¡­ Is there room for a power-up in that direction? It would be effective for having a blast with my mercenary buddies. Fufufu, I¡¯ll send those stupid bastards to the toilet one by one. ¡°¡­wait. Is something wrong with my thoughts? There¡¯s something more important to consider¡­ugh!¡± Suddenly, my consciousness was distorted. It feels like I¡¯m being forced to drink water even though I¡¯m not thirsty, and a sudden sense of suffocation overwhelms me. I instinctively cover my mouth with my left hand. But the suffering had not stopped. Or rather, it was increasing at an accelerated rate. The cause of this was probably my right hand, which was still absorbing the ¡°black¡±. ¡°Ugh¡­ damn it, stop it! I don¡¯t need it now! Later, I¡¯ll absorb slowly! Ughhhh¡­¡± It¡¯s painful. Painful! Despite being attacked by intense nausea, I can¡¯t spit out a single drop of it that keeps being forced in afterwards. This is bad¡­ Really bad. Pish. ¡°Eh?¡± Suddenly, the world in front of me split in two. ¡­ No, no. Not the world, but a crack in my face. Because of the crack, the world I see with my right eye and my left eye were slightly different. ¡°U-ugh!? Hey, hey, this is no joke¡­!¡± Pish! Cracking sounds could be heard coming from every part of the body. A black mist was spewing out from the crevices, and its intensity was gradually increasing. (No way, that¡¯s what it is!?) I was astonished and shuddered in my heart when I realized the answers that were being derived from my increasing knowledge and experience, as if they were being forced upon me. The Demon King Of The End. I, Ed, am like an eggshell covering the surface of my soul. And when I encountered the Demon King for the first time in the Reil¡¯s world, he drilled a hole in the shell called me. The Demon King¡¯s power travels back and forth through that hole. It seems that the reason why I could not use my banishment skill when the Demon King touched me was because if the power and soul are connected through that hole, they would be able to surpass my ability to interfere, which was only a shell on the surface. The shell of the Ed was of no importance to the Demon Kings, who were divided into 100 parts. They try to forcibly enter through the small hole that was made, but since it was created by a divine being, it cannot be easily broken from the outside. They are forced to take their time to either crush it or dissolve it¡­ Well, they are trying to remove the shell of Ed using some kind of method like that and fuse it with the soul inside. In contrast, if I won, once I defeated the Demon King and took the initiative, all I had to do was to absorb the Demon King¡¯s power little by little through that hole and there was no problem. Although the hole was too small to achieve a significant power-up, if I took the time to slowly fill up the contents of the shell, the Demon King Of The End would eventually be in a perfect state, and he would have broken through the shell and fully revived. But because I didn¡¯t understand the logic of this, this time I tried to absorb all the power at once. A shell that could not be broken from the outside was different from a shell that can be broken from the inside. Because I ignored the limits of the shell and absorbed power, my body was now on the verge of exploding from the inside. And there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. [Regenerate] can regenerate the body, but it cannot do anything about its existence. I have no power to do anything about the cracked shell of my body, and there are already countless cracks all over my body. It¡¯s just a matter of time before I shatter completely. When an egg hatches, the shell breaks. Then it was destined to disappear someday. The thing that emerges in this way is the true self, so perhaps there is no need to be afraid of anything. But¨D¨D (Sorry, Tia. I promised ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­) On that day, Ed¡¯s existence, a clown puppet created by God, did not die or disappear, but simply shattered into pieces. (T/N: Damn I did not expect this. Also any bonus chapters will be posted on weekends rather than along with usual chapters and I¡¯ll be posting a single chapter instead of two for now, College tires me out) CH 157 For a little while starting from this time, the third-person perspective will continue. ¡°It finally came, huh¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Drasdon, the fortified city. Amelia, standing on top of the wall, could see a black giant, perhaps 30 meters tall, approaching with loud footsteps. ¡°Hahaha, no matter how many times I see it, the overwhelming pressure is amazing¡­ It seems foolish to fight against something like that, but¡­¡± Amelia looked down and saw a large number of mercenaries and regular soldiers in position along the ramparts. All of them look determined, waiting impatiently for her command, as she has been officially appointed as the commander of the unit. ¡°We can¡¯t just ignore his achievements and not reward him.¡± Saying this, Amelia unsheathes the sword from her waist. It is a sword with a blade like the dawn, entrusted to her by a mercenary who went alone to scout for the source of the evil lurking deep in the Black Forest and had been out of contact for two months. ¡ªThe root cause that has created such a large number of demonic beasts is just one entity, and it arrived in Drasdon in just about two months The information brought by the mercenary Ed had a significant impact not only on the upper echelons of Drasdon but also on the military of her homeland. Charles Brown, the commander on the front lines, recognized the validity of the information and requested a reinforcement of troops from the country about a month and a half ago.¡± However, contrary to such preparations, the frequency and quantity of demonic beast attacks actually decreased day by day, and the mercenary who was supposed to be out scouting did not return at all. Did he just say something random and run away? Or did he end up in a fight with the master mind for some reason and couldn¡¯t avoid it? Amidst various speculations, a reconnaissance unit was dispatched to the ¡®Black Forest¡¯ which became accessible due to the decrease in demonic beasts activity, and they ended up finding something unbelievable there That was a Titan. The Titan, its entire body covered in a black miasma, was surrounded by a large number of demonic beasts that followed it, and because its forces were concentrated there, the number of attacks decreased. ¡­. In other words, the intelligence department compiled a report that an unprecedented large-scale attack would occur together with Titan. Once that happened, it was hellish days from there on. No more battles with demonic beasts, but instead, Amelia was busy gathering forces to prevent the slowly approaching end times. Using every conceivable means at her disposal, she piled up mountains of gold coins and gathered a force at any cost. Months flew by,¡­. and now the Black Titan was finally within sight of Drasdon. ¡°Hey, Tia-kun. Are you really going?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± In the midst of all this, an elf girl stood beside Amelia with a strong look of determination on her face. She was one half of the mercenary sent out that day and the one who was left behind. ¡°Because ¡­¡­ that¡¯s where Ed is.¡± ¡°¡­ I see.¡± Lunaritia stared straight at the black Titan and nodded with conviction, but Amelia¡¯s gaze was somewhat pained. From Amelia¡¯s point of view, Lunaritia had lost a close friend and seemed to have lost her ability to think properly. Well, of course. As long as he has not returned by now, common sense tells us that Ed is long dead. Seeking revenge would make sense, but believing he¡¯s still alive is nothing but a delusion. However, Lunaritia didn¡¯t hesitate listening to Amelia¡¯s words. Something far more certain than common sense was tied to her little finger. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being so selfish. But it¡¯s not that I¡¯m desperate or anything. It¡¯s just that there¡¯s a reason that I can¡¯t explain to others no matter what¡­¡­..¡± The thread extending from Lunaritia¡¯s pinky finger was connected to that Black Titan. However, only she and Ed could see it. Even for Lunaritia, it was tough to explain by saying ¡®There¡¯s a red thread that only we can see that connects us. It would be better to be considered crazy than to be comforted by lukewarm gazes, which would be quite unbearable However, she did not have the skills to make up a convincing argument like her trusty partner, and all Lunaritia could do was to try to convince them with a wry smile. "" ¡°Well, it¡¯s okay, Captain! We¡¯re mercenaries! As long as we get paid, we¡¯ll do the job properly!¡± ¡°Exactly. Besides, if it¡¯s Tia-chan¡¯s request, I gotta listen to it, you know?¡± ¡°Well, no matter how hard Thomason tries, I don¡¯t think Tia-chan will fall.¡± ¡°Shut up, Jonathan! I always remember to take a chance!¡± At Lunaritia¡¯s side were a group of mercenaries who knew each other. These were the men who listened to Lunaritia¡¯s story and offered to help her get to the Titan. ¡°Thank you, everyone. Especially you, Gastor-san¡­ Was it really okay?¡± In response to Tia¡¯s question, the seasoned mercenary who had returned to his hometown but came back to Drasdon after hearing about the recent commotion, answered with an ill-fitting smile, holding his sword with his one and only arm. ¡°Hmph! If I continue stayin¡¯ in the countryside like this, It¡¯s the end of me, But I ain¡¯ got enough strength left to fight at the ¡°Death Line¡±. I¡¯m going to get my ass out of here as soon as I drop you off, Jou-chan, Don¡¯t worry about it. But, if you wanna buy me a drink¡­.¡± ¡°Sure, that¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll treat you to the finest sake.¡± ¡°What the¡­ wait, really!?¡± Gastor, who had thought that he would be rejected in the usual way, was dumbfounded by Lunaritia¡¯s words of acceptance with a smile on her face. And to Gastor, Lunaritia replied with a mischievous smile. ¡°Of course! Shall I pour you a drink while sitting next to you?¡± "" ¡°O-Oh! What¡¯s this, is it finally my time?¡± ¡°Unfair! It¡¯s all about Gastor! Me too! Let¡¯s drink together, Tia-chan!¡± ¡°You guys are really ¡­. but well, sure, let¡¯s all have a drink together again sometime ¡­¡­ with Ed.¡± Lunaritia just smiled gently at the three different reactions. Watching them, Amelia couldn¡¯t help but press her hand against her head and shake it sideways. ¡°Good grief, I can¡¯t understand what you guys are thinking. But¡­ here,¡± Amelia, smiling bitterly, handed the sword in her hand to Lunaritia. ¡°Huh? Is it okay?¡± ¡°Yeah. Ed-kun¡¯s information was delivered to us, and the request has already been fulfilled. Ideally, I would have preferred to return it directly to him¡­ but if you¡¯re returning it on my behalf, then there should be no problem.¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll take it then.¡± With her partner¡¯s sword in hand, Lunaritia walke out of the defense wall, with the mercenaries following behind her. Not long after that, the black Titan stopped¡ª- ¡°UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!¡± An earth-shattering cry rang out, and the demonic beasts that had been huddled in the forest began charging toward the Drasdon all at once. Amelia sent out a flurry of instructions from the top of the defensive wall to deal with them, and at last the fierce battle began. At the moment, the battle was split 50-50. The ¡°Death Line¡± that had been constructed was writhing like a living creature, but no part of it has yet been breached. But that only lasted until the Titan moved. If even a swing of that arm were to hit, the area would suffer catastrophic damage and a horde of beasts would come pouring in. To prevent that, the Titan must be defeated, but it seems that neither arrows nor magic from a distance are inflicting any damage on the Titan. The front line must push and start attacking the Titan before its legs start moving again¡­ but Amelia couldn¡¯t give reckless instructions even if she was anxious. While anxiously waiting for the right moment, a powerful sideways tornado suddenly emerged from a part of the ¡°Death Line¡±, creating a large gap in the swarm of beasts in front of Amelia¡¯s eyes. ¡°Is that you, Tia-kun? All hands, rain arrows and magic down on that area! Don¡¯t let them close the opening!¡± At Amelia¡¯s words, the long-range attack that had been saved for the second wave exploded. Perhaps thanks to this support, Lunaritia managed to reach the foot of the Titan. ¡°What are we gonna do now, Jou-chan!? We can¡¯t last even five minutes!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t take long! So take care of my body!¡± ¡°Your body!? Tia-chan, what are you¨C¡° ¡°I¡¯m coming, Ed!¡± Without waiting for the mercenaries¡¯ reply, Lunaritia activated [One Heart Engage] without hesitation. At that moment, Lunaritia¡¯s body crumpled to the ground, and the mercenaries were very agitated. ¡°Oi oi oi oi oi!? What¡¯s going on!?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, man! Damn it, if it wasn¡¯t for this situation, I¡¯d take it home¡­¡± ¡°Thomason, ¡­¡­, that¡¯s just not right.¡± ¡°T-this is a joke, right!?¡± No more noise could be heard. Following the red thread, Lunaritia entered the Demon King¡¯s body. CH 158 ¡°¡­¡­ What! What is this place!?¡± Lunaritia, who had left her body behind and entered the Demon King¡¯s body, involuntarily screamed at the situation she found herself in. She found herself floating in a pitch-dark world. This alien sensation was completely different from the one she had experienced when she entered Ed¡¯s body. Or rather, the state of being inside Ed was, in Lunaritia¡¯s view, like ¡°being in a stuffed animal that could not move freely¡±. She could see exactly what Ed was seeing, and she could feel what he touched. It was not as if she could read his mind, but she could at least sense his emotions, and if she closed her eyes, she could probably put his consciousness to sleep. However, the situation she was in now was fundamentally different from back then. Was it because she had entered the body of a huge vessel called the Demon King, or was it because Ed was special in some way? For a moment, Lunaritia entertained such a doubt, but she quickly discarded it. ¡°That¡¯s not important right now, I must hurry!¡± Fortunately, in this state, she can recognize her own form just like usual. She briefly thought that it would be unpleasant if she was naked since she was in her conscious form, but it seemed that she was wearing the same clothes as she had been outside, so that was not a problem. Then, when Lunaritia directed her consciousness towards her little finger, she could see a single red thread extending into the darkness from there. ¡°Okay, okay, we¡¯re connected.¡± The [Promise Link] used by Lunaritia will not disappear as long as the subject exists. In other words, even if it dies, it will not disappear until the soul is purified in order to travel to the next life. Even so, it¡¯s common sense to think that bringing the dead back to life is impossible, but Lunaria knows that they are not ordinary beings. Even if their bodies were lost, they believed that they could regenerate their flesh as long as they could bring their consciousness or soul back to that they knew of¡­. That¡¯s why she was able to live her days after the communication was cut off without crying her heart out. ¡°Wait for me, Ed. I¡¯ll find you soon and help you.¡± To use spirit magic, the first step is to clearly visualize that the ground ¡°exists¡±. After creating a solid feeling under her feet, Lunaritia began to walk, following the thread. As she walked on, brushing away with her hand the black miasma that seemed to be blocking her way, and soon noticed fragments connected to the thread lying at her feet. ¡°¡­This? Is this Ed?¡± There it was, a palm-sized thin shard with a reflection of a landscape she had never seen before. She crouched down and gently touched the fragment, and at that moment, Lunaritia¡¯s consciousness was transported to another place. ******* ¡°Enough, you worthless piece of shit!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry ¡­¡­¡¯ In the middle of the forest, two men were facing each other. The one shouting was a handsome swordsman wearing shining armor, while the one being scolded was a seemingly unreliable young man. His pathetic attitude of groveling and fawning seems to irritate even those who were watching them from afar, and the other two people who were observing them also had annoyed expressions towards the young man. [¡­Ed?] Lunaritia, who was floating in the air and looking down at the scene as if she were a ghost, recognized the young man¡¯s face. It was a very different impression from the Ed she knew, but even so, there was no way she could have mistaken the face of the person she had come to save. ¡°I brought you along because you insisted so stubbornly! If you cause any more trouble, go back to town right away!¡± ¡°No, no, no, that¡¯s a bit ¡­¡­ please! I¡¯ll do anything, just let me accompany you on your journey for a little while longer!¡± Ed desperately clinged to the man who yelled at him. The man glared at Ed as if he were looking at something dirty,¡­¡­, but it seems foolish to even bother with him anymore, and the man started walking away with his friends. Ed desperately follows them, carrying a large package on his back. [Is this Ed before he met me? No, chronologically it would be after he met me, but ¡­¡­ hmm?] Lunaritia had previously heard from Ed that the world she and Alexis were in was always the first world Ed would visit. If that was the case, then this world must be one that she hadn¡¯t visited yet, but it was a world that existed after she met Ed. However, Ed¡¯s impression was too different from what she expected. The current Ed, and of course the Ed she saw in her dream world¡­.. Compared to the Ed she met in that world where Alexis let him escape and couldn¡¯t defeat the Demon King, Ed¡¯s attitude still seemed too resigned. [What is it? Oh, by any chance, does this mean that this is Ed before he got the banishment skill?] Then Lunaritia remembered a story Ed had told her earlier. He said that before the Demon King¡¯s power returned, in a state where he was really only a human being, Ed had been repeating that world for a mind-boggling number of years. Then is this it? Since there was nothing in particular she could do, Lunaritia simply continued to watch Ed¡¯s journey while floating silently in the sky, but it was far more demanding than she had imagined. ¡°You Fool!¡± ¡°Gah!¡± A man in impressive equipment¡­The Hero of this world kicked Ed to the ground, and if this scene were taken out of context, it would seem extremely unfair. However, in reality, there was more to the situation. ¡°You bastard, what the hell are you!? What do you want? The fame of being a member of the hero party? There¡¯s no way we¡¯ll accept you as a comrade just because you forced yourself to come with us! Just leave already!¡± ¡°¡­.I don¡¯t intend to do that. I just want to travel with you all¡­.¡± ¡®That¡¯s why I said it¡¯s impossible! It¡¯s true that I didn¡¯t abandon you because I am a Hero¡­No I couldn¡¯t abandon you. But my patience has reached its limits!¡± Ed¡¯s existence was a burden to everyone, as anyone could see. Everyone, including Ed himself, was aware of this fact. Despite this, his desperate clinging to the hero party gave the impression that he was a nuisance who had forcibly attached himself in order to gain the reputation of being active as part of the hero party, as the hero had pointed out. ¡°Everyone is annoyed! We have to defeat the Demon King, but because of you, we can¡¯t make progress on our journey! You¡¯re putting your own interests first by inconveniencing not only us but the whole world! Shame on you!¡± ¡°Hehehe¡­..¡± Ed dismisses the hero¡¯s words, which were spat out as if they were disgusted, with a faint smile. Although he was desperate, he lacked sincerity, and while he understood, he did not agree. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Che¡± As the hero left with animosity, Ed wiped the blood that had trickled from his cut mouth due to being kicked, and followed after him. Who would feel sympathy for Ed when they see this scene? Ed, who has been causing trouble for the Heroes for his own greed, was disliked even by the townspeople. He was not only subjected to blatant scorn on a daily basis, but also to having water poured over his head, being served food that was apparently unpalatable, and being forced to stay in a stable by himself. But that didn¡¯t stop Ed from accompanying the Heroes. No matter how much ill will was hurled at him, he continued to be part of the ¡°Hero¡¯s party¡± with a foolish smile on his face. Yes, these were Ed¡¯s original days. This was the price that a man with no power was forced to pay in order to accompany a hero, the only means to fulfill a pure wish that no one could deny, to return to the world where he was born, from the world where he was kidnapped for no reason. And even that was all a hoax. Even if he could endure all these days and cross 100 worlds, what awaited him was to have his memory erased and to start over from the beginning. No matter how much he endured, no matter how much he persevered, there was no hope beyond that point. One of thousands, tens of thousands, and hundreds of millions of loops. When Ed was ¡°expelled¡± from the Hero¡¯s party after being confronted with a sword for the last time, he was released into the forest and attacked by a demonic beast that he could not possibly compete with. Lunaritia, unable to do anything about it, continued to watch until the end as Ed¡¯s figure disappeared into the light, crying and laughing at the fact that he was one step closer to returning home, even though his limbs had been eaten off. CH 159 ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Lunaritia found herself back in the original black world ¡­ the spirit world of the Demon King. The shard in front of her repeatedly showed the scenery she had just seen, and her fingertips touching them were slightly warm. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Gently picking up the shard, Lunaritia held it to her chest with all her heart. She could not blame the Heroe for banishing Ed. At first, he tried to persuade him gently, then gradually became stricter, and eventually resorted to violence to expel him. However, to those who didn¡¯t know the circumstances, one could say that his actions were actually quite patient. In the final tragedy, if Ed had desperately tried to escape from the demonic beast, the hero¡¯s help would have surely arrived in time. However, Ed didn¡¯t do so and didn¡¯t put up a futile resistance, thinking ¡°Now I can finally go home¡±. Moreover, Ed wasn¡¯t a small child; he was already a fully grown adult by the standards of that world. Making the hero responsible for the life and death of someone who had followed him without permission was, in fact, arrogant. Ed, on the other hand, seems to be the one who should be blamed for taking advantage of the Hero¡¯s kindness and forcing himself to tag along with the Hero. If Ed had behaved like this when they first met, She might not have traveled with him or even tried to find him. But She knew Ed¡¯s situation and his true intentions. How could she deny that Ed, who was created by God to be so, wishes to ¡°go home¡±? Then who is to blame? It could be argued that the god who gave Ed such a fate is the root cause, but the reason why the god did such a thing to Ed in the first place is unknown. If Ed were an unconscious danger to others, demon king capable of destroying the world, there might be those who think that this action was justified, just as one would be careful not to step on ants when walking. There are many things that she doesn¡¯t know or understand, so she shouldn¡¯t be quick to label something as ¡°evil.¡± However, the fact remains that Ed¡¯s precious comrades suffered greatly, and that cannot be changed¡­ which was why Lunaritia continued to hold the shard tightly. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­I have to go.¡± After a short, yet long, heartfelt embrace, Lunaritia started walking again. There was another red thread extending from the shard besides herself, which was probably connected to another shard. Thinking this, Lunaritia began to walk through the black world again, and soon after, she found a new fragment. The moment she touched it, memories of a new world flowed into her mind, and having experienced it all, Lunaritia held the second fragment carefully and treasured it in her heart. After repeating this process about 10 times, it soon became difficult to carry around all the shard. So she spread the pieces she had picked up on the ground, and somehow felt that she could assemble them. When she tried to put the pieces together, they fit together and formed the shape of a human foot. ¡°I see, so this is what I have to do.¡± Having found a sense of direction, Lunaritia continued to gather more shard. Strangely enough, no matter how far she progressed in assembling the pieces of Ed, they were always right there behind her when she turned around. So she followed the thread and painstakingly put each piece together while holding the painful memories close to her heart, almost to the point of breaking down. As she assembled the 30, 50, 70, 80 shard, most of them were sights she had never seen before, but sometimes she would see another face of someone she knew. Miguel, who respected Ed so much, ¡°I can¡¯t make a contract with another spirit because of you! Now get out of my sight!¡± cursing Ed. Rebecca, who had gone on a great adventure together with Ed, cast a dismissive glance at him as he was thrown out of the ship, as if he was an insignificant being. Ed¡¯s mentor, Dalton, whom Ed respected, breathed a sigh of relief mixed with resignation as Ed disappeared from the workshop, while his close friend, Waffer, even showed a sense of joy at the absence of the clinging weakling. Every aspect of that scene pierced Lunaritia¡¯s heart. The way they ended up like that, and the way Ed was the cause of it all, was too painful, precisely because of the current relationship they all have. ¡°Ugh. ¡­¡­¡± Lunaritia winced as she clamped her mouth shut, feeling like she was about to overflow with feelings of nowhere to go. Even so, she doesn¡¯t stop her feet. She feels even joy in knowing that this is the world Ed has lived in. It¡¯s not just lip service; they can carry the burden together. It¡¯s the feeling of reality that enables Lunaritia to move forward and continue collecting the fragments. Then ninety-nine pieces were assembled, and the last one was left. The fragment that filled the gap in the gaping chest was a memory of a world she had not seen before. I want to run away right now. I¡¯m so scared . Even so, Lunaritia continued to reach for the final shard¡­ In the world beyond it, another version of herself was facing off against Ed. ***** ¡°Hey, do you still intend to come with us? Alexis has said it multiple times, but with your abilities, you can¡¯t travel with us! Please understand already!¡± ¡°No, no, no, I know that! I know my abilities aren¡¯t enough to travel together with you, but there¡¯s a reason why I must travel with you no matter what¡­.¡± ¡°So, what¡¯s the reason?¡± ¡°That¡¯s ¡­ a bit hard to say.¡± Ed told the former Lunaritia, who raised her eyebrows and said in a resolute manner, with a troubled expression. The restrictions back then were much stricter than now, and if he tells them his circumstances, they might not seriously ¡°banish¡± him¡­.In other words, he might not be able to go back to his original world. But that was Ed¡¯s situation. From Lunaritia¡¯s point of view, as long as Ed would not talk about the ¡°reason¡±, the conversation was always a parallel line, and behind the two of them, Alexis was holding his head and showing a stumped expression. ¡°So, what do you plan to do, Tia? You¡¯re the one who picked him up. Will you take responsibility for him?¡± ¡°Ughh¡­ He said he doesn¡¯t even understand common sense, even though he¡¯s an adult. So I just thought maybe I should take care of him a little bit¡­¡± ¡°Gahahaha! Yeah, right. Hey, kid. You ever thought about getting away from us and going out on your own?¡± ¡°That¡¯s ¡­¡­, but you see, hey, I¡¯m carrying the luggage and doing things like cooking, arranging accommodations, and all the other miscellaneous tasks!¡­.¡±. Ed was still insisting, but Alexis continued with a stern look on his face. ¡°If we need baggage handlers, we will pay them well and hire the best people. Anyone can arrange food and lodging. You know what? You are not a specialist in anything, nor are you a jack-of-all-trades who can do everything at a certain level. You are just an incompetent worker who can only do what anyone else can do. We don¡¯t need such a thing, and we can¡¯t keep taking care of you forever. If you insist on following us, I can¡¯t guarantee your safety¡­.¡± Ed gulped and asked Alexis, who glared at him with a sharp gaze. ¡°S-So¡­.are you saying that you¡¯ll kill me as a way to get rid of the trouble?¡± ¡°Ha! As a hero, there¡¯s no way I would do something like that! I just won¡¯t help you if you¡¯re attacked by monsters while you¡¯re following me around without permission, that¡¯s all. If you understand your limits and only operate in places where you can handle the monsters yourself, then there shouldn¡¯t be any problems with my proposal. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­, you¡¯ve been warned. The rest is up to you.¡± With that, Alexis turned his back to Ed and started walking away. Lunaritia, with a frown, and Gonzo, who remained aloof, followed after him,¡­. and Ed, of course, followed them. After being told that he would only cause more trouble, Ed stopped helping with menial tasks and carrying luggage. He just followed behind Alexis and the others, but even that was tough for him, as the journey was difficult and his physical condition was not good enough. He struggled to keep up, panting heavily. Then, it was inevitable that such an accident would happen. Despite everything, since Alexis and the others had been defeating all the monsters along the way, Ed had not been attacked for a long time. However, one day, a creature called rock insect, a type of monster, flew in at high speed from behind. ¡°What!?¡± ¡°LOOK OUT!¡± Exhausted,¡­¡­ even if he had been in good shape, the speed of the flying insect called a ¡°Rock Insect¡± that attacked Ed was beyond his ability to react. However, just before the rock insect hit Ed¡¯s head, Lunaritia pushed him out of the way and he fell to the ground. ¡°Ughhhh¡­.!?¡± Ed, whose body was hit hard, looked up and saw Lunaritia lying on the ground with blood pouring from her shoulder. CH 160 ¡°Urghh ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Tia!¡± Ed was speechless at the sight before him. As if interrupting his gaze, Alexis rushed to Lunaritia¡¯s front and immediately checked the state of her wounds. ¡°Gonzo! Please!¡± ¡°Leave it to me. I¡¯ll heal her without leaving a single scar.¡± Leaving Lunaritia in the hands of Gonzo, who came running up slightly later, Alexis turned his gaze in the direction from which the attack had come. Spotting a lizard-like demonic beast mimicking a tree trunk ahead of him, he quickly stepped in and slashed it down with one swift slash. ¡°Yosh ¡­¡­ Gonzo, how¡¯s Tia doing?¡± ¡°No problem. It would have been troublesome if she had been hit by an arrow with just a little force, but since it was a magical attack, there are no foreign objects left in the body and the wound should heal quickly.¡± ¡°I see. ¡­.¡± Relieved at his trusted colleague¡¯s diagnosis, Alexis turned back to Ed, who was standing behind him and moving his mouth as if to say something. In front of his angry face, Ed was too flustered to say anything. ¡°I-I-I¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s your fault!¡± ¡°Guah!?¡± Alexis, with his fist clenched tightly, punched Ed in the cheek as hard as he could. But that was not enough to stop Alexis¡¯ anger. ¡°Because of you, one of my precious friends has been hurt! How in the world are you going to take responsibility for this!¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Alexis hits Ed two or three times, and Lunaritia¡¯s voice comes from behind her to stop him. She was a little pale, but still, her wounds were already completely healed. ¡°Don¡¯t do it, Alexis. I covered for Ed on my own.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ¡­¡­ no, but ¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay! Hey, Ed?¡± Pushing aside the agitated Alexis, Lunaritia crouched down in front of Ed, who was frozen in shock, and brought her own face close to his and spoke softly to him. ¡°You understand it now, right? From here on ¡­¡­ no, we¡¯ve always been in dangerous places. This time I was able to save you, but there is no guarantee that I will be able to save you the next time. So¡­ won¡¯t you stop coming with us from now on? We¡¯ll take you to the town one last time, and then say goodbye there.¡± Despite the fact that he had caused her injury, there was a clear sense of gratitude and appreciation in her demeanor towards him. In front of such a Lunaritia,¡­, however, Ed smiled faintly. ¡°Ha, hahaha¡­ I won¡¯t. I won¡¯t say goodbye.¡± ¡°Ed?¡± ¡°Well, for a little while longer, I¡¯ll just follow you guys on my own. So if I get targeted again¡­ pl-please help me. You guys are a hero party, so it¡¯s okay to protect a helpless ordinary person, right? Please, I beg you.¡± ¡°You ¡­¡­!¡± At Ed¡¯s words, Alexis tried to punch him again. But before he could do so, Lunaritia slapped Ed across the cheek. ¡°Enough already! I understand that you have a reason for not being able to tell us and for continuing to follow us, but why do you have to speak to us like that?¡± ¡°I-it can¡¯t be helped! It¡¯s already well-known that I¡¯m with you guys, and if I abandon you here and end up dead, there will be talk like ¡®Ah, so the hero finally abandoned the civilians and ran away,¡¯ you know? If you don¡¯t want that, then please continue to protect me. I¡¯m begging you, Alexis-sama, Gonzo-sama, and also¡­Tia-san.¡± ¡°¡­..It¡¯s Lunaritia¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The heat disappeared from the always gentle jade eyes, and Ed was startled by the icy voice. ¡°Like I said, It¡¯s Lunaritia. I don¡¯t consider us close enough for you to call me ¡®Tia¡¯. Am I wrong?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ that¡¯s right. I¡¯m sorry, Lunaritia-san.¡± ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s go, Alexis. I¡¯m fine now.¡± Alexis and the others started walking after Lunaritia, who got up. Ed, who staggered up a little later, followed and ¡­. then the journey resumed. The hero party and Ed stopped having even the simplest of conversations. Lunaritia, in particular, had changed dramatically and no longer spoke or even made eye contact with Ed. And then, several months later, a minor incident occurred¡­ However, as a result of the accumulated suspicion up to that point, Ed was expelled from the hero party and disappeared from the world ten minutes later. As they parted ways, the look in Lunaritia¡¯s eyes towards Ed held neither contempt nor pity, but rather¡­.. it was a gaze as if she were looking at a stone. ****** ¡°¡­. I see, So that was me in that world.¡± Lunaritia, who had returned while holding the 100th piece to her chest, quietly muttered this. Lunaritia understands that she may have a kind personality, but she doesn¡¯t have a character that indulges people indefinitely. Therefore, she cannot forgive the former Ed, who exposed herself and her comrades to danger without even explaining the reason behind it, and acted as if it was natural. So surely no one was to blame this time either. After swallowing her feelings of turmoil, Lunaritia inserted the last piece of the figure into the chest of the humanoid behind her. The finished product was a doll about the size of a human child. The doll, which was empty inside because it was only a combination of fragments, moved slowly the next moment and sat down on the spot with its knees in its arms. [¡­I didn¡¯t want to] A doll with his face buried in his lap, a child¡¯s voice, much like Ed¡¯s, spilled from his mouth. [I didn¡¯t want to do something like that. I didn¡¯t want to cause any trouble, I didn¡¯t want people to worry about me, and I was afraid to fight.] What Ed whispered was his true feelings of his former self. It was the darkness in his heart that he carried alone, unable to convey it to anyone. [I wanted to say thank you to the people who were kind to me. I wanted to apologize for the trouble I had caused. But more than any other feeling, I just wanted to go home so badly¡­ I couldn¡¯t bear not being able to go home no matter what. It was unbearable for me, more than the thought of dying or other people getting hurt or dying!] A curse. An instinctive feeling that Ed must put before everything else because he was created by God to be that way. It was an absolute chain that binded Ed, one that he was not allowed to resist. [I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home. ¡­..] ¡°Ed¡­¡­¡± Lunaritia gently hugged the doll, who sobbed like a child. If she could, she would let him go home. She would even be willing to consume her own life span to do so. However, there was no way that Lunaritia, a mere elf, would be able to send Ed back to his nonexistent homeland. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Ed. It¡¯s okay. I may not be able to send you back home, but¡­ I can help you create a place you can call home,¡± [A place to call home¡­? That¡¯s impossible. I¡¯m empty inside. There¡¯s no way I can create a place to call home] ¡°Ara, You are not empty, you know?¡± With little Ed in her arms, Lunaritia puts her hand on the doll¡¯s chest. ¡°It¡¯s true that maybe you didn¡¯t have anything inside of you until now. But things are different now. The Ed who has traveled with me has many important people in his life. Come on, try to remember,¡± From Lunaritia¡¯s hands, thoughts were infused into the dolls. Alexis¡¯, Waffle¡¯s, Rebecca¡¯s, Miguel¡¯s, Toby¡¯s, Dalton¡¯s, Reil¡¯s, Galgadore¡¯s and Elleas¡¯ ¡­., and Lunaritia¡¯s own memories and memories of walking together in all those worlds filled the empty shell of the doll. The empty shell of the doll began to fill up with all these memories and emotions, creating a place for Ed to call home. ¡°You get it, right? You are not a puppet made by God or a shell of the Demon King of the End. No, that may be true, but you are not just that. So let¡¯s go home together. You are Ed. The most important person in my life.¡± The doll in her arms began to glow with a dazzling light. It glowed so white that it filled the entire black space around it ¨C and the next moment. ¡°What!?¡± ¡°Oh! She woke up!?¡± Lunaritia woke up with a start, and Gastor, who was fighting nearby, shouted to her. ¡°Sorry! How long was I unconscious for?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, probably about five minutes.¡± ¡°Five minutes?! Just five minutes?!¡± ¡°Oi, what do you think five minutes in the middle of a battle is?! I can¡¯t keep this up much longer, you know?!¡± ¡°Oh, right, sorry. Let¡¯s finish this right away then.¡± While apologizing to Gastor who complained, Lunaritia stepped away from the Demon King and held the [Dawnbreaker] in her hand. ¡°How long do you plan on sleeping! WAKE UP¡­.ED!¡± With a cry, she stabbed the [Dawnbreaker] into the Demon King¡¯s leg with all her might. Then, with a whoosh, the black mist covering the Demon King was blown away, and cracks began to appear all over the Demon King¡¯s body from the spot where the sword was thrusted. ¡°Whoa!? What the hell, you mean to tell me this big guy can be taken down with just one sword strike!?¡± ¡°Amazing! Tia-chan is super awesome!¡± Paying no attention to any of the surrounding noise, Lunaritia continued to gaze straight at the Demon King¡¯s chest area. Eventually, unable to withstand the light leaking from within, his chest exploded and Lunaritia moved her right hand with all her might, pulling the red string extending from her pinky finger towards herself. What she felt was a solid response. Something the size of a human being was falling toward Lunaritia, mixed with pieces of the Demon King, and while killing its momentum with wind spirit magic, Lunaritia firmly caught it with her own two hands. ¡°¡­..Man, this is really the opposite of my role, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s so uncool.¡± ¡°Fufu, how are you feeling after waking up?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­You know that¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°I mean it¡¯s that thing! Anyway¡­Thanks for the help, Tia¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Welcome back, Ed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m back, Tia.¡± Ed, embraced by Lunaritia like a princess, replied to his best buddy with a sincere smile. CH 161 ¡°E-E-E-E-EDDD!!!???? Did you come out of that giant¡¯s belly?¡± As soon as I returned to this world, I turned my face towards a bizarre voice that I heard nearby, and there I saw Gastor, with eyes wide open in astonishment. ¡°Hmm? Oo, If it isn¡¯t Gastor. Why are you here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line! What the hell is going on? You just came out of a giant¡¯s belly and ¡­¡­ you¡¯re really alive!?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m alive. Whoa!?¡± As I grinned at Gastor¡¯s foolish expression, Tia, who was holding onto me, suddenly stumbled. I quickly jumped out of her arms and supported her body to prevent her from falling. ¡°Are you okay, Tia? or rather, How reckless did you get?¡± My consciousness was only clear up to the point where I was eaten by the Demon King that day. So I don¡¯t know why I now exist here as me, but I can only imagine how hard it must have been for Tia to make that happen. ¡°Hehehe ¡­¡­ I think I tried a little too hard.¡± ¡°You really did¡­¡± Tia chuckled as she sat there, and I patted her head with a wry smile. Ah, just seeing this face is well worth coming back to the endless hell. ¡°Oi Ed! If you¡¯re safe, get your ass over here and start fighting! We ain¡¯t even got a chance to get out of here!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! At least give me time to escape with Tia-chan in my arms!¡± ¡°Thomason and Jonathan! Ah, it certainly looks like a rather difficult situation.¡± As protests rose from the sidelines, I looked around again. For some reason, this area seemed to be a small blank space, but there were an incredible number of monsters crowded around us. It seemed that Gastor and the others were desperately trying to hold them back¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t know how you¡¯re keeping it up.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is, but sometimes attack magic comes flying from the town! It¡¯s more serious than that, I¡¯m at my limit! Come on¡ª ¡°Yeah yeah, Leave it to me¡± Seeing Gastor and the others panicking, I put my hand on my waist¡­just as I grabbed nothing but air, Tia handed me a sword. ¡°Here you go. I got it back from Amelia.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you! Just perfect!¡± ¡°Hey, Ed. I¡¯m sorry, but I think I might be at my limit. Do you mind if I take a little break?¡± ¡°Sure. Go ahead and rest up¡± ¡°Yes, I will. Then, please.¡± As she said this, Tia¡¯s eyes closed as she sat down. What I sensed from her eyes was her complete trust. Even in the midst of countless demonic beasts, I did not feel in the slightest that I could not protect Tia. I would not be a man if I did not respond to this. I readied my [Dawnbreaker], which Tia had given me. The solid response I got back was enough to accept my full power. ¡°Y¡¯all look quite excited but that ends here. Now I¡ª¨C¡° ¡°Watch out! Ed, they¡¯re coming from behind!¡± A monster darted past Gastor and lunged at me as I crouched down, but it was no longer a threat to me. ¡°You¡¯re a little strong, aren¡¯t you?¡± A flash. [Dawnbreaker] swung horizontally leaving behind a trail of black line. Then, in the blink of an eye, the life of the demonic beast in the path of that line came to an end. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Huh?¡± With a clattering sound, the thrashing beast fell to the ground motionless. Although I missed a few due to being crouched or in mid-jump, with just one swing, almost all of the beasts in this area were now lifeless. (T/N: ¡­¡­.) ¡°¡­..O-Oi Oi Oi. The heck? Ed, what are you¡ª¡° ¡°Ed, behind you!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Amidst the surprised voices, a warning was shouted out and I turned around to see black shards gathering behind me, forming a humanoid shape. Black miasma was blowing out from the gaps between the shards, giving off the impression that it was moving by sheer force. ¡°He¡¯s also¡­ I don¡¯t know the circumstances, but you¡¯ve become quite clumsy, Maou-sama?¡± ¡°WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t even speak anymore? Whatever.¡± ¡°WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!¡± The Demon King¡¯s fist, with cracks, came barreling down on me. Due to its size and reach, it was impossible to avoid it, but there was no need to avoid it in the first place. Bachin! ¡°WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!¡± ¡°Haha! What¡¯s the matter, big fella? Is that all you got?¡± The [Dawn Breaker], imbued with a golden glow like the dawn, repelled the Demon King¡¯s fist with a flashy sound and light. It was only natural. The power that dwelled in this blade was the Demon King¡¯s natural enemy. If he were in perfect condition, he might be able to do something but with a broken fist like this, there was no way he could do anything. ¡°At least I¡¯ll show you some mercy. I¡¯ll end this with a single blow,¡± With my sword poised high above my head, I poured everything I had into the [Dawnbreaker]. The blackness of night, deeper than darkness, and the gold of morning, more dazzling than light, nestled together, the blade of the sword reaching so high that the broken Demon King howled in fright at its brilliance. ¡°WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!¡± ¡°Announcing the end in the never-ending night, and the beginning with the rising sun! Behold, The Strike Of Unrivaled Might!¡± With all my might, I took a powerful step forward and swung down the sword that would pave the way to a new era. The blade ripped through time and space, splitting the Demon King¡¯s body, which was only about 30 meters long, in half. ¡°Wooo¡­ oooo¡­¡± The separated fragments tried to connect with each other again through the black miasma. But no matter how much they huddled together, they were never connected again. ¡°You understand, don¡¯t you? Separated by the power of the hero, ended by the power of the Demon King. There is no place for you in this world, neither in the past nor in the future. To my sword, which has awakened to the true dawn¡­¡± ¡°O¡­¡­ o¡­¡­ oooo¡­¡­¡­..¡± The body of the Demon King turns into glistening black sand and disappears into the sky. It will eventually pass through a small hole that opened in the world and enter the completely disappearing from this world. It has become a history engraved in the very foundation of this world, and no matter how the world repeats itself thereafter, the Demon King will never return here again. In other words¨C ¡°There is nothing that cannot be cut off in all existence.¡± (T/N: ¡°ÍòÏóÒ»ÇС¢¶Ï¤Æ¤ÌÎïŸo¤·£¡¡± is a powerful mantra in Buddhism. It expresses the idea that everything is impermanent and subject to change, and that through mindfulness and insight, one can overcome all obstacles and achieve enlightenment. With these words, I sheathed the [Dawnbreaker], and all the threats that existed here vanished. I let out a short breath, and Gastor and the others came rushing toward me. ¡°Ooooi! Ed, what the hell did you just do? ¡°I mean, why are you even alive!? You¡¯re alive¡­ right?¡± ¡°Okay Ed. You¡¯re tired, aren¡¯t you? Leave the sleeping Tia-chan to me¡­Oww!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous! Of course it¡¯s my role to carry Tia! Or rather, Tia ¡­ Tia?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Funn¡± ¡°Are you kidding me? Sleeping soundly in this situation!?¡± I thought she was just resting lightly, but then I heard a peaceful sleeping sound coming out of Tia¡¯s mouth. She seemed to be sleeping quite seriously as she did not wake up even when I lightly shook her shoulder. Wait, is this not a joke? Do I really have to carry her? Well, if that¡¯s what it takes, I¡¯ll do it as much as needed¡­ ¡°Hey, Ed-kun!¡± ¡°Whoa!?¡± Carrying an unconscious person on my back was a difficult thing to do. AAs I pondered over what to do, a very cheerful¡­yet icy voice pierced through my back. ¡°A-Amelia-san?¡± ¡°Correct. I rushed here from town, but it looks ¡­.like you¡¯re safe. I¡¯m relieved. I want to sincerely congratulate you on your survival.¡± ¡°T-thank you very much,¡­¡­.¡± I smile wryly in response to Amelia¡¯s praise¡­. despite her smiling and kind words, her eyes do not seem to reflect it. ¡°So. I¡¯d like to ask you a few questions, Ed-kun, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°A-are you talking about me!? If you want an entertaining story, I think Gastor¡¯s failed attempts over there would be better¡­¡± ¡°No, no, no, I¡¯d really like to hear your story. About a lot of things ¡­¡­ yes, a lot of things.¡± Amelia¡¯s gaze slowly moves from side to side as she says that. Oh, yes. That makes sense. After all, I had slain thousands of demonic beasts with a single blow, and cut down the Demon King¡­ or rather, a huge demonic beast from Amelia¡¯s perspective, with a shining sword. Of course she would want to know the details. I understand that, but¡­ ¡°Ah, ahahahaha¡­ um, ah, look! I have to take Tia with me¡­¡± ¡°Mumnyamna¡­ Ah, Ed. Good morning?¡± ¡°Why are you getting up now!?¡± Amelia¡¯s smile deepened even more when she saw Tia waking up with perfect timing. ¡°It seems that Tia-kun is awake as well, so I guess that means you two are going to tell me your story together?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Is that okay?¡± ¡°¡­.., uh, yes.¡± I respond to Amelia¡¯s admiration with a very suspicious grin. It seems that even my killer blow couldn¡¯t completely break free from the world¡¯s entanglements¡­ darn it. CH 162 ¡°Hello, Ed-kun. Glad you could make it.¡± ¡°Hahaha, Thanks. ¡­¡­¡± A room in a station office that I have visited before. I managed to smile at His Excellency Brown, who had a smile but wasn¡¯t really smiling. In addition, Argo-shi, standing by His Excellency¡¯s side, stood a little closer to me than before¡­¡­I guess he¡¯s more interested in finishing me off than in protecting His Excellency in case of an emergency¡­¡­. Meanwhile, Amelia is blocking the door behind me with an unwavering determination that says, ¡°I won¡¯t let you get away¡±. By the way, Tia was not here. After that, I ended up carrying Tia, who was walking unsteadily with sleepwalking eyes, and she fell asleep again. I didn¡¯t want to keep dragging Tia around while she was so exhausted, so I had her rest at the clinic. The diagnosis was that she was simply tired, so there seemed to be nothing to worry about. As I was thinking about this, I saw His Excellency¡¯s mouth move. He was probably smiling, but it didn¡¯t look like he was smiling at all. ¡°Well, you needn¡¯t be so nervous. Let me make this clear first so you don¡¯t get the wrong idea. We are truly grateful for your work, Ed-kun. Without your information, we would have been late in gathering a defensive force in this town, and it might have been breached by now. If this Drasdon were to fall, not only the 10,000 people who live here, but also the people of our country who lie in wait behind it, and perhaps even the entire world could have been swarmed by a swarm of demonic beasts using this place as an entrance. It is solely because of your efforts that we were able to prevent this from happening. As the person entrusted with the defense of this town, I would like to thank you again. Thank you, you are a Hero.¡± ¡°Thank you very much. ¡­¡­¡± I could not accept the words of praise from His Excellency, even though they were priceless. After such compliments, there was always a terrible story waiting for me. ¡­. And unfortunately, that expectation was not betrayed. ¡°But. That¡¯s that. We are certainly interested in how you survived for two months in the belly of a demonic beast, but we are most concerned about your fighting ability, which you demonstrated in the last battle. According to reports, with a single swing of your sword, you managed to slaughter thousands of demonic beasts and slay the Giant that we could not even scratch with our full strength. What in the world was that? How much power are you hiding? If you have such power, why haven¡¯t you used it until now?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s just that ¡­¡­ I¡¯ve had my share of circumstances, too ¡­¡­: His Excellency gave me a sharp look, but I was not able to speak clearly.. I have no particular reason to hide anything, so it¡¯s fine to be honest. But the reason why I don¡¯t is that what I will say is incredibly suspicious.. I am the Demon King, and somehow the power of a Hero has welled up inside of me and using both of them made that fight a breeze! Such an explanation can only be allowed up until the age of five at most. Even if I could reproduce it, it wouldn¡¯t change the fact that I can¡¯t use that power anymore. The banishing skill will probably return after a night¡¯s sleep, but I don¡¯t think the Demon King¡¯s power, which has been compressed to such an excessive degree, will ever return. Maybe I could do it if I consciously try, but just imagining it makes me break out in a cold sweat all over my body, and my instincts warn me that it¡¯s dangerous, so I have no intention of trying it at all. As for the power of the hero, I used it all up, so it¡¯s over. I¡¯m not a hero, so there¡¯s no way to rest and recover from it. Besides, I don¡¯t even know why I had the power of the hero inside me, so there¡¯s really nothing I can do about it. In other words, I used an unverifiable and suspicious ability¡­and that¡¯s the only explanation I can give. It¡¯s probably best to not say anything about it honestly. If I were to explain the real reason, I would likely be ridiculed. And to my complicated expression, His Excellency Brown gave a small sigh. ¡°I see. You can¡¯t say it. Well, that¡¯s fine. It¡¯s within my expectations that it would be impossible for a mercenary like you to reveal everything. But if that¡¯s the case¡­ you will need to leave this town.¡± ¡°That¡¯s!?¡± His Excellency¡¯s words elicited a cry of surprise from behind me. I turned my head lightly and turned around to see Amelia¡¯s figure there with her eyes wide open. ¡°What do you mean, Your Excellency? You¡¯re kicking out the town¡­ no, kicking out the national Hero!?¡± ¡°Hmm, calm down Carlton. Actually, I have been investigating Ed-kun¡¯s background up to this point. And I found that there was no record of his whereabouts before coming here. Also, no one seemed to know him in the place he claimed to be his hometown. Isn¡¯t that quite strange?¡± ¡°!? Is that so ¡­¡­?¡± I gently averted my eyes from Amelia, who was looking at me with a raised eyebrow. While I had briefly mentioned a fake cover story during conversations with my mercenary comrades, it was nowhere near the quality that would withstand serious investigation by the military. Without pretending to be someone else and without leaving any traces, there shouldn¡¯t be any signs of my past, making it easy to figure out. ¡°An unknown person from nowhere. In and of itself, that¡¯s fine, it¡¯s to be expected of a mercenary. However, if such a person has the combat strength to single-handedly destroy a fortress city, that¡¯s a different story. Dealing with such a dangerous person, one could either put a collar on them and tame them, or¡­¡± ¡°This is unacceptable! Do you have any pride in that?¡± ¡°No. There is no such thing as pride. But I am an aristocrat and a soldier of this country. My priority is the national interest, not my personal feelings, and when it comes to a mad dog that I can¡¯t find a collar to put on and that I can¡¯t even kill, then I can only think of driving them out.¡± Amelia¡¯s appeal was quickly cut off by His Excellency Brown. Amelia¡¯s face contorted in bitterness as she said this,¡­., and I turned to him. ¡°I understand. But Tia¡­ I¡¯m worried about my partner¡¯s condition. Could you allow me to stay for at least three days?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all right. Then, on the morning of the fourth day, you two shall be expelled from the fortress city of Drasdon. That is all.¡± ¡°Thank you. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡± I left the room, not really trying to resist. Amelia, who had followed me from behind, grabbed me by the shoulders and held me back. ¡°Wait a minute! That¡¯s not it, that¡¯s not it! I didn¡¯t mean to be so ungrateful to you guys¡ª¡° ¡°Haha, please calm down, Amelia-san. We don¡¯t really mind, you know. In fact, you¡¯ve been quite considerate to us,¡± ¡°¡­¡­? What do you mean?¡± Amelia tilted her head, not understanding what I meant, and I added, ¡°I¡¯m just guessing,¡± and explained the current exchange as we walked along. ¡°If we hadn¡¯t had this exchange, I think Tia and I would have been summoned to a bigger city ¡­ like the Royal Capital. And if we were forced to choose between the two options, we would have no choice. If we refused, we would be killed.¡± A technique to ride alone into enemy territory and kill thousands of enemies in an instant within sight. Or a powerful blow that could easily shatter even a castle wall. There is no way that a country would overlook an individual who can use such a technique. If used by an enemy nation, he would immediately become a threat, so he would either be used with extremely restricted freedom, or he would be killed to cut off any lingering worries. ¡­. Whether or not they could actually do so was another matter. ¡°So they ended that inevitable exchange right here and left us with the option of choosing neither. If they expel us here, at least we wouldn¡¯t be forced into conscription or anything. Well, if I were to become an officer in another country as a result, I think His Excellency¡¯s position would go from bad to worse. ¡­.But despite that, he respected our will. I think that was His Excellency¡¯s way of saying thank you. In fact, he was very helpful.¡± ¡°I-I didn¡¯t know, ¡­¡­.. what can I say, Ed-kun, are you used to this kind of interaction?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ve been through a lot in my own way.¡± Amelia finally broke her hardened expression to me laughing. ¡°To have someone younger than me talk about life experiences¡­ it¡¯s a bit disheartening. But even so, I can¡¯t just leave it at that. Is there anything personal I can do to show my gratitude?¡± ¡°Oh, is that so? Then please treat us to a meal with Tia again. Something that will make us feel better after we eat¡­ wait, huh? I suddenly feel really hungry?¡± Once again, I became aware of a ravenous hunger, as though my stomach was howling. Oh, come to think of it, objectively I haven¡¯t eaten anything in two months? Ugh, this is no good. I want to eat whatever I want right now. ¡°Hahaha! All right. In that case, I¡¯ll treat you to a wonderful meal in the name of the Carlton family! Now, shall I wake up Tia-kun?¡± ¡°No, let¡¯s save that for when Tia wakes up. Right now¨C¡° ¡°Oi, Ed!¡± Before I knew it, I was out of the room and I heard someone calling me from across the street. ¡°Hey, if you¡¯re done talking with the bigwigs, get your ass over here!¡± ¡°Yeah, Ed! We won¡¯t let you hog all the girls!¡± ¡°Thomason¡­uh, Captain, if it¡¯s not too much trouble, could we borrow Ed¡­?¡± ¡°¡­So that¡¯s how it is.¡± ¡°Yeah, you go ahead.¡± Amelia smiled at me, and I walked toward Gastor and the others. The drinks I shared with my companions that day kept pouring into my empty stomach. CH 163 For the next three days, Tia and I enjoyed our remaining days to the fullest. The town was enjoying a bit of a festive atmosphere after we returned from our desperate situation, and we also had a lot of fun drinking with Gastor and the other guys in the rear guard that Tia had befriended, and Amelia took us to an expensive restaurant as promised. .On the morning of the fourth day, we received a send-off from Amelia at the entrance of the deserted town. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We should have sent you off with a grand send-off from the whole town, but¡­¡± ¡°No, No, No, please don¡¯t do that. I am not that big of a person to be ¡°banished¡± with such vigor.¡± Amelia looked apologetic, and I chuckled, jokingly telling her so. Yes, this was a banishment, not a triumphant return to my hometown. If they gather people, it will be stones, not cheers, that will fly. ¡°Oh come on, don¡¯t be silly. Where is anyone who really thinks you¡¯re being exiled?¡± ¡°No, well, of course not.¡± Of course, that¡¯s just a facade. I told Gastor and the others that we were being expelled from this town, but none of them believed it. For mercenaries, changing their base of operations is a common occurrence, and there¡¯s no longer any benefit to staying in this town now that the Demon King has been defeated and the attacks from the demons have ceased. Although there are few who believe that there won¡¯t be another attack in the near future, the fact remains that a major threat has been eliminated. Many of the mercenaries are considering traveling to other towns, anticipating a decrease in earnings if they stay here. To Gastor and the others, I am likely perceived as the first to ride the wave of this trend. ¡°Nevertheless, there must be consequences. The fact that you were expelled will be undoubtedly recorded. I will eventually move to restore your honor, but until then, please take it easy for a while.¡± ¡°Thank you, Amelia. Well, I don¡¯t intend to make a splashy public appearance, so we probably won¡¯t see each other again.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I see.¡± At my words, Amelia looked a little sad. In front of Amelia, Tia, who had been quiet for a long time, slowly walked up to her and took her hand. ¡°Tia-kun?¡± ¡°If I¡¯m going to be exiled anyway, I might as well be a little rude. Well then, Amelia. Thank you for everything!¡± ¡°¡­ Haha, if you talk like that to an aristocrat, you certainly will be exiled. Ah, I had fun too. Thank you, Tia-kun. I will never forget what you did for me in my lifetime. Well then, this is the end¡­ Ed-kun, Tia-kun! You two are hereby expelled from this fortified city of Drasden!¡± After releasing Tia¡¯s hand, Amelia drew her sword and held it high towards the sky, making a dignified declaration. We bowed to her and then took each other¡¯s hands, turning our backs to Drasdon and starting to walk away. ¡°¡­How¡¯s it, Ed? I don¡¯t know myself¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re almost there, just five more minutes.¡± Walking briskly down the road, we picked up our pace and soon lost sight of Amelia. Sensing that we were far enough away, we dashed behind some cover. Tia turned to me and asked for confirmation. We had yet to fulfill the most reliable condition for return, which was spending over half a year with the Hero Party. Furthermore, I had been away for two months, so it was uncertain if we would be able to return. However, it seemed that everything had gone smoothly. ¡°I¡¯m glad! Or rather, what would you have done if it had failed?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure, but if only one of us can go back, I think we can hold hands and go back together. And if neither of us can go back¡­ maybe we can return to town and secretly infiltrate the city, hiding until we meet the conditions and then show up in front of Amelia to get expelled again?¡± ¡°Ugh, I definitely don¡¯t want to do that. It would ruin what could have been a beautiful goodbye.¡± ¡°Well, it didn¡¯t happen, so why bother?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so carefree.¡± Upon hearing my words, Tia showed a slightly exasperated expression. The reason I wasn¡¯t taking this too seriously was because we had learned that even if we defeated the Demon King, the title of ¡°Hero¡± would not disappear. Even if one of us was left behind, I knew that we could still make it back as long as we spent at least six months together. That¡¯s right. As long as we¡¯re both safe, a time difference of that degree won¡¯t be a problem as long as we¡¯re alive. We spent time firmly holding hands and¡­ then safely returned to the ¡°Oh, there was a lot going on this time, too! First, Let¡¯s check the {Records Of The Hero¡¯s Story}!¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re motivated Tia. That¡¯s fine.¡± I said nothing more and went along with Tia as she hurried. In the past few days, I asked Tia once how she had helped me¡­. but she dodged the question so smoothly that it was obvious she was trying to hide something¡­. I didn¡¯t press further after being brushed off like that. Maybe there is something she doesn¡¯t want me to hear. If that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s no need to ask. I helped Tia, and Tia helped me. The thread connecting our little fingers disappeared after we fulfilled the conditions, but our relationship didn¡¯t change at all. ¡°Now, what does it say ¡­¡­?¡± Then, as Tia wished, I put my hand on the {Records Of The Hero¡¯s Story}.. The contents of the book were about Amelia¡¯s life, including her struggles as a noblewoman, and the story progressed with various anecdotes. And then, at the end¡­ ¨CWorld 009, {Records Of The Hero¡¯s Story} Final Chapter: A Commonplace Happiness Amelia, the hero who successfully defended the town, was praised for her achievements and was promoted to the rank of senior knight, and over the next few years, she performed her duties without incident. After that, through the introduction by her superior, Amelia married the second son of a viscount and had a child with him, and completed her life as a very ordinary noblewoman. (T/N: When are you two marrying) ¡°Um, so what do you think of this? Well, I think she had a happy life, but¡­¡± ¡°Oh, this is probably my fault,¡± While Amelia¡¯s life may have been modestly happy, it was not particularly remarkable, and Tia tilted her head in confusion. Meanwhile, I made a slightly awkward expression. ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s Ed¡¯s fault?¡± ¡°From Amelia¡¯s position and talents, she should have been a hero specialized in defending bases. So if I had returned safely from reconnaissance, or if I had died, Amelia¡¯s hero powers would have awakened to defend against the swarm of monsters attacking, and Drasdon would have become impregnable. And then, when the Demon King got fed up with not being able to defeat her, she attacked him directly and defeated him with [Dawnbreaker, ]which I had entrusted to her, and won the victory, which was probably how history was originally supposed to go. But you see, I don¡¯t know why, but because I had the power of a Hero inside me, I defeated a large number of demonic beasts and the Demon King, all by myself. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°So she just lost her chance to play an active role and her life became pretty normal?¡± ¡°I think so. It¡¯s just a guess.¡± I don¡¯t know whether it was a blessing or a curse for Amelia herself. However, there is nothing that can be done about the history that has become that way. The defeated Demon King will never be resurrected even if the world changes its course, so the world in which Amelia can be honored as a Hero forever will no longer exist. ¡°¡­.. So many people are safe as a result, and it¡¯s impossible for you to not help, but if by any chance we have a chance to meet her again, that time let¡¯s treat her to something delicious.¡± ¡°I guess so. Maybe then I could bring back some otherworldly specialties or souvenirs.¡± What we overcame was greater than anything else, but because we didn¡¯t mention it, the ending was subtle and lacked closure. We looked at each other and laughed, and the story came to an end. 10/10 (T/N: Next Arc whenever I get time, probably Tuesday or Wednesday. Also, Y¡¯all enjoying the novel?) CH 164 ¡°Yosh¡± After a moment of mild intoxication, We landed, as usual, in a new world. Looking around, I discovered that once again we were in a forest. ¡°Don¡¯t we land in the woods quite often?¡± ¡°Well, if we¡¯re talking about a place that doesn¡¯t attract attention, then it would be the forest along the main road, wouldn¡¯t it? Or perhaps our young miss prefers to be in front of a crowd or inside a wooden box?¡± ¡°Ugh, I sure wouldn¡¯t like that. ¡­¡­¡± Watching Tia¡¯s salty expression as she recalled the past, I laughed and walked in the direction of the light. Then the forest abruptly ended, and in front of me was a neatly paved road¡­ Wait, could it be!? ¡°This road is ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Wow, it¡¯s so beautifully designed and maintained. It¡¯s like the path of a king!¡± Tia was naturally surprised. The road in front of us was completely flat and paved with what looked like seamless stone, and it extended endlessly within sight Following the road with my eyes, I found an incredibly huge city with countless structures stretching out to the heavens. ¡°It¡¯s here, it¡¯s here, it¡¯s here! We did it, Tia! We hit the jackpot!¡± ¡°Ed!? What jackpot?¡± ¡°Right here, right here! I¡¯ve always wanted to come to this world!¡± There was no mistaking that view. This was the 092nd world¡­ a world of ultra-advanced magical civilization that seemed to be a thousand years ahead of other worlds. ¡°Here, we can get our hands on things that we can¡¯t find in other worlds! Medicine that can cure even the loss of limbs with just one pill, communication devices that let us easily talk to someone far away, magical furnaces that can adjust temperature with just a twist for blacksmithing, and even magical airships that can fly through the sky if we have enough money! Wow, what should we do? What should we buy first? No, before that, we need to get our hands on the currency here¡­¡± ¡°Geez, Calm down, Ed! We haven¡¯t even entered the town yet!¡± ¡°O-oh, y-yeah. Sorry.¡± Tia looked at me with eyes like she was watching a small child as I got carried away with excitement. Guh, well, I¡¯ll just have to accept being treated like that for now! ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s go! Come on, Tia!¡± ¡°Yeah yeah, I am coming¡± Holding Tia¡¯s hand as she gave a wry smile, I continued towards the town. However, as we got closer to the town, I immediately remembered something and diverted our path to a less populated area. ¡°? What¡¯s wrong, Ed? Are we not entering the town?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I just remembered. You need an ID to get into this town.¡± ¡°Ah, it certainly is a big town. So what are we going to do? Should we try pretending that we lost it and ask for help?¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t work here¡± Every inhabitant of this world, without exception, was assigned a citizen ID, which was registered in a crystal-like object embedded in the wrist of the left hand. Since it was implanted in their bodies, it was not something they could lose, and without it, they would not be recognized as citizens. In other words, one is not treated as a human being, and naturally, one cannot enter the town. Of course, loopholes exist, and it is said that there are people in the underground business who make their living by extracting and transplanting information from others or rewriting the contents, but even those people live normally, so their base of operations is naturally inside the town, and if we can¡¯t even enter the town, we can¡¯t even negotiate. ¡°Hmmm ¡­¡­¡± With Tia beside me, looking up at the wall with a furrowed brow, I folded my arms and pondered. If all I had to do was enter the town alone, it would actually be easy. I was strong enough at that time, the final phase of the first round, that I was able to sneak through the walls and sneak into town with [Mirage Shift] and the activities that followed were just manageable. However, bringing Tia into the town was a different story. I myself had no contacts in this town, so I had no idea of any organization that would allow me to smuggle her in, and they were not the kind of people an amateur could meet just by walking around the town. The only people who would approach such a person would be con artists trying to deceive them. Or Maybe I can use [Akashic Compass] to find such a guy? If I play my cards right and get my request through¡­. ¡°Hey, you guys!¡± Then, unexpectedly, I was called from behind. I turned around and my eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the person standing there. ¡°!!?¡± ¡°Hmm? You mean us?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the only ones here! What are you doing here, dressed so strangely?¡± ¡°Huh? Dressed strangely?¡± Standing in front of me was a red-haired woman with sharp, determined-looking eyes and a height of about 165 centimeters. However, her attire was quite different from ours, as she was wearing a tight, deep-red outfit similar to those worn by male nobles when they dance. ¡°Hey Ed, do we look weird?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s weird! Armor and a sword, did you attend a cosplay party somewhere? But it¡¯s strange for someone like that to be outside of town dressed like that, isn¡¯t it? Suspicious, suspicious!¡¡I can smell a case!¡± The woman, who appeared to be a little older than us, looked at us suspiciously. Ah, how I have missed this. I¡¯ve gotten into trouble many times with her face. ¡°¡­Canal¡± ¡°Huh!? How do you know my name!?¡± I smiled wryly as Canal suddenly turned her body in alarm at the mention of that name. Despite her obvious wariness, I couldn¡¯t help but grin at her. ¡°Of course we know. We¡¯re here to see you.¡± I rolled up the sleeve of my left hand and showed her my wrist. At first, Canal raised her eyebrows, but when she saw the reality of what was there, she firmly grabbed my left hand and stared at my wrist. ¡°What?! No Fragment!? Did you dig it out and then restore it with the Lestal Restoration Medicine? No, without a Fragment, the Lestal Restoration Medicine shouldn¡¯t work¡­ Could it be¡­ a nonexistent Lost Child?! Just who are you?!¡± ¡°Whoa there, Information doesn¡¯t come for free, you know? You know that, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Ugh!? That¡¯s¡­how much?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need money. We just need a little help getting into town. We¡¯re having trouble getting in because of this.¡± Canal blatantly frowned at me as I slapped my own wrist. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. I don¡¯t have any contacts to smuggle people into town. Even if I did, I wouldn¡¯t do it!¡± ¡°Hahaha. That part is already taken care of. You don¡¯t have to break the law, or owe anyone any favors. All you have to do is bring a certain package into town.¡± ¡°:¡­. Is that package illegal?¡± ¡°It ain¡¯t. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll put what you will be carrying in a bag right in front of you. How about that? ¡°Then if that¡¯s the case¡­ You¡¯ll really show it to me right in front of me? There aren¡¯t any traps in the bag or anything like that¡­ right?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re worried, you can check the bag too. I believe we can do this the proper way if you cooperate, so I have no reason to lie or deceive you. So, what do you say? You just have to carry a slightly heavy package, and you¡¯ll have the answer to the mystery in front of you.¡± ¡°Gugugugu ¡­¡­.¡± Asking with a provocative smile, I made her think deeply. However, it was clear as day what kind of answer she would choose. ¡°O-okay, I¡¯ll cooperate! So please, tell me properly!¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll be in your care, Canal.¡± I felt a little sorry for her, considering what was to come, but this was a formal transaction. I shook hands with Canal, apologizing in my heart. CH 165 [Heh, is this where Canal-san lives?] ¡°Kind of . Well, technically it¡¯s where she works, but she sleeps here all the time, so it¡¯s practically like living here.¡± As we entered the town ahead of time, we entered the room without the landlord¡¯s permission. Of course, the windows and doors were locked, but they meant nothing in front of the [Mirage Shift] skill. [I wondered what it would look like from the outside, but inside it¡¯s rather normal.] ¡°I guess even if civilization develops, people are still people. If our bodies are the same, we¡¯ll probably have similar feelings and behaviors,¡± Intrigued by Tia¡¯ words, I looked around the room. It was an aged wooden structure with amber-colored pillars and milk-white wallpaper that created a calm atmosphere. There was a large desk and built-in bookshelves in the same color as the pillars, making it seem like the room belonged to a guild master. ¡°I think it¡¯s over here¡­¡­.¡± [Hey, Ed, are you allowed to just touch things without permission?] ¡°Well, we¡¯re already here, so it¡¯s fine, right?¡± [Ugh, whatever! Don¡¯t blame me if we get in trouble later!] ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Ignoring Tia¡¯s warning, I elegantly made my way to the kitchen in the back. I placed the pot under the magic tool that dispensed water just by turning a knob on the wall, and filled it up. Then I placed it on the strange metal plate next to it, which heated up just by pressing a button, and started boiling the water. After doing so, I fished around in the cupboard and retrieved a translucent box with a lid from it, and placed the black beans inside into a metal tube with a handle. [What are you doing?] ¡°Hmm? Ah, you crush these beans into a powder and pour hot water over them to make tea. What was it called again? I think¡­ Cafu? Coffee? Yeah, that was the name.¡± [Heh. Does it taste good?] ¡°It has a nice aroma, atleast¡± After taking one of the cups out of the cupboard as well, I placed a filter-like device on top of the cup, put the coffee powder inside and poured hot water from the pot that was emitting steam. A wonderfully fragrant aroma filled the air as the cup filled with black liquid. I returned to the first room with the cup in hand and sat on the leather sofa to savor the aroma. ¡°Hah, Feels nice. Is this the taste of the upper class?¡± [Wow, it¡¯s pitch black¡­ what does it taste like?] ¡°Taste? It tastes ¡­¡­ bitter as hell.¡± [Eh ¡­¡­?] The coffee I hadn¡¯t had in a long time was as bitter as I remembered it. If I had been forced to drink it without knowing anything about it, I would have inevitably thought it was poison and spit it out. ¡°Fuah¡­ Ah, this is bitter.¡± [I don¡¯t understand why you would drink something you know is bitter. ¡­¡­] ¡°Well, it is certainly bitter, but it has a certain addictive quality to it¡­ And when you¡¯re feeling sleepy, drinking it really wakes you up. So it¡¯s kind of like a medicinal bath, you know?¡± [I see. I understand now. Medicine usually tastes bitter, right?] ¡°Yeah, yeah. Ugh¡­ bitterness running through me¡­¡± A relaxing moment spent while sipping coffee. As if to destroy such a serene atmosphere, heavy footsteps of gunfire unexpectedly echoed from outside the room. It stopped in front of this room on the third floor, and then there was the sound of a door being unlocked with a clang¡­. ¡°Haaah, haaah. Finally! Finally made it back! Wait, you¡¯re already here!?¡± ¡°Yo Canal. Welcome home.¡± With sweat dripping from her forehead, Canal, who had dragged her huge bag, I greeted her. She threw her bag to the ground and ran towards me with an intense expression. ¡°Why are you welcoming me back! Or rather Why are you already here?!¡± ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s a secret, Canal-kun. Anyway, it¡¯s an important item, so please handle it a little more carefully, okay? ¡°I don¡¯t know! And because of this, do you know how much trouble I had to go through¡­!¡± Leaving Canal, who was getting more and more agitated, I carefully carried the huge bag inside and placed it on a long bench, opening its mouth and embracing its contents. ¡°You¡¯re good to go, Tia¡± [Okay, I¡¯m going back.] As soon as I took Tia¡¯s hand, her body jerked and her eyes, which had been closed, opened. ¡°How¡¯s it, Tia? Is there anything wrong with your body?¡± ¡°Ummm ¡­¡­ It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s normal.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Thanks for your hard work, Canal.¡± ¡°I mean it! I really went through a lot, you know!¡± The plan I made to infiltrate the town ¡­. was to transfer Tia¡¯s consciousness into mine with [Engage Heart] and then I would infiltrate the town with [Mirage Shift] and have her unconscious body carried into town by Canal. If she was conscious, she had to be smuggled into town, but there was no rule against bringing in a human body that could not be awakened. I thought it would be okay then, and apparently it worked. ¡°Geez, why do I have to do something like this! When the staff stopped me, I thought my heart was going to stop!¡± ¡°Oh, you were stopped after all. How did you manage it?¡± ¡°I told them It was a synthetic homunculus for bio-training and they let me through. Though it did get cut in a few places because of that¡± ¡°What!? Is that okay!?¡± As Canal spoke, Tia was so surprised that she petted herself all over. However, Canal showed no remorse and shrugged as she answered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Without a Fragment, we can¡¯t use the restoration medicine, Lestal, but if it¡¯s just a cut, no matter how deep it is, it can be healed with a single spray of Recovery Spray. You should be grateful that I didn¡¯t have to use the other excuse I prepared just in case of an emergency.¡± ¡°Another reason? Was there another good excuse?¡± In response to my question, Canal blushes lightly and turns her face away conspicuously. ¡°If I had declared it as a pet¡­ or rather, a tool for sexual pleasure, I don¡¯t think they would have cut it, even if they investigated me thoroughly.¡± ¡°What?! No! Definitely not!¡± Tia, who hugged herself with a bang to show her rejection, also loudly retorted to Canal. ¡°I don¡¯t like it either! Why do I have to confess that I am a pervert to carry something like that of someone of the same sex? Anyway, let¡¯s end this topic! I brought your body back safely, so that¡¯s good enough!¡± ¡°Right. I¡¯ll say it again, thank you. would you like some coffee?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have some! Or rather, It¡¯s mine!¡± Canal says in a sulky voice, taking the cup from my hand and drinking from it. No, I was actually going to make a new one¡­ but oh well. ¡°Ugh, this is terrible. It¡¯s all Ed¡¯s fault that I¡¯ve gotten scars..¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense! You¡¯ve had more cuts than you can count in all the battles you¡¯ve been in!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but that¡¯s not the same thing! Ed has to take responsibility.¡± ¡°Responsibility¡­ well, if there¡¯s something I can do, I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°Great! In that case, I want to eat the sweetest treats in this world!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯ve been through so much, so you should treat me to something sweet! For coffee, I want the fluffy chiffon cake from Mitsuboshi-dou!¡± [T//N: Èý¥ÄÐÇ (Mitsuboshi): Means 3 stars and Ìà (dou): is a suffix attached to the names of some businesses. So maybe it means a 3 star restaurant or something?] Not only Tia but even Canal got on board with my words and demanded it, but all I could do was scratch my head with a puzzled look on my face. ¡°I¡¯d love to treat you, but I don¡¯t have any money on me. Besides, without a wristband, I can¡¯t even go shopping here, can I?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? Then I¡¯ll have to buy it myself! Alright, I¡¯ll go get it, so you just wait here quietly!¡± ¡°What!?¡± I was taken aback, and Canal left the room in a huff for some reason. If I follow her out of the room and someone notices that my wrist crystal is missing, that could be a problem, so all I can do is wait¡­ Is this really okay? ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­, I¡¯ll just prepare another drink for now¡± ¡°Oh, I want one too!¡± ¡°Sure thing.¡± In response to Tia¡¯s innocently raised hand, I prepared three more cups of coffee, including my own. Canal returned to the room ten minutes later, holding a small cardboard box and fuming, ¡°Why do I have to go buy your cake?!¡± CH 166 ¡°God, Why do I have to buy it for you? It¡¯s like I¡¯m the errand boy. ¡­.¡± While grumbling and complaining, Canal picked up a fork and poked at a brown baked cake on her plate. Despite what she said, she made sure to buy one for us as well, which reflected her personality. ¡°Oh, this is delicious! The coffee was reallllyyyyyyyyyyy bitter, but drinking it with this makes it taste good too.¡± ¡°Exactly! That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. Instead of putting sugar or milk in the coffee, you should drink it with chiffon cake! By doing that, you can enjoy the original aroma and flavor of the coffee, while at the same time experiencing the sweetness of the cream and the softness of the sponge¡­ Wait, that¡¯s not what we were talking about!¡± Canal was instantly put in a good mood by Tia¡¯s words, but she suddenly raised her eyebrows again and pointed the tip of her fork at me. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s bad manners, you know?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care! I¡¯ve helped you get into town, now tell me about you!¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. Well, let me start by introducing myself. I¡¯m Ed. And this is ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Lunaritia. You can call me Tia.¡± While munching on the cake, Me and Tia introduced ourselves. Then, Canal, with a slightly dubious expression, eats a slice of chiffon cake with plenty of cream on top before answering.¡± ¡°Ed and Tia, huh¡­ Your names sound like obvious aliases, but whatever. You seemed to know about me already, but I¡¯ll introduce myself anyway. I¡¯m Canal. Canal B. Caroline.¡± ¡°If you have a family name, is Canal a noble?¡± Tia voiced a genuine question, but Canal furrowed her eyebrows in response ¡°Noble? What¡¯s that? Everyone has a family name. Well, it seems like you¡¯re not going to tell me about yours, huh?¡± ¡°Eh? Even if you say that¡­Ed?¡± ¡°Hahaha, I guess that¡¯s how it works in this world. Anyway, Canal. You seem to be mistaken, but we really are Ed and Tia¡­ well, Tia¡¯s full name is Lunaritia, but still, those are our real names.¡± ¡°? I don¡¯t get it. Are you saying that you were born an orphan and don¡¯t know your real family name or something?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. Then I¡¯ll answer the first question along with this. We don¡¯t have a family name and the reason why the crystal¡­was it called a Fragment?¡­is not embedded in our wrists. That¡¯s because we¡¯re people who came from a different world than this one.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Huh?¡± When I told her that head on, however, Canal¡¯s face showed confusion and her mouth twitched. ¡°What¡­what? Are you telling me to take seriously such a tall tale even a child wouldn¡¯t believe? You¡¯re not trying to make a fool out of me, right?¡± I¡¯m serious¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Canal groaned and held her head back while looking up to the sky in response to my words. ¡°Wow, I thought they were weird looking guys, but they¡¯re that type ¡­¡­ I wonder what I should do with these. If I throw them out in front of the hospital, will they collect them?¡± ¡°What, you don¡¯t believe me?¡± ¡°Why do you think I would believe you? What, do you want to tell me you came here on a dimension-piercing ship, Noah¡¯s Brain or something?¡± ¡°What is that!? There is such a ship!?¡± Canal¡¯s murmur caught Tia¡¯s attention and she leaned in, her sparkling emerald eyes intimidating Canal. ¡°Huh?! Uh, well¡­ there are rumors that the government is secretly developing something like that, but I¡¯m not sure if they¡¯re true or not¡­¡± ¡°I see, I would need a tremendous amount of mana to cross the world barrier, but to have a ship that can do it, this world is really advanced, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­Eh? Are you serious?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that earlier? I¡¯m serious. I¡¯m not just making up things.¡± Tia was seriously impressed. Canal looked puzzled and turned her gaze towards me. So, while saying that, I took out a gold coin from my bag and placed it on the table. ¡°Therefore, let¡¯s start with this. It should be enough to cover the cost of the cake and coffee, right?¡± ¡°This is¡­ a gold coin? I¡¯ve never seen this design before¡­ wait, a gold coin!? Could this really be pure gold?!¡± ¡°I guess so. If the country that issues it isn¡¯t in decline, I think it has an appropriate purity. So, what do you think is its value?¡± ¡°Yes, I suppose¡­ If it¡¯s pure gold, it might be worth about a month¡¯s rent for this place, I think.¡± Canal answered, holding up a gold coin in her hand, examining its weight, turning it inside out, and staring at it intently. Although it seems cheaper than expected for a value of only one month¡¯s rent, it¡¯s probably reasonable if you consider that in this world, it only has value as pure gold. By the way, during the first time around, I didn¡¯t introduce myself as ¡°I am a person from another world¡± so I never exchanged any of my possessions for money. If I had done so even a little, I could have said something here, but¡­ well, there¡¯s nothing I can do about what I didn¡¯t do. ¡°That¡¯s enough to cover the cost of the cake. What do you think?¡¡You believe me now, at least a little bit?¡± ¡°No way. Of course, this particular coin is not plated, but Obura¡­ It¡¯s not a federal currency, so no crime would be committed even if it was minted. That means there¡¯s even a possibility that it could be a souvenir for the wealthy. Something like this wouldn¡¯t be proof of being a person from another world.¡± ¡°Hm, that makes sense. Then let¡¯s cut another deal. The reason I knew Canal¡­ is that I actually came from the future. Well, to be precise, I spent about a hundred years traveling through various worlds, but for some reason, I went back to the beginning and started over again. And I have memories of spending about six months with you in this world. What do you think?¡± I said with a grin, and Canal blatantly frowned. ¡°Wow¡­ a person from another world and a time traveler who went back to the past and started over again? That¡¯s just too much of an exaggerated setting, isn¡¯t it? Actually, I swear in my heart that I won¡¯t believe you under any circumstances.¡± ¡°Right. I¡¯ll show you the proof then.¡± At my words, Canal shrugged his shoulders exaggeratedly and sighed. ¡°Ha, now what? What¡¯s next? Are you going to give me some vague future prediction that can be interpreted in any way? Even a fraudster or a fortune teller in a run-down area won¡¯t do that these days, you know?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t do such a thing. But I do remember that there was some kind of gambling game where you had to guess a number, although I¡¯m not sure of the exact date.¡± ¡°Gambling? Oh, you mean Dice Lane?¡± ¡°Dice Lane?¡± Tia asked, Canal answered my question by moving her gaze toward Tia, who has just entered the conversation. ¡°It¡¯s a government-run gambling game where you bet on the outcome of rolling two or three dice. Similar to roulette, you can bet on even or odd numbers, high or low, or even on prime numbers. You can also make more specific bets such as the number rolled on one of the dice or the total sum of the rolled dice. The drawing is broadcasted on ManaVision, and you can bet with small amounts of money, like a child¡¯s allowance, so many people try their luck with it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it! And I happen to know the ¡®answer¡¯ to that game.¡± As I said that, I take out an additional gold coin and place it on the table. ¡°Cash it in and bet on the numbers I give you. If what I say is true, we can make a lot of money, and if it doesn¡¯t work out, you don¡¯t lose anything because it¡¯s my money. ¡°I was worried that it would be a more shoddy place, but if it¡¯s a public institution, they wouldn¡¯t be able to cheat, right? It¡¯s perfect, isn¡¯t it?¡± At my suggestion, Canal folds his arms and ponders. I guess he is torn between the risk of having us, even for a few days, with an unknown identity and his curiosity to know who we are. But the canal I know would be ¡­¡­ The gold you just gave us is enough money to put you up for a few days. ¡­¡­ Okay, I¡¯ll take you up on it, but I don¡¯t want you to be visited by the police or the police or anyone else. I¡¯ll give you a ride, but if the police or anyone comes to visit you, I¡¯ll turn you in before you get into trouble and I¡¯ll claim I had nothing to do with it and won¡¯t cover for you at all. Is that okay with you? ¡°Of course, if the results turn out well, you¡¯ll never be able to treat us roughly again.¡± ¡°Then we have a deal. Don¡¯t disappoint me, okay?¡± "" As expected, I grasped Canal¡¯s hand firmly and we succeeded in securing a hideout in this world for the time being. (T/N: I¡¯ll be taking a short break, will resume from next tuesday) CH 167 [It¡¯s the season of Dice Lane yet again! Your host¡ª] A black rectangular box set up against the wall. In the image projected on it, a man in red and yellow clothes that made my eyes hurt was talking in a pleasant tone. Hmmm, the way this screen looks is a bit similar to my [Auto-Mapping] ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Hey, Canal, why don¡¯t you relax a little more?¡± We were sitting on the leather couch watching the screen, but Tia chuckled and called out to Canal, who was feeling restless and uneasy all by herself. ¡°Hey, I am calm! Hmph, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re going to win anyway!¡± ¡°Hahaha, you¡¯ll just have to wait and see. Now let¡¯s see what happens, shall we?¡± This was my first time seeing this scene, as I in the first round only heard the results blurted out by Canal. On the screen, a large number of dice covered in a thin, shiny bubble-like substance were clattering around inside ¡­. Oh, it looks like there¡¯s movement. [Now, let¡¯s get started! The fateful¡­ Dice Lane!] With a call from the host, a bubble of light popped, and the dice inside turned into meteors of blue light, falling one after another onto the floor. As our eyes were glued to the gorgeous performance, the numbers on the top of the dice that fell to the floor were counted one after another by some mechanism and recorded in the background. ¡°Uwa! Uwa! So Beautiful!¡± ¡°I know right, This is certainly a frenzy.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t win¡­ There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll win¡­ There¡¯s no chance that I¡¯ll win¡­ Mutter mutter mutter,¡± Canal grumbled. [The fate-deciding dice have now determined their results! Now let¡¯s check the tabulated result!] The screen displays the total of all the dice rolls and how many times each number from one to six was rolled. I don¡¯t remember the total, but I remember the individual numbers very clearly. The number that Canal made a grimace about during the first round and said, ¡°Is this even possible?! It must be rigged!¡± was¡ª [What?! Can this even be real?! One appeared once, two appeared twice, three appeared three times, four appeared four times, five appeared five times, and¡­ six appeared six times! It¡¯s a miracle! A true miracle!] If such a result was given in a bar, a fistfight would break out in seconds, but in the case of public gambling, there was no way to complain about it unless you were a person who could complain to the state authorities. Well, the probability of any number appearing is the same, so I guess it¡¯s just a coincidence, but still, that¡¯s a terrible result¡­ Anyway, that¡¯s beside the point. ¡°How about that, Canal? Did you win?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Canal?¡± ¡°Y-Yes, I-I-I-I won¡­¡± Canal¡¯s body trembled slightly in front of me as I said this with a smug look on my face. In her hand, she tightly clutched a piece of paper with the number that had just been announced, and Canal gently placed it on the table, crumpled up with too much force. ¡°Oi oi, along with crumpled, it¡¯s all sweaty, is this okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. The purchase record is properly recorded in the Fragment, so this is just for confirmation¡­ Wait, is it correct? Huh, did it really hit?¡± ¡°Told ya. So how much is this going to be? ¡°R-Right, I did win but it might not be that significant of an amount! Haha, yeah. Some people might even buy commemorative items with these kinds of numbers, so it might not be that expensive¡­ KYAFUN~¡± ¡°Kyafun? What do you mean?¡± While fidgeting with the crystal on her wrist, Canal suddenly made a strange noise and collapsed on the spot. After waking up shortly thereafter, she either showed no response at all, or became like a child, speaking in broken sentences, making it impossible to communicate with her properly¡­ The next day, we were still worried about her condition when Canal suddenly sat up straight on the couch and let out a big sigh after fiddling with the crystal on her wrist again. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ It wasn¡¯t a dream.¡± ¡°Canal! Thank God you¡¯re finally back to normal!¡± ¡°Tia-chan¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I know I worried you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, really. Right, Ed?¡± ¡°Yeah, but one day feels so long, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say such unreasonable things. Even after sleeping and waking up, the balance hasn¡¯t changed, I finally just barely accepted the reality¡­ huh? Who¡¯s that, Onii-chan?¡± ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t confuse us any more!¡± With eyes that had lost their light, Canal began regressing to a childlike state again, but I vehemently shook my head and refused. Immediately, I went to the kitchen and made a strong cup of coffee, then forcefully poured it into Canal¡¯s mouth. ¡°Hot! Hot! Bitter!¡± ¡°Wake up, Canal! Remember your true self!¡± ¡°Okay, I got it, I got it! But still, isn¡¯t it normal to freak out about something like this? How much do you think we actually got our hands on?!¡± ¡°Speaking of which, how much was it?¡± Unlike the first round, I was able to reveal that I was from another world, and we were able to openly ask Canal about ¡°common knowledge¡± that we should have known. According to the knowledge we obtained, the average value of a copper coin in each other world is approximately 100 obra. So, it seems that the gold coins, which should have been worth 1 million obra, were exchanged by Canal for 400,000 obra, but that is not a problem since I am already satisfied with the value. The important thing is to find out how much the 400,000 Obra would be worth¡­ ¡°500 million.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°500 million! 500 million obra! ¡°Oh, about 50,000 gold coins? With that much gold, I guess We won¡¯t have to worry about money for a while.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We can eat delicious food and buy souvenirs, and still have enough money left.¡± ¡°Why!? Why are you so calm!?¡± Canal got upset and lashed out at us for being so nonchalant about it. ¡°500 million! That¡¯s a fortune that I could never earn even if I died and was reborn 100 times! Even in your world, it should be a lot of money that would make your eyes pop out of your head, right!?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, but it¡¯s only money after all.¡± ¡°And besides, once you have a certain amount of money, you don¡¯t have to worry about the small details anymore, right? If you live a normal life, you don¡¯t really spend that much money.¡± (T/N: I need this much calmness in life) Certainly, having a certain amount of money gives you more options, but for us right now, problems that can be solved with money are not that big of a deal. And as Tia said, for a normal life, we don¡¯t really need that much money¡­ in fact, we wouldn¡¯t even know how to use it. Just eating and drinking good food normally would cost us a gold coin a day, which would already be quite a lot to spend. ¡°Crazy, you guys are absolutely crazy¡­¡­ or am I just a petty commoner? Ugh, my stomach hurts¡­ I wonder if I have any painkiller tablets stocked up¡­¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve accumulated enough experience to be able to say that. So what do you think, Canal? If you¡¯re ready to believe me this time, I¡¯d like to ask for your cooperation again.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ Well, compared to the possibility that the government is trying to deceive me, it¡¯s more likely that you guys are telling the truth¡­ but still, cooperation? What do you want me, a simple and virtuous citizen, to do?¡± Canal looked up at me and I grinned as I answered her. ¡°Of course¡­we¡¯re going to defeat the Demon King.¡± CH 168 Even in a magic city where lights are everywhere even at night, there are certainly places where no light can reach. Walking in front of me in such an intended darkness was a pair of men and women who, at first glance, appeared to be nothing out of the ordinary. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I silently followed the couple, who were playfully cuddling and interlocking their arms, as they walked down the straight alleyway with sparse foot traffic. The sparsely populated, straight alleyway would normally be unsuitable for following, but I have the banishing skill [Vanishing Idea] that cannot be noticed. I continued my pursuit without anyone noticing, and when they entered the building they were looking for, I recorded it with the magical tool in my hand, and then I walked straight past the building and returned to the office where Canal was waiting for me. ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± ¡°Welcome home, Ed.¡± ¡°Huh, Tia? You¡¯re home already?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m so talented, you see!¡± Tia sat on a leather couch and greeted me with a smug look on her face, a small black furry creature lay sprawled on her lap. Despite the handicap of searching for a black cat at night, it seemed to be no trouble at all for Tia. ¡°Ara, Ed, you¡¯re back. How did it go?¡± ¡°Perfect, of course. Here.¡± I tossed the magic tool I was holding to Canal, who came out from the back of the kitchen. Canal lightly fiddled with it, and nodded in satisfaction after confirming that the desired item had been recorded. ¡°Good, good, You managed to take a good picture¡­ but man, Hahhh~,¡± ¡°Hm? What is it, Canal?¡± ¡°I mean, I can¡¯t help but wonder what I¡¯m doing,¡± ¡°What do you mean? It¡¯s your job, isn¡¯t it?¡± I responded to Canal¡¯s muttered remark with a somewhat obvious answer. Yes, Canal¡¯s job was that of a detective¡­a sort of private spy, and we had been doing some of that work for her. ¡°I know it¡¯s my job! I just don¡¯t know why I¡¯m doing such a crappy job after all this time when I have 500 million ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Fufufu, You don¡¯t get it, do you, Canal?¡± ¡°What?¡± Canal looked at me with a disgruntled expression on her face, and I continued with my words with a smug look on my face. ¡°You know what¡¯s the difference between someone who suddenly gets a lot of money and has their life ruined and someone who isn¡¯t? It¡¯s whether or not they decide to change their lifestyle just because they have money. For example, Canal, have you ever thought about buying a mansion just because you got your hands on a large sum of money?¡± ¡°Ugh!? W-what are you talking about! It¡¯s fine, isn¡¯t it! Money is there to be spent, after all!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but it¡¯s all about how you use it. Even if you buy that mansion, what about the maintenance costs? Have you thought about how much money it would take to maintain a house with nothing but empty rooms every month? And if you bought a mansion, would you want to throw parties unnecessarily or start thinking about buying art that you wouldn¡¯t even have considered before?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± My remark elicited a fiercely disapproving expression from Canal, which told me everything I needed to know. Nevertheless, I continued with my words. ¡°Buying things that you¡¯ve wanted before getting a lot of money is fine. In fact, go ahead and spend as much money as you want on the best products. Why? Because those are the things you truly want or the things you could sensibly afford with your previous income. In other words, they are things that, in your current situation, you could lose without significant harm. However, things that one desires after acquiring a large sum of money are usually just fleeting fancies. They want it because they have the money, which means the reason for wanting it is retroactively applied, so even if they buy it, they will still feel unfulfilled. They end up buying things that they had no prior connection with, just on a whim. So when you spend money, calm down and think, ¡®Would I have bought it even with my original income? You will still make mistakes, but with 500 million obra, there will be more than enough to offset most of the mistakes.¡± (T/N: Ed for Finance minister 2024?) ¡°Ugh¡­why is someone younger than me giving me such accurate advice on money?¡± As I shrugged my shoulders and spoke, Canal gritted her teeth and took a sip of the coffee she was holding in her hand. She made a face at the bitterness, let out a sigh, and then sat down next to Tia. ¡°I see. I¡¯ll take your advice to heart. If I keep acting on my own, I¡¯ll definitely end up failing and rolling on the streets. But putting that aside, is this really okay for you guys? When you told me to defeat the Demon King, I didn¡¯t know what to do.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s¡­¡± In response to Canal¡¯s question, I grimaced. In regards to the plan of defeating the Demon Lord¡­ a major problem that had never been seen before in this world had arisen. It was that we couldn¡¯t locate the Demon King¡¯s whereabouts with the [Akashic Compass]. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Silently, I made the [Akashic Compass] manifest on my right hand. Then I again inquired about the location of the Demon King, but only a black haze floated in the metal frame, and the compass continued to spin around and around, unable to determine the location at all. ¡°It¡¯s reacting differently from the past, right?¡± Tia asked, ¡°Yeah. Before, we could see the ¡®Demon King enveloped in black miasma¡¯, but this time it¡¯s more like ¡®the black miasma is blocking everything and nothing can be seen¡¯. But since there is a reaction, there is no doubt that the Demon King exists.¡± ¡°I thought the ability to know the location of the target just by asking was an incredible magical tool, but it¡¯s not as all-powerful as I thought,¡± I answered Tia¡¯s question, and Canal responded to my answer. I turned off my [Akashic Compass] and sat down on the couch across from Tia and the others and took a sip of coffee that was prepared on the table. ¡°So, since we¡¯re in deadlock, we¡¯ll be helping Canal with her work until we get some reaction¡± I don¡¯t know if they were never there from the beginning or if they were successfully eradicated at some stage, but there are no demonic beasts in this world. The walls surrounding the town are designed to prevent people from trespassing, not demonic beasts. So naturally, there is not a single clue to the Demon King, and I have no way of making a move. However, as long as we are here, the Demon King must surely exist, and above all, Canal is a Hero. If that is the case, then there must be something in her way of life that will affect the future of this world, and I believe that working together with Canal is the best way to get closer to the Demon King. Besides, there is a possibility that the Demon King will notice my presence and approach me as he did last time. Since I don¡¯t have the crystal in my wrist, it is impossible for me to move around flamboyantly, but if I continue my activities, there might be some kind of reaction. ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine with me. Even though it¡¯s only at night, having two more people to help without pay will make the work much easier¡­ Technically, it¡¯s not really unpaid since I cover your living expenses,¡± ¡°I mean, it¡¯s still cheap, right? And just so you know, that 500 million was my money and I won it, so even if it¡¯s in Canal¡¯s pocket, it¡¯s still my money, you know?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Oh! Right! Now that you mention it, that¡¯s true! Um, Ed-san? Would it be alright if I got some kind of commission or fee for this, please?¡± Canal¡¯s face was filled with surprise, and she suddenly began to rub her hands together, making me involuntarily chuckle. ¡°You suddenly got so petty ¡­¡­ I ain¡¯t gonna spend it all anyway, because it¡¯s money I won¡¯t be able to use once I leave this world. l¡¯ll give you what¡¯s left over and ask for your help in the meantime.¡± ¡°Really!? Yay! Then, can I start by upgrading to the latest Magicon? And I want to get a nice chair too! And the coffee, I couldn¡¯t afford the specialty beans that I wanted to get¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha, I don¡¯t mean to give you carte blanche, but you can use up to 10 million yen as you please. As I said before, the only thing that can be covered within that range is probably what you wanted from the beginning.¡± ¡°Wow, Ed-san is generous! Ed-san is the best! I love you!¡± Canal suddenly jumped up from the couch and hugged me from the front. ¡°Oh my, Ed, you¡¯re quite popular, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call this being popular.¡± As a man, it¡¯s a situation that one would normally be happy about, but I can¡¯t be completely happy being hugged by a woman whose eyes only seem to reflect money. So, I put on a vague smile while looking at Tia, who is calmly petting the cat with a gentle expression on her face. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s replace the microwave too! And the curtains! And how about ordering that gourmet food from Kururikan that I¡¯ve been curious about? I¡¯ll also get the latest cosmetics and do my makeup perfectly, and buy new clothes and underwear¡­ oh my, that¡¯s a bit naughty!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! Just get off! Go to work!¡± ¡°Kyafun!¡± I smacked Canal on the head and took another sip of coffee before turning my thoughts to future activities. CH 169 So, it¡¯s been two weeks since I started helping Canal with his work. Instead of the usual jobs in other worlds, such as exterminating magical beasts and gathering medicinal herbs, I get a lot of background checks and cat searches. ¡­¡­ I have no idea why I¡¯m missing so many cats, let alone background checks, but I¡¯m not sure. In the midst of the ¡­¡­ days, the request I received today was unusually different in color from those. ¡°So, why did you come here, Nee-chan?¡± ¡°Um, well. It¡¯s actually about the repayment of Lotus-san¡¯s debt. I was wondering if it would be possible to have a little more time and handle it in a more peaceful manner¡­¡± A huge stone tower called the Building. Surrounded by strong-looking men in a room on the 16th floor of the building, Canal was talking frantically next to me. Oh, and by the way, I am the only one who came here because even if a fatal mistake is made, I can use my banishment skill to somehow make it work, and I also performed a rough trick of gluing a crystal imitation made with [Copy and Fake] to my wrist. If someone investigates it, they¡¯ll realize it¡¯s a fake in an instant, but there aren¡¯t many people who would suspect someone for wearing something that everyone should naturally have. ¡°You know, Nee-chan, there¡¯s no way I¡¯m just gonna say ¡®I see¡¯ and take that kind of talk, you know that, right? Right¡± ¡°Y-Yes! Of course, I understand that. But you see, I just hope that you can believe in Lotus-san¡¯s sincerity¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous! If you¡¯re going to talk about sincerity, at least pay back the money you borrowed!¡± ¡°Hee!¡± As the young man behind us threatened us, Canal instinctively shrank her shoulders. Seeing that, the fierce-looking bald man with a beard sitting in front of us lightly glared at the young man before continuing his words to Canal. ¡°Oi, shut up! Sorry, Nee-chan, this young man has no patience.¡± ¡°N-no! Such a thing is¡­¡± "" ¡°But what he is saying is not wrong, you know? What you borrow from others, you must pay back. That¡¯s a natural thing for a human being to do. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°That may be true! But, you see, I have also received information about the interest rate being just a little bit higher than what is legally allowed¡­just a little bit, you know¡­¡± ¡°Huh? So what? We explain all of that clearly when we lend out money, you know? And they borrow from us with full understanding, so it doesn¡¯t matter.Well, whatever. If you have a problem with it, then you can pay us back instead. For now, one hundred million will do,¡± ¡°What?! W-why me!?¡± To Canal¡¯s astonishment, however, the bearded man replied with a faint smile. ¡°Why you ask? If Nee-chan, you came here, it means that the bastard Lotus had money to hire you even though he didn¡¯t have money to pay us back, right? Then you came here because you intend to pay back the debt instead of Lotus, don¡¯t you? Am I wrong?¡± ¡°Of course not! Why would I¨C¡° ¡°What then? You got money from a guy who borrowed money from us and came here with no intention of paying it back? That¡¯s not going to fly.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand! And besides, Lotus-san¡¯s debt is only two million yen,¡± ¡°That¡¯s the fine for sending a boring errand boy. Just pay it already!¡± ¡°Whoa!?¡± The bearded man slammed his big fist down on the table with a thump, and Canal again shrank her shoulders in fright. Ah, I guess there¡¯s no point in watching this anymore. ¡°No matter, Canal. Let¡¯s just go home.¡± ¡°E-Ed ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Oi Oi Nii-chan, what do you think you are doing?¡± The bearded man with a deep voice glared at me, but I paid him no attention. I completely ignored him and continued talking to Canal. ¡°You understand, right? You¡¯ve been set up from the beginning. I mean, why would you even take a job like this?¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s because I was asked by someone who has been giving me good-paying requests recently, so it was hard for me to refuse¡­¡± ¡°Oh, so you were set up at the request stage?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about that. These guys¡­ including not only that Lotus guy but also the person who gave you the request before him, are all in on it. They planned from the beginning to rip off money from you, Canal. I bet the information that you won a fortune in Dice Lane got out.¡± ¡°Huh, Why!?¡± Surprised again, Canal frantically looked around at the faces of the men and me. Ignoring her, the bearded man stared at me. ¡°Nii-chan, you are making a terrible accusation. Do you have any evidence for what you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°Evidence ? It¡¯s not fair to ask such a young woman for 100 million. It doesn¡¯t make any sense, and the way you¡¯re pushing the story is too forced. No one would be convinced by such a shoddy argument. But it¡¯s different with the Canal now. She¡¯s got a lot of money, so she might be willing to pay that amount rather than go through the trouble of dealing with you people. It¡¯s the perfect amount to pay to avoid any real trouble. Of course, once she pays it, you¡¯ll probably continue to hassle her for more money endlessly.¡± ¡°¡­ what is the basis for that?¡± ¡°Ah, let me rephrase that. I decided you¡¯re a scoundrel because your face scares me. So, I¡¯ve conveyed what I wanted to say. Now let¡¯s go, Canal.¡± ¡°Heh!? Uh-huh.¡± I rose from my chair, took Canal¡¯s hand, and turned around to see two young men dressed in matching black clothes standing in front of the only doorway. ¡°Hey, Nii-san, neither you nor I are brats. The world isn¡¯t so kind that you can just say ¡°let¡¯s go home¡± and we¡¯ll leave it at that, you know?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line. Do you really think that a group of unarmed men, about ten or so, can stop me?¡± At my words, the men surrounding us burst out laughing. ¡°Hahahaha! Hey, what¡¯s up with this guy!? We¡¯re unarmed!?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not seriously suggesting that you¡¯ll fight us with that splendid sword of yours, are you? What kind of street performance is this?¡± ¡°Hey, Nii-chan. I used to be quite a wild one in my younger days, but even I wasn¡¯t that stupid. So listen, Nee-chan, I won¡¯t say anything bad to you, just pay up quietly. Or are you going to put on some drama like that cosplay guy and have a big showdown?¡± ¡°Ed ¡­¡­¡± In front of the men who looked down on and ridiculed me, Canal turned a worried gaze towards me. I gently released my tightly clenched hand and without hesitation, I drew my sword, [Dawnbreaker] and punched the two men in front of me with the hilt of my sword. ¡°Ggggghhh!¡± You bastard, you did it! Oi, you guys¨C¡° The other men reacted by reaching into their pockets and trying to get something out, but there was no reason to wait for them to make such a foolish move. The five-meter square room was within the reach of my sword, and in just a few seconds, everyone but the bearded man was on the floor. ¡°Ah, let me rephrase that. Do you really think you can stop me with your skills that are no better than being unarmed?¡± ¡°You, bastard ¡­¡­ who are you?¡± ¡°Me? I¡¯m¨C¡° ¡°Hmmm, very interesting indeed.¡± Suddenly, there was a loud crash as the window in the room shattered, and someone jumped inside. With jet-black hair that flowed down to his waist, the all-black clad man, wearing a black coat over his black suit, and looking completely shrouded in black, kicked the surprised bearded man into the wall before landing soundlessly on the floor. ¡°I would love to hear from you. Who the hell are you?¡± The man asked, ¡°¡­¡­ that is something I¡¯d like to hear from you too.¡± What I could feel from the man was the presence of an overwhelmingly strong man who was of a different dimension from those lying on the floor. The one who pushed me away, who was supposed to be protecting Canal, was Canal. CH 170 ¡°John!¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, Canal. How many times have we met like this?¡± In response to Canal¡¯s questioning look, the man in black, called John, smiled and bowed. The man who was about 180 centimeters tall and slender appeared to be very picturesque. ¡­. Hmmm, at any rate, it doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s going to attack us out of the blue. The man in black, called John, smiles and bows to Canal¡¯s quizzical expression. ¡°Hey Canal, do you know him?¡± ¡± ¡­An acquaintance. I¡¯m not happy about it though.¡± ¡°Oh my, isn¡¯t that my line? You¡¯re the one who has been causing trouble at my workplace, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Ugh!? I-It¡¯s not that! I am just doing my job as usual ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Is this the result of doing a normal job?¡± John shrugged his shoulders in exasperation and looked around, while Canal made an extremely sour face. Canal is quite thick-skinned, but even she couldn¡¯t insist that this was a ¡°normal job¡± after seeing this scene. ¡°Well, then, let me go ahead and introduce myself first. My name is John D. Jones. Who are you? Why are you with Canal?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Ed¡­ just Ed. As for why I am with her¡­ am I like Canal¡¯s bodyguard or something?¡± I¡¯m not getting paid or anything, but there¡¯s no other suitable way to put it. Upon hearing my words, John raised his perfectly shaped eyebrows in surprise. ¡°Oh, a bodyguard? If that¡¯s the case, shouldn¡¯t a bodyguard avoid involving their employer in such danger?¡± ¡°I wish I could say that I gave maximum consideration to my employer¡¯s wishes there. Besides, this is not dangerous. You know that much, don¡¯t you?¡± If it was just Canal to protect, I could handle a hundred guys at my feet without any problems. That confidence is the reason why I silently accompanied her to such a shady place. Otherwise, I would have dragged her back forcibly before entering this building. But John, the man standing in front of me, is different. My instincts tell me that he is a strong opponent whom I need to be wary of. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t let my guard down, not even for a moment, even if I¡¯m making sarcastic remarks, and I¡¯m sure John feels the same way. ¡°T-That¡¯s right! Ed is protecting me!¡± ¡°Haa. Canal, you ought to be a little more observant¡­¡± ¡°We even sleep together in the office!¡± ¡°¡­¡­ what?¡± As Canal protested with only her face peeking out from behind my back, the pressure coming from John increased a notch. ¡°¡­Canal. Are you living together with this man?¡± ¡°Yes! Ed is pretty good at cooking, and when I sleep with my belly exposed, he covers me with a blanket and is kind to me!¡± (T/N: Do I sense a Carnage? Finally?) ¡°¡­¡­ Houu?¡± ¡°Wait a minute. Hold on. I feel like we¡¯re going in the wrong direction here,¡± I said, holding my sword in my right hand while extending my left hand forward. With the glimmer of killing intent appearing and disappearing from John¡¯s black eyes, this is definitely not a good situation. ¡°Indeed, Canal may be a bit of an airhead at times, but to overlook such despicable acts taking advantage of it¨C¡° ¡°Who are you calling an airhead!? I have carefully discerned with my own eyes that Ed is a good person! Well, admittedly there may be some suspicious things about him or he may have some issues with how he treats women but¨C¡° ¡°¨C is death.¡± ¡°Just wait! You know what? There¡¯s Two! My partner and I are being taken care of at Canal¡¯s place!¡± Feeling a chilling pressure around my neck, I hurriedly conveyed the message. Then the pressure from John gradually decreased, and his gaze shifted from me to Canal. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Hmm? Yes, I am. So it¡¯s like the three of us now. It¡¯s gotten quite lively, but well, it¡¯s not so bad,¡± ¡°¡­.., I see.¡± A murmur of relief escaped me, and the sense of caution I felt from John dropped to a minimum. I still can¡¯t relax, but for the time being, it seems that I¡¯m no longer being attacked without question. ¡°So, what is John doing here? I mean, how did you get in from the outside when we¡¯re on the 16th floor¡ª¡° ¡°I¡¯m here on business, of course. I¡¯m dealing with a rather complicated matter.¡± ¡°Complicated?¡± ¡°¡­¡­S.E.E.D.¡± ¡°Seed¡­..wait, could it be that S.E.E.D!?¡± (T/N: ¡®Seed¡¯ is written in japanese while SEED is written in english in raws.) ¡°Hm? Hey, Canal, what¡¯s a seed?¡± John, not Canal, answered my question, having no idea about the word, unlike the two who looked like they knew what they were talking about. ¡°Special Extended Ecstasy Drug¡­¡­ a.k.a. S.E.E.D. Unlike previous drugs that only gave physical pleasure, this latest drug expands the soul of the person who ingests it, giving them a sense of omnipotence for a short period of time.¡± (T/N: Bold because it is written in english in raw) ¡°Expanding the soul¡­ that¡¯s quite an exaggeration. Can it really do such a thing?¡± I knew that the technology in this world was ridiculously advanced, but I still find it hard to believe that it is possible for a human being to interfere ¡­ with the soul and even expand it. But John shook his head without changing his expression at my skepticism. ¡°It can be done. At least those who have taken it have felt it. Unlike conventional magic drugs, there are no physical side effects, so it seems to be quite popular among those in power.¡± ¡°Heh. Hmm? But if there are no side effects, then it¡¯s okay, right?¡± ¡°No, it is not. It¡¯s just that there are no physical side effects, but the side effects themselves are there. Once you take S.E.E.D, your forcibly expanded soul is distorted and you ¡­ will never be able to reincarnate again.¡± ¡°Huh!?¡± I gulped at John¡¯s words. Before I regained my memory as the Demon King, it wouldn¡¯t have hit me, but now I understand the gravity of the situation more than ever. ¡°Of course, this world is overflowing with life, not only human life but also fish, insects, plants, and many other forms of life. But no matter how many there are, they are finite. If S.E.E.D continues to spread, in a few thousand years, or even tens of thousands of years, there will be no life at all, and this world will die out.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s just a myth, isn¡¯t it? No one has been able to prove it.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right, Canal. But it will only be proven after the souls have been used up to the point that there is nothing more that can be done about it. ¡­ And even at that stage, there are likely to be people who use S.E.E.D. As long as there are people who want to enjoy the present rather than worrying about their future life, whether it really exists or not, the demand for it will never disappear.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true¡± That¡¯s right, even if it¡¯s your own soul, living your next life through reincarnation means living as someone else. Humans who can¡¯t even quit drinking for their own sake ten years from now won¡¯t be able to give up present pleasure for the sake of their next life, the existence of which is uncertain. ¡°That is why we need to eradicate it at this stage, when it has only spread to a very few wealthy people. For the future of this world.¡± ¡°I see you¡¯re still doing your noble work. So, how does that connect with these moneylenders? They¡¯re not making S.E.E.D., are they?¡± ¡°Of course. There is a rumor that a certain government agency is behind the creation of S.E.E.D., but the security is too tight to investigate directly. However, whenever something is created, there is always a flow of funds. So, we received information that a significant amount of money flowed into the organization from here this time¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­, M-Me!?¡± Upon receiving John¡¯s sharp glare, Canal points at her own face with a foolish expression. John lets out a deep sigh in response to her actions. ¡°Yes, It was certainly unexpected that the source of the funding was Canal¡­ you really surprised us,¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like having money either!¡± ¡°I agree with you, but you need to be more cautious in your actions¡­ and the same goes for your bodyguard.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. I¡¯ll make sure to keep that in mind.¡± I could only nod in response to John¡¯s sarcastic warning. In the first loop, I didn¡¯t even hit the Dice Lane, so I wasn¡¯t involved in this kind of incident, and both Tia and I had a much lower awareness or sense of caution regarding ¡°having a lot of money.¡± This realization came to me once again. While it¡¯s possible to handle most situations somehow, it¡¯s obviously better to navigate in a way that prevents problems from occurring in the first place. I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at Canal¡¯s words as she murmurs, ¡°I became so rich, yet I haven¡¯t been indulging in luxury, and I keep getting dragged into strange incidents. It feels like nothing good is happening to me¡­¡± CH 171 After that, we left John, who told us that he still had work to do, and left the building to head home. On the floor of the office, there were several intimidating men knocked out by Tia¡­ They must have been searching for materials to extort money from Canal¡­ It wasn¡¯t a big deal. ¡°Haa, haa¡­ Finally, it¡¯s over¡­¡± ¡°Good job.¡± After finishing the heavy labor of throwing the five men out of the building, I offered Canal a smile and a cup of coffee. Canal took it, grimaced for a moment at the heat, then cooled it with a puff and drank. ¡°Haa, that¡¯s better¡­ Why do I have to do this¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t be helped. Tia and I would stand out too much.¡± No matter how late at night, carrying unconscious people on your back would seem suspicious. If Tia or I had done it, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to fool the guards¡­ or in this world, the police? So, we had no choice but to ask Canal to do it. ¡°Besides, they were left alive, so this level of treatment was enough. Good job, Tia.¡± ¡°Hehe! See? I can read the atmosphere too!¡± ¡°Your world¡­¡± In our world¡­ or in most worlds, there would be no problem with beheading someone for a break-in robbery. However, we¡¯ve learned that murder seems to be a very high risk here. That¡¯s why we didn¡¯t kill anyone in that office, and Tia stuck to non-lethal force against the robbers, which resulted in this situation. ¡°Ah, I hate it, I hate it. In a culture where people carry swords, human life is cheap.¡± ¡°Hah! In any world, the lives of low-ranking people are cheap. As civilization advances, people just get better at hiding it.¡± ¡°Hmph, you say unpleasant things.¡± Canal puckered her lips but said nothing more. I¡¯ve been able to glance a little at the dark side of this world by helping with her work for a while. Yes, in the end, everyone just looks away and pretends not to see it. Even if they know it, they don¡¯t think about sacrificing themselves to make someone else¡¯s life better. Only saints from somewhere can blame such ¡°normalcy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Hey, Ed. Do you think souls really exist?¡± ¡°Hm? Is this about the drug from earlier?¡± During the sudden silence, I asked Canal, who nodded. ¡°Yes. They say it¡¯s the era of all-powerful magic knowledge, but even so, the existence of souls has not been confirmed. We can turn knowledge and memories into a database, and by transplanting that data-loaded core, we can achieve a kind of resurrection or reincarnation, but no one has ever succeeded in truly reviving the dead. The reason is that we can¡¯t prove the existence of souls¡­ in other words, we can¡¯t treat souls as a solid existence. But S.E.E.D. claims to expand the soul. If what John said is true, it would certainly be something irreversible, but I still think that it could be a groundbreaking technology that proves the existence of souls and ultimately leads to true immortality. That¡¯s why, I think S.E.E.D. has spread not only as a simple magical drug, but also because people have a desire to feel the potential that lies ahead directly.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± As I sipped my coffee, I noded at Canal¡¯s theory. Indeed, immortality and resurrection of the dead are things that have been sought after many times in every world. However, in most cases, they lead to inhumane experiments¡­ which cannot be proven without killing someone¡­ so they are often taboo. ¡°If you¡¯re asking whether I think souls exist, I¡¯d say they do. But when it comes to whether humans can do anything about them¡­ I can¡¯t really say. Atleast, I can¡¯t touch it because I can¡¯t use magic or anything.¡± ¡°Magic that interferes with the soul¡­ is it different from affecting the mind?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it? I think stuff like that just amplifies the emotions that people normally have, you know? If thoughts are the soul, then a golem with an artificial personality would be considered alive, but then you have to wonder when and where that golem¡¯s soul was born.¡± ¡°I see, so just because something has intelligence doesn¡¯t mean it has a soul, huh?¡± Thinking about it again, for example, the Demon King¡¯s power that I¡¯ve been collecting can somewhat communicate with me, but if you ask whether it has a soul¡­ what is it? The main soul is me, so it¡¯s hard to think that each of them has a separate soul, but they do act as independent beings as well¡­ Hmm? ¡°¡­Man, the more I think about it, the less I understand. So that¡¯s why people turn to those suspicious drugs, huh?¡± ¡°Maybe. There are still so many secrets in this world, and people want to know them¡­ That¡¯s why I became a detective.¡± ¡°¡­Huh? Wouldn¡¯t it have been better to become a scholar or a magician in that case?¡± Faced with Tia¡¯s innocent question, Canal¡¯s expression turns bitter. ¡°Well, you know¡­ that kind of stuff requires a lot of specialized knowledge, and I wasn¡¯t very good at magic¡­It¡¯s fine! I¡¯ll uncover the secrets with my own two feet! Like a golden lion head that talks while parasitizing people¡¯s crotches, or a giant dragon that flies beyond worlds, or a king of disasters that comes from beyond the seven nights!¡± (T/N: I kinda like Canal pretty fun to read) ¡°Heh.¡± ¡°¡­What, Now even you, people from otherworld, are going to laugh at my dreams too?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that, but¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°With just background checks and finding lost cats, you won¡¯t find any of that stuff, will you?¡± ¡°Shut up! I know that! But I have to make a living too, you know! Ugh, coffee isn¡¯t enough! I need alcohol! Let¡¯s drink!¡± ¡°Hey, are you really going to drink right now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine! You guys should join me too!¡± Ignoring my dumbfounded expression, Canal opened a chilled box in the kitchen and brought out five cans of alcohol. ¡°You know, if you only drink alcohol, you¡¯ll hurt your stomach, right?¡± Tia said, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll make some snacks too. Tia, you keep Canal company.¡± ¡°Roger that. Canal, let¡¯s drink and relax.¡± ¡°Uuu, Tia-chan! Ed is so mean! He¡¯s making fun of me!¡± ¡°There, there. Ed is mean, I know. Just slap him when the snacks are ready.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll slap him! With a big smack!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± While listening to their unreasonable words, I head to the kitchen and start rummaging for ingredients. I shouldn¡¯t pay attention to her drunken behavior right now. Pointing it out would only increase the number of times I get smacked. ¡°Hey Ed! Come over here and drink too! Oh, I want some tofu and edamame!¡± ¡°I¡¯d like some fried potato sticks! Salt is fine, but can you also bring that white stuff called mayo?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. Just wait a bit.¡± For the two young ladies, I began to cook the chosen ingredients. The advanced magic civilization was truly amazing, with the push of a button, not only did the fire start but the water boiled instantly, and even fried foods could be done in a matter of minutes. If this order had been placed at a normal inn I knew, they would likely have protested, ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± ¡°Thank you for waiting, young ladies. Here are your ordered dishes.¡± ¡°Yay! Thanks, Ed! Mmm, it¡¯s crispy.¡± ¡°Can you also make some omelets and fried chicken?¡± ¡°Hey, Canal, I can cook it, but are you really going to eat all of it?¡± ¡°I will! It¡¯s fine once in a while. If I got fat, I would just go to a spa and get my figure fixed. I was a millionaire then, so it was no big deal!¡± ¡°Jeez¡­¡± Responding to the whims of our demanding landlady, I returned to the kitchen to prepare the additional dishes. Our conversation about the soul had turned into trivial chit-chat, and in the end, we drank until sunrise. CH 172 I was almost killed after being framed by some punks, but managed to fight back and meet John. We went home and drank heavily until morning. After such a tumultuous day, what awaited us was¡­ an ordinary everyday life. There was no retaliation from the punks we had worried about, nor any investigation from the police or any other governing authorities. We were cautious and limited our activities for the first few days, but eventually decided there was no point in staying cooped up any longer and started taking on jobs again ¨C and two weeks passed. ¡°I¡¯m home!¡± ¡°Ah, welcome back Ed. You must be tired.¡± ¡°Yeah, thanks, Tia.¡± I had just finished a job cleaning up trash ¨C not metaphorically, but actual, regular trash ¨C and Tia greeted me warmly as I returned home. I plopped down on the couch, and a steaming cup of coffee was placed on the table in front of me. ¡°Here you go.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± (T/N: If this ain¡¯t a married couple idk what is) This coffee, a beverage that was rare outside of this world, had become something I drank every day after work. The bitter, black liquid slid down my throat, and the burning sensation it created in my stomach awakened my soul. ¡°Phew¡­ Where¡¯s Canal?¡± ¡°She hasn¡¯t returned yet.¡± ¡°I see. What was her job today¡­?¡± ¡°Looking for a cat.¡± ¡°¡­Looking for a cat, huh?¡± Just how many cats go missing in this town every day? The mysterious occurrences Canal had told me about seemed far less strange than the fact that so many cats disappeared so frequently. It was strange, but a job is a job. There must be a proportionate number of cats in a town with millions of people living in it. Each client was different, too. ¡°Well, if it¡¯s just looking for a cat, she¡¯ll be back eventually. When Canal returns, wake me up. I¡¯ll check on the night¡¯s request then. Until then, I¡¯ll take a break.¡± ¡°Understood. Rest well.¡± I called out to Tia and then closed my eyes, lying on the couch. As quiet moments passed¡­ ¡°Wake up. Hey, wake up, Ed.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Tia¡¯s voice and the shaking of my body brought me back to consciousness, my eyes still heavy with sleep. Tia¡¯s face was close to mine, her expression far from pleasant. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Tia? Did Canal come back?¡± ¡°No, Ed, it¡¯s the opposite. She hasn¡¯t returned.¡± ¡°She hasn¡¯t?¡± I sat up and looked out the window, only to see that night had completely fallen. I had lain down just after noon, which meant that about six hours had passed. ¡°Any contact?¡± ¡°None. That¡¯s why I¡¯m worried.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± In this world, there were magical tools that allowed people to communicate easily, even from a distance. The fact that there had been no contact despite being well past the scheduled time¡­ ¡°It seems she¡¯s gotten caught up in some sort of trouble. Manifest, ¡®Akashic Compass¡¯''¡± I summoned the ¡°Akashic Compass¡± into my hand and asked for Canal¡¯s location. The image that appeared within its metallic frame was Canal, bound to a chair and gagged. ¡°What the hell?! How did this happen just from looking for a cat?!¡± ¡°Is this payback for what happened before?¡± ¡°It feels like quite some time has passed since then, but either way, it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m going to help Canal, so I¡¯ll leave this place to you, Tia.¡± ¡°Leave it to me!¡± Compared to the bustling campsite filled with magical beasts attacking under the cover of darkness, it¡¯s a piece of cake to wait for some thugs in a brightly lit, fortified base. With no worries, I leave the office and head towards Canal using the ¡°Akashic Compass¡± once again. Although I say night, it¡¯s still early evening. I blend into the crowds on the magic-lit streets, trying not to stand out. Occasionally, I slip into dim alleys and quickly dash through the darkness like a cat. The unusually tall buildings around me make it frustratingly difficult to travel in a straight line towards my destination. ¡°Damn it, this is a dead-end. Maybe I should go back to that corner¡­ or maybe all the way back to the main street?¡± ¡°Hey, what are you doing here?¡± A man in dirty clothes approached me, blocked by a gray wall and a metal pipe. ¡°This is my turf. If you¡¯re looking for trash, go somewhere else.¡± ¡°Turf? Then do you know how to get to the other side of this dead-end?¡± ¡°The other side? The redevelopment district? Forget it. Sure, there might be better trash and treasures over there, but it¡¯s crawling with bad people. You¡¯ll end up dead.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good information. It¡¯d be helpful if you could tell me how to get there, too.¡± I flick a gold coin from my waist bag towards the man. However, he just glances at it and throws it back at me. ¡°Come on, it¡¯s a gold coin! You could exchange it for about 400,000 Obra, right?¡± "" ¡°Hah! That¡¯s if I can exchange it. Bringing something like that would just get me killed and robbed. If you want to give me something, give me this.¡± The man taps on the crystal on his left wrist. ¡°You¡¯re not saying that thing can¡¯t be stolen either, right?¡± ¡°Do you have any idea how much it costs to extract information from a fragment? It¡¯s a confirmed loss to steal from someone like us, so we can trust it. Here, the price for the information! I¡¯ll give you a discount, 500 Obra.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± At the man¡¯s words, I can¡¯t help but grimace. I also have a similar crystal on my left wrist, but it¡¯s a fake made by the [Copy and Fake]. Naturally, it doesn¡¯t contain any information, so I can¡¯t make transactions with it. Is there anything, anything at all? Something that can be easily exchanged for a decent amount of money¡­ Oh, I know. ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave a record of this transaction. How about this?¡± What I pulled out from my bag was a transmitter that was attached to a cat¡¯s collar. I got it because it was broken, but it¡¯s still a magical tool. I thought it might be worth some money in a place like this¡­ The man happily narrows his eyes as he receives it. ¡°Wow, this is from the Loizaani company! It¡¯s not in bad condition either. Where did you find it?¡± ¡°Well, I just got it through my regular work¡­¡± ¡°I see. I would have loved to go to a place where something of this level is lying around, but I guess it¡¯s not that easy. Fine, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± "" The man who tucked the broken transmitter into his pocket grinned slyly and gave me a few back alley directions. Using that information, I finally managed to reach the building where Canal was presumably held captive. ¡°Is she in here?¡± The man mentioned it was a redevelopment district, and true to his word, the buildings around here didn¡¯t have any lights. However, there was a faint light leaking from a part of the building¡­ a skyscraper? There was also the presence of numerous people beyond it. Now, the question was how to get to that place¡­ ¡°Why are you here?¡± John asked, ¡°That¡¯s my line, actually.¡± I asked back, Next to me, a slender man about 180 centimeters tall, dressed in black, crouched down. The gaze mixed with disbelief and caution was unmistakably John¡¯s. ¡°Canal is captured over there. What about you?¡± ¡°There was supposed to be an S.E.E.D. transaction happening there. Let me ask again, why is Canal there?¡± ¡°¡­She was supposed to be looking for a cat.¡± ¡°¡­A cat?¡± ¡°A cat. Not a metaphor or anything, she was really just looking for a cat¡­ and since the daytime too.¡± ¡°How did that lead to this¡­? I really don¡¯t understand her actions.¡± ¡°I wholeheartedly agree with you on that.¡± I nodded deeply at the frustrated John. I couldn¡¯t understand for the life of me why things had turned out this way. ¡°Well, no matter the situation, my job doesn¡¯t change. Yours too, right?¡± John said, ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s just do our best together.¡± ¡°Heh, if you¡¯re going to slow me down, at least be a decoy.¡± ¡°You just watch.¡± Although our goals were different, our course of action was nearly the same. We held our breath and attempted to infiltrate the building. (T/N: Had an exam on sunday, hence the delay) CH 173 In the darkness where only starlight was visible, two men stood at the main entrance of a building. From a hiding spot, I confirmed their presence, and John behind me spoke up. ¡°Two of them, huh¡­ Just to confirm, you can see them clearly, right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Compared to being on guard for magical beasts in a deep forest, it¡¯s easy to sense the presence of humans standing in the orderly town. And given the situation, it¡¯s likely the same for them¡­ in other words, overconfidence in the darkness would lead to being taken by surprise. ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll take care of the one on the left, so you handle the one on the right.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Assuming from the start that we can see them, there¡¯s no problem in taking action. I leaned out from around the corner and activated [Hermes Dash] to instantly close in on the man, striking his head with the back of my sword. As he fell, the other man beside him collapsed, and John gently caught him. ¡°Nice work.¡± ¡°You too. By the way, was it okay to kill him?¡± John, unapologetic, answered while placing the man with a small hole in his forehead on the ground. ¡°It¡¯s more important not to make a fuss, so yes, if necessary. But please don¡¯t behead them with that sword. Cleaning up afterward would be too much of a hassle.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± The standards of ¡°discretion¡± in this world are hard to understand, but if he says it¡¯s okay, I guess it¡¯s fine to cut them down if necessary. For now, we¡¯ve dealt with the immediate obstacles. All that¡¯s left is to enter the building and climb up¡­ ¡°Hey, wait!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± John suddenly stopped me, and I halted in my tracks. His face was twisted in frustration, and I could detect the presence of people stirring above us. ¡°Are you an idiot!? Why didn¡¯t you watch out for security cameras and sensors!?¡± ¡°Huh? Cameras and sensors?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ Anyway, they now know we¡¯ve infiltrated this building. Armed guards will be swarming us at any moment.¡± ¡°What!? Why!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you screwed up! Anyway¡­ just like we agreed before, if you¡¯re going to hold me back, you might as well be a decoy.¡± ¡°Hey, wait!¡± As John unilaterally declared this and ran off, the lights inside the building come on, and several men came down the stairs. ¡°There he is, the intruder!¡± ¡°The guards have been¡­ taken out. Don¡¯t kill him, incapacitate him and make him talk!¡± ¡°Damn it, what the hell is going on!? I don¡¯t understand!¡± Facing the men with small magical devices in their hands, I can¡¯t help but curse. I may not be able to keep up with the situation, but there¡¯s only one thing to do now. ¡°Well, whatever. If I¡¯m a decoy, might as well go all out and cause some chaos!¡± ¡°Fire!¡± As I raised my [Dawnbreaker] sword once more, something was fired from the enemy¡¯s magical devices, striking my arms and legs with force. These small, high-speed projectiles were too much for even me to defend against, but with my [Invincible] activated, there was no need to block them in the first place. ¡°What the- it¡¯s not working!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a shield! Throw jammer grenades!¡± Surprised to see me unharmed, the enemy rolled several metal spheres towards my feet. The fist-sized objects were difficult to cut through, I managed to cut two of them, but the remaining three exploded with a cracking sound¡­ However, nothing happened. ¡°Huh? What was that?¡± ¡°Alright, fire!¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s no use, it¡¯s not effective!¡± "" ¡°Why not!? Are you saying it¡¯s military-grade!?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Although I had merely defended myself with [Invincible] the men were in complete chaos. It seemed like I could easily defeat them all right now, but¡­ Since I am supposed to be a decoy, it would be better to buy some time, right? I looked relaxed just standing there¡­ ¡°Hey, you guys, back off!¡± While I was contemplating, a particularly large man pushed his comrades aside and approached me. ¡°If bullets don¡¯t work, it¡¯s probably an inertial field barrier, huh? If we had a Gatling Blaster, we could break through, but this is quicker.¡± The bald-headed man, with a vicious grin on his face, clenched his knuckle duster. ¡°You¡¯re waving around an antique sword too. Then I¡¯ll beat you up with this!¡± ¡°Great, you¡¯re straightforward! I¡¯ll take you on!¡± ¡°Get crushed!¡± I deflected the big man¡¯s fist with the back of my [Dawnbreaker] sword. There was a clashing sound, and the man¡¯s arm bounced up, but immediately another fist plunged into my side. ¡°Ugh¡­ That was light!¡± "" ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me! I¡¯ll break you next time!¡± Despite the throbbing pain in my side, I continued to confront the big man. My sword was single, but the enemy¡¯s fists were two. Moreover, he was physically stronger, putting me at a slight disadvantage. However, I wasn¡¯t completely losing. Dodging his swinging fists and returning the favor, I slammed the back of my [Dawnbreaker] sword into the big man¡¯s side¡­ What!? ¡°URYAAAA!!¡± ¡°Damn, it didn¡¯t work!?¡± ¡°Heh heh, the tables have turned now.¡± It seems that under his normal clothes, he¡¯s wearing high-performance armor. My attack doesn¡¯t faze him, and he continues to throw punches at me as I¡¯m forced to retreat. ¡°What now? Your attack won¡¯t work on me!¡± ¡°Hey, hey, just because you could withstand one hit, you¡¯re whining? Are you only big in size?¡± In the storm of raging fists, I desperately defended and counterattacked. It seemed like an even match, but I was gradually being cornered. That¡¯s when a small whisper reached my ear. ¡°It¡¯s alright now.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± "" ¡°Have you given up? Then die!¡± The big man¡¯s fist exploded in my face as I dropped my guard. But¡­ ¡°What!? What is this!?¡± ¡°Sorry, playtime¡¯s over.¡± Although his fists hit my unprotected face, they couldn¡¯t hurt me anymore. I had turned off my banishment skills for a dramatic fight, but now nobody could stop me. ¡°Why, why isn¡¯t it working!? Did you switch shields!? You guys, shoot him! The guns might work now¨C¡° ¡°They won¡¯t.¡± With one swing of my sword, the limbs of the men around me were severed. The groans and strong smell of iron filled the air, and the big man¡¯s face twisted in fear. ¡°What the hell is this!? What happened!?¡± ¡°You get it, right? I was just buying some time.¡± ¡°Grrr¡­ ahhhhhhhh!!!¡± Anger, fear, and the world¡¯s injustices all fuel the man¡¯s powerful fist as it charges at me. I fend it off with my sword once more, but this time with the blade instead of the back. ¡°GYAAAHHHH!? MY HAND!? MY ARM!?¡± ¡°Oops, maybe I cut a bit too much because it was too soft? Well, get it treated later. You¡¯re lucky to be born in a world with such advanced civilization.¡± ¡°Th-the pain¡­ AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!¡± ¡°Well, even then, it seems coming back to life after death is impossible.¡± Instead of cowering in fear, the man still advanced. There¡¯s no reason to hold back. I cut off the man¡¯s head and leave the place filled with resentful groans. Afterward, I casually fend off the sporadic attacks while climbing the stairs¡­ Finally, I reached the destination room. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± For some reason, Canal is still tied to a chair, and a magical device that shoots debris is pressed against her head. CH 174 In a simple, unadorned large room, all the window-like areas along the walls are covered with thick curtains, and numerous magical devices attached to the ceiling emit a brightness like that of midday. In the center of the room, Canal is tied to a chair, tearfully looking at me. On her left and right, men in black suits hold magical devices that shoot debris, and dozens more similarly dressed men crowd the room. But that¡¯s not the issue¡­ (What? Why hasn¡¯t Canal been saved yet?) From the voices I heard earlier, I thought Canal¡¯s rescue was over, but apparently the division of roles is still valid¡­¡­ Tsk, I played the decoy, so he should have taken care of it by now. ¡°Mm! Mm!¡± Despite having a gag in her mouth, she was desperately trying to say something. One of the men standing next to her removes the gag. ¡°Puhah! EDDDDDDD!¡± The magical device was pressed against the noisy Canal¡¯s head. I think they shouldn¡¯t have removed the gag in the first place, when a round, flat metal plate in the room shined and a translucent figure appeared above it. [Hey there, thanks for coming.] ¡°¡­Who are you?¡± It¡¯s probably illusion magic. The illusion of a man sitting in a chair without a head above his neck crosses his legs in response to my words, showing off his confidence. [Let¡¯s see¡­ You can call me Ghost, I guess. I¡¯m a person who shouldn¡¯t exist in the same place as you guys.] ¡°Wow, that¡¯s quite a title. So, what does Ghost-sama want with me?¡± [I¡¯d like to ask you the same question. Your friend here is quite stubborn. Despite my subordinates interrogating her, all she would say was that she was looking for a cat and knew nothing. I was planning to use more aggressive methods to extract information if no one contacted her overnight, but¡­ I¡¯m glad that concern is resolved. Now that you¡¯ve made it this far, the possibility that it was a coincidence is gone.] ¡°Ah¡­¡± At Ghost¡¯s words, I forced a bitter smile inwardly. Indeed, it¡¯s barely possible that Canal stumbled upon their dealings or whatever while searching for a cat. However, being able to accurately pinpoint the location of the kidnapped Canal in a short time and deploy forces to help her is beyond coincidence. In other words, coming to rescue Canal has ruled out the possibility that Canal stumbled upon them by chance. But it¡¯s not like we could just leave her either. Considering the circumstances so far, it¡¯s obvious that if we left her alone, she would be silenced ¡°just in case.¡± [Do you mind telling me for reference? How did you find out about this place? Who is your master with such information-gathering capabilities?] ¡°I¡¯m not into showing off my hand to the enemy and bragging about it. That¡¯s something only villains who are confident in their victory do, right? And then they self-destruct afterward.¡± [I see, that¡¯s harsh. But¡­ aren¡¯t you guys at the ¡®brink of destruction¡¯ right now?] ¡°¡­¡± At Ghost¡¯s words, I replied with silence. Pleased, Ghost continues talking on his own. [You don¡¯t know anything about me, but I¡¯ve memorized your faces. From now on, no matter where you are or what activities you engage in, I will know everything. You won¡¯t be able to carry out your activities as agents or even live your daily lives without my permission. So¡ª] ¡°¡­Curon.¡± Suddenly, Canal let out a word. In that faint whisper, one could easily miss if not paying attention, the ghost¡¯s speech came to a halt. [What?] ¡°Curon. You¡¯re Curon C. Kestrel.¡± [¡­Why do you think I¡¯m such a famous person? There¡¯s nothing in common between him and me¡ª] ¡°I know.¡± Canal¡¯s red eyes, the same color as her hair, emitted a faint golden flame. She stared directly at the phantom man, the ghost, as if she had forgotten all tension and fear, and declared with certainty. ¡°Voice and holographic images can be adjusted however you like, but words are different. Your words are your will. Even if you prepare a script and have someone read it exactly as written, the words will still carry the intent of the person who spoke them.¡± [¡­¡­] ¡°Your will is unique to you. You can¡¯t deceive or lie. Because if you do, you¡¯ll no longer be you. You¡¯re a famous person. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve had many opportunities to come across your words, your intentions. It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s public or private, speeches or soliloquies. All of them are your intentions¡­ and that¡¯s why I won¡¯t mistake you. Isn¡¯t that right, Curon C. Kestrel?¡± Deriving only one truth from information as many as the number of stars twinkling in the sky. That was the first time I saw the true worth of information hero Canal B. Caroline. For a moment that felt like an eternity, silence ensued. It was broken by a bitter voice from the now completely immobile phantom. [..It seems your companion is far more skilled than I anticipated. Kill them for sure.] ¡°Not gonna happen!¡± As the phantom disappeared, the trigger of the magic device pressed against Canal¡¯s head was about to be pulled. But I stepped in faster with the [Hermes Dash] and slashed through the fingers and magic device. Immediately after, I sliced off the arm of the man next to her, scooped up the limp Canal, and retreated. However, more men had already blocked the entrance, and others were pointing their magic devices at us. ¡°Kill them!¡± ¡°Tch!¡± As metal shards flew towards us, I crouched down, holding the unconscious Canal. While my [Invincible] ability made me immune to their attacks, I couldn¡¯t retaliate while protecting Canal. But there was no need to panic. We still had a trump card. ¡°Hurry up! Or I¡¯ll throw Canal out!¡± Crash! Responding to my shout, a window shattered, and a black figure leapt in. As the enemies¡¯ attention shifted for a moment, I moved away from Canal and began to cut down the surrounding foes. ¡°What?! Damn it, fire, fire!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let you.¡± The enemies¡¯ attacks were split between Canal and me. Naturally, Canal became defenseless, but John threw something that created a thin yellow membrane around her. Even with the popping sounds, Canal remained unharmed, so it seemed the long-range attacks could be ignored with this protection. ¡°What a rough way of doing things. What were you planning to do if I didn¡¯t help?¡± ¡°But you did help, right? That¡¯s all that matters!¡± I was certain that John would save Canal. That¡¯s why I took action, and it worked. The two of us kept defeating the enemies one after another¡­ but suddenly, the ceiling collapsed, and a giant metal golem fell. ¡°Whoa!? Hey, won¡¯t the floor collapse?!¡± ¡°Is that what you¡¯re worried about? Well, I do agree.¡± Before the gleaming metal giant, John and I took our stances with Canal behind us. It seemed that my cooperation with this man I had just met was far from over. CH 175 The ceiling was shattered and what descended was a stout, chubby, metal golem about three meters long. It was clearly heavy, and in fact, cracks appeared on the floor from the impact of its landing, with the sound of it cracking echoing in real time. ¡°Hey, John, I have to ask, is that thing meant to go on a rampage indoors?¡± ¡°Hell no! Look, it¡¯s coming!¡± ¡°Whoa!?¡± At the end of the golem¡¯s arms were countless metal tubes. As they began to rotate at high speed, an unimaginable force of debris was launched at us, far more powerful than anything a person could use. ¡°Wait, wait, wait! Isn¡¯t that a lot more powerful than before!? The floor is seriously going to give out!¡± ¡°Is it trying to bury us alive by destroying the entire building? If hiding the evidence is the goal, it might intend to level the entire place.¡± ¡°What do we do then!?¡± ¡°Even though it¡¯s not the latest model, there¡¯s no way to deal with a military battle golem. Mine and Canal¡¯s shields won¡¯t last more than ten seconds.¡± ¡°Tch. Then¡­you two get out of here first!¡± I stepped forward to protect not only Canal but also John. The pressure from the shower of debris increased, and if I were to release my banishment skill, my body would be reduced to mincemeat in the blink of an eye. ¡°¡­Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yeah! Three, two, one¡­¡± Without looking back, I braced myself and drew my sword. I charged at the golem with the [Hermes Dash] and slashed at the base of the golem¡¯s left arm with the [Dawnbreaker] in an upward motion. (It¡¯s hard! But¡ª) The enemy¡¯s hardness was higher than I thought, and my sword couldn¡¯t cut through it. However, the impact absorbed by my [Orbit Reflector] was at its maximum capacity! ¡°Take this!¡± I forced the golem¡¯s arm off by adding half of the impact to my own. The huge chunk of metal flew through the air, and the floor shattered when it fell. ¡°Go!¡± John took the opportunity of the collapsing footing to retreat with Canal. The golem, which had fallen unstably, aimed its remaining right arm at them, but I wasn¡¯t going to let it attack. ¡°I WON¡¯T LET YOU!¡± I used the remaining half of the impact to kick the golem¡¯s right arm away. As a result, the golem¡¯s massive body fell, the floor completely gave way, and the entire building began to collapse. ¡°UOOOOOOHH!!!?¡± Even as it fell, the golem continued to shoot debris at me. Desperately defending myself from the pouring rubble and debris, I suddenly felt my foot touch a piece of rubble. ¡°Here¡¯s my chance!¡± Normally, kicking a piece of rubble that wasn¡¯t fixed in place wouldn¡¯t give me much thrust. However, if I activate the [Orbit Reflector] at my toes, my body will shoot out faster than the golem¡¯s flying debris. ¡°Pierce through!¡± I thrusted [Dawnbreaker] straight head, beautifully piercing through the golem¡¯s abdomen. I clung to the golem as we both spun around, and when the golem was on the ground side, I activated the ¡°Orbit Reflector¡± to finish it off. The launched golem crashed to the ground with a thunderous noise¡­and I fell after it. BOOOOOM! In complete darkness, I felt an intense impact all over my body and waited. When it became quiet after a few minutes, I activated the [Orbit Reflector] again to finish it. The golem crashed into the ground with a thunderous noise¡­ and I fell down as well. Gooooooon!! In the pitch-black darkness, I waited, feeling a strong impact all over my body. After a few minutes of silence, I reactivated the [Orbit Reflector] and crawled out from under the rubble. ¡°Phew¡­ I made it!¡± Even though it¡¯s nighttime, the area was quite bright due to fires sparking from the debris. This made it easy to see the things I¡¯d rather not. ¡°Haha, what a disaster¡­¡± The building I had infiltrated was gone, and the surrounding buildings had also sustained significant damage. The ground had collapsed, and rubble filled the crater. This is awful. I don¡¯t think even a rampaging dragon could cause this much damage. If anyone else were caught up in this, they would undoubtedly die. Crash! ¡°Huh? Hey, hey, hey!¡± I turned around at the sound and saw the golem, with a hole in its belly, standing there. Its body was battered, sparks were flying from its joints, and it didn¡¯t seem capable of fighting¡­ ¡°Are you¡­ going to explode or something!?¡± The once sleek and black golem now appeared strangely red-hot and swollen. The word ¡°cover-up¡± that John mentioned flashed through my mind. ¡°Dangerous!?¡± Without any hesitation, I kicked the ground with all my strength. I activate [Hermes Dash], [Mirage Shift], [Invincible], [Magia Absorption], and pOrbit Reflector all at once]. Despite all this, I felt death closing in from behind. Bzzzzzzzzt! ¡°Guh!¡± As I tumbled onto the ground, I saw a white light that reached just in front of my feet. The light, shining like the sun, scorched everything in its path, leaving a pungent smell and causing the debris to disappear. There¡¯s no trace of the building anymore. The concave ground had a glass-like melted surface, yet there was no residual heat. In fact, there was no impact outside the range of the light, which must be due to some special magic tool. I wonder how effective my banishment skills would be against this? I don¡¯t even want to think about testing it. ¡°Hahaha¡­ the magic tools of the future are no joke¡­¡± With a forced smile, I stand up. I¡¯ve managed to survive the night, but my problems are far from solved. ¡°They saw my face, and Canal¡¯s too¡­ What should we do?¡± It seems our enemies are famous people in this world. Dealing with such an organization is going to be difficult. If I only had to take down Ghost¡­ or was it Curon? I could locate jim with the [Akashic Compass], infiltrate with [Mirage Shift], and assassinate him, but that won¡¯t be enough since they¡¯re not a simple bandit group. ¡°¡­sigh, I¡¯ll think about it later. For now, I need to regroup with Canal¡­ or should I head back to the office?¡± I realized I hadn¡¯t specified how to meet up with John and briefly pondered the issue. I could track him with the [Akashic Compass], but I don¡¯t want to stalk someone who helped Canal recklessly. As for pursuers, John should be fine. He struggled because he was cornered indoors, but outside, he can handle even a golem. ¡°In that case, I guess I¡¯ll head back to the office. If she doesn¡¯t return by morning, I¡¯ll go out and search for her again.¡± Brushing off the dust from my clothes, I started walking towards the office. Ideally, I¡¯d like to buy a small gift along the way, but in this world, money information was stored in the crystals on our wrists, so cash was hardly in circulation. It might be possible with the sort of person I met earlier, but it¡¯s unlikely that a regular store would accept my junk as payment for their goods. ¡°Well then, time to go back and get some sleep¡­.. Haaah~~~¡± As I yawned lightly, I slowly made my way back home, walking down a strangely empty street despite all the commotion that just took place. CH 176 ¡°Hmm¡­?¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake.¡± In a completely deserted back alley at night, John slightly slowed down his pace and spoke to the groaning voice he heard from behind him. There was drool dripping onto his shoulder, but he didn¡¯t care about it now. ¡°Huh? John?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It seems like you¡¯re alright, given your condition.¡± Canal, speaking with a sleepy voice, caused John to let out a wry smile. Then, Canal tilted her head slightly and quickly remembered what happened just moments ago. ¡°Is there something wrong with my body¡­!? What about Ed!?¡± ¡°He¡¯s fighting against the enemy in that building to save us.¡± ¡°Eh!? Is he okay!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. But from my perspective, I think he¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Really? Well, he was fine last time too, and if John says so¡­¡± Canal reluctantly agreed with John¡¯s words, her expression showing a bit of anxiety. However, her memory only went as far as being surrounded by men with guns. If she had known that Ed was fighting against a military battle golem, she would have immediately urged John to turn back and would have hit him on the head. ¡°Still, why do you always get involved in such dangerous situations?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to know that too! It¡¯s not like I¡¯m doing this on purpose¡­ Seriously, what¡¯s going on!?¡± ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯m not sure how to answer that.¡± Canal, who became a detective with dreams of learning everything about the world, found that her work mostly consisted of mundane tasks like investigating infidelity, searching for lost cats, tidying up shops, and walking pets, far from what she imagined detective work to be. Yet for some reason, Canal sometimes gets involved in such unexpected trouble. By sheer coincidence, John has now saved her from what would be a fatal situation for most people four times. ¡°Anyway, it looks like you¡¯re alright now. I still have things to do, so can you go back to the office by yourself?¡± John stopped completely and put Canal down from his back. She pouted with slightly flushed cheeks. ¡°Of course! I¡¯m not a little kid! I can obviously go back to the office!¡± ¡°Alright then. Just go straight from here, and you should reach a familiar street. Well then¡­¡± ¡°I got it. So, uh, John?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Thanks¡­ for saving me.¡± Canal mumbled her thanks awkwardly, and John restrained a smile from forming on his lips as he answered calmly. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I¡¯m just helping because I wouldn¡¯t sleep well if an acquaintance died, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°You always say that, John! Well, it¡¯s like you, I guess¡­ See you!¡± Canal showed a bright smile and then started jogging away from the scene. Following behind her was a familiar spirit, whose existence was completely concealed by a power fundamentally different from the magic technology of this world. John was the only one who knows about it. ¡°With this, Canal should be fine. Now then¡­ how about you come out?¡± ¡°Heh, so you noticed me?¡± Suddenly, about five meters in front of John, the world flickered, and a burly man clad in a powered exoskeleton appeared. ¡°My camouflage was supposed to be perfect!¡± ¡°Hmph, there¡¯s no such thing as perfect in this world. More importantly, are you the only one pursuing me? I thought there would be a few more special forces members coming.¡± ¡°¡­How much do you know?¡± ¡°Who knows? I have no idea why a general who disappeared from the public stage three years ago would be out here.¡± ¡°Ha, I got tired of the life of flaunting my medals and decided to come here, and it seems like it was the right decision.¡± The man, his body wrapped in a metallic frame, pulled a thin rod from his waist. A magically heated blade appeared on the rod, and the dust and debris floating around crackled as they touched it. ¡°The boss praised you, you know? He said no matter where or how he searched, he couldn¡¯t figure out who your master was. But if I kill you here, it¡¯s over!¡± As the man stepped towards John, two drones hidden by magical optical camouflage fired live ammunition. John twisted his body to avoid the bullets, and the man slashed at him with his plasma blade. ¡°Tch!¡± ¡°YEAH, dodge, dodge! If you even touch it a little, you¡¯ll be turned to ashes in an instant!¡± ¡°I see, close-range weapons can be quite powerful in situations like this. It makes it hard to underestimate him.¡± ¡°Haha! Once I¡¯ve cut you down, I¡¯ll go after that woman! I¡¯ll scramble her brain, make her scream in agony, and kill her!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What, giving up? Then die!¡± Contrary to the excited man, John¡¯s expression disappeared from his face. The man was delighted to slash at the motionless John, but his expression turned to shock. ¡°W-what¡­!?¡± ¡°How disappointing.¡± John grabbed the plasma blade, which was over 10,000 degrees, with his bare hand. With just a little force, the glowing blade let out a crackling sound and disappeared. ¡°I was in a good mood today and thought I¡¯d play along, but¡­ I see, you¡¯re that kind of vulgar guy. Then it¡¯s over.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mess with me! Fire, fire, fire!¡± Bullets rained down on John¡¯s back from the drones, but they were all blocked and disappeared by the black haze rising from his body. ¡°What the hell is that!? What kind of defense mechanism!?¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand. I¡¯ve never given you any knowledge about this.¡± ¡°Ha!? Then how about this!?¡± The man stabbed a high-frequency vibrating knife at John¡¯s bored-looking face, but it was also blocked by the black haze, and the blade never reached John. ¡°A stasis shield!? That¡¯s ridiculous, there¡¯s no way you can maintain that output with full jamming!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I say it¡¯s not something so vulgar? Well, whatever¡­¡± John¡¯s hand swiftly reached out and grabbed the man¡¯s face. For some reason, the man¡¯s body couldn¡¯t move at all, and his face showed terror for the first time. ¡°What the hell is this!? Neurotoxin? Did you hack my powered exoskeleton? Or is it some kind of illegal mind control¨C¡° ¡°Silence.¡± Upon hearing John¡¯s words, the man¡¯s mouth ceases to move. His wide-open eyes dart around frantically, but there¡¯s no way this situation will improve just by doing that. ¡°Listen, General, I like humans. Not just the honest ones, but also foolish and vulgar ones like you. After all, it takes a mix of both to make humanity what it is, right? Justice and evil are just names given to the sides of a tilted scale, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But, if you¡¯re going to lay a hand on her, that¡¯s a different story. I can enjoy a little mishap, but anything beyond that is unacceptable. I can laugh and forgive a playful child for getting their clothes dirty, and if they fall and cry, I¡¯d gently pat their head. If a mischievous friend comes along, I¡¯d nervously watch over them. But those who clearly intend to harm are not allowed. She is mine, and I won¡¯t allow anyone else to hurt her. In other words¨D¨D¡± ¡°¡­¡­?!¡± ¡°You are not needed in this world. Be gone.¡± With a puff, a black flame materialized, and the man¡¯s body, along with his equipment, turned to dust and vanished. At the same time, the drones flying with a crashing sound fell, and as John cast his gaze upon them, they too turned to dust and disappeared. ¡°Phew. Well, that¡¯s it for now, I guess. It seems like things are wrapping up over there too.¡± As if nothing had happened, John muttered and glanced at the building where Ed was fighting. If things continued this way, it would become quite a spectacle, which was not John¡¯s intention. So, John melted into the darkness of the night. A tremendous explosion echoes in the surroundings just one minute later. CH 177 When I got back to the office, Canal had already returned. Just to be cautious, I asked Tia to keep an eye out for pursuers while Canal and I took a nap. We then spent about three days lying low and hiding. On the morning of the fourth day, after making sure there were no signs of surveillance or a single attack, I finally relaxed my guard. ¡°Phew, I guess we¡¯re fine for now since nothing happened. How about you?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. The explosion itself made the news, but it¡¯s being explained as a gas leak from deteriorating underground pipes that caused the explosion.¡± Canal, who had been fiddling with a box-shaped magical device called a Magicon that displayed images, relayed the information she had gathered. It¡¯s amazing how you can collect information from all over the world while in a room, but this world is both convenient and inconvenient. After all, our information can also be transmitted in an instant. ¡°Gas, you mean the burning air, right? There¡¯s something that causes such a massive explosion underground that turns the ground into glass and completely destroys buildings?¡± ¡°No way! And besides, they didn¡¯t write about those details, so I think they probably hid the truth and made it seem like a regular accident. It also says there were no casualties since the building was unmanned.¡± ¡°Well, I guess so.¡± As I nibbled on my morning bread, I agreed with Canal¡¯s words, although I was not familiar with the situation in this world. It¡¯s hard to imagine that such things happen on a regular basis. Since Cuhron, who seemed like a person with power, was involved, it¡¯s natural to assume that they covered up the incident. But¡­ ¡°Why haven¡¯t they done anything to us?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± At my muttered question, Canal showed a puzzled expression. That¡¯s right, if they wanted to cover everything up, they should have silenced us first. It¡¯s impossible for us to be left alone since our faces were seen. However, for the past three days, no danger has come to us. In a world where information travels in the blink of an eye, it¡¯s unnatural for nothing to happen, which only fuels our anxiety. ¡°Maybe they¡¯re letting us off the hook? But there¡¯s no reason to let us go, right?¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that.¡± Interrupting Canal¡¯s worried words, a voice came from outside the room. As we looked up, we saw John entering the room through the window, which should have been locked. ¡°John!?¡± ¡°Who!? Oh, this person is John? Why did you come in through the window?¡± ¡°Haha, it¡¯s a matter of personal preference, Ojou-san. I believe this is our first meeting. Nice to meet you, I¡¯m John D. Jones.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯m Lunaritia.¡± ¡°Glad you¡¯re safe. Want some coffee?¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± ¡°Why is Ed making coffee!? No, he saved me, so I¡¯ll make him coffee!¡± As we chatted noisily, we all took our seats at the table. Tia and I sat next to each other, with Canal and John sitting across from us. ¡°So, John, what do you mean by ¡®don¡¯t worry¡¯?¡± ¡°Fufu, I went out of my way to ensure that no pursuers would come after you and Canal.¡± ¡°Can you really do that!? It must have been tough¡­¡± ¡°Well, it was tough, but if I didn¡¯t do it, you¡¯d be targeted for the rest of my life. Especially since Canal figured out Curon¡¯s true identity.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ I honestly don¡¯t remember much about that time¡­¡± Canal made a face, but John responded with an exasperated tone. ¡°Do you think the enemy will believe that? I¡¯ve dealt with it for now, but if you get involved in another S.E.E.D-related incident, be careful not to get die.¡± ¡°I know! Why did this even happen¡­ I was just looking for a cat¡­¡± ¡°Come on, Canal. It¡¯s a chance to challenge the truth of the world you dreamed of.¡± ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s more like a childhood dream, and facing reality is too dangerous¡­¡± ¡°If you think so, then you need to make an effort. Either gain the power to face it, or the caution not to. Without either, you¡¯ll quickly lose.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Canal pouted, but I was sure of it. Canal is a hero. The coincidences up until now were inevitable, and they will continue. She might be denying it, but deep down, she hasn¡¯t given up on her dream. ¡°It¡¯s okay. If you have trouble, just rely on John. It¡¯s like how I rely on Ed.¡± ¡°Ojou-san, are you telling me to continue cleaning up after Canal? I¡¯m not always free, you know¡­¡± As Tia spoke to the somewhat dejected Canal, John furrowed his brows. ¡°But you¡¯re here now, aren¡¯t you? You make a good team.¡± ¡°Yeah. If we can fully utilize Canal¡¯s power, it¡¯ll work to John¡¯s advantage, right? Identifying someone just by talking through an illusion is quite incredible.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± With a grin, I spoke, and John showed a slightly troubled face. Canal, who had been drinking coffee next to us, put her cup down with a click and stared straight at John. ¡°Right. It seems like you helped me out again this time, so I¡¯ll cooperate if there¡¯s anything I can do.¡± ¡°Fine. Then please behave yourself. It would be much easier for me if you don¡¯t get involved in unnecessary trouble and I don¡¯t have to rescue you.¡± ¡°Hmph! It¡¯s not like I want to be involved in trouble!¡± ¡°Then act more ladylike. At this rate, you won¡¯t even find a boyfriend, let alone get married.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine! I¡¯ll focus on my work! Hmph!¡± After finishing her coffee, Canal angrily disappeared into the kitchen with her empty cup. John watched her leave with a calm expression¡­ I scratched my head and spoke up. ¡°Hey, John. Can we talk, just the two of us?¡± ¡°With you? Unfortunately, I¡¯m not interested in being alone with another man¡­¡± ¡°Come on, don¡¯t say that. Or¡­ should I grab your shoulder and¡­ take you there?¡± ¡°Sigh, what a forceful invitation. I can¡¯t help it.¡± At my invitation, John let out a small sigh and stood up. I also spoke to Tia, and the two of us climbed the stairs to the rooftop of the building. ¡°Ah, being up high feels good! It would be perfect if the surrounding buildings weren¡¯t taller¡­¡± Even though there were taller buildings around us, the morning sun¡¯s rays were soft, and I leaned against the railing. ¡°So, what is it? I¡¯m not free either, so please make it brief.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be in such a hurry. You have an idea, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What could it be? Even though we¡¯ve been through a lot, you and I barely have any connection. How could I possibly know what you want to talk about?¡± ¡°The Demon King.¡± At my words, however, John continued speaking without changing his expression. ¡°The Demon King? Ah, right, you mentioned to Canal that you were going to defeat a Demon King, an anachronistic being. So, you want me to help you find the Demon King?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. I¡¯ve already found the Demon King.¡± Leaning against the railing, I stared at John. ¡°You¡¯re the Demon King, John D. Jones.¡± Time seemed to freeze between us, with neither of us moving. The wind blew through the gap between the buildings, making a rustling sound. CH 178 ¡°At first, I thought that the creator of S.E.E.D., might be the Demon King, you know? I mean, eliminating the afterlife and leading the world to destruction is a perfectly Demon King-like action. But I was wrong.¡± In front of the silent John, I slowly spoke and made a metal frame appear above my right hand. Following my will, an image of a middle-aged man in his fifties appeared, and the compass needle pointed towards the center of the town. ¡°¡­What is that?¡± ¡°Someone who¡¯s creating S.E.E.D., or perhaps a mastermind? Something like that. I don¡¯t know who he is, and I haven¡¯t shown it to Canal. If I carelessly reveal it, we might get into even more trouble.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a wise decision. If Canal were to find out about this person being involved in the creation of S.E.E.D¡­ Even I wouldn¡¯t be able to protect him. Unlike Curon, he¡¯s not the type of person to appear in public.¡± ¡°Is that so? Well, that doesn¡¯t matter. The problem is this.¡± The man¡¯s image disappeared, and the next person I designated appeared in the metal frame. The person shown was identical to the man in front of me. However, the compass needle pointed in a different direction. ¡°I just searched for the location of John D¡­Jones¡­ So why is the compass pointing to a different place?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know even if you asked me. Maybe your magical tool is broken?¡± ¡°Hah, that¡¯s not it. This was a real blind spot. If I hadn¡¯t checked it immediately after that day¡­ the incident with the building, I probably wouldn¡¯t have noticed. I mean, it¡¯s common for someone working behind the scenes to camouflage themselves by living a normal life during the day. I wouldn¡¯t suspect it. If I tried to approach the real¡­ John, you¡¯d intercept me first, and I wouldn¡¯t be questioned about it. But that day, that time was different. It¡¯s impossible for someone to be sleeping soundly indoors in the opposite direction of the scene right after such a battle. And my [Akashic Compass] never breaks or lies. That means you¡¯re somehow overlaying this man¡¯s¡­ John D. Jones¡¯ information onto your existence. Or is that your ability as the Demon King? Did you divert Curon¡¯s attention and overwrite my and Canal¡¯s information with another person?¡± That¡¯s right. My [Akashic Compass] couldn¡¯t pinpoint the location of the Demon King because the Demon King had hidden his existence by overlaying the information of another existing person, John. This explanation fits the reason why I couldn¡¯t find the Demon King. ¡°¡­That¡¯s all within the realm of speculation, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Would it be better if I had definite proof? I don¡¯t really want to do it, but it would become clear in an instant.¡± Saying that, I held out my right hand towards John. This is the quickest way to determine if he is the Demon King. ¡°Let¡¯s shake hands. That will settle it.¡± ¡°¡­Do you understand what will happen to you if you do that?¡± ¡°Haha! Of course, I do. But you don¡¯t really want to do anything to me, do you?¡± I grinned at John after we finished the answer-checking. If he had wanted to absorb me and become the Demon King while keeping his consciousness intact, he would have had plenty of opportunities to touch me before. The fact that he didn¡¯t do so proves that John doesn¡¯t desire such a thing. ¡°Hey, tell me. What were you thinking, what did you want when you became this way? Why did you protect Canal¡­ the Hero?¡± In this world, there was only one being capable of defeating him: the hero. I slowly questioned John, who was in the rather contradictory position of being the Demon King who protects that hero. Then, John, seemingly giving in, let out a small sigh and began to speak about himself. ¡°¡­I arrived in this world about 8,000 years ago.¡± ¡°8,000 years!? That¡¯s¡­ quite a long time.¡± ¡°Yes, it is. Back then, I was living a life befitting a Demon King. I would command the monstrous creatures that infested the world to attack humans, and I even formed a Demon King army to harass them. Naturally, this gave rise to the heroes in the world, and these heroes would challenge me to battle time and time again¡­ Yet, I have repelled them all. After this happened hundreds of times, I became¡­ bored.¡± ¡°Bored?¡± ¡°Yes, I became bored with being the Demon King. As time passed, my intelligence grew, and I was able to think more deeply, but I also began to see my own limitations. On my own, I couldn¡¯t do anything about the barrier set up by the gods. There wasn¡¯t much room for growth for me, who was just a fragment of power, and it was impossible for me to merge with my true self, which was you. All I could do was wait for you to come to me¡­ But after waiting for 2,000 years with no sign of you, I simply grew tired of waiting.¡± ¡°Ah, well¡­ Sorry about that.¡± As I unintentionally grimaced, John laughed lightly and shook his head. ¡°Ha ha, it¡¯s not really your fault. In fact, it might have been the gods¡¯ plan all along. In any case, having grown tired of waiting, I thought that it might be nice to be defeated by the hero. Doing so would weaken my main body, but it would only be by a fraction, one hundredth of the total power, so I thought it wouldn¡¯t have much of an impact. So, I searched for the hero at the time¡­ But they turned out to be a complete fool. I couldn¡¯t bear the thought of losing to someone like that, so I crushed them with all my might. Then I searched for the next person who had inherited the hero¡¯s power¡­ And found a five-year-old blind girl. Being a hero is a kind of talent, so it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean they will become strong. I tried to raise the girl to become someone worthy of killing me, but¡­ She turned out to be quite the oddball. She only talked about her dreams of seeing the world and, in the end, never fought me. She could have picked up a sword and killed me, becoming a celebrated hero and living a life without any hardships¡­ But she pursued only her dream of seeing the world with her unseeing eyes, and she died without realizing that dream.¡± At that point, John paused and came to stand beside me. As he leaned forward with his hands on the railing, his eyes gazed at the beautiful morning sky. ¡°For some reason¡­ I can¡¯t really explain why, but I became interested in her soul. Since then, every time her soul reincarnated, I would find it and interact with it in various ways, both close and distant. Sometimes as an enemy, sometimes as a companion, sometimes as a friend, and sometimes as a mentor¡­ Ah, I even played the role of a lover a few times, but none of those relationships lasted more than three years. It seems that such relationships are just not for me. In any case, I became absorbed in meeting the various versions of him or her, and seeing where their paths led. For some reason, they were always born with congenital blindness, so I eliminated any interfering monsters and disbanded the unnecessary Demon King army, allowing human civilization to advance. Over the course of 3,000 years, A civilization capable of perfectly curing congenital blindness, was developed. Once their eyes were able to see, he or she would desire to see even more, so I continued to develop the civilization even further¡­ And now, after countless cycles of reincarnation, in this age where the existence of heroes and Demon Kings has faded into the background of history, the fate of the hero has come to her¡­ Canal. To be honest, I thought this was destiny. Ah, I would finally die here, at her hands, and that would be the end. And that conviction only grew stronger when you arrived. Yes, that¡¯s right, my true self, Ed. I am a fragment of your power. I will be defeated by Canal and become a part of you, disappearing¡­ That must be my ultimate fate.¡± Saying that, John turned his body toward me. His body distorted with a creak, and the face of John D. Jones disappeared into a black haze¡­ From within it, a face identical to mine appeared. ¡°I will prepare a fitting final stage for Canal. There, we shall settle this¨D¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s no need for that.¡± Facing John, who had spread his arms as if to welcome me, I drew the [Dawnbreaker] sword from my waist and¡­ plunged it straight into John. CH 179 I¡¯m not a hero, so my attacks don¡¯t have much of an effect on the Demon King. However, the ¡°Dawnbreaker¡± sword I wield is undoubtedly a hero¡¯s sword, and it can penetrate the Demon King¡¯s defense¡­ the black miasma. That¡¯s why my sword grazed John¡¯s cheek and pierced deeply into something approaching from behind him. ¡°Ga¡­ gi¡­¡± Sparks scattered from the spot where the sword pierced, and a golem about the size of a child appeared in a place where there was nothing before. When I forcefully swung the sword still stuck in it, the golem was yanked out from the tip of the sword and slammed onto the floor, not moving as smoke billowed from its entire body. ¡°W-What is this!?¡± ¡°Hey, hey, being caught by something like this, you¡¯re a bit too careless. What is this anyway? An invisible golem?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a golem for guarding important people. It seems to be illegally modified for assassination¡­ I can¡¯t believe it was targeting me¡­¡± ¡°If our information was being rewritten, then of course the only target would be you. Seriously, you let your guard down because you were thinking of something boring?¡± ¡°It seems so. I apologize.¡± As I said this lightly, John dropped his shoulders. It¡¯s just a little annoying that it¡¯s my own face. ¡°Hey, John? What do you call that¡­ the original? I don¡¯t know if ¡®original¡¯ is the right word, but can you return your face to John¡¯s face for now? It¡¯s unsettling to talk to someone with my face.¡± ¡°Is that so? Alright.¡± At my words, John¡¯s face returns to its original John D. Jones appearance. It¡¯s probably someone else¡¯s face, but since I¡¯m not planning to meet the real John, this should be fine for now. ¡°Then, once again, the final stage¨D¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I say we don¡¯t need that?¡± ¡°¡­Does that mean you want to defeat me, who is unreliable, right away?¡± ¡°No way! I¡¯m saying you don¡¯t have to be defeated.¡± At my words, John furrowed his brows. ¡°So you¡¯re letting me go?¡± ¡°Is that the flat way to put it? Sure, I certainly am defeating the Demon Kings of each world and gathering power, but I¡¯m not thinking of wanting to regain all my power and revive.¡± That¡¯s right, I don¡¯t want to revive as the Demon King Of The Endl. In fact, there are already several worlds where the recollection has failed, so I can¡¯t fully revive unless I enter the third round. ¡°The reason I¡¯m defeating Demon Kings is because the power of an outsider like me is messing up their worlds. But you¡¯re different, right? Over 8,000 years, you¡¯ve become a resident of this world instead of an outsider. So there¡¯s no reason for me to do anything about you.¡± ¡°¡­Is that okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about being okay or not. Besides¡­¡± "" ¡°Besides?¡± ¡°¡­Ha, never mind. If I had to say, it¡¯s because I am the true Demon King Of The End! Deciding how to end things is my privilege alone, and since I¡¯ve decided not to end you, you can do whatever you want.¡± Saying that, I walked away from the railing toward the stairs. John¡¯s face behind me was no longer visible. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± So, with a small whisper, I waved my hand lightly and left the place. ***** Ever since that incident, we went back to our daily lives. We continued searching for cats and conducting background investigations as usual, and for some unknown reason, Canal was constantly involved in various incidents. We helped rescue the president¡¯s daughter, who was like a king without hereditary succession, from being kidnapped, disarmed bombs planted all over the city, and crushed an organization called the True Demon King Army that had been lurking under the radar. In the blink of an eye, about a year passed. As the seasons changed and something new was about to begin, we finally brought up saying goodbye to Canal. ¡°Are you really going back? I thought we were good friends¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be unreasonable, Canal. They have their own circumstances.¡± ¡°Well, it seems we can¡¯t defeat the Demon King with things as they are now.¡± In front of Canal¡¯s office building in the early morning, I said that with a bitter smile. Of course, the Demon King I was referring to wasn¡¯t the real one in front of us, but the mastermind behind the S.E.E.D incident. We explained to Canal that for now. ¡°But it seems John will do something about it. That¡¯s why we¡¯re going back, right?¡± ¡°Yes. The enemy is formidable, but I cannot ignore S.E.E.D. It will take some time, but I will definitely¡­¡± ¡°Me too! I¡¯ll do my best to cooperate!¡± ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it if you just stayed out of it¡­ But I know you won¡¯t, Canal. Just try not to get in the way.¡± ¡°John, always saying that! I¡¯ve grown too, you know! I even got my agent license, ninth grade!¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± John let out a dry laugh, deliberately avoiding Canal¡¯s proud gaze. The agent license she mentioned was required to possess weapons, and the ninth grade was obtainable by any adult who fulfilled their tax obligations. ¡°Good luck, Canal. But don¡¯t do anything too dangerous, okay?¡± ¡°Thanks, Tia. It¡¯s not like I want to do dangerous things, though.¡± Tia held out her right hand, and Canal firmly grasped it. So¡­ ¡°See you, John. Good luck.¡± ¡°Ed¡­?¡± As I held out my right hand like Tia, John looked confused. But I ignored it and forcibly shook John¡¯s hand. ¡°Guh¡­ Well, we¡¯re connected now. How about you?¡± ¡°Uh, yes. I feel the connection¡­ But why? If you don¡¯t take me in, you¡¯ll only weaken yourself, right?¡± ¡°Heh, it¡¯s no big deal. And by being connected like this, we can always become one. If you ever get tired of living, or despair of the world, I¡¯ll be there to collect you. So live your life to the fullest, John D. Jones, until the day it all ends!¡± ¡°¡­I promise. On my soul.¡± A warm sensation flowed into me from our firmly clasped hands. It was a power that was part of me but not mine ¨C the shining proof of John¡¯s individuality, the soul of John, which he had acquired over 8,000 years. ¡°Goodbye, Ed and Tia. I¡¯ll dismiss you two from your temporary positions at the Caroline Detective Agency! Don¡¯t forget about me, even in another world!¡± ¡°We won¡¯t forget! Take care, Canal!¡± ¡°Bye. You two, take care of each other.¡± We waved at Canal, who had tears in her eyes, with smiles on our faces. But it would take about ten minutes for us to be sent to the ¡°white world.¡± ¡°¡­Um, you¡¯re not going back yet?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. We¡¯ll be sent back ten minutes after being expelled.¡± "" ¡°I-I see¡­ ¡° The ten minutes after the emotional farewell felt quite long. We stood there with awkward smiles, and then Canal suddenly spoke up. ¡°Oh, I almost forgot! Wait here!¡± ¡°Hey, Canal!?¡± We watched Canal run off, though we could have chased her, disappearing in a crowd would be a problem. As we wondered what to do, Canal came running back with a white box in her hands. ¡°Here! My favorite coffee beans and a chiffon cake! As a souvenir¡­ Kyaa!?¡± ¡°Canal!?¡± As Canal stumbled, John quickly ran over and caught her. However, the white box flew into the air, and with only ten seconds left before we were transferred to the it was more than enough time. ¡°Got it! Thanks, Canal! Tia!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± I caught the box in mid-air, quickly put it in the [Strange Box] and landed, reaching out my hand to Tia. She took my hand, and the time came. [Really, it¡¯s hectic until the very end, isn¡¯t it?] [I know right] Just before disappearing from the world, John and I exchanged similar thoughts with our eyes, and we shared an indescribable bitter smile. CH 180 ¡°Phew, there was so much going on this time!¡± ¡°Well, most of it was because Canal got caught up in it all.¡± Having safely returned to the we exchanged words in front of the door. In fact, this world we had just visited stood out among the others, as we were caught up in unexpected major incidents. With our knowledge from the first round proving to be useless, the great adventure in the unknown world was truly exciting and enjoyable. By the way, always being on standby was quite harsh, so about two months in, John prepared a fake crystal for Tia¡¯s wrist, a fragment for her to use, and since then, Tia has been adventuring with us. I mean, if I had left Tia on standby indefinitely, my guilt would have overwhelmed me as she sent me off with a disheartened expression saying, ¡°Do your best.¡± Maybe the Demon Lord Of The Endl would have revived. In that sense, John really is the savior of that world. ¡°Nevertheless, we made a good profit this time. Now, Tia, bring it out!¡± ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯m doing it now. Which one should I take out first?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s the magic furnace!¡± In front of my excited self, Tia activated the ¡°Shared Property Single Bank¡± with a wry smile. Yes, with a lavish budget of 500 million, I bought various things in that world. First, a state-of-the-art magic furnace was taken out. Although it wasn¡¯t for commercial use, it was still a hobby item for personal use. Its performance far surpassed that of a blacksmith¡¯s furnace in a normal world, reaching high temperatures instantly, allowing precise temperature control and maintaining that state for a long time. Various other convenient gadgets were taken out, such as the MagiStocker, which magically preserves the interior state so that freshly cooked food can still be eaten a month later, and a mixer that quickly produces fruit water when you put in random fruits. Once these completed magic tools were taken out, ingots were next. Rare metals that can only be obtained by chance in other worlds can be easily obtained in that world if you have the money. From Mithril to Adamantite, and even Orichalcum¡­ although it was only a small amount because it was ridiculously expensive even in that world¡­ the sight of them lined up was truly spectacular. If my master were here, he would surely jump for joy. ¡°Alright, with all this, finally¨D¨D¡± ¡°Hey, Ed. I understand you¡¯re excited, but shouldn¡¯t we check that first? I¡¯m really curious about it.¡± Tia poked my shoulder while I was thinking about what to create, and pointed towards the table. Naturally, what was there was the {Records Of The Hero¡¯s Story} a book describing John and Canal¡¯s past and future. ¡°¡­Right, let¡¯s start with that. Oh, by the way, Tia, since we received the cake and coffee as souvenirs, why don¡¯t we enjoy them while reading?¡± ¡°Eh!? But if we eat that here¡­¡± Tia hesitated, guessing what would happen if we ate and drank here. But I grinned and reassured her. ¡°Fufufu, don¡¯t worry, Tia. I bought an installation-type toilet, just in case. It completely blocks the view, sound, and smell from the surroundings, and it magically decomposes and evaporates what¡¯s inside, turning it into clean water and dust, so it¡¯s easy to clean.¡± It¡¯s impossible to carry it around and use it while camping since you can¡¯t see outside from inside, but it¡¯s more than enough for use in this Upon hearing about the toilet I secretly purchased for her, Tia let out a high-pitched cheer and hugged me. ¡°Yay! I love you, Ed! I¡¯ll get it ready then.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± In reality, it can¡¯t be used until it¡¯s assembled, but it probably won¡¯t be needed immediately. As I sat at the table, Tia quickly prepared cake and coffee for us, and we began reading the book while enjoying our snacks. ¡°Wow, Canal has always been such an energetic girl, huh?¡± ¡°The guy who secretly helped her here must be John, right? Well, if he¡¯s been tracking her soul, he must have been watching her since she was born.¡± ¡°I guess so. It¡¯s lovely to think that she¡¯s been protected since birth.¡± ¡°Really? To be honest, I find it a bit scary¡­ What¡¯s with that face?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing! Knowing ¡®who is watching you¡¯ is definitely important.¡± Since I had thoroughly explained John¡¯s situation to Tia, we were able to freely chat and enjoy reading the book together. Canal¡¯s life had been full of ups and downs since childhood, and if not for John, she might have easily died. Her life was like a true adventure, and we found it fascinating, especially because it included aspects of life we were unfamiliar with. During the happy and bright pages, we enjoyed the soft and sweet chiffon cake, and during the pages of setbacks and hardships, we drank bitter coffee. As we reminisced about our shared memories of the past year, we eagerly turned the pages of the book, but eventually, the end of the story approached. ¨C Chapter 10, {Record Of The Hero¡¯s Story}- The End is Not the End And so, despite having saved the world from crisis countless times without her own volition, as a human, the hero Canal could not overcome her lifespan. By her deathbed, connected to life support, a familiar figure who hadn¡¯t shown themselves for the past ten years stood. Her partner, who had never aged for some reason and always had an ambiguous face that she couldn¡¯t remember no matter how hard she tried, was now recognizable. The faceless partner looked just like one of her mysterious friends from her youth, and the memories of those times were revived in the aged Canal¡¯s mind. As her partner¡¯s hand overlapped with Canal¡¯s withered hand, which was connected to countless tubes, light overflowed with a fizzing sound, and the man¡¯s hand showed a different aspect from that of a human. The partner then tried to guide Canal¡¯s hand to his own neck, but she mustered her last strength to stretch her arm and gently embraced her partner¡¯s head. Canal, who possessed a rare analytical and reasoning ability and the power of a hero that brought it forth, had realized long ago that her partner was not human. However, such a trivial matter held no meaning compared to the joyful days they had spent together. As if cherishing the time left, or as if bidding farewell to the happy days, Canal embraced the Demon King she was supposed to defeat, and her final moments burned out. The next day, Canal¡¯s face, as she drew her last breath as if she were sleeping, was more peaceful than ever. At her side, a plate of coffee and cake, which Canal loved, had been placed at some point. The Demon King¡¯s subjugation was still incomplete. However, it was said that the hope for the world was inherited not by the next generation of heroes, but by an ordinary blind baby born into the world. ¡°I see¡­ Hey Ed, do you think Canal was happy?¡± Tia asked me as she quietly closed the {Record Of The Hero¡¯s Story} after finishing reading. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s presumptuous for someone else to talk about whether someone was happy or not. But, well, it seems like she was happy what we¡¯ve read, right?¡± ¡°Really? What about John? Do you think he was happy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I see.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly at the repeated question. Canal was a stranger, but John was a part of me. If that¡¯s the case, maybe I have the right to say how John was¡­ ¡°No, I don¡¯t know. John is John.¡± ¡°Fufu, I see¡­ That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°¡­¡± At my answer, Tia said, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± She was glad that John, who was separated from me, was an individual called John and not just me. It was as if she acknowledged that I was an existence called Ed, not just some extra in Demon King Of The End, and it somehow made me feel itchy inside. And then, suddenly, I thought. Wasn¡¯t it because John had Canal, and I had Tia, that we were able to gain our own souls? No matter what power one has, one can¡¯t do it alone. Someone has to recognize you as yourself, and that¡¯s the true nature of a ¡°soul.¡± (This reunion is going to be a long way off.) There¡¯s no way he would think about returning to someone else¡¯s insides and throwing away his ego if he had such a partner. If anything, he would be slapped on the head and woken up if he tried. At the end of many years, on the day that will someday come, I quietly vowed in my heart that I would accumulate memories with Tia so that I wouldn¡¯t lose to the stories of John¡¯s partner that he would tell me. (T/N: Wholesome. New arc will take some time I got tests next week) CH 181 ¡°Fufu~, we¡¯ve arrived!¡± Tia, who had just set foot in a new world, bounces with joy on the spot. Seeing her adorable, playful figure, my cheeks naturally loosen up. ¡°Hahaha, you¡¯re in a good mood, Tia.¡± ¡°Of course! Because I¡¯ve got a brand-new¡­weapon!¡± Tia¡¯s waist, which she pats with a thud, carried the [Silver Spirit Sword I crafted. By using a magic furnace with better performance than before and stuffing it with rare metals, its performance has increased by 10%. By the way, anyone who says ¡°only 10%?¡± here would get punched by blacksmiths all over the world. It¡¯s an amazing feat to improve the performance of equipment that was already highly advanced by 10%. ¡°And you¡¯re the same, right, Ed?¡± ¡°Hm? Well, yeah.¡± When asked with a smile, I couldn¡¯t help but grin as well. On my waist, as usual, was [Dawnbreaker] on my left side, but on my right side was a sword with just a handle and no blade. Yes, I¡¯ve finally succeeded in creating a new [Sword of Thin Life.] Unlike the [Dawnbreaker] it can¡¯t carry various powers, but in terms of sharpness alone, there is almost nothing that can rival this [Sword of Thin Life] Of course, it¡¯s inferior to the ridiculous ability of the Hero¡¯s Sword which has the unexplainable ability to cut through anything, but there¡¯s no doubt that within the realm of human-made weapons, this [Sword of Thin Life] possessed the finest cutting edge. ¡°Ugh, I want to test it! I wonder if there are any suitable demonic beasts around?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit dangerous? I understand how you feel, though.¡± It¡¯s in an adventurer¡¯s nature to want to test out a new weapon. I feel the same way, but I can¡¯t condone looking for beasts to fight in a world we¡¯ve just arrived in. ¡°By the way, are there actually demonic beasts in this world?¡± ¡°Uh, probably?¡± Finally looking around carefully, we found ourselves in a typical forest along the highway, just like before. I could see a town in the distance through the gaps in the trees, but the townscape had a familiar feeling to it, with no massive stone towers or buildings like we had seen in Canal¡¯s world. ¡°I think this feels like a normal¡­ or maybe not so normal world. Anyway, let¡¯s head to town for now.¡± There are dozens of scenes like this that come to mind, so just from this alone, I can¡¯t determine which world we are in. However, in places like this, we usually encounter the hero in town, so once we do that, I¡¯ll surely figure it out. ¡°¡­.I wonder if there are any carriages being attacked by demonic beasts on the way?¡± ¡°Hey!¡± After smacking Tia on the head for saying such dangerous things, we walked side by side toward the town. Fortunately or unfortunately, Tia¡¯s wish didn¡¯t come true, and we reached the town quite normally. As we were walking down the main street, we unexpectedly spotted a large man in splendid armor on the other side of the street. ¡°Ah! So this is the place¡­¡± The man, in his thirties with black eyes and short black hair, stood about 190 cm tall, clad in shining metal armor. We easily identified him as the hero of this world, and once we saw him, we knew where we were. This was the 31st world. It had no particular distinguishing features and was quite ordinary¡­ as far as worlds go. ¡°Hey Tia, that¡¯s the hero of this world.¡± ¡°That person? Wow, he does look really strong.¡± ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s strong. But¡­ well, never mind. Let¡¯s just quickly ask to join his party.¡± ¡°Really? We can become friends that easily?¡± ¡°Yeah. Leave this to me.¡± As I nodded reassuringly to the astonished Tia, I proceeded down the street and approached the hero. He noticed us and stopped, ¡°Hm? What is it?¡± ¡°We recognize you as the great Hero Gou-sama. Please allow us to join you on your journey.¡± ¡°Is that so? Alright!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°Huh!?¡± Tia was surprised at the quick exchange between Gou and me, but Go didn¡¯t seem to care as he walked past us, and we followed him. ¡°Wait, Ed!? What just happened?¡± ¡°We just joined Gou-san¡¯s party.¡± ¡°I know that! But, huh? That easily!?¡± ¡°Gahahaha! I don¡¯t reject those who come or chase those who leave! I don¡¯t care about such trivial things!¡± ¡°Uh, okay¡­¡± As we walked, Tia wore a puzzled expression as she responded to Gou¡¯s hearty laughter. Then, still wearing that expression, she gently grasped my hand. [Hey, is this really okay?] [Yeah, don¡¯t worry. Gou-san¡¯s like that. Besides, if you¡¯re surprised by this, you won¡¯t last long from here on out.] [There¡¯s more surprising stuff!? Why didn¡¯t you tell me from the start?] [Well, that¡¯s because there¡¯s too much to explain¡­ and it¡¯s better to explain it as it comes up. Just bear with it for a bit.] [Fine, if you say so¡­ I¡¯ll brace myself a little.] Though still not quite satisfied, Tia let go of my hand. We continued walking and introduced ourselves, then Gou stopped in front of a certain house. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start here.¡± Saying that, he reached for the door, but it was locked. After rattling the door several times, he moved on to the next house. ¡°Um, Gou-san, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Hm? I¡¯m looking for a house we can enter.¡± ¡°A house to enter¡­? You don¡¯t mean you have some business with the people living there, do you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ Ah, this one¡¯s open.¡± After trying three doors, Gou found an unlocked one and entered the house without paying attention to Tia¡¯s questions. I followed him mindlessly, and Tia hesitantly followed us as well. ¡°Now¡­ Hmph!¡± Crash! ¡°Wha!?¡± As soon as he entered the house, Gou smashed a vase against the floor near the wall. The vase shattered with a satisfying sound, and its fragments scattered everywhere. ¡°Hey! What are you doing all of a sudden!?¡± ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m smashing a vase.¡± ¡°Why are you smashing a vase!?¡± ¡°Of course, because I am the hero¡­ Haaaa!¡± ¡°?¡± Leaving a confused Tia behind, Gou continued to smash more vases. After breaking all of them, he entered a random room and started rummaging through a chest of drawers. ¡°Ed! Ed! He¡¯s rummaging through someone¡¯s drawers now!?¡± ¡°Yeah, he is.¡± ¡°Why are you so calm about it!? This is theft, isn¡¯t it!?¡± ¡°Well, you see¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing here¡­ ah, what¡¯s this!?¡± As he rummaged through the drawers, he held something up above his head. It¡¯s a thin, see-through piece of women¡¯s underwear. ¡°Ah, some naughty underwear! This will sell for a good price!¡± ¡°Ed, let¡¯s turn him in to the guards right now! Or I¡¯ll blow him away on the spot!¡± ¡°Wait, wait, wait, wait!¡± As I desperately tried to calm down Tia, who looked like she was about to cast a spell, Gou stood up and looked at us after stuffing his loot into his bag. ¡°Seriously, what¡¯s with all the fuss?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re doing something that¡¯s like theft¡­ no, it IS theft! Just because you¡¯re a hero, do you think that gives you the right to do this!?¡± ¡°It does, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°What!?¡± Tia was at a loss for words at Gou¡¯s completely unapologetic response. Ah, Tia, that¡¯s the path I went down in my first run. ¡°Wh-why¡­!?¡± ¡°As a hero, I have the privilege to infiltrate any place, break vases, rummage through drawers, and confiscate anything I need for my adventures. Isn¡¯t that common sense?¡± ¡°Haaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?!?!?!¡± Tia¡¯s anguished cry echoed through the empty house. (T/N: Now this is interesting. I¡¯ll resume posting in June, got my midsems in a week) CH 182 ¡°Breaking pots and confiscating drawer contents!? What¡¯s that about!? Why do you have such a privilege!?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand the thoughts of those in power. I was simply granted this privilege and am faithfully carrying it out.¡± Astonished by Tia¡¯s words, Gou calmly replied and moved on to the next room. Of course, we followed him, and Tia, with pleading eyes, spoke to me. ¡°Hey Ed, what¡¯s Going on!? Why pots and chest!?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either. If I had to guess, maybe it¡¯s some sort of compensation for the low allowance given to heroes?¡± ¡°Allowance? How much is it?¡± As Tia asked Gou, who was rummaging through a small chest of chest that seemed to belong to a child, he answered without looking back. ¡°50 copper coins and a long, sturdy stick.¡± ¡°What!? You¡¯re a hero, Gou-san, right!? Why do they send a hero off with only enough money for one night at an inn and a stick!?¡± ¡°Like I said before, I don¡¯t understand the thoughts of those in power. I was just told that was all I¡¯d get, so I accepted it. Well, I did buy my own equipment afterward.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense! Why wouldn¡¯t they support a hero but give him such strange privileges!? Ed, the king of this country must be crazy!¡± ¡°Hey, hey, don¡¯t criticize royalty in broad daylight.¡± I calmed down a shouting Tia with a wry smile. It¡¯s not like you¡¯d get arrested for badmouthing the king unless you were in a really lawless country, but still, you shouldn¡¯t speak ill of those in power, especially the king. Of course, Tia should know that, but she¡¯s still far from convinced. Gou, having finished rummaging through the chest, looked at her with a puzzled expression. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t keep fussing about something you can¡¯t understand. We¡¯re done with this house. Let¡¯s move on.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still going!?¡± ¡°Of course. There are still many houses left.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Leaving Tia, who¡¯s moving her mouth wordlessly, Gou left the house. After that, he invades several more houses, rummaging through pots and chests, and once he¡¯s satisfied with a few copper coins and some dried herbs, he enters the town¡¯s blacksmith. ¡°Welcome.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Without responding to the old shopkeeper¡¯s greeting, Gou looks around the blacksmith¡¯s shop and enters the forging area in the back without permission, starting to break the pots there. Crash! ¡°Ah, he¡¯s breaking them again¡­ huh?¡± Tia, who had been watching with tired eyes, suddenly noticed that there was a pot Gou wasn¡¯t breaking and spoke up. ¡°Hey Gou-san. Why aren¡¯t you breaking that one?¡± ¡°Hm? Which one?¡± ¡°That one, that one.¡± Tia pointed to various sizes of pots, but Gou quickly averted his gaze after a glance. ¡°Ah, those are no Good because they¡¯re bottles, not pots. Only pots of this size can be broken; anything else isn¡¯t a pot and shouldn¡¯t be broken.¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I don¡¯t know everything.¡± As Tia appealed with her gaze, I dodged her eyes and mumbled a response. I haven¡¯t seriously investigated it, but I have no idea why such a rule exists. While we¡¯re exchanging words, Gou finished breaking the pots that caught his eye and returned to the shopkeeper at the front of the store. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯d like you to sharpen this one,¡± Gou said, handing over the large sword he had been carrying on his back. ¡°Are you really talking like that!!!!?!¡± Tia retorted, ¡°Alright, this one has been used quite a bit,¡± the shopkeeper commented, checking the sword¡¯s condition. ¡°Are you really responding like that!!!?!¡± Tia exclaimed again. ¡°It will cost three silver coins, what do you think?¡± the shopkeeper asked, ¡°Understood,¡± Gou replied, paying the silver coins. ¡°Are you really just paying like that?!¡± Tia questioned once more. ¡°Oi, Lunaritia. You¡¯ve been noisy since earlier¡±. ¡°But! You¡¯re breaking pots and searching chests in other people¡¯s houses, yet you¡¯re paying properly to sharpen your sword?!¡± ¡°Huh? I¡¯m requesting a service, so of course I¡¯m going to pay, right?¡± Tia, confused by Gou¡¯s reaction, turned to the shopkeeper. ¡°Why are you so nonchalant about taking work from someone who broke into your shop and smashed pots?!¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s just business, you know? Besides, there¡¯s a subsidy for broken pots, so I can buy new ones with that. Most people don¡¯t complain since they¡¯re cheap and easily breakable.¡± ¡°Subsidies!? Haaaa¡­.., I¡¯m sorry Ed¡­.I can¡¯t take it anymore¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Tia. We¡¯ll head to the inn and talk it over. Just bear with it a little longer.¡± With tears in her eyes, Tia crouches down. While Gou finished his business with the shopkeeper, the group left the store without any issues. ¡°Now, let¡¯s head to the general store. We need to replenish our supplies and sell the naughty underwear we found earlier,¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Tia, keep your heart strong. Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re not going crazy.¡± While encouraging Tia, who had a dead fish-like look in her eyes, we stepped into the general store. Of course, even there Gou naturally broke pots, rummaged through dressers, and after stuffing what was inside into his bag, he called out to the clerk. ¡°I want to sell something first. Lingerie, herbs, and¡­ this healing potion.¡± ¡°Wa-wait, that! That¡¯s what you just took out of the dresser over there!¡± ¡°Gout it. So, all together¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re buying it!?¡± At the point where the negotiation had begun nonchalantly, Tia, unable to hold back any longer, grabbed the clerk¡¯s shoulder firmly and began to shake him as she spoke. ¡°Hey! It¡¯s a recovery potion that was in this shop!? You saw it too, it¡¯s merchandise from your own shop, right!? You¡¯re buying that!?¡± ¡°Hey, hey, customer, please stop being rough. Of course we¡¯ll buy it, it¡¯s our job.¡± ¡°But then, if you put that bought recovery potion back on the shop¡¯s shelves, Gou-san might pick it up and sell it again, right!?¡± ¡°? What are you talking about, Lunaritia? If I take items from the merchandise shelf, that would be stealing, right? I wouldn¡¯t do such a thing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Moreover, we report the losses to the office and receive subsidies, so we don¡¯t actually lose anything.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ U, uh, uwaahh! Ed, I can¡¯t stand this anymore!¡± At the words of the two who seemed to find the situation perfectly normal, Tia started crying and clung to me. It seems she¡¯s finally reached her limit. ¡°There, there, it¡¯s okay, Tia. I¡¯m sorry, Gou-san, but I¡¯d like to let Tia rest for a bit. Would it be okay if we returned to the inn ahead of you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I¡¯m staying at an inn called ¡°The Three-horned Sheep.¡± ¡° ¡°Understood. We¡¯ll catch up later¡­ Come on, Tia, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Uweeehhhh!¡± Caressing the back of Tia, who continued to cry like a child, I parted ways with Gou and headed towards the inn. The inn¡¯s clerk stared at us, but at this point, we couldn¡¯t afford to care about such things. ¡°Hic¡­ sob¡­ Why¡­ I¡¯m not crazy¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Tia, you are no tcrazy. What¡¯s crazy are the rules of this world.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ I¡¯m not weird, am I¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re not weird. In fact, when I first came here, I didn¡¯t know what to do either.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What did you do, Ed?¡± While clinging tightly to me, Tia looked up at my face with teary eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. I just kind of went along with the flow of things. Look, the world where Canal was had very different laws and common sense, right? So, I just accepted that this place is the same. In reality, none of the people there were angry at Gou-san, were they? If the losses are being compensated, then it¡¯s just something to accept¡­ even if it¡¯s hard to be convinced, I think it¡¯s best to just accept it.¡± If the world changes, so does common sense. Given that we only know our own world, it¡¯s hard to accept major differences in others, but honestly, if nobody is unhappy, it¡¯s best not to worry about it. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­This is the first time in my life that I¡¯ve felt the irrationality of the world this strongly.¡± ¡°What a coincidence, I felt something similar too.¡± Upon seeing Tia finally calming down, I answered with a wry smile on my face. CH 183 Common sense is a tricky thing. It¡¯s harder to accept when things are slightly different than when they¡¯re entirely different. Amidst such currents of common sense, I spent my time soothing Tia who had been toyed with. Before long, Gou arrived at the inn. He was about to have dinner, so we decided to join him at the nearby tavern-cum-diner. On this occasion, Tia actively started a conversation with him. ¡°Hey, Gou-san. I don¡¯t know much about it, but are there any other privileges for a hero?¡± ¡°Hmm? Well, apart from the right to rummage through pots and chests, there¡¯s the right to freely choose your comrades, I suppose?¡± Excluding the part about hero privileges, Gou was fundamentally a very ordinary, good person. After briefly contemplating Tia¡¯s question, he gave his answer. He then chugged his ale-filled mug, cleared his throat a few times, and continued the conversation. ¡°A hero is given the right to choose up to three companions for his journey. It doesn¡¯t matter who they are, as long as both parties agree, whether they are criminals or nobility, they can become comrades. And while they are comrades, any duties imposed on them are exempted.¡± ¡°Exempted from duties?¡± ¡°Yes. If they¡¯re a criminal, they won¡¯t be arrested for the time being, or they could even get out of prison and start activities. If they¡¯re a noble, they could have a deputy manage their territory, and if they¡¯re a merchant, they could receive compensation for any losses incurred due to their absence. You two are mercenaries, right? Make sure to apply properly. That way, you should get a daily reward based on the average of your previous year¡¯s income.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s quite generous.¡± ¡°Indeed. It¡¯s a system that could easily be misused.¡± With Tia nodding in admiration beside me, I let out a sly grin. But Gou lightly brushed it off and continued the conversation with a laugh. ¡°Gahahaha! Of course, there would be people who think like that, but it doesn¡¯t mean they are exempt from committing a crime. Even if they become my comrades, they will be arrested normally if they commit a new crime, and because of the limit of three people, they can¡¯t indefinitely maintain the privilege of being ¡®companions of the hero¡¯. If both parties agree¡­ in other words, if I say no, they immediately cease to be comrades.¡± "" ¡°So that part is well-managed, huh. But do hero parties often have people coming in and out? That would make it hard to increase the level of teamwork.¡± ¡°Well, everyone has their own circumstances. For instance, if someone just wants to fight strong opponents, they might join when facing a formidable enemy, but drop out when they need to solve a small village¡¯s problem. There are also those who will help protect their hometown but naturally won¡¯t follow you elsewhere, and on the contrary, there are those who join the party in order to go abroad. The role of a hero involves traveling all around the world to defeat the Demon King, and it¡¯s not an easy decision to abandon all one¡¯s life foundations to follow that. I do hope to encounter such comrades someday¡­¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s indeed a tough issue.¡± Tia¡¯s party with Hero Alexis wasn¡¯t composed of the same members from the beginning. Many people came and went, and in the end, it settled with Tia, old man Gonzo, and me. But I was fully prepared to drop out at any moment. If I had properly left, someone else would have filled that gap. ¡°But I¡¯m relieved. Gou-san, you¡¯re someone I can hold a conversation with properly¡± ¡°Eh? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Ah!? No, I was talking about something else. Sorry, don¡¯t mind me.¡± ¡°I see. If you say not to worry about it, then I won¡¯t worry! Gahaha!¡± With Tia frantically waving her hands, Gou laughed, genuinely unbothered. Yeah, things seemed to be going well between them. We finished our meal in a relaxed mood, and decided to leave town the next day. As we walked in a single file line at Gou¡¯s request, he began to explain our immediate Goal. ¡°Our destination this time is a cave ahead. It¡¯s said that a demonic beast has settled in the cave used for trade in this region, causing problems for people.¡± ¡°A demonic beast¡­ so our objective is to subjugate it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We should reach a village at the foot of the mountain after about three days of walking. We¡¯ll gather information there before challenging the beast. Prepare yourself for combat in a confined space.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Gout it.¡± Nodding at his succinct explanation, we continued on our way. We were attacked by demonic beasts a few times, but the ones that appear along the highway aren¡¯t particularly strong. We swiftly defeated them to confirm our teamwork, and without any real trouble, we reached the aforementioned village. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re here! Now let¡¯s immediately¡­¡± ¡°Go ask around for the situation?¡± ¡°Go around the houses, breaking pots and rummaging through chests!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± At Gou¡¯s enthusiastic comment, the light seemed to disappear out of Tia¡¯s eyes for a moment. As I followed, holding Tia¡¯s hand, Gou calmly entered a house. But unlike before, there were residents inside, who stared at us in surprise as we barged in. ¡°Huh!? Ah, Yuusha-sama¡­!?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m intruding.¡± It was unclear how, but it seemed that everyone in the world knew that Gou was a hero. That¡¯s probably why he could walk around the house, breaking pots and rummaging through chests, without any reproach. Crash! ¡°Hmm, nothing inside.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hey Ed, I¡¯m feeling so guilty it¡¯s like my chest is going to burst.¡± ¡°Hang in there, Tia. You¡¯ll get used to it.¡± Watching the hero commit what seemed like theft in front of a silent homeowner was a complicated feeling, but if that¡¯s what¡¯s normal, then we had to accept it. When Gou moved to the next room, there was a boy about five years old. ¡°Yuusha-sama!?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s me¡­ there¡¯s no pot, but there¡¯s a chest.¡± Gou glanced at the surprised child and started to rummage through the chest. ¡°Oh, three copper coins.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Gou stuffed the found coins into his bag. But the boy looked visibly downcast at this, and Tia gently spoke to him. ¡°Hey, was that your money?¡± ¡°Y-yeah. That¡­ I was saving it to buy a present for my mom¡¯s birthday.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Hero Gou, put that money back in the chest right now! Or I¡¯ll blow your head off!¡± ¡°Woah, Tia!?¡± Despite my startled shout at Tia¡¯s serious expression and her hand on her sword, Gou calmly responded. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t!? You¡¯re not ashamed to steal money that a little boy was saving for his mother!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. This is a privilege granted to the hero. If I felt ashamed to exercise it, I wouldn¡¯t be fit to be a hero.¡± ¡°¨D¨DAh! Then¡­¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Just as Tia was about to put more force into the hand gripping her sword, Gou began rummaging through his bag. ¡°It seems my bag is full. I need to throw something away before I can move on¡­ Is this good?¡± "" Gou took a bundle of medicinal herbs out of his bag and casually tossed it onto a nearby bed. ¡°Uh¡­?¡± ¡°Anything a hero discards becomes the property of the first person who picks it up. You can do whatever you want with it.¡± Gou told the confused boy just that, then left the room. Tia and I watched his retreating back with indescribable expressions¡­ and the strength left Tia¡¯s hand. ¡°What the heck¡­!¡± ¡°Um,Onee-chan?¡± ¡°Oh, that. Those herbs should sell for about five copper coins, so you can use that to get your mom something.¡± ¡°Really¡­ thank you, I guess?¡± ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s right for you to thank me¡­ Anyway, that¡¯s how it is, so be good to your mom, okay?¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Leaving the boy with a complicated expression behind, Tia, holding my hand, exited the room. When we left the house, Gou was waiting outside. ¡°You¡¯re here. Let¡¯s move on to the next house.¡± ¡°Hey Gou-san. The boy thanked you, you know?¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of my concern. I just threw away a tool because my bag was full.¡± In response to Tia¡¯s words, Gou said this without looking back. I couldn¡¯t see his face, but his voice sounded somewhat relieved. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s leave it at that¡­ Sigh, heroes in this world are really troublesome. Or is it just Gou-san who¡¯s troublesome?¡± ¡°Hahaha, who knows?¡± The strange privilege and the rigid hero. In response to Tia¡¯s question that seemed a mix of amazement and frustration, all I could do was give a bitter smile. CH 184 ¡°Ah, welcome, Yuusha-sama! You are¡ª¡± ¡°Sorry. Please wait until I start the conversation.¡± Clang¡­ Clang¡­ Rustle, rustle, rustle¡­ ¡°Phew. Now, Village Chief-dono, let¡¯s hear your story again.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Actually¡­¡± ¡°Wow, this is the steel spirit of a hero¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve come full circle and I feel like I can respect him¡­ no, it must be my imagination.¡± As we listened to the village chief¡¯s story with a renewed sense of the hero¡¯s greatness, we left the village and arrived at the entrance of the cave in question. There was no blockade at the entrance, but there were no signs of people inside. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s quite spacious, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°And it looks like it has been touched by human hands quite a bit. Although it¡¯s a cave, it feels more like a road, doesn¡¯t it?¡± The cave was a spacious passageway about five meters in width and height, and thanks to magic lanterns that glow automatically with the mana of the people who pass by, it was bright enough even without any light source. The floor or the ground was also hard-packed, and although it wasn¡¯t quite as well-maintained as a stone pavement, it seemed sturdy enough for a carriage to speed on. ¡°The demonic beast is said to be near the exit, but there may be other demonic beasts inside as well. We¡¯ll proceed with caution.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Leave it to me!¡± With Gou leading the way, we proceeded through the cave. As we moved a little further, we began to see several side roads branching off the main road. We followed Gou¡¯s lead and checked each one. ¡°We¡¯re going to check all the side roads too?¡± ¡°Yes. There¡¯s a high chance that demonic beasts are lurking in these places. And besides¡­¡± Because the side roads were not maintained by humans, we created a light with Tia¡¯s spirit magic and proceeded. Then, at the dead end of one of the side roads, we found a wooden box that seemed out of place. ¡°Oh, there it is. A treasure chest.¡± ¡°Eh!?¡± As Gou quickened his pace towards the box, we naturally followed. What we found there was a box that could only be described as a fairly respectable treasure chest, with a square body, an arched lid, and the edges processed with metal. ¡°Eh, what¡¯s this box¡­ a treasure chest!? Why is it here?¡± ¡°? Isn¡¯t it common sense to find treasure chests at the end of forests and caves?¡± ¡°!?¡± Gou, who was saying it as if it was obvious, turned back to me with a surprised look on his face. But there was no way I could answer that. ¡°Tia, it¡¯s okay. If Gou-san says so, then it is. Okay?¡± ¡°But! A treasure chest!? I¡¯d understand if a thief had made it his hideout, or if I went a hundred steps back and said it was a goblin nest, but why is there a treasure chest in a dead end where there¡¯s nothing!?¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s see what¡¯s inside¡­ oh, it¡¯s medicinal herbs.¡± ¡°Medicinal herbs!? Why are there medicinal herbs in a treasure chest!? No matter how you look at it, the box is more valuable! And this is a road where people pass by, right!? Well, normally people wouldn¡¯t come this far, but they should still have checked these side roads when they were maintaining the road. So why is there a treasure chest that hasn¡¯t been opened by anyone until now!? Why!?¡± ¡°Calm down, calm down Tia. It¡¯s not about logic, you need to feel it with your heart.¡± ¡°Uuuuuuuuuu¡­¡­¡± Tia was growling at me, who was trying to calm her down, with a face like she was chewing a bitter bug. I couldn¡¯t help but be skeptical about the quality of the herbs that came out of a box that should have never been opened, being the same as the ones sold in the store¡­ in other words, they seem fairly fresh, but what we don¡¯t know, we don¡¯t know. ¡°Hahaha, Lunaritia, you¡¯re always so noisy. If you¡¯re on a journey, you should have plenty of opportunities to see treasure chests.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen one! I¡¯ve been traveling quite a bit, but I haven¡¯t seen one ten times!¡± ¡°¡­Well, that¡¯s bad luck.¡± ¡°Luck¡­huh.¡± As Gou awkwardly averted his gaze and spoke, the strength drained from Tia¡¯s body. Unless it¡¯s a place like a sealed ruin, there are no treasure chests in normal circumstances. So it¡¯s not a matter of luck¡­ well, yeah. There are treasure chests sprouting up all over the place while I¡¯m traveling with this person. Haha, I really don¡¯t get it. ¡°Alright, I get it! I can¡¯t accept it, but I¡¯ll accept it! So this is¡­ just a tantrum!¡± ¡°Gyiii!?¡± Shouting, Tia brandished and swung her sword towards the darkness behind her. And there was a large spider monster about to jump down from the ceiling. ¡°A spider monster¡­a Derance Spider, huh? Good catch, Lunaritia.¡± ¡°Of course I was being vigilant! But, didn¡¯t Gou-san notice?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­sorry. I¡¯m not very good at that. I think I would have noticed if it was an enemy walking on the ground.¡± ¡°Ah, right, it is hard to be vigilant about what¡¯s overhead. Good job, Tia.¡± ¡°Well, yeah!¡± Of course, I noticed it too, but there¡¯s no point in saying that. As we high-five, Gou¡¯s expression grew stern. ¡°Gou-san? Is there something that concerns you?¡± ¡°Yeah, that Derance Spider just now seemed a bit small for an adult. If that¡¯s the case¡­¡± ¡°You mean, there might be a large nest nearby?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a possibility. We may need to thoroughly inspect the entire cave, including the side paths.¡± At that statement, we tightened our focus. After that, we continued to carefully examine the main and side paths, but for some reason, we did not encounter any monsters on the way, only when we reached the end or opened the occasional treasure chest and tried to go back, a few Derance Spiders attacked us. ¡°I have¡­ a bad feeling about this.¡± I shared the sentiment with Gou¡¯s muttered words. And that premonition was quickly proven true when we reached the entrance of the cave. ¡°Uwa¡­¡± ¡°This is nasty.¡± In front of us was not the giant lizard monster that had taken over the place, but a giant Derance Spider that had wrapped it in threads and a large number of eggs laid around it. ¡°The situation has changed so much from the initial information¡­ Are you two okay?¡± ¡°No problem.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Our original target for subjugation was pitifully reduced to prey, and what stood in our way was a giant spider. But just because the target has changed, the situation of needing to defeat it hasn¡¯t changed. Then there¡¯s no reason to hesitate. I draw my [Dawnbreaker] and take a stance, and Tia also draws her [Silver Spirit Sword] and starts chanting spirit magic. ¡°Let the spear of the radiant red sunset, swirling with flames, manifest. A pair of spirit arms clad in dull light, pierce, tear, burn, and annihilate! Under the name of Lunarietia, manifest [Volcanic Lancer]!¡± With the chant complete, two spears of flame appear behind Tia. As Gou and I charged towards the Derance Spider, it spewed a thread at us¡­ but before the sticky white substance could cling to us, the fiery spears flying from behind us burned it all away. ¡°Too soft, you spider bastard!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± ¡°GIGIGIGIIII!?¡± Our strikes sever one of the Derance Spider¡¯s front legs each. Although there was a chance for a follow-up attack, we instinctively leap back, and a swarm of spiderlings rushes to where we just stood. ¡°Ugh, gross! I¡¯d hate to be bitten by those.¡± ¡°¡­Hey Ed, you know?¡± ¡°Hm? What is it?¡± ¡°Since it lays eggs, shouldn¡¯t it be a female, not a male?¡± (T/N: Gou uses ¡°Ò°ÀÉ¡± meaning bastard/asshole which is usually used for males hence Tia¡¯s comment) ¡°¡­Ah, yes. That¡¯s right.¡± Ignoring Gou¡¯s astonishingly irrelevant remark, I repositioned my sword and thought about our next move. CH 185 Blocking our way forward was a spider about three meters in size. I¡¯ve heard that bugs don¡¯t feel pain, but even after having two of its front legs chopped off, its will to fight didn¡¯t wane, and it roared at us with all its might. ¡°KISHAAAAA!!!¡± ¡°Here it comes!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± What came at us, was not its huge body¡­ but a horde of spiders about 80 centimeters in size attacking us in the passage. They were small compared to the boss, but their numbers and their three-dimensional attack from walls, floors, and ceilings made them quite troublesome. However, they were just troublesome, at most. Gou and I cut down the attacking spiders one after another. ¡°Hmph, haah! We can defeat them, but there¡¯s no end to it.¡± ¡°Right, Tia, can you do what you did earlier?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Bugs are weak to fire. Tia¡¯s flame spear should be able to pierce through the horde of spiders and open a large hole in the main body. So we thought we just need to buy time until she can activate it¡­ ¡°KISHAAAAAAAA!!!¡± ¡°What is this!?¡± ¡°Whoa, this is bad!?¡± Inspired by the roar of the mother spider, even smaller spiders began to swarm from beneath it. Each one was about the size of an adult¡¯s fist, but their numbers were extraordinary. ¡°W-wait! We can¡¯t defend against this! Gou-san!?¡± Facing the oncoming wave of small spiders, I turned my gaze towards Gou. I could deal with a big enemy, but when there¡¯s a large amount of small ones, it¡¯s a worst-case scenario for a swordsman like me. So I thought about how we could handle this, but unfortunately, Gou also grimaced and shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t handle this number either. Unfortunately, we have to retreat for now¡­¡± ¡°Yaaaaaa!¡± Before us, who were hesitating on what to do, a wall of fire suddenly appeared. The flame rising from the ground burns all the incoming spiders, not letting a single one get through to us. ¡°Tia!? What the, that¡¯s amazing!¡± ¡°No good! I¡¯ve just forcibly turned the flame spear into a wall with this sword, so it has firepower but it won¡¯t last! Ten more seconds!¡± ¡°Tch, so that¡¯s how it is.¡± It seems that Tia, who was quick-witted, used the spirit sword to forcibly change the characteristics of the magic. This meant how we used these ten seconds was critical¡­ and as I was thinking that, Gou next to me grinned. ¡°No problem. Lunaritia, I¡¯ll borrow this flame!¡± ¡°Eh!?¡± Gou, who had taken a low stance, swung his sword to cut through the wall of flame. The flame dwelled in his sword, and at the same time, Gou leapt over the wall of fire that disappeared for a moment when it was cut, and charged into the enemy line. ¡°Gou-san!?¡± ¡°Uoooooooo!!!¡± Waving the burning sword around, the heat keeps the spiders from approaching. Cutting down only the bothersome enemies, Gou reached the mother spider in a straight line and jumped with all his might in front of it. ¡°Haah!¡± The sword swung down in time with his fall bisects the spider¡¯s head, and the flame blade extending from the sword bisects the spider¡¯s body. ¡°GI, GIIIIII¡­¡­¡­.¡± Upon the death throes of the mother spider, the other spiders scattered around the area in an instant. Along with this, the wall of flame that was created on the spot served its purpose, and Tia and I rushed over to Gou. ¡°Amazing! Gou-san, you are really strong!¡± ¡°Seriously, right? What was that just now?¡± "" ¡°Hm? Oh, that¡¯s my power as a hero. I can draw the power of nature that¡¯s nearby into my sword and cut with it. Though it doesn¡¯t really have much use most of the time.¡± ¡°Really? It seems quite powerful¡­¡± Gou responded with a small laugh to Tia who tilted her head in wonder. ¡°Think about it. Do you think a sword imbued with the power of water would work against an enemy in a water place? How effective do you think a sword coated with clods of earth would be against that spider?¡± ¡°Ah, I see. Gou-san can¡¯t use magic after all.¡± If the only power one can use is what¡¯s present at the scene, then it¡¯s evident that it would be difficult to mount an effective attack against the demonic beasts living there. In other words, this power was likely difficult to make use of without a good rear guard or careful preparation. It¡¯s no wonder I didn¡¯t notice this during the first loop. I can¡¯t use magic either. ¡°Why it worked this time was because the base fire power was large. If I can use power in such a way, it seems that the compatibility between Lunaritia and me is good. I hope I can count on you in the future while we travel together.¡± ¡°Of course, leave it to me! Fufu, maybe I¡¯ll be more useful than Ed?¡± ¡°Tsk, keep talking.¡± While saying this lightly to Tia who was looking over at us with a proud face, we left the cave and started retracing our steps. After that, we returned to the village and headed to the village chief¡¯s house to report. ¡°Oh, welcome back, Yuusha0sama! So¡­¡± ¡°Hm? The pots seem to have been replaced. Wait a bit¡­ should I rummage through the chest again?¡± Clang¡­ Clang¡­ Rustle¡­ Rustle¡­ ¡°Phew, it¡¯s good.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, yes. So, what happened to the beast nesting in the cave?¡± ¡°Um. About that¡­¡± Gou, who had just broken a pot that seemed to be newly replaced, responded to the village chief¡¯s question. ¡°So, is the cave safe now?¡± ¡°It should be. I¡¯ve checked all the side paths just in case. But I can¡¯t say all the beasts have been defeated. Especially regarding the Derance Spider, please be cautious for a while.¡± ¡°I understand. Well, it¡¯s not possible to exterminate all the demonic beasts anyway. Thank you so much for this time.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve just fulfilled my duty as a hero.¡± To the deeply bowing village chief, Gou casually said that and left the house. As we walked through the village, Gou called out to us. ¡°That concludes our quest this time. You both worked hard. Thank you.¡± ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s not a big deal. So, what¡¯s next?¡± ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ll go back to Aruana Town and gather information first. There might be a new quest from the king.¡± ¡°Got it. Ah, I can finally sleep in a bed again when we get to town.¡± ¡°Gahaha! But before that, since we¡¯ve had a day off, we need to go around the town and break pots.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± At Tia¡¯s distant gaze, I silently pat her back. ¡°Ed¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s have something delicious tonight. Ah, want to have some special coffee? Among the items I bought in that world, there was a stock of coffee. It¡¯s in a bag with a texture that feels like a mix of paper and metal, and it¡¯s said to keep its contents in good condition for about a year. It¡¯s stored in my [Stranger Box¡±] ¡°That sounds nice. It¡¯s a limited supply, but it would be a waste to just keep it without drinking it.¡± At my suggestion, Tia gave a soft smile. Hearing our conversation, Gou joined in. ¡°Oi Ed, what¡¯s this ¡®coffee¡¯?¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, coffee is¡­ it¡¯s like black tea? It¡¯s incredibly bitter, but somehow the taste lingers in a nice way. If you¡¯d like, I can treat you? Only one cup though since I don¡¯t have a lot.¡± ¡°Really? It sounds like a valuable item¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. We¡¯re companions after all.¡± It¡¯s uncomfortable for both parties if one person is left out amongst traveling companions. I readily agreed to Gou¡¯s request, and that night we all had coffee together. ¡°Gah! This is bitter!¡± ¡°I told you. But the bitterness is what¡¯s good about it.¡± ¡°Hmm. This aroma, it¡¯s calming¡­ Ah, I wish we had cake.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, we don¡¯t have any cake. But, how about this instead?¡± ¡°Oh, are these cookies? Thank you¡­ Hehe, they¡¯re sweet.¡± ¡°Ed, could I have some of those cookies too? My mouth feels rather dry.¡± ¡°Sure, here you go.¡± On the road from the village to the town, around the campfire, the hero¡¯s party enjoyed coffee and cookies. And so, our first expedition was brought to a successful close. CH 186 Since we arrived in this world and started accompanying the hero Gou, two months have passed. On that day, we were summoned by the king of the country we were staying in and had come to the royal castle. We requested an audience with the king and ascended to the castle. It¡¯s an opportunity that would rarely come even once in a lifetime for those leading ordinary lives, but both I and Tia had a period when we belonged to the party of Alexis, who is a genuine member of the royal family. Moreover, we had also been active as a hero party in various other worlds, so we were quite accustomed to this kind of atmosphere. However, being accustomed to it only meant that I nervously moved my hands and feet together and looked around the inside of the castle. I was acting with the appropriate tension for the occasion, but¡­ ¡°Welcome, esteemed Hero and your entourage! His Majesty the King is waiting for you, please follow me¡­¡± ¡°No, wait a moment.¡± Upon entering the castle, Gou halted the soldier who called out to us by extending his hand forward. ¡°What is it? Ah, do you need to use the restroom? If so¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. I just want to go around the castle first, breaking some pots and rummaging through some chests. Sorry, but ask His Majesty to wait for a bit.¡± ¡°What!? H-Hey!¡± Gou said that unilaterally, then slipped past the soldier and started walking on his own. Naturally, Tia and I followed him, but Tia looked at him with a worried expression and spoke up. ¡°Hey, Gou-san, is it okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Besides, after an audience at the castle, we¡¯re often just sent back home. If I don¡¯t do this, I won¡¯t be able to break any pots in the castle.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I mean, I understand. I already know.¡± Even though Tia muttered with a somewhat indescribable expression, having gotten quite used to it in these two months. But Gou paid no mind to such things and casually started breaking pots in the hallway. ¡°Eek!? What are you doing¡­ Wait, Yuusha-sama!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mind me.¡± ¡°H-Hah..¡± ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s impossible not to mind, right?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Tia. That¡¯s just how it is.¡± Since it¡¯s a castle, there are guards in the corridors, and servants bustling about. However, Gou continued to break pots without paying any attention to these people. By the way, it remains an eternal mystery why there are so many pots lined up in the castle corridors. In this manner, we walked around the castle, entered various rooms, and broke all the pots we could find and rummaged through the chests. After completing a full circuit, we returned to the initial main hall. ¡°¡­Yuusha-sama, may I trouble you to follow me now?¡± ¡°Yeah, please.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good¡­ Please here.¡± We were led by the soldier who visibly breathed a sigh of relief, and we advanced toward the audience room. Actually, we had passed by it a little while ago, and the gaze of the soldier guarding the door was somewhat piercing. As the soldiers opened the door, we stepped on the deep red carpet and walked towards the king. We were about to stop at an appropriate place¡ª- Wait! ¡°You have come¡­ Wha¡­!?¡± ¡°H-Hey, wait! Gou-san!?¡± Even though we should have reached the place where we were supposed to stop and kneel down, Gou¡¯s feet didn¡¯t stop. He continued walking through the audience room, slipped past the king, and went further into the corridor behind him. ¡°A-Ah, H-Hello? Excuse me¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m really sorry! Wait, Ed! Gou-san!¡± While also feeling a slight panic, I followed after Gou, and Tia caught up a few steps behind, desperately apologizing. And where Gou stepped into was an exceptionally splendid bedroom that belonged to someone. Well, to be more accurate¡­ yeah. It was probably the king¡¯s bedroom. ¡°Indeed, there is a chest here as well. Let¡¯s rummage through it immediately.¡± ¡°Umm¡­ Is it alright for us to enter here? This is the king¡¯s bedroom, right?¡± ¡°I highly doubt it¡¯s okay, but no one stopped us¡­ Well, I mean, I doubt it¡¯s okay.¡± Whether it was alright for us to enter or whether anyone expected others to enter this place, since there were no guards or anything, we entered. That¡¯s how Gou started rummaging through the chest, taking out men¡¯s underwear that reached about knee length. ¡°Boxer shorts, huh¡­ I¡¯ll take them just in case. Alright, next.¡± ¡°Gou-san? What do you mean ¡®next¡¯?¡± ¡°Of course, the next room. It¡¯s probably the queen¡¯s room.¡± Gou, who had left the room, entered the adjacent one. There was an especially gorgeous vanity table and a splendid wardrobe adorned with delicate goldwork. It was undoubtedly the queen¡¯s room. ¡°Oh, a purple silk negligee! This one will fetch a good price!¡± ¡°Umm, isn¡¯t it enough already? I¡¯m really worried about when the guards will come and arrest us.¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s one more room.¡± ¡°Another room¡­!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There should be a princess of marriageable age in this country.¡± ¡°No way! Stop it! Please stop!¡± Tia, who couldn¡¯t help but scream, clung to Gou. However, Gou dragged her along and, leaving the queen¡¯s room, forcefully entered the room right in front and started rummaging through a cute pink chest. ¡°What¡¯s this¡­? It¡¯s the coveted growing-up panties!? Hehehe, this is a great find! As expected of the royal castle.¡± ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m sorry, princess whose name I don¡¯t even know¡­ I¡¯m powerless¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Tia. You did your best.¡± While I was comforting Tia, who was sobbing quietly because of her own powerlessness, Gou happily put the panties in his bag. Finally, after thoroughly rummaging through the royal family¡¯s bedroom, we retraced our steps, entered the audience room once again, and went before the king, kneeling down. ¡°Hero Gou, at your command.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, yes. Is everything done?¡± ¡°Yes. Thanks to that, we have investigated all the pots and chests in the castle.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Ahem. Welcome, esteemed hero Gou and his companions! I am the king of this country, Alito Kabul.¡± The king, who appeared to be in his forties, introduced himself with a dignified voice. Standing next to him was a stylishly beautiful woman exuding an enchanting atmosphere, and next to her was a lovely girl who appeared to be around fourteen. Hmm, so that¡¯s the owner of those underwear¡­ Ouch! Suddenly pinched on the butt, I barely managed to suppress my voice and sent a reproachful gaze to my side. However, Tia stuck out her tongue and turned away. Hmm, it¡¯s unfair. Should I poke her in the side? But if it works too well, it will cause trouble¡­ How about using the [Missing Talk] and bombarding her with laughter-inducing gags? That way, laughter won¡¯t escape. Well, my body might twitch a bit, but I should be able to cover it up¡­ ¡°¡ª-And so, the seal of the Trial Mountain has finally been lifted.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s wonderful. Then let us go immediately and obtain the proof of the true hero.¡± While I was thinking such trivial things, the conversation between Gou and the king seemed to have progressed. I had completely tuned it out, but since I had heard it in the previous loop, it was fine. As Gou stood up, we also stood up and bowed together before leaving the audience room¡­ and eventually leaving the castle. The return trip was quick since there was no need to break any pots. ¡°I believe you¡¯ve heard the plan, but our next destination is the ¡®Trial Mountain.¡¯ I plan to depart early tomorrow morning. Is there any issue?¡± ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s already evening today, and isn¡¯t tomorrow morning a bit too early? If there¡¯s another town near this Trial Mountain, that would be fine, but if not, I might want to replenish some consumables.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah, that¡¯s fine. There should be a town at the foot¡­ right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It would take about a week on foot from here.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, we¡¯ll be fine with our current equipment. So, the departure¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s stick to the plan and depart early tomorrow morning. Will both of you lend me your strength?¡± ¡°Of course. Well, if we were just left here, that would be troublesome.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Since we¡¯ve come this far, we want to defeat the Demon King together, don¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Hahaha, you¡¯re reliable. Well then, I¡¯m counting on you.¡± After exchanging a brief conversation, we walked towards the inn. Now, our next destination is the Trial Mountain¡­ It¡¯s a place we couldn¡¯t visit in the previous loop due to various circumstances. I¡¯m excited to see what¡¯s there. CH 187 Trial Mountain¡­ We were able to reach the village at the foot of the mountain without any major issues. While there were no stagecoaches available, the road itself was well-maintained, so it was a breeze. Even from the village to the foot of the mountain, we didn¡¯t face much difficulty. There were only rough paths, slightly better than animal trails, but for me, Tia, and of course, Gou, it wasn¡¯t a problem. And so, standing in front of the entrance to the mountain, we couldn¡¯t help but look up at its towering and mysterious presence. ¡°Wow, so this is the Trial Mountain¡­¡± After passing through the dense forest, a mountain with only rocky surfaces appeared abruptly. In front of it, there were stone steps seemingly carved by someone, continuing all the way to the top. Even from a distance, it was quite an impressive sight, but up close, its intensity was even more remarkable. ¡°Huh? Ed, um¡­ Haven¡¯t you been here before?¡± ¡°Hmm? Ah, yeah. There are certain conditions to enter here.¡± ¡°Conditions?¡± Tia tilted her head slightly, and Gou answered before I did. ¡°That¡¯s right. Didn¡¯t King Alito mention that the seal had been broken recently? It seems that unless that seal is broken, no matter how far you climb these stairs, you won¡¯t be able to proceed.¡± ¡°I see. What are the conditions for breaking the seal?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know. I just came to climb the stairs after being told that the seal was broken.¡± ¡°I see. Well¡­ that¡¯s just like you, huh?¡± ¡°Hahaha! Nothing will come out of you even if you praise me.¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Gou laughed happily, and Tia smiled ambiguously. By the way, the reason I couldn¡¯t come here in the previous loop was because the seal was broken much later, and during that time, I was in a different country and was expelled before reaching here after fulfilling the conditions. It¡¯s not that I wasn¡¯t interested, and I did have a desire to be of help to Gou¡­ but even so, back then, my strongest desire was ¡°to go back home,¡± and that took priority. ¡°Well then, shall we go up?¡± ¡°Understood.¡± With Gou in the lead, we tightened our vigilance and climbed the steep staircase. And so, after climbing 100, 200 steps, a thick fog began to envelop us unnoticed. ¡°Such thick fog¡­¡± ¡°This can¡¯t be natural fog, right?¡± ¡°Probably not.¡± The visibility was only about two meters. If I squinted and focused, I could barely see Gou¡¯s back from my position at the rear, but if I relaxed even slightly, I would lose sight of him. There was no fog like this when viewed from below, and it¡¯s unlikely that it occurred randomly. As we proceeded with increased caution, the staircase finally came to an end. ¡°What is this¡­!?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± As the two who had reached the top earlier expressed their surprise and confusion, I also crossed the final step. Suddenly, the fog that surrounded us cleared, revealing an expansive plain as far as the eye could see, with a single road appearing before us. ¡°What on earth is this?¡± ¡°Could it be an illusion¡­? No, then it would mean we¡¯ve been teleported? No, maybe the spatial dimension of this entire area is distorted?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know, but if there¡¯s a road, we should just follow it.¡± ¡°Well, that makes sense.¡± While there was a possibility of deliberately moving towards the plain, this is still a ¡°trial to obtain the true symbol of a hero,¡± so it¡¯s best to stick to the straightforward path until we can no longer proceed that way. So we continued along the road¡­ and suddenly, numerous jars were placed on the path. ¡°Wow, there are so many jars! We have to break them all!¡± ¡°Eh, break them!?¡± ¡°Of course! Because I am the hero!¡± ¡°Umm¡­ Gou, are you sure about this¡­?¡± Gou enthusiastically broke the jars placed on the road, but his victorious streak didn¡¯t last long. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Those jars¡­ I can see them, but I can¡¯t break them.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± We have been proceeding straight ahead, passing several forks in the road along the way. However, the path has already come to an end just a few meters ahead. Well, when I say ¡°end,¡± it¡¯s simply an open plain stretching out as usual. Although it doesn¡¯t directly connect, we can see another path on the other side, so it would be easy to continue straight ahead if we wanted to. There was a single jar placed at the end of the path, with two knee-high wooden fences blocking the way. ¡°I can¡¯t believe there are wooden fences blocking the way here¡­ we can¡¯t proceed like this.¡± ¡°Well, maybe we can just step over them?¡± ¡°That¡¯s no good! There are fences blocking the path! If we force our way over, it¡¯s not right, is it!?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Ed?¡± ¡°Well, what you¡¯re saying isn¡¯t wrong, but¡­¡± While Tia looked puzzled, I also began to ponder. Normally, I would have adopted Tia¡¯ opinion but if we consider that this is Gou¡¯s trial, it might be better to respect Gou¡¯s opinion. ¡°Ah, how about throwing stones and breaking the jars from here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not allowed! I have to break the jars with my own hands. It¡¯s the privilege of a hero¡­ Hmm, well, fine. Let¡¯s turn back and take a side path. There might be a way to move these wooden fences.¡± ¡°It seems like lifting them up normally would do the trick.¡± Gou started to walk back, and Tia muttered softly. I understand her feelings, but I can¡¯t accept that suggestion. ¡°Hey, Tia. This is Gou-san¡¯s trial, so let¡¯s go along with his decision.¡± ¡°¡­Alright. Let¡¯s regain our composure and move on!¡± With Tia, who had regained her smile, in tow, we followed Gou¡¯s lead, turned back on the road, and entered a side path. There, we were met with a labyrinth that twisted and turned. ¡°Ugh¡­ Gou-san, are you sure about this¡­?¡± ¡°Of course, we continue on the path.¡± ¡°I guess so¡­¡± Tia looked exasperated, but Gou started to advance. Fortunately, the destination, which seemed to be the goal, was visible, and since there were no walls, the path itself was fully visible. I couldn¡¯t grasp the entire layout, but compared to when the view was obstructed by walls, the difficulty level was much lower. ¡°Ugh, we could have just jumped over and bypassed this road in an instant¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but if they clearly want us to follow the road like this, it¡¯s obvious that going off the road is forbidden. I think it¡¯ll be fine, but make sure not to leave the path, okay?¡± ¡°I know that!¡± Ignoring my teasing words, Tia puffed up her cheeks. The road was about one meter wide, and since there were no signs of magical beasts or traps so far, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems. However, if we were unexpectedly attacked and involuntarily jumped out of the road¡­ I have no idea what would happen. It would be fine if we were returned to the top of the stairs or the foot of the mountain, but¡­ Yeah, I don¡¯t have the slightest intention to test it. No, I definitely won¡¯t test it¡­ ¡°Well, they might be just messing with us, making fun of us for walking on the road like idiots, while there¡¯s no problem walking on the plain.¡± ¡°Ed, don¡¯t say things like that!¡± ¡°Hahaha, sorry, sorry. Oh, Gou-san, please turn right there.¡± ¡°Hmm? Why is that?¡± ¡°That path leads to the goal. That¡¯s why.¡± In the corner of my field of vision, a map that only I can see is displayed. It¡¯s my Banishment Skill [Auto Mapping]¡­ It¡¯s incredibly reliable in times like this. And in response to my advice, Gou responded with a beaming smile. ¡°Oh, is that so! Alright then, let¡¯s proceed from any direction other than right.¡± ¡°Um, why?¡± ¡°There might be pots or treasure chests in the unexplored areas, right? If we know the goal, we can efficiently conquer the paths other than that! I¡¯m counting on you, Ed!¡± (T/N: Average Rpg player) ¡°Uh, sure¡­¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Unexpectedly, Gou enthusiastically responded with an answer, while I let out a somewhat absent-minded voice and Tia expressed a weary voice. CH 188 ¡°¡­¡­Hey, do we really need to do this task?¡± Continuing to fill the map silently for three hours straight, in the midst of what seemed like a barren and futile act, Tia let out those words. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Tia? Are you tired?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­ I just don¡¯t see the point. I mean, there¡¯s clearly nothing here, right?¡± According to my [Auto Mapping]¡± skill, this labyrinth seems to have a rectangular shape with dimensions of about one kilometer vertically and three kilometers horizontally. Its biggest feature is its flatness¡­ meaning there are no walls obstructing our field of view. That means we already know there¡¯s nothing at the dead ends we¡¯re about to reach. Of course, in a maze like this, it¡¯s inevitable to encounter dead ends. But this time, we¡¯re intentionally exploring every dead end, and it¡¯s perfectly normal to feel that it¡¯s a waste. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Lunaritia? Do you have any objections to my judgment?¡± Interrupting our conversation, Gou interjected. However, his tone was a straightforward question, allowing Tia to calmly respond. ¡°Well, yes. It means contradicting your judgment, but honestly, I¡¯m a bit dissatisfied. If we know the correct path, we should go there first and only return to investigate if it doesn¡¯t work out. It¡¯s extremely inefficient to try to explore every corner of this vast maze without knowing how much we need. We may have enough supplies and time, but they¡¯re still limited, so we should avoid wasteful spending. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°Wasteful spending, huh¡­¡± With a slightly strict yet reasonable opinion from Tia, Gou muttered quietly. Without turning back to us, without slowing down his pace, Gou calmly spoke the next words. ¡°Hey, Ed and Lunaritia, what do you think a hero is?¡± ¡°Huh? Why are you asking all of a sudden? A hero is¡­ someone who has the courage to uphold their beliefs, I guess.¡± As I was asked, images of the many heroes I had traveled with flashed through my mind. Their way of living, their existence, had been vividly engraved in me no matter how much time passed. ¡°That¡¯s right. Someone who doesn¡¯t bend or break, someone who sees things through till the end, I suppose. In that sense, Gou-san, you are quite like a Hero.¡± ¡°Ho?¡± ¡°Huh? Are you surprised?¡± ¡°Haha. No, it¡¯s just that I¡¯ve asked the same question to my comrades before, and the answers I got were always something like ¡®the chosen one to defeat the Demon King¡¯ or ¡®someone with more courage than anyone else.¡¯ So, it¡¯s a bit unexpected. I see, so I¡¯m a hero, huh¡­¡± He paused for a moment, and Gou¡¯s head lifted up. I followed suit and looked up, revealing a clear sky. I couldn¡¯t say for sure if it was the real sky, but it would be petty to nitpick about it. ¡°Five hundred years have passed since the Demon King appeared in this land. Many heroes were born and set off on a journey to defeat the Demon King¡­ and all of them fell halfway through. There were undoubtedly strong ones. There were undoubtedly wise ones. But no matter the hero, not a single one could defeat the Demon King. And from those predecessors, what I learned and chose was to be ¡®steady.¡¯ ¡°Steady?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s hard to put it into words¡­ I¡¯m an awkward man, so I can¡¯t cleverly maneuver to obtain only good results. But if that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯ll just handle every problem in front of me, one by one, without fail. If there are pots, break them all; if there are chests, search them all; if there are problems, solve them all; if there are side paths, walk them all. By doing that, I will complete the tasks I should do, and ¡®defeating the Demon King¡¯ will eventually come right in front of me. After that, if I handle it as I always have, my role as a hero will be fulfilled. What do you think? It¡¯s quite steady, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ well, I guess so.¡± To Gou¡¯s slightly proud words, I could only respond with an indescribable nod. "" Certainly, no matter how long the journey may be, if you keep taking one step at a time, you will eventually reach your destination. Running or searching for shortcuts may lead to failures or successes, but if you just keep walking, it won¡¯t happen. As long as the courage to take that step forward remains, it is a truth that you will definitely arrive. However, that doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that this approach is always the right one. ¡°Haha, of course I know that my way isn¡¯t necessarily the best. It¡¯s true that because I¡¯m slow, the threat of the Demon King is causing damage to the world. There may be people who could have been saved if I had rushed and arrived in time. But blaming me won¡¯t solve anything. Even though I¡¯m a hero, I¡¯m not a god. Even if sacrifices occur because I didn¡¯t make it in time, it¡¯s because the Demon King¡¯s army attacked or because the defense system of that place was insufficient. It¡¯s not my fault. And even though I¡¯m not a god, I am a hero. I will never abandon the incidents that happen right in front of me. In the presence of a hero like me, I will never allow harm to befall anyone. Since I can only choose one, I chose to be a hero who won¡¯t abandon even if I can¡¯t make it in time rather than a hero who will abandon if I make it in time. And I will eventually become a hero who won¡¯t abandon and will make it in time. Solving each problem one by one, accumulating my strength.¡± Gou looked back at us, smiling and tightly gripping his fist as he spoke. But soon, the strength drained from his expression, and the corners of his eyes drooped a little, showing a tinge of sadness. ¡°Well, even so, my way is indeed a bit bothersome. The reason why there haven¡¯t been any fixed members in my party is partly because of that. But I can¡¯t change my way of life at this point¡­ So, I¡¯m sincerely grateful that both of you have come along with me this far. Thank you.¡± Gou stopped and bowed his head towards us. I lightly laughed in response to his apologetic face and replied. ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank us for something like that. We¡¯re with you because we have our own goals alongside yours, Gou-san.¡± ¡°I see¡­ come to think of it, why are you two accompanying me?¡± ¡°Huh, you¡¯re asking that now!?¡± ¡°Ah, right. As I said before, honestly, I thought you might disappear right away, so I didn¡¯t pay much attention. I thought you were young people who admire heroes based on your ages. I assumed you would leave as soon as you saw the reality¡­¡± ¡°Well, I can¡¯t deny that.¡± With a face full of apologies, Gou made me smile wryly. Both Tia and I look like young adults, about twenty years old. Unless we¡¯re exceptionally talented, it¡¯s unlikely for us to have the ability to join a hero¡¯s party at this age, and if we were such individuals, we would be well-known. In other words, if two unknown young people like us were to appear, it¡¯s only natural to think of us as mere admirers or people caught up in the excitement, not as genuine comrades. ¡°Our goal is also to defeat the Demon King. So, as long as Gou-san is okay with it, we would be grateful to continue traveling together in the future.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so!?¡± ¡°Of course! But, is it alright for us?¡± It seems that there is a rule in the hero party that only allows up to four members, including the hero. So, in terms of companions, there are effectively three slots. It¡¯s a significant decision to fill two of those slots¡­ Gou grasped my hand with a beaming smile and shook it up and down. ¡°Of course! But, what about Ed? And, Lunaritia, are you okay with it? You weren¡¯t happy with my method, right?¡± ¡°Well, yes. That was certainly the case¡­ but if it¡¯s based on Gou-san¡¯s convictions, I won¡¯t outright reject it. However, I would appreciate being involved in the discussion.¡± ¡°I see, understood! I have no intention of changing my way of life, but I promise that I will always listen and seriously consider what should be done! I¡¯m a troublesome guy, but please be patient with me.¡± ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s almost like we¡¯re making you our comrade. Nice to meet you again, Gou-san.¡± ¡°Yeah, nice to meet you! Wow, I finally have¡­ real comrades! Alright, from now on, I¡¯ll let you guys break pots¡­ no, wait, that¡¯s supposed to be the privilege of the hero himself, so it¡¯s not good to let comrades do it, right? Hmm, there needs to be some negotiation¡­¡± ¡°No, forget about the pots! Let¡¯s get going soon. This maze is still damn huge.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s go then! Kukukuku, now I¡¯ll be through this maze in no time!¡± With a smirk on his face, Gou began walking a little faster than before. ¡°Even so, you¡¯re still a fast walker.¡± ¡°Well, a steady¡­ no, I am a hero, after all.¡± As I smiled at Gou¡¯s slightly hurried pace, Tia and I followed him at the same speed. CH 189 Afterwards, we successfully navigated through the maze on the plain, taking quite a bit of time. However, there were no traps or monsters that pushed us off the path, so it seemed that anyone could make it through as long as they had enough time. However, taking time meant consuming physical stamina and concentration. Especially for me, who had been engrossed in the [Automapping] for a long time, I felt a slight heaviness in my head, if not a headache. Nonetheless, I walked the straight path at the end of the maze, and finally reached its deepest part. ¡°¡­Huh? What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°A pedestal, huh?¡± In front of us appeared a stone pedestal about chest-high. On its diagonally cut surface were palm-sized protrusions, strongly demanding to be pushed. ¡°There¡¯s nothing else¡­ so we have no choice but to push it, right?¡± ¡°Hold on, Lunaritia.¡± Gou stopped Tia, who was reaching for the button, and went around to the back of the pedestal. I also leaned in to take a look, and there I saw a discreetly placed jar. ¡°Hehehe, so there was a jar after all!¡± ¡°Wow, you figured it out nicely.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s just a result of my years of intuition. Now then¡­¡± Gou smirked and took the jar in his hand, slamming it onto the ground. A pleasant sound, like a ringing bell, resonated, and a shining medal flew out from the fragments. "" ¡°Oh! This is something good.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve seen that one before. What is that?¡± The thing Gou was holding it in his hand, looked like a gold coin at first glance, but its design was different from regular gold coins. However, having seen Gou acquire the same thing several times during our journey, I knew that there were similar items all over the world. ¡°You mean this? I¡¯m not entirely sure either, but if you collect these and bring them to the castle, you can exchange them for convenient magical tools or something like that.¡± ¡°Is the king collecting them?¡± ¡°You could say that, or you could say it¡¯s not. You can exchange them at any castle in any country around the world, so it feels more like the royal family is collecting them rather than a specific individual. I don¡¯t know anything beyond that, and I¡¯ve never really thought about it.¡± ¡°I see. Is it like a trendy artwork among the kings?¡± As Gou put the picked-up medal into his bag, Tia lightly tilted her head and asked. ¡°It might be. Well then, Gou-san, press the button!¡± ¡°Very well, let¡¯s do it.¡± As we prepared ourselves again, Gou slowly approached the large button and pressed it. The stone button made a sliding sound as it sank in, and in that instant¡­ ¡°Whoa?!¡± ¡°What is this¡­?!¡± Suddenly, the scenery in front of us distorted, and the next moment, the pedestal disappeared from sight. I hurriedly checked the [Auto-Mapping] and it seemed like we had returned to the place where we entered the first main path. ¡°It seems like we¡¯ve returned to the first path.¡± ¡°Phew, that¡¯s good. That means we didn¡¯t have to go back through that maze.¡± ¡°Right. Besides, we¡¯ve finished investigating all the branches, so there¡¯s no need to enter it again.¡± ¡°Eh, so you mean if we had taken the shortest route, you were planning to go back into that maze?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, why?¡± Upon hearing Gou¡¯s response, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, Tia made a deeply disgusted face. In that case, the time it would have taken to get back here would have been much shorter, so there shouldn¡¯t have been much difference in total¡­ But wait, if that button can only be pressed once, does that mean we have to walk back the second time? If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s certainly right to go through everything the first time¡­ ¡°Well¡­ well, it¡¯s fine since it didn¡¯t happen. But, if that¡¯s the case, what was the meaning of that button?¡± ¡°Maybe it made the wooden fence at the dead-end disappear?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s possible! But there were two fences, I remember. So¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s at least one more button somewhere in one of the branches.¡± The branching path that diverged from the main road totaled seven in all. If we suddenly hit the jackpot, the next one will likely be quite challenging¡­ ¡°Hahaha! What are you two talking about? Even if there¡¯s a button at the next fork, it¡¯s all the same since we¡¯re going to explore them all anyway!¡± ¡°¡­I suppose you¡¯re right.¡± Well, yeah. I knew Gou would say something like that. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have completely explored a maze that appears to be empty. ¡°However, as promised earlier, let¡¯s hear everyone¡¯s thoughts. I personally want to explore them all, but what do you two think?¡± ¡°Since there were seven side paths, I¡¯d like to investigate up to four of them and then continue ahead if there¡¯s nothing significant. That seems like a reasonable compromise, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°As for me, I think it¡¯s worth exploring them all. It¡¯s obviously a special place, and there¡¯s no guarantee we¡¯ll be able to come back or maybe we won¡¯t be able to return, so it¡¯s better to thoroughly investigate within the limits of not depleting our supplies like food and healing potions.¡± ¡°I see. As I¡¯ve been saying all along, I intended to explore them all from the beginning. So how about we thoroughly investigate up to the fourth side path, which is the unanimous decision of everyone, and then discuss it again there?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine with that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay with it too.¡± ¡°Great, let¡¯s do that then! Hehehe¡­ It¡¯s nice to discuss strategies with companions.¡± Quietly, but with a joyful smile, Gou laughed, and Tia and I exchanged glances and smiles in response. And so, our party continued to enter the remaining side paths one after another. The paths diverging ahead, such as crossing a bridge made of floating trees by adjusting the water level or manipulating moving shadows to create a path by changing the direction of light, each presented their own challenges¡­ but given enough time, they could be overcome without much danger. We successfully cleared them one by one, and at the fourth path, we found the endpoint with the desired button. However, considering the elaborate mechanisms present, we thought there might still be something more to it, so in the end, we completely explored all the side paths. ¡°It was quite long¡­ and surprisingly enjoyable.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Even though you seemed so bothered by it at first, you willingly engaged in solving the mysteries along the way.¡± ¡°Mou! Don¡¯t say such mean things!¡± While being lightly slapped on the forehead by Tia, I pondered about the path we had taken. A path that can be overcome if you don¡¯t give up. It wasn¡¯t a test to be discarded but a trial to be overcome. Indeed, this was the ¡°Trial Mountain.¡± There were no significant dangers, and if it were open to the public, families might come here for a leisurely visit. ¡°However, well, I was bothered by the fact that we could achieve it so easily just by going off the path. I wonder what would happen if we left the path?¡± Laughing heartily, Gou said, ¡°That¡¯s pointless to worry about. Anyway, I won¡¯t stray from the path! Besides¡­¡± In front of a genuinely delighted Gou, a jar was placed. Without any hindrance, he reached out into the space where the wooden fence had disappeared and slowly picked up the jar, which seemed to be the final challenge in this ¡°Trial Mountain.¡± ¡°Now, this is the end!¡± As he raised the jar high and slammed it onto the ground, a satisfying clatter reverberated through the surroundings. However, from within, the ¡°Proof of the True Hero¡± did not emerge. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Look! The path!¡± In front of Gou, who tilted his head in confusion, a new path appeared where there was once a dead end. ¡°It seems it¡¯s not over yet.¡± ¡°Yes, it seems so¡­ Ahem, Ahem. Well then, shall we go again?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Sure.¡± With a somewhat crestfallen expression, Gou cleared his throat, and we proceeded down the path that seemed to hold the final trial. CH 190 A long, long straight road that gradually sloped upwards. As we advanced along it, we were greeted by a scenery resembling the end of the world. The earth abruptly disappeared, revealing a vast expanse of pure white mist or clouds. Despite that, the road continued onward, leading to the endpoint, about 100 meters before a triangular-pointed cliff. ¡°¡­Is this the end?¡± ¡°Seems like it. Well, there must be something¡­ Whoa!¡± As we nervously looked around, a gigantic figure suddenly appeared right in front of us. It was the upper body of a metallic humanoid, resembling a golem or something, floating above the mist. [Congratulations on making it this far, Chosen Hero and his companions.] ¡°Oh, it spoke!¡± Excitedly, Gou raised his voice upon hearing the figure speak. But without reacting to it, the metallic humanoid continued. [I have understood the way you live. Now, I shall commence the final trial.] ¡°Gahaha! Fine by me! I¡¯ll overcome anything!¡± Encouraged by Gou¡¯s enthusiasm, I focused my attention on carefully assessing what our opponent would do. The metallic humanoid raised its palms, and familiar jars appeared on each of them. ¡°Hmm? Jars? What are they¡­ Ah!¡± Right in front of us, the left hand of the metallic humanoid turned around. As a result, the jar that had been on its palm fell and smashed onto the ground. ¡°What is this? I was supposed to break that jar!¡± ¡°Huh, really?¡± ¡°Yes, damn it! Having someone else break the jar is a lifelong disgrace!¡± ¡°Is it that serious!?¡± While Gou expressed deep frustration, Tia raised her voice in surprise. But without reacting to that, I calmly analyzed the recent events. (There were two jars, and one was broken. There was no way I could have prevented that just now, so¡­) ¡°Gou-san! Another one is about to fall! Catch it!¡± ¡°What!? Right!¡± Upon hearing my voice, which had grasped the intention of the trial, Gou immediately started running. However, at that moment, the ground in front of us emitted a flash, and a road appeared, twisting and turning like a snake. ¡°Damn, what is this!? Damn it!¡± Since the road had appeared, Gou had no choice but to go there. However, the winding path required dozens of times more distance to travel compared to a straight path. At this rate, the jar would fall from the slowly tilting hands of the metallic humanoid much faster. ¡°Damn it!!¡± ¡°It¡¯s no use, we won¡¯t make it! Tia, can you interfere with magic?¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible to support the jar without breaking it. Or should we attack that golem?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s a last resort.¡± Throughout this Trial Mountain, no traps or demonic beasts that directly harmed us appeared. And that metallic humanoid wasn¡¯t directly attacking us either. So attacking it from our side would be a bad move. (Then what do we do? Think, think!) While watching Gou, who continued to run desperately on the deeply twisted path, I desperately wracked my brain for a solution. The characteristic of this mountain was that even though there was a path in front of us, it was difficult to pass through it. Ignoring the road seemed much easier, and even now, if we ignored the road and ran straight toward the metallic humanoid, we would reach it well before the jar fell. But we had persistently followed the road. However, it wasn¡¯t because the trials were designed that way, but it was solely Gou¡¯s obsession. So what now? Just running on the road won¡¯t make it in time. Well, if I use [Hermes Dash] I could make it in time, but that wouldn¡¯t be the answer since this was a trial specifically for the hero. Is ignoring the road the correct answer? If it implies developing adaptability, it could be possible, but then the previous trials should have had time limits or similar restrictions. However, until now, we were allowed to take as much time as we wanted. Is this the first trial where ignoring the road is the only way to make it in time? It feels inconsistent. ¡°Uwoooo!¡± Amidst my wandering thoughts and my eyes frantically scanning the surroundings, I heard Gou¡¯s yell. Even though there was no chance of making it, his expression didn¡¯t show a hint of resignation. Yet, there was no sign that he would ignore the road and go straight. That¡¯s right, that¡¯s the Gou I know. That¡¯s the kind of hero Gou is. If there¡¯s something lacking, we will¡­ ¡°I see! Tia, wait there! If anything happens, please take care!¡± ¡°E-Ed!?¡± Without explanation, I ran straight toward the metallic humanoid, without using the expulsion skill. The road immediately started curving, but¡­ I ignored it and stepped into the grassy area. Instantly, a strong resistance coursed through my entire body. It was as if it was telling me that I couldn¡¯t deviate from the road, but I fought back with all my strength, breaking through that barrier. ¡°Uwoooo! Gou-san!¡± ¡°Ed!? What are you¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ll create the road!¡± Despite repeatedly colliding with invisible walls, I broke through them with all my might. Thus, the path I took became a road, and Gou followed it, rushing straight toward the metallic humanoid. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Ed!?¡± ¡°Go!¡± At the final step onto the grassy area, I exhausted all my strength and squatted on the spot. Without using the expulsion skill, this was the extent of my abilities. However, the path connected. It connected to the road that had been there from the beginning, allowing Gou to make a final sprint¡­ and the jar fell from the metallic humanoid¡¯s hand. ¡°I won¡¯t let you!¡± With a triumphant yell, Gou slid underneath and raised his hands. The jar that had fallen made no sound of shattering, as it landed perfectly in Gou¡¯s arms. ¡°We got it! Ed, Lunaritia!¡± As if proudly displaying a medal, Gou showed it off to us with a radiant smile. Tia, who had arrived after following the path I created, joined us. Then, we heard another mysterious voice from the metallic humanoid. [Congratulations on overcoming the trials, Chosen hero and his companions.] ¡°Thank you. Um¡­ Are you a god?¡± [Fufu, no. I am not. I, too, am a reflection of the hero¡¯s innermost thoughts, as are all the things within this mountain.] ¡°My thoughts¡­ I see¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Curious about Gou¡¯s satisfied expression, Tia asked. Gou, still holding the jar, turned his serious gaze toward us and began to speak. ¡°It¡¯s just as it is. Take, for example, that maze. As I¡¯ve told both of you, I was troubled by not being able to accept the idea of going straight. If my dilemma manifested as a twisting and turning maze, I can understand that. It applies to the other trials as well. The roads that appeared and disappeared depending on the time or whether a person¡¯s will could pass through them. I believe they all expressed my indecision and weakness.¡± ¡°I see. So, if we deviated from the road, everything would have been easily achievable?¡± ¡°I had a childish notion that if I abandoned my current way of life, it would become easier. Nobody knows if it would really be easier, but at least that¡¯s how it felt to me. And finally¡­ in that trial that questioned my belief of ¡®not abandoning someone even if I can¡¯t make it in time,¡¯ Ed broke through my limits for me. Ed created a path that I alone couldn¡¯t achieve, a path that allowed me to make it without abandoning anyone. Thank you, Ed. It¡¯s thanks to you that I was able to stick to my conviction until the end.¡± ¡°Hehehe¡­¡± Gou, looking directly into my eyes as he expressed his gratitude, made me feel somewhat embarrassed, causing me to scratch my head. While I was doing that, Tia, with a mischievous smile, nudged my side with her elbow. I casually brushed her hand away. Smiling, Gou continued stroking the jar in his arms and spoke. ¡°Furthermore, this jar as well. When I was appointed as the hero and gained the privilege of breaking jars and rummaging through chests, I couldn¡¯t fully discard the guilt of breaking someone else¡¯s jar. That guilt manifested as an unbreakable jar from an unreachable place¡­ but now, it¡¯s finally over!¡± Gou lifted the jar high and slammed it onto the ground. Before Tia could say, ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t that one not supposed to be broken!?¡± it was already too late. Booosh With a satisfying noise, Gou¡¯s guilt trigger shattered. And from within it emerged a golden bracelet adorned with a large red gem. ¡°What is this¡­? Ooooooohhhhh!?!?!¡± Gou picked it up and put it on his wrist, suddenly shouting and looking around. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Gou-san?¡± ¡°Light?! I see lights in various places! What is this!?¡± [That is the true proof of the hero that you sought. It is a magical tool that, when worn, reveals the locations of unbroken jars and untouched chests.] ¡°What?! What an amazing magical tool! Ah, this is truly the greatest magical tool that all the previous heroes sought! Thank you, Ed! Thank you, Lunaritia! I was able to obtain this because the two of you cooperated with me! I sincerely appreciate it!¡± ¡°Ah, ahaha¡­ You¡¯re welcome¡­¡± ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s so like you, Gou-san.¡± Feeling even deeper gratitude in Gou¡¯s words, both Tia and I wore wry smiles. Gou, smiling while putting on and taking off the bracelet, radiated the brightest shine we had seen so far. (T/N: This is so dumb lmao, but amusing at the same time) CH 191 With the bracelet that serves as proof of a true hero in his possession, the activities of the Hero Gou became even more spirited. It¡¯s a mystery why this happened, even though he didn¡¯t gain any new abilities, but Gou¡¯s adventure was lively and progressing smoothly. As a party of heroes, we traveled around the world solving problems. We searched various places and brought back a prince who seemed to be a little lacking. We retrieved a stolen crown from a very muscular thief, helped the revenge of sisters whose parents were killed by a beast, and even helped a man who was having trouble choosing between his three bride candidates. After experiencing all sorts of things for two years, we finally stood before the Demon King¡¯s castle. ¡°We¡¯ve finally come this far¡­¡± Surrounded by sheer cliffs, the dark castle with its sharp exterior stood out prominently. Facing the narrow road leading to it, Gou uttered with deep emotion. ¡°It¡¯s been about two years since we joined you, Gou-san. It¡¯s taken quite a while.¡± ¡°No, I think we¡¯ve made good progress. Honestly, I thought it would take us ten years.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit too patient?¡± At Gou¡¯s words, Tia laughed playfully. But he shook his head, looking quite serious. ¡°Not at all. To get this far, we needed a fixed party. If I hadn¡¯t met the two of you, I would probably still be searching for companions. Also, because of you two, I was able to give up on finding the last member.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s¡­¡± A hero¡¯s party consists of four people. Considering the balance of our current party, we really needed the last person to be a healer. But in this world, there are no adventurers, and those who can use healing magic are people who work in safe places like churches and clinics in the town. There was no one suitable for the harsh journey to defeat the Demon King. However, Tia and I could practically carry an infinite number of healing potions and such, so we were able to manage. If we hadn¡¯t had this, we might have had to spend years searching for excellent talent, or even have had to train someone from scratch. ¡°When I think about it, Gonzo and Riel were incredible.¡± ¡°Riel was a hero herself, but old man Gonzo, he was quite amazing too. His healing magic was incredible, and he was quite strong in battle.¡± ¡°Hmm? Who are Gonzo and Riel? Do you know of any healers who can fight?¡± ¡°Yes, sort of. But both of them¡­ are very far away¡­¡± ¡°I see, I¡¯m sorry for asking.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± As Gou bowed his head slightly, I responded with a wry smile. They aren¡¯t dead, but they exist in a different world where even the flow of time is different. ¡°Hey, shall we go? We¡¯ve only just arrived here.¡± ¡°Heh, that¡¯s right. Let¡¯s break into the Demon King¡¯s castle and defeat him once and for all! Let¡¯s go, you two!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± In response to Gou¡¯s call, we started walking down the path leading to the Demon King¡¯s castle. But it wasn¡¯t going to let us in easily. ¡°Cweeek!¡± ¡°Garuda! Two on the right, three on the left!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take the right! Gou and Tia, take the left!¡± Huge bird-like monsters, each about two meters long, flew in from the valley, trying to knock us off the narrow cliff. But we weren¡¯t going to be bested by these creatures. My ¡®Dawnbreaker Sword¡¯ cut off the foot of the Garuda that was attacking, and a Mithril short knife thrown quickly pierced the face of the other one that didn¡¯t come near. ¡°Kweeeeh!?¡± ¡°Hah, easy victory! How about you!?¡± ¡°Of course, piece of cake! But¡­¡± ¡°Run now!¡± As the defeated creatures fell down, more flying monsters, including Garudas, emerged from the bottom of the valley. There was no reason to politely deal with them in such precarious footing. While repelling the approaching monsters, we ran straight towards the Demon King¡¯s castle. As we did, the large door in front of us opened with a creaking sound, and the moment we jumped in, the door closed forcefully. ¡°Phew, it seems we managed to get inside. But¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re completely trapped.¡± ¡°Well, we didn¡¯t plan on going back until we defeated the Demon King, so it¡¯s not a problem. But¡­¡± Without a moment to relax, I remained vigilant of our surroundings. At this point, there was no need to hold back on using my banishment skill. I conducted a thorough exploration using the combination of my skills, [Auto-Mapping] and [Akashic Compass]. However, I didn¡¯t overly rely on them. I still remember the blunder I made in Amelia¡¯s world. ¡°For now, based on what I saw, there are three paths. The one leading up the main staircase in front, and the doors on the left and right¡­ Which way should we go?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go from the left. First, we¡¯ll thoroughly search the ground floor, and then move to the second floor.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s just like you, Gou-san. But exploring this place seems quite challenging, doesn¡¯t it?¡± This is the Demon King¡¯s castle. It¡¯s only natural to assume that it¡¯s filled with enemies, and just because we can¡¯t get out doesn¡¯t mean the enemies can¡¯t call for reinforcements. It would seem prudent to go straight to the Demon King and defeat him before any interference arises¡­ ¡°It will indeed be difficult. However¡­ I can see it.¡± Gou¡¯s sharp eyes scanned the surroundings. And on his arm, the bracelet he had never taken off since acquiring it shone. ¡°¡­Eh, you¡¯re kidding, right!? Could it be¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true. There are pots and chests inside this castle too!¡± ¡°Huh¡­ Really? Hey, Ed, why are there pots and chests inside the Demon King¡¯s castle? It¡¯s not like this place used to be a castle where people lived, right?¡± That¡¯s what I thought too¡­ Well, it doesn¡¯t matter what the reason is for now. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Regardless of the reason, our task remains the same.¡± ¡°Yes. Gou-san wouldn¡¯t overlook pots and chests.¡± ¡°Gahahaha! That¡¯s right! Ed, Lunaritia! Let¡¯s break some pots and search the chests right away! Hehehe, I wonder what¡¯s inside the chests of the Demon King¡¯s castle?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m a little interested.¡± With Gou appearing more enthusiastic than when he declared to defeat the Demon King, a slight smile appeared on Tia¡¯s face. Indeed, there¡¯s no point in getting too serious. No matter how dire the crisis, those who can enjoy it are the strong ones. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s go on a tour of breaking pots and searching chests in the Demon King¡¯s castle. I¡¯ll guide you through the internal structure, Gou-san, you lead the way, and Tia, please be vigilant of the surroundings. You can use magic if necessary, but don¡¯t overexert yourself since we don¡¯t know if there are resting places.¡± ¡°Understood. I won¡¯t make any mistakes in pacing at this point.¡± ¡°Leave it to me! Now, I haven¡¯t seen these pots yet! I¡¯ll break them!¡± ¡°Gou-san¡­ Our main objective is to defeat the Demon King, remember?¡± ¡°I know! Ohhh, the new chests are calling out to me!¡± ¡°Do you really understand?¡± ¡°I do, probably¡­¡± While observing Gou, who energetically dispersed the approaching monsters, we wore wry smiles and followed after him. CH 192 ¡°Manifest, [Flare Rain]! Ugh, there are so many!¡± In one room of the Demon King¡¯s castle, Tia mumbled as she rained down flames on about seven gigantic ants. The ants, which had metallic-like skin, were being burned by the magic of fire, their weak point, and were dying off, but replacements kept coming and their numbers didn¡¯t decrease. ¡°Damn it, who the hell brings trolls indoors!?¡± ¡°Guha, die!¡± In front of me was a demonic beast in the form of a man, boasting a body close to three meters tall. At first glance, the body appeared fat, but it was actually a mass of muscle, and the power of the club being swung down was enough to flatten even a metal armor in one hit. ¡°Hah, as if I would die from this!¡± The troll appeared slow due to its large size, but in reality, its movements were fast enough. I dodged its attacks and cut off the troll¡¯s arm. However, the beast, known for its regenerative power, quickly restored the severed arm. However, even if it can regenerate its arm, it can¡¯t recover its club. The troll now tried to attack with its bare hands, bringing it closer to me. I then swung my sword upward from below and split the troll in two. ¡°Guh, ga?¡± The troll, with a puzzled look on its face, fell to the ground, split into two. Even for a troll, recovery from this state should be impossible. ¡°One down! Tia!¡± ¡°I¡¯m still okay over here! Go to Gou-san!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± I turned my back on Tia and headed towards Gou. He was also fighting a troll, but the situation seemed more disadvantageous for him. That said, it¡¯s not that Gou was weaker than the troll. The problem was¡­ ¡°Gehahaha! This me will destroy you!¡± (T/N: The Troll uses ¡°Oresama¡± while addressing himself) ¡°Nooooo, I won¡¯t let you! I won¡¯t let you break this pot!¡± For some reason, Gou was fighting to protect a pot. He says it¡¯s fine if he breaks it himself, but it¡¯s not acceptable if someone else does. ¡°Gou-san! Hah!¡± I approached the troll attacking Gou with a club, and I cut off its left leg. It will probably regenerate soon, but the giant body lost its balance and fell¡­ and Gou didn¡¯t miss that chance. ¡°Fuh!¡± ¡°Geha!?¡± As the troll¡¯s body fell and its head lowered, Gou¡¯s attack cut off nearly half of the troll¡¯s head. I pierced its heart in sync with its brain spilling out, and with its eyes rolling back, this troll also died. ¡°Phew, you saved me, Ed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re not injured. Tia, I¡¯m coming!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Leaving Gou who was expressing his gratitude, I now ran towards Tia. The metal ants, Adamant Ants, were hard to slice, and it¡¯s difficult to cut them without targeting their joints, even with my [Dawnbreaker]. But for such times, this¡­ comes in handy. ¡°Blood Blade Forging!¡± I put my beloved [Dawnbreaker] into its sheath, and I hit the hilt of the other sword I took out against my left wrist. My banishment skill, [Master Smith], formed a transparent blade when combined with the blood-drawn sword. ¡°Slice ¡¯em apart, Sword of Thin Life!¡± With a blade so weak it can¡¯t maintain its form for even a moment, but so strong it can cut light and sound. It sweeped horizontally across the swarm of Adamant Ants, and dozens of ants are split not into upper and lower halves, but into top and bottom parts, spilling all over the place. ¡°Good job, Ed. How¡¯s Gou-san?¡± ¡°Hm? Ah, he¡¯s the usual.¡± After finishing off the surrounding beasts and confirming that there were no enemies left, I turned to answer Tia, who had called out to me. There was Gou, having safely broken the pot himself, rummaging through the chest inside. ¡°Could this be, the legendary Victory Armor!? Hey Lunaritia, you should equip this!¡± ¡°Ew, no! What¡¯s that, it¡¯s just a string! Where¡¯s the armor in that!?¡± Gou held up a faintly glowing blue string with a radiant smile. It seemed to be just wide enough to cover the bare minimum, which also meant that it only hid the absolute minimum. ¡°Mu, don¡¯t you know? This has a powerful defensive magic applied to it, it¡¯s an excellent piece that provides the defense power of metal armor without hindering movement at all!¡± ¡°Absolutely not! Then Gou-san, you should equip it!¡± ¡°Well, in my case, my current armor has higher defense¡­ What about you, Ed?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ let¡¯s see, I¡¯ll pass. My defense is also quite high.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Gou was slightly disappointed as he stuffed the blue string into his bag. It¡¯s probably a great piece of equipment since it¡¯s in the Demon King¡¯s castle, but I don¡¯t have the courage to equip that. Yeah, that¡¯s definitely hero-exclusive equipment, in a different sense. ¡°So, Gou-san, are you done now?¡± Tia, slightly exasperated, asked Gou who seemed downcast. The reason we were fighting a horde of monsters in such a place was because Gou was obsessed with breaking pots and rummaging through chests. Even though it was a small room, it was a part of a huge castle so we could manage to fight, but I don¡¯t want to engage in additional battles in a place with so many monster corpses. Gou hurriedly replied to Tia, who had such feelings seeping into her voice. ¡°No, wait. There¡¯s one more¡­ It seems like there¡¯s a pot behind this shelf.¡± ¡°Behind the shelf?¡± ¡°Yes. But I can¡¯t seem to move the shelf¡­ I think there¡¯s some kind of mechanism.¡± ¡°A mechanism¡­ In that case. Manifest, [Akashic Compass].¡± I activated the [Akashic Compass] with ease and searched for the mechanism to move the shelf. There seemed to be a small button on a pillar in the room, and when I pushed it, the large shelf moved to the left with a noise. ¡°Oh, there it is! The pot!¡± ¡°Why would they hide a pot behind a mechanized shelf?¡± ¡°Who knows? Maybe even the Demon King likes pots.¡± ¡°Ewww.¡± Tia made a disgusted face at my joking answer. Even if it was a joke, if the Demon King analyzed Hero Gou and prepared this mechanism to stall him, then the attempt could be said to have been a great success. He¡¯s invading humanity quite solidly, this world¡¯s Demon King seems to be growing quite well. ¡°Hm? What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Gou, who broke the pot with a satisfying ¡®clink¡¯ sound, tilted his head at the contents he held in his hand. ¡°Look at this, both of you. This was inside the pot¡­¡± ¡°? What¡¯s this?¡± On Gou¡¯s palm was a perfectly round black ball, about the size of an adult¡¯s fist. It seems like there¡¯s definitely something about it, but I can¡¯t think of anything specific. ¡°A magical tool? I can¡¯t sense any magical power though¡­¡± ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m not familiar with magic, but just holding it makes my hand tingle¡­¡± ¡°Tingle¡­? Can I try holding it?¡± ¡°Yeah, sure. Here.¡± Gou places the black ball on my outstretched hand. Hmm, there¡¯s nothing special¡­ Wait, what!? ¡°Oh, oh? Ooooh!?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ed?¡± ¡°Are you okay, Ed?¡± At the sensation that suddenly ran through my body, I involuntarily raised my voice. I answered the worried pair with a sly smile inside. ¡°Gou-san, is it okay if I keep this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but do you know how to use it?¡± ¡°Ah, somewhat. I think I can make the best use of it at the perfect timing.¡± I see, it seems that this world¡¯s Demon King is more cunning than I thought. But¡­ Hehehe. ¡°Hey Gou-san. You¡¯re really the true Hero after all! Hahaha!¡± ¡°What¡¯s with you all of a sudden!? Well, I am indeed the true Hero! Gahahaha!¡± ¡°Ugh, you two¡­¡± A treasure that I would have missed if not for Gou. Laughing together with him, who seemed perplexed but joyful at my sudden praise, I was also assured of our victory CH 193 ¡°Ah, so it¡¯s like this here as well¡­ Is there some kind of rule that the Demon King must create such a door?¡± ¡°Well, who knows? But there might be some kind of obsession.¡± In front of us stood a large, black double door. Now that we had thoroughly explored every corner of the Demon King¡¯s castle, this was the only place left to go. ¡°Finally, it¡¯s time to face off against the Demon King¡­ Are both of you ready?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± With a smile, we nodded, and Gou placed his hand on the door. The large door, which didn¡¯t seem like it could be moved by a human hand, opens, and beyond it, a room with gray pillars and red and black cloth hanging everywhere spreads out. We walked into that room without any hesitation. After advancing for a while, a middle-aged man sitting in an excessively tall chair addresses us with a dignified voice. ¡°You¡¯ve finally arrived, Hero and his party. I am the true king ruling over this world, the Demon King Zamahagen!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you so terrified of me that you can¡¯t even speak? It¡¯s understandable¡­¡± ¡°Wait, the Demon King has a name?!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± From Gou¡¯s silence, there was a shout, and this time the Demon King was at a loss for words. Twitching the temples of his somewhat bat-like face, he crossed his legs with an appearance of composure. ¡°Ho, ho? Despite being a hero, you don¡¯t know my name?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. This is the first time I¡¯ve heard it.¡± ¡°So, so it is¡­ well, um. Thinking about it, all the heroes who¡¯ve heard my name from me have been killed by me on the spot, so it¡¯s natural that my name isn¡¯t well-known. Then I will kill you, and this time, I will make my name known to the world!¡± ¡°Huh? If I die, then there¡¯s no one left to spread your name, right?¡± ¡°Gah!? Shut up! Then¡­ that¡¯s it! I¡¯ll rename the Demon King¡¯s army to the Zamahagen army, and attack the human towns with that name!¡± ¡°There is no record of the Demon King¡¯s Army ever calling itself the Demon King¡¯s Army when they attacked.. Or are you planning to announce your name before you attack this time? But if you¡¯re going to annihilate everyone in the end, your name still won¡¯t get passed on¡­¡± ¡°Shut up, shut up, shut up! Whatever I say, you argue back! What a cheeky hero you are! Someone like you¡­ huh?¡± The Demon King, leaning forward from his throne and shouting, suddenly looked behind Gou¡­ in other words, at me. So I gave him a light wave, and the Demon King startled upright. ¡°Wha-!? Why!? Why are you¡­ no, um, you! Why are you here!?!?¡± ¡°Why not? I¡¯ve been working with Gou-san as part of the Hero Party for two years now. Didn¡¯t you realize that until now?¡± ¡°Ngh!? No, no, no¡­ there¡¯s no way¡­ that¡¯s impossible! Don¡¯t be ridiculous! I noticed, I definitely noticed!¡± With a completely startled voice, Demon King Zamahagen insisted, puffing out his chest. But his rapidly moving eyes clearly indicated his agitation. It¡¯s obvious, even to a child, that he¡¯s shaken. But in response to the Demon King¡¯s attitude, Gou turned slightly toward me and started a conversation. ¡°Ed, do you know the Demon King?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not exactly acquaintances. As far as I¡¯m concerned, this is our first encounter. That being said, he is a nemesis. Didn¡¯t I say? I¡¯m with Gou-san because I want to defeat the Demon King.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I see, is that so?¡± Upon hearing my words, Gou nodded in agreement and turned his attention forward. I think he probably misunderstood in a good way, but at least I¡¯m not lying. Honestly, it seems difficult to explain properly to Gou. ¡°Huh, Huhuhu¡­ That¡¯s right. I was fully prepared. I don¡¯t care about your or God¡¯s intentions! I will continue to reign as the Demon King of this world, toy with mankind at my whim, work tirelessly for environmental destruction, and indulge in the company of my favorite succubus! Now, Brave Hero and his companions, come at me! I¡¯ll personally end your lives!¡± ¡°The one who will die is you, Demon King! Let¡¯s go, both of you!¡± As the Demon King rose and took a combat stance, Gou charged in with his sword. Naturally, we supported him, but in the middle of it, Tia glanced at me. ¡°What is it, Tia?¡± ¡°Nothing? Just, that thing is also part of you, right? So do you also want pretty girls to serve you?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t we conclude nicely with John that even though we have the same origin, we are different entities?¡± ¡°Well, yeah, but that¡¯s one thing¡­ Should I have dressed in that string-like armor for you?¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s beat the Demon King to death¡± This guy, like John, seemed to have gained intelligence and self-consciousness over a long period of time, but its existence was polar opposite to John¡¯s, and it was all harm and no good. I absolutely have to avoid being seen as having the same preferences as this Demon King. ¡°I¡¯ll support you, Gou-san!¡± Calling out, I inserted myself between the two who were fighting from the front. The Demon King, reacting to this, swung his left hand, and the black claws extending to about the length of a longsword caught my sword. ¡°Ohh!?¡± ¡°Ha! I didn¡¯t claim to be the Demon King for five hundred years just for fun¡­ well, companion number one!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s companion number one! I¡¯m Ed!¡± ¡°Ed? Houu, That¡¯s an¡­ amusing name you¡¯ve been given. Then die as the clown Ed!¡± The Demon King¡¯s hands quickly vibrated, and Gou and I were driven on the defensive. Regardless of his appearance and words, as expected, the his attacks were sharp and fast. ¡°Damn, this is¡­ more than I expected.¡± ¡°Tsk. He¡¯s strong after all.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter!? Is that all!?¡± ¡°Not yet¡­ Tia!¡± ¡°¨DManifest, [Star Hastu]¡¯!¡± The moment Gou and I leaped back, a star cloaked in a storm was shot from the clear line of Tia. It was headed straight towards the Demon King¡­ but however. ¡°Nu, guh¡­ gah!¡± ¡°You¡¯re kidding!?¡± The Demon King crossed his claws and received Tia¡¯s magic from the front, knocking it aside. Tia was surprised and raised her voice, while the Demon King chuckled with an abundance of leisure. ¡°Hahaha, did you think you could defeat me with just that? The Demon King¡¯s nickname isn¡¯t just for show!¡± ¡°Ngh, but we¡¯re just getting started!¡± Against such a Demon King, Gou charged in again. But I remained in place, observing his movements closely. Despite the disappointing aura he gives off, his abilities are real. Absorbing three shards to become stronger, then weakening as a result of connecting with John, my current power was almost the same as it was before I started collecting the power. So am I going to make a fool of myself like this? Ha, as if. Quietly calming my heart, honing my soul, I house its chill into my blade. The moment to aim is a split second. The swing is a flash. The moment to see it is¡­ right now! ¡°Hmph!¡± The Demon King caught Gou¡¯s sword with the claw of his left hand and thrust the claw of his right hand in a counter-like move. Before his force can fully carry through, my [Dawnbreaker] striked his claw at a perfect angle. ¡°What!?¡± His proud claw cut off, surprise crossed the Demon King¡¯s face. As he thrusted his right hand out, the shortened claw naturally coudn¡¯t reach Gou. ¡°It¡¯s over Demon King! Lunaritia!¡± ¡°¨DManifest, [Volcanic Lancer]!¡± Gou¡¯s raised sword received Tia¡¯s magic and flew. His sword burned brightly as he leaped into the range of the Demon King, which would usually be lethal, and stabbed deeply into the Demon King¡¯s chest. ¡°Burn, and be gone!¡± ¡°Ugyaaaaaaa!!!¡± The Demon King screamed as he was burnt not only on the outside but also inside. CH 194 The body of the Demon King Zama Hagen, burned out by the flames of Guren, crumbled into black ash. It was supposed to be the victorious conclusion that many heroes had aimed for, but¡­ Gou¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t bright. ¡°¡­¡­Is it over? Really?¡± ¡°? What¡¯s wrong, Gou-san?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too anticlimactic¡­ I feel let down. I¡¯m not particularly strong compared to the previous heroes. Ed and Lunaritia, you both are certainly powerful enough, but you¡¯re not notably stronger than the comrades of the previous heroes, as far as I know. Despite this, it¡¯s surprising that we were able to defeat the Demon King so easily¡­¡± In response to Tia¡¯s question, Gou answered without hiding his confusion. Some people might take it as disrespect or arrogance, but I understand that Gou has no such intentions. The awkward but straightforward Hero Gou would never belittle others like that. ¡°Haha, I understand. So, Your concern is right. The reason why the previous heroes couldn¡¯t win, that¡¯s probably the cause.¡± ¡°What do you mean, Ed?¡± ¡°It¡¯s like this. Manifest, [Akashic Compass]! The thing I¡¯m looking for¡­ is the location of the Demon King.¡± With a grin in response to Gou¡¯s question, I activated the [Akashic Compass] and gave it instructions. Then, an image of a man with a face identical to mine sitting on a chair appeared within the metal frame, and the compass needle immediately pointed straight down. ¡°The real Demon King¡­ or rather, the Demon King¡¯s main body, is below us. Isn¡¯t there some hidden passage or something?¡± ¡°What!? So the one we just defeated is¡­ a fake!?¡± ¡°No, that was real too. I think he probably prepared a body that he could use to resurrect immediately. And so, until now, the heroes thought they had defeated the Demon King and let their guard down, and he took advantage of that opportunity to defeat them.¡± ¡°Uwa, that¡¯s dirty! And a bit petty, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Tia. The Demon King must be desperate too¡­ So, let¡¯s start by looking for something like a hidden passage! There must be a mechanism somewhere in the castle where that shelf moved¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to think about it.¡± Cutting off my words, Gou crawled on the floor behind the throne. As he rummaged around, the floor suddenly opened up, revealing a staircase leading downwards. ¡°Heh!?¡± ¡°Awesome! How did you know!?¡± ¡°Gahhahha! What are you talking about? It¡¯s a universal rule that there¡¯s a staircase leading to a hidden passage behind the throne!¡± ¡°¡­Is it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± In response to Tia¡¯s question, I silently shake my head. I was fully prepared to search with the [Akashic Compass ] so I couldn¡¯t have known. ¡°But if it¡¯s common knowledge, doesn¡¯t that defeat the purpose of a secret passage?¡± ¡°There might be something there, right? Like, they could have set up a trap precisely because it¡¯s common knowledge.¡± ¡°But if it¡¯s in an unknown place, no one would find it in the first place, so that would be definitely better, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.Well, yeah.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the details! Let¡¯s go!¡± Leaving our conversation behind, Gou quickly descended the stairs. Naturally, we followed him, walking down the staircase that twisted and turned for a while. When we opened the very ordinary-sized door, there was a man who looked just like me, sitting on a comfortable-looking bench and tilting a wine glass. ¡°What!? How did you guys get here!?¡± ¡°Just simply walked down the stairs.¡± ¡°I thought there might be traps or barriers, but there was nothing.¡± ¡°Prepare yourself, Demon King!¡± As Hero Gou brandished his sword, the Demon King laughed uneasily. Standing up slowly, he spread his arms and grins. ¡°Heh, heh, heh¡­ I didn¡¯t expect the Hero to make it this far. Alright, I admit defeat. You may take my head.¡± ¡°You seem very understanding. In that case, I shall do so.¡± ¡°No, no, no, no!?¡± Gou swiftly raised his sword to behead the Demon King, who hurriedly halted him with a panicked expression. ¡°Are you a fool!? You should be suspicious of traps! And¡­ look! Don¡¯t you notice that your companion behind you has the same face as me!? Could he be my doppelg?nger, planning to assassinate you, the Hero!?¡± ¡°? What are you talking about? There are countless people with the same face. It may be rare to meet someone with the same face in a single town, but isn¡¯t it normal to pass by familiar strangers¡­ in other towns?¡± ¡°¡±Eh!?¡±¡± At Gou¡¯s genuinely puzzled remark, both the Demon King and¡­ even Tia voiced overlap. I¡¯m troubled by the Demon King staring at me, along with Tia. ¡°Well¡­ that might¡­ happen? I mean, I¡¯ve never really paid attention to the faces of the people I pass by¡­¡± ¡°No way, right!?¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± ¡°Then I don¡¯t know either! What¡¯s that about, I want to know too! Why, Gou-san!?¡± In response to my slightly irritated question, Gou thoughtfully replied after a moment of contemplation. ¡°I can¡¯t answer that either. If I had to guess, it might be that everyone¡¯s blood is connected somewhere if you trace back far enough. Wouldn¡¯t it be not so surprising if a relative looks exactly like you?¡± ¡°That is¡­ well¡­ right, but¡­!?¡± ¡°As I said before, don¡¯t worry about the details. Let¡¯s focus on the Demon King!¡± ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± While this is deeply unsatisfying, dealing with the Demon King was definitely the top priority. When I turned back to face the Demon King, he started speaking with a tired expression. ¡°I¡¯ve been the Demon King for 500 years, and this is the first time I feel like I¡¯ve touched the darkness of this world that absolutely must not be touched¡­¡± ¡°Uh, should the Demon King really be saying that?¡± ¡°Shut up, you little girl! Just kill me already.¡± ¡°¡­Hey, Ed. It feels like the Demon King is giving up too easily, could this be a trap? I won¡¯t spare him, I¡¯ll cut off his head, but you guys might want to run just in case.¡± Gou, who was just about to kill him without question earlier, now suggests this. I can understand his caution. It¡¯s obviously suspicious that someone who prepares a body double would give up just because his secret room was invaded. But I know why. And¡­ I have it. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Gou-san. Hey, Demon King, do you recognize this?¡± What I pulled out of my bag was a black ball that Gou found in a pot behind a mechanism in the castle. The moment I show it, the Demon King¡¯s face turns to utter astonishment. ¡°Gyeeeeee!?!? Wha, wha, what!? Why!? Why do you have that!? How, how, how!?!?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s the one I found.¡± ¡°You found it!? Impossible! I put it in the most mundane room that would attract no interest, behind a mechanical shelf that has no conspicuous presence, in the most common pot in this world that wouldn¡¯t interest anyone! How could you have found it!?¡± ¡°Haa! It¡¯s nothing¡­¡± Facing the Demon King who was now showing real panic unlike before, however, Gou answered with a confident smile. ¡°All the pots in this world exist for me, the Hero, to break! It¡¯s impossible for me to overlook a pot!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.I don¡¯t understand!!!!!!!!¡± The Demon King¡¯s soul-shattering scream, louder than the death throes of a body consumed by fire, echoed throughout the small secret room. CH 195 ¡°Hey Ed, what the heck is that after all?¡± In stark contrast to the demon king who¡¯s screaming with an incredibly fierce look, Gou, who was calm, asked me, who was fiddling with the black orb. I can explain, but telling the truth as it is would only confuse Gou who lacks the prerequisite knowledge. So¡­ ¡°This is the source of the Demon King¡¯s power. As long as this exists, I think he can probably resurrect as many times as he likes. Conversely, if we suppress this, he can¡¯t resurrect again.¡± With a smirking grin, my gaze caused the demon king to tremble. The power contained within this orb in my hand was undoubtedly mine¡­ a fragment of the power of the Demon King Of The Endl. But the Demon King before me, for some reason, had severed this power, which could be said to be his essence, and stored it separately. This meant that even if I touched the Demon King, I couldn¡¯t steal or be stolen, and he wasn¡¯t able to notice my existence, which any other demon king should have noticed the moment I entered the world. This power, in a sense, has cut itself off from me, the main body, and the God who caused this situation. He succeeded in discarding the too big and unavoidable obligations along with his power. ¡°Hm? So you mean, if that¡¯s safe, he can resurrect as many times as he likes? Why would you keep such an important thing in a hidden shelf behind a castle? Shouldn¡¯t you have protected it more securely?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s a matter of perspective. If the Demon King had a heavily fortified place, you¡¯d think there must be something there and you¡¯d go looking for it, right? Tia said it too, didn¡¯t she? That being unknown is the strongest.¡± ¡°Ah, I see! That makes sense.¡± Remembering the exchange about the hidden staircase, Tia nodded at my words. ¡°Right? Moreover, if it¡¯s sunk to the bottom of the sea, no one could reach it, but then the Demon King himself wouldn¡¯t know if this orb is safe or not. If it¡¯s hidden at a distance where he can always check and protect or retrieve it in an emergency, there¡¯s probably no other place than that. Actually, it probably wouldn¡¯t have been found normally.¡± Unless Gou was a hero fixated on the jar, this orb would undoubtedly not have been found. Well, in our case, we¡¯d probably look for the cause If I couldn¡¯t recover the power of the demon king, but if not, there would hardly have been anyone who would have noticed the secret of the demon king. ¡°So, with this¡­ it¡¯s over.¡± As I forcefully squeezed my hand, a crack formed in the black orb, and a mist began to spurt out. Perhaps because it¡¯s separated from the will and become pure power, it¡¯s absorbed into me without any resistance. At the same time, the orb rapidly became transparent, and when all of its contents had been absorbed within me, the orb shattered with a snapping sound. ¡°Now you can¡¯t resurrect again. What will you do, Demon King¡­ um, what was it again?¡± ¡°Marhagen¡­ no, Zamahagen?¡± ¡°Either way is fine! Here we go, Demon King Zurahagen! Be ready!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Zamahagen! Damn it, damn it, damn it! Don¡¯t underestimate me!¡± With a scream, the Demon King extended his claws and beheaded himself. But instead of disappearing, the Demon King¡¯s magic power swelled hundreds of times over, and could be felt pressing in from all directions. ¡°This is¡­!? This is bad, let¡¯s get out of here quickly!¡± ¡°Roger that! Let¡¯s go, Tia!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Led by the frantic Gou, we run up the stairs at full speed, eventually exiting the Demon King¡¯s castle. Luckily the door is open, and we make it about halfway along the long, narrow cliff path when we hear a familiar bass sound accompanied by an enormous roar from behind. ¡°Guaahahahaha! Look, brave Hero! This is my true form! The ultimate golem, created using all the magic power accumulated in the Demon King¡¯s castle over 500 years!¡± ¡°Wow¡­ it¡¯s huge.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s big.¡± As we look up at the massive body of the Demon King¡¯s castle, now a Demon King Golem, standing tall, Tia and I give such impressions. ¡°Hey, Ed and Lunaritia! Why are you so calm!? There¡¯s nothing we can do about such a huge enemy!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! This magic power isn¡¯t the power of the Demon King, it¡¯s gathered from the magic power of this world! Therefore, it doesn¡¯t matter if you are the main body, you can¡¯t take this power! Come on, grovel at my feet while gnashing your teeth at your own insignificance¡­ no, let yourself be crushed!¡± ¡°Grr! Let¡¯s go, you two! This is the final battle!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s do our best.¡± Facing a formidable enemy, Hero Gou raised his voice without giving up. Tia and I replied in a slightly relaxed manner, and finally, the last battle began¡­ **** ¡ª-And it ended. ¡°You have done well to defeat the Demon King! The Hero and his companions!¡± This is Gou¡¯s home country¡¯s castle. In front of the king, clad in luxurious robes, we kneeled and lowered our heads to receive his grateful words. By the way, there¡¯s not much to talk about the Demon King Golem battle. The Demon King¡¯s castle was indeed big and sturdy, but being big meant that he couldn¡¯t avoid our attacks, and no matter how hard it was, it meant nothing in front of my [Sword of Thin Life]. Moreover, it seems he didn¡¯t have the power to regenerate that massive body. When I cut it in half with my first move, it was all over. Perhaps there was also a compatibility issue, but I still had the impression that he was stronger in his humanoid form¡­ Poor Demon King Zamahagen. Rest in peace. ¡°That being said, I want to give you a reward that matches the task of saving the world. Take your time and think about it.¡± ¡°Um, excuse me!¡± As I ignored the king¡¯s words, it seemed they were discussing the rewards. In response to the king¡¯s words, Tia raised her hand and interjected. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Well, about the reward! There¡¯s just one thing I really want to know, or rather, something I want to ask right now. Is it okay to ask?¡± ¡°Hmm? Minister?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s something that can be answered here, then there shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± "" ¡°I see. In that case¡­ it was Lunaritia, right? Go ahead and ask.¡± With a nod from the king, Tia smiled happily. ¡°Thank you very much. Then, if I may¡­ um, why do heroes have the privilege to break other people¡¯s pots and rummage through their chests? It has been bothering me for a long time¡­¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Upon hearing Tia¡¯s words, the king furrowed his brows. After exchanging a few glances with those around him, the king addressed Tia once again. ¡°If the Demon King has already been defeated, then I suppose it¡¯s fine. However, this must never be spoken of to anyone else. Are the other two fine with it as well?¡± ¡°Of course, I promise.¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay with it too. I promise.¡± ¡°I see. Then¡­ if you were traveling with Hero Gou, you must have occasionally seen him picking up golden medals, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I have seen that.¡± ¡°Those medals only appear out of nowhere when the hero breaks a pot or rummages through a chest. The owners of the pot didn¡¯t place them, and sometimes they even appear from empty pots. And those medals have a use. When you put this medal into a secret magical device located underground in the holy land of Elshoa, you can exchange it for a barrier stone that prevents demonic beasts from entering the town. Barrier stones are useful but consumable. So if humanity doesn¡¯t have heroes collecting these medals, eventually towns won¡¯t be able to maintain the barriers. But if we openly explain this, it would give the Demon King¡¯s army an opportunity. That¡¯s why in every country in the world, heroes are allowed to exchange these medals for cash or valuable magical items, and publicly, it¡¯s presented as a tradition of ¡®royalty collecting these medals.¡¯ By doing so, we can recognize those who pick up these ¡®medals that only heroes can obtain¡¯ as genuine heroes and continue the steady supply of medals. How about that? Does this answer your question?¡± ¡°¨CYes! Thank you very much!¡± Even if it¡¯s an unreasonable rule, laws have their meanings. Tia, who obtained the answer she desired, answered with the most radiant smile. CH 196 ¡ªWorld Transfer, Complete ¡°¡­phew. This time was quite an intense world, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Hahaha, well done.¡± Having completed all the tasks as a hero party, we safely returned to the Since we said proper goodbyes and returned this time, there was nothing left to regret. By the way, the reward I received was a request from Tia to explain ¡°why treasure chests appear in front of heroes.¡± And the answer turned out to be quite disappointing, as it was ¡°we don¡¯t know either.¡± Similar to the golden medal, treasure chests appear in front of heroes. However, unlike the medal, it seems that it must be in a place where there is always a presence of demonic beasts in the surroundings. The opportunity for a hero to unknowingly encounter a treasure chest, like with the medal, is almost non-existent. That¡¯s because if a child goes to a place where treasure chests appear unarmed, they will die. We have also conducted some research on the treasure chests themselves. It is known that the chest remains in that location as long as the hero is alive after opening the lid, and even if you try to move the chest, it somehow becomes stuck to the ground and cannot be moved at all. However, the fundamental reason for the appearance of treasure chests remains unknown. Although we have been speculating about the surrounding magical energy concentration or the special wavelength generated when demonic beasts are born, ultimately, the act of ¡°creating something out of nothing¡± falls within the realm of divine miracles. Therefore, no conclusive answer can be given. Tia seemed somewhat dissatisfied with that answer, but when I said, ¡°Have you ever wondered why the sun rises in the morning? It¡¯s the same kind of thing,¡± she seemed to be satisfied. No matter how much we are manipulated by a strange destiny, humans are ultimately insignificant beings. There are countless things that we don¡¯t understand. ¡°Now, Ed, let¡¯s read the book right away!¡± ¡°Haha, Tia, you are always full of enthusiasm.¡± ¡°Well, when we come back here, our fatigue and everything just disappears, right? Besides, since it¡¯s from the perspective of a god, maybe we can understand the secrets of that world.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. That¡¯s another way to think about it.¡± Indeed, {Record Of The Hero¡¯s Story} was written from the perspective of a god, looking down on the life of a hero. If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s not impossible that there is information in it that humans cannot know. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start reading.¡± Once we realized that fact, my interest was also piqued. I sat down at the table and picked up the book that had appeared there, flipping through its pages. ¡°What!? Younger Gou-san didn¡¯t break any pots¡­!?¡± ¡°Are you that surprised!? That¡¯s a privilege of being a hero. If he had been breaking pots all the time before being recognized as a hero, he would have been seen as a mischievous brat.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­ ah, but finding the medal in his own chest was the trigger. Yes, I understand that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The trigger was a trivial thing. Gou, who was born in a small village, found a golden medal in a chest where he kept his clothes.. He showed it to his parents, and his parents consulted with the village chief¡­ and eventually, it was presented to the king, and Gou was officially appointed as the hero. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s how they parted. It can¡¯t be helped, I guess.¡± ¡°Even though they were comrades, it¡¯s not acceptable to rummage through someone¡¯s chest.¡± The female magician who temporarily became hos comrade. It seemed like things were going well, but it appears that she got into a fight with him and left the party after he rummaged through her chest without permission. Well, yeah. Gou probably didn¡¯t mean any harm, but if someone rummages through your chest without permission, well¡­ even if it¡¯s said to be a privilege of being a hero, it¡¯s a different matter if you can accept it. And so, we continued reading the story of the adventures of the hero Gou, with each success and failure, expressing our own opinions. Unfortunately, there were no descriptions touching on the mysteries of the world, and most of the contents were about Gou, who was inflexible, being looked at with a bewildered expression. Despite his hesitation, Gou continued on the path of a hero without showing it openly¡­ and then, the last page. ¨D¨DThe 011th world, {Records Of The Hero¡¯s Story} Epilogue, there it begins and there it ends. Having successfully defeated the Demon King, the hero Gou was granted the right to marry the princess as is customary. However, Gou, who had followed all his missions as a hero until now, finally refused. ¨D¨D¡±My companions taught me. If I truly desire it, I can carve my own path,¡±¨D¨D saying that, Gou headed back to his hometown, the village where he first set off as a hero. There, he attempted to confess his feelings to his childhood friend, but the woman who was the same age as Gou had already surpassed the age of thirty and was already married with children, so he was heartbroken. In his sorrow, Gou returned to the royal capital and began to immerse himself in making pots to forget his sadness. The pots made by Gou, who had broken countless pots before, were difficult to break by accident, but they would break cleanly with a beautiful sound when consciously done, showing remarkable craftsmanship. As a result, pots all over the world gradually started to be replaced with ones based on the pots made by Gou. Not only for defeating the Demon King but also for developing a new type of pot called ¡°Parin-yaki,¡± Gou left a name as a hero. By his side were the companions he had traveled with, who would stop him and slap his head every time he tried to break a pot or rummage through a chest out of his hero habits. ¡°It¡¯s like¡­ Gou-san until the very end, huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like he was supposed to be the ¡®Pot Hero¡¯ or anything.¡± To Gou¡¯s way of life, who clung to pots until the very end, I exchanged glances with Tia and smiled wryly. However, since things ultimately ended up working out well, we could breathe a sigh of relief for now. ¡°Now, onto the next world¡­ Oh, but before that.¡± Tia gently touched the glowing crystal ball. The light flowed into Tia, and it seemed that she had once again gained power safely. ¡°By the way, I realized I haven¡¯t asked what kind of abilities you have been receiving lately. How¡¯s that going?¡± ¡°Oh, about that? Well, um¡­ Is it okay if I tell you¡­ without getting angry?¡± ¡°Huh? Why would I get angry?¡± I tilted my head in confusion as Tia looked up at me with upturned eyes. Regardless of what kind of abilities Tia had gained, I couldn¡¯t think of any reason why I would get angry about it. ¡°Well, you see, most of the abilities I¡¯ve been getting seem not very useful¡­ For example, there¡¯s the [Skip Step] where if we hold hands and skip, our movement speed increases by ten percent¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I see¡­ Haha!¡± ¡°Oh, did you laugh!?¡± ¡°Hahaha, sorry, sorry. I¡¯m not angry, so it¡¯s fine, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not good! Mou~, I didn¡¯t want to say it in the first place!¡± Tia puffed up her cheeks in a huff, and I laughed while patting her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Skipping is great, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s peaceful.¡± What resided within Tia was a part of my power, the power to end, the Demon King Of The End. It was a power so fearsome that the god had feared it and sealed it away. However, Tia didn¡¯t possess the power to destroy or end things. Instead, she gained the ability to simply skip. She was able to do that because she was Tia. How precious it was to have Tia, who could turn my power, which could only bring about endings, into an ability unrelated to endings. I understood that more than anyone else in the world. ¡°Tia, you¡¯re really wonderful.¡± ¡°What? Don¡¯t make fun of me! Hmph! Come on, let¡¯s go to the next world!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t sulk like that! Okay, I got it.¡± I followed Tia¡¯s back as she headed towards the next door. For the sake of continuing to watch over that back, I would smash pots all over the world with ease. ¡°Next is ¡­¡­, how many worlds is it?¡± ¡°Which one is it¡­ um, the twelfth world, right? Didn¡¯t they assign numbers to each one in the {Records Of The Hero¡¯s Story}?¡± ¡°Ugh!? R-Right!q, I just forgot for a moment! Alright, alright, let¡¯s go to the twelfth world!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Holding hands, we set off for the next world. But what awaited us there was¡­ the bare malice of a God that finally caught onto my transformation. CH 197 Third Person POV ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..?¡± A place that exists everywhere and nowhere. Suddenly, a feeling of discomfort arises within IT. However, when turning its consciousness towards the multitude of worlds under its dominion, there is no problem to be found. No, to be precise, there are plenty of problems if you look at individual lifeforms within these worlds. But even if these problems cause a world to crumble, as long as it is contained within that world, it is not a problem. After all, IT is the overseer of all worlds and does not bother to pay attention to each small thing that exists therein. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..?¡± A slight misgiving or a moment of confusion. If It were a human, such feelings could be dismissed as such. However, IT was not omniscient and omnipotent per se, but IT does know and can do almost anything. If IT senses something amiss in its perception, there must be something there. Therefore, IT focuses its consciousness carefully¡­ and finds the source of the discomfort. It concentrates its vast, distributed consciousness onto the source, takes on the most versatile human form when conducting tasks, appears there, and opens its eyes in astonishment. ¡°No way¡­¡­!?¡± What lies there is a sealed box IT created a long, long time ago, so long ago that even the memory of stars looks blurry in comparison. This box, detached from the flow of time, harboring an eternal instant, was meant to bring peace to the world by ultimately making its very existence null and void¡ªa taboo cage. But IT still remembers the seal, and it is right before Its eyes. This means that the detestable Demon King still exists unendingly inside it, and just that fact alone is infuriating¡­ But the problem is that IT felt discomfort towards it. ¡°Is something happening inside¡­?¡± The sealed box is isolated from the regular flow of time. And within it, a limited same time repeats eternally. Even if there were any changes, they would disappear as if they never happened once a certain amount of time has passed and it all starts over again. Therefore, there should be no way for any changes exceeding tolerance levels to occur. However, the more IT senses, the more It can¡¯t shake off the feeling that something is happening inside the box. This feeling is similar to what a human would describe as ¡°feeling restless and uneasy¡±, but if IT, an entity existing on a high level, is feeling it, then it is as reliable as an infallible prediction of the future. ¡°Should I investigate? But then again¡­¡± It can open the box since It¡¯s the one who sealed it. But once opened, the flow of time inside the box, which had been eternally repeating the same point, would connect with the flow of time outside, which flows normally. That would be fatal. It absolutely must be avoided. But without opening the lid, one cannot know the state of the contents. Naturally, as it was made to be unknowable. If It looks, the other will look back. Though the entity inside it must be weakened, the very fact that this box continues to exist is reason enough not to underestimate. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­..There¡¯s no helping it.¡± After contemplating for a time as long as it takes for a couple of stars to be born and then die, It decides on a compromise. Originally, this box was built with several safety devices. One of them is that even within the large box encompassing everything, the fundamental ¡°eternal white¡± and the hundred alternate worlds are each placed in separate smaller boxes. Even if by some chance the seal of either box comes undone, time will not immediately resume its flow. So, IT only slightly opens the lid of the box, confirming that that entity isn¡¯t inside while pulling all the hundred alternate worlds out of the box, and immediately closed the lid. By doing so, IT minimizes the impact on the ¡®eternal white¡¯ where IT resides, and begins to examine the contents of each of the hundred alternate world boxes It has pulled out. IT checked one, then two, thirty, fifty, and there seems to be no significant problem in the worlds. In every world, the Demon King, a fragment of that entity, exists, and the hero created by the will of the world is fighting to expel the foreign entity. This is the originally anticipated flow, proof that Its plot is going well. But, IT remained vigilant. It continued to investigate the worlds¡­ and finally discoveredthe cause of the discomfort. ¡°The Demon King is missing!?¡± In that world, the Demon King does not exist. A fragment of the Demon King¡¯s power, which should have undoubtedly been sent, does not exist in either the past or the future. That means it¡¯s not just that the Demon King was defeated by the hero. There is only one reason why the existence of the Demon King would disappear from the world. Only when that entity has taken that power into itself. ¡°No way¡­ no way, no way!?¡± It hurriedly checked the remaining worlds. Then, it found several other worlds where the Demon King does not exist. The number is still small, but this can¡¯t be overlooked. The eternal cycle has meaning because it is unchanging, and if that being can regain Its power, it just provides endless opportunities for that. ¡°This is bad. This is bad¡­ what do I do?¡± Its eyes turn towards the large box that was sealed. Should it open the lid and confirm the state of that entity, who is likely in the ¡®eternal white¡¯? But what can it do once it sees? While that entity¡¯s power has not been fully regained, should it further break down its power and reseal it? IT¡¯s already done that. Repeating the same thing will only buy time, and buying time is meaningless. The only thing that matters is whether that entity seeks its own end or not, and the time it takes to reach that conclusion, whether it be billions or trillions of years, makes no difference from both of their perspective. Then, a more fundamental correction¡­ for example, should it tamper with the personality it gave to that entity? But the current personality was judged to be optimal as a result of careful consideration, so it doesn¡¯t seem like a good idea to meddle with it. If that entity is made too fragile, it may lose its emotions like a bug and stop making the decision to ¡®end itself¡¯, and it¡¯s out of the question to strengthen that entity when it¡¯s already regaining its power. ¡°It¡¯s impossible. I can¡¯t interfere with Its soul any more. Or rather, if that entity regaining Its power, isn¡¯t It also regaining Its memories about me? Even more so then.¡± The power that It has to ¡®end everything¡¯ is dangerously unmanageable. IT can¡¯t imagine that it would be able to completely end that entity suddenly in its weakened state, but it might be possible to do it partially. And considering the magnitude of IT¡¯s power, even if it¡¯s just a part¡­ even if it¡¯s just as much as the nail of IT¡¯s little toe, it would have an impact on countless worlds. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­this side.¡± After pondering for a time enough for two or three universes to be born and disappear, IT turned its eyes to the box containing the hundred alternate worlds. It can¡¯t directly interfere with that entity. But fortunately, it seems that the chains that bind Its actions have not completely broken yet. Then it will manipulate the world that that entity will visit from now on. Thus, if It witnesses the cruelty of its own power, It might choose to let go of its power. Or by regaining its power in an incomplete state, might it not end itself in a rampage? It could be effective to shake Its emotions strongly. It should certainly resonate if It remains the Clown Ed. ¡°There¡¯s nothing else to do but try.¡± Now, having reconfirmed the danger of that entity, I don¡¯t want to open the lid of the sealing box so many times. So,IT opened the lids of some of the boxes where the Demon King is still alive and poured in just a little bit of its own power. It¡¯s like dropping a grain of sand in a desert. But if that grain of sand is gold dust, the world will be greatly stirred. After finishing the preparation, IT puts the box back into the larger box once again, this time perfectly closing the lid and leaving the scene. Will the box disappear or stay? If the lid does open, whether it¡¯s from the outside or inside¡­ nobody knows yet what outcome Its actions will bring. (T/N: God damn someone¡¯s angry) CH 198 ¡°Yo¡­¡­whaaat!?¡± The moment we stepped into a new world, we were assaulted by an unbelievably harsh blizzard. With its momentum beating against my whole body, I unintentionally staggered right on the spot. ¡°Uhyaaaaaa!?¡± ¡°Tia!? Grab on!¡± I heard Tia, who was also raising a scream, and I stretched out my right hand desperately. Tia immediately reached back, but the blizzard was so intense that I couldn¡¯t see her figure well. ¡°This is no good. Manifest, [Akashic Compass]! The object I am seeking is the nearest terrain or structure that can shelter us from this blizzard!¡± In a hurry, I used my power and began to walk desperately, pulling Tia¡¯s hand in the direction pointed by the compass. After about thirty minutes of marching through the deep snow that buried up to our knees without proper visibility, we finally rolled into a cave. Once inside, I sighed in relief after confirming that there were no magical beasts within. ¡°Phew, we managed somehow. Are you okay, Tia?¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright. Ugh, I¡¯m covered in snow¡­¡± Turning around, I saw Tia brushing off the snow that clung to her body. I did the same, but fortunately, the snow had not melted enough to get our clothes wet. ¡°It seems we won¡¯t need to dry off. We might as well use that thing.¡± The cave wasn¡¯t very large, roughly a fluffy circular shape about two meters in height and three meters in width and depth. The entrance was only about a meter in size, perfect for a beast to make its den. However, if we lit a fire in here, the smoke could get trapped inside, which could pose a problem. That¡¯s why I pulled out a portable heater, which I had procured in the world of Canal, from the [Stranger¡¯s Box]. At first glance, it looks like a lantern, but when you place it on the floor and pour mana into the purple stone in the head part, it immediately generates a nice amount of heat around it. ¡°Here, Tia, I¡¯ve turned on the heater.¡± ¡°Uwah! It¡¯s so warm.¡± Responding to my call, Tia happily sat down in front of the heater. The orange plate in the center gave off a warm light, and our bodies, chilled from marching through the blizzard, slowly regained their warmth. ¡°This is really convenient.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it? It was worth the effort to find an outdated model.¡± In that world, most useful magical tools use magic stones, which can store mana, as their power source. However, magic stones are highly standardized industrial products and, while they are easy to obtain in that world, they are virtually unobtainable in other worlds. So instead of purchasing a new model of magical tool, which requires exchanging magic stones that have been filled with mana, I deliberately searched for and purchased an old model of magical tool that allows direct mana injection. As long as there¡¯s mana, anyone can use it, and even with my meager mana, there¡¯s no problem just to start it. Of course, once it runs out, I¡¯ll need Tia to replenish it but on the other hand, we can keep using it until it breaks. ¡°But to be hit by a blizzard out of nowhere, what kind of world is this?¡± ¡°Well, about that¡­¡± While warming up by the heater, Tia asked me, and I hesitated. ¡°The truth is¡­ I don¡¯t really know.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know? Is it because you can¡¯t remember?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. Of the 100 different worlds I¡¯ve been to, there was never one where a blizzard suddenly occurred. This is the first time.¡± Slowly shaking my head, I put my words together and tried to remember again. But no matter how hard I try to remember, I can¡¯t think of a world that fits this one. A world where a blizzard suddenly occurs is something I couldn¡¯t forget. But if I can¡¯t remember, could this be a new world different from the ones I¡¯ve visited before? But is that even possible? ¡°Is that so? Maybe like when we met Miguel, the location where we emerged is slightly shifted because I¡¯m here? If you can¡¯t think of a world that fits, why don¡¯t we try to find the hero of this world? If you see their face, you¡¯ll definitely remember, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. In that case¡­ Manifest, [Akashic Compass]¡± Once again, I activated my banishment skill, to search for the hero of this world. Then, a worn-out man¡¯s face was displayed, and the compass correctly pointed to his direction. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°I think I kind of remember seeing him.¡± ¡°Then maybe you just forgot, Ed? If that¡¯s the case, meeting and talking to him will help you remember.¡± ¡°I hope so. Well, there¡¯s no option not to meet him, so let¡¯s wait and see if the blizzard stops and then move on.¡± ¡°Understood. So, let¡¯s relax for a while.¡± With a wry smile at Tia¡¯s casual response, we spent some leisure time. But even after waiting for three hours, six hours, having a meal, taking a nap, and the next day coming, the blizzard outside showed no sign of stopping. ¡°The weather is pretty intense today too¡­ What should we do, Ed? Should we wait another day?¡± ¡°I wonder what to do¡­¡± In the face of the raging blizzard, I crossed my arms and thought. We have plenty of supplies, so waiting for about a week is not a problem. However, that¡¯s assuming we have an estimate of when this blizzard will stop. When I stepped out of the cave a little and looked around, it seemed that this snow was not recent, but rather, it seems to have been falling for quite a long time. ¡°¡­Alright. Let¡¯s watch the situation for today, and if the blizzard weakens, we¡¯ll leave then. If it doesn¡¯t change, we¡¯ll leave first thing tomorrow morning. How does that sound?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. Then, I¡¯ll prepare with that in mind.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After a brief exchange, we spent our time eating, maintaining our equipment, and killing time. But in the end, the blizzard didn¡¯t weaken¡­ The next morning arrived. In the midst of the still-raging blizzard, we left the cave and exposed ourselves to the wonders of nature. ¡°Hey Ed, where are we heading?¡± ¡°For now, the nearest town.¡± When I stretched out my arm straight, I could barely see my fingernails. Facing such bad weather, we held hands and talked loudly. With such poor visibility, our direction was entirely dependent on the [Akashic Compass] and we kept walking on a pathless path. And during such a journey, Tia suddenly muttered. ¡°¡­It¡¯s withered.¡± ¡°Hm? What¡¯s up, Tia?¡± ¡°All the trees around us are withered.¡± ¡°Trees? Ah, indeed they are. But aren¡¯t mountain trees usually like this?¡± When I looked around as she said, all the sparsely standing trees around us were completely withered. To me, it didn¡¯t look like a particularly special scene, but Tia clenched the hand we were holding in response to my answer. ¡°It¡¯s different. Mountain trees, at first glance, may seem withered, but they¡¯re alive. They¡¯re just sleeping to sprout new buds when spring comes. But the trees here are different. They¡¯re completely withered, I can¡¯t feel any life from them. They¡¯re not sleeping, they¡¯re dead.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± The moment she said that, I felt as if the scenery around us changed completely. It¡¯s not a snowy mountain hit by a blizzard, but a mountain of death where life has been crushed. The unremarkable scene suddenly felt hopelessly lonely. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s hurry¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do that.¡± Nothing in the situation has changed. Yet, I felt uncomfortably restless, and kept moving my feet desperately to leave this place as soon as possible. CH 199 ¡°Huff, huff, huff¡­¡­..¡± In the midst of the relentless blizzard, we desperately kept our legs moving, pushing forward. I think we were fairly accustomed to harsh environments, but there¡¯s nothing we can do about the exhaustion of our strength. Especially right after arriving in a new world, the effect of our bodies being reset to a fresh state causes our stamina to drop, which was tough. ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡­.¡± Even as we walked, I sneaked glances at the [Akashic Compass] I had floating over my hand to check on it. There¡¯s no way we can confirm our path in front of the deep snow, so this was all we could rely on. In fact, if we didn¡¯t have this, I think we¡¯d honestly be lost. That¡¯s how hard it is to find a direction to go in this world. ¡°Tia, are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine.¡± Every so often, I turned around and called out, and Tia always replied properly. We were holding hands, so I didn¡¯t worry about getting separated, but I wonder if it was my weakness that I still checked. I¡¯ve confirmed countless times that Tia was indeed there, beyond the icy cold sensation. What surrounded us was just endless snow. There were sparse trees standing, but according to Tia, they were all truly withered¡­ dead trees. And there¡¯s nothing else. There¡¯s nothing in this world that moves other than us. Of course, there¡¯s this snow. Even if a small animal or something left tiny footprints, they would probably disappear immediately¡­ but the feeling as if everything other than us is buried in the snow quietly eats away at my spirit. ¡°Huff, huff, huff¡­¡­..¡± But I keep walking. I keep on walking. If we stop, we too will end up buried under this snow. Walking and walking, after four hours of continuous walking, we finally saw a faint shadow of something beyond our snow-whitened vision. ¡°¡­Is that a town? Tia, it¡¯s a town!¡± ¡°Really!? Good, we can finally rest.¡± We quickened our pace with joy, and there indeed was the stone wall and gate enclosing the town. We finally found signs of human life. There were no lights on and no gatekeepers, but in this blizzard, there¡¯s no way there could be any security. Before our minds could register that we might get scolded for entering without permission, we passed through the gate and step into the town¡­ but then we stopped in our tracks. ¡°What¡­ is this¡­¡­..¡± Indeed, there¡¯s a town here. But everything¡­ even the street in front of us is buried in snow, with no signs of people passing through. ¡°Hello, is anyone there!? Hello!¡± I called out loudly for people. But no one responded. My voice was drowned out by the sound of the blizzard, buried in white and melting away. ¡°¡­Should we try visiting some of the houses around here?¡± Waiting here won¡¯t get us anywhere. I stood in front of a nearby house. Ice clinged to the door, telling a tale of it not being opened for a long time. ¡°Hello! Is anyone there!?¡± I banged on the door hard, but there was no answer. So¡­ ¡°We¡¯re people exploring the outside world! We can share food and firewood, so could you talk to us!?¡± I called out loudly enough for not just the house in front of me, but even those across the street to hear. But still, there was no response from anywhere. ¡°Ed?¡± ¡°Given the situation around here. I thought declaring that we have those things would attract someone, for better or worse¡­ Are we truly alone?¡± ¡°Maybe. What do we do?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ alright, let¡¯s pry open the door and go in.¡± ¡°Is that okay? This world is different from the last one, you know?¡± ¡°Hah, I never thought I¡¯d hear you say something like that. Well, it¡¯s fine. If it comes down to it, I¡¯ll let them capture me quietly, so Tia, you hide.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ alright.¡± Tia, slightly discontented, agreed with my laughing statement. It¡¯s reasonable since I can escape from any situation by myself, and above all, even if I were to be captured, the benefit of gaining information is much greater in this situation. ¡°Well then¡­ here we go.¡± I swing my sword and cut off the latch, and we break into the house. The room is pitch dark, the air is cold and dusty. The furniture and such are still there, so people must have lived here, but it seems like a long time ago. ¡°I¡¯ll check the rooms at the back, Tia, please check the kitchen area. Make sure to look inside the shelves.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± I carrird a lantern at my waist, and Tia floats a light spirit, we split into two and I moved straight through the living room to the back rooms. There were two rooms, both were similar, and indeed, there was no sign of people. ¡°The bed is covered in dust. No books or records detailing the situation¡­ huh.¡± I was hoping to find something like a diary, but unfortunately, there was nothing that seemed to be useful material. There¡¯s no way there could be a contraption in a regular house where pressing a button moves the bed to reveal a basement¡­ so I returned to find Tia, who was investigating deep into the cupboards, also coming over to me. ¡°How about it, Tia? Did you find anything?¡± ¡°No, nothing. All types of food were neatly gone.¡± ¡°That means, there¡¯s a high chance the inhabitants of this place have evacuated somewhere else.¡± The town was not destroyed, so it didn¡¯t seem like monsters had attacked. Moreover, the fact that no food was left suggested they¡¯d moved carrying it. In other words, they didn¡¯t flee in a hurry, they evacuated somewhere with a proper plan. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s move towards the center of the town next. Along the way, there¡¯s the adventurers guild¡­ I don¡¯t know if it exists, but let¡¯s check places that might serve as shelters or where information might be gathered.¡± ¡°Got it. I hope someone is there¡­¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± If they¡¯ve grouped together to take refuge in a big building to escape the fierce blizzard, that would be the most straightforward situation and would allow us to handle things peacefully. So, we left the house and walked down the street again. The blizzard was a lot better because there were buildings around us, but we continued walking hand in hand without letting our guard down, and soon a large stone building came into view. ¡°That seems like it.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go check it out.¡± As we approached with hope, the building that looked like the adventurers guild was thoroughly barricaded. The entrance and the windows were firmly closed by wooden doors, and it was impossible to see inside from the outside. ¡°Hey! Is anyone there!?¡± Just in case, I banged on the door and called out loudly again. But no matter how many times I did it, there was no response, and I couldn¡¯t sense any signs of people moving. ¡°Haa, guess we¡¯ll have to break it again.¡± ¡°Breaking the door of the adventurers guild, I feel like a really bad person.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. It¡¯s an extraordinary measure due to an emergency.¡± If we were to attack the guild in normal times, we¡¯d definitely be wanted, but there¡¯s no reaction even when we call out, so there¡¯s no choice. In case of any chance, we break the door in a way that it can be restored as much as possible, and when we enter, dust flies up instead of snow here as well. Fortunately, the magical lighting fixtures mounted on the walls were still there, so I turned those on first and then took another look around the building. "" ¡°Seems like quite a while since people left here too.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to search here as well, right?¡± ¡°Of course. Oh, but, since it¡¯s a guild, there might still be security spells or something active, so be careful.¡± ¡°I get it but¡­ shouldn¡¯t Ed check that first?¡± ¡°¡­Right, I should.¡± After being pointed out by Tia, I check for those kinds of traps with the [Akashic Compass]. Then, a large desk in what appeared to be an office room, and a safe in the back of it caught my attention, but when I looked, both were left open. ¡°Hmm, did someone come before us and already loot it? Or did they take everything when they evacuated?¡± ¡°At first glance, it doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s been ransacked, so maybe they took everything with them?¡± ¡°That means it was something very important, or they didn¡¯t intend to come back here¡­ Hmm.¡± Completely abandoning a guild that could be a refuge in case of emergencies suggests that nobody is left in this town. That means we have to move through the blizzard again, which is quite depressing. ¡°Haa, can¡¯t be helped. Let¡¯s search for any relevant information in the library and then consider our next course of action.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Hoping to at least learn the name of this town, I headed to the library on the second floor with Tia. CH 200 Not only for the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, but most workplaces specific to a profession usually have a document room. Books are relatively expensive, and they require effort and space for preservation, so even if they contain useful knowledge, they are rarely purchased individually. This was also the case here, and on the second floor after climbing the stairs, there were several small tables and chairs, and about three large bookshelves. However, the preservation state was not good, and it too was covered in a large amount of dust. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s pretty worn out. The paper is wrinkled¡­ But it¡¯s not unreadable, I wonder if it¡¯s been left for decades?¡± ¡°Decades, huh. That¡¯s a bit complex.¡± At Tia¡¯s opinion after checking out a book from the shelf, I grimaced slightly. If people have been absent for several years, there is a high possibility that people who have escaped from here are still nearby. On the contrary, if it¡¯s several hundred years, this place would have been long abandoned, and they would have gone far away by now. But several decades is complex. It¡¯s too long to stay, but too short to give up. As long as the people who lived in this town are still alive, there would be plenty of people who still have lingering affections for this place. And if such people are gathering opinions as elders, there is a possibility that they are still nearby, even if it means pushing a little bit. ¡°¡­Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. For now, find some history books or something. Oh, a map would be the best, although I doubt it¡¯s there.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Leaving aside what I couldn¡¯t understand, I instructed Tia to search while I also looked for books. That being said, there weren¡¯t that many books to actually check. The bookshelves were rather empty, and there were several copies of standard monster or herb manuals, so there were much fewer types than it appeared. ¡°This is¡­ ¡®Easy-to-understand Herbology for Beginners¡¯? And this one is ¡®Guidance of Dissection¡¯. I guess there are similar books in any world.¡± ¡°I mean, These are the skills and knowledge that a beginner would need, right? Wouldn¡¯t those things be the same for everyone even if it weren¡¯t such a special world?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. Huh? What¡¯s this¡­?¡± The next book I picked up had ¡°History of the Parel Kingdom¡± written on the cover. Looking inside, the country¡¯s history was written along with simple diagrams. ¡°Hmm. So this is the Parel Kingdom¡­ Parel, Parel huh.¡± ¡°Do you recognize the name?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ sorry, it¡¯s a bit vague.¡± There are hundreds of names of countries I have passed through, and unless I¡¯m closely involved with the royal family of that place like with Alexis, the impression is fainter than the name of the town. However, the name of this town is not written in the history book of the kingdom, so I still don¡¯t know. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize until now, but it¡¯s really hard to know the name of a town.¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s how it is. Look, even with ancient ruins, you know the name of the country, but you don¡¯t know the name of the town, right?¡± ¡°Good point!¡± At my comment, Tia showed a surprised expression. Yes, the name of a country is recorded like this, but the name of a regional city that is neither the royal capital nor anything else is not mentioned anywhere. At most, it is written in the ledger used by the lord who governs the land for tax collection, and it is neither strictly preserved as the country¡¯s history nor widely distributed as documents, so it is exquisitely hard to remain. And of course, there was no map of the surrounding area. The Adventurers¡¯ Guild should have had a very precise map, but maps were military secrets, so it¡¯s reasonable to assume that they were taken out as part of the contents of that vault. There might have been a simple map or something, but such things are written roughly on poor quality paper¡­ so the paper-like scraps scattered around are likely the remains of such documents, unable to withstand the years. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like there¡¯s any good information. What will you do, Ed? Shall we search more?¡± ¡°Um¡­ no, I think we¡¯re done.¡± At Tia¡¯s question, I thought for a while and decided to give up on information gathering. After all, what we should be doing is to join up with the Hero, and we just tried to find out the cause because there were no signs of people in the town we happened to stop by. And since we know the direction of the Hero¡¯s location, there is no need to ignore that and look for the town¡¯s inhabitants. ¡°I wanted to replenish our food and supplies, but it seems unlikely given the situation. Let¡¯s just spend the night in one of these buildings and set out tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Is it okay to give up looking for the inhabitants of this place?¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s okay or not, we don¡¯t even know why they ran away from here. If they¡¯ve evacuated, they probably don¡¯t have the capacity to provide us with supplies. If we meet someone on the way to join up with the Hero, we¡¯ll ask¡­ I think that¡¯s good enough. Unless, Tia, are you concerned?¡± ¡°I am curious, but it doesn¡¯t seem worth it to go out of our way to look for them. Traveling in this blizzard isn¡¯t easy.¡± ¡°Exactly. Ah, if only we could use the vehicles from Canal¡¯s world.¡± There were various types of transportation in that world, but among them, the metal box that flew through the sky as if sliding, the magic vehicle, was incredible. I had plenty of money to buy one, but unfortunately, the fuel to operate it could not be obtained in any world other than that one, so I reluctantly gave up on it. ¡°Fufu, indeed, if we had that¡­ even though it seems like we¡¯d immediately crash into something in this blizzard.¡± ¡°I think it was covered in defensive magic, so even if you crash head-on into a stone wall, the wall would be the one to shatter, right? The magic consumption was insane though, so it could only be operated with a dedicated magic stone.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I didn¡¯t understand even a bit of the mechanism of containing and operating such a large amount of magic in such a small stone. Well, even if I did understand, I¡¯d probably dry up in an instant if I tried to give it that much magic.¡± Once our course of action was decided, we left the Adventurer¡¯s Guild building, chattering casually, and spent the night in a suitable lodging-like place. Afterwards, we continued heading towards the Hero through the blizzard, but after a week without catching up, we revised our policy. We decided to drop by towns and villages where we could rest along the way, even if they were slightly off course¡­ ¡°¡­Hey Ed, what do you think this means?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± A month passed since we set foot in this world and started chasing after the Hero. Despite having visited several towns and villages, we haven¡¯t seen a single person. ¡°We might be in a completely abandoned area. Life wouldn¡¯t be possible in this kind of blizzard.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, isn¡¯t it a bit problematic? We don¡¯t have much food left, do we?¡± I have the banishment skill [Stranger¡¯s Box] which allowed me to carry nearly an infinite amount of goods. However, no matter how much it can hold, the time inside flowed normally, causing the goods to deteriorate. I procured a tool called a [Magistocker] in Canal¡¯s world to prevent this, but its capacity was only about the size of a small chest. ¡°And isn¡¯t this place really strange? There are no magical beasts, no ordinary animals, no plants, trees, or even insects. It¡¯s impossible to not encounter any living beings other than ourselves after all this walking.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± At Tia¡¯s words, I fell silent and started thinking. This frigid land devoid of all life. This is indeed a serious abnormality. And if there¡¯s a cause that created this situation, the Demon King of this world is the most likely candidate. But¡­ (If there was such a powerful Demon King, I should have remembered it¡­ Where on earth are we?) Asking myself doesn¡¯t yield any answers. In order to find that answer, all we could do was continue on. CH 201 ¡°Ah, I never thought the day would come when we would eat this¡­¡± While saying such things, Tia bit into the black lump she held in her hand. As she gnawed on it, which looked like a small brick at first glance, she made an unsatisfied face and kept tilting her head. This was the sole remaining sustenance we had. In reality¡­ it¡¯s the preserved food we bought like idiots in Canal¡¯s world. ¡°I didn¡¯t think the day would come when I¡¯d appreciate that wasteful spending either.¡± Peeling off the shiny wrapping paper that looked like a cross between paper and metal, I also started to gnaw at its contents. Having bought a ten-year supply on a whim, half-jokingly, after seeing it advertised as ¡®still edible after ten years¡¯, I didn¡¯t find the taste to be particularly degraded even now, after more than two years. ¡°I just bought it and completely forgot about it. There are also three flavors.¡± ¡°Hey Ed, can I have another one of the chocolate ones?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± I handed Tia a new wrapped one. As Tia chewed on it, she¡¯s shocked that it¡¯s ¡®still this delicious after two years¡­¡¯, but I don¡¯t pay it any mind and take out another one, this time cheese-flavored, and start eating it. We should be thinking about conserving food in this situation, but we have a ten-year supply. Even if we eat one or two more, it¡¯s only a negligible amount. We also had no problem with drinking water as we had some magic tools that generate water in addition to Tia¡¯s magic, and thus we unexpectedly solved our food problem and continued our journey to reunite with the hero with renewed spirits. After walking for another two weeks, we stopped in front of a certain abandoned house one day. "" ¡°Whew, let¡¯s call it a day.¡± ¡°That sounds good. There¡¯s a nice place here too.¡± The abandoned house in front of us had half of its roof collapsed, but the walls and doors were firm, and just being able to block the blowing snow made a big difference. It seems that the intensity of the snowstorm increases as the sun goes down, so securing a resting place early was very important on this journey. ¡°But it¡¯s unusual, we usually run into him quickly, but this time we can¡¯t find the hero.¡± ¡°Yeah. I expected to catch up with him soon¡­¡± While exchanging small talk with Tia, I opened the door. Then, against the wall straight ahead, a man in his mid-fifties, dressed like a beggar from a slum, was sitting. ¡°What!?¡± ¡°Oh, there¡¯s already someone here Hello.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± While I was startled, Tia greeted the man with a smile. But the man was frozen in surprise, with his eyes wide open¡­ the next moment, he lunged at us. ¡°Hey, stop!¡± ¡°Kyaa!? What!?¡± ¡°¡­a¡­human¡­still¡­alive¡­!? Whaaa!!¡± Clinging to our waists, the man began to sob loudly. We could feel no hostility or malice, just an adult crying. Unable to do anything but wait for the man to calm down, Tia and I looked at each other with bewildered expressions. ¡°¡­I apologize. I was so overwhelmed that I forgot myself.¡± ¡°Ah, no, that¡¯s fine. It¡¯s been a while since we met a living person too.¡± About ten minutes later, the man who had regained his composure introduced himself as Harris. He was the hero we had been looking for. My [Akashic Compass] could tell the direction, but not the distance. I certainly didn¡¯t expect to meet him so suddenly. But, Harris? Hmm¡­? [What¡¯s wrong, Ed?] Seeing my confusion, Tia gently intertwined her little finger with mine, triggering our [Missing Talk]. It¡¯s really handy when we can¡¯t have certain conversations in front of others. [Well, I thought I¡¯d recognize him when I met him, but I don¡¯t remember this Harris.] [Eh? Well, with a hundred heroes, I guess you might forget one¡­] Despite Tia¡¯s silent reproach, I narrowed my eyes slightly. [No, it¡¯s not that I forgot! I do remember a hero named Harris. But his age is completely different¡­] [¡­his father, maybe?] [That wouldn¡¯t make him a hero. It¡¯s not inherited through blood.] ¡°So where did you guys come from?¡± ¡°What!? Oh, well, um¡­¡± Caught off guard by the sudden question and having no idea about this world, I stuttered. Immediately, Harris bowed his head in apology. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Forget it. I didn¡¯t mean to threaten your lives. I¡¯m just¡­ just happy that there are other survivors besides me. And such young ones at that.¡± ¡°Ahahaha¡­¡± ¡°Um, Harris-san? Do you know why the world has become like this?¡± ¡°¡­You guys, you know nothing?¡± ¡°Yes. Um, there was no one to tell us, so nothing¡­ by the time we noticed, it was already like this.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± In response to Tia and my explanation, which was not a lie but deliberately misleading, Harris frowned deeply and exhaled. ¡°Indeed, given your age, it¡¯s possible you wouldn¡¯t know. So let me tell you as your senior. Originally, the world was not covered by snow and ice. You may not be able to imagine it, since you¡¯ve been born in this environment, but there was a time when the world was bathed in warm sunlight, flowers bloomed on the ground, beasts roamed around in the forest¡­ the world was full of life.¡± Harris¡¯s eyes narrow, as if looking far away. Of course, we know of such a scene, but we don¡¯t speak out of turn. ¡°But even such a paradise was not completely peaceful. About fifty years ago, someone claiming to be the Demon King suddenly appeared and the world was thrown into chaos. At that point, several countries combined their efforts to choose a hero to defeat the Demon King. Haa, I was one of those who volunteered for that candidacy. Longing to be a hero, I set out from my small town, fighting as an adventurer¡­ defeating a demonic beast¡­ ah, honing my skills and making a name for myself as I continued my journey to the royal capital. It was a tough but enjoyable journey¡­ But that day, everything in the world changed. I¡¯ll never forget it, forty years ago. The world was suddenly engulfed in a blizzard.¡± The calm expression on Harris¡¯s face changed dramatically. An intimidating aura seeped out of him, making us brace ourselves involuntarily. ¡°In the face of the sudden winter, people were confused. But at the same time, there was some optimism. They had just finished the autumn harvest, and they thought that winter had just come one or two months early. But they were wrong. Even when the normal winter passed and spring came, and summer came, the blizzard never ceased for a single day. After the seasons made one round, people began to think that this winter might never end. And that became true. Even after two years, even after three years, it kept blowing all over the world, causing almost all crops to wither and die, reducing the number of animals and even the sturdy monsters. Famine broke out all over the world as food became scarce, and people started fighting with each other, not against the Demon King. They stole from each other, killed each other, and thus managed to survive¡­ but again, the food ran out and they had to steal and kill again. In just about twenty years, human nations declined to the point of becoming a shadow of their former selves. But¡­ but still! That¡¯s nothing! That¡¯s nothing compared to the true malice hidden by this snow. This blizzard has an even more terrifying effect.¡± ¡°What on earth is¡­?¡± Harris turned his bloodshot eyes to Tia who swallowed nervously. ¡°Freezing all life, ending it¡­ the curse of sterility is the true threat of this blizzard. That¡¯s why people call that Demon King this way. The one who signals the end of the season of mankind, the Winter Demon King.¡± CH 202 ¡°The curse of sterility, the Demon King of Winter¡­?!¡± I was at a loss for words at the overwhelming power of such a malicious Demon King. Tia, who was next to me, was the same, looking back and forth between me and Harris with a worried expression. And in front of us like that, Harris continued his story. ¡°The first to notice the curse were the researchers in the royal capital. Even though the blizzard continues, there are crops that can grow in cold climates. In fact, for the first year only, they were able to harvest plants that seemed to grow in the snow mountains as usual. But when the next year came, not a single seed sprouted, even though the temperature had not dropped further than before. A researcher who found this suspicious used the seeds he had saved, used a vast amount of fuel to create a greenhouse, and conducted research. Then he discovered that no matter how much he adjusted the environment, the seeds that had once been exposed to the blizzard did not sprout at all. From there, it was like dominos. The types of bugs that were thought to be dwindling due to the cold, and the types of beasts that were thought to have disappeared due to overhunting when the crops failed, all of them were being eaten away by the curse. The dead trees that people were happy to use for firewood because they were dry and easy to burn were the final forms of trees that had lost their power to sprout new buds, and even the demonic beasts that attacked people died out due to the curse. From the time when its power was vaguely revealed, various methods were considered to try to break the curse. But all attempts ended in failure¡­ And then, finally, the curse began to affect humans as well. The last time I saw a newborn baby was more than 20 years ago.¡± ¡°That means¡­¡± ¡°Yes, no babies have been born to mankind since then. Depending on the circumstances, you two might be the last babies born to mankind. Haha¡­¡± Harris¡¯ dry laugh sounded oddly clear amidst the loud noise of the blizzard. But even after hearing all of this, questions still flooded my mind. (What does that mean?! I¡¯ve never heard of such a Demon King before?!) Even if I, as a human-like being, do forget things, there¡¯s no way I could forget the existence of such a powerful Demon King. In fact, this Demon King is by far the strongest I¡¯ve ever known. Of course, it would be. If Harris¡¯s story is true, then this world is already over. There might be a slim chance of surviving in the sea or underground, where the blizzard can¡¯t reach, but it¡¯s too late for that. Even if there were someone who had been shut away for decades without showing any interest in the world¡¯s changes, it¡¯s unlikely they could sustain the human race. That¡¯s why it¡¯s strange. Even though the game is already decided, why were we transported to this world at this timing? Is there a way to turn things around from here by our coming? Or¨D¨D ¡°That¡¯s the end of my story. So, do you understand how the world ended up like this?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say¡­¡± At Harris¡¯ words, Tia¡¯s expression clouded over and she mumbled. I understand her feelings. I don¡¯t know how to respond to his explanation either. Seeing our thoughts, Harris once again showed a tired smile. ¡°You don¡¯t have to push yourself. And today, I saw a new hope. I haven¡¯t met anyone in a decade, but I met beings like you. You both look healthy, so I assume you¡¯re eating properly? Oh, I¡¯m glad. I¡¯m truly glad. If there are beings like you¡­ if there are places like that, then there¡¯s still hope in this world! Thank you. Thank you! Because of you, I can move on. It seems I can add a new meaning to this journey.¡± ¡°What do you mean by ¡®meaning of the journey¡¯? What are you trying to do, Harris-san?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to kill the Demon King.¡± In response to Tia¡¯s question, Harris opened his eyes wide and asserted. He put his hand on the rusty sword at his waist, and a piercing murderous intent began to emanate from him. ¡°Even if I defeat the Demon King, I don¡¯t know if the curse will disappear. But at least the blizzard should stop. That would prevent a new curse from spreading, and the world might eventually return to normal¡­ No, that¡¯s not it.¡± Harris¡¯ hand gripped the handle of the sword tightly. Thick veins stood out on his hand, like a dried up branch, and his mouth was gritted so tightly it seemed his teeth might break. ¡°This is personal. My wife and daughter¡¯s lives were taken unfairly because the world turned into this. I can¡¯t forgive that, and I want to avenge them¡­ This is the dirty desire of a man who once missed out on becoming a hero. That¡¯s my only wish, and the motivation that¡¯s kept me alive until today.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Harris¡¯ fierce voice, like a candle flame about to burn out, resonated around us. His voice, filled with a strong will but also fragility, could only lead to one response from me. ¡°Harris-san. Can we join you on your journey?¡± ¡°You two? Don¡¯t be foolish, I have no intention of involving young ones like you in such a reckless journey.¡± ¡°But, Harris-san, you are going, right? Even though you know it¡¯s reckless?¡± ¡°¡­Yes. This is all I have left. I¡¯ve come this far over a long time, just to kill the Demon King. It¡¯s because I have neither a place to return nor anything to protect, that I can challenge the Demon King. So, that¡¯s why¨C¡± ¡°We are the same, then.¡± Despite Harris trying to dissuade us, I met his gaze head-on. ¡°We also have reasons why we must defeat the Demon King. Even if Harris-san refuses, we will continue our journey alone. So why not travel together?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°Please let us join you.¡± To the conflicted Harris, Tia pleaded as if delivering a finishing blow. But something about Tia seems different than usual, more desperate. Well, Tia is always serious, but her desperation seems to have a different direction this time¡­ Hmm? ¡°¡­All right. Let¡¯s go together. But I want you to promise me two things. First, if I say run, you must run. I can¡¯t stand the thought of you two, who have a future, dying in vain. Understand?¡± ¡°We understand. And the second one?¡± I responded to show that I understand his point, but I don¡¯t say that I¡¯ll keep the promise. Smiling inwardly, I nodded and Harris¡¯ expression changed again. ¡°The one to kill the Demon King is me. I won¡¯t give that up.¡± ¡°¡­We understand. We leave it to you.¡± To Harris¡¯ flaming red eyes, I swallowed lightly and responded. Ah, these eyes are not good. I¡¯ve seen many people with such eyes. Whether for revenge or pleasure, they shine like they were possessed or mad. If I deny that, Harris would never accept us. What kind of life has Harris lived? How much was the life of a hero I don¡¯t know distorted by a Demon King I don¡¯t know? I can¡¯t do anything about that. However, if we defeat the Demon King, we can accomplish Harris¡¯ revenge in this world, and if by any chance it were to happen again, we can eliminate the very cause of Harris¡¯ distortion in the subsequent world A journey heavier than ever in a world harsher than ever. Preparing for that, Harris extended his right index and middle fingers straight, touched his forehead with the tips, and then pointed towards us. ¡°Fufu, I¡¯ll be counting on you both.¡± At that gesture and the smile on Harris¡¯ deeply wrinkled face, a flash of light runs through my mind. Harris¡­ Harris¡­ that gesture and this face¡­!? (Could it be¡­!?) The young swordsman, Harris, who dreams of becoming a hero, who I was supposed to meet in the 22nd world. If the two are the same person¡ª (Did the transfer time shift by 40 years¡­!?) At that unexpected possibility, I had to do my best not to collapse on the spot. CH 203 ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Wait, Ed!? What¡¯s wrong!?¡± Surprised, I covered my mouth and looked down, and Tia called out to me in a panic. However, I gestured for her to stop with my hand and addressed Harris, who was sitting in front of me. ¡°Excuse me, it seems the fatigue of the long journey has caught up with me¡­ Even though I just said I would accompany you, could you let me rest for a little bit?¡± ¡°Ah, of course. It¡¯s bad to push yourself too hard and get sick in a place like this. You should rest¡­ By the way, I have a bit of preserved food¡ª¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s okay. We didn¡¯t travel through this blizzard for nothing, we have secured our own water and food.¡± ¡°Is that so? Well, since you¡¯re here, I suppose that¡¯s the case¡­ Understood. It¡¯s getting late anyway, so I¡¯ll also rest for today. We¡¯ll depart tomorrow morning¡­ no, noon. You guys should rest too.¡± As he said this, Harris moved towards the corner of the room. The ceiling seems to be the only part of the room that¡¯s sheltered, so it¡¯s nice of him to consider that. Taking advantage of his words, I sat down at the corner diagonally opposite from Harris. Immediately, Tia approached me, and began to speak while gently stacking her hand on top of mine. ¡°Are you okay, Ed? Do you want something to lay down on?¡± ¡°Haha, don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m just tired, so I¡¯ll be fine if I rest a bit.¡± To Tia, who was peering at my face with a worried expression, I responded with a small smile. Then, I playfully scratched Tia¡¯s hand with my pinky, and she immediately understood my intentions and initiated our secret, [Missing Talk] [What¡¯s going on? Wait, did you pretend to be unwell because you wanted to have a private talk?] [¡­Oh, well spotted, Tia. I can¡¯t hide anything from¡ª] [Lies.] Tia, with a teasing smile, gazed at me intensely. Her jade-green eyes captured my somber face, and she tightened her grip on my hand slightly. [I think you wanted to talk to me privately, but that¡¯s not the only reason, is it? If it¡¯s something that I shouldn¡¯t ask or it¡¯s better not to tell, I won¡¯t ask, but don¡¯t hide anything from me at this point?] [Ah¡­ I¡¯m in a tough spot.] Scratching my head with my free left hand, I surrendered to my reliable partner¡¯s persistence. I suppose it¡¯s better to just talk it out rather than keep it to myself. [Just a moment ago, I came up with a theory about this world.] [Really? Then, as I thought, that man Harris is the Hero?] [Yes, but¡­ the Hero Harris I know was a fifteen-year-old boy.] [¡­What do you mean? You¡¯re not going to say that man looks like he¡¯s fifteen, are you?] ¡°Pfft!¡± Amused by Tia¡¯s doubtful words, I couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter. Fortunately, Harris doesn¡¯t seem to mind, but I glanced at Tia before continuing our conversation. [Of course not! I think¡­ I really think we might have arrived in this world about forty years later than we were supposed to.] [Forty years!? That¡¯s a huge time skip. So that means¡­] [Yeah. This devastation is the price we pay for being late.] When I was here the first time around, there wasn¡¯t a blizzard in this world. Harris, who aspired to be a hero, was just like any other energetic boy, with the bravery and recklessness characteristic of young people. I travelled with Harris to the royal capital, where he would ultimately be recognized as a hero. We continued to travel together after that, but once I secured my place as a member of the hero¡¯s party, I started to slack off in my duties. Eventually, Harris expelled me from the party, and that¡¯s how I left¨C [But still, something doesn¡¯t add up.] [What doesn¡¯t add up? What do you mean?] [This blizzard¡­] I already understand that my actions, or lack thereof, can change the course of the world. If anything, it¡¯s only natural. If everything I did didn¡¯t change the outcome, I probably would have lost my motivation and just idly passed the time. However, from that perspective, this world is strange. The difference between the first round and now is too great. [From the time I came to this world to the time I was expelled, there was never a blizzard. But according to Harris-san¡¯s story, the blizzard started around the time I was supposed to arrive. In other words, this blizzard is¡­retroactive. Or it¡¯s possible that the blizzard started after I was expelled, but that doesn¡¯t explain why we were thrown 40 years into the future this time around.] [So, are you saying that this blizzard started and that¡¯s why we couldn¡¯t enter the world 40 years ago, as we were supposed to?] [Probably. Based on our past experiences, it¡¯s certain that we can change the flow of the world by interfering with the hero. If we¡¯ve been thrown into the present, then it¡¯s highly likely that the maximum interference we can do is to help Harris-san defeat the Demon King at this moment. In other words¡­once this blizzard had started, this world was beyond saving no matter what.] [What¡­!?] Onn Tia¡¯s face, wide-eyed in surprise, both surprise and sadness were born. Of course. Even though we¡¯ve saved numerous worlds overcoming various difficulties, if we¡¯re told that the world we¡¯re supposed to save is already at its end, anyone would want to make that face. [Isn¡¯t there something we can do?] [There is. If the Demon King is the cause of this blizzard, if we defeat the Demon King this time, if there were to be a repetition in the future, there would no longer be a Demon King in this world. If that happens, there should be a peaceful future] [¡­But, that¡¯s for next time, isn¡¯t it? What about this world where we are now?] [I¡­¡­¡­ don¡¯t know.] To Tia¡¯s words, which sounded like a desperate prayer, I closed my eyes and lowered my head to speak. Honestly, I don¡¯t know what happens to the previous world when we repeat the same time. But if I can say one thing, it would be this. [Still, I believe there is hope. After all, Tia, you¡¯re here, aren¡¯t you?] Tia, who survived as the only one saved by her comrades, died with a sense of self-blame. By changing that fate, she is now in front of me. What happened to the Tia who died that day? Where did her thoughts go? The world that repeats itself is nothing but my own subjective view, and there¡¯s no way to measure it. Still, there¡¯s something certain. The warmth of our clasped hands is the only reality for me. [Because Tia, you are here, I can believe in repeating time. Ending the tragedy here will surely lead to the future. So¡­] [¡­Yes, that¡¯s right. Let¡¯s do our best together.] Beside me, Tia sat down so that she could lean against me. As she tilted her head, Tia¡¯s head rested on my shoulder. ¡°¡­snooze¡­¡± ¡°Haha, you¡¯ve always been a quick sleeper, haven¡¯t you?¡± I said quietly to Tia, who started to breathe peacefully in her sleep almost immediately. Being able to fall asleep quickly is a good trait for an adventurer, but not many people have as easy a time falling asleep as she does. ¡°Goodnight, Tia.¡± After stroking her soft hair gently, I closed my eyes to truly rest. We probably can¡¯t save everything. Even the things we can save might just be for my own satisfaction. Even so, I want to save. As long as this weight on my shoulder doesn¡¯t disappear, I will never stop. Our enemy is the Demon King, who is more powerful than ever and has already destroyed the world. And undeniably, that is a fragment of my existence. (I¡¯ll do it¡­ I¡¯ll do everything I can.) With that silent resolution in my heart, I let my consciousness fade away. CH 204 ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± A sensation that¡¯s too cold to be described as refreshing air wakes me up, making me shiver. The light peeping in from the gaps in the door was dazzling, and it seems like it¡¯s already morning. ¡°Su¡­Suuuu..¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± Next to me, Tia, strangely wrapped up thick in her cloak, was fast asleep. Probably half of the cloak was given to me, but I feel a sense of absurdity rather than kindness in the fact that all of it was wound around Tia¡¯s body. ¡°Tia, wake up. It¡¯s morning.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± As I poked her cheek, devoid of any hint of alertness, Tia opened her eyes sleepily. The fact that we could rest here so carelessly was because there were no monsters or thieves in this world that would attack us in our sleep. It¡¯s somewhat inappropriate, but we can feel as safe here as we would in an inn anywhere¡­ though it¡¯s terribly cold¡­ this could be one of the few advantages of this world. ¡°¡­Ah, Ed. Good morning.¡± ¡°Good morning, Tia. And good morning to you too, Harris-san.¡± ¡°¡­you noticed?¡± By the time I woke up, Harris was already awake. Whether that was because he was on guard for something, or simply because he is a light sleeper, I can¡¯t tell since I only met him yesterday, but as he lifted his head, Harris looked at us inquiringly. ¡°You look very refreshed.¡± ¡°Yes, thanks to you. I think we can depart without waiting until noon.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not pushing yourself, are you? There aren¡¯t many places to keep out the cold. It¡¯ll be more troublesome if we have to stop midway.¡± ¡°Haha, it¡¯s alright. Come on, Tia, let¡¯s get ready for the morning.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Leading a yawning Tia, we went outside. Normally, we would scoop up snow with our hands and scrub our faces, but for some reason, Tia stopped. ¡°Hm? What¡¯s up, Tia?¡± ¡°Hmm. You know, this snow, the more you touch it, the more you¡¯re cursed, right? So I was wondering about washing our faces with it¡­¡± ¡°I get what you¡¯re saying, but it¡¯s a bit late for that, isn¡¯t it? Do you have any idea how much of the blizzard we¡¯ve been through up to now?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡± Ever since we came to this world, not a single day has gone by without this blizzard. We¡¯ve walked and moved around plenty in the blizzard that blowed without regard for whether it¡¯s day or night, so our bodies were soaking wet from the blizzard for a lifetime¡¯s worth. Whether we wash our faces from here on is too little too late. ¡°If you insist, why don¡¯t you produce water with your own magic? Or use a water generation magic tool?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ no, it¡¯s fine.¡± Resigning herself, Tia began to scrub her face with the snow. After that, she took care of her needs a little distance away¡­ just a few steps around the corner with her hand on the outside wall of the house¡­ and when she came back, Harris was taking out food from the backpack he had placed in the corner of the room. ¡°Back already? Let¡¯s have breakfast¡­ you have your own, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I put my hand into my waist bag, and in that state, I activate the [Stranger¡¯s Box], and take out two of the preserved foods. When I handed one of them to Tia and opened the seal, Harris spoke up, looking intrigued. ¡°¡­What¡¯s that? Are you really eating dirt?¡± ¡°No, no, we can¡¯t really eat dirt. I don¡¯t really know what it is¡­ but it¡¯s not dirt, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not dirt, is it? I don¡¯t know though.¡± I asked Tia just to be sure, and Tia, with an innocent face, answered while nibbling on the preserved food. Hmm, I wonder what it¡¯s made of. I never really cared, but maybe in that world, they might be making super delicious dirt, right? But would they go out of their way to make dirt edible? But there might be such odd things in that world¡­ but dirt¡­ huh? ¡°I¡¯m more curious about what you¡¯re eating, Harris-san. What is that?¡± Ignoring me, who had started to worry about strange things, Tia asked. What Harris was eating was a black, square object about the size of a thumbnail, and indeed, I don¡¯t know what it is. ¡°This? It¡¯s meat and fish, ground and compressed, then dried. You can eat it as is, or if you have a heat source, you can put it in boiling water to make a little soup.¡± ¡°Wow. Hey, would you like to exchange one? I¡¯ve been eating the same thing all the time, so I might want a different taste once in a while.¡± ¡°Haha, sure.¡± As Tia handed out a little bit of her preserved food, Harris also handed one small square to Tia. The moment they put it in their mouths, both of their faces twist in astonishment. ¡°Mugah!?¡± Tia, with a severely distorted expression, looked at me with a face that seemed like she¡¯s about to cry. Judging from the tears welling up slightly in her eyes, it seems to have been considerably disgusting. ¡°¡­Hang in there, Tia.¡± ¡°Mufuuuuuuu¡­¡± Knowing the extreme value of food in this world, Tia couldn¡¯t spit it out just because it tasted bad. Somehow swallowing it, she took a cup from her bag, produced water with magic, and gulped it down. ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡­What is this!?¡± Just like Tia, Harris was also frozen eating the preserved food Tia had given him. After slowly finishing his chewing, Harris leaned in to talk to us. ¡°It¡¯s sweet preserved food!? How can this be? Where did you get this!?¡± ¡°Calm down, Harris-san! Even if you ask us where, we can only say it¡¯s ¡®somewhere very far away.¡¯ We don¡¯t even know where we are right now.¡± ¡°Is, is that so¡­ By the way, do you have more of these?¡± ¡°Yes, we do. Would you like us to share some with you?¡± ¡°Really!? Ah, no, but against such an item, the price I can pay¡­¡± ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine. We¡¯re grateful enough that you¡¯re letting us travel with you, and more importantly, we have a lot of them, so if we don¡¯t eat them, they¡¯ll rot eventually.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­..What?¡± At my casual words, Harris¡¯s expression suddenly became severe. What? Why did my words get this reaction? ¡°I¡¯ll let you know that there¡¯s no ¡®give me all of it.¡¯ We¡¯ll resist that.¡± I announced that I had a large amount of precious food, which was delicious, knowing that he was the Hero. Reflecting on the carelessness of that statement, I was wary, but Harris denied it loudly. ¡°No! I wouldn¡¯t say such a shameless thing! Rather, it rots? Do you know what it means for something to rot!?¡± ¡°Eh¡­?¡± Not understanding the meaning of his words, I raised a confused voice. Then Harris, with his sharp gaze intact, sighed once and continued. ¡°¡­Indeed, whether it¡¯s meat or whatever, food will rot if left alone. But that¡¯s the common sense before the blizzard. In this world now, no matter how long you leave it outside, it never rots. The only exception is if you dig a hole about twice the height of a person and bury it in the ground. So why do you know that things rot? Even if you were taught that, why do you think the preserved food you carry around will rot? ¡­It¡¯s strange. Everything is strange. With the youth born after the blizzard, you have the common sense of the world before the blizzard, and you have a lot of food that you can¡¯t get in the current storm¡­ who are you really?¡± On Harris-san¡¯s face, who had been considerate of us, clear caution was evident. He¡¯s still sitting now, but I could see that his body was tense, ready to stand up and draw his sword at any moment. Damn, this is my fault for blabbing¡­ but you could say it¡¯s a good opportunity. We have no reason to keep secrets in this world. ¡°I understand. We¡¯ll tell you. We¡­¡­.. come from a different world.¡± As calmly as possible, as if it were nothing. I raised both hands to show I have no hostility and told him plainly.. CH 205 ¡°A different world¡­?!¡± ¡°Yes. It might be difficult for you to believe, but¡­¡± ¡°No, I believe you.¡± I could tell that my words surprised Harris, but he immediately relaxed, his statement so casual that it took me aback. If anything, his candid response was more confusing to me. ¡°Um, it might be strange for me to ask, but why are you so willing to believe me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. The idea of another world seems more credible to me than the notion of some place in this world still adhering to old norms¡­ that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Harris gave a tired smile at my puzzled reaction. I would naturally assume there¡¯s still a safe place somewhere in this world¡­ Hmm? ¡°Fufu, is it strange for me to think this way?¡± ¡°Yes, it is. I mean¡­ not that it¡¯s really my place to say!¡± As I, who personifies absurdity, wore a perplexed expression at the paradoxical phenomenon of doubting rational judgment, Harris settled himself and took a deep breath before beginning to speak. ¡°I was born in a small seaside village. When the hero¡¯s call was rescinded due to the world being engulfed in a blizzard, I returned to my village and lived as a fisherman. I married a girl from the village and we had a child¡­ I was far from the hero I once dreamed of becoming, but I was content, living peaceful, happy days in a world on the brink of its end. But it didn¡¯t last. As tough as the blizzard was, it couldn¡¯t freeze the ocean, so we could still catch fish and shellfish if we dived deep enough. So, I kept diving every day to bring food back for my family¡­ but of course, as we caught more and more, the amount started to dwindle. One by one, villagers started to die from hunger and cold¡­ and in the end, only my family was left. By that point, there was probably no hope for the future. But I had a wife and daughter. I could overcome any hardship if it meant keeping them alive. So I kept on living¡­¡± Harris¡¯s voice faltered, his knuckles white as they clenched. His eyes seemed to gaze at something far away. ¡°One day, out of the blue¡­ they both died. I¡¯d left the house for three days trying to secure enough food as it was getting harder and harder to catch fish¡­ and when I returned, I found my wife and daughter fallen on the floor, clinging to each other. I still don¡¯t know the reason. Did they collapse from hunger, or freeze from the cold? Did they catch a disease, or was it the curse of the blizzard¡­ As someone who¡¯s not a doctor, I couldn¡¯t understand. In a world that had forgotten decay, their bodies lay there, still beautiful¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Unable to say anything in response to Harris¡¯s agonizing voice, we fell silent. Offering consolation as if we understood his sorrow would be too arrogant, even for a god. ¡°I cursed the world¡¯s absurdity. And then, I swore to kill the Demon King who caused it all. Fortunately or unfortunately, I¡¯ve had a peculiar constitution since I was a child. My body is surprisingly tough and full of stamina. I can eat a lot but function perfectly fine even if I don¡¯t eat much. So I spent a decade preparing. I dived to the depths of the ocean, shoveled frozen snow, gathered food from every possible place by every possible means, and prepared enough preserved food for a long journey. And then I traveled for ten years to get here. Along the way, I passed through numerous towns and villages¡­ but not a single living human was left. Do you understand? Ten years. I moved across the continent from the sea to this mainland, and yet, there was not a single living human anywhere! Hence, I began to wonder. Perhaps I was the last human in this world.¡± ¡°The last, human¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± With the weight of those words, Tia¡¯s lips trembled. At some point, our hands had intertwined, and she squeezed mine tightly, as if confirming my existence. ¡°When I met you two yesterday, I was really surprised. I was overjoyed to see that there were still other people living in this world besides me, and that there were places where young people could grow up properly. But¡­ yes, that¡¯s right. The closer one is to the mainland and to the Demon KIng, the stronger the power of the blizzard becomes. I found it easier to accept that you two had come from a different world than to think that you could live here. Perhaps there really are no other survivors left in this world other than me¡­¡± ¡°Harris-san¡­ Hey, Ed, is that really true?¡± In response to Tia¡¯s questioning, I was unsure of what to do. Yes, I have a way to check whether Harris is the last human or not. But should I confront him with the truth here? Of course, the result could potentially lead to hope, but probably¡­ ¡°Ed. If you know something, tell me. I¡¯d rather¡­ I¡¯d like to know the truth, rather than cling to false hope.¡± ¡°¡­Understood. Manifest, [Akashic Compass]. What I¡¯m looking for is¡­ the nearest living human in this world, excluding Harris-san.¡± With a determined look in his eyes, he asked me and I activated the [Akashic Compass]. However, nothing was displayed within its metal frame. That meant there was no such person. ¡°¡­What¡¯s the result, Ed?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t put the result into words. So I simply shook my head, and Harris, whose expression seemed to have realized something, looked up at the sky. ¡°I see. So I really¡­ I¡¯m really the last one. Haha, haha¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± A dry laugh echoed through the room. But as it subsided quickly, Harris turned his face back towards us. ¡°Thanks, Ed. But this helped me make up my mind. Well, I had already made up my mind¡­ Should I say it gave me more of a push?¡± ¡°¡®Resolve you say¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I will defeat the Demon King. Even if there is no future ahead, to end the past here, I will stake my life and defeat him without fail. No matter what means I have to resort to, no matter what sacrifices I have to make. Definitely¡­ definitely.¡± ¡°¡­We will too.¡± Interrupting my words, Harris thrusted his hand forward. His eyes are shimmering, and something akin to a killing intent is overflowing from his whole body. ¡°I want to say ¡®no¡¯¡­ but you guys have your own reasons. I agreed to this yesterday, so I won¡¯t complain about you coming along. But, as I mentioned yesterday, I absolutely cannot yield the finishing blow to the Demon King. That¡¯s something for me, who lives in this world, to do. Is that alright?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine. But we¡¯re not just outsiders. We¡¯re here with a purpose, not out of sympathy or anything like that. Please understand that without misunderstanding.¡± ¡°Fair enough. If you don¡¯t get in my way, I¡¯ll consider your circumstances too. I¡¯m Harris. The last human, the last warrior living in this world. Pleased to make your acquaintance again.¡± Saying this, Harris reached out his hand. At first glance, his face seemed to be smiling. But underneath it, I could clearly sense a viscous emotion that seemed about to break¡­ or rather, it felt as if he was already broken, but he just hadn¡¯t realized it yet. ¡°I¡¯m Ed. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Lunaritia.¡± I shook hands with such a Harris, and next Tia shook hands¡­ but for some reason, Tia didn¡¯t let go of Harris¡¯ hand. ¡°? Lunaritia?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Tia apologized and let go of Harris¡¯ hand, who was tilting his head. Her awkward smile that appeared on her face clearly showed her distress, even to someone other than me. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s hurt by the circumstances of Harris¡­ but that¡¯s exactly why we can¡¯t talk any further here. ¡°So, shall we go? It¡¯s not far now to where the Demon King lives.¡± ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s go, Tia.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, let¡¯s.¡± Harris stood up and left the hut. I pulled Tia¡¯s hand to get her to stand up and followed him into the blizzard. CH 206 And so, we set out on a journey to defeat the Demon King, along with the Hero Harris. We pushed forward on the path less traveled, bracing against the ever-constant blizzard, which, if anything, seemed to be intensifying. ¡°¡­Hey, Ed. I know it¡¯s a bit late to ask, but why is this blizzard always blowing head-on?¡± ¡°Huh? Well, if the Demon King is the source, wouldn¡¯t it hit us from the front as we approach?¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying the Demon King is still emitting this blizzard? Can someone really maintain such a powerful spell for forty years?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know much about magic. But if he¡¯s doing it, he must be capable, right? I mean, wasn¡¯t a large part of Rebecca¡¯s world covered in fog?¡± ¡°Oh, now that you mention it, yes.¡± To keep our spirits from completely breaking, I engaged in idle chatter with Tia. Tia seemed quite satisfied with my response and nodded enthusiastically. ¡°But if you think about it, there¡¯s a wide gap in the Demon King¡¯s power. Is there a reason for this?¡± ¡°Hmm, usually they should be getting stronger simply by living longer¡­ but hmmm?¡± Even though it¡¯s a fragment of my power, I don¡¯t know the circumstances. But I do know it¡¯s not as simple as just living longer. For example, the Demon King who was in Gou¡¯s world had ruled for five hundred years. The Demon King in this world appeared fifty years ago, but despite a tenfold difference in the number of years since their manifestation, the Demon King of this world was stronger, no matter how you think about it. A possible explanation could be that a seal placed by the God on it for some reason weakened, and its original power began to leak out more strongly, leading to a sudden enhancement¡­ ¡°Well, we¡¯ll find out when we meet him.¡± ¡°As always¡­¡± ¡°May I interrupt for a moment?¡± Unexpectedly, Harris broke into our casual conversation. As we turned towards him, Harris spoke, shielding his face from the blizzard. ¡°I¡¯ve been listening to your conversation, and it seems like you two have traveled through many worlds. And from the sound of it, it seems like you¡¯ve defeated quite a few Demon Kings¡­¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve traveled through eleven worlds and defeated four Demon Kings.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ impressive.¡± ¡°No, no, none of the Demon Kings we¡¯ve encountered were recklessly bringing about the destruction of the world like this one! I think this Demon King is probably a formidable enemy for us, too.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Hey, Ed. If you don¡¯t mind, could you tell me about the worlds you¡¯ve traveled through? I¡¯d like to hear about them. Worlds different from this one, full of life.¡± ¡°Sure. What do you say, Tia?¡± ¡°Of course! Just walking in this blizzard in silence makes one feel depressed!¡± With that, Tia began her incantation. When she finished, a gentle light enveloped our bodies. ¡°I¡¯ve used spirit magic. This should help us withstand the blizzard a little better.¡± ¡°Spirit magic¡­ I¡¯ve only seen it once, a long time ago. Lunariatia, you are amazing.¡± ¡°Hehe~~.¡± Upon being praised by Harris, Tia blushed and grinned. Her ears twitching was a sure sign she¡¯s in high spirits. By the way, if I were alone, I could use my banishment Skill [Freehand Traveler] to gain some resistance to heat and cold. However, when we¡¯re moving as a party, it¡¯s problematic if only I have a different sensation¡ªit could impair our ability to notice abnormalities or create discrepancies in our judgments¡ªso I generally don¡¯t use it. It¡¯s a handy Skill, but as long as I¡¯m with Tia, it probably won¡¯t get much use. Anyway, we, who have become slightly more comfortable, pleasantly talk about our past adventures. Ah, of course, we only talked about a part of the second round. It¡¯s simply troublesome to mention that I¡¯ve been through many rounds or my true identity, and if I reveal that I¡¯m a Demon King, there¡¯s a chance Harris might attack me. I don¡¯t intend to lose, but there¡¯s no need to invite discord needlessly. It¡¯s not always right to tell the truth¡­ it¡¯s safer to keep things that way. ¡°So there I was, cutting off the stem of a man-eating plant¡­¡± ¡°And the root exploded, covering you in juice.¡± ¡°HEY!? Do you really need to mention that!?¡± ¡°Oh, that was the funniest part! Your face at that moment¡­ Fufu¡± ¡°Tch! Can¡¯t be helped. I mean, who¡¯d think that a lump hiding in the grass would burst¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha. That was careless, Ed.¡± ¡°Harris-san, you too!?¡± The tense atmosphere when we started off was gone, we had somehow become familiar with each other, and Harris had even started to smile occasionally. Seeing that, Tia didn¡¯t say it out loud, but her eyes sparkled with joy, and she continued to tell more stories. About half of those stories were about my funny failures, but I¡¯m an adult, so I don¡¯t retaliate by telling embarrassing stories about Tia. Like when she made a funny noise because I pinched her nose while she was sleeping with her mouth wide open, or when her butt got stuck trying to get through a gap in the wall, just that much. And so, in exchange for my butt and cheeks being mercilessly assaulted, the atmosphere of the Hero¡¯s party led by Harris dramatically improved¡­ but the world was not so gentle that such a relaxed atmosphere would last forever. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll rest in this village today.¡± ¡°Yay! Finally, a place with walls¡­!?¡± Three months into our journey together. Tia, unfazed by yet another deserted village, opened the door of a house. But she froze, a shocked expression on her face, and she called out my name in a voice like a scream. ¡°ED!¡± ¡°What, what happened!?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a person lying here!¡± As I quickly rushed to Tia¡¯s side, there was a woman in her thirties lying on the floor. Her complexion and such look like she just fell down¡­ ¡°Calm down, Lunaritia.¡± ¡°How can I be calm! We have to treat her right away¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s useless. She¡¯s already dead. You know that, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± At Harris¡¯s words, who had arrived later, Tia bit her lip. The frail body of the woman certainly looked as if she had just fallen, but dust had accumulated on top of her. It¡¯s not hard to imagine that quite a long time had passed since she died. Of course, Tia must have realized that. But the first human she had seen in this world apart from Harris, and their first encounter was like this¡­ Tia was sorrowful, her eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Given this, there may still be human bodies left here. What should we do?¡± ¡°Do? Aren¡¯t we going to bury her?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that we won¡¯t, but we can¡¯t. To return her properly to the earth, we need to dig at least twice my height¡­ about four meters into the ground. But to clear away the snow and dig into the frozen ground that deep is an incredible amount of work. There¡¯s no way we can do that.¡± ¡°¡­ Then, what do we do?¡± ¡°So far, we¡¯ve been throwing them into the snow outside. That way, the snow will bury them.¡± "" ¡°Is¡­ is that the only way?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the only way. At least, it¡¯s the only way for me. My wife and daughter¡­ they¡¯re sleeping in the snow next to our house.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± It¡¯s the same treatment he gave to his beloved wife and daughter. Tia can¡¯t possibly argue with that. She gently knelt down next to the woman, brushed the dust off her face, repositioned her to lie on her back, and wrapped both her hands around the woman¡¯s hand, as if praying. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± What that apology was for, only Tia would know. But Harris and I just watched her silently. CH 207 After that, we carefully went around and looked at each of the remaining houses. Fortunately, the village was small, and the houses were arranged in a way unique to this world that differed from my common sense, serving as a barrier against the blizzards. Therefore, the search was easier than we thought. We went around about thirty houses and found twelve corpses. For the time being, we carried and transported them to the biggest house. ¡°¡­¡­The fact that there are no children is not exactly a silver lining, is it?¡± ¡°Right. That¡¯s the curse on this world.¡± When I laid down a middle-aged man around forty on the floor, Harris, who had finished transporting earlier, answered. Yes, children do not die in this world. That¡¯s because they can¡¯t even be born. ¡°So, what do we do with these people? Just throwing them out there is a bit¡­¡± ¡°Hmm, then let¡¯s search a bit.¡± ¡°Search? Ah, Harris-san!?¡± At Tia¡¯s question, Harris who had said so went out of the house. When we hurriedly followed him, he started looking around the village. ¡°¡­¡­ It¡¯s probably there.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°A grave.¡± Where Harris pointed, there was indeed a place where the snow was piled up. But it seemed different from a graveyard lined with graves, it was more like a small mound was formed. ¡°Is this the grave?¡± ¡°Yes. You will understand if you remove the surface snow.¡± ¡°I understand. Then I¡¯ll do a bit of gravestone cleaning¡­¡­¡­.?!!!¡± ¡°Hey Tia!? What¡¯s¡­!¡± Tia, who had been brushing off the snow piled up, suddenly retreated and sat down on her butt. When I hurriedly approached and looked under the snow that Tia had removed¡­ ¡°¡­¡­ This is something.¡± What was there were piled up corpses of people. There were so many that I didn¡¯t even want to count, stacked up randomly. I instinctively covered my mouth. ¡°Like this! Something like this¡­!¡± ¡°Oh, so it was a grave after all. Then we can carry the other corpses here as well.¡± ¡°Harris-san!? This, is this what you call a grave!?¡± Tia, who had stood up, grabbed Harris¡¯s collar and accused him. But Harris¡¯s expression didn¡¯t waver, he calmly removed Tia¡¯s hand. ¡°Yes. Didn¡¯t I tell you? Even just removing the snow is a big job, we can¡¯t dig deep into the ground. So there¡¯s no other way but to do this. Fortunately, there¡¯s no decay, so we don¡¯t have to worry about the smell, and if we leave it, the snow will pile up and cover it. If we just leave them lying around, we might step on them, so this is the most practical burial method.¡± ¡°Like that¡­¡­¡­.¡± Tia, who had kneeled on the spot, began to spill big tears from her jade eyes. When I gently put my hand on her back, Tia¡¯s face dove into my chest¡­ The warmest heat in this frozen world permeated my chest. ¡°Now, let¡¯s pile the people from earlier here. So that they don¡¯t freeze in loneliness, and when the blizzard stops, they can return to the earth with their comrades.¡± ¡°Understood¡­ Are you okay, Tia?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes. I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll help too.¡± ¡°Are you sure? Just me and Harris-san¨C¡° ¡°No. Let me do it. Please.¡± ¡°¡­ Understood. Then let¡¯s all do it together.¡± Pulling up Tia by her hand, we began to pile the twelve corpses we had gathered earlier onto this heap of bodies. During that time, the blizzard relentlessly blew, quickly obscuring this gruesome sight in a white blanket. On the slightly heightened mound of snow, we offered our prayers. If it were Gonzo-san or Riel, they would have been able to utter some sophisticated scripture, but all I could do was wish for their peaceful rest. "" ¡°Really, this world has come to an end.¡± Tia quietly muttered such a thing. She was no longer crying, but her eyes were filled with unbearable sadness. And then, Tia gently leaned against me. ¡°Sorry, Ed. I¡¯m feeling unbearably cold right now.¡± ¡°Yeah, this world is¡­ perhaps a bit too cold.¡± Wrapping my arm around Tia¡¯s shoulder, I drew her close as I replied. I have seen countless deaths. Deaths caused by beasts rampaging, people being crushed by horses on the battlefield, and many more horrific, unbearable deaths. However, it was the first time for even me to witness a scene where bodies that were alive until just a few moments ago were piled up so carelessly. It feels like reality is slipping away as if these were dolls or something, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that these are human corpses¡­ remains of beings that once held life. This is the true end of the world, this silence. The result of my ¡°power to end everything¡± that I possess manifesting itself to its fullest. This sight of the end, far more poignant than a hellish scene smeared with blood and viscera. ¡°Okay, now that the burial is over, let¡¯s rest for the day. We¡¯ll have to get up early tomorrow.¡± ¡°Understood. Tia?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± At Harris¡¯s words, we decided to disperse. This time, there were plenty of empty houses, so Harris was in a different house. ¡°Sigh, I wonder if I made everyone worry again. Even though Harris-san should¡­ no, Harris-san is much more hurt.¡± ¡°Haha, don¡¯t worry about it. In fact, don¡¯t worry at all.¡± ¡°Ed? Ahh!?¡± Embracing Tia tightly, who had a somewhat strained smile, I can feel her surprise, but she doesn¡¯t resist. ¡°W-What¡¯s going on, Ed!?¡± ¡°You know, Tia. Sure, Harris-san must have had a tough time, and there¡¯s a lot to think about living in this world. But that¡¯s different from you being hurt, right?¡± ¡°Me? I am¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯re not fooling anyone. Just because someone close to you is severely injured doesn¡¯t mean your own wounds stop hurting. You don¡¯t have to compare and hold back. When things are tough, you should be able to rely on me enough to say so.¡± ¡°Fufu, thank you. But isn¡¯t that the same for you, Ed?¡± ¡°Huh? Me?¡± Returning the counter with a smile when I tried to console her, Tia grinned triumphantly at my dumbfounded expression. ¡°That¡¯s right. Harris-san is hurting, and so am I. Are you saying you weren¡¯t hurt at all? Are you saying I wouldn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Ah, well, I am¡­¡± On my about-to-open lips, Tia placed her index finger. At the feel of her frozen touch, I found myself unable to speak. ¡°We¡¯re all battered and bruised. But that¡¯s what living is. I¡¯d rather bleed and hold each other like this than just watch from a distance to avoid getting hurt. That¡¯s why I hate this world where there¡¯s no one else. Even if I don¡¯t get hurt, and even if I can¡¯t hurt anyone¡­ being alone is too lonely.¡± ¡°I see. This place wouldn¡¯t suit the lively you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! So let¡¯s quickly defeat the Demon King and move on to the next world.¡± ¡°Hey, hey, aren¡¯t you getting a bit ahead of yourself?¡± Almost nose-to-nose, we exchanged banter. But suddenly, Tia pushed on my chest to separate us and spoke with a wistful expression. ¡°Fufu¡­ It would be nice if Harris-san could come with us too.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± No matter how we sugar coat it, we will eventually leave this world, leaving Harris behind. It¡¯s an undeniable fact, usually an unchangeable future. But it¡¯s premature to say there¡¯s no possibility. ¡°If Harris-san wants to go to another world after defeating the Demon King¡­ how about we think about a way then? Since you are here with me, I think there must be a loophole.¡± ¡°That sounds wonderful! Then, to make that possible, we have to defeat the Demon King.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The last hero of the destroyed world, Harris. What does he desire after defeating the Demon King? To confirm that, we eat our preserved food and get some sleep. The journey continued. But the end should not be too far off. CH 208 ¡°Ha¡­ Ha¡­ Ha¡­¡± Three months or so after leaving the frozen village, we climbed the mountain, taking deep and large breaths. It seems the Demon King was at the top of the mountain, so there was no detour. Luckily, the slope wasn¡¯t too steep, but the deep snow and the frozen ground were tricky. The careful footing required in case you suddenly tumble down to the bottom wears away at your physical and mental strength. ¡°Hang in there, both of you. We should be close.¡± ¡°Understood. Be careful, Tia.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ve created spikes on the soles of my shoes with spirit magic, so I won¡¯t slip.¡± ¡°Eh, what? That¡¯s unfair. What about me?¡± ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s a magic that requires great precision and control, I can¡¯t do it for other people¡¯s feet.¡± ¡°Hahaha, Ed, if you keep walking on snowy roads for ten years, you won¡¯t slip anymore, you know?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I¡­ I¡¯ll do my best¡­¡± To inspire each other, we keep talking and move forward. The harsh mountain climb continued day after day¡­ until finally, the blizzard in front of us disappeared. ¡°¡­!? We made it!?¡± As if the world had changed, the white scenery that had been covering our view cleared up. And at the end of the clear vision was our goal, which we had been aiming for. ¡°Ed, look¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, I see it.¡± A huge tree standing near the peak of the mountain, piercing the sky. The twisted trunk splays branches all around, constantly emitting something like white smoke from the tips. It seems to be spreading the blizzard all over the world like this. ¡°This must be the Demon King. He¡¯s spreading the blizzard from the tips of his branches.¡± ¡°I wonder if it¡¯s safe to approach it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. But I will go, even if I¡¯m told it¡¯s not safe. You two¡­¡± ¡°Of course we¡¯ll go. It would be more troubling if we were told to go back now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s too late to be left behind now, right?¡± ¡°Haha, right. Then let¡¯s go¡­ carefully.¡± We encouraged each other and resumed our journey. The ground was still uphill, but without the snow, the bare rocky surface strewn with large stones was visible. It¡¯s easier to grip than the frozen ground, but if you fall, the damage would probably be greater. Nevertheless, it¡¯s much easier than climbing up slippery ground in a fierce blizzard. We steadily approach the Demon King¡­ so far, the Demon King hasn¡¯t moved. ¡°He¡¯s not doing anything.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t know if he can¡¯t or won¡¯t.¡± ¡°With the power to cause such a blizzard, if he had assumed that enemies wouldn¡¯t approach, he might be helpless if they do.¡± Of course, nobody lets their guard down because of that. As we slowly approached the Demon King, when we advanced about halfway to the area where the blizzard had disappeared, finally the Demon King¡¯s Tree¡­.A branch of it slightly moved and pointed its tip towards us. ¡°Whoa!?¡± ¡°Harris-san!? Tia, get down!¡± Suddenly, a blizzard-like ray of light attacked us. I activated [Hermes Dash] and caught up to Harris, who was blown away, hugging him mid-air and falling to the ground with my body underneath. ¡°Guhh!?¡± ¡°Ed!? Sorry, are you alright!?¡± ¡°Haaa, Haaa, no worries¡­ Gahhh¡± I answered with a smile to Harris, who was letting out a worried voice. I managed to activate [Invincible] just in time, so I was not injured, but I didn¡¯t make it in time for [Orbit Reflecto]¡±, so I didn¡¯t escape unscathed. I felt a dull pain in my stomach, but [Regenerate] healed it quickly. ¡°More importantly, can you run?¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s unthinkable to give up now!¡± ¡°Great! Then I¡¯ll clear the path!¡± Harris¡¯ fighting spirit was not extinguished, even though he was blown away helplessly. So my only job was to create the path for the hero. ¡°Tia, take care of Harris-san!¡± ¡°What about you, Ed?¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna cut down what¡¯s in the way!¡± With that, I jumped to the front with [Hermes Dash]. As expected, the target of the squirming branch in the far sky was directed towards us. Smiling inwardly at this, I spread my legs in a crab-like stance and held [Dawnbreaker] in front of me. ¡°Haaaa¡­¡± This time, I remembered to activate [Orbit Reflector]. A blizzard-like white flash was shot towards me, but no matter how much wind pressure it had, it couldn¡¯t blow me away. If the attack was a line, not a point, it¡¯s impossible to disperse it by swinging the sword normally. But if I make this body an immovable shield, the other side will cut itself by hitting the sword. That way, my back becomes a completely safe area. ¡°UWOOOOOOOOO.. RAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡± Successfully protecting my comrades, I load the pent-up shock into a single slashing attack. The strike was released as if to crush the space ahead, and it spectacularly snapped a branch of the tree at the apex of the sky with an ear-splitting explosion. ¡°Alright!¡± ¡°Ed, amazing! Harris-san, now¡¯s the chance!¡± ¡°Eh!? Ah, yes. Right.¡± Taken aback for a moment by that outrageous strike, Harris starts running, urged by Tia¡¯s voice. Then, countless blizzard clumps begin to be shot around us from the tips of several branches. ¡°Tch, it¡¯s already learning! Tia, can you defend against that?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s just one! For two, I can¡¯t take them consecutively without a ten-second break, and I think three simultaneous shots will probably get through.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Since I was alone, it¡¯s difficult to defend against attacks that are designed to be handled by multiple people. But I¡¯m not alone. If Tia¡¯s here, I can do it! ¡°ORA ORA! Nuooo..RYAAAA!¡± Using [Hermes Dash], I leapt into the air and deliberately let the incoming blizzard clumps hit me. It¡¯s a blizzard, not ice¡­so it¡¯s a clump of snow and wind. I can¡¯t prevent all of it, but Tia should be able to handle a slight breeze. Then, the impact that I absorbed was accumulated by the [Orbit Reflector] and I swung my sword filled with the impact towards another nearby clump of blizzard. Thus, the blizzard clump swayed from the side, also weakened in force, and it was blown away by Tia¡¯s barrier before it landed. ¡°Heh, a blizzard¡­ or rather, a clump of air like this¨D¨DEh!?¡± Suddenly, the strength drained out of my body. As I fell to the ground, I slammed hard into it. ¡°Guh!?¡± ¡°Ed!?¡± ¡°What happened!? You were fine when you caught me earlier, right!?¡± An unpleasant sound came from my back, and the taste of iron welled up from the back of my throat. Tia, with a worried expression, ran towards me while Harris stood dumbfounded. I can¡¯t even muster the strength to call out. Damn it, what¡¯s going on!? Why can¡¯t I use my banishment skill all of a sudden? It¡¯s as if¨D¨DEh!? (Am I an idiot!?) Dripping blood from my mouth, I cursed my own foolishness inwardly. I forgot because I had been in the blizzard all this time, but this blizzard is the Demon King¡¯s attack. So touching it would naturally prevent me from using my banishment skill. ¡°Ed, recovery potion! Drink it quickly!¡± ¡°Cough¡­Tch, I¡¯ve really screwed up¡­¡± Drinking down the green liquid handed to me by Tia, along with some blood, I gazed at the branch of the Demon King¡¯s tree aiming at me, forcing a wry smile. CH 209 ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, no problem.¡± Spitting out a mouthful of blood on the spot, I respond to Tia with a smile. Despite being unable to use my banishment skill, I can¡¯t feel anything wrong with my body anymore. ¡°But you used a rather potent healing potion. Are you sure that¡¯s okay?¡± ¡°Of course because If it was me, who got blown away like you did, Ed, would you be stingy and use a mediocre one?¡± ¡°Hahaha, you got me there.¡± In response to Tia¡¯s joking words, I involuntarily give a bitter smile. If I¡¯m using it on myself, I¡¯ll just use the bare minimum, but I would definitely use the top-grade for Tia. My ¡®too precious to use¡¯ warehouse would blow up. ¡°So, what happened, Ed? Ah, did you lose your strength again¡­!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, but it¡¯s okay. Continue looking after Harris-san.¡± ¡°Really? I understand.¡± Tia showed a moment of hesitation but then quickly returned to Harris¡¯ side and they began moving forward again. I immediately follow them, but then countless snowballs begin to rain down from the sky again. ¡°Whoa!?¡± One of them hits me, causing my banishment skill-disabled body to easily take flight. If I let myself be slammed into the ground like this, I¡¯ll just repeat the same situation¡­ But of course, I have countermeasures in mind. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for this!¡± In the midst of the snowballs, I deliberately extend my arms and legs, exposing as much of my body as possible to the snow. While doing this, I¡¯m focusing on the exchange of my¡­ the Demon King¡¯s power. When I was consumed by the Demon King in Amelia¡¯s world, I learned my limits. It¡¯s easy to reclaim the power, but if I absorb it all at once, my body will shatter under the strain. So, what should I do? It¡¯s simple. Just adjust the absorption to a bearable level. It¡¯s quite a challenge to do it in a situation where I¡¯m winning just a little bit while using all of my strength, but fortunately, this snowball is just a fraction of a fraction. The Demon King Tree, a one-hundredth of a fraction, is attacking with a power that¡¯s just tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of a fraction. So¡­ ¡°Su¡­haa!¡± I take a deep breath and suck in the contents of the snowball without leaving any behind. Then the force blowing me away ceases, and a tiny bit of the power of the banishment skill returns to my body. What I regained was¡­ the banishment skill [Grass Eater[ which allowed me to enjoy the grass growing on the road just a little bit! ¡°He-busht!?¡± ¡°¡­Ed? Are you really okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m fine.¡± Hitting the ground in a normal manner, I take a random healing potion from my waist bag and drink it, then give a thumbs-up to Tia, who stopped for a moment and looked back. It seems I was a little unlucky this time. Well, I guess it¡¯s a useful banishment skill in a world where food is hard to come by, but what I need right now isn¡¯t this. Without being discouraged, I keep charging into the enemy¡¯s attacks, getting blown away each time, slowly regaining my power¡­ ¡°Here it comes!¡± I rolled on the ground seven times, and on the eighth time, I regained the banishment skill [Hermes Dash] Once I regained this, there¡¯s no need to go get hit by snowballs one by one anymore. The moment I touched down on the ground, I instantly activated it and dashed. I overtook Tia and Harris, who were moving up to the Demon King¡¯s Tree, in an instant, and then touched the trunk of the massive tree that would take dozens of adults holding hands to encircle. ¡°Now, I¡¯m going to take the rest back!¡± A direct confrontation between the main bodies. Not only do I intend to take back the power here, but if I can seize the power of the Demon King¡¯s Tree, there¡¯s also the possibility of weakening it like the Demon King in Gou¡¯s world. Frankly, I have no idea how Harris will bring down such a huge tree¡­ or how it would be judged as defeated, so I want to proceed both cautiously and boldly¡­? ¡°Huh? What¡¯s this?¡± A power I¡¯m intimately familiar with. Yet within that black torrent, I felt a strange presence from a tiny shard. In the dark sea, it felt like a shiny pearl floating. Despite its relatively tiny size, it emitted a power so intense that I could not ignore it. Since I¡¯m absorbing the power of the tree, this thing was approaching me, but I didn¡¯t want to incorporate such an obvious foreign object. (Ugh, what is this? I absolutely don¡¯t need this, but what should I do?) If this were reality, I could scoop around the grain and toss it somewhere. However, what I¡¯m feeling is merely conceptual, so I don¡¯t know how to isolate this particle of light and do something about it. My body has been divided by a god, but just because it¡¯s been divided doesn¡¯t mean I know how to divide myself. (¡­Well, it¡¯s okay) If I can¡¯t do anything about it right now, I¡¯ll put it on hold. Since the particle of light has come pretty close to me, I decided to consciously stop absorbing power. I was thinking of dealing with it slowly after defeating the Demon King¡¯s Tree, but the moment I tried to sever the connection of power, the particle of light moved in an instant and haphazardly jumped into me. "" ¡°Ah¡­ Gah¡­!?¡± It feels as if a stone with thorns was rolling around inside my body. As I was losing consciousness from the intense pain, another surge of severe pain forcibly kept my thoughts connected. ¡°Wait, Ed!? What¡¯s happening now!?¡± I completely lost control and my body slumped heavily onto the ground. Then Tia, who caught up with me, held my head on her lap and shoved a recovery potion into my mouth again, but this time it showed no effect. ¡°The potion isn¡¯t working!? Ed! Hey, what should I do, Ed!?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­..Ah¡­¡­¡­..¡± My vision was turning red from the corners and something was spilling out of my open mouth. But I barely managed to move my eyes and see that a large change was occurring in the Demon King¡¯s Tree, possibly due to the particle of light moving towards me. Boom! ¡°Kuh, what is this!?¡± The Demon King¡¯s Tree, which had become a huge single tree as a result of several thick trees coiling and intertwining with each other. As its branches rotated furiously and unraveled as if a tied rope was being undone, the branches gradually dissolved into light from the tips and disappeared. ¡°What a force! Both of you, get down!¡± ¡°Kyah!? Ed, I¡¯m sorry!¡± In the face of the gusty wind that made the previous blizzard look like child¡¯s play, Harris fell down alone, and Tia fell down on the spot as if to push me down. Meanwhile, my eyes, which remained open and facing upwards, continued to stare intently at the changes in the Demon King¡¯s Tree¡­ When all the intertwined branches unraveled and disappeared, what was left at the center was a small, dead tree with a reddish-black color. Ah, that¡¯s¡­ that form¡­ ¡°Phew, finally the wind has settled down¡­¡± ¡°Is that the real form of the Demon King? It used to be such a huge tree, but the inside is quite small, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± No. It¡¯s bad. Leave right now. I desperately plead in a voice, but unfortunately, I can¡¯t make a sound. And due to the event of the appearance of the Demon King¡¯s main body, the gaze of both Harris and Tia was turned towards the Demon King. ¡°Oooooooo¡­¡± From the main body of the Demon Tree came a ghastly sound. Yes, it only sounds like noise. Maybe it¡¯s close to the sound of wind blowing through a cave? But I know that it¡¯s a voice. That twisted tree was¡­ a human. Probably a human with the same face, the same form as me, twisted, contorted, crushed into the form of a tree. A wave of resentment comes from the hollowed-out mouth. Eyes shining deep in the twisted bark were looking at me. Despair, destruction, the pure power of the Demon King that ends everything, was about to be unleashed from it. ¡°Ah¡­AAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!¡± I painted over the intense pain with more intense pain. I activated [Limit Break] and swung my immobile arm, blowing away Tia, who was holding me, and then kicked the ground hard to charge into Harris. My arm twisted in an impossible direction and both of my legs broke into pieces, but somehow I managed to pull everyone away from the Demon King¡­ ¡°Ooooooooooo!!!¡± The next moment. The area around the true Demon King Tree was filled with ¡®the end¡¯. CH 210 Third Person POV ¡°Cough¡­ Cough¡­ Ed?¡± Suddenly blown away with a strong force, Lunaritia raised her body while coughing. She immediately noticed that Ed, who she was supposed to be holding, was not there, and started to panic. But her gaze was caught by something that appeared around the Demon King Tree in front of her¡­ ¡°What¡­ is that¡­?¡± ¡°Oooooh¡­¡± Something red was pouring out from the Demon King Tree¡¯s body. It was fluttering in the air like cotton, and slowly falling to the ground. ¡°Red¡­ snow¡­?¡± A voice, not her own, was heard nearby. When she hurriedly turned her gaze there, Harris, who had been pinned down by Ed, was getting up. ¡°Ed! Harris-san!¡± ¡°Lunaritia¡­ I¡¯m fine. But he needs¡­¡± ¡°Ed!¡± Ed, who has been rolled over carelessly by Harris, was clearly in a bad state. His right arm was bent in a direction ignoring the joint¡¯s range of movement, and both legs were bent in an odd way. In addition, his whole body was twitching, and if left alone, he would probably die in about 30 minutes. "" ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll¡­ uh¡± Lunaritia, who rushed to such a Ed, herself was by no means unharmed. Even though she was not beaten, but just pushed with an arm, she was blown away with a force exceeding that of a person. There¡¯s a dull pain deep in her stomach and cold sweat on her forehead, but still, Lunaritia prioritizes Ed and takes out a small glass bottle with a strict seal from the [ Single Bank]. It¡¯s a special healing potion entrusted to her by Riel, a hero and a holy woman. It¡¯s a valuable item with only three left, but Lunaritia cuts the seal without hesitation and pours half into Ed¡¯s mouth, and sprinkles the remaining half on his arm and legs. But¡­ ¡°¡ª¨C Ahhhh!?¡± ¡°Ed!? Why are you in pain!?¡± As if reacting to it, Ed lets out a voice of agony. The divine power eroding Ed was affected by the power of Riel, the hero, and began to rampage violently. There¡¯s no way Lunaritia would know that. ¡°What should I do, what should I¡­¡± ¡°Lunaritia!¡± ¡°Eh!? Kyaa!?¡± To a bewildered Lunaritia, Harris shouted sharply. Before she knew it, the range of the red snowfall was getting closer, and Lunaritia held Ed and hastily leapt away from the spot. The emptied glass bottle rolls on the ground, and a single red snowflake gently fell on it. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­!?¡± In that instant, cracks formed on the surface of the bottle in no time, and it decayed and crumbled soon after. While she was taken aback by the sight, Ed, who she was holding in her arms, let out a small voice. "" ¡°Ti¡­ a¡­¡± ¡°Ed!? The healing potion we got from Riel isn¡¯t working! What should I do!?¡± ¡°Nor¡­ mal¡­ one¡­¡± ¡°Normal? You mean, use the normal ones that are sold regularly? I got it.¡± Saying so, Lunaritia takes out the most effective recovery potion sold in the market from the [Single Bank], and poured half of it into Ed¡¯s mouth and sprinkled the remaining half on his arm and legs just like before. This time, Ed did not seem to be in pain, and his breathing seems to have calmed down a bit. ¡°Kuh¡­ haa¡­ sorry, it will take a while to recover¡­ you need to run now¡­¡± ¡°Run away¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, Ed.¡± Against Ed¡¯s warning, Harris, who had been standing over him, retorted. ¡°We finally made it this far. There¡¯s no way we have the option to run away now, right?¡± ¡°Harris-san¡­ touching that is¡­ it¡¯s not good¡­..¡± ¡°It does indeed seem like a considerable troublesome power. However¡­¡± Harris, turning his face away from Ed and facing back towards the Demon King Tree, stepped towards it. Ed, understanding the recklessness of this act, raised his voice in vain. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t! If you do something like that¡­¡± ¡°Hey, Ed. I am relieved.¡± Ignoring Ed¡¯s pleas, Harris did not stop his stride. ¡°I was practically brought here by you guys. I was thinking about what I would do if I just ended up being the one to give the finishing blow to the Winter Demon King without any notable performance¡­ but it seems like there is still a proper stage left for me.¡± ¡°Harris¡­ san¡­!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stop me. This is what I wished for, my fight.¡± Harris¡¯ body entered the realm of red snow. The snow quietly piled up on his head and arms, and at the same time, strength rapidly drained from his body. ¡°Gu¡­ I see, so this is the power.¡± This is the essence of the power of the Demon King Of The End, which leads everything it touches to the end. The red of demise that carries its existence to an inevitable end, regardless of whether there is life. ¡°Snow of the end¡­ haha, fitting for my last moment.¡± With each step forward, Harris could feel his remaining life accelerating towards its end. But even so, his feet do not stop. Rather, there¡¯s no reason to stop. For Harris, consuming his own lifespan to defeat the Demon King was nothing. (Twenty years¡­ it¡¯s been a long time¡­) He had been walking towards this point with just the thought of defeating the enemy of his deceased wife and daughter. Ten years of preparation and ten years of a lonely journey. Harris¡¯s body, now at 55 years old, was nearing its limit despite its hero¡¯s resilience. However, the Demon King, who was supposed to be far away, was now in sight of Harris. There was no hesitation or reluctance, as he could approach the Demon King just by giving him his remaining life. ¡°Demon King, you, the Winter Demon King who ended the world.¡± With each step, disregarding his body that was rapidly aging, Harris pulled out his sword from his hip in front of the Demon King he finally reached. The once beautifully forged steel sword began to rust the moment it touched the red snow, and was now barely a shadow of its former self. ¡°You certainly ended everything. And I will end soon too. Your ambition has been fulfilled, and all life will disappear from this world.¡± Just by standing there, red snow was pouring down, and just taking a breath now required all his strength. Yet Harris, with a hand that was now nothing more than skin and bones, held the sword and positioned himself to thrust it in just by falling over. ¡°But I won¡¯t let you remain. I will end you, the one who took my wife and daughter!¡± He poured strength into the hand holding the hilt. Just that action alone made the bones in his fingertips creak, and his body was about to crumble from his feet, but Harris¡¯s soul, just before it burned out, resisted the snow of the end with its last heat. He yelled out the name he once admired as he leaned his body forward. ¡°MY NAME IS HARRIS! THE LAST HERO OF THIS WORLD! THE ONE WHO WILL PUT AN END TO THIS WINTER!¡± The tip of the rusted sword crumbled. But golden light emanated from Harris¡¯s body, lodging in the sword. The shining sword pierced the body of the Demon King Tree as if being sucked in without any resistance. ¡°Oooooooooooooooooooo¡­¡± The body of the Demon King disappeared into particles of light. Without watching this until the end, Harris¡¯s body also fell to the ground. (Ah, it¡¯s white..¡­) Harris¡¯s vision, which should have been red, was dyed completely white before he realized it. From beyond that familiar sight, he saw his wife and daughter, exactly as they were when he laid them to rest in the snow, approaching him. ¡°Maria¡­¡­ Misha¡­¡­ I¡­.. I¡­..¡± Harris firmly embraced his daughter, who cheerfully rushed towards him. His wife was smiling warmly next to them, and something that was remaining in his frozen body finally left. ¡°Now¡­¡­ we can be together¡­¡­ forever¡­¡± And thus, Harris, becoming the same as his family¡­ his body crumbled to dust, being swept away by the wind towards the distant sea. CH 211 ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± While being tormented by intense pain in my immobile body, I was fully witnessing the final battle of the Hero Harris. Because of the influence of the medicine produced by Riel, some white something is still raging inside my body, pricking around. However, it can be said that thanks to that, I was able to witness everything without losing consciousness. ¡°Everyone¡­ is gone¡­¡± Tia¡¯s melancholic murmur quietly resonates in a world where nobody exists anymore. The twisted Demon King and the Hero Harris no longer leave any trace in this world. Everything has disappeared, and only the hollowed-out ground is in front of me. ¡°Ah¡­ huh¡­ huh¡­¡± ¡°Ed? Is it okay now?¡± ¡°¡­ Yeah, somehow.¡± Still with the aching body, I got up from Tia¡¯s lap. I hate to admit it, but I¡¯m used to this level of intense pain. Once the regeneration of bones and muscles is completed with [Regenerate] which doesn¡¯t need bandages, getting up is no problem. Silently, I walk towards the place where the two disappeared. It is the top of this mountain, and the world that has come to an end can be overlooked. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Tia, who followed me, murmurs that next to me. The blizzard is no longer blowing in the world where the day is gradually falling. The first sun in fifty years shines on the white surface, and the white reflecting the red is so beautiful that I want to cry. ¡°I wonder if this snow melts?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. If the temperature and such return to normal, I think it will melt¡­ but that might take quite a while.¡± Considering the story of Harris and my memory, there shouldn¡¯t be so many places in this world that are cold enough for snow to remain all the time. If it returns to the original climate, most of it will melt, but I don¡¯t know if the climate will return in a world where all life has died out. ¡°Hey, Ed?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­ is this sight, what the Demon King of this world wanted?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I¡¯ve already collected the power of the Demon King. Therefore, I should understand a little bit of the Demon King¡¯s thinking¡­ (No matter how I think about it, I can¡¯t imagine that the Demon King wanted this.) What was left in the Demon King was only a storm of emotions such as pain and fear. It¡¯s something that those who are attacked and robbed have, and it¡¯s not something that a being that destroys the world alone can have. Then the key would be the white something that is still raging inside me. But if asked what it is, I don¡¯t know. For now, I can deal with it to the extent that it hurts when I consciously push it to the corner of my body, but that¡¯s the limit of what I can do now. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t understand anything.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Therefore, I evade the question and tell Tia that. Regardless of the reason, there¡¯s no doubt that the Demon King Tree¡­ the Winter Demon King destroyed this world. Then saying something like ¡°Actually, it might have been a victim too?¡± would be far from tactful, to say the least. The Demon King is me, the evil that must be defeated. That¡¯s all I need to know now. ¡°¡­By the way, what happens to us in this case? Can we get back properly?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. It¡¯s about three more minutes.¡± ¡°Eh!? So¡­¡± ¡°When Harris-san died, I got a notification.¡± ¡°I see¡­ this time it was rather busy, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s right.¡± When Harris disappeared, I got a notification in my head. According to it, due to the confirmation of the complete disappearance of a soul with a certain rank or higher from the world, we will be forcibly returned to the It¡¯s laughable. If you eradicate the life of that world, you can return without having to struggle to be expelled¡­ What¡¯s up with that? If you interpret it positively, it might be said that it is a safety device to rescue us from the ended world, but my head was not as naive as to appreciate it that way. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t feel like telling Tia about it. I just convey what is necessary¡­ And time quietly flows. ¡°In the end, I couldn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true, is it? Harris-san also said that he was able to get here because we helped him.¡± To Tia¡¯s muttering, tormented by a sense of powerlessness, I answered lightly. Sometimes you need transparent words of comfort. If licking each other¡¯s wounds eases the pain, it¡¯s much better than forcing yourself to endure it. ¡°But¡­ I couldn¡¯t help Harris-san.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible. To save Harris-san¡­¡± ¡°I know. I understand that my words, which are nothing more than passers-by, cannot reach Harris-san, who had lost something important by the time we met. But I still wanted to do something for him. Because Harris-san¡­ was like Ed.¡± ¡°Huh? Me?¡± At Tia¡¯s sudden words, I tilt my head pointing at myself. I can¡¯t quite pin it down when she says Harris and I look alike. ¡°That¡¯s right. You know, I helped Ed in Amelia¡¯s world, right? That time¡­ I saw how you, from a long time ago¡­ really a long time ago, was traveling around the world.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, I see. Huh.¡± Upon hearing those words, I reflexively grimace. Honestly, I don¡¯t remember it so well, but I vaguely remember that my past self was incredibly powerless, pitiful, shameless, and led a cowardly life. The fact that Tia knew this was an unpleasant truth, but she continued to talk without caring about it. ¡°He reminded me of you from that time. For a single, unyielding purpose, you had discarded everything else¡­ That¡¯s the kind of feeling. Not realizing how much you were hurting, you just kept walking¡­even though there was nothing but a cliff ahead, you never stopped. That¡¯s why¡­ I wanted to help him somehow. Even though I knew it was just my selfishness, I just couldn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­.. I see.¡± Understanding the meaning of the glances Tia occasionally sent towards Harris, I nodded to myself. Ah, that¡¯s right. Tia is that kind of person. And because she is that kind of person, she is still here by my side. ¡°¡­.Then, hasn¡¯t he already been saved?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°I mean, Harris-san achieved his goal, didn¡¯t he? Unlike me, who kept falling without realizing that the destination was a cliff, he actually managed to take his revenge. Then he must have been saved. If I could have gone home¡­ I would probably have thought, ¡®It was worth it, I did it¡¯¡¯, no matter how much trouble it took.¡± ¡°Do you really think so?¡± ¡°I think so! Besides, just hearing about it, I can tell how hard he worked. It would be a lie if he wasn¡¯t saved. I arrived here after repeating the same thing many times. Then, Harris-san¡¯s hard world would end this time, and from next time he can live happily in a world where there are no Demon Kings or snowstorms. Maybe he will just stay as a fisherman, get married to the same person and have children? It seems that the world is designed to follow a somewhat similar flow¡­some kind of correction force¡­compulsion? Anyway.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how it is¡­ Yeah, I hope it is.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s how it is. Just believe in me quietly. Harris¡¯s misfortune¡­ends here.¡± I extend my right arm forward and clench my fist tightly. There¡¯s nothing there, but I¡¯m sure that marked the end of such a conclusion. ¡°Alright, Tia.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± When I stretched out my left hand, Tia took it. The last life left in the ended world. Feeling each other¡¯s warmth, we bid farewell to the world fading into twilight. (T/N: I might stop posting anytime by end of june, My end sems start in july) CH 212 ¡°¡­¡­¡­.Phew.¡± Back in the usual , I let out a deep sigh. Although the scenery was as white as the world I was just in, it was naturally not cold here. Despite returning to this world, my body still hurts. The white something, which I thought would disappear when I crossed worlds, was still rampantly active in my body. ¡°Eeh, why isn¡¯t this going away¡­?¡± It was supposed to be a rule that everything goes back to normal once you cross worlds, yet, feeling annoyed that a petty exception has popped up here, I unintentionally voiced my frustration. ¡°£¿What¡¯s wrong, Ed?¡± ¡°Ah, no, it¡¯s just a problem of mine.¡± I inadvertently voiced my thoughts, and I casually brushed off Tia¡¯s inquiry. I could talk about it, but it¡¯s not like discussing the constant prickling feeling in my body would resolve anything. If I can¡¯t deal with it in the next world, I¡¯ll consider bringing it up then. ¡°Mm, well, okay then. Shall we start reading this time, too?¡± ¡°That sounds good.¡± To be honest, the usual sense of accomplishment was not present within me. Even though all our objectives have been accomplished, I feel like a remnant of a defeated army. But there¡¯s no point in dragging that feeling along. Probably Tia feels the same, so it would be better to try and act cheerful here. ¡°Well then, shall we take a look at how Harris-san has spent his days?¡± Sitting at the table, I flipped through the {Records Of The Hero¡¯s Story} as usual. At first, it seems no different from other worlds, with Harris growing from a lively child to a spirited young man¡­ ¡°¡­The blizzard started here.¡± The blizzard brought by the Winter Demon King signaled the end of the world. I¡¯ve heard some stories from Harris himself, but the content written in the book was far more severe. Harris initially fought monsters as a warrior, not as a hero, but soon his enemies changed to humans. Defeating monsters did not satisfy their hunger much, and to truly satiate their hunger, they had no choice but to steal from those who ate the same food. Once that happened, saving the world as a hero became irrelevant. Harris, fed up with the daily struggle against his own kind, returned to his birthplace to become a fisherman. He met a woman there, married her, and had a child, but he lost them when their daughter turned 10. It¡¯s a story I¡¯ve heard from him, but reading about his feelings at the time here the sadness was conveyed more deeply to us. ¡°Yes. And with this, Harris-san¡­ ¡° ¡°Yeah. He no longer had the option to go back, or rather, the option was gone. That¡¯s why he could survive all the reckless stuff¡­ and could meet us.¡± At that time, Harris was fiercely obsessed with ¡°living¡±. Even the preserved food that Tia mentioned was not only meat from beasts and fish, but also meat from worms like earthworms that he had dug deep into the ground to get. He wouldn¡¯t have survived for a decade without going to such lengths, and he was obsessed with living to defeat the Demon King. That wish came true beautifully¡­ and the book moved on to the final chapter. ¨D¨D 012th World, {Records Of The Hero¡¯s Story} Final Chapter: The World¡¯s End Point Thus, the Demon King was defeated, and the hero Harris also met his end. With this, life ended in this world, and the world, filled with the power of the end, truly came to an end. Henceforth, there was no other future in this world, and no other past existed anymore. The world, destroyed by the wicked power of the Demon King, had lost all possibilities, and no matter how other worlds may repeat their time, this ¡°finished ¡± world remained unchanged. In the world engraved with eternal demise, the Demon King who brought about that end must surely be satisfied. As the irreplaceable world was lost, God silently shed tears. ¡°What the hell is this!? Are you kidding me!?¡± As I finished reading the book, I couldn¡¯t help but shout out loud. The selfish arguments of this so-called god were not only anger-inducing but also incredibly absurd. ¡°The reason that world turned out like this was because of some weird interference from the outside, wasn¡¯t it? If you have a problem, then make sure to send me back in time properly!¡± The mechanism for me to travel to another world was created by this supposedly benevolent god. And if it had been functioning properly, sending me back to the initial time, it should have been more than enough to prevent the destruction of that world. ¡°That¡¯s right. According to Harris-san¡¯s account, there was quite a long time between the blizzard starting and children no longer being born¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, there should have been about twenty years of leeway. With that much time, we could have easily defeated the Demon King!¡± I¡¯m not saying it would have been an absolute guarantee, but it¡¯s harder to believe that with that much time available, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to defeat him. Sure, he was a formidable Demon King, but considering the youth, time, resources, and manpower we had, almost everything needed was in place from the start. It should have been a cakewalk, if anything. ¡°And it¡¯s strange that only this time the Demon King had some weird power. This guy is probably the cause, right? So damn annoying!¡± I try shaking my hands, but unfortunately, there¡¯s no sign of that white thing popping out. And Tia was looking at me with a perplexed expression. ¡°What are you doing, Ed?¡± ¡°Well, when I absorbed the power of the Demon King from that world earlier, something strange came along with it. No matter what I do, I can¡¯t seem to get it out.¡± ¡°What is it? Are you okay?¡± ¡°Well, if we¡¯re talking about the current state, I¡¯m fine, but if you ask me if I¡¯ll be fine forever¡­¡± To be honest, this white thing sounds like nothing but trouble. Actually, the fact that it¡¯s wreaking havoc inside someone¡¯s body was trouble in itself. Ideally, I¡¯d like to physically remove it even if it means cutting off an arm or a leg, but it¡¯s something more conceptual, so it¡¯s not that simple. ¡°Tch, I¡¯m getting really pissed off! Hey, Tia, I¡¯ve made up my mind!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve made up your mind about what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to give a nice, happy ending to all 100 different worlds! And then, I¡¯ll punch that God-like guy in the face and ask him, ¡®Hey, how does that feel?''¡± ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t that a bit too ambitious? Can you really do that? There are worlds that have already passed, you know?¡± ¡°Well, for that, I¡¯ll come up with a good plan. Anyway, I¡¯ll do everything I can! I¡¯ll make that scheming, annoying God suffer to the fullest!¡± With a firm resolve in my heart, I raised my clenched fist. Specific methods? It doesn¡¯t matter, I¡¯ll figure something out on the spot. ¡°Fufufu, isn¡¯t that just what you wanted, God? You wanted me to think, ¡®Oh, how tragic the power of the Demon King is! I should have just ended myself!¡¯ I never thought that, you idiot! If I had given up just because things seemed hopeless, I would have vanished a long time ago!¡± "" It was just one time, witnessing the world¡¯s end right before my eyes. Compared to repeating an unchanging despair billions of times, this is nothing more than a minor setback. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll show you! I¡¯ll decide where it ends! The 012th world coming to an end? Ha! My second round.. it¡¯s just getting started!¡± I stand up from my chair and pound my fist on the wall where the door used to be. The white wall ripples, and for a moment, I catch a glimpse of a door appearing. ¡°Wait for us, next world! I don¡¯t know what kind of changes will come our way, but I¡¯ll definitely prepare the best ending for you! Tia, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Fufu.. Ed, that¡¯s how it should be!¡± As I ignited my spirit, Tia stood up with a wry smile. Hand in hand, unyielding to whatever harsh world awaits beyond the newly opened door, we step into a new world. CH 213 ¡°Uurara! Urara! Uurarara!¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± A new world, brimming with enthusiasm, we had just arrived at. Greeting us were semi-naked women dressed in cloth breastplate and skirts woven from plants, dancing fervently. ¡°Hey, Ed!? What is this!?¡± ¡°I have no idea.¡± It was unusual for us to arrive at night. The mysterious ceremony illuminated by the flickering flames in the deep darkness was strangely powerful. Tia clung to my arm with a scared look on her face, but I could only respond as such. I could never forget such an impactful welcome, but I genuinely had no memory of it. This suggests that some kind of alteration had been made here, too. ¡°Uurara! Urara!¡± ¡°Umbabo! Umbabo!¡± ¡°Uurara! Urara!¡± ¡°Umbabo! Umbabo!¡± A cheerful rhythm echoed through the air, and we were surrounded by six women with serious expressions. In the outer circle, someone wearing a large wooden mask was beating a drum in time, providing a backbeat. Mysterious patterns were drawn under our feet, and it was probably like when we encountered Miguel ¨C we had appeared during some kind of summoning ritual. ¡°Uurarara!¡± With one final, particularly loud shout, the women who had been surrounding and dancing around us backed away. Then a slightly larger woman, her hair decorated with nuts and branches, came from the building at the back. ¡°Welcome, hero!¡± ¡°Hero!? Wait, us!?¡± ¡°Yes. Come, let¡¯s have a welcome feast!¡± As she spoke, the woman approached me¡­ passed by me, and tried to take Tia by the arm and lead her away. Huh? ¡°Wait, what about me?¡± ¡°Hm? You¡¯re a man, not a hero.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± She looked at me as though I were an insect, and I forced a smile. I mean, who cares if I¡¯m not a hero? ¡°But wait, what happens to Ed?¡± ¡°Ed, that¡¯s your name? Men are nuisances. We¡¯ll tie you up and throw you outside the village. Ladies, handle this!¡± ¡°Uurarara!¡± ¡°Hey, hey, hey, hey!?¡± The women who had been dancing just now gathered around me, took my sword from my waist, and quickly tied me up with ropes. Tia, watching this unfold, raised a frantic voice of protest to the large woman. ¡°What are you doing, stop it! Ed is my important comrade!?¡± ¡°Comrade or not. Men are troublesome! Men are useless! Men only look at breasts and buttocks!¡± ¡°Ugh!? Well, I can¡¯t deny that he has that side to him¡­¡± ¡°Could you stop glancing at me while you say that?¡± I mean, I¡¯m a healthy man, right? I can¡¯t say I¡¯m completely uninterested. But I¡¯ve never shown that side of me so blatantly¡­ right? ¡°But anyway, Ed is different! If you¡¯re going to be cruel to Ed, I won¡¯t cooperate with you, regardless of whether you¡¯re a hero or whatever!¡± ¡°Hm, that would be a problem¡­ Alright. We¡¯ll tie him up and throw him in the prison. Ladies, take this man away!¡± ¡°Umbabo!¡± ¡°Ed!?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. She¡¯s probably ¡®that¡¯, so respond accordingly.¡± ¡°Huh!? Got it. Be careful.¡± From my perspective, a strong sense of heroism was radiating from the large woman. In fact, she seemed familiar somehow. That being the case, it wouldn¡¯t be wise to upset her or sever our relationship. Tia, understanding my intentions, disappeared into the building at the back with the woman, while I, tied up head to toe, was hoisted up by another woman and thrown into a prison made from thin plants on the outskirts of the village. ¡°Guha!?¡± ¡°You should be grateful for being allowed to stay, man!¡± ¡°Well, thanks¡­ But aren¡¯t you going to untie me?¡± ¡°Of course not! No freedom for men!¡± ¡°But I¡¯m inside a prison cell here. And I can¡¯t move like this. Are you going to feed me with a spoon or something?¡± ¡°No way! ¡­Tsk, you girls, keep an eye out.¡± Smiling broadly, I made a joke, and one of the women who had carried me in clicked her tongue and entered the cell. Once she had closed the door securely and confirmed that I couldn¡¯t move, the other two women pointed their spears at me, and then she untied my ropes. ¡°Phew, finally free. Thanks.¡± ¡°Hmph! No need for a man¡¯s gratitude!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. By the way, my name is Ed, what about you?¡± ¡°I have no name to give to a man!!!¡± ¡°Whoa, no need to shout, right? Alright, alright, if you feel like it, let me know.¡± ¡°¡­..Hmph! Let¡¯s go, everyone!¡± ¡°Uurara!¡± Three women left the scene once the cell was securely closed. It didn¡¯t seem like there was any guard to watch me, so I checked the material of the prison cell for now. ¡°Hmm, hard plant? It¡¯s quite flexible¡­ Impossible to break it bare-handed.¡± It¡¯s not as strong as a prison made of stone and metal, but it¡¯s impossible for a common person to escape easily. Well, I have my Banishment skils, so I can handle such a prison. ¡°What should I do next¡­?¡± For the time being, I prioritized my relationship with the person who seemed to be the hero and was quietly captured. I¡¯m somewhat worried about how Tia is doing, but since she¡¯s being called a hero, she¡¯s probably not being treated too badly. ¡°I want information, but hmm¡­¡± There¡¯s no guard, so I have no way to investigate. There¡¯s also the option of using [Mirage Shift] to take a tour of the village, but it might get complicated if someone comes back here in the meantime. (Well, even if I¡¯m completely neglected, water and food can be managed somehow, so for a while I¡¯ll wait and see if Tia contacts me. Or¡­ Huh?) Suddenly, I thought I saw the grass rustling in the corner of my sight. Paying attention to it, a man wearing a similar grass skirt to the women appeared. ¡°Shhh! Be quiet! I came to help you.¡± ¡°Help? That¡¯s helpful¡­ You¡¯re quite efficient, huh?¡± It¡¯s only been about three hours since I came to this world. If you¡¯re moving this quickly, I can only think that you had information beforehand. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re trying to say. But we, men, know when we¡¯re caught. We¡¯ve had our comrades caught numerous times before.¡± ¡°Oh, I see, is that so?¡± I see. It¡¯s not because I was caught, but if they¡¯ve been helping comrades who were caught before, that explains the immediate response. ¡°First of all, you¡¯re lucky. Normally, you¡¯d be tied up with a rope and thrown into the forest. In that case, we can¡¯t help you right away. You get your face licked by the beasts of the forest¡­ It becomes very smelly.¡± ¡°¡­That sounds subtly unpleasant.¡± My [Invincible] can defend against physical attacks, but it doesn¡¯t prevent saliva from getting on you when you¡¯re licked. Being tied up, having your face wet, and squirming around while enduring a foul smell¡­ Yeah, I really hate that. ¡°That¡¯s why we move quickly. But you¡¯re special. You might not be thrown out immediately. This is the first time. So I¡¯m a little hesitant too. What will you do?¡± "" ¡°Right¡­¡± At the man¡¯s words, I started thinking with my arms crossed. I can escape from any situation at any time if I¡¯m alone. So this situation was not a crisis or anything. But that¡¯s only for me. If I escape from here, I don¡¯t know how it will affect Tia¡¯s treatment. So rather than escaping from here now, it seems more productive to stay here and gather information for later activities. ¡°¡­Sorry. It looks like you came to help me, but I¡¯m going to stay here. But I want information about this world or why I¡¯m in this situation. Can you tell me that?¡± ¡°Hmm, I can, but it¡¯s difficult. It¡¯s absolutely impossible to not be found by the guard. It¡¯s very dangerous to talk here.¡± ¡°I guess so. So¡­¡­¡± I organized the cards in my head and came up with an answer. When I told him my method, the man stared at me with a face that said he didn¡¯t understand what I meant. CH 214 [¡­..Hey Ed, can you really hear me?] Inside the plain yet quite sturdy cell made of plants, the voice of a man named Hamokin reached my relaxed, lounging ears. However, Hamokin¡¯s figure was not here. He should be whispering in the bushes over five meters away. [I can¡¯t believe it. Hey Ed, if you can hear me, wave your right hand.] ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Without saying a word, I slowly waved my right hand. A guard who came a little later after that stared at me with a suspicious face, but turned away boredly when I gave her a casual smile. [Eh, can you really hear me? Honestly, it¡¯s a little creepy¡­¡­] ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At Hamokin¡¯s rather unwelcome words, I inadvertently grimaced. By the way, the reason why I could hear Hamokin¡¯s whispering voice was because I was using the Banishment skill [Leak the Talk] which enhanced hearing. To be frank, since it only improved my hearing, I can¡¯t reach Hamokin with my voice, but it¡¯s not a problem if I just get him to unilaterally explain this world to me. Of course, new questions will arise, but I can just ask them at some point. There¡¯s no need to rush and finish everything tonight. [Well then, let me talk¡­¡­ We¡¯ve always lived in this forest. Up until a little while ago, we were also living in this village. Hunting beasts, gathering fruits, we were living peacefully. But ten years ago, a black star fell in the east of the forest. A black miasma came out of the star, and touching it made people and beasts go crazy. A black demon wrapped in a black miasma. Very strong and dangerous. So, we fought the black demon. Not like now, men and women, we fought together. We were comrades. But¡­¡­] ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Hamokin¡¯s voice, which gradually became weaker, stopped there for a moment. I can¡¯t read his expression from here, but he¡¯s probably feeling disheartened. [Five years ago. A shining star fell on the village. It fell on Donatela¡¯s house. From that day on, Donatella changed.] ¡°Dona¡­¡­?!¡± ¡°Huh? What is it?¡± ¡°No, nothing!? I was just a little drowsy. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hmph! Frightened by sleepiness, men are indeed weak!¡± While covering up the fact that I inadvertently raised my voice, I desperately suppressed my surprise inside. I remembered the name Donatella¡­¡­ Well, listening to Hamokin¡¯s story was a priority. When I fluttered my hand, he resumed after a while. [Donatella was a quiet woman originally. But after the shining star fell, she suddenly started hating men. At first, everyone in the village tried to calm Donatella down. But her absurd story somehow spread among the women in the village, and we were driven out of the village. Donatella now is strange. We want to beat her and return to the village. But we don¡¯t want to kill her. Donatella and the women are not our enemies. We are comrades. So we help the men who were caught by her. We need to fight, and get her to listen to us. We also have to fight the demons that come from the black star. That¡¯s our situation. Ed, did you get it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± After hearing Hamokin¡¯s story, I waved my right hand to show my understanding and then clenched my fist tightly. Then, the presence of Hamokin faded away. As long as I don¡¯t intend to escape from here, it¡¯s the end for tonight. Now that there¡¯s no one to talk to, I organize the information in my mind. Fortunately, there¡¯s nothing else I can do right now, so I have plenty of time. (I see, black stars and shining stars, huh¡­¡­ And Donatella¡­) I fully remembered when I heard her name. This is the 36th world. Indeed, it was such a world here¡­¡­ However, the atmosphere is way too different. First of all, I didn¡¯t appear in the middle of such a suspicious ceremony. I simply appeared alone in the forest, and the village was just as Hamokin said, a very ordinary one where men and women intermingled. And most importantly, Donatella¡¯s atmosphere was significantly different. Donatella, whom I knew as per Hamokin¡¯s words, was a woman with a strong will yet mild and timid. She definitely wasn¡¯t a person who would say ¡®Unbabo¡¯ while vigorously shaking her hips. Even if they say the faces were the same, the character and even the physique and the atmosphere were completely different, so I¡¯d rather believe that they were twin sisters who only have the same face. (Is this also a distortion of the world¡­¡­ But it seems like it can be managed.) Compared to the world of Harris that had been extinguished, I think the current situation of this world was still salvageable. The black star¡­ the timing of the Demon King¡¯s appearance and his abilities, and even the timing of my arrival in this world were the same as before. The only difference was Donatella¡¯s personality. Of course, there were issues, like how the Hero¡¯s personality has completely changed, and for some reason, men were being excluded, but compared to a situation where all of humanity had been wiped out, it¡¯s much easier to handle. (In that case, it would be easiest for me to rely on Tia to guide Donatella and have her defeat the Demon King, but¡­ hmm) The changed Donatella seems to be quite brave and warlike, and for some reason, she seems to welcome Tia as the Hero. If so, it seems not too difficult to defeat the Demon King by pushing Tia forward as a collaborator, and then me quietly lending a hand. But, the easiest solution somehow seems wrong. The cause, of course, is the catalyst for Donatella¡¯s change. (What, is this your doing again? You really never do anything good.) I raised my right hand and looked at the tip of my fingers. In my consciousness, it feels as if that something white from Harris¡¯ world was compressed into the tip of my middle finger, and indeed, it¡¯s numb. I was completely accustomed to it and it doesn¡¯t even hurt anymore, but it¡¯s still unpleasant. (It seems to be inside the Hero this time, so it won¡¯t increase, right? Or if I collect this, will Donatella¡¯s personality return to normal? Wow, it seems very likely.) I don¡¯t know how to extract it from the Hero, unlike with the Demon King, but it¡¯s clearly a cause, so I might need to think of a method. Of course, it means that another non-removable foreign object would increase in me. The thought of something that causes power to run wild or flips personality increasing in me is quite horrifying, and I¡¯d like to throw it away somewhere right now if possible, but I don¡¯t know what to do if it even comes along when moving from the ¡®white world¡¯ to another world. (It might be more dangerous than I thought. I really need to think about dealing with it¡­ sigh, more and more things to think about.) Initially, I just had to accompany the Hero party and be banished. Now, I have to defeat the Demon King, and now I¡¯m even asked to eliminate the mysterious external factor. Of course, that¡¯s just me increasing the things I have to do, so the option of doing nothing and silently getting banished is not gone. But having come this far and knowing various things, I can¡¯t satisfy myself by not knowing everything and just passing by. (If I just wanted to travel around the world, I could just lie here for half a year and be banished casually. But the time when I was satisfied with that has passed. It¡¯s a burden I took on willingly. I¡¯ll see it through to the end.) The white moon shining in the sky. If I hold my right hand up to it, I feel like the tip of my finger is tingling. The God who resides beyond was watching us today as well¡­ what a taste. (Watch me. I won¡¯t let it become like the 22nd world. I¡¯ll round up everything¡­ and make you regret meddling unnecessarily.) It was a quiet declaration of war. A testament to clearly hostile feelings towards an entity that didn¡¯t matter before. Hearing the festive voices from afar, I smirked defiantly and solidified my determination. CH 215 While Ed was secretly firming his resolve alone in the dark forest prison, Lunaritia was also fighting her own battle within the settlement. ¡°Hey! Enough! Enough already!¡± In front of Lunaritia was a pile of dishes that was crowded with food. Most of it was meat. There were a variety of meats like rabbit and wild boar, but since they were all seasoned with the same strong sauce, to be honest, she was already tired of eating. ¡°Hm? Really? But Lunaritia, you¡¯re small. You won¡¯t get stronger if you don¡¯t eat, right?¡± ¡°Small¡­ Well, I suppose I¡¯m small compared to Donatella¡­¡± Turning a somewhat weary gaze at Donatella, who was calmly continuing to eat meat next to her, Lunaritia noticed that Donatella, who was a little taller than herself, was covered in muscles, and indeed she was more than twice the size of Lunaritia. ¡°But being big doesn¡¯t necessarily mean being strong, and eating more doesn¡¯t make you stronger, right? I mean, if it was a matter of strength, I would lose, but if it came to a fight, I¡¯m stronger than you, you know?¡± ¡°Hahahaha, is that so! Indeed, as expected of the Hero! Here, eat more!¡± ¡°No, like I said, I¡¯m already good¡­ ugh¡­¡± Facing Donatella, who was laughing heartily and offering more meat at her provocative words, Lunaritia forced a thin smile with a troubled expression. Just looking at it was enough to give her heartburn, and if she ate any more, she felt like she might actually throw up. ¡°So, anyway, about this Hero thing¡­ Why am I a Hero?¡± ¡°Hm? Lunaritia, don¡¯t you know you¡¯re a Hero?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. The next thing I knew, I had appeared in this place and was being called that. I would appreciate it if you could explain it to me.¡± Being separated from Ed, she wanted to gather information on her own. With this in mind, Lunaritia asked, and Donatella took another bite of her meat before speaking. ¡°Munch munch¡­ then I¡¯ll explain. Ten years ago, a black star fell to the east of the forest. The black star emits a black miasma. Touching it makes both humans and beasts violent. The black demon is very dangerous. We have been fighting it all this time.¡± ¡°Oh, that must have been tough.¡± ¡°Yes, it was tough. That¡¯s why I wanted the power to defeat the black star. Then, five years ago, a shining star fell on me.¡± ¡°A star¡­ fell on you?¡± ¡°Yes. The shining star fell, and I woke up. The reason I couldn¡¯t beat the black star was because men are weak! So, I chased the men away. There are no more annoying men! We become strong! According to the oracle of the shining star, a hero has appeared! We are the strongest! Men are the weakest! Now we can beat the black star!¡± ¡°Wait, wait a minute! I cann¡¯t follow the conversation, but why did it suddenly become a conversation about how weak men are?¡± Suddenly leaping to a different topic, Lunaritia hurriedly asked Donatella. In response, Donatella frowned obviously, but explained the reason. ¡°¡­The black star, it takes the form of a woman. With bouncy breasts and jiggly butt. Men¡¯s gaze is glued there. That¡¯s why men are useless!¡± ¡°What!?¡± Lunaritia exclaimed in surprise at Donatella, who was biting into her meat in irritation. (What, the Demon King here is a woman!?) Until now, all the Demon Kings she had encountered were either genderless monsters or men. Since the original Demon King was Ed, Lunaritia had assumed that the Demon King would also be a man. But upon thinking about it, it seemed much simpler for the Demon King to take the form of a woman rather than becoming a tree or a monster. She could imagine that, but¡­ (A woman with Ed¡¯s face¡­?) First, she vividly imagined Ed as he was, then tried to inflate his chest and butt. But that only resulted in a Ed with protruding parts, and she couldn¡¯t quite picture it. ¡°Men are dumb! Men are empty inside! As long as the chest and butt are big, that¡¯s good enough! Men are useless! Men are weak!¡± ¡°¡±Men are unnecessary! Men are the worst!¡±¡± At Donatella¡¯s words, the other women around them raised their voices in agreement. By the way, if size was the only consideration, Donatella was quite big in both respects. But that was due to her muscles, and if one were to speak of her feminine features, she would be about average or a little small. ¡°Hero Lunaritia! Do you agree?¡± ¡°Huh!? Oh, yeah, sure.¡± ¡°Is that so! As I expected!¡± Donatella, looking very pleased, pounded Lunaritia¡¯s back with hearty thumps. She had been thinking about something else and had answered in a hurry. ¡°Lunaritia, your butt is quite big, but your breasts are small! I understand! You are like us! The best Hero!¡± ¡°¡­Th, thank you.¡± Even though she was being praised with a beaming smile, Lunaritia couldn¡¯t quite bring herself to feel happy about it. There was something unsatisfying about this situation, but there was no way she could voice this out in this place. While enduring the feast where Donatella and her group drank and ate meat while shouting their grievances against men, Lunaritia was finally released when the moon was shining at its zenith. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m so tired¡­¡± Her provided sleeping place was a small private room. As expected from a house in the humid rainforest, it was designed to let the air flow even if it blocked the view, so the sounds of insects chirping outside could be heard quite loudly. ¡°¡­ I wonder how Ed is doing.¡± From Donatella, Lunaritia had heard that Ed was in a prison on the outskirts of the village. The fact that Ed, who could escape if he tried, was staying quiet in there, paradoxically implied that he was safe and was staying there on his own volition. (The black star is definitely the Demon King, right? I was surprised that it takes the form of a woman though¡­ But what about the shining star? Is it the same thing as the extra thing that came with the Demon King¡¯s power, as Ed said before? But, last time it was inside the Demon King, and this time it¡¯s inside the Hero¡­? I don¡¯t really understand.) Lying on a mat woven from plants, Lunaritia starts to sort through the information she¡¯s gathered. She didn¡¯t have a chance today, but she wants to get in touch with Ed and exchange information as soon as possible. Fortunately for them, they can communicate just by touching hands, even without exchanging words. However, given the atmosphere in this village, just staring silently at each other would likely draw criticism, so she¡¯d have to be careful. (Anyway, I need to decide on a course of action. It¡¯s fine to cooperate with Donatella to defeat the Demon King, but should I prioritize reconciling with the men? But if I rush things, Donatella might become suspicious of me? Besides, I don¡¯t even know where the men who have disappeared are¡­ Ah, if it was Ed, he could find them right away.) While she can sense the presence of things around her using spirit magic, she certainly can¡¯t distinguish between male and female. Frustrated by this, she rolled around on the mat, and forced her eyelids shut. (Haaa, it¡¯s okay. I just need to do what I can do. First of all, I need to get along better with Donatella and gain her trust. And if we become friends, I might be able to change her stubborn dislike for men. Then, I can ask her to release Ed¡­ and then¡­) As Lunaritia¡¯s consciousness slowly drifts, a faint light gently rains down on her from nowhere. ¡°Ugh¡­ plump¡­ bouncy¡­ boing boing¡­¡± That night, Lunaritia was tormented by a mysterious nightmare. In it, she, who couldn¡¯t move inside a transparent cage, was forced to watch Ed, who was laughing and chasing after a busty woman, and slowly, her consciousness was painted white. And the next day. The moment Lunaritia woke up, she went straight to the cage where Ed was¡­ ¡°Men are the worst! Ed, you pervert!¡± ¡°Eh¡­?¡± As Ed wore a confused expression, Lunaritia pointed her finger at him and loudly berated him. CH 216 ¡°Men are the worst! Ed, you pervert!¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± The suddenness of the situation didn¡¯t catch up with my consciousness. Alright, let¡¯s stay calm and organize the situation. Last night, I arrived in this 36th world. Here, the seemingly innocent and pretty girl Donatella had turned into a buff, macho warrior woman who despised men. Following that course of events, I was thrown into a jail, and then today. As I was having a late breakfast, Donatella came with Tia, who suddenly pointed a finger at me and made such a declaration¡­ Yeah, to put it mildly, I have no idea what¡¯s going on. ¡°Um¡­ Tia? Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not sudden at all! I haven¡¯t said it out loud, but I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a long time! Ed, you¡¯re always looking at women with lustful eyes!¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± With these baseless accusations, I let out a pitiful voice once again. Unlike yesterday, the definitive tone of Tia¡¯s voice and the obvious contempt in her eyes make me think¡­ What is this? ¡°Calm down, Tia. Don¡¯t be so angry. Let¡¯s shake hands and make up.¡± With a light smile on my face, I reach out to Tia from my cell. However, Tia, with an angry face, smacks my hand away. ¡°No way! I¡¯ve woken up! I won¡¯t give you special treatment anymore, so be prepared! Come on, Donatella. We have to discuss how to fight the black star.¡± "" ¡°Indeed, hero, I can rely on you! See you, man!¡± ¡°Ouch¡­ Well, see you later.¡± Donatella and Tia walked away, chatting happily with their shoulders aligned. From within my cell, I waved them off, turned my back to the guard in frustration, and laid down on the ground, quietly shifting my consciousness. (This is more dangerous than I imagined.) The sudden change in Tia¡¯s attitude was clearly abnormal. Considering that it might be an act, I created a situation where she could naturally activate the [Missing Talk]. Of course, we wouldn¡¯t be able to talk for long, but even if she just told me a single word, such as ¡°act¡± or ¡°lie,¡± I would have understood Tia¡¯s true intentions and matched her story. However, Tia knocked my hand away and didn¡¯t use any force. This implies that there¡¯s a high possibility that Tia was acting out of her true feelings. Another possibility could be that Donatella herself, or someone among the women around us, has the ability to read minds and covered for it by putting on a serious act¡­ but I can¡¯t understand why I would be fooled in the first place if that was the case. (Mind control? No, perhaps brainwashing? I never imagined it would be this immediate¡­) From Hamokin¡¯s story, I knew Donatella possessed some kind of power towards her own gender. However, it was unexpected that Tia, who she just met last night, could be influenced so quickly. (What are the conditions? It¡¯s almost certain that it¡¯s only for women, but what about the passage of time, or physical contact? Is the fact that all the women in the village are affected indicative of a wide range of effect? Or perhaps once the brainwashing is done, it lasts for a long time? Either way, the conditions are too lax for the effects. It¡¯s not a proper power, but it doesn¡¯t seem to strain her.) Tia, being a spirit magic user, has a strong resistance to mental manipulation. Breaking through that in a single night would require a considerably strong power, but I didn¡¯t see Donatella paying any price for it. In essence, it¡¯s a trick. And the culprit is probably that shining star. (What the hell are you? You¡¯re not doing anything good at all!) I let out a tirade at the white thing trembling in annoyance at the tip of my finger. Of course, doing so neither gets a response from the white thing nor solves the problem. (I thought I could take my time gathering information, but given Tia¡¯s condition, I can¡¯t afford to take it easy. I need to act quickly and think about countermeasures.) Fortunately or unfortunately, given that she¡¯s fully brainwashed, there¡¯s almost no need to worry about Tia¡¯s safety. Having made that judgment, I quietly get up and secretly activate [Mirage Shift] to escape from the jail. It¡¯s fortunate that the guards turned their backs on me because they hate seeing men, and thus, I managed to escape without anyone noticing. ¡°Hmm, it should be around here¡­¡± I used the [Akashic Compass] to look for Hamokin¡¯s location while walking. Since it¡¯s daytime, Hamokin is probably active, making it difficult to meet up. Of course, if I ran full speed, I could probably find him right away, but as someone who is running away from women, I don¡¯t want to draw attention by sprinting through the forest. I assume Hamokin feels the same, so I take my time walking and looking for him. ¡°Oh? There he is.¡± While searching around like that, I finally spotted Hamokin a bit ahead. He¡¯s lying low in the shadows of the grass, staring straight ahead, probably hunting. His prey is¡­ that one. I realize from Hamokin¡¯s line of sight that he¡¯s targeting a wild boar ahead. I could wait for him to finish hunting, but¡­ hmm. ¡°Hmph!¡± Taking out a knife from the [Stranger¡¯s Box] I approached the boar¡¯s side at once with [Hermes Dash] Even a beast that survives in the wild can¡¯t react to my high-speed movement, which even seasoned warriors can lose sight of. ¡°Yo!¡± While the boar was frozen in surprise at the sudden appearance of a human figure, my downward swung knife accurately slashed its neck. The boar, despite receiving a clear fatal wound, charged at me with its last strength, but I calmly activated the [Orbit Reflector] and held out my hand. The impact of the charge that I caught with one hand becomes an echo that shakes the boar¡¯s brain. The boar, who collapsed unsteadily, twitched a few times and then ended its life. ¡°Well, this should do. Hey, Hamokin!¡± ¡°Ed? Why are you here?¡± When I called out to him, Hamokin came out of the bushes. He seems like quite a competent warrior, maintaining a certain level of caution not only around his surroundings but also towards me. ¡°I had a bit of a situation. I¡¯ve escaped. Oh, this boar is for you, Hamokin.¡± ¡°Are you sure? It¡¯s a prey you took down.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I just took it down because I didn¡¯t want to wait for you. If you really insist, I¡¯d like to join your group with this as a gift.¡± ¡°I understand. We welcome strong warriors. But before that, I want to prepare the prey.¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll help.¡± If we don¡¯t bleed the animal while its heart is still beating, the meat will smell. If we clumsily injure the internal organs, we can¡¯t even eat it. I help Hamokin and quickly prepare the boar. Then, I walk into the forest led by Hamokin, who carries the meat. ¡°By the way, where were you, Ed? I didn¡¯t notice at all.¡± ¡°Fufufu, I¡¯m quite strong, you see. Well, I¡¯m not much of a match in a pure test of strength, though.¡± ¡°Strong without strength? Hmm, I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Strength isn¡¯t the only measure of power.¡± For some reason, Hamokin, who wears only a waist cloth, has his upper body covered with taut muscles. My body isn¡¯t particularly flabby either, but since I just arrived in a new world, I don¡¯t have much muscle honestly. ¡°I wonder why you aren¡¯t wearing any clothes¡­ Why is that?¡± ¡°Since birth, we rub our bodies with a special grass and juice we gather from the forest. Thanks to this, insects don¡¯t come near, and small injuries heal quickly. We can knit clothes and do the same, but clothes tear easily. If we change size, we can¡¯t wear them. It¡¯s not worth the effort.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. Well, that makes sense.¡± Indeed, a bare body won¡¯t wear out or become unfit due to size changes. This must be the wisdom of people who were born and live in this forest. As we chat and walk on, we soon come to a slightly open area. The front is widely cleared, and there is a large cave in the back. It feels a bit lonely to call it a village, but there are definitely signs that several people live here. ¡°This is our base. Come on in.¡± Invited by Hamokin, who gave a good smile, I stepped into the cave. (T/N: Anyone willing to be a proofreader for this? If you are interested, please join the foxaholic discord and apply as pr) CH 217 The cave Hamokin invited me into was surprisingly spacious compared to its narrow entrance. In the corner, pots and barrels that seemed to be packed with supplies were placed, and what appeared to be sleeping mats were lined up, about five in total. In the center of the cave, Hamokin kindled a small fire and sat down by it. ¡°Hey, are you okay with using fire in a cave?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a hole in the ceiling for smoke to escape. It can¡¯t handle a big fire, but a small one is fine.¡± ¡°Huh, that¡¯s quite clever.¡± Since Hamokin and the others live here, if he says so, it must be true. While lightly reminding him to be careful, I sat across from Hamokin, the fire between us. The cold sensation of the ground seeped through my buttocks, but I didn¡¯t mind since I¡¯m no nobleman. ¡°Besides me, four others live here. But they¡¯re all out now. I¡¯ll introduce you when they get back, so wait a bit.¡± ¡°Got it. Only five of you? Seems too few for people who fled from that village¡­¡± I didn¡¯t get a good look at it because I was immediately captured and thrown in jail, but according to my memory, about 300 people were living there. That would mean even if only half of them were men, there should be about 100, so five seems far too few. At my question, Hamokin chuckled slightly and poked at the fire. ¡°Hahaha, of course there are other men. But if we gather in one place, we¡¯ll be found immediately. So we¡¯re living separately in small groups.¡± ¡°I see. Indeed, if the goal is to specialize in escaping, fewer people is better.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We don¡¯t want to kill women. So all we can do is run for now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a tough situation.¡± If the people in the village were merely enemies, they could gather in one place, accumulate their strength while defending themselves, and then launch a full-scale attack when the time comes. But it¡¯s a different story when the enemy is a loved one. If you don¡¯t want to hurt the other party as much as possible, you even have to avoid fighting to defend your base. That means you only have the option to flee, and it seems the best way to do that is to avoid combat altogether by forming small groups. ¡°Even so, are their opinions united? Isn¡¯t there anyone like, ¡®We should make women listen to us by force!¡¯?¡± ¡°Sure there are. But those guys get beaten up by everyone and quickly calm down. A man is a warrior. It¡¯s a warrior¡¯s job to die. But a woman is a mother. If the mother is gone, the child is gone. Then the village will quickly perish. That¡¯s why men who don¡¯t care about women are despised by everyone. So we try not to fight as much as possible. Even if we get attacked, we don¡¯t fight back.¡± ¡°I see¡­ You guys are amazing, Hamokin.¡± When people have power, they want to wield it. It seems roundabout to solve a problem that could be solved by hitting, without hitting, but it means that they properly understand how to use their power. If they were a more impulsive group, the village we would have reached might have been drenched in blood. I have learned this the hard way in the previous world. Even if I was a Demon King feared even by gods, I can¡¯t bring the dead back to life. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a relief. If our strategies align that much, I can fully cooperate with Hamokin and the others. So, the immediate goal is to restore the women to sanity¡­ Do we have any leads?¡± ¡°Um, about that¡­¡± As I asked, illuminated by the campfire, Hamokin furrowed his brow and took on a troubled expression. ¡°We¡¯ve once abducted a woman from the village before. She remained unchanged at first, but we noticed that she gradually returned to her normal self after about a week.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so? Then¡­¡± That means that the effect only lasts while they¡¯re in the vicinity of Donatella. This unexpected good news pleased me, but Hamokin¡¯s expression remained grim. ¡°However, we have no place to hide the women. The women who returned to normal were attacked by Donatella and her group and taken back. We can¡¯t escape when we¡¯re together.¡± ¡°Ah, I guess that makes sense.¡± The difficulty of escaping as a small group of men accustomed to hunting and fighting was entirely different from protecting the rescued women while escaping. What¡¯s more, the more women they rescue, the slower they move. Given their rule of ¡°not hurting the opponent,¡± they¡¯ll inevitably be recaptured in the end. ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re gathering people now. We¡¯re planning to attack the village all at once and take all the women away.¡± ¡°Hm? Wouldn¡¯t it be faster to just defeat Donatella and capture the others?¡± If you think about it, it¡¯s definitely easier to deal with just Donatella than capturing and transporting more than a hundred women. However, upon hearing my naive question, Hamokin¡¯s expression becomes even more severe. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.Donatella is strong. We stand no chance against her.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. Ever since the shining star fell, Donatella has become incredibly strong. It¡¯s hard to capture her even if three of us fight her at once. Killing her might be one thing, but capturing her is difficult. Moreover, there are always other women around Donatella. The women of the village are not particularly strong unlike Donatella. It¡¯s very dangerous to involve them in combat.¡± ¡°Hmm? That Donatella, huh?¡± My impression of her was of a frail woman, but it seems that Donatella, possessed by the mysterious light, boasted the strength of a first-rate warrior. Furthermore, having other women around her was troublesome. They were our enemies, yet they also served as guards, and could even potentially be hostages. It¡¯s certainly difficult to fight safely without first separating Donatella from the other women. ¡°In that case, how about I take on Donatella?¡± ¡°Ed? We appreciate it, but it¡¯s impossible. You don¡¯t understand Donatella¡¯s strength, that¡¯s why you can say that.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, but I¡¯m pretty confident, you know? Or, how about I face her alone once? If it seems possible, then we can devise a specific strategy, how about that?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Hamokin starts to think about my proposal, crossing his arms. If this plan goes south, I¡¯m the only one who gets hurt, so it¡¯s not a big burden for Hamokin and his group. However, from Hamokin¡¯s perspective, this is a family matter, and I¡¯m just a stranger he met today. He wasn¡¯t so naive as to blindly trust and accept my words. ¡°Hmm. I can¡¯t decide this on my own. We¡¯ll discuss it when our comrades come back, how about that?¡± ¡°Of course, that¡¯s fine. By the way, when you say comrades, do you mean just the guys in this base?¡± ¡°No, ideally, I want to hear from all the men scattered throughout the forest. This operation is very important. If we fail, the village¡¯s defenses will become significantly stricter.¡± ¡°That makes sense. Alright. Then¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll need about a week to get in touch and gather everyone.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do it that way.¡± I agreed to Hamokin¡¯s proposal and we waited for a week. The dank cave was filled with men¡­ among them, one was clearly looking down on me. ¡°Hey Hamokin, you¡¯re serious that this guy is going to fight Donatella?¡± ¡°He¡¯s serious. This guy, Ed, he¡¯s a strong warrior.¡± ¡°Strong!? That¡¯s a lie, he¡¯s not strong!¡± ¡°¡­Hey old man, who are you saying isn¡¯t strong?¡± At the sudden unwarranted comment, I glared at the man in front of me in a low voice. This guy was nearly two meters tall with matching muscles, and visually, he definitely seemed stronger than me. However, looks and strength don¡¯t always match up. Guys like him will keep complaining unless they¡¯re put in their place from the beginning, so I decided to show some assertiveness. ¡°Of course, you. You¡¯re not strong. It¡¯s clear to see.¡± ¡°Huh. If you think you can tell strength from appearances, then you wouldn¡¯t run away if I suggested an actual match, right?¡± ¡°A match!? You, you want to fight me!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. To prevent any complaints later, I¡¯ll pin you down here and now.¡± ¡°Interesting. Come outside! Hamokin, is that okay?¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ Ed, are you sure?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s troublesome to be seen as weak.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Led by Hamokin, who sighed, the old man and I went outside the cave. Naturally, the others also came out and surrounded us, clearly in spectator mode. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start the match. We¡¯ll start with Gargado, okay?¡± ¡°Start? Oh, sure.¡± I didn¡¯t really get it, but by start, he probably meant we¡¯ll take turns attacking? Generally, the first attack has an advantage, but that¡¯s exactly why I gave it up. I wanted to show a perfect display of strength. So, I deliberately stood nonchalantly without taking any stance. Gargado smirked and reached into the bag attached to his waist. ¡°Behold! This is my masterpiece!¡± His huge hand stretched out in front of him¡­ and I could see something in his palm. Is that a doll? What is he going to do with it¡­? ¡°This is a doll of Bubura, the woman with the biggest breasts in the village!¡± ¡°Woahhhh!¡± ¡°As expected of Gargado, amazing detail!¡± ¡°And look, it¡¯s even larger than the real thing!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Huh?¡± Cheers rose from the surrounding men, and Gargado had a triumphant smile on his face. With that smile still in place, he directed a challenging gaze at me. ¡°Now, it¡¯s your turn! Show me something more erotic than this!¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± That day, for the first time in my life, I regretted picking a fight with someone. (T/N: LMAO) CH 218 Around me, men are cheering, and in front of me stands the figure of my opponent, Gargado, sporting a victorious smile. If this was a normal competition, I too would return his smile with an awkward one. However, this time it¡¯s different. The only thing I can muster is a strained, confused smile. In an attempt to somehow salvage the situation, I call out to Hamokin, who¡¯s refereeing the match. ¡°Um, Hamokin? This is a competition to determine who¡¯s stronger, right?¡± ¡°Hm? Yes, it is.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± I was hoping for a ¡°no¡± to that, but he just affirmed it calmly. That means, well, it¡¯s not just my misunderstanding¡­ ¡°Uh¡­ I think this competition is different from what I had in mind. Could you explain it in more detail?¡± ¡°What!? You challenged me without even knowing the rules!?¡± ¡°Shut up, Gargado. It¡¯s not strange for an outsider like Ed to be ignorant¡­ Listen, Ed, in this competition, we take turns presenting erotic things, and whoever gets the other to acknowledge its eroticism wins. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°No, no, no, I meant more fundamentally¡­ why do we show erotic things to compete in strength?¡± ¡°Hah, you really are an idiot if you don¡¯t understand that!¡± My face is full of confusion as Gargado sighs dramatically. Normally, I¡¯d be really pissed off, but this situation is so baffling that I can¡¯t get angry at all. This is really something, huh? "" ¡°Listen, everyone loves erotic things! Erotic things attract everyone! Whether it¡¯s humans or beasts, if they¡¯re distracted by erotic things, they leave themselves wide open! It makes hunting easier! So, the one who can create erotic things is the greatest! The strongest! The erotic person is the strongest! That¡¯s the law of nature!¡± ¡°¡­Wait, hold on. Even if humans are fine, beasts? Do beasts get distracted by such things?¡± I don¡¯t think there are any idiots who would get distracted by an erotic doll during combat, whether they¡¯re human or not¡­ But looking at the people here, I¡¯m starting to think otherwise. But, do beasts react to human females? No, maybe they¡¯re used as bait¡­ Is that it? ¡°Sigh¡­ You¡¯re incredibly stupid. Of course, the erotic stuff for beasts won¡¯t work on humans. We make different ones for beasts.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We skin them nicely and make them look alive. The beasts in the forest are quite likely to fall for it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s common sense! You don¡¯t even know that, you¡¯re unbelievably stupid!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Gargado, who¡¯s looking down on me with contempt, is extremely annoying. Ugh, I want to punch him right now¡­ But I can¡¯t do that in this situation. ¡°So, what will you do? Is your erotic thing ready?¡± ¡°¡­Wait, just a little bit. I¡¯m preparing it now.¡± ¡°Hmph! The victory is already mine! Take your time preparing!¡± When I reluctantly asked for a moment, Gargado declared his victory with a smug look on his face. In that case, I¡¯ll take advantage of his confidence¡­ First, let¡¯s recap the situation. I thought it would be a normal contest of strength, but for some reason, it turned into a competition of showing off erotic things. Gargado has already presented a pleasantly erotic doll, and the crowd seems to love it. To overturn this, I have to present something more erotic¡­ (What do I do? I want to go home right now.) Couldn¡¯t I just pretend none of this happened and go kidnap Donatella by myself? No, that wouldn¡¯t work¡­ If I only needed to capture her, I could just cut off her limbs and carry her, but that would certainly jeopardize any future relationships. Also, considering the subsequent battle with the Demon King, I certainly need allies. Therefore, I need to get these guys to acknowledge me¡­ That¡¯s why I have to seriously face the topic of eroticism. (Erotic¡­ What does erotic mean¡­?) For starters, I try to recall various women I¡¯ve met. Rebecca was a female pirate and seemed pretty erotic. Then there was Palm who I met at Toby¡¯s place¡­ No, not her. She was an adult woman, but it feels risky to pursue her style. Canal was a bit of a wasted beauty, and Alicia¡­ She was gallant, but not erotic, right? So then¡­ (T/N: Correct me If I am wrong but was there someone named Alicia in previous chapters? Wasn¡¯t it Amelia?) ¡°This is it!¡± Something flashed in my mind, and I materialized the image with my banishment skill, [Copy and Fake], What appeared in my outstretched right hand was a figurine of Riel in her priestess robe, reproduced to about one-tenth of her size. ¡°Whooaa!? A figurine came out of Ed¡¯s hand!?¡± ¡°Big boobs! Big butt!¡± ¡°Little bit sloppy! But that¡¯s what¡¯s erotic!¡± The cheers from the crowd rose and I smiled at Gargado. He then came closer and started to closely observe the Riel figurine I made. ¡°Hmm¡­ Ed, you¡¯re amazing. This figurine is very erotic.¡± ¡°Oh, is it?¡± ¡°Especially the expression of the slightly sagging skin is amazing. All the women in the village are slim. That¡¯s why this is rare. Very fresh. Very erotic. Sagging skin is infinitely erotic.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Yeah, I guess so.¡± Feeling a bit awkward with the comment that would probably get me seriously glared at if the real person heard it, I vaguely agree. My [Copy and Fake] skill can only make objects look exactly like what I¡¯ve seen¡­ Well, let¡¯s not dwell on that. I don¡¯t have a hobby of leaping into dangerous situations. ¡°But the pose could be better. Couldn¡¯t you make her lean more forward, emphasizing her butt while accentuating her chest?¡± ¡°Hm? Like this?¡± Having absorbed the power of the Demon King, my [Copy and Fake] skill has become a bit more flexible. I¡¯ve traveled with Riel for a long time and seen her plenty, so I can reproduce poses she hasn¡¯t even taken if they¡¯re possible for her. ¡°Whooaa!? The figurine moved!? What kind of eroticism is this!¡± ¡°Ed, you¡¯re amazing! Ed, you¡¯re erotic!¡± ¡°Ed is our hero! The highest erotic! The strongest man!¡± ¡°¡­Ed, you¡¯re amazing. I admit my loss. I¡¯ll follow you.¡± Witnessing that miracle, Gargado, whose eyes have become bright and beautiful, puts away the figurine he had in his hand in a bag and offers his right hand to me. I was about to put away the Riel figurine as well, but it got snatched away by some old man nearby. Regardless, I firmly shake hands with Gargado. ¡°The match is decided! Ed wins!¡± ¡°Ed! Ed! The great pioneer of eroticism!¡± ¡°Ed! Ed! The embodiment of eroticism guiding us!¡± ¡°Ed! Ed! The manliest among erotic men!¡± ¡°Ed, if it¡¯s you, you can certainly beat Donatella. You can make something erotic that resonates with Donatella! Good luck, Ed! I¡¯m counting on you!¡± ¡°Alright, leave it to¡­ huh? Is that what this was about?¡± ¡°Hm? Isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re right, but¡­ is that okay?¡± ¡°Gahahaha, Ed, don¡¯t worry about the details! Just focus on the eroticism!¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ right. Let¡¯s go with that.¡± Something felt fundamentally wrong, but I¡¯ve accomplished the goal of gaining the men¡¯s trust. Now, it¡¯s finally time for the showdown with Donatella. (T/N: Uploaded Advanced Chapters till 280 on foxaholic 18. Free chapters will come at the usual pace. Can¡¯t promise any schedule for advanced chapters as I will stop translating till august soon. CH 219 Having won what seemed to be the most futile battle of my life, I was able to earn the trust of Hamokin and Gargado and the others. Afterward, we had a strategy meeting with the gathered representatives¡­ and then, a week later at night, I was infiltrating the village where Donatella was. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± Hiding in the grass, I held my breath and watched my surroundings. Two women who seemed to be guards were walking in front of me, but they walked away without noticing me. ¡°¡­Phew. The security is indeed strict.¡± Once their backs were out of sight, I let out a short breath and muttered. Solo action after a long time indeed brought a different kind of tension. After all, there¡¯s no one to cover for me if I fail. (Next is to the right¡­ or would it be better to go around from the left?) How the guards were placed was clearly understood with the combination of [Auto-Mapping] and [Akashic Compass]. However, it did not mean that I understood their line of sight and direction of movement, so I have to be cautious. After all, failure here means failure of the entire operation. By winning trust in that incomprehensible match and then showing my abilities by fighting normally afterward, I was able to undertake the role of successfully restraining Donatella. As soon as I start the fight, the men who are hiding around the village are ready to take away the women here one after another. However, that¡¯s only possible if I can sneak attack her without causing a commotion. If I make a fuss here and Donatella starts moving with her entourage, it¡¯s decided that the operation fails and we disband. If that happens, all the preparation up to this point will be wasted, and in the worst case, she may even keep her entourage on standby when she sleeps. To avoid that, I must not be discovered here¡­ (Man, this clear field of vision is tough. There¡¯s absolutely nothing blocking the line of sight, it¡¯s not very friendly for infiltration.) Unlike large towns or the interiors of buildings, this village had wide spaces between buildings, and once you entered, there were extremely few places to hide. Moreover, with patrols placed strategically to cover these few blind spots, it would indeed be extremely difficult to infiltrate here and attack only Donatella. "" (If it¡¯s just the watch, combat power doesn¡¯t matter, and making all the watches patrol instead of stationary is probably to ensure that they notice any anomalies immediately. Tch, they clearly understand their own weaknesses.) A confident guard would function just by standing still in one place, like a gatekeeper. However, they wouldn¡¯t notice any abnormalities unless it was time for a shift change. On the other hand, with a patrol system, while you might get attacked suddenly from a blind spot, you¡¯re always moving and passing by multiple people in a short time, so you¡¯ll know right away if something happens. No matter how weak the individual is, they are more than sufficient as a bell that senses anomalies¡­ (If Tia were here, she could put them to sleep with spirit magic¡­ or maybe Riel? If she can use such powerful healing magic, it¡¯d be fine to handle them a bit roughly.) The thought of those reliable but absent individuals suddenly crossed my mind. The reason I thought of Riel, no doubt, was because of the doll I made the other day. By the way, that doll was still sleeping inside my [Stranger Box]. Some people asked me to give it to them, but I was indeed reluctant to hand over a doll dressed erotically that looked like someone I know, so I refused. (¡­¡­No good, my thoughts are all over the place when I¡¯m alone. I need to focus more.) I¡¯ve been with Tia so often that it seems my instincts when working alone have dulled. Even though I¡¯ve been on separate actions before¡­ tch, this feels off. ¡°Nothing abnormal here. How about there?¡± ¡°Nothing abnormal here either.¡± Exchanging simplistic conversations, two women passed by me. The moment the two of them turned their backs to each other, I boldly passed through the gap. Their bodies formed a wall and created a shadow, through which I, the intruder, ran through like the wind. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°¡­¡­No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± (¡­¡­Yes!) I thought the hardest part would be Donatella¡¯s house at the front of the road. Passing through it, I involuntarily made a mental victory pose. Now that I¡¯ve come this far, I¡¯m almost there. According to the feeling from [Auto-Mapping], the settlement and the structure of the buildings are as I know them, so the bedroom should be in the back¡­ here. ¡°Zzz¡­ zzz¡­¡± As I quietly opened the door so as not to make a sound, Donatella was lying on a simple bed, snoring. If I were an assassin, I could end this with one stroke of the blade, but the goal this time is to incapacitate heras unharmed as possible. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± So, I take out a cloth soaked in a liquid drug made from materials collected by Hamokin and the others in the forest. This drug causes temporary unconsciousness when inhaled. If I get this cloth close to her face while she¡¯s sleeping, she should inhale it with her breathing. With that in mind, I approached Donatella from behind, extending my hand holding the cloth to her face¡­!? ¡°Don¡¯t come near me with your dirty hands! You filthy man!¡± My extended wrist was grabbed firmly, and Donatella, who turned around just with her neck, glared at me. ¡°Tch, you were awake after all.¡± ¡°Of course! There¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t notice a man approaching! Hmph!¡± With that, she kicked at my belly from her sleeping position. There was no way for me to avoid it while my wrist was still being held, and the powerful blow unleashed from her thick leg¡­ but it had no effect on me. ¡°What!?¡± ¡°Fufufu, sorry. Your attacks won¡¯t work on me¡­yo!¡± ¡°Uwa!?¡± I completely upset Donatella, who¡¯s shaken by my lack of pain, by pulling my captured arm and tumbling her right onto the floor. There¡¯s no way that a kick would break through my [Invincible], which wouldn¡¯t let even a dragon¡¯s fang pass, and if I can brace properly, it¡¯s easy to pull down an opponent who is lying down. ¡°So, this is a reversal of fortune¡­ or was I winning from the start?¡± ¡°Let go! Damn it, why won¡¯t you let go!?¡± ¡°Well, because I¡¯m stronger.¡± I climbed on top of Donatella who had fallen on her back, and firmly held her body down. If it¡¯s just about physical strength, she was stronger, but all the shocks trying to push me away were being returned by [Reflector], so the more she struggled, the more her body got hurt by the intense reflection. Furthermore, in truth, if she pushed me slowly enough that no shock came out, she would probably be able to push me off and escape, but I doubt she¡¯d notice that. ¡°Well, sorry, but I need you to sleep, okay? I won¡¯t do anything bad.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mess with me! Strong guys, perverted guys! What do you intend to do to me!? Men are perverts! Men are the worst!¡± ¡°Huh, are those values valid here too? No, I really won¡¯t do anything, just confining you until you become a bit more honest¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t become as men wish! I won¡¯t lose! I won¡¯t submit to perverted men! Someone¡­ mmmph!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t shout! This will be over soon!¡± I press the cloth soaked with the drug liquid firmly against Donatella¡¯s mouth. Because I¡¯ve lost one arm holding her body down, Donatella¡¯s resistance has increased, but her breathing has become heavier, causing her to inhale more and more of the drug. ¡°Uh¡­ mmh¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°See, it¡¯ll be over soon, so just stay calm.¡± I speak in such a voice to Donatella, who is resisting desperately and glaring at me. Hmm, this situation certainly makes me look like the villain. But this is the most peaceful way, and after Donatella faints, I¡¯ll just carry her out¡­!? ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± ¡°Guo!?¡± Suddenly, my body was blown away by a strong shock. While tumbling on the floor, I quickly regained my posture and looked up¡­ ¡°Doing such a despicable thing to a frail girl! Men really are the worst!¡± ¡°Tia¡­!?¡± There was Tia, pointing the tip of her shimmering silver sword at me, glaring this way. CH 220 ¡°Tia¡­ As expected, you came.¡± ¡°Of course I did! You thought I¡¯d let you get away with such a perverted act, rendering a weak girl unconscious with a suspicious potion and then doing as you please?¡± ¡°Ugh!?¡± Tia¡¯s sharp words carve deeply into my chest. I expected her to show up, but her attack was a little unexpected. ¡°¡­ I won¡¯t make excuses. I am indeed here as an assassin to attack Donatella. So, what are you going to do about it?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll stop you!¡± Tia¡¯s rapier thrusted at me two, three times. But there was no way it could break through my banishment Skill, [Invincible]¡­!? ¡°Ouch!? Wait, stop!?¡± ¡°Here, here, here! Let¡¯s keep going!¡± ¡°Ouch!? It hurts!? Seriously, it hurts!? Damn it!¡± With the intense pain coursing through my body, I instinctively drew the sword at my waist and swung it widely. I held back, but even taking that into account, Tia easily dodged my sword attack and stood in front of Donatella with a relaxed smile. ¡°Hmm, what do you think? It¡¯s a fitting punishment for a rude man, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°What does that mean? How did you break through my [Invincible]?¡± ¡°Oh, are you asking me that now? Weren¡¯t you blown away by my kick earlier?.¡± ¡°What!?¡± Upon being told this, I realized I was moved from atop Donatella by Tia¡¯s blow. But even then, I was defending myself with my banishment skill, so in theory, I shouldn¡¯t have lost my balance no matter what kind of attack I received. ¡°It was nullified¡­!? Why, how!?¡± Seeing me visibly panic, Tia grinned confidently. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell you. Remember, I still had abilities I hadn¡¯t told you about, Ed. Among them, there was one.¡± With Tia¡¯s smile as she swings her sword, I feel an indescribable force. Normally it would be reassuring, but right now, it¡¯s truly terrifying. ¡°[Sit Down and Listen to Judgment]¡­ It¡¯s an ability that allows me to convey pain and impact over your banishment Skill, an ability I gained in order to fight you on equal terms!¡± ¡°That¡¯s so unfair!?¡± Who would have thought she¡¯d acquire an ability specifically against me? What kind of harassment is that!? Well, most of the abilities Tia had acquired so far could only be used against me, so it¡¯s the same in that sense! ¡°Wait! Tia! We can talk! Understand!¡± ¡°Hey! Hit it right!¡± Desperately dodging Tia¡¯s rapid thrusts, I contorted my body. Thankfully, as a pure swordsman, Tia¡¯s skills weren¡¯t that great, so avoiding her wasn¡¯t a problem. Moreover, this made another thing clear. ¡°You¡¯re not using magic, Tia. You can¡¯t use spirit magic right now, can you?¡± ¡°What!? Of course I can! I¡¯m an elf, you know!?¡± ¡°Hah, just because you¡¯re an elf doesn¡¯t mean you can always communicate with spirits. I know that much.¡± Spirit magic was a type of magic that communicated one¡¯s intentions to spirits to cause natural phenomena. Unlike the theory-based magic that completes within oneself, it required communicating the caster¡¯s intentions to the spirits. But when you¡¯re under mental control, another being¡¯s intentions mix with the caster¡¯s. This results in the spirits not being able to understand the intentions properly, making it remarkably difficult to use spirit magic¡­or so it seems. Of course, I can¡¯t use spirit magic, so this is just what I heard¡­ ¡°And it was you who told me that!¡± ¡°Ugh! Stop dodging! Donatella, you can¡¯t just stand there, fight with me!¡± Tia, frustrated by her unsuccessful attacks, called Donatella to join in. Donatella, who seemed to have somewhat recovered from the effects of the potion, stood up and clenched her fists, but there was a look of uncertainty on her face. ¡°But I¡¯m not like the Hero Lunaritia. I couldn¡¯t beat this man earlier. I can tell by his movements now. I can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you don¡¯t know how to use your power! Listen carefully to what I¡¯m about to say.¡± As Tia stood protectively in front of a worried Donatella, she thrusted her sword at me and declared, ¡°Hero Donatella! This man is the chief of the Demon King you must defeat!¡± ¡°Wait! What!?¡± ¡°The Demon King? This man is¡­the enemy I must defeat¡­!?¡± The color in Donatella¡¯s eyes changed dramatically to gold as she looked at me. At the same time, a golden aura rose from her whole body, and a loud alarm bell rang in my mind. This is bad. Really bad. Even a grazing blow¡­ ¡°Take this!¡± ¡°Whoa!?¡± I dodged Donatella¡¯s fist, which approached with a roaring sound, in an exaggerated manner. The power of a Hero was highly effective against me, the Demon King. At least in this world, even if I regained all my power, a Hero¡¯s attack could reach me. Of course, if I regained my power, it doesn¡¯t matter much if I suffer a little in a single world, but right now, I¡¯m maintaining a human vessel and have only collected five fragments of power. Fighting a Hero in this state is quite unfavorable. ¡°Whoa!? Ugh! Close call!? Whoa!?¡± ¡°Coward, stop dodging!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Ed! You should also take Donatella¡¯s attacks, not just mine!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous!¡± Facing the attacks of the two, I devoted myself only to dodging Donatella¡¯s attacks, and reluctantly accepted Tia¡¯s attacks. Pain ran through my whole body, but I resigned myself to it under these circumstances. (Damn, this is harder than I thought!?) Originally, even with Tia¡¯s reinforcements, things should have been easy. After all, they couldn¡¯t attack me, and their attacks wouldn¡¯t affect me at all. In that case, it would have been a stalemate, which would have been the best situation for buying time. But when all¡¯s said and done, only the attacks of the two could affect me, and I can¡¯t retaliate. A complaint arises from the bottom of my gut about why this is happening, but there¡¯s no point in directing it at my past self. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You¡¯re just avoiding! You¡¯re weak! You¡¯re feeble!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it okay to retaliate a little bit? Or maybe Ed likes being attacked one-sidedly? Wow¡­¡± ¡°No way that¡¯s true!¡± I shouted back at Tia, who was making a disgusted face. But no matter how much I am provoked, I can¡¯t retaliate. If I just wanted to win, I could still win from here. If I cut off one of their legs, I win at that point. However, since missing limbs can¡¯t be fully healed with the potions I have, I can¡¯t use that tactic, and I don¡¯t feel like using it anyway. On the other hand, retaliating halfway was tricky because the opponent was uncomfortably strong. A non-lethal threatening strike could leave me vulnerable to a fatal blow. That¡¯s why I endure. If that¡¯s my role, then I¡¯ll endure and endure and keep enduring¡­and finally, a loud noise echoes from outside the building. ¡°What was that noise just now?¡± ¡°What happened!? And why isn¡¯t anyone coming to help!?¡± ¡°Hahh, hahh, hahh, sorry, you two.¡± Even though I haven¡¯t shed a drop of blood, I¡¯m still battered and bruised. I grin at the two of them. The next moment, an arm extends from behind the two who were focused on me, and a piece of cloth soaked with the familiar potion is pressed against their mouths. ¡°Mmph!?¡± ¡°Be quiet!¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t struggle!¡± They tried to resist immediately, but I stopped them with a light tap. Meanwhile, they continue to inhale the potion¡­and soon, their bodies go limp. ¡°Are you okay, Ed?¡± ¡°Yeah, somehow. How about over there?¡± ¡°Gahahaha! No problem! Everything went well!¡± ¡°I see. Then¡­it¡¯s our complete victory!¡± The hands I extended were met by Hamokin and Gargado, and the sound of victory echoed throughout the village. CH 221 ¡°Umm¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, awake, are you?¡± As she stirred in her sleep with a cute voice, I, who was sitting beside her and watching, spoke up, causing her eyes to shoot open. ¡°Good morning, Ojou-san. How are you this morning?¡± ¡°Huh!? What are you talking about! With such a filthy man¡­a man¡­eh? Why am I¡­ Ed?¡± ¡°¡­Phew, it seems like you¡¯re alright.¡± According to Hamokin¡¯s experiment, it would take approximately one week for the women to be rid of Donatella¡¯s influence. However, I believed that it would be faster for Tia due to her much stronger mental power and the fact that she was under Donatella¡¯s influence for a shorter period. That prediction was spot on. ¡°Having said that, it¡¯s remarkable to see you recover overnight. Should I say, as expected of Tia?¡± ¡°Stop it! There¡¯s nothing remarkable about it! Ugh, why did I do something like that¡­¡± As I tease her a little, Tia¡¯s face turns beet red. Her ears were turning red too, a sure sign that she was genuinely embarrassed. ¡°Humph!¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t thrash about. I¡¯m untying you now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Considering what happened when the mind control was still active, Tia¡¯s limbs were tied to the four corners of the bed. But the restraint was not that tight, it just kept her from lunging at me unexpectedly. She could still easily roll over. Even though she could untie herself once she¡¯s calm, Tia, who had become completely like a boiled elf, doesn¡¯t seem to have the leisure to do so. So, I untie the ropes wrapped around her wrists and ankles gently. Once released, Tia sits up on the bed. ¡°Let¡¯s begin by understanding the situation. Do you know where you are?¡± ¡°This is¡­ Donatella¡¯s bedroom, right?¡± After looking around, Tia gives her answer. Well, it¡¯s impossible for her to be wrong. According to the story, she¡¯s been sleeping here ever since we arrived in this world. ¡°Correct. Do you remember what happened last night? How much do you remember?¡± ¡°Um¡­Ed attacked Donatella, and I intervened to help¡­I kept poking at Ed, and then suddenly I was made to sniff some weird medicine¡­¡± ¡°¡­Y-Yeah, that¡¯s correct.¡± When I heard her explain, it indeed sounded like we were the definite criminals. No, that¡¯s not it. What we did was an unavoidable act of justice, a legal action based on exceptional measures¡­I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s an organization that enforces law in this jungle. ¡°Huh? So what happened to Donatella? Don¡¯t tell me you¡­killed her?¡± ¡°No way! Donatella is a hero, and the women in this village are family to Hamokin and the men. Well, I guess I should explain that.¡± Seeing Tia¡¯s inquisitive attitude, I briefly explained what happened yesterday. Yesterday¡¯s plan involved Hamokin and the others taking the village women while I fought against Donatella and Tia. If I had lost to Donatella at this time, I would have had to wait for the huge task of carrying out the village women one by one, but I won¡­or rather, I managed to incapacitate Donatella by enduring until the surprise attack by Hamokin and Gargado was successful, and by isolating Donatella outside the village, in the cave that Hamokin and the others were using, I was able to get the village women out of the influence of her power. ¡°So, that¡¯s why Donatella is in a cell we made in a cave a little bit away from here. She¡¯s pretty much restrained unlike Tia, but there¡¯s not much we can do about that.¡± Donatella¡¯s strength was real. No, she might not have been that strong if she wasn¡¯t against me, the Demon King, but even so, she¡¯s not someone to be taken lightly if you¡¯re fighting her without a surprise attack. As for Donatella¡¯s own mind control, I don¡¯t know what to do about it for now. So even though she¡¯s not bad, I have no choice but to restrain her. ¡°Hmm, I wish I could do something for her, but I really don¡¯t know what to do.¡± ¡°Right? We¡¯ll think about how to deal with it later, for now we¡¯re just dealing with the village women.¡± ¡°? Don¡¯t they go back to normal once Donatella is away?¡± ¡°It does, but it takes time. There are men like family members and friends for each woman, and in a one-on-one situation, men won¡¯t lose, so I think it¡¯s okay, but can you talk to them too? If Tia, who has been living with them as the same sex for a while, speaks to them, they¡¯ll probably listen more than the men.¡± ¡°Understood. Should I go right away?¡± ¡°No, before that, let me confirm a few more things.¡± I stopped Tia, who was about to rise from the bed, with my hand. Taking care of the village women is important, but the priority is to figure out Donatella¡¯s power. ¡°What I wanted to confirm is, do you remember the time when you were under the influence of Donatella¡¯s power?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I remember everything.¡± ¡°So, what was it like during that time?¡± ¡°That was¡­ hmm, what was it? Rather than saying my mind was controlled, it felt like an absolute value was being instilled in me? The thought that men are terrible beings who betray and belittle women with their foolish desires was there in me as soon as I woke up in the morning, as unquestionable as the fact that when morning comes, night breaks and the sun rises. So I don¡¯t think it was about being controlled. I think all the women in this village had a common understanding that ¡°men are terrible beings¡±, but there were people who thought ¡°so we¡¯ll defeat them¡± and people who thought ¡°so we¡¯ll stay away from them¡±. In my case, because I had the power to fight and because I was called a hero by Donatella and relied on, I moved in the direction of eliminating men¡­ Ed while also guarding her.¡± ¡°I see, so it¡¯s more about being coerced to dislike men, not necessarily moving to eliminate them.¡± This is quite valuable information. If their actions were made identical to Donatella¡¯s and the women of the village were united in seeking the elimination of men, depending on the situation, it could have led to a real fight to the death¡­ oh, that¡¯s scary. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s about it. Now let¡¯s exchange information between us¡ª¡° ¡°Wait. I won¡¯t ask for information from you.¡± ¡°Hm? Why?¡± ¡°Because if I get close to Donatella again, I¡¯ll betray you even though I know it, right? If that happens, there¡¯s no way to keep the information secret, but if I don¡¯t know anything in the first place, I can¡¯t tell anything, right?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, but¡­ is that okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. This time, I was just dragging you down.¡± In response to my question, Tia gives a self-mocking smile. Her somewhat downcast expression clearly blames herself for falling into the enemy¡¯s trap¡­ that¡¯s why I pinch Tia¡¯s cheek. ¡°Hyo!? What are you doing!?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re unnecessarily beating yourself up. This time it was just an unavoidable first-kill, there was nothing wrong with you, Tia. So it¡¯s a mistake for you to worry and be depressed!¡± ¡°Muuu, but¡­¡± ¡°But nothing. Don¡¯t forget, Tia, there¡¯s no word like ¡°betray¡± between us. I won¡¯t do anything like that to you, and if there¡¯s ever a time when you seriously point your sword at me¡­¡± ¡°Yuehh¡­?¡± Tia, whose cheek was being squished, looks straight at me with her jade eyes. Caught by that tender glow, I inadvertently let out a smile. ¡°At that time, I¡¯ll happily let myself be killed. If you say you have to kill me, it¡¯s definitely because I did something wrong.¡± ¡°Zat¡¯s No Ho!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? Well, yeah, it¡¯s all about the situation at the time. But I can make mistakes all the time. I would never think that I am a perfect being, no matter how hard I try.¡± If I were really such an entity, there would be absolutely no need for me to make an erotic doll to deal with Gargado. That imperfection is the proof that I am me¡­ that¡¯s why I¡¯m always prone to mistakes. ¡°But, I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t die. Not even a god can completely obliterate me. The only one who can end me is always myself. So¡­¡± I let go of Tia¡¯s cheek with my right hand and instead gently grab her left hand and press it against my chest. My heartbeat then transmits to my hand through Tia¡¯s palm, throbbing steadily. ¡°If you come to genuinely believe it¡¯s better for me to be gone, and if you are driven into a situation where you must kill me¡­ I will end myself then. I¡¯ll give you the only authority over my life and death in the world, one that even God does not possess¡­ at that time, please live carrying the responsibility of ending me.¡± ¡°¡­Baka.¡± Tia¡¯s right hand took my left, and pressed it against her chest. The quiet rhythm of life pulsed through to my palm. ¡°Do you think I¡¯d let you go alone? If that time ever comes¡­ I¡¯ll go with you. Ah, don¡¯t try to change my mind! This is my own will, so even you can¡¯t bend it!¡± The gaze coming straight from Tia did not waver for a moment. My face reflected in her jade eyes was letting out a wry smile, as if I can¡¯t help it. ¡°Ha¡­ sorry for pressing something heavy on you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. I cherish that weight.¡± Feeling each other¡¯s pulse, we both let out somewhat exasperated smiles. What was exchanged in our time together after a long while was a silence more eloquent than words. CH 222 Afterwards, while having a light chat, I finished exchanging information with Tia, and next I headed towards that cave where Donatella was being held captive. The place where I had been living to hide from women was, naturally, in a hard-to-find location. Under normal circumstances, it would not be a place I, without any knowledge of the land, could reach, but I have the banishment skill [Akashic Compass] so there¡¯s no problem. ¡°¡­¡­¡­..Hmm?¡± As I arrived in front of the cave listening to the cacophony of birds¡¯ cries, it was eerily quiet. Thinking that Donatella would be shouting at the top of her lungs, I stepped into the cave with increased caution. There was a cell built like the one I had been confined in, and Donatella was sitting quietly inside. ¡°Ed? What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Ah, I just wanted to talk to Donatella. I¡¯ll take over the watch, so go and eat.¡± ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll leave it to you, then.¡± After exchanging such a conversation with the man who had been on guard, he left the cave, passing by me. After making sure that he was gone, I settled myself down in front of the cell where Donatella was. ¡°How are you doing, Donatella?¡± ¡°¡­Do I look fine to you?¡± Despite Donatella¡¯s sharp glare, I just smiled without flinching. ¡°Yeah, you look fine, right? You weren¡¯t harmed or anything, right?¡± ¡°I was made to smell a drug and locked in a cell. You think that¡¯s not being harmed?¡± ¡°I was also summoned forcefully by someone somewhere and shoved into a cell without any explanation, so isn¡¯t that ¡°not being harmed¡± by comparison?¡± ¡°¡­Tch.¡± Donatella turned her face away in displeasure at my joking words. But that¡¯s all. She was confined, but she wasn¡¯t restrained any further, probably because Donatella didn¡¯t violently resist. I have no way of knowing why she¡¯s being quiet, but¡­ If this is the case, it seems like we¡¯ll be able to communicate more smoothly than I expected, and for me, it¡¯s a happy miscalculation. ¡°Hey Donatella, if you¡¯re this calm, we can talk, right? So why did you unconditionally expel all the men from the village? You could have at least explained the reason.¡± ¡°¡­The black star.¡± Donatella quietly opened her mouth in response to my question. There seemed to be some kind of shame in her downcast eyes. ¡°Ten years ago, a black star fell to the east of the forest. From it wafted a black miasma, and anyone who touched it gave birth to a black demon that began to attack the village.¡± ¡°I see. Hamokin told me about that.¡± ¡°The men fought the black demon to protect the village. The women supported those men. I was one of them. We thought it was a woman¡¯s pride to support the men and protect the village. But that was not the case! Five years ago, a shining star told me the truth!¡± ¡°¡­The truth?¡± The truth taught by something incomprehensible falling from the sky sounds extremely suspicious¡­ Donatella looks at me, her eyes full of passion, as I unconsciously grimace. ¡°That¡¯s right! The truth! The truth about the men! The black star had the form of a woman! Her chest was bouncy, her hips were firm! All the men were transfixed by her, they couldn¡¯t fight the black star! What we were cheering on was just a pervert! Men are the worst! Men are weak! Men are harmful! Men are useless!¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± The black star is supposed to be the Demon King of this world, huh? So, it¡¯s a woman? And attracting men¡¯s gazes means it¡¯s in human form? Well, if there¡¯s a thing like John, it¡¯s not strange to have a female Demon King¡­ But, what is it? I have mixed feelings about whether I want to see it or not. ¡°Anyway, so you¡¯re saying that the reason you drove out the men was¡­?¡± ¡°The men were useless, too infatuated with the black star! They were more of a hindrance! That¡¯s why I decided to drive out the men and try to defeat the black star with women alone. To that end, I performed the hero summoning ritual that the shining star taught me on that day¡­ And the ones who came were Lunaritia and you.¡± ¡°I see, I see, so that¡¯s how it connects¡­¡± Forgetting for a moment about Donatella¡¯s gaze that kept glaring at me, I started to think while looking at my own right hand. The white something that¡¯s still resisting inside me¡­ The shining star that resides in Donatella, at this point, is almost certainly a force or will of a god. After all, it is supposed to be God¡¯s power that is sending me to other worlds. Of course, there is also the possibility that someone else is interfering, but rather than thinking that there are so many transcendent beings crowded here, it¡¯s more reasonable to think that God has started to interfere more actively with the world than before. In that case, there are two things that concern me. One of them, I can ask Hamokin directly later¡­ ¡°Hey Donatella, give me your hand.¡± ¡°¡­No. You¡¯re planning to do something dirty to me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not! Why would you think that?!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been looking over my body since a while ago! Your gaze is dripping with lust, it couldn¡¯t be any more obscene!¡± ¡°Ugh!? No, I was looking at you, but not like that!¡± I was looking at Donatella because I was curious about where this shining star is dwelling in her body. There is no other meaning to it. ¡°Come on, just give me your hand!¡± ¡°No way! Are you going to force yourself on me again!? Men are the worst! Men are the worst! No matter how much you try to defile me, I will not lose my pride!¡± ¡°Hey Ed, Donatella is one of us. Don¡¯t be too harsh¡­¡± Donatella started screaming loudly, and the man who had heard the commotion returned and sent a disapproving glance in my direction. With that, I raised my voice to deny the accusation. ¡°No way! I said that¡¯s not it! There¡¯s just something I¡¯m curious about¡­ So come on, you take Donatella¡¯s hand and stretch it out to me.¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Are you two teaming up!? Planning to lust over my body together!? Men are the worst! Among them, you are the worst of the worst!¡± "" ¡°¡­¡­¡­.. Alright. That¡¯s enough.¡± In response to Donatella backing away inside her cell, I gave a large sigh and backed off¡­ but it was just a bluff. For just a moment, I activated [Hermes Dash]. With speed that doesn¡¯t even register in the eye, I circled to the side of the cell, reached in, and forcefully grabbed Donatella¡¯s hand. ¡°Ahg!? When did you¡­!?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± ¡°What are you trying to do!? Disgusting! Let go!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Damn it, if it¡¯s come to this¡­!¡± ¡°¡­Alright, that¡¯s enough.¡± Just as a faint golden light began to rise from the enraged Donatella, I hurriedly let go of her hand. Donatella crouched down, clutching the hand I had been holding to her chest, while the guard who had been watching the whole time gave me a suspicious look. ¡°Hey Ed, what did you just do?¡± ¡°Well, I thought I could somehow deal with the cause of Donatella¡¯s strange behavior¡­ the shining star? But¡­ it didn¡¯t work out.¡± ¡°So, is that it?¡± ¡°Yeah. Sorry, if it had gone well, most of the problems would have been solved¡­¡± ¡°No, it can¡¯t be helped. Everyone knows Donatella has changed. But no one knows how to change her back.¡± In reality, when I focused my consciousness while actually touching her hand, I couldn¡¯t sense the shining star supposed to be inside Donatella. I tried sending the white something inside me towards it, or tried to see if I could pull it out, but no response at all made it impossible to do anything. Could it be that, surprisingly, my entire assumption is wrong, and the white something and the shining star are completely different powers? Ugh, I don¡¯t know. It would be nice if I could have Tia investigate, but if Tia gets close, she might be affected by mental manipulation again¡­ I¡¯m seriously stuck. (Ugh, what should I do¡­) Even if I can¡¯t cure Donatella, it¡¯s not a major problem for achieving my regular goals¡­ namely, defeating the Demon King and returning to the . But, for the big goal I¡¯ve newly set, guiding all worlds to the best outcome, Donatella¡¯s treatment or detoxification was essential. (I understand that God is interfering with me, the Demon King, but at least save people.) I internally cursed at such an inflexible existence. CH 223 Afterwards, for about a month, we tried various things to somehow restore Donatella. After about two weeks, the village had calmed down, and Hamokin and Gargado helped as well, but¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Suddenly, Gargado put a doll into the cage where Donatella was held captive. Then, Donatella glanced at it with a look of disgust, and immediately kicked the doll away with her foot. ¡°Ah!? Donatella, what are you doing!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line. Gargado, what are you thinking?¡± ¡°Looking at erotic things, makes the heart kind! So, I made this for you with all my effort!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care! I won¡¯t become kind by looking at such a thing! Men are the worst! Men are vulgar!¡± ¡°Guh¡­¡± At Donatella¡¯s uncompromising attitude, Gargado showed a frustrated expression. The doll that was kicked away was not the usual female type, but a semi-nude figure of a man with the most muscular body in the village, which Gargado had desperately created for this day. ¡°Why, why can¡¯t she understand this eroticism¡­ I really don¡¯t understand what women find erotic¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be discouraged. Everyone knows that you worked hard. Isn¡¯t that right, Ed?¡± ¡°Eh!? Ah, yeah, that¡¯s right. I definitely think he put in a lot of effort.¡± ¡°Hamokin, Ed¡­ okay, I will try harder! I will make another erotic doll that will resonate with Donatella¡¯s heart!¡± ¡°Keep going Gargado! I¡¯m cheering for you!¡± ¡°Ou!¡± Encouraged by Hamokin, Gargado left the cave. I admire his effort, but I wish he would change his approach a bit¡­ Well, I won¡¯t say it. We really don¡¯t know what will work. ¡°Really, men are truly incomprehensible. Why do they think that everything can be solved with eroticness?¡± ¡°Hahaha, most men¡¯s problems can be solved with something erotic. It motivates us. It resolves conflicts. Erotic things are wonderful.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Saying that, Hamokin also put a small jar into Donatella¡¯s cage. There were freshly picked flowers in it, and although Donatella snorted in dissatisfaction, she didn¡¯t kick the jar. ¡°Hamokin, you bring this every morning. What¡¯s your intention?¡± ¡°The cave is lonely, there¡¯s no view. But we can¡¯t let you go outside. Men would like something erotic, but you said that you do not like that. So I chose flowers¡­ Are they also not to your liking?¡± ¡°¡­If it¡¯s flowers, well, they¡¯re not bad. But that doesn¡¯t change the fact that men are the worst.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ right, Donatella?¡± ¡°What?¡± Donatella answered to Hamokin, who asked in a quiet voice. ¡°If you truly hate men, Donatella, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. But if you¡¯ve changed because of the shining star, then that¡¯s not really your heart. I¡¯m sure I can return you back to normal.¡± ¡°You¡¯re overstepping your bounds! I¡¯ve changed! But I didn¡¯t change myself! I¡¯ve seen the truth about men! That¡¯s why I hate men! Men are the worst!¡± ¡°¡­Is liking erotic things that bad? It increases the number of children and prospers the village. I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s wrong with it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.Hmph!¡± Hamokin¡¯s expression darkened, but Donatella turned her face away without giving a clear answer. Watching their exchange from a distance, I started to think. Hmm, if we could somehow bridge the gap between the two of them, it feels like the problem could be solved nicely¡­ Unfortunately, I can¡¯t think of any way to do that. If it were Tia, she¡¯d handle this situation better, but we can¡¯t let any woman near Donatella¡­ I really don¡¯t know what to do. ¡°It¡¯s terrible!¡± Suddenly, a loud voice echoed from the entrance of the cave. When I turned to look, a familiar man was standing there, out of breath. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong? Calm down¡­ Do you want some water?¡± ¡°N-no, I¡¯m fine. But it¡¯s urgent, Hamokin, Ed, it¡¯s terrible! The village is being attacked by black demons!¡± ¡°¡±What!?¡±¡± Unexpectedly, everyone present exclaimed in unison. Donatella gripped the cage tightly, and Hamokin rushed over here in a panic. ¡°Black demon attacks are usual. But is there something different this time?¡± ¡°It¡¯s different! There are more than 100 black demons! We can¡¯t possibly defend against them!¡± ¡°What!?¡± Hearing the number of attackers, Hamokin let out a voice of astonishment. It¡¯s routine to deal with two or three attackers, but this is the first time I know of more than 100 attacking. The village only had a simple barrier to keep beasts out, so if attacked by that many, they¡¯ll be inside in no time. ¡°Hamokin, I¡¯m going to head to the village¡¯s defense immediately. You should¨C¡° ¡°Take me with you!!¡± As if to interrupt my words, Donatella¡¯s shriek echoed throughout the cave. The material of the cell she was gripping tightly is creaking and warping, as if it was about to burst open at any moment. ¡°Donatella!? What are you saying!?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t leave the village defense to men! I can fight the black demons! Let me out of here right now! I¡¯ll protect the village!¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± While Hamokin voiced his doubts, I bluntly said so to Donatella. Surely Donatella was strong, and the attacking black demons were beings that had received the power of this world¡¯s Demon King¡­ And Donatella was a hero, she could potentially unleash overwhelming power like when she confronted me and defend the village. But even so, we couldn¡¯t let Donatella out. ¡°Ed!? Are you going to get in my way!¡± ¡°Of course. If we let you out and took you to the village, all the women including Tia would be affected by your mind control again, right? Even if you became a bit of a combat force, we couldn¡¯t take someone like that out.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that! Women can fight instead of weak men! Women who aren¡¯t swayed by lust are the strongest! You guys are just jealous of women! You¡¯re weak!¡± ¡°Haa¡­ at this point, where you can only say things like that, there¡¯s no option to take you with us. Just wait there quietly. Hamokin, I¡¯m going, so take care of Donatella.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Understood.¡± ¡°EDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!¡± With a vengeful roar behind me, I bolted out of the cave and started running towards the village. If I were moving normally, it would be quite a distance, but with the [Hermes Dash] it was a piece of cake. ¡°Whoa!? This is bad.¡± What came into view was the fences being broken in several places and the state of disorder inside the village. I ran up to there and decapitated a boar-like creature shrouded in black mist with a single blow. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Ed! You saved us. But there are still a lot of black demons! We need your help elsewhere!¡± ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll handle the ones inside, so I¡¯m counting on you to keep any more from coming in.¡± ¡°Leave it to me!¡± Without waiting for his answer, I ran towards the next prey. Not only beasts, but humans were also mixed in among the black demons, so for them, I was just trying to knock them out, no killing. I wasn¡¯t being merciful. I had been asked to help as much as possible because they were just being manipulated by the black mist, and I hit them hard on the head, so if they were unlucky, they could die¡­ In that sense, it was almost as much trouble as killing them, but I just left the possibility of survival. ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± ¡°And, next is over there!¡± Screams were heard from all over the village. There also seemed to be a small fire, and thin smoke was rising from some places. It was very busy¡­ but unlike a little while ago, I now had a reliable partner. ¡°Leave the fire to me! Ed, please help that woman over there!¡± ¡°Roger!¡± She wasn¡¯t nearby. But her voice in the gentle breeze that reached my ears clearly, I grinned and kicked the ground hard. CH 224 Third Person POV After Ed dashed off towards the village, Hamokin and Donatella shared an uneasy atmosphere within the cave. Donatella, restless, spoke from inside her cell to the fidgeting Hamokin. ¡°Hey, Hamokin, let me out! I¡¯m going to fight!¡± ¡°No. If you go, it¡¯ll be troublesome for everyone.¡± ¡°What¡¯s troublesome! What can an outsider do alone!? If I went, all the women in the village would fight! Men are the worst, but the black demon is even worse! If the women fight, our forces will double! We can easily defeat that black demon!¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± ¡°Why!? Are you that afraid of women!?¡± Despite Donatella¡¯s pressing words, Hamokin slowly shook his head with a slightly sad expression. ¡°No. You are certainly strong. But the women other than you, they¡¯re not strong. They can¡¯t defeat the black demon.¡± ¡°Huh! Stop talking nonsense! We¡¯ve been fighting and defeating the black demon every day! Men really are liars! Men are the worst!¡± Even after driving the men out, a few black demons attacked the village daily. But these were being defeated every day by the women who wanted to fight, and that¡¯s why Donatella didn¡¯t feel so threatened by the black demon. But Hamokin knew the truth hidden in this situation. Therefore, he could never agree to her wish¡­ But that didn¡¯t mean she would back down. ¡°The women of the village, they¡¯re my family. Not fighting when my family is being attacked, that¡¯s unthinkable!¡± ¡°¡­I understand your feelings. But if you go, it will only cause confusion. If that happens, we won¡¯t be able to win even a winnable battle. Leave it to us for now.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t trust you! I can¡¯t entrust my precious family to useless men!¡± Inside Donatella¡¯s head, a white star continued to whisper, intensifying her distrust of men and keeping her from believing. (What do I do? What should I do? How can I go help my family? Should I break the cell and¡­ Hamokin¡­!?) A thought flashed through her mind, causing the edges of Donatella¡¯s vision to turn white. But immediately shaking her head hard, Donatella dismissed the thought. (No! Men are the worst, I can¡¯t trust them. But men are not the enemy. It¡¯s wrong to hurt them¡­ Ugh, what should I do¡­) Caught between various emotions of what she wanted to do, what she could do, and what she must not do, Donatella kept worrying, gnashing her teeth, and scratching her head in frustration, stomping her feet¡­ Then suddenly, a new thought came to her. ¡°¡­That¡¯s right. Hey, Hamokin, if I go to the village to fight, and that changes the women, that¡¯s not good. Right?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°So, I¡¯ll fight without going to the village. What do you think about that?¡± ¡°? Donatella, what are you¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to defeat the black star.¡± ¡°!?¡± At Donatella¡¯s words, Hamokin wore a shocked expression. But seeing this as a sign of weakness, Donatella smirked. ¡°There are many black demons in the village. So, there should be no black demons around the black star. Now I can surely defeat the black star!¡± ¡°Are you out of your mind!? The black star isn¡¯t that easy! It¡¯s even hard for us to approach it!¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re a man, Hamokin! Men, transfixed by the black star¡¯s breasts and buttocks! That¡¯s why you can ¡®t fight! Men are weak! Men are the worst! But I¡¯m different. I¡¯m a woman! So it doesn¡¯t matter what form the black star takes!¡± ¡°Uh, that is¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Hamokin was aware that the black star had a powerful allure. That¡¯s why, even though they knew of its existence, they couldn¡¯t recklessly take action. But indeed, it might not work on women. However, whether to let women fight or not is a different matter. It¡¯s obvious that the women of the village are overwhelmingly weaker compared to the male warriors. Even if the allure doesn¡¯t work, a woman who can¡¯t fight has no chance of defeating the black star. But the Donatella in front of him is different. Indeed, it¡¯s possible that Donatella could defeat the black star by breaking through its allure. ¡°Do you understand! If you do, open the cell and let me out! If not, I¡¯ll break out!¡± Donatella gripped the bars of her cell and put her strength into it. Even though the bars were made of sturdy, flexible plant stems, she could break them if she tried her hardest. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­I understand.¡± But before it came to that, Hamokin opened the cell with his own hands. Of course, he didn¡¯t have the authority to do that. If found out, everyone would severely blame him for acting unilaterally. Still, the reason he opened the door was because Hamokin had made up his mind as well. If Donatella was going to run rampant¡­ at the crucial moment, he¡¯d sacrifice himself to stop her. That¡¯s the determination of Hamokin, a man who¡¯s cast aside his status and pride. ¡°However, I¡¯m coming with you. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Hmph, do whatever you want! I won¡¯t wait for you, men! I won¡¯t rely on you! If you don¡¯t get in my way, I¡¯ll leave you alone.¡± ¡°Alright, that¡¯s fine.¡± Without even looking back, Donatella, spear in hand, rushed out of the cave. Hamokin followed her immediately, and they both headed straight for the eastern forest where the black star resided. But¡­ ¡°What!? What¡¯s with all these black demons!?¡± ¡°This is the Eastern Forest. There are more black demons than you can count!¡± Blocking their way were dozens, hundreds of enemies wrapped in black miasma. Human, beast, bird, insect ¨C demons possessed by the miasma swarmed to greet the two. ¡°But, this thing¡­ what!?¡± "" Donatella swung her spear with her usual vigor, but the black demon easily stopped it. Given that she could easily defeat the black demons that appeared in the village with a single swing, a look of surprise flashed across her face. ¡°What are these things!? They¡¯re stronger than the ones that come to the village!?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± At those words, Hamokin said nothing. The men who were expelled from the village had set up refuge points between the village and the black star, voluntarily eliminating the black demons that came to attack the village. So, the only black demons attacking the village, which was now comprised only of women, were those that had been deliberately weakened to maintain ¡°a minimum sense of crisis.¡± Precisely because they could be defeated so easily, the women came to think less of the men, arguing ¡°You were making a big deal about defeating enemies of this level!¡± However, such a trivial matter didn¡¯t bother the men. Everything was for the sake of protecting their comrades, their family. Even if they were loathed and expelled, the men were still proud warriors. ¡°Guuuu! This¡­thing!¡± And Donatella, too, was a hero chosen by the world. Although the enemies in front of her were significantly stronger than the black demons that have been attacking the village, they were by no means invincible to Donatella, who, ever since awakening due to Tia, had been emanating a golden fighting spirit from her body. Therefore, the two warriors continued to push forward through the Eastern Forest, struggling as they went¡­ pushing on. But the further they go, the denser the enemies became, and even though they were winning in terms of power, the battle was gradually deteriorating due to the sheer number of enemies. ¡°¡­Maybe this was impossible after all. I¡¯ll make a path. Donatella, you run away, even if it¡¯s just you.¡± ¡°Hah!? Don¡¯t joke with me! A man letting me escape, that¡¯s impossible! I¡¯ll take care of all these enemies!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t joke around! Donatella, you¡¯re stronger than me! If you¡¯re strong, you can fight again if you go back! Dying here for nothing, that¡¯s not happening!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to die! I won¡¯t give up! Men really are weak! You¡¯re the epitome of a coward, giving up at this level!¡± ¡°Donatella!¡± ¡°Shut up, Hamokin! I will definitely¡­!¡± ¡°Yeah, I won¡¯t let you die here.¡± Suddenly, a violent storm swept through the black demons surrounding the two of them. As they stand dumbfounded, the one who appeared on the scene is¡­ ¡°Geez, why are you doing something so reckless!¡± ¡°Ed!? And, you guys¡­!¡± Leading about twenty men and swinging his sword with a smile, there stood the outsider, Ed. CH 225 ¡°Ed, why are you here!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line! Why are you, Hamokin, in a place like this, and with Donatella no less!?¡± At Hamokin¡¯s surprised words, I retorted just as they were. Well, because I was seriously worried. After the attack on the village settled down and I returned to the cave, neither of them were there, it was beyond unexpected. ¡°I had anticipated that you might still be approaching the village, but I never thought the two of you would go and fight the Demon King¡­ the Black Star, on your own. What were you thinking!?¡± ¡°¡­ There were various circumstances. More importantly, what happened to the village?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all sorted out now. There might still be some left, but if Tia is there, it can be handled somehow.¡± The black demons that had been attacking the village weren¡¯t as strong as they seemed. In my case, however, touching them seemed dangerous, and while it was easy to kill the beasts, I tried not to kill the controlled humans as much as possible, which took a bit of time. That being said, it was just that. The only problem was the overwhelming numbers, but we could compensate with our own numbers. The men who had entered the village now that the women were no longer hostile fought, and with Tia¡¯s assistance, it was enough to turn the tide of the battle. Once the numbers had turned, the rest was just a matter of course. Tia, who could not meet with Donatella anyway, remained in the village as a precaution, and I returned to the cave¡­ only to find no one there, which caused me to panic. I used the [Akashic Compass] and chased after them with the men who had followed me. ¡°Gahaha! Donatella, fighting with Hamokin!? Donatella, have you finally realized the appeal of erotic things?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mess around, Gargado! I¡¯m fighting with a man, but that¡¯s not it! I was just using the weak man!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be shy! Hey you guys, let¡¯s push back the black devil!¡± ¡°¡±¡±Oo!¡±¡±¡± ¡°Tsks, you don¡¯t listen to people! That¡¯s why men are the worst!¡± Ignoring Donatella¡¯s swearing, the warriors begin to swarm the black demons. They were probably in a pinch because they were outnumbered by just the two of them, but as with the village, the story would be different if their numbers increased. ¡°Woa! Die!¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re Tokosuko, right!? Just go to sleep for now!¡± ¡°You¡¯re tonight¡¯s dinner!¡± The beasts shrouded in black miasma were being slaughtered one after another, and the humans shrouded in it were being beaten down. It¡¯s a bit iffy whether they¡¯re really okay since they¡¯re getting their heads bashed in quite crudely, but it can¡¯t be helped in this melee. ¡°How about it, Donatella. Men are strong, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°¡­Hmph! They¡¯re weaker than me.¡± ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s harsh!¡± Hamokin, who had regained his breath, also joined the fight, and Donatella, who seemed unamused and sulky, was somehow punching the black devil with her bare hands¡­ ah, her spear broke? ¡°Hey Donatella, want to use this?¡± ¡°This is¡­!? No, I won¡¯t accept a man¡¯s charity!¡± ¡°Just hold on to it!¡± I forced the short spear that I had taken out from the [Stranger Box] into Donatella¡¯s hands. It¡¯s just a plain steel spear that I crafted as part of my blacksmithing training, but its quality should be far superior to the stone spears used in the village. ¡°Uuuuuu¡­ I don¡¯t owe men anything! I¡¯ll kill all the black devils!¡± After a moment of hesitation, Donatella swung my spear around and quickly cleared the surrounding enemies. Ah, the power of a hero is indeed amazing. While I would be stronger in a regular fight, Donatella clearly excels as a force against the Demon King. In this way, we turned the tables and efficiently eliminated the swarming black devils. However, perhaps because things were going too well, no one suggested a retreat, and before we knew it, the ground was littered with dead beasts and unconscious¡­ presumably unconscious? Men. ¡°Haah, haah, haah¡­ Is it over?¡± ¡°The black demons weren¡¯t a big deal after all! I¡¯m strong! Men are weak!¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re all really strong!¡± ¡°Eh!?¡± Suddenly, an out-of-place, cheerful voice echoed from the depths of the forest. Turning towards the sickeningly sweet voice, there was¡­!? ¡°You¡­ Black Star¡­!?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right! Since you all worked so hard, I decided to come and replenish my forces! Yay!¡± ¡°You¡¯re as flippant as ever¡­ Hey Ed, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Eh!? Oh, no, it¡¯s nothing. So this is¡­¡± The Demon King standing before me indeed had the same face as mine. However, the impression she gave was quite different, perhaps because the structure of her face was feminine, even though the features like eyes and nose were the same. Also, her hair and eye color are different. Both of mine are black, but the Demon King¡¯s are a dark red, like blood. What¡¯s more different is her figure. Her bust and buttocks, tightly wrapped in glossy black skin, were both incredibly large, yet her waist, with the belly button in full view, was slim. There were also shiny black muscles in patterns on her thighs and arms, and all other areas were dazzlingly white. Ah, she¡¯s definitely an attractive woman. I see, so this is what it¡¯s like¡­ ¡°Ugh, Black Star, as erotic as ever¡­¡± ¡°Oh, the big man over there knows what¡¯s up. Come over here, and I¡¯ll make you feel really good~¡± The Demon King placed a hand on her own chest, conspicuously swaying it. Then, the gazes of several men, including Gargado, became fixed on it, and they started to bob their heads up and down in sync with the movement of her chest. ¡°What an erotic display! Damn it, I can¡¯t take my eyes off¡­¡± ¡°But this is nothing! Black Star, today I¡¯ll definitely defeat you¡­!¡± ¡°Oh my~? There are still some kids who haven¡¯t been charmed? Could it be that you prefer this? Look, look!¡± ¡°Guha!?¡± This time, the Demon King thrust out her buttocks, and waved them to and fro. With this, the remaining men, including Hamokin, who had barely resisted, had their gaze stolen, and they began to shake their heads left and right in sync with the movement of her buttocks. ¡°Boing Boing¡­ Purin Purin¡­ erotic, I can¡¯t resist¡­¡± ¡°Kuh, this is why men are useless! Black Star, I¡¯ll defeat you!¡± Ignoring the men who were drawn to the Demon King like sleepwalkers, Donatella rushed towards the Demon King. But standing in her way are¡­ the men who fought with us until just a moment ago. ¡°I won¡¯t let you! Black Star, we won¡¯t let you lay a hand on her!¡± ¡°Gargado!? You¡¯re in my way! Go to sleep!¡± ¡°No way!¡± ¡°What!?¡± Gargado, who stopped Donatella¡¯s spear with his own, pushed Donatella back with his strength. The black miasma that covered him looked considerably denser than the other men¡¯s. ¡°Gargado got stronger!? What¡¯s going on!?¡± ¡°Erotic is powerful! Black Star is incredibly erotic! Feeling her eroticism, I¡¯m at my strongest now! Wooo!!!¡± Gargado roared and attacked the confused Donatella. Along with him, the other men also charged at Donatella at once¡­ ¡°Whoa, hold on there for a moment¡± ¡°Ed!?¡± My [Dawnbreaker] stopped Gargado and the others¡¯ charge. It seems unwise to touch them directly, but there¡¯s no issue with crossing swords. ¡°Whyyyy!? Why doesn¡¯t my sexy & pretty Demon King Last-chan¡¯s charm work on you, Master!? Are you into flat-chests? Oh, by the way, I came up with the name Last. It¡¯s a combination of ¡®end¡¯ and ¡®lust.¡¯ How is it? Cool, right?¡± (T/N: She calls him Goshujin-sama) ¡°I don¡¯t know! And it¡¯s not a matter of preference! Do you get excited looking at your own naked body in the mirror?¡± ¡°Ah, well, I don¡¯t do that. Some people in the world might, but I prefer to be all over someone else! Diversity is important, but group play is also fun!¡± ¡°I seriously don¡¯t care! Can you just shut up for a moment!¡± ¡°I love talking, so I won¡¯t be quiet! Now, I¡¯m going to get a little serious!¡± When Demon King Last licked her lips, her red eyes, different from mine, shone brightly. Then, the miasma surrounding Gargado and the others intensified, their eyes became bloodshot, and their breathing became heavy. ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­¡± "" ¡°Gargado!? Hey, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­ Ed¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Gargado. I¡¯ll definitely bring you back to normal. So¡ª¡° ¡°Ed¡­ you¡¯re actually quite erotic¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Your tightly drawn butt is erotic¡± ¡°The faintly visible abs are erotic¡± ¡°The hollow of your collarbone is super erotic¡± ¡°What are you talking about!? You can¡¯t see my abs or collarbone!?¡± I¡¯m wearing normal clothes and armor, so obviously you can¡¯t see my abs or collarbone. Despite this, Gargado and the others come at me with bloodshot eyes. ¡°Woaaaaah! EDDDDD!¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t come here! Seriously, don¡¯t come here!?¡± I can¡¯t suppress my physiological disgust and I beat away the approaching men one after another with my [Dawnbreaker]. Ugh, the chills!? My spine is crawling¡­ no, it¡¯s different!? ¡°Damn it!?¡± ¡°Did I find an opening, Master?¡± Last appeared silently behind me and licked the nape of my neck. At the same time as this creepy feeling, my consciousness was dragged into Last¡¯s world. CH 226 ¡°Whoa¡­¡± I was abruptly pulled into a pitch-black world, causing me to take a step back on the spot. Though, since this wasn¡¯t a physical world, it¡¯s more a matter of my perception or my feelings, to be more accurate. ¡°Welcome, first customer!¡± And then, the Demon King Last slowly descended from above me. A fluffy descent¡­ or rather, the falling speed was clearly ignoring gravity, but this was her world, so it¡¯s not surprising. ¡°Welcome, master! You¡¯re the first gentleman who has ever inserted into me! Oh, I¡¯m blushing. How do you feel about having your first experience?¡± ¡°Tch, keep talking. It¡¯s true that I let my guard down¡­ but if you think you¡¯ve won, you¡¯re greatly mistaken.¡± Being taken into this place is already an experienced event. What we do in this world is essentially a tug-of-war, and to win, you need to keep pulling with a force that¡¯s just a bit stronger than the opponent¡¯s. It¡¯s a delicate task that requires careful control, so it¡¯s far more difficult than simply cutting with a sword, but even now, I was more than capable¡­ ¡°No, no, I didn¡¯t call you for something as trivial as winning or losing! Besides, isn¡¯t it inevitable that I will eventually become part of you, Master? Oh no, Master will eat all of me¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­What do you mean?¡± Watching Last writhing and squirming brings up an uncomfortable feeling due to the deep-seated awareness that this guy was me. However, what bothered me more was her statement. ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t you want to become the real Demon King in my place?¡± ¡°Of course not! How could an erotic cute girl like me be the Demon King of the End? It doesn¡¯t suit me at all! Although, I might end men¡¯s rationality! Oh, and I might also end up squeezing out all their seed?¡± ¡°Stop it! Then why did you take me into you?¡± While retorting at Last who tried to throw in dirty jokes at any chance, I seriously asked her that. Then, the smile on Last¡¯s face, who had been grinning frivolously, becomes slightly sorrowful. ¡°Well, that¡¯s because¡­ see, there¡¯s nothing in this world, right? No matter where you look, it¡¯s just forest, forest, forest! There are a few villages besides the people Master was with, but the people living there are all pretty much the same. Maybe if I got stronger and could get out of the jungle, there might be a normal civilized country¡­ but you came before that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­? So, what? What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°I was lonely. Despite having such a completed personality, there was no place to make use of it. There weren¡¯t any significant enemies, and the only ones I could ally with were shy boys who were smitten with my charm.I wanted to enjoy more things, like fabulous fashion and delicious sweets! I think I¡¯m allowed at least that much since I¡¯ve come down to this world!¡± ¡°Oh, I see. Well, I guess?¡± ¡°In that sense, how about John-san? He did a great job. Not only did he fit into the world, but he also became an essential existence in the world and even got overlooked by you, Master! It¡¯s so nice, I¡¯m so jealous. I also want Master to overlook me, overlo¡ª¡± ¡°Wait, stop! Don¡¯t say anything more!¡± Feeling something dangerous, I hastily approached Last and forcefully covered her mouth. Then, as Last moved her mouth and¡­ something hot ran over my fingertip, I inadvertently let go of her. ¡°Ew!?¡± ¡°Huh!? Calling a beautiful girl like me licking you ¡®eww¡¯, Master really doesn¡¯t get it. Depending on the location, gold coins would move, you know?¡± ¡°What kind of location! I don¡¯t know!¡± ¡°Really, this is why innocent children are¡­ ah, no, maybe not? You¡¯ve gotten along quite well with that elf girl¨C¡° In the blink of an eye, the [Dawnbreaker] was pulled out and split Demon King Last into two. Of course, it doesn¡¯t mean much here, as Last was immediately restored¡­ ¡°I can¡¯t ignore that insinuation¡­ restrain yourself¡­¡± ¡°Oh dear, it seems like I hit a sensitive spot for Master. My apologies.¡± Seeing me become serious, Last grimaced and hit her own head. Despite showing no remorse, it somehow disarmed my hostility. ¡°Phew¡­ well, whatever. What are you really? What did you want to do?¡± ¡°If I had to say, it¡¯d be to say goodbye.¡± ¡°Goodbye?¡± ¡°Yes. You see, time flows differently here, or rather, consciousness is accelerated, but it seems like it¡¯s almost over. Oh, Donatella-chan¡¯s fist is glowing a lot!¡± ¡°¡­You, did you intend to lose from the start?¡± Surprised, I opened my eyes wide. Last continued to joke around¡­ but she did indeed smile bitterly. ¡°Not exactly, but there wasn¡¯t really a chance to win, to begin with. Remember when Master previously said, ¡®I decide what ends!¡¯ with a smug look? In reality, I neither have the power nor the will to resist that.¡± ¡°Guh!? That is¡­ no, that¡¯s not important right now. More importantly, are you okay with this!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not okay with it, you know? I don¡¯t want to disappear, I want to exist. The ten years since I descended into this world¡­ it might not even be a moment in the long life of a Demon King, but for me, it¡¯s everything. But, well, even though it was short, I did what I wanted to do, and I enjoyed it. So there are¡­ many things I regret, but I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Last, showing a tired and resigned smile like a girl her age, stirreed a strange feeling in me, like a cold wind blowing through my heart. ¡°I see¡­ sorry, but the situation is too different from John¡¯s time. I can¡¯t let you go¡­ but if you want to say goodbye, I¡¯ll listen. Do you have anything else to say?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget.¡± In response to my question, Last looked straight at me and spoke. ¡°Erotically, suspiciously, lewdly! Please remember that a pretty, cute existence named Demon King Last is sleeping within you. Although our time together was shorter than a star¡¯s twinkling in the infinite cosmos¡­ I was certainly here. Please, don¡¯t forget that.¡± ¡°¡­Understood. I will never forget your existence in my lifetime. Well, I wouldn¡¯t be able to forget such a strong presence even if I tried.¡± I casually accepted Last¡¯s earnest wish with a smile. There¡¯s no way I could forget about such a strange Demon King who reigned over this strange world. ¡°Demon King Last. This is your end point. But an end is also about carving unchanging history. Don¡¯t forget, and remember. You are me. In me¡­ you rest.¡± I placed my hand on Last¡¯s head, closed my eyes and concentrated. Then, the power of the Demon King seeped into me without any resistance, and the two separate beings merged into one. ¡°Ahaha! Pierced by Master¡¯s thick and hard will, I¡¯m going!¡± A crack appeared in the black space and a dazzling light poured in. She really was messing around until the end¨C ¨CThank you, Kind Master¡­ ¡°¡­You were messing around until the very end.¡± The world of Demon King Last came to an end, and my consciousness was pulled back to reality. CH 227 Around the time when Ed was conversing with Demon King Last in the spiritual world. ¡°Waaaah!¡± ¡°Tch! Men are really useless!¡± Donatella mercilessly beat down the men who were grabbing onto her like phantoms with her spear. However, the men were tougher than she thought and kept stubbornly clinging to Donatella. ¡°Breasts¡­ b-butt¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t come near! You¡¯re disgusting!¡± Gargado, in particular, was troublesome. His obsession and strength were at least twice as strong as the other men, and he kept getting up without giving up even though he¡¯d been knocked down many times. ¡°You guys are really in the way! I could defeat the black star now!¡± The black star, which appeared behind the outsider man, Ed, as soon as it disappeared in front of her, was immobilized as if it was hugging Ed. It looks like it¡¯s not even conscious from afar, so it¡¯s a perfect opportunity to defeat it. ¡°I¡¯ll defeat it! I¡¯ll defeat it! I¡¯ll definitely defeat it! If I defeat you, everything will end! So stop interfering, men who have fallen to lust!¡± ¡°Ugh!?¡± The power of the hero rose from Donatella, whose irritation had reached its peak, and strongly knocked Gargado¡¯s large body away. Donatella was about to stab her spear into Gargado, who had fallen¡­ ¡°I won¡¯t let you do that!¡± With a grinding sound, Donatella¡¯s spear was deflected. The only man who had not joined the fight until now was standing there. ¡°¡­Hamokin. You¡¯re also getting in my way.¡± Hamokin, who was barely standing, was covered with a black miasma as thick as Gargado¡¯s, and just seeing his figure made a strong disgust rise in Donatella¡¯s mind. ¡°I, I am¡­¡± ¡°Hmph! After all, you¡¯re just a man! Men are worthless! Men are unreliable! We don¡¯t need men who lose to lust!¡± Donatella¡¯s downward swung spear was caught by Hamokin. Then, Hamokin¡¯s modest spear broke, and Donatella¡¯s spear hit his shoulder. ¡°Guh¡­ Donatella¡­¡± But Hamokin held the end of the broken spear in his hand. The sight of him still fighting even after losing his weapon was indeed that of a warrior¡­ that¡¯s why the disappointment that rises in Donatella was sublimated into anger. ¡°Even in such a state, you protect erotic things! Men are the worst! Men are evil!¡± ¡°¡­For me, man, erotic things¡­ I like them¡­ Breasts, butts, taking our eyes away¡­ it¡¯s a man¡¯s instinct¡­ there¡¯s nothing we can do about it¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear such pathetic excuses! Men are weak! Men are the worst!¡± ¡°But¡­!¡± Hamokin raised the broken spear in his hand and swung it down with all his strength. The hard, sharp obsidian tip pierced¡­ Hamokin¡¯s own abdomen. ¡°Huh!? Hamokin, what are you doing!?¡± ¡°Erotic things¡­ are important¡­ but there are more important things¡­ family, comrades, I must protect them¡­ right, you guys!¡± ¡°Ooooooo!!!¡± The fallen men get up, shouting bravely. They raise their shaking hands high, and everyone stabbed their spears into their own bellies. ¡°Are you guys crazy!?¡± ¡°Ha, ha, ha¡­ I love erotic things. I can¡¯t beat erotic things¡­ but, I won¡¯t lose either!¡± ¡°We are warriors! Warriors protect everyone! So¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll protect Donatella¡¯s heart!¡± ¡°Gargado!? And you guys¡­ what are you, what are you saying!?¡± ¡°We couldn¡¯t beat the black star. But there¡¯s no need for Donatella to bear our lives. We can¡¯t interfere anymore¡­ so¡­ Defeat it, Donatella! Defeat the black star and protect the villagers!¡± ¡°Hamokin!¡± All the men fall, bleeding from their bellies. Donatella, who was in turmoil, held Hamokin¡¯s head, who was closest to her, and his trembling hand reached for her cheek. Contact from a disgusting men. But at this moment alone, she doesn¡¯t feel a hint of disgust. ¡°Yeah, Donatella¡­ you¡¯re not very erotic. But¡­ you¡¯re very beautiful¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± In front of Donatella, who was unable to speak, Hamokin¡¯s hand fell flat. Then, a familiar voice echoed in Donatella¡¯s head. [The disgusting men have selfishly died, abandoning their responsibilities. Ah, how selfish, fragile, and weak they are.] ¡°¡­No.¡± [Pitiful men who lost to lust. Spineless weaklings. Losers who couldn¡¯t do anything.¡±] ¡°¡­¡­No!¡± Donatella, who shouted strongly, hit her own head hard. Her vision distorted with a thud, and at the same time, her thoughts split into two just a little. [Men are¨D¨D] ¡°Men were brave. They were prepared to sacrifice themselves for victory.¡± [Even though they¡¯re men¨D¨D] ¡°In addition, they even worried about me. They made sure my hands were not stained with the blood of comrades.¡± [Really, men are¨D¨D] ¡°¡­¡­ Ah, men are really foolish. But¡­they¡¯re neither weak nor cowardly!¡± [Wrong! Men are¨D¨D] ¡°You¡¯re annoying! I don¡¯t need you anymore! I am me! Not you! Disappear!¡± Donatella shoved her finger deep into her own right ear. Then, she violently tore out whatever was caught inside. ¡°Agggggggghhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!¡± An unimaginable intense pain ran through her, and the world instantly began to spin around. The glowing star, which didn¡¯t have a physical existence, could not be removed just because she tore out her semicircular canals. But such determination and resolve, with the power of the hero, pushed out the interfering foreign object into Donatella¡¯s blood-soaked right fist. [Why do you reject? Why do you resist? I am you, your power! To create a superior peaceful world where men are eliminated and women stand at the peak¨D¨D] "" ¡°I don¡¯t need such a thing! Ah, that¡¯s right. I finally¡­finally remembered¡­¡­¡± Donatella stumbled many times in a flat plain, but she approached the still unmoving black star. From the tip of her golden glowing fist, muddy white seemed about to burst out at any moment. ¡°I thought I heard the voice of God. I thought I had received the power of God. But it was wrong. You¡¯re not a god. If you were a god¡­¡­ you wouldn¡¯t hurt my family!¡± [Pain is necessary to change the world. Accept it, and transform! The ideal future is right ahead¨D¨D] ¡°My ideals were in the past! Men and women, helping and supporting each other! Back then, everyone was smiling happily! You made me forget that!¡± [Such a smile is ephemeral! It¡¯s just a superficial forgery! Now, accept me! And as a divine warrior surpassing the hero, end the foolish demon king¨D¨D] ¡°That¡¯s right! Black Star, I¡¯ll end it here! But¡­it¡¯s the same for you!¡± Exerting her last bit of strength, Donatella stomped the ground. Her arm swung with all her soul and exploded on the face of the black star, which was still stiff. ¡°Disappear, vanishhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!¡± [What a foolish¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D] As if a sun was born, a dazzling light was emitted around. At the same time, the body of the black star crumbled into dust, then Ed, who had regained his movement, looked around and raised a surprised voice at the unexpected situation. ¡°¡­¡­What the hell is this!? Why is everyone collapsed, bleeding¡­¡­!?¡± ¡°Hey, Ed¡­¡­¡± ¡°Donatella!? You¡¯re severely wounded too! What on earth happened to¨D¨D¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, for everything till now. If you harbor resentment towards me, I¡¯ll give you my head. So¡­ please. Please save my comrades, my family.¡± Ed was greatly confused at the sight of Donatella begging weakly, a complete opposite of her usual self. But without asking anything further, Ed gently laid Donatella on the ground, grinned, and stood up. ¡°Leave it to me! Your end isn¡¯t here. I guarantee it.¡± Feeling an odd sense of reliability in his expression, Donatella let her consciousness drop into darkness with relief. CH 228 ¡°Our Savior! Here¡¯s to the super sexy hero, Ed!¡± ¡°¡±¡±Cheers!!!¡±¡±¡± A large square in the middle of the village. Many men and women gathered there and clinked their wooden mugs together, all saying the same thing. There was no animosity between men and women; it was a scene of peace indeed¡­ ¡°How¡¯s it going, Ed? Are you drinking?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m drinking. I¡¯m drinking a lot.¡± ¡°Look, Ed! This is an extremely sexy doll I carved! It¡¯s a gift for you, Hero Ed!¡± ¡°Oh, um, thank you.¡± Men kept coming up to me non-stop. At first, I was glad, but after three days, it was a different story. ¡°Woah, Ed, you¡¯re my lifesaver! I¡¯ll give you all my treasured sexy stuff!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. Can you keep it to yourself? Please?¡± ¡°Woah! Hero Ed, you¡¯re so generous! You don¡¯t monopolize sexy stuff, a true strong man!¡± ¡°I get it, I get it. Calm down, okay?¡± While calming down Gargado, who was unexpectedly a crybaby, I had to return several dolls that were pushed onto me. I understood their feelings of wanting to give their precious things, but as for me, receiving countless erotic dolls carved out of wood or stone only put me in a predicament. Oh, of course, everyone there survived. Fortunately, all the men only stabbed themselves in the stomach with a spear, they didn¡¯t slash themselves open. So, their organs weren¡¯t unnecessarily injured, and a stomach stab wound isn¡¯t immediately fatal. My healing potion was more than sufficient for treatment. To be frank, Donatella was in the worst condition at the scene. The blood pouring out from her ears wouldn¡¯t stop with just a normal healing potion, so I reluctantly used a recovery potion given to us by Reil. I now have only one of those potions left. It¡¯s toxic to me as I am now, but I¡¯ll save it in case something happens to Tia. ¡°Here¡¯s to the best woman who protected our village, Hero Lunaritia!¡± ¡°¡±¡±Cheers!!!¡±¡±¡± Right next to me, Tia was also showered with praises from the women. Because of the flow of events, we challenged the Demon King¡­ The Black Star, and a considerable number of black demons were said to have drifted over to our side. However, Tia led the fight against them and managed to protect this village, so her popularity is, frankly, even more impressive than mine. Anyway, I had basically only been working with a part of the men, so I wasn¡¯t much involved with this village, which makes sense. ¡°Woah, here she comes!¡± Turning to the excited voices from behind, I saw Donatella, clad in thin white cloth covering just her vital parts. Her shy and meek demeanor was a stark contrast to her usual self, but I remember her more like this. Well, Donatella in the first round wasn¡¯t this muscular, so there¡¯s a definite sense of unfamiliarity there. ¡°Ugh, why do I have to dress like this¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha, give it up, Donatella. This is both a reward and a punishment. Atone for the trouble you¡¯ve caused everyone and accept the honor for fighting for everyone.¡± ¡°Hamokin¡­¡± Beside the laughing Hamokin, Donatella, with a blush on her face, glared at him resentfully. But she couldn¡¯t just stand there forever, so she started walking and finally stopped in the middle of the square. ¡°I will now perform a dance dedicated to the hero!¡± ¡°Are you all ready!?¡± ¡°Uurara!¡± ¡°Umbabo!¡± The women stood around Donatella in the center, with men holding the drums around them. When we were called, the drummers were also women, but it seems that the traditional role is for women to dance and men to drum. ¡°Uurara, Urara, Uurara!¡± The dance and song started with Donatella shouting out loudly. Each time Donatella in the center spun around, the thin white cloth on her fluttered. This is¡­ Hm? ¡°Ed? You seem to be watching quite intently. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Whoa!? W-What¡¯s up, Tia? I was just thinking that they¡¯re good at dancing, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Hmm~~?¡± Before I knew it, Tia, who had been released from the women, was sitting next to me with a meaningful smile. It¡¯s not that I was thinking that the eroticism had increased despite the decrease in exposure, or that I was impressed with the culture here. There was absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. So I wish she would stop giving me that look. ¡°Oorara! Urara!¡± ¡°Umbabo! Umbabo!¡± ¡°Oorara! Urara!¡± ¡°Umbabo! Umbabo!¡± In fact, when I take a moment to observe, their dancing was truly remarkable. The men drumming their hearts out while sweating also looked like they were having fun. Considering that this was the true state of this village, it gavw me a sense of profound emotion. ¡°Hey Ed, why don¡¯t we join in the dance?¡± ¡°Eh!? But, is that okay?¡± Surprised by Tia¡¯s sudden suggestion, I let out a bewildered voice. Then Hamokin, who was nearby, spoke up with a laugh. ¡°Of course it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s impossible to refuse the participation of a hero! Hey guys, our two heroes will dance too! Let¡¯s get more excited!¡± ¡°Oooooooooooh!!!¡± ¡°Hey, wait, Hamokin!? Ah, this means I have to dance, doesn¡¯t it!?¡± ¡°Why not! Let¡¯s go!¡± Being pulled a little forcefully by Tia, we entered the circle of dancers. Before I knew it, there were people dancing randomly here and there, there was no sense of order at all. But, that¡¯s okay. While being engulfed in the fervor of the festival, Tia and I moved our bodies randomly, doing something like dancing. ¡°Hahaha, what¡¯s with those movements!? Why are you so wavy?¡± ¡°Hm? Is this better then?¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re being jerky!? Where on earth did you learn to dance like that!?¡± ¡°Hehehe, I¡¯ve experienced a lot, you know.¡± To Tia¡¯s dumbfounded expression, I answered with a grin. A dance that I could never show at formal balls in the castle was greatly welcomed in a place like this. My heart was jumping to the rhythm, moving my body as I wished. After sweating that much, I gulped down the plentiful alcohol¡­ Ah, this feels great. ¡°It¡¯s fun, isn¡¯t it, Ed!¡± ¡°Yeah, it sure is!¡± ¡°But¡­ this is going to end soon, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yeah, it is.¡± We defeated the Demon King, and somehow Donatella reverted to her original form, though I don¡¯t know why but, the ¡°shining star¡± that was thought to be inside Donatella was now inside me. From what I heard from her afterward, it seems that when Donatella punched the Demon King Last, the ¡°shining star¡± moved from Donatella to Last, and I absorbed it. As a result, my right index and middle fingers were tingling with pain. It¡¯s a nuisance to have more troublesome baggage, but if this is the price to pay for returning Donatella, who didn¡¯t know how to deal with it, then I guess I can¡¯t help it. But, that means there¡¯s no reason for us to stay in this world anymore. The only worry is¡­ ¡°Hey Ed. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve met the conditions at all this time. Can we really go back?¡± ¡°Um, well, we just have to try.¡± Tia was the only one with Donatella, the hero, and that period was nowhere near half a year. On top of that, Donatella and I were adversaries, so it¡¯s hard to say that we gained deep trust. Honestly, I have serious doubts about whether we can return to our original if we¡¯re expelled from here. ¡°Well, if it doesn¡¯t work, we¡¯ll just live here for half a year and then ask to be expelled again. I mean, the conditions for banishment have really loosened up¡­¡± While I feel like asking what was the point of all our past struggles, I have no intention of complaining because things have become easier. However, no matter how much the conditions loosen up, I don¡¯t feel even a bit like I can leave this world of my own will. Perhaps that¡¯s the final constraint that will remain until the very end. ¡°Then, let¡¯s enjoy a little more!¡± ¡°Yeah! We¡¯ll still enjoy this world plenty!¡± Before I knew it, it had grown dark, and bonfires were being lit here and there in the village. The red flames illuminated our faces, and the heat of the festival continued to rise without cooling down. Just a little more, a little more. Wishing for this fun and beloved time to continue, Tia and I danced the night away. CH 229 ¡°Haah¡­ we¡¯re back, huh.¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®we¡¯re back¡¯?¡± Having finished our duty, we were safely expelled back to the . Tia let out a sigh immediately after our return, prompting a wry smile from me. ¡°Well, true, this time was quite unusual. That was a first for me too.¡± ¡°See!? That¡¯s why it¡¯s natural to feel this way! Hmph!¡± Tia puffed out her chest with an air of superiority. I can¡¯t help but view this with a fond gaze. After that festival, we were expelled by Donatella¡­ Whether it¡¯s good or bad, my guess was right, we weren¡¯t able to go back. So we lived in that village for about half a year, then we asked to be expelled again¡­ ¡°The world without the Demon King, it was so peaceful. I completely forgot that feeling.¡± ¡°Right? We lived such a laid-back life.¡± The Demon King we were supposed to defeat was no longer present at that point. The attacks from the black demons, born from the Demon King, had ceased, and we simply lived through peaceful days. Of course, it wasn¡¯t like nothing happened. But these were extensions of our daily lives, not the absolute threat of the Demon King. Hunting, cooking, blacksmithing, sewing ¨C a life where activities we could only do in between our travels took the main stage was so fresh¡­ and too brilliant. ¡°Ah, but, I still wanted to stay a bit longer.¡± ¡°I get the feeling, but we can¡¯t. If we waited until Donatella¡¯s child was born, it would add another year, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true! But isn¡¯t it okay to stay another year at this point!¡± ¡°Well, if it ends with that year. But once you start holding the baby, you¡¯d definitely want to see them grow a little more, right? Then you¡¯d extend your stay by another year or two. And when you decide to leave, what happens if Donatella¡¯s child toddles up to you, saying ¡®don¡¯t go¡¯? Can you ignore them and leave, Tia?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ that might be, a bit impossible¡­?¡± Tia grimaced at my point, like she tasted something sour. If it¡¯s like this just from imagining it, there¡¯s no way she could do it in reality. I can say that confidently. ¡°Right? You missed the chance to leave at the start. Since you forced a delay, if you start extending it, you really won¡¯t be able to leave. The more you live, the more lingering attachments, entanglements, and human connections you form in that world. I mean, if you really wanted to stay, we could hang on until either me or Donatella were on our deathbed¡­ but if there¡¯s no objective, and you¡¯re staying just because you don¡¯t want to leave, and then you stay for thirty years, you definitely won¡¯t be able to set out on a journey, right?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s true. Definitely. A journey is something like that, after all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the spirit. Let¡¯s move on.¡± A departure without any lingering attachments was too lonely. That¡¯s why travelers sometimes look back and turn those feelings into memories. Even more so for us, whose time flows differently. We must accept this. And whether they were happy or not¡­ one part of that conclusion lies in front of us. I walked over to the table and picked up this time¡¯s {Record Of The Hero¡¯s Story}. Tia quickly caught up, and we slowly read the contents. ¡°Huh, Donatella as a child was quite docile, huh?¡± ¡°She was like that when I knew her. So¡­ here¡¯s where she was attacked by the ¡®Shining Star¡¯.¡± ¡°I see, she was a child with the talent of a spirit user, so she sincerely accepted the voice of this Shining Star. Because of that, her mind became disturbed and she couldn¡¯t hear the voice of real spirits¡­ If I had known, I would have taught her how to properly interact with spirits. Mmm, it¡¯s a shame.¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t do anything helpful, huh. Are you listening? I¡¯m talking about you.¡± I glanced at my fingertips, but of course, this¡­ was a mere conceptual existence¡­ a piece of God¡¯s power does not respond. It continued to prick at me with my fingertip. ¡°So, we were together from this point¡­ huh?¡± We read through quickly, and in no time, we reached the last chapter. Seeing the content written there, I let out a small gasp. ¨D¨D World 13th, {Record Of The Hero¡¯s Story} Final Chapter: Days of Stagnation And so, the hero Donatella, who had defeated the Demon King, found herself returning to her ordinary existence after rejecting the ¡°will of God¡± that was supposed to grant her wishes and bring about evolution. She married one of the men she had despised so much and lived out the rest of her life as a common mother, raising eight children. In her true potential, Donatella had a future of guiding women and leading the world. However, that possibility was forever lost, and the current way of life in that settlement would continue for a long time. Still water will eventually become stagnant. God shed a tear of sorrow for being unable to save them, as their extended hands of salvation was maliciously rejected, leaving them in the sadness of being unable to be rescued. ¡°Oh, you still speak your mind as freely as ever. Well, I guess that¡¯s how it is from the perspective of a god,¡± ¡°Donatella, she ended up having eight children¡­ Coming back was definitely the right choice. If we had stayed, I would have definitely seen it through to the end,¡± ¡°In that case, we might have stayed for about thirty years, no joke. Hamokin did a great job too,¡± While we were staying in the settlement, Hamokin and Donatella got married. The wedding ceremony for the two, celebrated by everyone in the settlement, was still fresh in my memory. By the way, in the end, Donatella¡¯s personality ended up somewhere in between her original self that I knew and the influence of the ¡°shining star.¡± Well, after being under that influence for five years, albeit somewhat forcibly, it¡¯s only natural. At least the thought of indiscriminately rejecting men had completely disappeared, and in fact, Donatella seemed to feel embarrassment towards radical words and actions. But for Hamokin, that aspect seemed to be adorable, and the two of them looked very happy. The only exception was when they confronted Gargado, but well¡­ yeah. It¡¯s Gargado¡¯s fault, so I won¡¯t say anything. It seemed fun in its own way. From an outsider¡¯s perspective, at least. ¡°Sure, change is important, but it¡¯s not necessarily a bad thing to stay the same. Besides, if the roles were reversed, they would probably call me the ¡®worst revolutionary who destroyed a peaceful world,¡¯ right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all about how things are said. Whether we perceive something in a positive or negative light ultimately depends on how the person themselves thinks.¡± No matter how dire the situation, you can find something good in it, and no matter how fortunate you are, there will always be some unhappiness hidden within. Of course, there¡¯s room for societal standards of happiness and unhappiness to come into play, but at least for Donatella and Hamokin, I couldn¡¯t possibly consider this outcome as unhappy. ¡°Fufufu, how about that? No matter how you try to express it, to me, that settlement and the emotions of Donatella and Hamokin can only be seen as happiness. In other words¡­ this time, I win.¡± I moved my gaze from my fingertips up to the white ceiling and grinned. Whether there is a god there or if they¡¯re looking at me, I don¡¯t know, but it doesn¡¯t matter. Even if I were to say anything, I can¡¯t take a single step out of this world created by the god. Such a limited existence might not be much different from a crying baby having a tantrum in a small bed from their perspective. But a baby was not forever small and powerless. Eventually, they grow up, and there were countless children who become bigger and stronger than their parents. ¡°And with that, Tia, let¡¯s give our all to make the next world a happy ending too!¡± ¡°Yes, yes. As you command, Demon King.. Hehe.¡± Tia laughed as I got excited. If we had achieved one, then surely we could achieve the second and beyond. Our goal was an uncompromising and complete victory. Our challenge had only just begun. CH 230 ¡°¡­Huh? The same place as before?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s different. Similar, but not the same.¡± Where we landed was deep within a forest. At first glance, it closely resembled the world we had just been exiled from. However, upon closer inspection, there was a well-trodden path a short distance away. There were only animal trails in the dense jungle where Donatella and the others were, so that alone made it clear that this was a different world. When we reached the path, the view blocked by the trees suddenly opened up. Far in the distance was a place surrounded by impressive stone walls. It was most likely a town where people lived. ¡°Wow, such a great wall! So, it¡¯s a town within the forest?¡± ¡°Yeah, it seems so. Well, let¡¯s go in.¡± There were guards at the entrance, but as long as we paid a small entrance fee, there seemed to be no problem entering. As we walked down the bustling main street, we found a large square plaza along¡­ Ah, I see. This is that place. ¡°Hey, Tia, I figured out which world this is.¡± ¡°Really? What kind of world is it?¡± ¡°Well¡­ We have plenty of time, and it would be faster to show you than to explain. This way.¡± With that, I started walking towards the square. There was a grand stage set up there, surrounded by a crowd of hundreds. ¡°It¡¯s so lively. But what are they doing?¡± ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s the highlight of this world. Excuse me, let us through¡­¡± I started pushing through the crowd, pulling Tia¡¯s hand. There were some annoyed faces, but if we weren¡¯t assertive we¡¯d just end up watching from the back. After making our way through, we reached the front of the crowd, right at the metal barricade separating the audience from the stage. From here, we could clearly see the stage. On it, three girls in their late teens, dressed in sparkling costumes, were waving and smiling. ¡°Everyone, thank you for your support! Now, let¡¯s move on to the next song!¡± ¡°¡±¡±Wooooooo!¡±¡±¡± ¡°Wait, what is this? Street performance?¡± ¡°Well, close, but not quite. They are idols.¡± ¡°Idols? Like, people who serve the gods?¡± ¡°No, not like that! You know how different worlds have different names for jobs like adventurers? It¡¯s like that. In this world, they call people who sing and dance and perform in public like that idols.¡± ¡°Oh, that sounds fun.¡± Tia watched the girls singing and dancing on stage, sweating profusely, with an interested look. Most of the music we heard was from bards, so hearing proper songs like this was indeed refreshing. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not all fun. Idols in this world are treated like heroes. To stand on a stage in such a large town, they must have put in a lot of effort, competing against countless others in their field to earn this opportunity.¡± ¡°Oh, I see, there¡¯s competition involved. But I can see why kids would aspire to become idols. It looks fun.¡± ¡°Yeah. Oh, and by the way, idols aren¡¯t just young girls. There are male idols, older ones, and even grandma and grandpa idols. They¡¯re seriously talented.¡± Regardless of the field, running at the forefront for decades was no ordinary feat. Even if the swords and magic were replaced with songs and dances, their achievements remained undiminished. After enjoying their songs and dances for about an hour, we went back to the bustling main street. Both Tia and I had flushed faces from the heat of the crowd. ¡°Haah, that was fun! This world is well-developed in terms of entertainment, isn¡¯t it, with people like them all over.¡± ¡°Yeah. Did you notice how the town looks? In this world, most of it is covered by forests, so armies can¡¯t move around, meaning large-scale wars rarely occur. Instead, battles are mostly fought through trade and diplomacy, and ¡®idols¡¯ exist as part of that. If you can have an idol who¡¯s hugely popular among the commoners, it means you can gather that many people.¡± Where people gather, money gathers, and where money gathers, goods gather. The presence of an idol that attracts people is a symbol of this nation¡¯s strength. ¡°Hmm. Sounds peaceful. Oh! So does that mean this world¡¯s heroes are¡­¡± ¡°Fufu, exactly!¡± With sparkling eyes, Tia exclaimed. Yes, in this world where not strength, but talent speaks, of course the heroes would be outstanding in that aspect. ¡°Wow, I wonder what kind of person it is. A boy? A girl? Older? Or younger?¡± ¡°That¡¯s for you to find out when you meet them.¡± With a gleam of excitement in her eyes, I let Tia remain in that state as I recalled my previous visit to this place. I remember¡­ and a slight pain tugged at my heart. (Back then, I didn¡¯t have any other choice. But now¡­) ¡°Ed?¡± ¡°Hm? Nah, it¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s get a place to stay first, then kill some time.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± I lead Tia through the town. Fortunately, we managed to find a decent place to stay, so afterwards we spent our time browsing the stalls and eating, then, when it was time, we headed back to the stage¡­ ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ed?¡± ¡°No, he¡­ the hero isn¡¯t there.¡± The one supposed to be standing on this stage was the hero, Rain. But the ones in front of us now were three completely different girls, not the hero I was looking for. (What¡¯s going on? Has the flow of the world changed again?) ¡°Sorry, Tia. I need to step away for a bit.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine¡­ but what are you going to do?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m going to search.¡± Ordinarily, my meeting with the hero would be determined by my [Flag Maker] skill. But if I couldn¡¯t meet them at the predetermined location, all I can do is go and search for them myself. I activated my [Akashic Compass] skill and searched for the hero. Thankfully, there was a reaction, so at least the worst-case scenario, that the hero was already dead, didn¡¯t seem to be the case. So, I chased the hero¡¯s signal through the town. Turning off the main street, continuing in the opposite direction of the crowd¡­ ¡°Hey Ed? Are you sure they¡¯re around here?¡± ¡°They should be¡­¡± We ventured into a back alley, a heavy and dark atmosphere starting to permeate. The sun hadn¡¯t set yet, but in another half hour, it would be too dark to walk without a light. ¡°Hey, Rai¡­ Someone! Is anyone there?!¡± Calling out the name of the hero I¡¯ve never met felt odd. Imagining the smiling face of the hardworking, bright hero, I corrected myself and called into the labyrinthine darkness. But, no response. It¡¯s to be expected. No stranger would respond to someone yelling ¡°anyone¡± in a place like this. Worst case scenario, they might mistake me for a kidnapper and become even more cautious. It¡¯s a bad move. I know. Even though I know, I want to call out his name. The anxiety is mounting. The ominous feeling won¡¯t leave my head. I forgot to check if Tia was following me and hurried towards the direction indicated by my [Akashic Compass] at a fast pace. No one¡¯s here. No one¡¯s here. No one¡¯s¡­ wait, is that¡­? ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± In the corner of the alley, a girl sat, knees drawn up to her chest, next to a heap of garbage. Seeing the shabby figure of the hero Rain of the 73rd world, I bit my lip hard¡­ ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m so hungry¡­ I haven¡¯t eaten anything in six hours¡­¡± The murmur, which seemed to be more cheerful than expected, almost made me shudder, but I was relieved and patted my chest CH 231 ¡°Ah, um, Rai¡­ I mean, young lady? What are you doing in a place like this?¡± I called out to Rain, who had muttered something far from the worst situation I¡¯d anticipated. In response, she lifted her face, which had been buried in her knees, and looked straight at me. ¡°Me? I¡¯m feeling down.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah, it seems so¡­ Why are you feeling down?¡± ¡°Why do I have to tell you, Onii¨Csan?¡± ¡°Ugh!? That¡¯s¡­ you know, sometimes when you consult with someone else, your mood can change, right? Oh, you¡¯re hungry, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯ll treat you to a meal.¡± ¡°I was taught by my parents not to follow strangers.¡± ¡°Guh!? I, I see. They¡¯re excellent parents, yes.¡± Her perfectly logical response left me at a loss for words. Of course, any sane person would refuse an unknown man saying ¡°I¡¯ll treat you to a meal¡± out of nowhere. But what will happen in the future if I don¡¯t get involved with Rain here? If I pretend to meet her by coincidence multiple times, that will only scare her¡­ ¡°Hey, may I interrupt?¡± Tia pushed my shoulder and stepped forward. There was a gentle smile on her face, and it seemed to me that Rain¡¯s guard was slightly lower with her than with me. ¡°What is it, Onee-san?¡± ¡°Well, we just arrived in this town today. But because of that, we lost our way and ended up here¡­ Do you know this town well?¡± ¡°Yes, more or less.¡± ¡°Then, would you mind showing us around the town? As a thank you, we¡¯ll treat you to a meal. Of course, with a sweet and delicious dessert included¡± ¡°Dessert!¡± At Tia¡¯s wink, Rain¡¯s expression lit up. ¡°Understood. Helping people in trouble is a good thing, so I¡¯ll help you! By the way, is it okay if the dessert is pancakes from the ¡®Golden Melody¡¯ Inn?¡± ¡°Fufu, that¡¯s fine. Right, Ed?¡± ¡°Huh!? Oh! Of course it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Great! Then I¡¯ll start guiding you right away!¡± Upon receiving my approval, Rain quickly stood up, dusted off the dirt on her clothes, and started walking energetically. As I followed her, Tia intertwined her little finger with mine. [See? It went well, didn¡¯t it?] [Yeah. Seriously, you saved me. Keep it up.] [Okay, but what exactly should I do?] [For now, just be friendly with her. And if you can, I¡¯d like to know why she was sitting there like that. Of course, I¡¯ll ask too, but I¡¯ll rely on you if needed.] [Understood.] ¡°By the way, I haven¡¯t introduced myself yet! I¡¯m Rain, a bright 14-year-old!¡± Rain, who said this while turning around, was a beautiful girl with bright brown hair tied up on the left side and similarly bright, large brown eyes. I hadn¡¯t noticed before as she was sitting in the shadows, but upon a closer look, her clothes seemed fairly normal, and there was no sign that she was struggling with her living conditions. ¡°Rain-chan, huh. I¡¯m Lunaritia, but you can call me Tia. As for my age¡­ [Hey, Ed, are there elves here?] [I¡¯m not sure. I don¡¯t remember seeing any, so you might want to assume there aren¡¯t any.] I answered Tia, who had asked me at the spur of the moment via our [Missing Talk]. By the way, while elves do exist in some worlds, there are subtle differences in their existence, such as the shape of their ears and lifespan. However, Tia hasn¡¯t been particularly hiding her ears. If someone unfamiliar with her asks, ¡°Your ears are long, aren¡¯t they?¡± she can simply reply with, ¡°I was born with long ears. Isn¡¯t it strange?¡± and that settles it. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing! My age¡­ um, I¡¯m 21!¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re older than I thought! Nice to meet you, Tia-san.¡± ¡°Yes, nice to meet you, Rain.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Ed. I¡¯m 20.¡± ¡°Oh, Ed-san is younger. That¡¯s a bit surprising¡­ Nice to meet you, Ed-san.¡± ¡°Ah, likewise.¡± After briefly introducing ourselves, we came out onto the main street. The sun was already beginning to set, and magical lights were starting to shine here and there on the streets. ¡°Hey Rain-chan. We asked you to guide us, but is it okay to take you around at this hour? Won¡¯t your family worry?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s not a problem. I¡¯m currently staying at an inn, not home.¡± ¡°I see. Then¡­¡± Grrrr¡­ A cute stomach growl interrupted Tia¡¯s words. Rain quickly held her stomach, her face flushing red. ¡°Haha, then let¡¯s get something to eat first. Um, what was it again? ¡®Golden Melody¡¯ Inn? Can we eat regular meals there too?¡± ¡°Yes! The ¡®Golden Melody¡¯ Inn serves meals, alcohol, everything! But it¡¯s a popular place, so if it gets too late, all the seats might be filled up¡­¡± ¡°Then we should hurry. Can we ask you to guide us?¡± ¡°Of course! It¡¯s this way!¡± For some reason, Rain spun around and began to walk briskly. The place she guided us to was a medium-sized restaurant that could accommodate about thirty people. A lively hostess greeted us, and the three of us took a seat at a round table. ¡°Hey, Miss Waitress, what¡¯s this place¡¯s specialty?¡± ¡°Well, of course, everything is a specialty! All our dishes are the best you can get!¡± ¡°Haha, I see. Then what would you want to eat the most today?¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re asking that. Well¡­ today, I might go for the simmered Moola lamb. Dad said we got a good batch of meat, and it smelled so good when we were preparing it¡­ Mmm.¡± In response to my question, the waitress covered her mouth with a look of absolute bliss on her face. Huh, it seems promising. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll have that then. Tia, Rain, you can order whatever you like.¡± ¡°Yay! I¡¯ll have this heap of vegetable salad, and¡­ maybe some pasta?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have pancakes with plenty of honey¡­ two¡­ no, three stacks! I-Is that okay?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hold back. You can stack five or even ten if you want.¡± ¡°Wha-! Are you some kind of god, Ed-san?! But if I eat too much, my stomach will burst. So I¡¯ll have to hold back¡­ Please stack three with vanilla and chocolate ice cream!¡± ¡°Young lady, you¡¯re going all out. Do you not need a regular meal?¡± ¡°Ah, I forgot! Um, then¡­¡± Watching Rain hastily rechecking the menu made me smile. Seeing her huddled in the back alley, I was seriously worried, but she doesn¡¯t seem to be forcing herself to be cheerful, so it appears there¡¯s no need for concern. While I was thinking about this, our order was completed, and the waitress left our table. Rain ended up ordering cheeseburgers and three-stacked pancakes topped with vanilla ice cream. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve ordered and are waiting for our food, shall we chat a bit? Is that alright?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine! I love to chat, too!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. So, the first topic¡­ Rain-chan, what were you doing in that place?¡± ¡°Uh, that¡¯s¡­¡± At Tia¡¯s casual question, Rain¡¯s expression suddenly clouded over. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. If it¡¯s hard for you to talk about, you don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. Actually¡­¡± With a small fist tightly clenched, Rain began to speak slowly. ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t make it through the idol audition.¡± CH 232 ¡°Audition? There¡¯s such a thing?¡± ¡°Of course, there is! How many people do you think want to become idols?¡± Rain leaned forward, speaking to Tia who tilted her head slightly in puzzlement. Her unexpected vigor made even the composed Tia flinch a bit. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t really understand much about that¡­ So, who were the people there?¡± ¡°Yes. They had failed the audition, so they were feeling down. That place is an excellent spot to mope.¡± ¡°A moping spot¡­ If they¡¯ve rented a place to stay, wouldn¡¯t it be normal to be inside their rooms? Isn¡¯t it dangerous in places like that?¡± In response to Tia¡¯s reasonable point, Rain slowly shook his head. ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, but in the rooms of the inn, there are many signs of people around, and it¡¯s hard to concentrate on feeling down. And if you mope in a place with many passers-by, it becomes a nuisance. So, that¡¯s why a dark place with no people is the perfect place to mope. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been visiting there every day since I failed the audition.¡± ¡°Wait, you¡¯ve been going there every day!?¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t have much else to do, so besides eating, sleeping, moderate exercise, and practicing singing, I¡¯m mostly moping there!¡± ¡°I see. Hmm¡­¡± Next to me, Tia looked puzzled. Certainly, it seemed quite a healthy and planned way to mope, but¡­ what I¡¯m concerned about right now is something else. ¡°I hate to interrupt, but can I ask something?¡± ¡°Yes? What is it?¡± ¡°Well, this is fundamental, but¡­ why did you fail the audition, Rain?¡± Yes, that¡¯s the biggest question. The first time I came here, Rain was already an idol and was on that stage. But soon after, the person who was managing Rain¡¯s finances was discovered to be committing fraud and was fired. After a series of events, I became Rain¡¯s attendant¡­ That¡¯s how it went last time. So, the fact that Rain isn¡¯t an idol now is inexplicable. At my question, Rain¡¯s expression darkened significantly. ¡°It¡¯s because¡­ I¡¯m a country bumpkin and didn¡¯t know the ways of the world. I didn¡¯t know that from this year, idols have to be in groups of three or more¡­¡± ¡°Huh? What¡¯s that?¡± I inadvertently let out a strange voice at this unexpected reason. I¡¯d never heard of such a rule last time. ¡°Come to think of it, the people on the stage I saw today were all in groups of three.¡± ¡°Yes. The Archbishop of the Idol Church that blesses idols all over the world¡­ Apparently, he received a revelation at the beginning of this year¡­ From this year, people who want to become idols have to be in groups of three, except for those who are already active as idols.¡± ¡°A revelation¡­?¡± Oh, I felt an unpleasant vibe here again. Did one of the things inside me do something again? ¡°But then, why not gather two more people who want to be idols? Were there none?¡± ¡°That¡¯s difficult. People who live in the city and seriously aspire to become idols already have their groups of three, so there¡¯s no room for me to join them. The rest were like me, from the countryside, and didn¡¯t know about this new rule¡­¡± ¡°So it didn¡¯t work out?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ At first, we said we would do our best together, but when we started practicing singing together, they would somehow quit immediately¡­¡± ¡°What could that be about?¡± Tia, with a sidelong glance, left the conversation to me. I knew the reason well, but decided to distract the conversation without mentioning it this time. ¡°Ah, yeah. I¡¯m actually pretty knowledgeable about singing. If you don¡¯t mind, could you let me listen to your song, Rain?¡± ¡°Eh, I don¡¯t mind. But singing here would be a nuisance to the shop¡­¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s fine after we¡¯ve eaten. You can choose which is more convenient, the inn we¡¯re staying at or the one you¡¯re renting, Rain.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Rain hesitated at my words. Well, inviting an unknown person to your room or visiting an unknown person¡¯s room is dangerous. It¡¯s good that she¡¯s cautious, but¡­ hmm? ¡°If you¡¯re not comfortable with the room, how about we rent a practice space? I can cover that much.¡± ¡°Eh, is that okay!? But why go to such lengths¡­?¡± ¡°Well, I guess you could say it¡¯s out of curiosity? Since I¡¯ve gotten to know you, and I¡¯m interested in idol activities. Plus, this might sound boastful, but we have quite a financial leeway. So, it¡¯s no big deal.¡± ¡°Ha, contrary to appearances, you¡¯re rich, Ed-san?¡± ¡°Appearances¡­? Oh, I see.¡± I remember my current appearance and smile bitterly at Rain, who looked at me suspiciously. My equipment in this new world was a worn-out leather armor and a cheap iron sword, hardly looking like someone with money. ¡°This appearance is like a disguise to avoid being attacked by money-hungry fools. Look.¡± Saying that, I took out a few gold coins from my waist bag. The [Stranger Box] was full of gold coins and gems, but I carried this much show-money without having to do that. ¡°Woah, those are gold coins!¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s just out of curiosity, as I said earlier. Of course, you can refuse if you don¡¯t like it. Well, I¡¯d still appreciate it if you could continue to guide us around the town.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Since we got to know each other, it¡¯d be fun to become friends and chat. I also want to know more about idols.¡± ¡°You look like you could become an idol, Tia-san! Of course, provided you gather three people.¡± ¡°Oh really? Thank you.¡± ¡°Hmm, Tia becoming an idol¡­ that sounds quite interesting.¡± At Rain¡¯s casual words, I let out a smirk. If this world was the same as the original, it might have been possible to make Tia an idol. Purely a hobby, though. ¡°Wow, Ed has a bad look on his face! Hey, hey Rain-chan, when Ed has this look, he¡¯s upto no good.¡± ¡°Really? He certainly looks very mischievous!¡± ¡°Eh, what¡¯s that reaction? Isn¡¯t it harsh for both of you to say that?¡± ¡°So, what were you thinking about?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s because¡­ I was imagining Tia becoming an idol, singing and dancing¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? Wait. Then, would it be impossible for me, Ed, and Rain-chan to form a group of three idols?¡± Tia suggests this as if she had come up with a good idea. But that¡¯s an impossible proposal. ¡°Heh!? No, while it might be possible for you Tia, I can¡¯t, right? I can¡¯t sing or dance, and above all, I¡¯m a guy, aren¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Is it bad to form a group with a man?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not bad, but it¡¯s quite rare to form a group with the opposite sex, except for elderly people . And as for me, forming a group with an older man is a bit¡­¡± ¡°I see, if Rain-chan is against it, it can¡¯t be helped. I thought it would be a bit interesting.¡± ¡°Spare me¡­¡± Leaving disappointed Tia aside, I was relieved that the devil¡¯s proposal was rejected. We finished our meal afterwards, agreed to continue the town tour from the next day, and separated¡­ and then the next day. ¡°What the hell is this!?!?¡± My body had turned into a woman¡¯s. CH 233 People are mysterious things. When driven by strong emotions beyond a certain level, we tend to become calm instead. That¡¯s exactly how I was right now, feeling as if the raging waves in my mind have suddenly quieted after my initial shout of surprise. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± For now, I stood up and checked my body. Soft, sizable breasts that don¡¯t sag. A bouncy, elastic butt. Hips that were not ideally slim for a woman, but realistically attractive for a man¡­ and then¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­.it¡¯s not there¡± Of course, the vital part was missing. Despite being just a part of the human body, its absence made me feel insecure. Moreover, I noticed that my voice was not mine. It¡¯s somewhat high-pitched, a voice that seemed both familiar and unfamiliar. ¡°¡­¡­No, that¡¯s wrong. I need to check something else¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°Ed? What happened? You were shouting so early in the morning?¡± And then, a knock on the door and Tia¡¯s voice came in. Ah, she must have heard my shout earlier. But Tia is a sensible person. She won¡¯t open the door suddenly, and she¡¯ll wait if I ask her to. ¡°Ah, sorry Tia. Just wait a moment¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°Eh!? Ed!!¡± ¡°Eh, why!?¡± ¡°Eh!?¡± For some reason, she flung the door open and, with her hand on the hilt of her sword, Tia looked at me with a surprised expression. ¡°¡­¡­¡­You¡¯re Ed, right? But, a woman!?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah¡­ But what¡¯s with the sudden intrusion? I told you to wait, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. But the voice was completely unfamiliar, so¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± I now realized, my voice was not the same. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t wait if she heard a stranger¡¯s voice coming from a room of someone she knows. ¡°Um¡­ so why have you turned into a woman?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ more importantly, how did you know I was Ed?¡± ¡°Eh? Because Ed is Ed. I wouldn¡¯t mistake you just because your gender changed.¡± ¡°Ah, I see¡­ thank you?¡± ¡°Fufu, you¡¯re welcome.¡± With a somewhat awkward thank you, Tia released her grip on the sword and smiled. I invited her into the room and asked her to sit on the chair, and I sat on the bed. ¡°I¡¯ll ask again, how did this happen?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say again, I don¡¯t know myself. I feel like I recognize this form, but¡­ Ah, I should look in the mirror.¡± I take out a mirror from the [Stranger¡¯s Box]. When I hadTia hold it up and I saw myself, what appeared was the figure of the Demon King Last, the one I defeated a while ago, except for the hair and eye color which remained mine. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Last¡¯s body¡­¡± ¡°Last?¡± ¡°Yeah, the Demon King I defeated in Donatella¡¯s world. But the voice seems a bit different?¡± ¡°Voice? Then¡­ here, talk to me with this?¡± ¡°Like this?¡± [Like this?] ¡°[What!?]¡± The voice I spoke to Tia with was reflected back to me a moment later. But the voice that came back was unmistakably that of Last. ¡°The voice you hear yourself and the voice others hear are different. So, I just reflected your voice back to you with wind spirit magic. Do you understand anything now?¡± ¡°Yeah, perfectly. It seems that I am, for now, the Demon King Last herself. Well, just the body.¡± Probably, with the change in appearance, my physical abilities have changed slightly . However, I don¡¯t feel like I can use the charm power that she had, and since I was able to cast the Banishment skill casually earlier, it seems I can still use it normally. ¡°Hmm, so you are the Demon King who had all the men in the village falling for her¡­ By the way, what about you, Ed? Were you captivated by her too?¡± ¡°Me? No, nothing like that happened to me. Because I¡¯m me.¡± I don¡¯t have the fetish of being fascinated by my own body. Even if my gender changes, I am still me, and that won¡¯t change. ¡°No, that¡¯s not important right now. When I woke up this morning, I was suddenly in this body. Do you know anything about it, Tia?¡± ¡°I mean, if you ask me¡­ Can I touch your body a little?¡± ¡°Sure, go ahead.¡± ¡°Then, excuse me¡­ Wow, I can really touch you! So, it¡¯s not an illusion.¡± ¡°Probably not. There was a Banishment Skill that can change appearance¡­ Eh, could it be!?¡± Realizing that possibility, I searched for the power within me. Then, I found a slight¡­ but significant change. My banishment skill, [Heavy Makeup], can change my appearance. It¡¯s convenient at first glance, but its usability is poor as the disguise falls apart with just a slight touch, so it¡¯s a power that I never used. Has it changed¡­ no, evolved?! [The form of past days carved into the soul is reflected. Until all is forgotten, I am with you. So please do not forget. I am your¡­ ] ¡°[Last Chance] huh¡­ I can¡¯t forget such a self-assertive girl.¡± The playful figure of the Demon King Last vividly comes back to my mind. It might have been good that it ended in a brief encounter, considering how much it left an impression in such a short time. ¡°Do you know what caused it?¡± ¡°Yeah. It seems to be due to the influence of absorbing the power of the Demon King I defeated in the previous world. Maybe when I acquire the power of a strong-willed demon king, I get additional abilities like this.¡± Surely, if John returned to me, it¡¯s hard to think that his individuality and experiences, and in turn, his soul would simply dissolve into vain power. But then again, I think the Demon King that I defeated at Gou-san¡¯s place also had quite a solid personality¡­ ¡°Hey Tia. What would you do if I suddenly fused with a castle and became a giant golem?¡± ¡°A giant golem¡­ I¡¯d probably be at a loss? I guess I would live inside it and travel together? Oh, that sounds a bit fun.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± For a moment, I also thought it sounded a little fun, but I don¡¯t say it out loud. If I really do become a golem using the surrounding buildings, I feel like I¡¯d be crossing a line that should not be crossed. ¡°So, can you return to your original form?¡± ¡°Just wait a moment¡­ oh, I can.¡± If I can recognize the power of the Demon King¡­ namely, the effect of the banishment skill, it¡¯s easy to use. When I consciously deactivated the ability, my body slowly returned to its original form. ¡°Hmm, it takes about a minute to completely change. Continuous use¡­ Ugh!¡± I returned to being a man, and tried to change back to a woman right away, but suddenly I was hit with intense nausea and a headache. I fell onto the bed involuntarily, and Tia looked down at me with a bewildered expression. ¡°What are you doing, Ed? Of course you¡¯d feel sick if you change your body that frequently.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right¡­ it¡¯s obvious¡­ I can¡¯t think of any excuse¡­¡± Fortunately, the nausea and headache subsided quickly, but they were replaced by a terrible fatigue that hit my whole body. I¡¯ve been desensitized by growing my limbs back with [Regenerate] but the human body doesn¡¯t heal or change that easily. It¡¯s obvious that I¡¯m being ridiculed. ¡°But it¡¯s a good thing, right? This solves the biggest concern!¡± ¡°Concern? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious! It¡¯s about Rain-chan¡¯s idol talk.¡± ¡°Idol¡­?¡± I can¡¯t understand what Tia was talking about with my sluggish thoughts. I furrowed my brow, and Tia laughed as if she¡¯s having the most fun. ¡°That¡¯s right. Me, Rain-chan, and you, the three of us are going to be idols! It¡¯ll be fine with three girls, right?¡± ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s how it goes¡­¡± While watching Tia get excited, I felt the absurdity of the world. (T/N: Sorry for the delay, Trails into Reverie came out yesterday was playing that) CH 234 ¡°So, this is Ed¡¯s younger sister, Eda-chan!¡± ¡°Uh, hello. I¡¯m Eda. Nice to meet you.¡± Leaving the inn for a bit, I rendezvoused with Rain at the meeting place and, after being introduced by the smiling Tia, gave a somewhat strained smile as I introduced myself. According to the backstory that Tia and I came up with, I was supposed to be Ed¡¯s sister, and after my brother Ed left home, I aspired to be an idol like Rain and came to this town, but I was blocked by the wall of talent and reality and was sulking here when I happened to meet my brother again and heard his story. Honestly, it¡¯s quite forced, but there¡¯s no point in worrying about the details. There¡¯s no need to put on a perfect performance, and as long as we can make Rain an idol, the rest can be improvised. By the way, making Rain an idol is a confirmed goal. If not, there would be no reason for us to be with her, and depending on the situation, we might not be recognized as the ¡°Hero Party¡±. If we change the position or profession of the hero so much, I don¡¯t know what kind of impact it will have on the world in the future. I want to try my best without compromise there. ¡°Eda-san, huh? Wow¡­ you look like an adult woman! But if you¡¯re Ed-san¡¯s sister, that means you¡¯re younger than Tia-san, right?¡± ¡°We-well, yeah. I¡¯m 18 years old, I guess.¡± ¡°Really? Do you think I can be as voluptuous as you in four more years?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ hard to say? But Rain, you¡¯re fine just the way you are. It¡¯s fine to naturally get bigger, but everyone has their own preferences, so there¡¯s no need to be envious.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a mature comment¡­ But usually, the people who say that are aware that they are on the ¡®having¡¯ side, so it¡¯s a little irritating!¡± ¡°Oh, uh. Sorry about that.¡± With a good smile, she spat out a light poison, and I unintentionally apologized. As expected of the hero, she¡¯s still got guts. By the way, I initially thought about speaking in feminine language, but I quickly gave up. Changing my language use won¡¯t help but feel odd, and above all, I¡¯m not in disguise but in transformation¡­ in other words, I¡¯m in a real woman¡¯s body. So, regardless of how my tone was, the fact that I was a woman didn¡¯t change, and there¡¯s nothing to be exposed that I¡¯m actually a man. So, it¡¯s easier to do what you want from the start. ¡°So, now that we know that Eda-san is a super cool older sister, is it okay if I just show you two around today? Eda-san, you live here, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry about that. It¡¯s fate that we met, and I¡­ well, you know. I¡¯ve been a little down and holed up in the inn, so I actually don¡¯t know much about this town.¡± ¡°So, Rain-chan will show us around the town in the morning, and after we have lunch, we¡¯ll listen to her song in the afternoon¡­ that¡¯s okay, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, no problem. I¡¯ve got the practice venue secured¡­ thanks to my brother.¡± The inn I¡¯m staying at has a practice venue in its chain of businesses. So, it was easy to rent if I just asked the landlady. Of course, it also helps that I paid a generous deposit. But I have money, so it¡¯s much better than competing over cheap places. This is where my knowledge from the first round comes in handy. ¡°Understood! If both of you are okay with that, I¡¯ll show you around the town to make up for yesterday¡¯s pancakes! And I¡¯ll also sing!¡± ¡°Fufu, I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± Tia gave a cheerful smile to the spirited Rain. And so we went around the town¡­ In reality, we just went to a bunch of clothing stores, got dressed up to the point of exhaustion¡­ Had a quick lunch at a stall, and then in the afternoon. ¡°Wow! It¡¯s so spacious and beautiful!¡± The place I brought Rain to was a quite large practice room, about 5 meters vertically, 10 meters horizontally, and 3 meters high, with one wall fully mirrored. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen such a spacious and beautiful practice room since the audition! Um, is the usage fee¡­ very high?¡± Rain looked at me hesitantly, her bubbly mood changed, and I replied with a wry smile. ¡°Hahaha, don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s just the money my brother paid.¡± ¡°Eh? Eda-san, won¡¯t your brother stab you in the back one day?¡± ¡°No way! What do you think my brother is!?¡± In reality, I¡¯m both, so I can¡¯t stab myself even if I want to. By the way, the fee is one silver coin per hour, and I rented it for three hours. It¡¯s about ten times the price at cheaper places¡­ But frankly, it¡¯s really a small amount for the Hero Party¡¯s activity funds. Even buying a simple healing potion would easily cost a silver coin. ¡°Anyway, this place has perfect soundproofing, so you can sing as loud as you want. I¡¯m really looking forward to hearing your beautiful voice.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been looking forward to it since yesterday, and now I can finally listen!¡± ¡°Wh-what!? I¡­ I¡¯m not so sure it¡¯s worth all that anticipation¡­ hehehe.¡± Upon hearing Tia¡¯s and my words, Rain blushed in embarrassment. But she quickly pulled herself together, turned her back to the mirror¡­ meaning she faced us, and stood tall and straight. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that the song I¡¯m going to sing in this magnificent practice room is by a country girl like me¡­ but please, listen.¡± Rain crossed her hands in front of her chest and closed her eyes. With her body in a prayer-like posture, she took a deep breath, opened her mouth¨C and in that moment, the world changed. ¡°Sleep, sleep, child of gold. Drooping ears of rice, drooping eyes. Sleep, sleep, to the sound of the chisel. Nodding off, striking the hammer. If it¡¯s sunny tomorrow, during harvest time, catch the running child. If it¡¯s rainy tomorrow, while staying indoors, cradle the fussy child in your arms. Sleep, sleep, precious jewel. Beyond the moon, the sun rises. Sleep, sleep, peacefully, until tomorrow.¡± It was just a simple, rustic lullaby. But beyond that singing voice, I saw my mother¡­ actually, a smile and warmth that shouldn¡¯t exist. And I guess Tia saw the same. I glanced at her, and a tear was spilling from her eyes. Ah, this is it. This is the true value of the Hero Rain, a popular idol and an idol to adore. It¡¯s a genuine miracle that shakes the hearts, the souls of those who listen. It¡¯s not that the idols we saw yesterday were bad¡­ but this is on a different level. ¡°Ehehe, how was it¡­ wait, why are you crying!? Eh, was my song that bad!?¡± ¡°Eh!? N-no, that¡¯s not it! It was just so wonderful, it moved me. Rain-chan, you¡¯re very good!¡± "" ¡°Ah, it¡¯s something. With this, you could seriously aim for the world.¡± ¡°Eeh? That¡¯s too much, even for flattery! Uu¡­¡± To our thunderous applause, Rain blushed even more than before and squirmed. Hm, it seems that the Hero Rain¡¯s talent isn¡¯t gone. In that case¡­ ¡°This is harder than I thought.¡± ¡°? What is, Eda-san?¡± ¡°Of course, the way to make Rain an idol.¡± ¡°Eh? Really? But she sings so well, she could become one right away, right?¡± To Tia, who looked at me with genuine confusion, I could only respond with a wry smile. ¡°Hey Tia, do you get it? To be an idol, you need to be a trio¡­ or else it won¡¯t work.¡± ¡°That is¡­ oh.¡± ¡°Eh, what do you mean?¡± Tia, who had just realized, gasped, and Rain, who hadn¡¯t, looked puzzled. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t realize¡­ and even if she did, she wouldn¡¯t know what to do about it. ¡°The point is, Rain¡¯s singing is too good.¡± Therefore, all I could do was tell her this with a bitter smile. Author¡¯s Note: There¡¯s of course a melody to this song as well. I managed to compose it quite well, so if it ever gets turned into an anime or something, I¡¯d love for you to hear it (lol). T/N: I sure as hell want an anime of this. CH 235 ¡°Uh, too good¡­you say!? Not too bad?¡± ¡°No, no matter how you hear it, it can¡¯t be considered bad¡­ That¡¯s why no one wanted to form a group with you.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t you get a group if you¡¯re too good!? I don¡¯t quite understand¡­¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll explain it now.¡± As Rain tilted her head like a small animal, I continued talking with a bitter expression on my face. ¡°There is no problem with you performing as an idol, neither now nor in the past. If you¡¯re that good, you¡¯d easily pass an audition¡­ oh, by the way, did you perform your song at the audition where you failed?¡± ¡°No, since I couldn¡¯t gather three people, I was kicked out of the venue before I could even participate¡­¡± Seeing Rain¡¯s downcast expression, I nodded. ¡°Figures. If they had heard you, they would have forcefully paired you up with two random people to form an idol group. Your singing is that good, and for you personally, there¡¯s no problem. The problem is¡­ the other idols.¡± ¡°The other idols, you say?¡± ¡°Right. It wasn¡¯t until this year that they started requiring groups of three, so until last year, it was okay to be a solo idol, right? If it was that time, it would have been fine. Even if you became a super popular idol, the others could still compete in areas like dancing or comedy that don¡¯t overlap with you, or they could just go somewhere far away where you aren¡¯t active. There would still be scenarios where they could see themselves succeeding as idols. But it¡¯s different when it comes to forming a group of three. They¡¯ll always have to act with you, and when you sing, they will have to sing too. Even if they¡¯re not singing, they might have to dance in the background, but either way, the outcome is the same.¡± ¡°So, they¡¯re completely relegated to the sidelines.¡± At Tia¡¯s troubled remark, I gave a wry smile and nod. ¡°That¡¯s right. When you¡¯re this good at singing, if you act together, the remaining two members of the group will inevitably become side characters. Everyone coming in hoping to shine and wanting to be an idol, wouldn¡¯t want to join a group where they¡¯re destined to be a side character.¡± ¡°But¡­ I didn¡¯t intend to¡­¡± ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter what you intend.¡± Rain looked dejected, her shoulders dropping in shock, but there¡¯s nothing that can be done about this fact. ¡°So, do I have to deliberately sing poorly to become an idol¡­?¡± ¡°No, not at all. As a matter of fact, you¡¯re quite lucky.¡± But even for inescapable facts, there are loopholes. Knowing this, I smirk. ¡°All you need are two aspiring idols who are okay with being side characters. And those two¡­ are right in front of you now, Rain.¡± ¡°Eh¡­!?¡± ¡°Hey, Tia. Do you want to become the world¡¯s number one idol?¡± ¡°Me? Hmm, being an idol seems fun, so I wouldn¡¯t mind trying it out, and I don¡¯t intend to slack off if I do, but I don¡¯t have that kind of passion. I have other things to do.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. And although I once aspired to be an idol myself¡­ There are other things I need to prioritize. So for me, being an idol is a ¡°serious hobby. So, Rain. If you want to seriously, seriously be an idol¡­ won¡¯t you take our hands? Until someone who is seriously, seriously striving to become an idol with you appears, we¡¯ll help you out.¡± With that, I extended my hand to Rain. Immediately next to me, Tia came over and extended her hand just like me. Rain looked at us with a worried expression, her gaze alternating between the two of us. ¡°Um, why are you being so nice to me? We just met yesterday, and we hardly know each other¡­¡± ¡°Haha, time doesn¡¯t matter. After all, Rain, you were trying to form a group with strangers you met at the audition venue, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll get to know each other as we go along. I also plan to get to know what kind of girl Rain-chan really is, bit by bit. ¡°So, this is the first step. Or would you rather not with me and Ed¡­no, Eda?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it! But, I¡­¡± Rain¡¯s small hand hesitated, reaching out and retracting. As she said, it¡¯s natural to hesitate and think when suddenly being asked to make a life-changing decision by two people she just met yesterday, who are considerably older than her. And if we were really serious about walking down the path to being idols with Rain, we should probably wait for her decision here. But that¡¯s not it. Before she reaches the top, Tia and I will likely disappear from this world. That¡¯s why I forcibly grabbed Rain¡¯s hand as she began to withdraw. ¡°Hehe, got you! Nice to meet you, Rain.¡± ¡°Oh, then me too! Nice to meet you, Rain-chan!¡± "" ¡°Eh!? You two are cheating! I was still hesitating¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. This is a decision we pushed onto you. So, you don¡¯t have to feel responsible for anything, and if you find someone better, feel free to cut us off without feeling guilty. ¡°So, let¡¯s just take it easy for now. After all, we can¡¯t even start the conversation if we don¡¯t form a group of three.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Even if you¡¯re aiming to be the best, it¡¯s important to start having fun and get the feel of it, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Uhm, I feel like I¡¯m pushing all the unpleasant things onto the two of you¡­ But you¡¯re right, if I miss this opportunity, I feel like my idol life will never start. So, Nice to meet you!¡± Somewhat forced by us, Rain tightened her grip on our hands. Her decisiveness was one of her good points. ¡°Ah, but can I at least see your potential as idols, like your singing and dancing skills?¡± ¡°Sure. So, shall I start first? Is that okay, Eda?¡± ¡°Go ahead, go ahead.¡± ¡°Okay then, Number two Lunaritia will sing now!¡± Being considerate, Tia started to sing before me. Her fun, bouncing singing voice was enjoyable to listen to, and I can¡¯t help but sway to it. After finishing her song, Tia bowed slightly, and Rain and I greeted her with applause. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s amazing, Tia-san! It was a very fun song!¡± ¡°I know, right? You can really sing.¡± ¡°Fufu, well, I can do it to some extent. Now it¡¯s Eda¡¯s turn but¡­¡± The gaze Tia directed at me clearly showed her concern. And her worries were valid. I don¡¯t sing unless I¡¯m drunk. But, I have the banishment skill. If I can utilize this¡­ ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right, Eda. For the first time¡­ just sing normally, okay?¡± ¡°¡­Huh, why?¡± ¡°Because if we don¡¯t know how well you can sing normally, we can¡¯t decide on the future training strategy.¡± ¡°? I don¡¯t quite understand, but if you have a special way of singing, can you sing it separately for me? The reason is the same as Tia-san¡¯s.¡± ¡°Oh, I see¡­¡± Faced with the most reasonable argument, I am cornered in an instant. Singing. Normal singing¡­ what¡¯s normal singing? In the first place, the songs I can sing¡­ ¡°Erm¡­ well, I¡¯ll sing¡­¡± Having made up my mind, I sing a song that a drunkard would sing at a bar while sober. Well, it¡¯s not suitable for children, or rather, it¡¯s not a song suitable to be sung in public, but this was the only one that came to my mind on the spot. After finishing the song¡­ ¡°Erm¡­ well, that¡¯s it! The lyrics were a bit questionable, but the song itself was normal, wasn¡¯t it? Right, Rain-chan?¡± ¡°Eh!? Ah, yes. That¡¯s right. It was just like the song my grandfather sings when he¡¯s drunk!¡± ¡°Hahaha, I see¡­¡± Faced with the desperate praise of the two kind people, I too desperately force a smile on my face. (T/N: For july I¡¯ll mass upload chapters at the end of each week. I will resume the usual schedule after end sems) CH 236 Let me clarify one thing. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m bad at singing. Putting Rain in a separate category, it¡¯s only because Tia¡¯s singing was better than I expected, which relatively made me sound terrible. I just want to emphasize that my singing ability is at a general level¡­ Well, if you say it¡¯s only at a general level, that¡¯s what it is. ¡°¡­Alright, let¡¯s dance. In such times, let¡¯s move our bodies.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, but how does an idol dance? Even if you tell me it¡¯s like the stage we saw yesterday, I don¡¯t remember it, you know?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± When asked by Tia again, I directed my gaze towards Rain. Sensing this, Rain frantically waved her hands in front of her face. ¡°No, no, no, no, I don¡¯t know the details either!? Sure, I¡¯ve seen idol dances many times, but they all had different dances¡­¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. So, we do need someone to teach us after all.¡± From the beginning, it was obvious that we would need a coach to become idols. Just singing aimlessly and moving our bodies here won¡¯t make us idols for life. ¡°A coach, huh. If we passed the audition, we were supposed to be introduced to someone like that¡­¡± ¡°But that¡¯s meaningless, right? So, who teaches the kids who go to the auditions?¡± ¡°There are quite a few people who would teach if paid a coaching fee. But famous teachers have high fees, and their schedules are so full that we couldn¡¯t possibly ask them. Even if we suddenly ask and they accept, I have a feeling they might not be up to par¡­¡± ¡°I understand how you feel, but at this point, can we afford to be choosy?¡± Tia threw sensible words at Rain, who was making a troubled face. But¡­ ¡°Hehehe¡­¡± ¡°Uwah, why is Eda-san laughing so sinisterly?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it because she has an idea when she makes a face like that?¡± ¡°Ah, leave it to me. I have a little idea.¡± In the first round, Rain, who was already an idol, naturally had a coach. He was top-notch, so we couldn¡¯t hire him even if we had money or connections¡­ That¡¯s why there¡¯s a workaround. ¡°I think I can introduce you to him by tomorrow, so can you come here again tomorrow morning?¡± ¡°Me? Sure, I have nothing else to do but mope in that back alley.¡± ¡°Eh, you were still planning on doing that!?¡± ¡°Of course! Once I start, it feels wrong if I don¡¯t see it through.¡± ¡°I think you should use that diligence in a different direction though¡­¡± Tia let out an exasperated voice at Rain¡¯s light-hearted remark. After that, we left the practice place for the time being, had dinner at the same restaurant as yesterday, and disbanded¡­ And the next morning. ¡°Alright, come in. Be quick about it.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I invited Rain into the same practice place as yesterday. There, a man tied to a chair was waiting. A middle-aged man in his forties with a shaved head, square glasses, and ridiculously flashy pink clothes, moved his mouth in surprise as he saw me come in. But, his voice can¡¯t be heard. It¡¯s because Tia¡¯s spirit magic was preventing the man¡¯s voice from leaking out. ¡°Um, Eda-san? What is this all about¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, this guy is going to be our coach.¡± ¡°Um, then why is he tied to a chair?¡± ¡°You see, I had to drag him here against his will. Mr. Johnny is a famous person who has nurtured many idols. Without doing this, he wouldn¡¯t even listen to us, right?¡± ¡°Eh¡­? Wait a minute, dragged here against his will¡­ that¡¯s like kidnapping¡­!?¡± ¡°Hahaha, don¡¯t sweat the small stuff.¡± ¡°I am sweating it! What are you doing Eda-san! This is totally a crime! Wha, wha, what should I do? Should I call the guards right now¡­ah, but, would I be arrested as an accomplice in this!? Ugh, I¡¯m sorry mom and dad¡­ Instead of becoming an idol, Rain became a kidnapper¡­¡± ¡°Calm down, it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t find a single thing that¡¯s okay¡­¡± Despite my words of reassurance, Rain collapsed on the spot, placing her hands on the floor. Hmm, it might be better to talk to the other side first. ¡°Sorry for causing any inconvenience, but just listen to our talk for now. So¡­ Tia, go ahead.¡± ¡°Alright. So, I¡¯m going to lift the spell, okay?¡± ¡°Wha¡­!? Oh, my voice is back¡­?¡± ¡°Hello, I apologize for any inconvenience caused, Johnny-san.¡± ¡°Seriously, do you even realize what you¡¯ve done?¡± ¡°Of course. But please understand. The only way I could think of to get a renowned coach like Johnny-san¡¯s attention was to do this.¡± ¡°Hmm! So? From what I gather, you don¡¯t want ransom or to pressure other idols with my power, you have a child you want me to coach?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. In fact¡ª¡± ¡°No!¡± Johnny firmly refused even before I could introduce Rain, who was still squatting on the floor. ¡°Think about it sensibly! Sneaking into someone¡¯s house in the middle of the night, kidnapping them, and then having them coach an idol under such circumstances? That¡¯s ridiculous! Besides, it¡¯s a waste of effort.¡± ¡°A waste of effort, you say?¡± ¡°Because if you had to go this far to get noticed by me, then that means the talent of the person in question must be mediocre at best. Sure, every person I¡¯ve trained has become a top-class idol. But that¡¯s only because they had talent that could shine if polished. No matter how much effort you put into someone without talent, they can only achieve results commensurate with their talent. Well, I do have some power. I can forcefully push someone up to a certain status level through my connections¡­¡± He paused his words and turned a mocking gaze at me. ¡°The public may be gullible, but they¡¯re not stupid. Popularity and trends can be manipulated, but such things don¡¯t last long. If this is just about making memories for some noble, then that¡¯s sufficient. But if you¡¯ve gone so far as to kidnap me, it must mean that you¡¯re not connected to the nobility, right? In that case, you should give up now because it¡¯s just pathetic. If you let me go right now, I¡¯ll see to it that you only have to reflect on your actions in jail for three months.¡± I inwardly admired his seriousness towards being an idol despite the circumstances he was in. However, I couldn¡¯t just back down. ¡°My, my, thank you for your concern. But don¡¯t worry. The reason why Rain didn¡¯t catch your attention is not because she lacks talent.¡± ¡°Huh? Then what¡¯s the reason? Let me tell you, I watch all the idol auditions.¡± ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s the problem. Or rather, the rule that changed this year was the problem¡­¡± ¡°¡­Ah, I see.¡± At my words, he nodded in understanding and turned his eyes toward Rain, with a hint of pity. ¡°Indeed, the rule requiring a three-person group is ridiculous. But it was decided by the higher-ups, and there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. Moreover, if you couldn¡¯t form a three-person group, it just means you¡¯re not upto the required level. If a child can¡¯t attract even two of their own family members, they certainly can¡¯t move the hearts of tens of thousands of people.¡± ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s faster to have you listen to her rather than talking about it. Hey, Rain, are you ready?¡± ¡°¡­Huh!? Eda-san, I feel like I am having a bad dream¡­ This isn¡¯t a dream, right!?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not important right now. Can you sing a song for us? The same one as yesterday would be fine.¡± ¡°Um, okay¡­ I feel like I¡¯m already too involved to turn back now, so I¡¯ll at least sing¡­¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯m counting on you. Johnny-san, please listen first. This is our recommended¡­ idol who will change the world.¡± ¡°Hmph! That¡¯s quite a big mouth you have there. Well, fine. I¡¯ll listen.¡± Rain began to sing in front of Johnny, who was still seated. From that moment on, his once dismissive expression changes moment by moment. Johnny was a well-known figure. Therefore, he only meets with first-class individuals, brushing off those of second or third class. Or maybe, if someone is super first-class, he might even reach out to them. But what if there was someone who far surpasses even the super first-class in talent? A person who, without boasting, but as a matter of course, overshadows everything and everyone else? The answer is right in front of me. ¡°¡­So, what do you think?¡± ¡°I want¡ª¡± With a troubled look on her face after finishing her song, Johnny threw a hoarse voice at Rain. His eyes were brimming with tears, but they were unblinkingly staring straight at Rain. ¡°Please let me coach you! I will dedicate everything I have to polishing you!¡± Begging to be allowed to coach. With Johnny in such a state, I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle inwardly at how things had gone exactly as planned. CH 237 ¡°I can¡¯t believe I, of all people, overlooked such a talent¡­ It¡¯s all because of the church meddling and making senseless rules. What¡¯s all this about divine prophecy? Modern idols should be more closely associated with the public, a down-to-earth existence! But they keep invoking divine will indefinitely¡­ grumble grumble.¡± After hearing Rain¡¯s song, Johnny began to mutter to himself with such fervor that his chair rattled. Feeling like things might get out of hand if I left him alone, I called out to him. ¡°Um, Johnny-san?¡± ¡°Hm? What is it? Oh right! Quickly, release me! I no longer have any intention of turning you in to the guards. No, considering that you introduced me to this girl, I should probably even thank you.¡± ¡°Understood. Then, I¡¯ll untie you now.¡± I moved behind Johnny and cut the ropes binding his hands and feet. Johnny stood up from the chair, rolling his wrists to check his condition. ¡°Phew, finally free¡­ But it¡¯s really a good thing. If someone other than me had recognized her talent, but if she had fallen into the wrong hands and had been corrupted or crushed, or if she had given up on her idol dream without anyone noticing, it would have been a loss to the industry¡­ no, to the world! Don¡¯t worry. This girl¡­ Rain-chan, was it? I¡¯ll raise her to be the best idol with my guidance. But then, the problem becomes the remaining two members¡­¡± ¡°Ah, about that, I was thinking that Tia and I could fill in for those two, what do you think?¡± ¡°¡­You two?¡± At my proposal, Johnny looked at Tia and me alternately with a puzzled expression. However, she soon sighed lightly and sat back down in her chair. ¡°Phew, alright. Then, show me what you two can do.¡± ¡°Understood. Tia, you go first.¡± "" ¡°Okay. I just need to sing the same song as before, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Okay. Then, I¡¯ll sing.¡± With that, Tia began to sing as well. It was a folk song passed down among elves, and the unique rhythm and simple yet expansive melody carried by Tia¡¯s clear voice echoed in the room. Before I knew it, I found myself swaying to the music. But next to me, Johnny was watching Tia with a serious expression, listening to her song. And when she finished, he gave his evaluation with his chin in his hand. ¡°Hmm¡­ it¡¯s so-so.¡± ¡°So-so¡­ should I be happy with that?¡± ¡°Why not? At least you were complimented, right? Isn¡¯t that right, Johnny-san?¡± ¡°Yes. I think she can at least reach the level of a top-tier idol. But she seems¡­ difficult.¡± ¡°Um, is there a problem?¡± I had never thought about whether Tia was suited to be an idol, so I asked Johnny with anxiety. He frowned in response. ¡°There are some kids who just don¡¯t do well with coaching. And this girl is definitely one of those. She¡¯s naturally talented, but if you try to polish it, it gets rough, and if you try to shape it, it breaks. So, this girl will have to bring out her talent on her own. Of course, I can provide basic training, but beyond that, it¡¯s up to her. In that sense, I think reaching the top half of the industry is her limit.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°Huh. I didn¡¯t know I was like that.¡± Tia and I were both satisfied with Johnny¡¯s explanation. It¡¯s true that Tia¡¯s charm lies in her naturalness, and I don¡¯t think she would do well with standardized movements. Even though I was the one who brought him here, I have to admit that professionals are amazing, to understand Tia¡¯s personality in such a short time, even without having a skill like mine. ¡°Now, it¡¯s your turn.¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Eda, good luck!¡± ¡°Good luck, Eda-san!¡± And then came my turn, which I would have rather forgotten. With Tia and Rain cheering me on, I resigned myself and sang a song. Ugh, Johnny¡¯s gaze as he watched me was so intense¡­ ¡°¡­Well, that¡¯s how it is.¡± ¡°¡­I think you could barely make it to second-tier.¡± Johnny, making a bitter face, said so and shook his head while holding it. That¡¯s okay, I knew it¡­ wait, huh? ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Johnny-san!? W-What is it!?¡± For some reason, Johnny stood up and leaned in close to me. The face of a man in his forties coming so close that I could feel his breath is frankly terrifying. ¡°It¡¯s just odd. From your song and behavior, I understand that if I were to sell you, it would be as a rough and wild character¡­ covering up your poor singing with flashy movements and provocative words to lure the audience, but I see something different within you.¡± ¡°Something different, you say?¡± ¡°Yes. I catch glimpses of a little devil-like girl who maximizes the use of your body, draws people in with flattering behavior and calculated poses. If I could bring out that part of you, I feel like you could aim for the top-tier, if not the super first-class¡­¡± ¡°Ugh!?¡± Could it be¡­ he saw through to my Last form!? It¡¯s true, this body was created by reproducing Last¡¯s body, and if I imitate her behavior, I could literally captivate male fans¡­ ¡°No, no, no, no! That must be a misunderstanding, Johnny-san! Look, I¡¯m absolutely not suited for that!¡± ¡°¡­Right. I did overlook a great girl like Rain-chan, maybe I¡¯m a bit tired.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s probably because I forcibly brought you here, you¡¯re suffering from mental fatigue! But more importantly, how were the two of us?¡± There¡¯s no way I can imitate Last in any sense, and I don¡¯t want to. As I forcibly change the subject, Johnny¡¯s expression instantly hardens. ¡°I¡¯ll be clear at this point, no matter how hard you two try, you won¡¯t be able to match up with Rain-chan. No, as far as I know, there¡¯s not a single girl who can match up with Rain-chan. So if you two are to form a trio¡­ no matter how hard you two try, you¡¯ll just end up as support for Rain-chan. Especially you. Your name is¡­¡± ¡°You mean me? Edd¡­ no, it¡¯s Eda. And the girl over there is Lunaritia.¡± ¡°Eda and Lunaritia, huh. If it¡¯s Lunaritia-chan, she might have a chance to rise to the top through Rain-chan.. But you¡¯ll end up just as a supporting role. It¡¯s probably a more miserable future than not becoming an idol. You¡¯ll be talked about as a comparison for the ¡°lowest¡±, ridiculed by various people and referred to as ¡°better than that guy¡±. Are you prepared to accept that?¡± Johnny strikes with reality, straightforwardly and without sugarcoating it. But that attitude is the main reason I wanted to entrust Rain to him. That¡¯s why I can answer with a smile. ¡°Of course. Tia and I aim to make Rain, who is truly amazing and seriously aiming to be an idol, a real idol. So it¡¯s okay for us to just be a stepping stone. If a more suitable girl is found, we won¡¯t complain if we¡¯re replaced on the spot. Right, Tia?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s what we planned from the beginning, and it¡¯s enough if we can enjoy the time until that happens.¡± ¡°Eda-san, Tia-san¡­¡± We reiterated the promise we once made. As we did so, Rain looked at us with moist eyes¡­ and then Johnny flashed an unsettling grin. ¡°Good. That¡¯s good. I¡¯ve raised many idols so far, but there hasn¡¯t been a single one who was ready to be thrown away from the start. Of course, anyone who aims to be an idol wants to be number one. But you two aren¡¯t like that. And I can tell that you¡¯re not lying or trying to brush it off. Hahaha, it¡¯s good, it¡¯s interesting!¡± Johnny, who stood up with a thump, clenched his fist in front of his chest. His eyes were burning with passion, and he looked around at the three of us with a challenging grin. ¡°I got it. Then I, I will make Rain-chan the best idol! And to that end, I will train you two to be the best stepping stones! Our first goal is¡­ top acceptance at the audition in three months! To achieve that, we¡¯ll start intensive training from tomorrow, so all three of you, be prepared! I won¡¯t tolerate any compromise or laziness!¡± ¡°Y-Yes! We¡¯ll do our best!¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s work hard!¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do our best!¡± Rain, who was a mix of nervousness and excitement at the sight of the fired-up Johnny, straightens her back and responds, followed by Tia and me with a smile. Hmm, it feels quite different from the original plan¡­ Well, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll go along with it. I don¡¯t know if this is by God¡¯s will or not, but anyway, for the first time in my life, I am about to undergo training to become an idol. CH 238 The days of training that began from there were incredibly tough. I mean, of course it would be. I hadn¡¯t had any singing training even back when I was The Demon King Of The End. If the me from that time had tried to sing, it would probably have turned into a song of destruction. ¡°Right there! Tuck in your chin and straighten your back! Be aware of the flow of sound through your body!¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± What the heck is a flow of sound¡­? Regardless, I continue my training as instructed. Sure enough, I could feel my singing improving quite easily. Johnny-san stated with a bemused face, ¡°Well, it¡¯s just that you started from such a low point that the improvement is noticeable,¡± but that kind of progress made even grueling training enjoyable. Additionally, I received instruction on dancing as well, but it wasn¡¯t something to be taken lightly either. As a swordsman, I had some familiarity with movement, but my body, as a 20-year-old who hadn¡¯t been extensively trained¡­ and now having transformed into a woman, was feeling quite different. We had been paying for a room for the three of us, Eda, Tia, and I, and while I have been regularly transforming back into a man¡­ let¡¯s say, it¡¯s scary to get too used to it, so it¡¯s probably best to maintain some sense of discomfort. Yes, it¡¯s not good to think too deeply about this. Speaking of which, Rain, who could even be called a genius when it comes to singing, was a complete novice when it came to dancing. Although she had physical strength due to her countryside life, and could move around just fine, we both suffered from muscle soreness from overusing muscles that we don¡¯t typically use. By the way, the reason Tia was fine was probably because she danced a lot at Donatella¡¯s place. Unlike me, even after being reverted back, her body after defeating the Demon King as a member of the Hero¡¯s Party was fundamentally different in basic physical abilities. ¡°Fufu, Eda and Rain-chan still have a long way to go, huh?¡± ¡°Ugh, my whole body hurts¡­¡± ¡°Damn, if only it were my original body¡­¡± ¡°Come on, there¡¯s no time to rest! No, I¡¯ll make sure you rest when it¡¯s time to rest, but now is the time to push! Get up! One more time!¡± ¡°¡±Yes, yes¡­¡±¡± ¡°Yes!¡± At Johnny-san¡¯s merciless words, Rain and I, wobbly, got up, and Tia energetically raised her hand. That being said, we were making steady progress day by day, and before we knew it, our muscle pain had disappeared, and the time it took us to become breathless after singing and dancing for long periods was gradually getting shorter. And finally¡­ the day of destiny arrived for us. ¡°So, it¡¯s finally here¡­¡± A ridiculously large and dazzling building that could easily be mistaken for a noble¡¯s mansion. This was a facility that handled all administrative procedures related to idols in this town, and it was also the venue for the selection meeting. During the first round, I visited here many times to deal with tedious paperwork¡­ I never dreamt I would come here to become an idol. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m nervous¡­¡± ¡°Oh, but you¡¯ve been here before, haven¡¯t you, Rain-chan? How was it then?¡± ¡°I think I was fearless back then because I was ignorant of the world. But now that I know more¡­¡± ¡°Haha, well, it does seem all shiny and sparkly from the outside, huh.¡± Just because the exterior was glamorous didn¡¯t mean the inner workings were dreamy as well. Perhaps because Johnny-san was considering our becoming idols as a done deal, he told us a lot about the darker side. The raw competition, politics, economics, underhanded dealings related to religion. He probably told us all about things we didn¡¯t need to know, anticipating that Rain will definitely rise to the top, and once she does, she can¡¯t escape these kinds of stories. I¡¯ve had various experiences in the first round, but even so, there were so many horrifying stories I hadn¡¯t known about. Rain was quite frightened and Tia and I, who were used to rough situations, were okay. But even then, Rain did not give up on becoming an idol. She confronted her dream of making it a reality, replacing her admiration with reality. Standing next to me now was not just a simple girl who came from the countryside. That was very reassuring¡­ but also a little lonely. ¡°Hey, cheer up, Rain! This is just a checkpoint. If you¡¯re nervous here, you can¡¯t stand on the big stage!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We practiced so much, we should breeze through this!¡± ¡°What?! Yes, you¡¯re right. For Johnny-san, who taught me, I¡¯ll pass with spirit!¡± ¡°Johnny-sama?¡± As Rain rallied herself in response to Tia and my encouragement, a voice suddenly called out from behind us. We turned around and found a girl with dazzling, gorgeous golden hair. She seemed to be around Rain¡¯s age or slightly older, a beauty with sharp eyes. ¡°You just said that you were taught by Johnny-sama, right? Could it be that you¡¯re the candidates who have been taught by Johnny-sama?¡± ¡°? Yes, we are. But, who might you be?¡± ¡°Oh my! You don¡¯t know who I am? How ignorant can you be! This is why I can¡¯t stand country girls¡­¡± ¡°Um, Ojou-sama? It¡¯s natural that you were not recognized yet since you¡¯re still an ordinary person, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, I thought we were in trouble when we suddenly had to go back to the mansion because you didn¡¯t know the rule that the idol group must consist of three people.¡± ¡±Be quiet!¡± To the left and right of the blonde girl, two women, who seemed to be a bit older, were perfectly dressed in black suits. Wait, what did they just say¡­? ¡°Hey, by any chance, did you also fail in the previous selection?¡± ¡°Failed!? There¡¯s no way! It¡¯s just that people without discernment couldn¡¯t understand the fact that I alone have the charm surpassing that of an ordinary idol group of three¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible¡­¡± I can¡¯t help but smirk at the young lady¡¯s exasperated claims. If that were the case, Rain, who sings better than a hundred ordinary idols put together, would have already become an idol. ¡°Huh? But doesn¡¯t Rain-chan know? You were in the same place, right?¡± ¡°Um¡­I should, but I can¡¯t remember¡­ I think I wouldn¡¯t forget if I met such a noticeable person.¡± ¡°Ah, that can¡¯t be helped. Ojou-sama said, ¡°The protagonist always arrives late!¡± and entered the venue late, only to be told the aforementioned condition and returned to the mansion, crying.¡± ¡°Ah, I see¡­¡± Upon hearing the words of one of the accompanying women, I looked at the young lady while understanding the situation. The lady herself was vigorously protesting, ¡°I didn¡¯t cry!¡± but her attendant calmly¡­ or rather, expressionlessly let it slide. So she¡¯s always like this¡­ ¡°Anyway! I can¡¯t lose to someone as tiny as you, someone as vulgar as you, or someone with¡­uh¡­¡± The young lady¡¯s gaze moved from Rain to me, and got stuck when she looked at Tia last. Tia¡¯s appearance was very cute, so she probably can¡¯t think of a good insult. ¡°¡­Ha!? Ears! I can¡¯t lose to someone with such long ears! I don¡¯t know how you deceived Johnny-sama, but it¡¯s the same if the person themselves lacks skill, no matter how excellent their instructor is! Watch me pass and top this with your fingers in your mouth!¡± With a sharp gesture, the young lady and her entourage walked away from us. Left behind, an awkward atmosphere flowed among us. By the way, having long ears is the same as being tall or having long legs, so Tia shouldn¡¯t feel insulted. And as for me, even if the body of the Demon King Last, who was the embodiment of vulgarity, was harshly criticized as vulgar, I just think, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right,¡± so I don¡¯t care at all. ¡°What was that person all about?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Well, there¡¯s no need to worry about it.¡± ¡°Grr, tiny¡­if only it were next year¡­¡± ¡°No, I think Rain will still be small even next year?¡± ¡°Hawha!? How could you say such a thing! Just because you have.. hey!¡± ¡°Stop, don¡¯t grope! Stop it!¡± I peeled Rain¡¯s hand away with all seriousness as she angrily groped my chest. Having my chest groped by a girl while in a woman¡¯s body evoked some unplaceable emotion in me and it troubled me. "" ¡°Hey, don¡¯t do stupid things, let¡¯s check in quickly! Or do you want to act like a big shot and show up last like the young lady just now? You¡¯d stand out a lot!¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want that! Tia-san, Eda-san, let¡¯s go quickly!¡± ¡°Okay okay, don¡¯t trip¡­Fufu. Well then Eda, let¡¯s go too.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± It seems there will be some turbulence on the way to a smooth pass¡­but anyway, we followed the bouncing Rain and went into the building to check in for the audition. CH 239 ¡°Wow! I thought it was big when I saw it from outside, but it¡¯s really spacious inside, isn¡¯t it?¡± Upon arriving at the audition venue, Tia, who was visiting for the first time, exclaimed in awe. Contrary to the exterior, the interior wasn¡¯t particularly decorated, but it was as large as a ballroom in a castle, with about one-third of the back area elevated as a stage. In the venue, besides us, there was only the young lady from before. The young lady gave us a fleeting look, didn¡¯t say anything, and we waited for a while. Soon other participants gathered, and when the judges arrived, the audition finally started. ¡°We will now commence the mid-term idol selection event in the Krein region of the Kingdom of Rigalaha. First up¡­ group name ¡°Iris¡±, please step forward.¡± ¡°Us!? Y-Yes!¡± ¡°Do you have a song preference?¡± ¡°Um, could we have ¡®Memory of You¡¯ by Stevia, please?¡± In response to the judge¡¯s question, one of them answered. Immediately, music began to play from a magical device placed at the side of the stage, and the trio, who had introduced themselves as Iris, began to sing. ¡°Huh, so this is how auditions are held. I wonder how they decide the order of calling?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Whether it¡¯s deliberate or random¡­ Anyway, we just have to go when we¡¯re called.¡± We had no idea when we would be called. However, there were only five groups this time, so it wouldn¡¯t take long. There were around 30 people in the first round¡­ Well, technically there were 15 people this time. While I was thinking about this, the first group¡¯s performance ended. The five judges gave a scattered applause, and one of them in the center addressed the girls. ¡°Thank you. Now, next-¡° ¡°Excuse me! Will you¡­tell us if we passed or not?¡± ¡°We will announce that after everyone has finished. Now, next¡­ Noble Boys, please step forward.¡± ¡°Roger!¡± Next up was a trio of men. After them, another trio of women, and the fourth to be called was¡­ ¡°Next up, ¡®Eliza and Her Merry Servants¡¯¡­please step forward.¡± ¡°Ohohohoho! Finally, our turn! Come, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes, Ojou-sama.¡± The young lady¡­ I guess her name is Eliza¡­ and her group went up on stage with a very fitting cackle. Then the music started¡­ Hm? ¡°? I haven¡¯t heard this before?¡± As part of Jonii¡¯s training, I¡¯ve listened to almost all the famous songs. But a completely unfamiliar song started playing, and Rain tilted her head as Eliza pointed at her with a triumphant look. ¡°Of course you haven¡¯t heard it! This is a song I had created just for me! You should feel honored to be able to enjoy my magnificent singing, making its debut here in the country! Now, let¡¯s go!¡± Along with her loud shout, the song begins. Eliza, dressed in a flouncing dress, moved with refined gestures and her clear high-pitched voice was quite beautiful. And that method¡­ ¡°Hey Eda. That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Yep, it¡¯s exactly what we were planning to do.¡± While Eliza was in a flouncy dress, the two on the side were dressed in something akin to a butler¡¯s outfit, which was not normally worn by women. By always standing next to Eliza, they artificially created a ¡®black¡¯ background, emphasizing Eliza¡¯s presence even more. It¡¯s a clear role division between the lead and supporting roles. It was the perfected form of the method that Tia and I had aimed for to make Rain stand out. As the song ended, not only the judges but also the supposed rival participants gave applause. Of course, Tia, Rain, and I were included in that. Especially Rain, her eyes were sparkling and she clapped her hands vigorously. ¡°That was amazing! Um¡­ Eliza-sama?¡± ¡°My name is Elizabeth! And you are¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m Rain! I¡¯m 14 years old!¡± ¡°I see. So, you¡¯re the lucky little girl who is being taught by Jonii-sama. What did you think of my performance?¡± ¡°It was the best! You were exactly like the idol I admire, so sparkling and dazzling!¡± Elizabeth grimaced slightly in response to Rain¡¯s straightforward expression of her admiration, which was in response to her slightly sarcastic comment. ¡°I-Is that so? Well, that¡¯s¡­ good, I guess. Hehe, I don¡¯t know about your skills, but it seems you have a good eye for people.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to be a great idol just like you, Elizabeth-san! So please watch me from there!¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t mind. There¡¯s no limit to the number of people, so whether you fail or pass won¡¯t change my success. In that case, I will enjoy watching your spectacle.¡± ¡°Yes! We will deliver a stage performance that we can be proud of, even with you as our audience!¡± I don¡¯t think she meant it that way, but there¡¯s no need to probe further if Rain is eager. And this Eliza¡­ this Miss Elizabeth doesn¡¯t seem like a bad person despite her slightly sharp behavior¡­ Rather, she seemed to genuinely have talent. It¡¯s a mystery why she didn¡¯t become an idol in the first round¡­ ¡°Finally, ¡®Rainbow Tia¡¯, please step forward.¡± ¡°Oh, they called us, Rain.¡± ¡°Yes! Well, I¡¯ll be going then, Elizabeth-san!¡± ¡°Fufufu, I can finally showcase the fruits of our practice.¡± We were called and we stepped up to the stage. It still feels strange to be standing here, having been the one looking from below or from the side¡­ But first, let¡¯s do what we need to do. ¡°The song is¡­ the one you submitted beforehand, right? Well, let¡¯s start!¡± About three seconds after the judge¡¯s words, music resounds throughout the venue. The rough tune doesn¡¯t suit Rain at all¡­ That¡¯s why I pushed Rain to the side and I took the center. ¡°Eh, isn¡¯t that kid the one singing!?¡± A surprised voice came from below the stage. When I turned to the owner of the voice, I smiled broadly and took a long look at the judge¡­ no, the audience¡¯s faces. ¡°Hahaha, surprised? But you see, a rainbow changes color. Depending on the time, everyone¡¯s the main character and the supporting character! First, listen to my burning song, from me, Eda Scarlet!¡± I shouted loudly and continued to sing with all my heart, flying around not only on the stage, but even outside of it. My singing ability was average. Therefore, instead of using technique, I used my loud voice to overwhelm the audience, and with flashy movements and proximity, I forcefully captured the hearts of the surprised and confused audience! ¡°In a world that¡¯s ending, a red hot rift in the sky! The black swirling, scorching storm! A furious exclamation in a distorted future! Now give us the last rites ¨C Tia!¡± ¡°Leave it to me!¡± With a snap of her fingers, as I stepped back, Tia stepped forward. The moment she did, the tune changed dramatically, and the intense, hot atmosphere felt like a sunlit forest. ¡°Second verse, Lunaritia Evergreen! Here we go everyone!¡± Along with her words, wind swirled around Tia and water swayed. She was using spirit magic to accompany her performance. While Tia sang, playing with the spirits, Rain joyfully played with the water maiden, and I chased after the fire lizard¡¯s breath, getting my eyebrows singed. Of course, all of that was part of the performance. ¡°The wind blowing through, swaying my hair, my feet naturally spring up. Where should I walk? The one pulling my hand is a green traveler -¡° The cheerful and bright tune gently loosened the hearts of the audience who were only overwhelmed before, and made them want to dance along. After Tia¡¯s song ended¡­ it was finally Rain¡¯s turn. ¡°Let¡¯s find a bright future ¨C finally, Rain-chan!¡± ¡°Leave it to me! Rain Skyblue! I¡¯ll sing!¡± The tune changed again, becoming calm and peaceful. What happens when Rain, who can turn even a common lullaby into a divine song, sings a song written just for her¡­ the answer is clear. ¡°Someday, someday, I dreamed. Walking with you, that path. Always, always, I felt it. With you, moving forward -¡° ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± At this point, neither Tia nor I did anything extra. We simply stood gently by Rain¡¯s side so as not to get in her way, occasionally sharing a glance and a smile, holding hands and gently swaying, not according to any set choreography but moving as our hearts were moved by the song. There were no flashy moves, no astonishing magic. Only the song, a song that shakes the soul, envelops everything in the world¡­ And such a time comes to an end before we know it. ¡°Someday, someday, we¡¯ll walk. The time when we meet. And then someday, again someday. I¡¯ll say it over and over, ¡®I am glad to meet you¡¯ ¨C Phew. Thank you very much!¡± The song stopped and as Rain finished singing, Tia and I also bowed our heads on stage. And what rained down on us after a few seconds of silence was an applause like a thunderous roar, more than one could imagine from less than twenty people. CH 240 ¡°Wow, what a wonderful song! It¡¯s undoubtedly a pass¡­ ah!¡± One of the judges finished clapping and said this, his excitement still apparent, before he frowned. The judging should be happening after this, so it might be bad to say such a thing at this point. Even so, there¡¯s no one here to loudly fault him for that. The other judges just gave wry smiles¡­ in other words, it means Rain¡¯s song was that wonderful. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll proceed with the deliberation from now on, so everyone, please wait here for a little longer. Let¡¯s call this a break for now.¡± With that, the judges quickly exit the room. Then, the other participants surged towards us who had stepped down from the stage. ¡°That was a wonderful song and performance! How on earth did you do it?¡± ¡°Um, would you like to have a meal with us later?¡± ¡°Fufu, as for the performance, it¡¯s a secret? As for the meal¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I have friends, so maybe another time.¡± Tia, who was being hit on by the only male participants, handles them with ease¡­ actually, she was used to this. It seems she was often flirted with in the previous world too. Well, she¡¯d be fine. There¡¯s no way anyone would aggressively hit on her in a place like this, and even if they did, there¡¯s no way Tia would lose. The problem lies rather with me. ¡°It was really wonderful!¡± ¡°O-Oh, thanks.¡± For some reason, one of the girls who first performed was fervently approaching me. But I was in a female body right now, so nothing weird should¨C ¡°Oh, that violent sound, the stimulating performance! I felt like I was being held tightly, I was really swooning! Um, Onee-sama? Would you like to have a meal together after this¡­?¡± ¡°O-Onee-sama!? Well, you see, I have a post-event celebration with my friends? So let¡¯s make it another time.¡± ¡°Next time!? Understood, I will do my best to become a girl suitable for Onee-sama for that occasion! What should I do, should I buy perfume? And sexy underwear too¡­¡± ¡°O-Oh?¡± Something is off, I feel like there¡¯s a mismatch. But the other two girls are making faces like ¡°well, that¡¯s a surprise¡±, and Tia was still talking with those guys from earlier, and Rain is¡­ hmm? ¡°Fufufu, how was it, Elizabeth-san!¡± Where my gaze went, a triumphant looking Rain was speaking to Elizabeth. But Elizabeth, who was spoken to, had a rather downcast expression. ¡°¡­ Yes, it was very wonderful.¡± ¡°Right! It was my first time singing at a place like this, but I thought I did well! With this, I won¡¯t lose to you, Elizabeth-san!¡± ¡°Lose to me, I am¡­¡± No, she¡¯s not just downcast. That resigned look is as if she¡¯s lost a battle and her spirit is broken. ¡°¡­ Indeed, Johnny-sama¡¯s eyes were correct. Your song was truly¡­ truly wonderful. Yes, I am nothing compared to you.¡± ¡°What!? That¡¯s not true!? Your song was very wonderful too, Elizabeth-san!¡± ¡°Hehe, no need for flattery. Ah, it seems I was the one who didn¡¯t know the world. I formally apologize.¡± ¡°Ojou-sama¡­¡± ¡°Elizabeth-san¡­¡± Elizabeth, who has completely lost her confidence, Rain and her two companions seem to not know what to say. And I understood why Elizabeth wasn¡¯t an idol in the first round. Surely, in the first round too, Elizabeth heard Rain¡¯s song at the audition. And at that time, encountering a talent far superior to her own, her spirit broke, and she must have given up on the path of an idol. If we leave her like this, the same ending will surely come this time too. That might be correct in terms of the flow of history¡­ ¡°Hey, can I talk to you for a moment?¡± I left the girl with the sparkling or rather glaring eyes and approached Elizabeth. Then, Elizabeth turned to me with a very listless look. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re Rain-san¡¯s¡­ I apologize to you too. The song earlier¨C¡° ¡°Hey, hey, wait a minute. Apologize to me? Are you serious?¡± ¡°¡­ What do you mean?¡± At my sarcastic words, even the dejected Elizabeth seemed slightly annoyed. Umu, it seems the fire hasn¡¯t completely gone out yet. If that¡¯s the case, I must assertively push forward! ¡°What I mean is exactly what I said. You apologize to me? Are your eyes filled with knots? Do you think my song was really¡­ really better than yours?¡± ¡°That¡­ that is¡­¡± She must not have expected me to say something like that. To the bewildered Elizabeth, I show a smug smile. ¡°Sure, Johnny-san¡¯s guidance was accurate, and the performance he thought up was amazing. And I tried my best to execute it as perfectly as possible. But I know myself well. I may have disguised it with flashy moves and words¡­ but I¡¯ll always be second-rate, no matter what. Now, what about you? Sure, Rain is exceptional, and Tia was certainly good too¡­ but can you really say, right here and now, that you lost to a song of my level? No¡­ are you allowed to say that!?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not acceptable, it¡¯s not acceptable at all. No one here could sing a song better than Rain¡¯s today. Anyone would agree with that, and it¡¯s okay to admit defeat there. But if you declare defeat to someone clearly inferior to you in the same breath, you¡¯ll never be able to aim higher again. Or what? Is Miss Elizabeth such a coward that she¡¯ll slink away after just one defeat?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not¡­ I am not¡­!¡± Elizabeth glared at me, her gaze quickly shifted to Rain. Surprised by the sudden glare, Rain¡¯s face filled with shock. Elizabeth pointed her finger at Rain and shouted. ¡°That¡¯s right! I will admit defeat now, just for now¡­ but it doesn¡¯t end here! Yes, that¡¯s right. My career as an idol is just starting. Someday¡­ no, not too far off, I¡¯ll sing a song far more incredible than yours, and I¡¯ll become an idol that shines more than anyone else!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t lose either! I¡¯ll work even harder and harder, and I¡¯ll become the best idol who can make people all over the world smile!¡± ¡°Heh, then make sure you work hard so you don¡¯t get outdone! The one who will win in the end is always me, Elizabeth! Ohohohoho!¡± Elizabeth¡¯s high-pitched laughter echoed through the room. There¡¯s a firm sparkle back in her eyes¡­ yes, she¡¯ll be fine now. ¡°Eda, you¡¯re always so caring¡­ Fufu.¡± ¡°Hey, stop it!?¡± Tia, who had come next to me, playfully poked my side. It¡¯s very ticklish, so I wish she¡¯d stop. The girl from earlier was looking at me with wide eyes, muttering ¡°Ah, how noble¡­¡± which was somewhat scary. I see, so this is the kind of gaze Tia used to receive at the guild when I was training with my master¡­ I can understand why it¡¯d be bothersome. And then, the judges who had left the room earlier returned. All of us, the contestants, straightened up as one of the judges looked around at everyone before speaking. ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting. Now, we¡¯ll announce the results. The ones who passed this time are¡­ ¡°Iris¡±, ¡°Eliza and the Merry Minions¡±, and ¡°Rainbow Tia¡±.¡± ¡°Yay!¡± ¡°Ah¡­ well, can¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡°With a girl who sings like that, it¡¯s impossible for us¡­¡± ¡°Ohohohoho! As expected!¡± ¡°We did it! We did it, Tia-san! Eda-san!¡± ¡°We made it, Eda! And you too, Rain-chan!¡± ¡°Alright! We did it!¡± The ones who passed, the ones who didn¡¯t. As each showed a mixed reaction of joy and sorrow, we, who had duly won our pass, properly hugged each other and shared our joy. CH 241 ¡°Well, passing through the selection committee and becoming an official idol in this region, our lives have become even busier. Johnny¡¯s training hours have increased instead of decreasing, it¡¯s natural given that we¡¯re now performing on stage. But even that, we got used to after a month or two. Three months after becoming an idol¡­ in other words, six months after I started to act together with Rain, I had completely adapted to the life of an idol. ¡°Good work~¡± ¡°Good job¡± ¡°Good work today!¡± Today as well, after finishing our stage performance, we returned backstage. There were bouquets and letters from fans, not only for Tia and Rain, but for some reason there were even some addressed to me. ¡°Ugh, that person again¡­¡± ¡°Oh, Eda, you¡¯re so popular.¡± ¡®Give me a break¡­¡¯ I might have a woman¡¯s body now, but I don¡¯t have the slightest interest in being told by an unfamiliar man to ¡®look down at me as if I¡¯m garbage and step on me¡¯. I can¡¯t fathom what kind of mentality it takes to write such a thing and then send it to someone. I seriously don¡¯t get it. ¡°By the way, Tia, aren¡¯t you quite popular too? I mean, visibly so. You¡¯re the most popular among us.¡± ¡°Ahaha¡­ Rain-chan, you aren¡¯t so much popular as you¡¯re becoming something of a worshiped figure, huh.¡± ¡°Uuh, I want to be a normal idol too¡­¡± Rain¡¯s singing is so wonderful that people from the headquarters of the ¡®Idol Church¡¯ have been coming to listen. People have started calling it the ¡®Miraculous Song¡¯ since everyone who hears it cries tears of emotion. She¡¯s more like an idol in the literal sense rather than a pop idol. In that sense, Tia was the most popular in a general sense. Even Johnny had to admit that he didn¡¯t see that coming. ¡°But I think that will be fixed once Johnny-san¡¯s production is completed, right? It seems to significantly change the impression.¡± We, ¡®Rainbow Tia¡¯, as the name suggests, have seven colored sides. To prevent boredom from performing the same type of stage and to hide my lack of ability, we aim to have seven different kinds of performances. However, with the current situation of only half a year, we are far from achieving that level. Right now, I can only perform Scarlet, Purple, and Cobalt, Tia can perform Green and Yellow, and Rain can only perform Blue. It will be years before all of us master all seven colors of performances. Though neither Tia nor I will stick around for that long, that too is part of Johnny¡¯s plan. He wants to frequently change the performances so even if someone new comes in, it won¡¯t feel out of place. I leave that part to Johnny, who¡¯s a professional, and I just diligently practice as told. ¡°Ah, excuse me. I¡¯ll go to the restroom for a bit.¡± With that, Rain abruptly stood up from her seat in the midst of our casual chat, leaving only Tia and me in the backstage room. Tia muttered something beside me, my mind becoming lax due to the exhaustion from the performance. ¡°Sigh¡­ Can¡¯t believe it¡¯s been half a year already¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ It¡¯s been quite busy, time flew by.¡± ¡°We can go home now, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, we can.¡± When Tia asked, I was reminded of the fact. Rain has already started running as an idol and even if we leave, it won¡¯t easily collapse. I think with Johnny¡¯s connections and our achievements over these months, he can manage the required personnel recruitment. ¡°But we can¡¯t just quit abruptly without any handover¨C¡± ¡°Hey, Ed¡­ I¡¯ve been wondering about this for a while.¡± Being called Ed instead of Eda, I switched my attention to Tia. If she¡¯s specifically calling me that, it must be about that matter. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Where is the Demon King in this world? I haven¡¯t heard anything about the Demon King in the last six months.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡­¡± It was an obvious and belated question, and I held my head slightly. It was a concern for me as well¡­ and unusually, a problem I did not have a solution to. ¡°To put it bluntly, the existence of the Demon King has not been confirmed in this world.¡± ¡°Eh? Does that mean there¡¯s no Demon King?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. If there¡¯s a Hero, there¡¯s definitely a Demon King. I mean, there¡¯s no reason for us to come here if there¡¯s no Demon King. So, there must be a Demon King.¡± ¡°? It definitely exists, but it¡¯s not confirmed?¡± ¡°Yes. The most likely possibility is that, like Rebecca¡¯s world¡¯s ¡°Fog Demon King¡±, the forest that covers this world is formed by the Demon King¡¯s power and the Demon King is somewhere in the world¡­ Or like John, the Demon King might be living quietly blending into this world.¡± ¡°Uwaa, that sounds¡­tough.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s difficult.¡± If the Demon King of this world were the ¡°Forest Demon King¡±, and if the source of its manifestation, the Demon King itself, has not been confirmed, it probably does not exist within the human living area. It would take a considerable amount of time if we were to set out to the ends of the world from now on. On the other hand, if it¡¯s living among people, it would externally appear as if I were killing innocent civilians. Naturally, this would cause trouble for Rain and Johnny who would be involved with me, which is difficult in its own way. ¡°But if it¡¯s that tough, why didn¡¯t you start trying to defeat the Demon King from the beginning?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t move, the truth is I couldn¡¯t move.¡± The actions of a hero are always connected to the path of defeating the Demon King. But the way in which they¡¯re connected varies each time; there are heroes like Alexis, Waffle, and Gou who directly defeat the Demon King, and heroes like Rebecca and Master Dorton who indirectly create opportunities to defeat the Demon King. ¡°I absolutely wanted to avoid Rain from not becoming an idol. So, I prioritized that. Besides, it¡¯s not guaranteed that the Demon King of this world is in a place that can be defeated easily.¡± Like in the world where Miguel was, if it completely occupied a distant continent, even if I went in alone with my banishment skills on full power, it would be a massive job that would take decades. If I had to leave Rain alone for that long, becoming an idol afterwards¡­ no matter how I think about it, it would be impossible. So for now, I put off dealing with the unseen Demon King. I don¡¯t think that decision was wrong. I don¡¯t think so, but¡­ ¡°But, the fate of the Hero Rain is tied. It might be time to start moving soon.¡± ¡°So, you mean¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m thinking of talking to her in the not too distant future.¡± Even though I was repeating daily life of singing and dancing in a woman¡¯s body, my essence is Ed, the mercenary, and the Demon King Of End who brings about the end. All I can do is clean up the trouble that I and God brought to this world, so everyone can live as they are. ¡°I see. It will be lonely.¡± ¡°Hahaha, what are you saying? Did you enjoy the idol life?¡± ¡°Well, in its own way. But I knew it would come to an end. But, what exactly are you going to do? If you quit being an idol, wouldn¡¯t you just go back to the original world?¡± ¡°Umm, that¡¯s the thing¡­¡± That¡¯s the biggest problem I¡¯m facing now. There¡¯s no way I can take Rain on a journey to find and defeat the Demon King whose whereabouts I don¡¯t know¡­ No, wait a minute? ¡°If I asked Johnny-san to arrange for me to go around the world and sing on stages, wouldn¡¯t it somehow work out? I remember he had a plan to make everyone in the world know about Rain over ten years.¡± ¡°Oh, he did say something like that. Wait, does that mean if we continued to be an idol as it is, we would eventually meet the Demon King?¡± ¡°No, no, it won¡¯t be that convenient¡­ But, yeah. I see some hope. I¡¯ll consult about it next time.¡± The roundabout way that I¡¯ve been taking could surprisingly be the correct path. I decided to try talking about it soon, and kept putting my energy into idol activities¡­ ¡°Alright, everyone, thanks for coming together! Let¡¯s enjoy my song today¡­ Huh?¡± A few days later on stage. As I was trying to rouse the audience as usual, I saw an entity wearing an unnaturally black hood. Although not so conspicuous among my fans who are quite unique in various ways¡­ No way, is that¡­? ¡°What the!?¡± ¡°Eda? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± I hurriedly tried to control the situation and worked hard to get back to my usual pace. But¡­ (The Demon King is just casually among the audience!?) The scream inside my heart was something I couldn¡¯t silence no matter what. CH 242 ¡°YEAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!¡± ¡°¡±OHHHHHH!!!¡±¡± In response to my roaring cheer, the audience chimed in with their voices. In their hands, they clutched sticks of Magilium, which emit light by circulating a small amount of magic, and the colorful Magilium swung around with the cheers of the audience is like a flood of light. This spectacle was breathtaking every time, and usually my tension would reach a peak¡­ ¡°Yeah!¡± (Damn it, why are you swinging your Magilium so happily too!?) The presence of the Demon King, who joyfully swings his Magilium while fully covered by a black hood, kept catching my attention. Nevertheless, as I somehow finished my part and switched out with a high-five, Tia activated Missing Talk] just for us two. [Are you okay?] [Sorry, I¡¯m leaving it to you.] Although we can communicate without words, it¡¯s not as if we can explain the situation in an instant. So, if I were to inform Tia about the Demon King now and unsettle her, the stage would really collapse. So, without revealing the truth, I just say that and step back. Tia, who had briefly given me a skeptical glance, also understands what she must do and what needs to be done on the stage, as she has been an idol for the past few months. The audience reacts to Tia, who swallows everything and starts singing as usual. ¡°The wind blowing through my hair, my feet naturally bounce. Where should I walk to? You, who leads me by the hand, are a green traveler¨C¡° ¡°¡±~~~~????¡±¡±¡± On the stage, the color of the Magilium one holds represents the idol they are supporting. Red is for me, blue for Rain, and green for Tia. With the start of Tia¡¯s part, the spectators holding the green Magilium get energized and start waving their Magilium. Their perfect movements were somewhat artistic, and Tia¡¯s enthusiastic fans seemed to take pride in learning this intricate way of waving the Magilium¡­ (You too!?) At the end of my line of sight, the Demon King was waving the green Magilium along with the other fans. His movements were perfect, and despite the fact that his hood seems to limit his vision, I can¡¯t help but be impressed by how agile he is. ¡°Let¡¯s find a bright future¨C Lastly, Rain-chan!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Leaving the Demon King, who had perfectly finished the Magilium dance, on stage, Rain, the lead character, finally appeared. The movements of the Magilium become gentler with her soothing voice, and in the audience, the Magilium was slowly swayed from side to side in tune with the song. ¡°Someday, someday, I dreamed of it. Walking down that road with you. Always, always, I felt it. Going ahead with you¨C¡° As the glowing sticks sway to the right and left, it looks quite fantastic from here. Everyone is enthralled by Rain¡¯s song, soaking their hearts and bodies in the pleasant waves of sound. Even the Demon King was no exception. I can¡¯t feel any hostility or malice from him, which makes me feel foolish for being so cautious. Just like the other audience members, he sways his Magilium¡­ Even after the show ends and we get off the stage, the Demon King doesn¡¯t attack us. ¡°Huuuu¡­¡± Entering the dressing room, I let out a big sigh. The tension is different from usual, and the mental fatigue is intense. ¡°You look very tired, Eda? What really happened?¡± ¡°Tia¡­ Well, actually¨C¡° ¡°Hi, everyone! Good work!¡± Just as I was about to tell Tia about the Demon King, the door to the dressing room opened and Johnny entered. Johnny looked at Tia and Rain with a smile, but his expression turned slightly sour when his gaze met mine. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you today, Eda-chan? You seemed off.¡± ¡°Ah, sorry. I¡¯m not feeling too well¡­¡± There¡¯s no way I could say ¡°the Demon King was nearby,¡± so I just made up something and rubbed my belly lightly. By the way, even though I have become a woman¡¯s body, I can¡¯t give birth to children. So there is no such thing as health problems related to that in reality, but no one can prove that, so Johnny¡¯s expression softens immediately. ¡°Ah, I see. It can¡¯t be helped. But I wish it wasn¡¯t today¡­¡± ¡°Eh, is there something happening today?¡± ¡°Well, something did happen! Actually, today, someone important from the ¡°church¡± came to watch your show! So, I wanted you to show your best performance today!¡± ¡°Eh, I didn¡¯t hear about that!? ¡­Did I miss something important?¡± Upon hearing Johnny¡¯s sudden revelation, Rain lets out a surprised voice. She then looked nervously at us, but both Tia and I shook our heads, implying we didn¡¯t know. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. I didn¡¯t say anything so you wouldn¡¯t get nervous unnecessarily. After all, if you knew from the beginning, you would have been nervous, right?¡± ¡°Uhh, yes. I think I would have been really stiff.¡± ¡°So, Rain-chan, you don¡¯t have to worry. Besides, everyone except Edda-chan was perfect, and we¡¯ve received compliments from them saying it was wonderful. So, actually, after this¡­¡± ¡°Could it be that someone was summoned?¡± Hearing Johnny¡¯s vague words, I throw in my comment. It¡¯s not uncommon for powerful people to summon idols, and there are idols who actively engage in such business. However, we are not one of them. But if it comes to our wishes versus the demands of a powerful person, the world tends to favor the latter. Johnny has his fair share of power as a famous person in the industry, but compared to the important people of the ¡°Idol Church¡±, which governs idols all over the world, he probably doesn¡¯t stand much chance. ¡°¡­Well, yes, that¡¯s the case. The location is a private room in a luxury restaurant in this town. I can only guide you to the front of the room. They want to have a relaxed conversation with you all.¡± ¡°A relaxed conversation, huh¡­¡± Hmm, suspicious. If they just want to have a relaxed conversation, they could have just come here. Although non-authorized personnel were not allowed to enter, important people from the church were above that, so it wouldn¡¯t be an issue. So why prepare a private room? When I try to guess their intention¡­ I can¡¯t really reach a positive conclusion. ¡°By the way, who was called?¡± ¡°All three of you.¡± ¡°Huh, that¡¯s quite greedy. But if that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°¡­Are you sure?¡± ¡°Well, I can handle it.¡± Upon hearing Johnny¡¯s probing words, I let out a grin. In reality, I can handle most situations with power. The same goes for Tia, but imagining dirty old men reaching out to Tia makes me feel like I might end the world by accident, so for my own mental health, it¡¯s best if I go. Oh, and of course, letting Rain go alone was out of the question. ¡°This time, it¡¯s probably someone beyond my reach. I¡¯m going to try to do as much as I can in case something happens though.¡± ¡°No, I really can handle it, don¡¯t worry. But¡­ Tia, just in case, could you look after Rain?¡± ¡°Got it. Be careful.¡± ¡°Ugh, I wish I could help in some way¡­¡± ¡°Hah, don¡¯t be silly. All you have to do is walk straight in the light.¡± After gently patting the crestfallen Rain¡¯s head, We were led by Johnny through the town. We arrived at a high-class restaurant with dazzling white walls, and as I followed the waiter¡¯s guidance to the room and open the door¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..What?¡± There, waiting for us, was a man covered head to toe with a black hood, clearly suspicious. CH 243 ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting, Chrome-sama. I¡¯ve brought the child you requested.¡± ¡°No, no, I wasn¡¯t waiting, so it¡¯s okay! But, huh? Only one?¡± ¡°Yes, well. It seems the other two are feeling unwell from the fatigue of the stage performance¡­¡± ¡°I, I see. That¡¯s concerning. It¡¯s a shame, but I can¡¯t force them¡­¡± ¡°Thank you for your generous consideration. So¡­ Eda-chan?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Huh!? Oh, yes. What is it?¡± ¡°What do you mean, what? It¡¯s a greeting! This is Chrome-sama, who serves as a candidate for Archbishop at the headquarters of the Idol Church.¡± ¡°H, Hello! I am Chrome. Nice to meet you.¡± Responding to Johnny¡¯s words, the man in the black hood bows his head normally. My thinking still can¡¯t catch up with this scene, but my well-ingrained habits reflexively return the greeting. ¡°I¡¯m Ed¡­da. Nice to meet you, Chrome-sama.¡± ¡°Y, Yeah. Nice to meet you. Thanks for your hard work, Johnny-san. That¡¯ll be all.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Johnny-san.¡± I push away Johnny, who is concerned about me, on purpose. If it¡¯s not just a perverted old man, but the demon king, it¡¯s a different story. ¡°Is that so? Well¡­ don¡¯t overdo it.¡± Leaving those words full of worry, Johnny left the room. And when the door closed, only I and Chrome¡­ Demon King Chrome were left in this private room. In that case, there¡¯s no need to hold back anymore. ¡°Phew¡­ so? What¡¯s this all about?¡± ¡°W, what do you mean? I just wanted to talk with the children of ¡°Rainbow Tia¡± who are currently all the buzz¡­¡± Suddenly my atmosphere might have changed, Chrome raised his voice as if a little confused. It¡¯s very flimsy, but¡­ well, it¡¯s a good opportunity, so why not talk first? ¡°Us You were watching our performance very enthusiastically today, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°T, That¡¯s right! No, it was really amazing! Eda-chan, you were very attractive, Tia-chan was very cute, and Rain-chan¡¯s song was really amazing¡­ I was moved to tears.¡± ¡°Oh, really? Thanks?¡± ¡°No, no, it¡¯s not flattery! I really thought it was amazing! So I wanted to talk with everyone¡­ Ah, no, I¡¯m not saying I¡¯m not satisfied with just Eda-chan or anything!¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± In response to Chrome¡¯s hurried words, it doesn¡¯t seem like there¡¯s a lie. Rather, I can¡¯t imagine why there would be a need to lie or act at this point. No, but still¡­ eh, is this a lie? ¡°Hey, Chrome¡­sama?¡± ¡°Hm? What is it?¡± ¡°What do you mean¡­ you know who I am, right?¡± ¡°Huh? Of course! Isn¡¯t Eda-chan from ¡°Rainbow Tiar¡± famous enough to be heard at headquarters these days? Well, admittedly, unlike Tia-chan and Rain-chan, there are clearly people who love you and people who hate you, and there are indeed many critical people¡­ But I think it¡¯s good! Yes, Eda-chan is ero¡­ ehem, attractive after all!¡± Despite being hidden behind a black hood and not being able to see his eyes, I could clearly feel Chrome¡¯s gaze darting around my chest and buttocks. Hoho, women can really tell a man¡¯s gaze like this. I should be careful¡­ no, this is useless knowledge that won¡¯t help me in my life at all, but I should still take note. Just in case. Wait, no, that¡¯s not it! This isn¡¯t¡­ is he really unaware? Even at this distance, having a conversation!? ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Eh, Eda-chan? What¡­ is something wrong?¡± ¡°Ah, no, nothing. May I sit?¡± ¡°O, Of course! Feel free to sit wherever you like!¡± Presumably because he originally intended to invite everyone, there are a lot of delicious-looking dishes lined up on the round table, and there¡¯s plenty of places to sit. But I deliberately smile and sit down next to Chrome at a distance where our shoulders might touch. ¡°Eh, Eda-chan!? Isn¡¯t that a bit too close?¡± ¡°What, is it bad to be close?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that it¡¯s bad, but you know, I think it¡¯s more relaxing for both of us if there¡¯s an appropriate distance!¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s fine. This is the ¡®appropriate distance¡¯ I¡¯ve thought up between you and me.¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡­¡± To the visibly flustered Chrome, I gently place my hand on his. Then Chrome shakes his body surprisingly, and my hand is knocked away. ¡°Hoah!? Ah, sorry, Eda-chan. But, what¡¯s going on? All of a sudden¡­?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing sudden about it, I just held your hand. I¡¯m an idol, so it¡¯s only natural for me to shake hands with fans, right? Especially me, I don¡¯t shy away from handshaking.¡± In fact, I¡¯m relatively active in interacting with fans. This is partly because I have a strong personality and, although I might appear otherwise, I behave myself¡­ Well, of course I do¡­ I¡¯m a man after all¡­ This is a policy that Johnny has acknowledged. So, I normally do things like handshakes, and if someone extends a hand as they pass by, I¡¯ll enthusiastically give them a high-five. Occasionally, there are guys who try to touch my butt, but I skillfully dodge them. I used to kick them away, but then there were guys who came up to me saying things like ¡°Kick me too!¡±¡­ Hmm, the right response is indeed important. ¡°I¡¯m aware of that! I know, but¡­ since it was so sudden, I was a bit surprised¡­ No, I¡¯m happy! I¡¯m really happy! But, I think it might be a bit off for a girl to casually hold hands like that, I mean¡­¡± ¡°Oh really? So, it¡¯s okay if it¡¯s not hands?¡± With a grin, I grabbed Chrome¡¯s hand that he had brushed off, and forcefully pressed it against my chest. It¡¯s quite a peculiar feeling to have one¡¯s chest grabbed like this, but I don¡¯t feel any repulsion¡­ Well, for me, it¡¯s as if I¡¯m grabbing it with my own hand. But, it seems Chrome, who¡¯s now grabbing my chest, doesn¡¯t see it the same way. ¡°Hyeeee!? No, Eda-chan!? You can¡¯t, like this!? You can¡¯t do this kind of thing!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the problem? You¡¯ve been watching me with those eyes all along, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because¡­ it¡¯s a man¡¯s instinct, and even if you¡¯re an idol¡­ No, especially because you¡¯re an idol, I think you should value yourself more! Ah, did you misunderstand because I called you here!? No, that¡¯s not it! I just really wanted to talk with everyone from ¡°Rainbow Tia¡±, and I never intended to do anything like this! I apologize! Please stop this!¡± ¡°Hmm? So, you¡¯re saying you don¡¯t feel anything even after all this?¡± ¡°Uggh!? Well, I¡¯m a man, so it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t feel anything¡­ but, no, I can¡¯t. I¡¯m a fan of Tia-chan! I won¡¯t be swayed by this¡­ ah, but it¡¯s incredibly soft¡­¡± ¡°I see¡­ well, that was informative. This will be the last time then.¡± ¡°La, last!? What are you¨D¨D!?¡± With a firm grip on Chrome¡¯s wrist, keeping his hand against my chest, I activate [Last Chance] to revert back to my original form. As a result, Chrome¡¯s eyes, peeking slightly from within the hood, widen¡­ ¡°What about now? Do you understand?¡± ¡°Wh, wh, whaaaaaaaat!? Eda-chan turned into a man!? No, that¡¯s not it¡­ could it be, you¡¯re the real bodyyyyyyyyyyy!?!!?¡± Before my mischievous smile, the Demon King Chrome shouted out in surprise, as if he were about to blow a bubble. CH 244 ¡°Why!? Why is the main body here!? Moreover, Eda-chan is the main body!? Eh, no way!?¡± ¡°So, you¡¯ve finally noticed. Does that mean you wouldn¡¯t have noticed if I were in a female form? Hmm, I¡¯m curious about the mechanism¡­or should I say, the reason¡­¡± ¡°Damn it, let go! I can¡¯t end here¡­!¡± Chrome, who had realized my true identity, started violently struggling on the spot. However, as long as I have a firm grip on his wrist, his resistance means nothing. The weakness of not being able to use the banishing skill when coming into contact with the demon king, I had already taken care of that. Unless it suddenly becomes unusable during combat, there¡¯s no chance of losing my ability if I intentionally touch him in a calm situation like this. I¡¯ve secretly practiced balancing the power tug-of-war. That being said, Demon King Chrome can¡¯t escape. As long as he¡¯s caught by me, wrapped in the [Invincible] escape is impossible unless he has overwhelming superhuman strength capable of nullifying it. ¡°In that case¡­¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± I felt a powerful energy filling Chrome¡¯s entire body. I must handle this immediately. I plunged my free left hand into the [Stranger Box] and tried to pull out [Dawnbreaker] which had been put away for a long time¡­ ¡°¡­Damn it!¡± Before I could, the power that had filled Chrome¡¯s body dissipated. Instead of the sword, I grabbed Chrome¡¯s black hood and pulled it off, revealing a face identical to mine, wearing an expression of frustration. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Weren¡¯t you about to do something?¡± ¡°¡­I thought so. But if I used my power here, this town would be blown away, wouldn¡¯t it? I didn¡¯t want that.¡± ¡°Why not? You¡¯re me¡­you¡¯re the Demon King, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°While it¡¯s true that I¡¯m the Demon King, I am myself. I don¡¯t want my beloved idols, especially my favorite Tia-chan, to get hurt.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± I let go of Chrome, who I had been holding, and sat down across the table from him. However, Chrome didn¡¯t show any signs of running away. He just slumped down on the table. ¡°Ah, is this my ¡°end¡±¡­¡± ¡°Hey, Demon King Chrome. What have you been doing in this world? What kind of life have you been leading?¡± ¡°Why do you ask that? Isn¡¯t it all over once the main body absorbs me?¡± ¡°Why not, tell me. Sure, I am you, and you are a part of me, but at the same time, I am me and you are you, right? So, I want to know. We¡¯ve got plenty of time, fortunately.¡± Thinking about the off chance that someone might come, or if the situation escalated, I reverted to Edda¡¯s form, pulled the cork out of the wine bottle on the table, and poured it into two of the four glasses. As I placed one in front of Chrome, he took it with a dark look in his eyes, sighed slightly, and then took a sip. ¡°Huh¡­Alright, I¡¯ll tell you. As you already know, we demon kings are anomalies in this world, but that doesn¡¯t mean we are enemies of the world. However, most demon kings can¡¯t control their enormous power at the initial stage and run amok, so by the time their egos have established and they can control their power, they are often seen as threats by the world. I was no exception. In the beginning, I couldn¡¯t control my power at all and turned most of this world into a desert.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s¡­wait, a desert? But now¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I turned the earth into sand and almost ended the world. But I didn¡¯t wish for such a thing, and the world didn¡¯t confront me either as they were too busy surviving the rapidly disappearing greenery. So, I, who had gained wisdom and knowledge, established my selfhood, and managed to change the direction of my power, turning the desert back into a green world. But because I did it forcefully, the world ended up becoming a forest.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s why this world is full of forests. Well, it¡¯s a million times better than a desert, I suppose.¡± While there may be ways to live in a sandy world, the difficulty is vastly different compared to a forest. Actually, this world doesn¡¯t seem to be in any particular distress. After all, even idols, a form of entertainment profession, are flourishing¡­ This wine, it¡¯s damn good. ¡°If things continued the way they were, the forests would slowly decrease over a few thousand years, and the natural distribution would return to something more typical¡­ But that¡¯s beside the point. Anyway, I removed the reason for the world to antagonize me. Although I am the Demon King, I have never been attacked by a hero. But then, I had a lot of free time. So, I traveled the world¡­and that¡¯s when I encountered something wonderful.¡± ¡°Something wonderful? That would be¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a song.¡± As I listened to the story while enjoying the surprisingly tasty wine and food, Chrome¡¯s expression brightened in front of me. The flush on his face was not just due to the alcohol. ¡°In a certain small farming village, a young girl was singing a song. I was captivated by its splendor and immediately fell for it. I wanted to listen to her song anytime, forever. But she was also a worker, so she couldn¡¯t sing all the time. So, how should I go about it? If it¡¯s bad to sing without working, then the song itself should become work. That¡¯s what led me to create the ¡®Idol Church¡¯! By the way, I didn¡¯t make it a guild but a church because it was easier to gain understanding and cooperation from others, and I could use my power in a good way and disguise it as a ¡®miracle¡¯.¡± ¡°Eh, you created the Idol Church!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m the founder!¡± In front of me, surprised, the Demon King Chrome confidently flaunts. It¡¯s also my face, so I feel a bit awkward, but I still have questions. ¡°You¡¯re the founder, but now you¡¯re just an archbishop¡¯s assistant?¡± ¡°¡­I realized that becoming too powerful brings many political troubles and hassles. So, I¡¯ve maintained moderate power to support the idols, and I¡¯ve devoted all my energy to watching my favorite idols. However, because of this, a slight problem has occurred.¡± ¡°Problem¡­is it by any chance about that? The archbishop deciding that ¡®idols should be trios¡¯?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! There are three archbishops, but one of them suddenly started advocating something incomprehensible! Moreover, the remaining two who initially opposed him also started to support this ridiculous opinion for some reason¡­ As an assistant, I couldn¡¯t stop this flow. What on earth happened¡­¡± ¡°As for that, I have a slight idea.¡± I say, and tell him about what happened in this world so far. Upon hearing this, Chrome lets out an outraged voice. ¡°What is that!? Although I built the church, I think gods really only do terrible things!¡± ¡°Right? Seriously, we should punch them at least once.¡± ¡°Please let me punch them too when that happens! How many potential idols had to swallow their tears because of that strange rule¡­ Ahh, just thinking about it makes me so frustrated that I could cry!¡± ¡°Right. If Tia and I hadn¡¯t teamed up, Rain would probably have given up being an idol.¡± ¡°Rain-chan¡¯s song is truly a miracle! It¡¯s a universal loss to let that be lost! Gods are crap! Ah, but, if you consider that Tia-chan became an idol as a result, gods are still gods¡­?¡± ¡°You idiot, Tia would be a god even if she hadn¡¯t become an idol!¡± ¡°Indeed! That¡¯s exactly right! So that means, Tia-chan is a god¡­!?¡± ¡°No way! Don¡¯t compare Tia to that crap god!¡± ¡°Guhh!? Please don¡¯t hit me, it hurts! I¡¯m a Demon King, you know? An archbishop¡¯s assistant, you know?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know and I don¡¯t care! If you¡¯re gonna go there, I¡¯m the Demon King of the End! Also, a mercenary¡­ah, that¡¯s not impressive, is it?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter! Anyway, Idol Tia-chan is the best!¡± ¡°Yeah! She¡¯s definitely the best!¡± Before I knew it, Chrome was next to me, his face as red as can be. That means my face is probably beet red too. Empty wine bottles lined up on the table, and the food, which should have been too much to finish, was considerably diminished. Chrome called me, I answered, I deceived as the Last, and Ed started the meeting. Enveloped in a relaxed atmosphere and hazy thoughts, my own banquet, by me and for me, continued in an incomprehensible way. The next morning, when Johnny, who was worried and came to check on us, saw me snoring loudly with pants on my head and in my underwear, and Chrome, in a black hood with a face pattern on his belly, groaning uncomfortably with his face buried in my chest¡­ CH 245 ¡°You know, Ed, I¡¯m not saying you can¡¯t drink. You¡¯re an adult, Ed, and there are times when you want to let loose. So I won¡¯t deny that. But I think there¡¯s a limit to everything. How worried do you think I was when you didn¡¯t come back all night after that summons?¡± ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m really sorry¡­¡± The next day, in a room at the inn. I, now back to being a man, sit neatly and continue to listen to Tia¡¯s lecture with a throbbing headache. It¡¯s entirely my fault, so there¡¯s no room for excuses. Well, indeed, if the positions were reversed, I would have started looking for Tia around midnight. The reason Tia didn¡¯t do that is probably because she knew I was actually a man, among other things. But if by chance I couldn¡¯t turn back into a man¡­ no, what if the other person was a man too, would that pose even more danger? Ah, no good. My head hurts and I can¡¯t think straight. ¡°So, are you listening, Ed?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m listening. My head hurts like hell, but I¡¯m trying to listen¡­¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ you¡¯re really hopeless. If you say that honestly, I can¡¯t get angry anymore.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Sure. After all, this is just like venting for worrying me all night.¡± Looking up at me, Tia gave a wry smile and patted my forehead. Then she handed me a cup from the table, and I drained the water filled in it in one gulp. Ah, the water tastes so good¡­ ¡°So? Who was the person you met yesterday? If you drank all night, they must not have been a bad person, right?¡± "" ¡°Well, about that¡­ remember the guy in the black hood among the audience during yesterday¡¯s performance?¡± ¡°Black hood¡­? Oh, now that you mention it, I remember. Was that the person who called us, Ed? They didn¡¯t look that important.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. And by the way, he was the Demon King of this world.¡± ¡°What!? What do you mean?¡± Tia¡¯s expression suddenly becomes serious. But for me, this is already a settled matter, so there¡¯s no need to be particularly alarmed. ¡°It¡¯s not a complicated story. Thanks to the black hood¡­ the Demon King Chrome, we now have a clear vision of what we should do next.¡± ¡°What are we going to do next?¡± With a smirk, I answer Tia¡¯s curious question. The three problems I¡¯m dealing with now ¨C dealing with the Demon King, eliminating the shard of God in the Grand Bishop, and withdrawing from Rainbow Tia¡­ being expelled from the Hero Party and returning home. The brilliant plan to solve all these at once is already in my mind. ¡°What does an idol do last? A retirement concert.¡± Once the task was decided, everything else was quick. Using the connections of Johnny and Chrome, we set the stage and were able to hold a grand retirement concert three months later, inviting the Grand Bishop possessed by the ¡®shard of God¡¯. Why did we invite the Grand Bishop? Of course, to remove the shard. Based on what I heard from Donatella, I figured that if the individual has a clear intention of rejection, it¡¯s possible to expel the ¡®shard of God¡¯ from the body. So after letting him listen to Rain¡¯s song, I had Chrome whisper in his ear something like, ¡°Actually, she couldn¡¯t become an idol because of the three-person system.¡± And that worked out well. Indeed, it seems like our faith in the power of Rain¡¯s song, and in Chrome¡¯s words that one cannot become a Grand Bishop unless they truly love idols, has been a huge success. This experience will surely be useful in the future, too. That shard is now inside me, through the power of the Demon King, Chrome. As for what happened to Demon King Chrome himself¡­ ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay with this?¡± At parting, one of the five people who saw us off was the Demon King Chrome. He¡¯s still wearing that suspicious black hood as always, but no one seems to care because it¡¯s his formal attire¡­ Yeah, the Grand Bishop wore a white hood, too. To Chrome, I extend my hand with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯ve worked so hard, so you¡¯ll want to see it through to the end, right?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Let¡¯s make a promise. As long as idols continue to be born in this land, I will keep making them shine as who I am. And when everything is finally over¡­¡± ¡°Come back here. Bring plenty of stories with you.¡± After exchanging a firm handshake, I strike my own chest with my thumb. If I weren¡¯t being antagonized by humanity as I was at the end, I could respond like this. Because what I¡¯m aiming for is a happy ending for everyone¡­ When I shifted my gaze to the side, Tia and the others were exchanging their final words. I approached them and joined in the conversation. ¡°Really, trying to use me as a substitute for yourself is quite a luxury, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a substitute. Rather, I was a stand-in all along. Besides, if it¡¯s you, Elizabeth-chan, you can become a far greater idol than me, right?¡± ¡°Hmph! Of course! I will make my name resound throughout the world so much that no one will remember you!¡± The one who replaced Tia was Elizabeth. There was no one more suitable than Elizabeth, both in terms of ability and mindset. She will surely aim for the top of the idol world with Rain ¡®seriously¡¯. The two people who accompanied her were relieved to return home as well. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m nervous. Can I really take the place of you, Onee-sama¡­?¡± ¡°No no, it¡¯s not just about being able to do it.¡± And my replacement was that girl who has always been following me as one of the ¡®Iris¡¯. Because she liked me and imitated me so much, the difference in direction from the other two became pronounced, so this time we decided to take her in. By the way, the remaining two have temporarily stopped their activities, but since we were able to safely extract the shard of God from the Grand Bishop, it¡¯s likely that the rule of ¡®It has to be a trio¡¯ will be retracted by the beginning of next year. Initially, they were planning to find a third person through Johnny¡¯s introduction, but depending on the situation, there might be a path to re-debut as a duo. Well, that¡¯s up to them. ¡°You¡¯re better at singing and dancing. Where¡¯s the part that makes you anxious?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point! Besides, while I¡¯m okay with singing, I¡¯m still far behind in terms of hyping up the venue and intense movements. I¡¯ll work even harder from now on, and one day I¡¯ll surely catch up!¡± ¡°Oh, keep it up. I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± When I pat her on the shoulder, her expression shines brightly. Her moist eyes are truly attractive, but from now on, I hope she will work hard as the one being looked at. ¡°Even so, you¡¯re really quitting easily. The position you guys are in now isn¡¯t something you can get if you want it, you know? Do you know how many kids have cried because they couldn¡¯t make it that far¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Johnny-san. But this was our decision from the start.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, you said it from the start. Well, it¡¯s okay. You guys have done your duty well. If you ever change your mind, please let me know anytime. Next time, instead of being the ¡®best pawn¡¯, I¡¯ll polish you as a ¡®moderate gemstone¡¯!¡± ¡°Haha, even if it¡¯s us, we¡¯re only ¡®moderate¡¯?¡± ¡°Of course! A little while ago it may have been higher, but now we¡¯ve seen Rain-chan.¡± ¡°Ah, well, can¡¯t be helped.¡± Of course, if Rain is in front of you, the best standard will explode. I return a wry smile to Johnny¡¯s wry smile¡­ and Rain quietly approached us. ¡°Eda-san¡­ Tia-san¡­ I¡­¡± ¡°Keep going, Rain. You can stand on your own now. No, you should have been able to do it on your own a long time ago. So even if we¡¯re gone, you¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Your voice, Rain-chan, will surely reach beyond the world. So please take good care of your favorite songs from now on.¡± ¡°¡­If I hadn¡¯t met the two of you, no, the three of you including Ed-san, I would probably be back in my country village by now, helping my mom. It¡¯s thanks to you, Ed-san, Edda-san, and Tia-san, that I was able to stand on such a brilliant stage! So, so¡­ Thank you very much!¡± Ping! ¨CCondition met. 10 minutes remaining until return. These must be words of graduation. It¡¯s a sign of Rain¡¯s determination to walk on her own feet, rather than relying on us. ah, there¡¯s nothing happier than this. It¡¯s a sign that Rain is stepping on us and climbing the hill. ¡°See you, Rain.¡± ¡°See you.¡± Then it would be a lie if we didn¡¯t start walking too. Turning our backs to the people who came to see us off, we melt into the night town. Then, from behind, I heard Rain¡¯s singing voice that I¡¯ve heard so many times before. ¡°Someday, someday, I dreamed. Walking that path with you. Always, always, I felt it. Going forward with you¡­¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s really a good song.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. That might truly resonate beyond the ¡®world¡¯, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°That would be great. If it¡¯s Rain, she might do it.¡± I, who have returned to being a man, enter the back alley holding hands with Tia. In the place where Rain was once feeling down, there is no longer a crying girl. ¨CThree¡­ two¡­ one¡­ Executing world transfer. Even though the song should have ended long ago, Rain¡¯s song was echoing pleasantly in our ears until the moment we disappeared from the world. CH 246 ¡°Phew¡­ Somehow we made it back again this time, didn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ wait, what are you doing, Tia?¡± As usual, we had made our return to the , but for some reason, Tia was stretching her arms and twisting her waist next to me. She usually doesn¡¯t do such things, why now? ¡°Hm? Ah, it¡¯s because even though we were singing and dancing this time, we didn¡¯t engage in any battles at all, did we? So I felt a bit off with my body¡­ Hmm, I think I¡¯m okay now.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Indeed, this time, we didn¡¯t even swing a single sword. Considering this state of affairs lasted for almost a year, it¡¯s natural that our bodies would feel strange. However, in our case, our physical condition reverts back once we return here. Whether we desperately train or live a lazy life eating and sleeping, everything resets once we come here. Therefore, we can easily adjust to such ¡®sense of dislocation¡¯. After all, we have an absolutely unchanging standard. It¡¯s easy to adjust if we remember the state before the change, not after¡­ the state at this very moment. ¡°Still, it was a hard world, but it was fun. I never thought I¡¯d be doing something like a sideshow performer¡­ Fufu.¡± ¡°Hoho, so you liked the idol life, Tia-san? Should we sing and dance in the next world too?¡± ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll pass on that for now. It was ¡°fun¡± because it¡¯s something we do once in a while.¡± ¡°Hahaha, yeah, I suppose.¡± No matter which world we go to, aiming for the top will always come with a lot of hardships. For travelers like us, it¡¯s just right to nibble on the enjoyable parts and be satisfied. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s quickly read about this time, shall we? I wonder if Rain-chan became the world¡¯s number one idol?¡± ¡°Right, let¡¯s do that.¡± Prompted by Tia, I immediately walked towards the table. Sitting in the chair, I picked up the {Record Of The Hero¡¯s Story} that was placed there again, and slowly opened its rather thin pages. ¡°Hmm hmm¡­ nothing particularly noteworthy at the beginning.¡± ¡°Well, she herself said she was just an ordinary village girl.¡± The introductory part describes Rain, who was born in a small village, growing up healthily surrounded by the kindness and understanding of the adults around her. There were heartwarming incidents such as being teased by a slightly older boy about her singing, but in other words, it was a warm and peaceful everyday life where such things were the topic of conversation. And in that growing process, Rain began to long to be an idol. The trigger was seeing an idol performance in a nearby town with her parents, which is a common experience for children. However, no matter how common or commonplace it is, for that person, their own life is everything. Eventually, Rain, who made up her mind, was sent off by her parents and arrived at the town to take the audition¡­ ¡°And, that¡¯s when she met us.¡± ¡°From Rain-chan¡¯s point of view, it was really a sudden encounter, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I think so. Seriously, if it wasn¡¯t for you, I don¡¯t know what would have happened.¡± Considering how this meeting differed greatly from the first time around, it would have been extremely difficult for me, a grown man, to encourage the disheartened Rain back onto the path of becoming an idol. If we could get past the initial hurdle of gaining a minimum level of trust, it might work out, but the initial difficulty was too high. ¡°But, don¡¯t you think you could do it now, as Edda?¡± ¡°Give me a break¡­¡± At Tia¡¯s teasing words, I mutter that with a wry smile. Admittedly, getting used to a woman¡¯s body would be convenient, but honestly, I have a slight feeling it¡¯s risky. I can¡¯t help but think that my very existence as Ed is a false one created by a god. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s continue reading.¡± ¡°Okay, okay.¡± I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m fooling anyone, but I call out to Tia and start flipping the pages. The story continues after our meeting, but there¡¯s still plenty we don¡¯t know. Outstanding talent, no matter what, attracts others. Behind our backs, malicious intentions might be directed at us, and Rain might be struggling and suffering due to her talent. It¡¯s the story of a girl who simply loved to sing, growing into a full-fledged idol. We are still halfway on this journey, but seeing Rain growing stronger and larger bit by bit, I feel a joy as if I¡¯m watching my own child grow, despite never having raised a child. People who have actually raised children might say ¡°don¡¯t kid yourself¡±, but it¡¯s about the atmosphere. I nod knowingly at the parts I¡¯m familiar with, and read on with excitement and anticipation for the parts I don¡¯t know¡­ ¡°So, this is where it ends.¡± There are only a few pages left. Tia and I quietly read about what happened after we left. ¡ª World 14 {Records Of The Hero¡¯s Story} Final Chapter: Beyond the Dream The hero Rain and her party, who welcomed a new member and continued to polish themselves, became idols known to everyone in the world in just about ten years. But after all, she¡¯s just an idol. Even if her singing voice crosses the walls of the world, her fame won¡¯t last forever. Without noticing the existence of the Demon King, the hero Rain, who only sang for people, only leaves her name in a small corner of history and ends her life at the age of 72. The hero Rain, who forgot her mission for a moment¡¯s shine and was consumed as entertainment. God shed a tear of sympathy for her foolishness and misery. ¡°What the hell! Don¡¯t think crying will solve anything!¡± Although it doesn¡¯t seem audible, I can¡¯t help but retort as I smack the book. I don¡¯t know what God was trying to do by changing the system of idols, but the conclusion that this guy is trouble hasn¡¯t changed a bit, which is rather amazing. ¡°Fufu, Rain-chan did become the ¡®world¡¯s top idol¡¯.¡± ¡°Right. Well, it¡¯s as expected, but she really worked hard.¡± Indeed, Rain had talent. As far as I know, she was blessed with the people around her. She had understanding parents, rivals to compete with, and supportive adults. It was like a fortress of support, so much so that I wondered how she could fail. But, even with all the support in the world, nothing would change if the person herself did not strive to do better. Regardless of how well-paved the road of life is, there are no shared carriages. If you do not take each step forward, with intent and determination, you will not reach your destination. Rain accomplished that. If she continued to sing throughout her life, then there couldn¡¯t be a better conclusion. By the way, it seems that the Demon King Chrome continued his work diligently. Not only was he not defeated, it seems he wasn¡¯t even noticed. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s probably still sprinkling Magilium around and finding new idols. I can picture his unwavering way of life, and it makes me feel a little happy. Even though they were originally part of me, the fact that they, with their own hearts, are living happily with humans is also a source of hope for me. ¡°Haa, at this rate, it doesn¡¯t seem like I¡¯ll be able to reclaim any of Chrome¡¯s power. I missed another chance to power up.¡± ¡°¡­You know, Ed, when you¡¯re making such a happy face, your complaints don¡¯t have a shred of persuasiveness.¡± My cheek was poked by the grinning Tia. At her annoying behavior, I glared at Tia. ¡°Tia? If you continue to get carried away, you¡¯re going to have a hard time, you know?¡± ¡°Oh, scary! I wonder what kind of hardship awaits me?¡± ¡°Well¡­ For starters, I could lock up the Magistocker and forbid you from eating sweets for a while.¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°¡­Only for a while.¡± ¡°¡­Ugh.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± Tia gave me a pitiful look. Unable to stand her silence, I exaggeratedly stand up and start walking towards the next door. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go! Next, next!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush. I still have plenty of sugar for a while.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± ¡°Oh, of course, I¡¯ll divide the sugar equally for a while. Is there anything else?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! Seriously, I¡¯m really going to forbid sweets for about a month!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do such a terrible thing! Half of a girl is made up of sweets!¡± ¡°¡­So, what¡¯s the other half?¡± Tia pokes my serious face with her finger and laughs. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s love!¡± ¡°¡­Is that so? That sounds like a stomach-churning composition.¡± With a wry smile, I stand in front of the door marked ¡®016¡¯. Waiting ahead is an unfamiliar world that I am well acquainted with. I hope that it is a world where our Ojou-sama, made of love and sweets, can enjoy. ¡°Shall we go?¡± "" ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s go.¡± Together with Tia, who grabs my extended hand with a smile, I step into a new world. (T/N: The Chapters you see ahead are scheduled to be published at a later date. The old schedule will resume, chapters every alternate days) CH 247 ¡°¡­¡­Hmm?¡± In the newly landed world, the scene that spread before me was rather ordinary. A relatively deep forest spread out behind me , and if I moved forward, there was a well-maintained highway. Proceeding along it, there was a plain, and further ahead, a large town surrounded by a solid rampart was visible. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s so typical! But somehow, that feels refreshing!¡± ¡°Indeed. This kind of scenery hasn¡¯t been seen since Gou-san¡¯s world, right?¡± That place was a world with an atmosphere familiar in good and bad ways, but after that, we journeyed through a world that was all but ended by a blizzard, lived away from civilization in the dense jungle of Umbabo, and finally led an idol life in a world buried in the forest¡­ Looking back, we haven¡¯t had a normal adventure at all. ¡°However, we can¡¯t let our guard down yet. When we get to that town, something incredible might happen, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­ but I can¡¯t say for sure.¡± Speaking in terms of ratios, many of the worlds are where you join a hero¡¯s party, fight against monsters, and aim to defeat the demon king. Among the hundred different worlds, about half were like that. But I did not underestimate the power of destiny, which has kept drawing me to worlds that were different. Moreover, I can¡¯t ignore the presence of the ¡°Fragments of God¡± that stir up the world every time. I have three of them, lodged in my index, middle, and ring fingers on my right hand, but I still don¡¯t know how to deal with them. Having three of them is honestly rather uncomfortable. The thumb and little finger are important for gripping a sword, so if more of these fragments come, should I stuff them into my left hand next? I seriously want to do something about it¡­ but what can I do about this? If I could get rid of them, I would throw them away somewhere. Anyway, as we were walking, talking, and thinking about such things, we soon reached the town. After paying the entrance fee to the gatekeeper and entering, what we saw was¡­ ¡°¡­typical, right?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s the typical.¡± A well-maintained cobblestone boulevard and stone buildings lined up along it. There¡¯s no flashy stage, no beastmen or pirates running rampant, and no one breaking pots. The sight is so ordinary that it¡¯s surprisingly shocking. ¡°By the way, do you know what kind of world this is?¡± ¡°Ah, sorry. If it¡¯s just this, I don¡¯t really know.¡± There are about twenty worlds that I can think of where the characteristic is that there are no characteristics. It¡¯s one of those worlds, but I have no idea which one. If the times aren¡¯t too far apart, I think we¡¯ll know once we meet the hero¡­ ¡°Thinking about it won¡¯t do any good, let¡¯s just go to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild for now. They probably have one.¡± ¡°Right. In such a world and in such a town, they probably have one.¡± In terms of getting an identity in this world, going to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild is a safe first move. There are some worlds where the role of the guild is replaced by another profession, like in the world of Rain, or worlds like Donatella¡¯s where the guild itself doesn¡¯t exist, but in a world that emphasizes normalcy like this, there should almost certainly be one. In fact, there was one. A large and solid building not too far from the entrance of the town, where armed people like Tia and I were going in and out frequently. That place must be the Adventurers¡¯ Guild¡­ or something similar but with a different name. As expected, it was the Adventurers¡¯ Guild. After paying a small fee and registering as a newbie, Tia and I went over to the bulletin board where the request forms were posted. ¡°From herb gathering to monster subjugation, and escorting traveling merchants¡­ Amazing, Ed, it¡¯s all so typical!¡± ¡°Hahaha, seems fun, doesn¡¯t it?¡± While grinning at Tia¡¯s surprised and amused report, I started looking at the requests. But nothing in particular caught my eye¡­ Oh? ¡°I see, so it¡¯s this world.¡± ¡°Oh, did you find a good request?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll take this one.¡± The request I took was for the gathering of a certain plant, which apparently grows in the forest we came through when we arrived in this world. I peeled off the request form and took it to the reception. ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯d like to accept this request.¡± ¡°Let me see. Wait, this is¡­¡± Seeing the request form, the receptionist¡¯s face visibly grimaced. She knew from my recent registration that I was a ¡°newbie who knows nothing¡±. ¡°This request is¨D¨D¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine! Let him take it!¡± A coarse voice sounded from behind, interrupting the receptionist. Turning around, I saw a bearded man grinning at us. ¡°Gazil-san! But¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine! Hey newbie, that one has a high reward for its low difficulty. You¡¯ve got good eyes!¡± ¡°Ah, thank you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way you¡¯re going to die from that one, so be careful and get going! Experience is everything, Gahahaha!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ So, what will you do? Can you take this on?¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± ¡°Haa¡­ alright.¡± With my words, the receptionist sighed lightly and processed the receipt for us. Afterwards, we left the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, watched by the bearded man named Gazil. As we walked towards the forest, Tia gradually started talking to me. ¡°Hey, Ed, what was that all about? The receptionist seemed like she was about to say something¡­¡± ¡°Ah, the plant in this request, it¡¯s really sticky.¡± ¡°Sti, sticky!?¡± As I said this with a laugh, Tia¡¯s ears twitched. ¡°Yes, sticky. It¡¯s a flower that seems to grow right on the ground, but if you don¡¯t follow the correct procedure to pick it, a spider web-like substance bursts out from the tip of the flower and wraps around you. And that stuff doesn¡¯t come off easily. It sticks to branches and leaves in the forest, and it can be quite a problem.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s awful! So that woman knew about this and didn¡¯t tell us? That¡¯s mean.¡± ¡°Haha, not exactly. If you¡¯re going to be an adventurer, it¡¯s natural to gather information beforehand. It¡¯s unthinkable to accept a gathering request without knowing how to gather the plant, right? People who can¡¯t handle the basics just have to learn the hard way. But it¡¯s not really dangerous, so it¡¯s not a lie to say it¡¯s a good learning experience.¡± A lack of information can lead to fatal situations, which is not unfortunate but natural, and the fact that it¡¯s too late when you realize it is the irrationality and the logic of the world. In that sense, having them experience it in a relatively less dangerous situation is not a wrong act as a senior adventurer. That¡¯s probably why the receptionist allowed it. ¡°So, is that person(Gazil) nice?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure, but they¡¯re a bit rough and sloppy, but a pretty caring senior, I guess? From a newbie¡¯s point of view, I¡¯d say they¡¯re the type who only teaches those who ¡®won¡¯t understand unless they¡¯re told.''¡± There are idiots who won¡¯t understand unless they experience it, but most people understand if they¡¯re told. So, it¡¯s not extravagant to want a proper explanation at first. Well, if asking for an explanation itself is considered extravagant, then that¡¯s that. ¡°Anyway, I know how to properly gather this plant, so we won¡¯t get covered in threads. You can rest assured.¡± ¡°Hmm. Did you research how to do it before getting covered in threads?¡± ¡°¡­ No comment.¡± Humans learn how to deal with things when they get hurt. Even if hundreds of years have passed in subjective time, you don¡¯t forget such experiences. It¡¯s just that, and there¡¯s no ulterior motive. So, I would really appreciate it if Tia would stop smirking at me. ¡°Alright, fine. So, did you take this request to prove yourself¡­ as a useful newcomer?¡± ¡°No, not exactly¡ª¡± ¡°Woooaahhhh!?¡± From the direction we were heading, we heard a rather loud voice. As I took the frowning Tia and walked towards the source of the voice, we found a young man completely wrapped in white threads. ¡°The threads!? They¡¯re wrapping around meeee!?¡± ¡°Eh, what¡¯s with him¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s the hero in this world.¡± Standing next to the stunned Tia, I informed her of this fact with a bitter smile. CH 248 ¡°Thank youuuuuuuuu! Super! You really saved meeeeeeee!!¡± The young man, drenched from head to toe, shouts his gratitude while lowering his spiky, bright-red hair. This happened because the thread could be removed if wet, and as a result of Tia splashing water on it rather carelessly using her spirit magic. ¡°No worries, mate. We should help each other when in trouble. Besides, we¡¯re the rookies here, usually getting help.¡± ¡°Huh? You¡¯re rookies too? I¡¯m Burn! Just turned seventeen this year, the world¡¯s greatest adventurer!¡± ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m Ed. I¡¯m twenty, so I guess I¡¯m a bit older than you. Nice to meet you, Burn.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Lunaritia. I¡¯m twenty-one.¡± ¡°Ed and Lunaritia, huh! Nice to meet you, too!¡± Burn, who grabs my outstretched hand firmly, starts shaking it with enough vigor to send us flying. This young man, with his loud voice and dynamic gestures, is indeed the hero Burn of this world. Ah, how nostalgic. If I had seen this face from the start, I would have remembered that this is the 44th world. ¡°So, Burn. You got tangled in a thread, were you on a cotton collection request?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! It was my first job to commemorate, so I was super excited¡­¡± ¡°A failure, it seems.¡± The big purple flower that must have bloomed at Burn¡¯s feet, had spit out all of its contents and wilted. It was clear to anyone that the collection had failed¡­ ¡°Is that so!? I thought if I brought this, it would be super! A mission accomplished!?¡± ¡°¡­No, that won¡¯t work. The part of the cotton flower that makes money is the thread-like part inside. Even if you have a flower that has spit it all out, you¡¯ll just get a bitter smile.¡± ¡°Oh no, what a disaster! Super! A huge failure!¡± At my words, Burn hangs his head on the spot. Even his way of being depressed is very characteristic of him. ¡°Calm down, don¡¯t be so disappointed. We¡¯ve taken the same request. How about it? Wanna do it together?¡± ¡°Really!?¡± ¡°As I said before, we help each other when we¡¯re in trouble. Is that okay, Tia?¡± ¡°Of course. Let¡¯s do our best together.¡± ¡°Wooooooooooo! You both are super! Nice guys!!!!¡± ¡°Fufufu, you¡¯re exaggerating.¡± Burn, who stands up energetically and shouts, makes Tia smile wryly as well. And so, we formed a temporary party and while looking for a new cotton flower in the forest, we started to exchange information. ¡°So, Burn. Did you come from the countryside because you wanted to be a hero?¡± ¡°No! Not just a hero, but super! A hero!¡± ¡°Ah¡­ What¡¯s the difference?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it somehow amazing if ¡®super¡¯ is attached!? That¡¯s what it means!¡± ¡°Ahaha¡­ Ed?¡± ¡°Hm? That¡¯s what it means. It¡¯s amazing to have ¡®super¡¯ attached.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it! You¡¯re my super! Best friend, Ed!¡± ¡°You¡¯re quick to decide we¡¯re best friends!? We just met, you know?¡± ¡°Hahaha! There¡¯s no time limit for friendship, it¡¯s super! Irrelevant!¡± ¡°Hmm, so what happens when ¡®super¡¯ is added after all¡­?¡± Despite his enthusiastic and boisterous talk, as far as I can tell, there¡¯s no difference in Burn¡¯s upbringing or his journey here from the first round. As I was feeling relieved about this, suddenly something like hostility started to hang in the air around us. ¡°Ed.¡± ¡°I got it.¡± "" Shortly after, the nearby grass rustles loudly. What appeared from the shadows of the trees were five ordinary goblins. Neither Tia nor I had any intention of letting our guard down against these enemies showing hostility, but¡­ they were small fry, posing no real threat. ¡°Gigigi¡­¡± ¡°What will you do, Ed? I will¨C¡° ¡°Leave this to me, super! Charge!¡± Before Tia could finish speaking, Burn charges towards the goblins with a burst of energy. Tia reacts to his movement, but I grab her shoulder to stop her. ¡°Is it okay?¡± ¡°Just watch.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± Drawing the sword from his hip and letting out a flashy roar, Burn charges carelessly towards the goblins. To the untrained eye, it might seem like a thoughtless idiot rushing in alone, but¡­ I know Burn¡¯s true abilities. ¡°Ultimate Strong-Style Secret Technique!¡± ¡°Gigigii!¡± ¡°Super! Ultra Slash!¡± ¡°¡­Gi?¡± With no feints, a wild, straight slash. After it flashed five times, the goblins¡¯ heads flew off vigorously. With the goblins that had become silent corpses in the blink of an eye behind him, Burn swung his sword with a whoosh, blowing away the blood, and then grinned as he sheathed it. ¡°Hahaha! How about it, both of you! My super! Ultimate power!¡± ¡°Amazing, amazing! Burn, you¡¯re strong!¡± ¡°Well, I am the super! The strongest man!¡± As Tia claps her hands, Burn proudly puffs out his chest. Regardless of his words and actions, Burn is a hero. His abilities are undoubtedly real. ¡°But if you¡¯re so strong, why did you accept a gathering request? Wouldn¡¯t it have been easier to accept a regular monster subjugation request?¡± ¡°That, that¡¯s¡­¡± At Tia¡¯s simple question, Burn made a troubled face for the first time. ¡°I also said so, but the receptionist lady said no. She said real combat isn¡¯t so easy and told me to gain experience from safer requests¡­ Damn it, even though I said I¡¯m super! The strongest¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I see¡­¡± At his answer, Tia let out a voice of understanding. Burn¡¯s appearance was that of a typical newbie adventurer, clad in cheap gear. It¡¯s natural for a good person to advise a young, inexperienced adventurer with no proper gear or achievements who claims ¡°I¡¯m the strongest, give me a request to defeat a super! Strong monster¡±. "" ¡°But the receptionist is just a receptionist, right? You could have refused. So why did you listen to her?¡± ¡°What are you saying Ed, isn¡¯t that obvious? Ignoring the words of someone who is genuinely worried about you is super! Uncool, right!¡± To my question that I took over from Tia, Burn replied awkwardly. It¡¯s the answer I know of Burn¡­ and upon hearing it, Tia¡¯s face changed from an acquaintance to a friend. ¡°Burn, you are a kind person.¡± ¡°Ba-, It¡¯s not like that! It¡¯s just that my grandpa said, ¡®People who don¡¯t listen to others are lonely people who can¡¯t get others to listen to them. Don¡¯t become a lonely person who is only strong.¡¯ So I super! Listen to people¡¯s words! Of course, that includes Lunaritia¡¯s too!¡± ¡°Oh really? Then can I ask you one thing?¡± ¡°Oh, sure! Ask me, the super! Confidant!¡± ¡°My name, Lunaritia, is too long, isn¡¯t it? You can just call me Tia. Nice to meet you again, Burn.¡± ¡°Woah!? Ni-, nice to meet you too! Tia!¡± Having his hand held by the smiling Tia, Burn¡¯s face turned as red as his hair. His very clear response was quite fresh, making me grin. ¡°Hey Ed, Burn is a good person, isn¡¯t he?¡± Leaving Burn, who was flustered waving his hand that Tia must have just held, Tia came over to me. Her captivating smile, enhanced by her idol life, was still the same Tia to me. ¡°Right? He¡¯s a good hero, different from Alexis and the like. Well, he did have his share of hardships.¡± ¡°I suppose so. But¡­ Fufu. This adventure seems like it will be fun.¡± ¡°Yeah, I think it will be fun.¡± The hero Burn, who gets involved in problems because of his personality, sticks his head into things, and often becomes a problem himself. If I can enjoy his tumultuous days with Tia, I feel quite excited. ¡°That being said, we have to finish the request in front of us first. Hey Burn! How long are you going to be flustered! Let¡¯s get going!¡± ¡°Wha!? I, of all people, got super! Disturbed by the softness of a girl¡¯s hand. Ah, I¡¯m coming! Woah, wait for me, thread¡­ purple¡­? Uh, some kind of flower!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Cotton Thread Grass. You should at least remember the name of the thing we¡¯re gathering, jeez¡­ Alright, Tia.¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go!¡± Running after Burn, who had run off on his own shouting, Tia and I followed him side by side. CH 249 ¡°Alright then, cheers!¡± ¡°Super cheers!¡± That night, after successfully completing the request, we raised a toast at a local cheap tavern to celebrate our first successful task. That being said, we had only accomplished one or two jobs that were ¡°pretty good for beginners,¡± so we didn¡¯t make a substantial amount of money. But the reason we could make a fuss together like this was because I used a little trick. ¡°Phew! The drink after work is super tasty! All thanks to Ed!¡± ¡°Haha, don¡¯t mention it. We all worked together, so I won¡¯t hog it all to myself.¡± ¡°Ed, as expected! Super generous!¡± While we were looking for Cotton Thread Grass, I had found another herb that could be sold for a good price. We were drinking with the money from selling that, but it wasn¡¯t just good luck that I found it. I pretended to find it casually using the [Akashic Compass]. Why did I do such a thing? To enhance our sense of unity. Certainly, my [Stranger Box] contains a large amount of cash and valuable items, but if I pulled it out and said ¡®I¡¯ll treat you¡¯¡­ well, Burn might be happy to come along, but there would still be some kind of reluctance or barrier. But what if we found something while doing the same job that could be turned into money, and we drink together with that money? Even if it¡¯s the same amount, the sense of unity we gain is significantly enhanced. This is one of the tricks born from my life experience of needing to get along with complete strangers hundreds of times. ¡°Anyway, Burn, you really were strong. I am impressed.¡± ¡°Hahaha! I am super strong! But Tia was also amazing. Elves are super amazing after all.¡± ¡°Hey hey, Tia¡¯s not amazing because she¡¯s an elf, she¡¯s amazing because she¡¯s Tia.¡± ¡°Oops, that was my super slip of the tongue! Sorry, Tia.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Besides, Ed was also amazing, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! How did you acquire such amazing scouting skills?¡± ¡°Hm? If you ask me that, all I can say is it¡¯s the result of daily training. It just became possible when I worked hard. Isn¡¯t that the same for you, Burn?¡± ¡°Certainly! I just swung my sword around and before I knew it, I had become super strong!¡± If the story I heard in the first round is true, Burn neither had a master nor were his parents famous knights or adventurers. He¡¯s an embodiment of unreasonableness who became the strongest just by swinging his sword around as a mere villager. Well, most heroes are like that, but what happens when what you want to do and the talent you can do perfectly match? Burn is a prime example of that. ¡°Hey, Burn. If you¡¯re okay with it, how about we form a party from now on?¡± That¡¯s why, when the alcohol had advanced to a certain degree, I made such a suggestion. The reason I showed my ability not as a swordsman but as a scout was to make this proposal. ¡°After working together today, I realized something. I¡¯m scouting, Tia is supporting with her spirit magic, and Burn is cutting down enemies. I know it¡¯s self-praise, but don¡¯t you think we¡¯re a pretty well-balanced party?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. I feel safe leaving the vanguard to you, Burn. What do you think?¡± Immediately grasping my intentions, Tia also follows up. As we¡¯ve worked together for a short time, we know Burn¡¯s character and skills, so there¡¯s no lie in her words. ¡°Well¡­¡± In response to our words, Burn crossed his arms and thought with a furrowed brow. After a substantial pause, a huge grin appeared on his face. ¡°Of course, super! Okay! Actually, I was thinking about asking you guys!¡± ¡°Great! In commemoration of the formation of our party, shall we have another toast?¡± ¡°Sounds good. Let¡¯s do it!¡± ¡°Alright! Here¡¯s to the formation of our super strong party!¡± ¡°¡±¡®Cheers!''¡±¡± Our wooden mugs clashed together and in the flow of the moment, Burn and I shared a hearty laugh. We enjoyed a fun night, parted ways for a while to return to our respective lodgings, and then met again the next morning. ¡°We, who have formed a party, demand a super difficult request!¡± ¡°Huh? You can¡¯t just come out of the blue and say that¡­¡± Upon meeting at the Adventurer¡¯s Guild in the morning, Burn began pressuring the receptionist. The receptionist¡¯s face was a mixture of annoyance and confusion. Well, anyone would react like that if someone abruptly said something like this without any preamble. "" ¡°Ah, sorry about that. As Burn said, we¡¯ve formed a party. And we thought we could accept more lucrative requests now that there are three of us.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. You did succeed in collecting the Cotton Thread Flowers yesterday. Considering that, and that you¡¯ve formed a party, it¡¯s true that even beginners can take on somewhat more difficult requests.¡± ¡°See!? Then quickly, give us a super lucrative request-¡° As the receptionist smiled her business smile, Burn leaned in to interrupt. But knowing this won¡¯t advance the conversation, I pushed Burn aside and spoke to the receptionist. ¡°Hey, Ed!? What are you-¡° ¡°Just ignore him for now. With three of us, we can keep a constant lookout and handle combat. So, we¡¯d like to take this request.¡± What I presented was a request form that I had already taken off the board. Upon seeing its contents, a shadow suddenly crossed the receptionist¡¯s smile. ¡°It¡¯s a request to investigate the Shitorowa Ruins, right? It¡¯s true that the place tends to be infested with goblins and such, so we do put out regular requests to investigate and exterminate the beasts inside-¡° ¡°That¡¯s fine, isn¡¯t it!? Let them take it!¡± As the receptionist was about to say something, a crude voice from behind interrupted her. Turning around, a bearded man was looking at us with a grin on his face. ¡°Gazil-san!? Again!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine! They successfully collected the Cotton Thread Flowers yesterday. They¡¯re a promising rookie party, right? Cleaning¡­ no, investigating some shoddy ruins that people have gone into numerous times should be a piece of cake! Right?¡± ¡°Well, I think we can handle it.¡± ¡°Super! It¡¯ll be a breeze!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think there should be any particular problems.¡± ¡°There you have it! If they themselves say so, let them do it! Experience is everything, Gahahaha!¡± ¡°Really now¡­ So, what will it be? Can you accept the request?¡± ¡°Of course. Please, we¡¯ll take it.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ Understood.¡± With an exchange identical to yesterday¡¯s, we were able to accept the request. As we made our way from the town to the ruins, Tia again subtly touched my hand. [So, Ed? This request¡­ Gazil-san? He¡¯s involved again, isn¡¯t it? Does this request hold some kind of meaning too?] [Fufu, of course. But don¡¯t worry, this one shouldn¡¯t be particularly dangerous. So, Tia, just enjoy it along with Burn.] [Hmm? Alright then. I¡¯m looking forward to it.] It was my second time around, and there was nothing I could do about it, but it was too tasteless to rob Tia of the joy of adventure. As I watched Tia¡¯s ears bounce along with her steps, Burn called out from ahead. ¡°Hey, you two! You¡¯re falling behind!¡± ¡°Oh, sorry about that. But Burn, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s going too far ahead! You do realize that I¡¯m supposed to be the scout, right?¡± I knew there was no way there could be anything dangerous enough in such a place to make us wary, but we still needed to be cautious. With a wry smile at my question, Burn replied without a hint of remorse. ¡°Of course! I¡¯m super excited about going into the ruins!¡± ¡°No, you should be excited before entering, right!? Can¡¯t be helped. Alright, Tia. I leave the rear to you.¡± ¡°Got it. Do your best.¡± Always full throttle and leaning forward. While smiling bitterly at Burn who didn¡¯t wait for me and marched on, I called out to Tia and started to jog after him. CH 250 ¡°Is this the Shitorowa Ruins? I mean¡­¡± ¡°Super! It¡¯s a ruin!¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I said. Well, it is.¡± Although it¡¯s regularly visited by people, which makes it slightly better than a beast trail, the Shitorowa Ruins we arrived at indeed had the typical appearance of such. The stone building, entwined with ivy and moss, made us feel its age, and although there were small chips here and there, there was no critical damage to be seen. ¡°It seems quite ancient, but the building itself is sturdy, isn¡¯t it? I wonder if there¡¯s some preservation magic at work?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. At least it¡¯s a relief for us, who are going to investigate inside, that there¡¯s no danger of collapse.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s get in right away! I need light!¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll cast a spell-¡° ¡°Wait a second! I¡¯m the scout, so I should lead! Tia, can you handle it?¡± ¡°Fufu, understood¡­ here you go.¡± Above my head, after pushing Burn aside, floated a luminous ball created by Tia¡¯s spirit magic. If this was a dangerous place, such a thing would make us an easy target, but since our request was to investigate the interior¡­ or rather to exterminate the demonic beasts, it¡¯s actually welcome for enemies to come at us this time. ¡°I don¡¯t think there are any traps unless thieves have sneaked in, but still be cautious. And be on your guard for goblins who should be living here normally.¡± ¡°Understood. Leave the rear to me.¡± ¡°Super! It¡¯s perfect!¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s go.¡± Receiving energetic responses, I walked into the ruins. These Shitorowa Ruins are a small-scale ruin with about ten rooms on the surface and a small food cellar underground. I know the structure from my previous visit, and I was using [Automapping] just in case, so there¡¯s no chance of getting lost. And if we move on the premise that there are demonic beasts, we won¡¯t even be caught off guard. ¡°Burn, there are two behind the wall. They¡¯ll ambush us when we enter.¡± ¡°Understood. Super! Leave it to me!¡± Burn rushes into the room with great momentum, passing by my side. The goblin¡¯s sword, supposed to be a surprise attack, cleanly misses, and Burn¡¯s sword, having turned on his heel, sends the goblin¡¯s head flying. ¡°No other enemies inside!¡± ¡°Tia?¡± ¡°No ambush. At this pace, they probably won¡¯t do anything other than surprise attacks, right?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s probably no superior individual to command them. Alright, after we check the room just to be sure, shall we move to the next room?¡± Without any trouble or danger, we finish our investigation of the ruin¡¯s interior. After all, Tia and I are only ¡°beginners¡± in ¡°this world¡±, in reality, we have overcome a severe journey, and even though Burn has some oversights and mistakes due to lack of experience, his raw strength is quite high. So there¡¯s no way we would struggle with a request designed for ¡°true beginners¡±. Taking time to avoid even a one in a million chance of oversight, we finish investigating the surface in about three hours, leaving only the underground food cellar. ¡°Hahhh, After checking below, we¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Super! It was a piece of cake!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down until the end. Let¡¯s stay alert.¡± In contrast to the relaxed Burn, Tia was diligently on her guard. Aside from Burn still being a novice, Tia knows from my words that something will happen here, and since it hasn¡¯t happened yet¡­ she probably thinks that if anything is to happen, it will be underground. And indeed, that is correct. If we enter here¡­ Here it comes. ¡°Woah!? What!?¡± ¡°Eh, a magic circle!?¡± As the two exclaim in surprise, a shining magic circle suddenly appears beneath our feet. At the same time, my head spins for a moment, and when it clears, what arrived before us was darkness. ¡°What, what¡¯s this!? Super! It¡¯s pitch black!?¡± ¡°We were teleported and the light couldn¡¯t follow. Tia, could you cast it again?¡± ¡°Understood.¡± I, of course, knew in advance, and Tia, who was experienced, chanted the spell without panicking, and a luminous ball floated above my head once again. The scene illuminated by i twas a closed space entirely surrounded by walls. ¡°What¡¯s this, are we trapped?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something over there!¡± While Tia was looking around in confusion, Burn spotted something a little way off and raised his voice. As we all approached it, what we found was a small stone monument. ¡°A stone monument¡­? There seems to be something written¡­ I can¡¯t read it?¡± ¡°Eh, really? I can super read it!¡± ¡°Eh!? Why¡­ Ah.¡± Tia, suddenly realizing, looked at me and I nodded silently in response. Yes, this is the same as when Alexis and I went to get the Holy Sword. It only reacts to the Hero himself, and can only be deactivated by the Hero. During the first round, I was convinced that Burn was just lucky, and I couldn¡¯t read the text because I wasn¡¯t from this world¡­ So this was a mechanism exclusively for the Hero. I wouldn¡¯t have realized it without that experience. ¡°So, Burn. I can¡¯t read it, but what¡¯s written on it?¡± ¡°Oh, um¡­ should I place my hand here? Wha-!?¡± ¡°Burn!?¡± The moment Burn pressed his right palm against the part with the characters on the stone monument, bright blue lightning ran through his body. Tia instinctively reached out at the shocking sight, so I hurriedly held her back. ¡°Ed!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, just watch.¡± ¡°¡­If you say so.¡± We waited for roughly ten seconds. Burn, whose body had stopped glowing, was staring blankly at his palm. ¡°Hey Burn, what happened? Are you okay?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah¡­¡± ¡°Burn? Are you really okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± Burn, still looking dazed, slowly extended his right hand¡­ and his lips moved slightly. ¡°Lightning.¡± ¡°Kyaa!?¡± A bolt of lightning was discharged from Burn¡¯s right hand. It struck the stone floor with a crack¡­ and heat returned to Burn¡¯s face. ¡°Whoa!? Is this, magic!? I did magic¡­ and not just any magic, but lightning magic that only a Hero can use!?¡± ¡°Hey, Burn! What just happened?¡± I already knew the answer. But I posed the question Burn wanted to hear. Burn slowly turned his face toward us and began to speak. ¡°You know, Ed. Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to become a super strong Hero. But now, I¡¯ve surpassed that effortlessly! Now! At this moment! I, Burn Bannings, have become-!¡± (T/N: Missed chance to use Lloyd Bannings) Around us, lightning fell like applause. In the blue-white light and the smell of burnt air, Burn declared loudly. ¡°I¡¯ve become a Hero!!! Hahaha!¡± Enveloped in the applause-like sound of lightning, Burn let out a hearty laugh. But then, a shadow approached Burn. ¡°Geez! I understand you¡¯re excited, but calm down!¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. Sorry¡­ super sorry¡­¡± Tia scolded him, and the lightning around him disappeared. It seems that even the invincible Hero can¡¯t compete with Tia. ¡°So? How do we get out of here?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s a super escape magic circle behind the stone monument¡­ Is this it?¡± As Burn touched the floor, a glowing magic circle appeared¡­ wait, what!? ¡°Idiot! Who activates it before we get on!? Tia!¡± ¡°Wa-wait! Wait!¡± I hurriedly jumped onto the magic circle and grabbed Tia¡¯s rushing hand, pulling her along. We just barely made the transfer in time, and the next moment we were standing in front of the entrance to the Shitorowa Ruins. ¡°Phew, that was close¡­ Hey Burn, don¡¯t mess around!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that! I didn¡¯t know either¨C¡° ¡°It¡¯s great to have momentum, but you can¡¯t always rely on it!¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ ¡° ¡°Burn?¡± ¡°¡­ So, super sorry.¡± And so, the newly minted Hero¡¯s first task was to bow his head and apologize in front of us. CH 251 ¡°Super! I¡¯ve become a hero!¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡­?¡± We had returned to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild to report our completed quest.The receptionist stared at us, particularly at Burn, as if we were fools, upon hearing his report. She then shifted her gaze to me. Naturally, I knew what I had to do. ¡°Well, I understand this sounds incredibly suspicious, but it¡¯s true. I¡¯ll explain it all as it happened.¡± I started to explain what happened inside the Shitorowa ruins. But the receptionist¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. Instead, the more I talked the more her frown deepened. ¡°¡­And that¡¯s pretty much it.¡± ¡°Wait¡­ But many adventurers have explored the Shitorowa ruins before, and we¡¯ve never heard of anything like this.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what to tell you. I¡¯m just reporting what happened. I don¡¯t know why it happened.¡± ¡°True. But if that¡¯s the case¡­¡± As the receptionist pondered, I could feel Burn, who stood next to me, growing impatient. The first time around, Burn impulsively fired a lightning spell in the hall, claiming: ¡°If you doubt me so much, I¡¯ll show you the! Super! Evidence!¡± Which caused an uproar and eventually led us to be summoned to the castle¡­ ¡°Alright, if you¡¯re so skeptical¨C¡° ¡°Who cares!¡± Just as he was about to reenact that exact scenario, a rough voice interrupted from behind. Turning around, we saw a bearded man grinning at us. ¡°Hey, kid¡­ Your name¡¯s Burn, right? If you¡¯re really claiming to be a hero, are you willing to prove your skills?¡± ¡°¡­Who¡¯re you?¡± ¡°Who am I?¡­ I¡¯d been talking to you yesterday and today! Wait, don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t remember?¡± ¡°No, I remember, but I don¡¯t remember you introducing yourself, nor did I ever introduce myself to you.¡± ¡°Hah! Yeah, you¡¯re right. Then let me introduce myself properly.¡± Rising from his seat, Gazil stood a head taller than me, with a solid build, radiating the aura of a strongman. ¡°I¡¯m Gazil, the master of this guild.¡± ¡°What!? Seriously!?¡± His introduction took me by surprise. I had just thought of him as some nice guy; I had no idea he was the guild master. Being approached by him here meant¡­ We hadn¡¯t failed the initial Cotton Flower quest, so our reputation had improved? I didn¡¯t understand the reason, but at least it didn¡¯t seem like a bad turn of events. ¡°Gazil-san, huh. I¡¯m Burn! Super! The greatest hero!¡± ¡°Burn, huh. So, what will you do? Will you spar with me?¡± ¡°Of course! Super! That¡¯s exactly what I want!¡± ¡°Good answer! Oi Garnet, get everything ready.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ Okay. Um, sorry Ed, Lunaritia. I don¡¯t mean to ignore you two, but Gazil-san is a bit of a rough-and-tumble type of person¡­¡± ¡°Haha, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. And we can go along too, right?¡± ¡°Of course. Now, excuse me, I have preparations to make.¡± The receptionist, Garnet, bowed to us and left. Shortly afterwards, we were guided to a large training ground across the street. A crowd of curious adventurers had gathered there, and in the middle of the training ground stood Gazil, radiating confidence. ¡°Here, you can go all out! Come on, Burn, show me what you¡¯ve got.¡± ¡°Heh, sure thing. Super! I¡¯ll do it! Ed, Tia, watch me from there.¡± ¡°Alright. Good luck.¡± ¡°Do your best.¡± With our cheers behind him, Burn walked towards Gazil. He slowly drew his blunted practice sword and gave Gazil a biting smile. ¡°Super! Here¨CI come!¡± Burn¡¯s steps echoed as he charged at Gazil. Even though it was a practice sword, it was still made of metal. It could cause a severe injury if it hit¡­ Clang! ¡°Good attack. But it¡¯s not enough!¡± ¡°Tsk! Then how about¨Cthis!¡± Burn¡¯s vertical slash was easily blocked by Gazil¡¯s greatsword, forcing him to take a step back. Burn then swung his sword vertically, horizontally, diagonally, with all his might. But Gazil effortlessly parried every attack, an easy grin on his face. ¡°Wow, he¡¯s really strong.¡± ¡°Yeah, but Burn is also weak.¡± ¡°What, Burn is weak!?¡± Watching their duel, Tia expressed surprise at my observation. ¡°But he was cutting down goblins with incredible force, wasn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a different story. He probably can manage well against demonic beasts, but he¡¯s at a disadvantage against a properly trained swordsman.¡± ¡°Hm, is that so?¡± ¡°Hey kid! Are you telling me, a hero like you can¡¯t even beat a geezer like me?¡± ¡°Damn it! Why can¡¯t I land a hit?!¡± While Tia and I were having a casual conversation, Burn¡¯s fight with Gazil continued. However, Burn¡¯s attacks weren¡¯t landing, all being blocked by Gazil. ¡°Hey Burn, did you develop that sword style yourself?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s my Super! Strongest! Style!¡± ¡°That explains it. You¡¯ve got the power and the spirit. But what you lack is¡­ technique!¡± ¡°What?!¡± With a swift movement of Gazil¡¯s greatsword, Burn¡¯s longsword was sent flying. Even considering Burn¡¯s inexperience, it was clear that Gazil¡¯s skills were sizable. ¡°And besides, you¡¯ve been using only the sword since the beginning! What happened to your hero power?¡± ¡°Ha?! That¡¯s right. Super! I forgot!¡± ¡°You forgot¡­?¡± ¡°Take this! Lightning!¡± ¡°Woah!¡± From Burn¡¯s extended finger, a ribbon of lightning struck. Gazil, who had been momentarily surprised, dodged it nimbly. ¡°You dodged that!? It¡¯s lightning! Super! Fast!¡± ¡°No matter how fast it is, if your aim is so obviously plain, I can dodge it. But a lightning spell¡­ are you really a hero?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been saying so! But if you¡¯re just going to dodge¡­ then¡­¡± Burn, who had paused for a moment, suddenly wore a smirk on his face. He¡¯d retrieved his sword that had been knocked away, while distracting Gazil with lightning. ¡°Here I come, Gazil-san! This is my Super! Ultimate! Secret technique!¡± ¡°Secret technique? Didn¡¯t you just become a hero?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! That¡¯s why I just thought of it!¡± ¡°You sure don¡¯t take ¡®secret technique¡¯ very seriously¡­ Well, whatever. Bring it on!¡± ¡°Uwoo!!! Super! Mega Slash!¡± Burn began swinging his sword wildly as he shouted. While Gazil was looking at him with a puzzled expression, Burn began to chant. ¡° [LIGHT!] [TO!] [NING!]¡± ¡°What!?¡± From each of Burn¡¯s swinging slashes, a pale blue lightning slash emerged. It was like Alexis¡¯s Moon Scraper technique being launched repeatedly. Gazil, who had quickly readied his sword, was hit by numerous lightning blades. However¡­ ¡°¡­Huh? That wasn¡¯t too bad.¡± ¡°Haa, haa¡­ huh?¡± ¡°And¡­ there!¡± ¡°Gah!¡± Burn and Gazil both wore puzzled expressions. However, as Burn was panting, Gazil walked up to him nonchalantly and knocked him out with his sword. After observing Burn¡¯s pathetic fall for a few seconds, Gazil seemed to relax. ¡°That attack¡­ was it just for show?¡± ¡°Seems like it. A last-minute secret technique is bound to be something like that.¡± "" ¡°It¡¯s over, huh? That¡¯s a bit anticlimactic.. but if he can do this much at his age, I¡¯m looking forward to seeing his growth. Isn¡¯t that right, Hero-sama¡­?¡± In front of us, who were voicing our thoughts, Gazil looked down at Burn lying on the ground with a wiry grin. Burn couldn¡¯t hear him, but this was the first time in a long time that the existence of a hero had been publicly acknowledged¡­ CH 252 Ten days after Burn was officially acknowledged¡­ or rather, recognized as a hero, we were once again called to the castle by the king of this country, just like before. Led by our soldier guide, Tia and I walked composed through the corridor leading to the audience chamber, while Burn was absolutely tense. ¡°Hey, Burn, you¡¯re way too nervous.¡± ¡°Sh-sh-shut up! I¡¯m not! Super! Not! Nervous at all!¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re definitely nervous. That¡¯s something only a nervous person would say.¡± ¡°What can I do about it!? Besides, why are you and Tia so calm!?¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯re used to this, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Right. You¡¯ll get used to it eventually, Burn. After all, as a hero, you¡¯ll probably be called upon by many countries.¡± ¡°Used to it, who the hell are you guys, really¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha, details are super, don¡¯t worry about them¡± ¡°What!? Don¡¯t you dare mimic my catchphrase, Ed!¡± ¡°Hey, hey, don¡¯t cause such a scene.¡± As we continued our silly conversation in the background, the guiding soldier gave us a wry smile and cautioned us. We arrived at the audience chamber without further incident, and as we knelt, the king, seated high up, spoke to us. ¡°Welcome, Hero Burn and his comrades. I am Sergei Azif Ponpassa, the king of the Ponpassa Kingdom.¡± In response to the greeting from above, we casually bowed our heads on one knee. Normally, we, who are not nobility nor knights, would be required to prostrate, but as the Hero and his companions, it seems we were an exception. Well, it would look bad to make a hero prostrate. ¡°There have been three great tragedies in this world. The Demon King of the Dark Clouds, who shook the heavens and earth and spewed fire from the mountains. The Demon King of the Turbulent Sea, who split the world with a great tsunami. And the Demon King of Beasts, who reigned at the end of the north and invaded the human world with an army of grotesque creatures. However, each of them was defeated by a hero who appeared at that time. And now, as the Demon King of the Eastern Heaven appears for the fourth time, you have revealed yourself! This must be the guidance of heaven! I am¡ª¡± [Hey, Ed. Can I talk to you for a sec?] While the king¡¯s speech continued, Tia quietly waved her finger at me and initiated a [Missing Talk] just between the two of us. Ideally, I should be paying full attention to the king¡¯s speech, but since this is my second time hearing it, I turned my attention to Tia. [Sure, what¡¯s up?] [There were three other Demon Kings in this world besides the one we¡¯re dealing with now? Are they all¡­ part of yours, Ed?] [Hmm. I wonder? It¡¯s not like things other than my fragments can¡¯t become Demon Kings.] The term ¡®Demon King¡¯ refers to entities with the power to significantly disrupt the balance of their world, and naturally, that doesn¡¯t necessarily have to be my¡­ fragments from the Demon King Of The End. Broadly, there are probably many more Demon Kings completely unrelated to my hundred fragments. [So the previous Demon King¡­ was it unrelated?] [Well, I can¡¯t really say that for sure¡­] [You¡¯re not being clear, you know?] "" [There are plenty of things I don¡¯t know, especially if I wasn¡¯t directly involved.] For instance, Tia and Alexis cooperated to defeat the Demon King of their world, but I don¡¯t know what happened to their defeated Demon King. It¡¯s obvious that they don¡¯t just vanish after death, but whether they lose their power and slumber, or revive after some time, or hide among the local life forms¡­ I don¡¯t have a clue, and I can¡¯t even make a guess. [But for now, let¡¯s deal with the current Demon King, who we know for sure is one of my fragments.] If I can reclaim my power, I¡¯ll know whether there was any connection with the previous Demon King. Although knowing would probably only satisfy my curiosity¡­ Huh? ¡°¡ªWith that said, we will give Hero Burn 500 gold coins as financial aid. Now, with that¡ª¡± ¡°Please wait, Your Majesty!¡± Just as the king was about to finish speaking, a voice suddenly interjected. Everyone in the room turned their attention to the person who spoke, a man¡­ wearing a heavy-looking blue robe, who continued to speak. ¡°Why!? Why won¡¯t you allow my ministry¡¯s mage to accompany the Hero!?¡± ¡°Barlock¡­ We already discussed this, no? The Hero already has a mage companion, there¡¯s no need for a second one.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± (Ah, right, that happened before.) As the noble in the robe, Barlock, persisted, I was reminded of our previous party arrangement. Indeed, at this stage in the first round, a female mage slightly older than us had joined our Hero Party. The arrangement had a whiff of politics about it, but we couldn¡¯t reject it, and the pretext that she was to teach the Hero, who was unfamiliar with magic, the proper use of his powers was perfectly valid. Therefore, in the first round, we had become a party of three here. But this time, we have Tia. Tia can adequately instruct in the use of magic, which I cannot, so it must have been decided to decline the addition. In reality, adding a pure mage to our current party would not only make our firepower excessive but also make it difficult to protect, providing no benefits. ¡°That girl, I heard she just registered as an adventurer! There¡¯s no way she could possibly guide and instruct the Hero! You should definitely allow my Ministry Of Magic¡¯s mage to accompany him and guide our inexperienced Hero!¡± ¡°What are you saying? To go against the decision of His Majesty¡­¡± ¡°Moreover, isn¡¯t the person you¡¯re pushing for also a young girl, Lord Barlock?¡± ¡°Besides, isn¡¯t one of the Hero¡¯s companions an elf? In that case, isn¡¯t she older than any of us?¡± ¡°Quiet, quiet! Just because you¡¯re not involved with the Hero, you¡¯re spouting off petty jealous nonsense!¡± The surrounding nobles murmured, and Barlock denied them loudly. His words completely backfire on him, but what will happen now? ¡°Silence! Your Majesty, what should we do?¡± ¡°Hmm, indeed, if we are to guide a young, new Hero, it would not be wrong to have a skilled person do it. It would be generous to send personnel from the knights in addition to the mage¡­ Hero Burn, let¡¯s hear your opinion.¡± ¡°Me?! I¡­?¡± Suddenly involved in the conversation, Burn was obviously flustered. However, the king continued to question him mercilessly. ¡°That¡¯s right. If you wish, we will give these two a suitable reward and instead have someone suitable to accompany the Hero from the castle. What will you do?¡± ¡°Me, I¡­¡± At the king¡¯s words, Burn turned his quivering gaze towards us. His expression seemed like he didn¡¯t know what to do. Well, that makes sense. We¡¯ve only known Burn for half a month. We¡¯ve been getting along as companions, but he probably isn¡¯t sure if we even want to fight with him, even with a large reward. So what should we do? The answer was simple. I returned Burn¡¯s anxious face with a smile and turned my face to the king. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Burn¡­ With your permission, Your Majesty, I would like to express my opinion.¡± ¡°I permit it, let¡¯s hear it.¡± ¡°Then¡­ I understand the opinions and concerns of Your Majesty and the noble attendees here. But the point is, should someone with power walk alongside the Hero? If so, the solution is simple.¡± I paused for a moment, looked at my noisy comrades, shifted my gaze to Barlock, and finally stared straight at the king. ¡°I would like to request a one-on-one match with the mage and knight Your Majesty supports. And with that victory, I will prove that we are suitable companions for Hero Burn.¡± ¡°What?!¡± At my words, Burn let out a surprised voice, and the audience room was filled with murmurs. Some looked at us with blatant unpleasantness, others made a fuss about ¡°disrespect!¡±, while others looked somewhat interested, but¡­ ¡°What do you think, Your Majesty?¡± ¡°Very well. If you make such a statement, prove your strength before me.¡± With the words of the king silencing everyone, it was decided that we would face a match before him. (T/N: I¡¯ll be taking a short break from 1st august to 7th) CH 253 That day, the castle¡¯s training grounds were filled with an unusual hustle and bustle. The cause was, as expected, the gathering of many high-ranking nobles¨Cincluding the king, who normally wouldn¡¯t show up except for the ceremony. They were all there to see ¡°that.¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯s all this commotion? What¡¯s everyone doing outside the training ground?¡± ¡°You idiot, haven¡¯t you heard!? There¡¯s going to be a public match for the right to accompany the Yuusha-sama!¡± ¡°Heh!? How did that come about!?¡± ¡°Just shut up and watch¡­ If you want to bet, go to Beyers, secretly.¡± ¡°O-okay¡­¡± ¡°Well then, we will now commence the public match!¡± Ignoring the buzzing knights and soldiers, a lone soldier in the center of the training ground raised his voice. To his left and right, at the ends of the square, were the kingdom¡¯s personnel, and the Hero¡¯s team respectfully.Exchanging words with those challenging the trial. ¡°Flanite, you understand what to do?¡± ¡°Yes, Barlock-sama. I will do my utmost to meet your expectations.¡± On the kingdom¡¯s side of the field, a young woman, addressed by a high-ranking noble wearing a blue robe, nodded with a serious expression. ¡°Super! Do your best, Tia!¡± ¡°Well, just do it normally and it¡¯ll be fine. But don¡¯t let your guard down, okay? The opponent isn¡¯t exactly weak, you know?¡± ¡°I understand. Leave it to me!¡± On the Hero¡¯s side, a redhead hero with spiky hair, and a young man with a forgettable face addressed an elven girl, who responded with a smile. ¡°Both parties, forward!¡± At the voice of the soldier referee, the two of them stepped forward to the center of the training ground. As both were casters, they stood approximately 10 meters apart from each other. ¡°This should be obvious, but killing the opponent is strictly forbidden. The match is concluded when I determine either a combatant to be incapacitated, or when a combatant surrenders. Please refrain from using any magic that might cause damage outside the arena.Then¡­ Begin!¡± ¡°Fire Arrow!¡± As the referee¡¯s words came to an end, Flanite took the initiative to hurl an arrow of flame. Lunaritia, of course, intercepted it¡­ or not. ¡°Hah! I knew it! Spirit magic is worthless if you can¡¯t use it without chanting!¡± ¡°¡­Oh, is that so?¡± In this world, mages only need to utter ¡®words of power¡¯¡­meaning, the name of the spell to activate their magic. On the other hand, Lunaritia¡¯s spirit magic requires chanting, no matter what. An instantaneous response would be impossible. (I can do it! Even if my opponent is an elf!) Elves are said to typically leave their communities to travel only after they¡¯ve lived for more than a hundred years. To 23-year-old Flanite, the elf in front of her, who appears younger than her, must have lived at least five times longer. (If the one before me were a grand magician with a hundred years of training, I wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. But a hundred-year-old elf¡­!) Elves, due to their longevity, do not train as diligently as humans. Like wild beasts, they have a strong belief that necessary strength will come naturally just by being alive. Of course, some elves who work as adventurers do self-training, but Flanite heard that the elf in front of her has just registered. Therefore, she hasn¡¯t undergone much training, and while Flanite may still be far from being top-tier, she believed she had a fair chance of winning¡­ ¡°¡­Why!?¡± All the flaming arrows shot by Flanite were easily dodged. Lunaritia moved like the wind, and none of them hit. ¡°Fufufu, Just because I¡¯m a rear guard, doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t move, you know? Did you not see this on my waist?¡± ¡°That thing! It¡¯s just a ceremonial sword to enhance your spells, isn¡¯t it!? It¡¯s too thin to use in real combat!¡± ¡°Ah, it certainly looks that way. But what¡¯s inside is different. Haaah!¡± Lunaritia, who had deftly drawn her sword, exhaled briefly and swung her silver spirit sword. Then, a silver flash ran through the flaming arrow that was in its path and in the next moment, the magic dissipated. ¡°No way!? You can cut through magic!?¡± ¡°This is more Ed¡¯s thing, but I can do this much.¡± To the surprised Flanite, Lunaritia replied with a smirk. However, unlike Ed, She couldn¡¯t just cut any magic in half. It was only possible because Flanite¡¯s magic was designed to focus on the number of attacks while reducing its power. ¡°Well then, shall I start now? Gather and bind the wind, the crescent blade glowing in green, the light of dullness shines and flashes the wings of 36 spirits!¡± ¡°Damn it¡­. Why!?¡± While dodging flaming arrows shot, Lunaritia¡¯s chant continued, undisrupted. For a flash, Flanite desperately thought if she used stronger magic that wouldn¡¯t be able to be dodged¡­ but this wasn¡¯t a fight to the death. It was a public match to decide who was going to be the Hero¡¯s companion Hero. Using a large-range destructive spell like ¡°Firestorm¡± and saying ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to kill her!¡± wouldn¡¯t go well. But, the situation is the same for her opponent. She can¡¯t use a strong spell that, if hit, could be fatal and can¡¯t be defended against. This isn¡¯t wishful thinking or naivety, but a proper judgment based on reading the situation¡­ or so Flanite assumed. (She has to stop when she releases her spell. Then I can launch my spell, in counter¡­) ¡°In the name of Lunaritia¡­¡± ¡°Now! [Condense!]¡± Matching the timing of Lunaritia¡¯s magic, Flanite recites a new spell. Then, the flaming arrows she had been firing as a diversion converge in front of her, turning into a scorching fireball. ¡°Go! [Blast Ball!]¡± Finally, by shooting a flaming arrow into the fireball, the ball of raging flames shoots towards Lunaritia. It boasted over three times the power of a normal Fireball, and Flanite was confident that it would counteract Lunaritia¡¯s spirit magic and make her incapacitated just perfectly¡ª ¡°Manifest, [Wind Edge]! Reside, The silver spirit¡¯s sword! HAAAA!¡± BOOOOOOM! A sword imbued with a green light was thrust straight, and the pierced Blast Ball exploded instantly. The force of the Blast Ball¡¯s explosion, which had exploded far in front of its target, couldn¡¯t stop Lunaritia¡¯s movement, and the tip of her sword, which had run straight through the curtain of scorching heat, was pointed at Flanite¡¯s throat. ¡°I guess this makes me the winner.¡± ¡°But¡­ in terms of magic¡­ I was¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. If we were just standing there, shooting your magic and my spirit magic, I¡¯m sure I would have lost.¡± Lunaritia calmly matched Flanite¡¯s sour glare. Flanite was surprised by the truth, but Lunaritia hadn¡¯t finished her explanation. ¡°But actual combat isn¡¯t so simple. Just being able to use strong magic makes you an easy target. If you want to adventure with the Hero, you have to train both as a knight and a mage.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Flanite gritted her teeth in frustration. Even though she can¡¯t emotionally agree, her head understands that what she was saying was correct¡­ very correct. And most of all¡­ (That, single blow¡­) The single gust of wind that destroyed the spell which she was proud of. That phenomenon occurred precisely because the center of her spell was accurately shot through. The level of that technique was far beyond her reach, and even though she didn¡¯t feel like she lost as a mage at all, she realized that she was greatly inferior as an adventurer. ¡°¡­I lost.¡± ¡°It was a good match.¡± ¡°Match over! The winner is Lunaritia!¡± Lunaritia smiled and replied to Flanite who acknowledged her loss, and the referee¡¯s voice echoed across the training ground. Thus, the battle between mages concluded, with Lunaritia emerging victorious. CH 254 ¡°My deepest apologies, Your Majesty. My subordinate¡¯s insufficient capability¡­¡± In response to her unexpected defeat, Barlock bowed low to the king. However, King Pompassa, on the receiving end of the apology, seemed not to take any issue. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Barlock. Isn¡¯t it something to rejoice about, that the Hero has such a reliable companion? Besides¡­ I can¡¯t imagine that she is the strongest mage in our country?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Without hesitation, Barlock answered the king¡¯s question. In reality, while Flanite was strong for her age, she was only above average when considering the entire Magical Ministry. ¡°When you¡¯re accompanying the Hero on his journey, you¡¯d need to be away from the kingdom for an extended period. Therefore, we can¡¯t send someone who plays a crucial role in national defense¡­¡± ¡°No worries. I understand that, this overall worked out. Rather, I wouldn¡¯t know what to do if we had sent out the strongest without thinking and they¡¯d lost.¡± ¡°I¡¯m grateful for your understanding.¡± There was, in fact, an ulterior motive: if a young girl close to the Hero¡¯s age joins him, she could sway the Hero towards their national interests¡­ However, that doesn¡¯t need to be said. This was something everyone understood. ¡°But then, we can¡¯t expect much next time, right? A knight? Or did you nominate someone skilled from the regular soldiers?¡± ¡°Well, Your Majesty¡­¡± The one who answered King Pompassa¡¯s question was a man in his forties, dressed in unadorned but sturdy metal armor. Standing next to the king and allowed to wear a sword, the man speaks casually to the king. ¡°We do have some young, lively people, and we were initially planning to send one of them¡­ but I¡¯ve had a change of heart.¡± ¡°General Lobel.. I¡¯ve told you many times, isn¡¯t your tone too casual when addressing His Majesty?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, Barlock. So, Lobel. What made you change your mind?¡± ¡°Yes. I thought I might try my hand at it.¡± ¡°What!?¡± Barlock expressed his shock at Lobel¡¯s words, but next to him, the king was smirking. ¡°Oh? You¡¯re interested in that man beside him?¡± ¡°Yes, well. The elf girl was something, but the other one is strong. I can tell just by watching from a distance. So I want to try my hand against him.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be absurd, General Lobel! You can¡¯t seriously be suggesting that you want to leave the kingdom to journey with the Hero!?¡± Lobel, who did not doubt his victory in the least, replied with a grin to Barlock¡¯s speech. ¡°In that case, under the pretense of training the Hero, I¡¯ll drag him around the kingdom for two or three months and give him some training. After that, I¡¯ll switch with one of our young ones as initially planned. Shouldn¡¯t that be fine?¡± ¡°Hmm, well¡­ If you stay in the kingdom¡­ What do you think, Your Majesty?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I suppose it¡¯s alright. It¡¯s not necessarily a situation where we have to focus on winning, but continuously losing would be a blow to our national prestige. If you are going, we will expect a victory.¡± ¡°Leave it to me. I¡¯ll give it my all.¡± In response to Lobel, who deeply bowed his head, King Pompassa nodded generously. ¡°Very well, then go. Show the Hero the full extent of the strength of our kingdom¡¯s greatest knight.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ***** ¡°The rules are the same as before. Please be careful not to go overboard, alright?¡± Addressing the two who had stepped into the center of the training field, the soldier acting as referee called out. However, his gaze was clearly directed at Lobel, and his expression was bitter. And standing in opposition to such an opponent, the young warrior¡­ Ed also had quite a grim face. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to face an old¡­ I mean, an experienced knight. Should I go easy?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. I¡¯ll let you have the first move, so don¡¯t hold back!¡± ¡°Okay, okay, much appreciated.¡± Ed, who had assumed another young soldier would come out as before, grimaces at the clear appearance of a real contender. If his opponent were around his own age, he could win normally and end it, but now, if he doesn¡¯t win correctly, he could receive criticism from the surrounding nobles and royals. (Why has it come to this¡­ Is it because Tia won too easily? They¡¯re trying to balance it out by making me lose, but still, I can¡¯t afford to lose.) If he loses here, there¡¯s a high chance he will be removed from the Hero¡¯s party. For Ed, that¡¯s something he wants to avoid at all costs¡­ And so, he makes up his mind. (I guess I have no choice but to get serious.) He can¡¯t use his banishment skill in such a conspicuous place. But his honed swordsmanship will never betray him. In sync with the referee soldier¡¯s call of ¡°Start the match¡±, Ed naturally readies his sword. **** ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± They stood face-to-face for thirty seconds. Neither of them moved, but while one chooses not to act, the other is locked in place as well¡­ Of course, it¡¯s Lobel who can¡¯t move. (This is¡­) Even though Ed simply stood there with his sword at the ready, there wasn¡¯t a trace of an opening. But this fact alone made Lobel break into a cold sweat. (Is he not even going to fake an opening¡­?) Normally, if one possesses such skill, they would intentionally create an opening somewhere. Whether the opponent aims for it or ignores it, it¡¯s done to create a trigger that limits the opponent¡¯s movement and leads to a reading game. But Ed has no openings. In other words, he¡¯s declaring that he will deal with anything¡­ anytime, anywhere, and with enough strength, no matter how one might strike. Whether this was composure, or arrogance¡­ that will be determined by the strike Lobel was about to unleash. ¡°Here I come!¡± With a shout, Lobel raised his sword high and swung it straight down. Without unnecessary bluffing, he swung his sword at his greatest strength, and fastest speed. Ed, in response, clashed his own sword against it. Cling! ¡°!?¡± At first glance, it seems that he countered with a simple parry.Lobel¡¯s face changed to astonishment, and he quickly attacked Ed again at different angles, speeds, and strengths, but they were all simply deflected. Cling! Cling! ¡°It can¡¯t¡­be¡­!?¡± Taken aback by the situation, Lobel unconsciously steps back five paces. From his back, cold sweat, born from a fear he hadn¡¯t felt in a long time, trickled down. (He deflected my attack with exactly the same strength!? What incredible skill¡­ this is the swordsmanship of a man who hasn¡¯t lived half as long as I have!?) If it were the result of some magic tool or invisible ability, Lobel might not have been so surprised. But having seen Ed¡¯s limbs¡¯ movement while handling the sword, he recognized Ed¡¯s skill was undeniably a human one. Truly, Ed was not using his banishment skill. What he could easily do with his [Orbit Reflector] skill, he was reproducing with only the swordsmanship he had honed. There were reasons for this, one of which was that he did not want to reveal his hand and use his banishment skill here, but Lobel did not know this. (If I can make the same movements, I can do the same. But how much training would it take to get there? Thirty years? Fifty years? Could it be that this guy isn¡¯t human, but a half-elf passing as one?) If that¡¯s the case, that¡¯s understandable. If one were to train for decades while maintaining a young body, they might be able to gain this level of skill¡­ Lobel thought such things, but shook his head to clear away unnecessary thoughts. (Damn, don¡¯t think about unnecessary things. All I can do now is to give it my all!) ¡°UOOOOO!!!¡± With a mighty roar, Lobel ran towards Ed. The attack he unleashed was a thrust with his entire weight behind it, a sure-kill move if it landed, but not something to use without breaking the opponent¡¯s stance. But Lobel was certain that Ed would parry it. And indeed, Ed met Lobel¡¯s sword and thrust his own sword out in response. Cling! ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What¡­!?¡± As Ed and Lobel remained silent, only the mutterings of the referee resounded quietly. Following that, a weak laugh spilled from Lobel¡¯s mouth. ¡°Ha, haha¡­ to think you could parry a thrust with a thrust.¡± The tip of Ed¡¯s sword was perfectly aligned with the tip of Lobel¡¯s thrust. Although Lobel had superior physical strength and could have pushed Ed back with it¡­ ¡°Oops, I parried it again. It seems we are equals¨D¨D¡± ¡°I give up.¡± ¡°Seems like¡­ huh?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What!? The match is over! The winner is Ed!¡± WAAAAAA!!! ¡°It¡¯s my complete defeat. This defeat I consider an honor, great swordsman Ed.¡± ¡°No, no, no, no, that¡¯s not right! We¡¯re equals, aren¡¯t we! Huh?¡± Amidst the roaring applause and Lobel proudly kneeling before him, only the victor, Ed, wore an indescribable bitter expression. CH 255 ¡°Please do your best, Yuusha-sama! I¡¯m cheering for you!¡± ¡°Ou! Super! I¡¯ll give it my all!¡± We finished our public match without issue and were safely recognized as the Hero Party. There was no further need for us, so we simply needed to leave the castle before getting involved in any troublesome matters. As we started to leave, with Burn responding to the gatekeeper¡¯s words with a smile, we were unexpectedly called out. ¡°Um¡­ E¡­ Ed-san!¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Um, can I¡­ can I have a handshake?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. Sure¡­¡± While he looked at me with sparkling eyes, I reluctantly extended my hand with a forced smile. The gatekeeper grabbed my hand firmly, and with a full grin, he vigorously shook it. Having done idol handshakes quite frequently, it wasn¡¯t new to me, but being seen like this when I wasn¡¯t Eda was still somewhat unsettling. ¡°Thank you! Defeating General Lobel, that is amazing! I¡¯ll become as strong as Ed-san someday!¡± ¡°Haha, I see. Keep it up¡­ but, I¡¯m younger than you, you know? Please do your best.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it! Thank you! I¡¯ll be praying for your safe travels!¡± ¡°Ah, thanks.¡± Receiving an unexpectedly enthusiastic cheer, we finally left the castle. Then, at my side, a smirking Tia started talking. ¡°Fufu, Ed, you¡¯re really popular, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Seems like it. Why did this happen¡­¡± I didn¡¯t want to lose, but my opponent was the type to bring up various troubles if I won, so I thought I¡¯d play it off as equal and aim for a draw. However, for some reason, my opponent surrendered, and before I knew it, I had become ¡®the man who defeated the kingdom¡¯s strongest knight.¡¯ ¡°That old man was super really strong, right?! But you beat him, that¡¯s amazing, Ed! Just as expected of my companion!¡± ¡°Haha, well¡­¡± For a moment, I thought about saying that old man¡­ Lobel, had held back for me, but saying that about an opponent I had defeated, even if it was a draw, would be an insult. And while I had volunteered to be the scout for the sake of fitting in as Burn¡¯s companion, now that I¡¯ve been recognized fully as a companion, there¡¯s no longer any reason to keep quiet about my strength. In that case¡­ hmm? ¡°Right, if Burn wants, I can teach you swordsmanship, and Tia can teach you magic. You are the type to swing a sword based on instinct, but it shouldn¡¯t hurt to learn swordsmanship.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The magic I use is spirit magic, so it might be different from the laws of magic you¡¯re used to, but I can teach you the basics of using regular magic.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! Super! I¡¯ll count on you guys! Ah, but I¡¯m not good at studying, so please make it a real-life battle situation.¡± ¡°Hoho? Real life¡­ sounds good, we¡¯ll drill you thoroughly. Right, Tia?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. I wonder whether you¡¯ll start smoking from your head first or from your mouth¡­ It¡¯ll be fun.¡± ¡°Wait, what¡¯s with this atmosphere¡­ Super, I hope you¡¯ll go easy on me?¡± With me and Tia grinning, Burn made a regretful face and said. Fufufu, it¡¯s been a while since I taught someone swordsmanship, right? But it¡¯s my first time teaching someone a one-handed straight sword¡­ Whoa, is this the first time since Miguel? Fufu, this is exciting. ¡°Hey, Tia? Ed is laughing in a really super scary way¡­¡± ¡°Oh no, this might already be hopeless. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll pick up your bones.¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°¡­Why do you guys make it sound like I¡¯m a demon of some sort? Sheesh. Come on, let¡¯s move on to the next thing.¡± ¡°Next? Is there something else we need to do?¡± ¡°You idiot, we were told to go to the church! You heard the king¡¯s words, right!?¡± At Burn¡¯s feigned ignorance, I gave a bitter smile and responded. Why do I remember a conversation that I was ignoring, while Burn, who should have been listening carefully, does not¡­ Well, because he¡¯s him. ¡°Listen up. What we lack now is someone who can use healing magic. And, we¡¯re going to the church to get introduced to said person. Got it?¡± ¡°Ah, right, he did mention something like that. Understood! We should super-hurry-up then!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to run?! Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Burn really has a lot of energy.¡± As we chased after Burn, who had run off through the main street, Tia and I weaved through the crowd. And thus, we arrived at a respectable church befitting of the royal capital. After catching up to Burn, we were ushered into a reception room by a priest inside. As we waited while drinking the tea that was served, an elderly priest dressed in a leisurely robe came into the room. And behind him was¡­ huh? ¡°Thank you for waiting, Yuusha-sama and his party. This person here will accompany you on your journey. Please, give your greetings.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you. My name is Euralia. I am still inexperienced, but I look forward to working with you.¡± With a bow, the person introducing herself as Euralia was a woman of our age, with striking hazel eyes and long hair that seemed to reach her waist. However, in stark contrast to Burn, her low, calm voice gave off a somewhat dark impression. ¡°Euralia, huh! I¡¯m Hero Burn! Super! Nice to meet you!¡± ¡°¡­ Yes, nice to meet you too.¡± When Burn energetically greeted Euralia and extended his hand, she softly took it. ¡°My name¡¯s Lunaritia. Nice to meet you, Euralia.¡± ¡°¡­ Yes, nice to meet you too.¡± Next, Tia greeted her and extended her hand, and Euralia softly took her hand as well. ¡°I¡¯m Ed. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°¡­ Yes, nice to meet you too.¡± Lastly, when I greeted her and extended my hand, Euralia responded and softly took my hand¡­ oh? ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­Um?¡± While she greeted Burn and Tia with one hand, she took my hand with both of hers for some reason. As soon as I reacted, Euralia, who had a surprised look on her face, quietly let go of my hand. ¡°Wha- What? Was there something on my hand?¡± ¡°¡­ No, nothing. There are many preparations to be made, so I will take my leave for today.¡± ¡°O-Okay. See you later.¡± After bowing as she did when she came in, Euralia left the room. We briefly discussed future plans with the elderly priest and headed back to our lodgings after dinner. Lying down on the bed in the darkened room, I let out a sigh. ¡°Haa¡­ A lot happened today¡­¡± I was forced to participate in an unexpected public match at the castle, where I thought I would only be making greetings. And then, something different happened at the church than in the first round. ¡°Euralia¡­ Why is this different¡­?¡± The first time around, the person who became our companion was a male priest. The original Hero party consisted of me, Burn, Flanite, and that priest. I understood why Flanite didn¡¯t join us this time. She appeared normally to become a part of the team, but Tia intruded and overwrote her. The reason and the outcome were clear, so I didn¡¯t feel any discomfort with this flow. But Euralia is different. It¡¯s my first time meeting church officials in this world, and it¡¯s impossible that the person changed because of what happened at the castle in just a few hours¡­ ¡°Well, it¡¯s not impossible, right?¡± I had always known that the kingdom wanted someone under its influence by the Hero¡¯s side¡­ If possible, they wanted to arrange for a female companion who could marry the Hero. So when Flanite was ruled out, did they hurriedly change the priest from man to woman? If I think about it that way, it does make some sense. ¡°I see. Burn¡¯s got it tough, huh.¡± There are plenty of people who would envy having women approach them, but from my perspective, having seen the cunning schemes of the royal and noble families, I couldn¡¯t think of it that way. But at the end of the day, it¡¯s someone else¡¯s problem. I don¡¯t particularly have to worry about it as long as I¡¯m not involved. If I receive some sort of consultation, all I have to do is answer it properly. ¡°¡­Time to sleep.¡± I felt a slight increase in the numbness of my right hand, perhaps because I swung my sword quite seriously for the first time in a while. To keep myself sharp, I closed my eyes tightly and allowed my consciousness to melt into darkness. (T/N: Bet she is after Ed not Burn) CH 256 With the addition of Euralia, we were finally completed as a ¡°Hero Party¡±. However, only the form was completed. Our teamwork and skills had to be polished from now on. From that day on, we spent our days performing simple requests as adventurers while devoting ourselves to combat training. A month later, we stepped into a certain forest to confirm the results of our training up to this point. ¡°¡­We¡¯re surrounded.¡± ¡°It seems so. So, Ed, want to see who can defeat more?¡± ¡°Oh, good idea. Then, the loser has to treat the winner to dinner.¡± ¡°Okay! When I win, I¡¯ll order some super luxurious meat!¡± ¡°Heh, you wish. Tia, take care of Euralia.¡± ¡°Understood. Leave it to me.¡± ¡°¡­Good luck.¡± With smirks on our faces, Baan and I split to the left and right, with Tia standing protectively behind Euralia. Euralia¡¯s combat ability #s barely above that of an ordinary person, so she¡¯s just about able to defend herself. Honestly, this was a bit surprising, but when you think about it, it¡¯s more strange for a young female priest to excel in combat. It was abnormal for Gonzo, the embodiment of muscle, and Riel, who didn¡¯t get hurt due to the miracle of some mysterious god. Ican¡¯t think about it based on that. ¡°Now, then, I guess I¡¯ll do my job¡­ and¡­¡± "" ¡°Grrrrrrr¡­¡± What emerged from the shadows of the forest was a demonic wolf, a Blood Wolf, clad in reddish-black fur. It¡¯s fairly strong in this area. ¡°In the middle of the forest, being red, huh? Seems like it would stand out and make hunting difficult.¡± ¡°Gaaaah!¡± ¡°Right, you wouldn¡¯t understand, would you!¡± With a smile of confidence, I draw my [Dawnbreaker] sword from my waist and slash the attacking Blood Wolf. Easily splitting its head, it becomes a true Blood Wolf in its own blood and soon stops moving. ¡°Gwooooooooo!¡± ¡°Whoa, they¡¯re not even flinching, huh!?¡± The pack of Blood Wolves charge right over the body of their fallen comrade. Against multiple enemies biting with a time lag, it¡¯s a disadvantage to only have one sword, but I¡¯ll cover that with my skills. ¡°Huh! Ha!¡± ¡°Guwahhh!!?¡± ¡°Guahhh??!!!¡± Each time I swung my sword, a Blood Wolf fell. If I take down five of them, the enemy will probably become wary and back off. There¡¯s no need to wipe them all out, so I¡¯d be willing to let them go if they back down¡­ huh!? ¡°Baan! Behind you!¡± ¡°Heh!? Whoa!¡± In my peripheral vision, I see Baan get jumped on by a Blood Wolf from behind. He managed to put his arm up to shield himself in time, but the wolf¡¯s teeth sink into his leather gauntlet, blood slowly trickling out. ¡°Damn, I got super careless!¡± ¡°What are you doing, idiot! Need help?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m good!¡± To my call, Baan responds in a calm tone. Normally, you¡¯d think he¡¯s bluffing and rush to his aid, but Baan is the Hero. He still lacks a bit of caution¡­ but once he¡¯s got the enemy in his sights, the outcome is decided. ¡°Take this! Super Lightning Slash!¡± Crackle ¡°¡±Yeeeeow!¡±¡±¡± Baan¡¯s powerful strike, learned from Tia, fries all the surrounding Blood Wolves in an instant. The reason he didn¡¯t use it from the beginning is probably because it¡¯s a technique that can¡¯t be used recklessly due to its large consumption ¡°Phew¡­ I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d have to super use that. I still have a lot to learn.¡± ¡°Knowing that shows that you¡¯re growing. Hey, Tia, how are you doing over there?¡± As I sense the remaining few Blood Wolves fleeing, I turn my gaze towards Tia. Naturally, there are Tia and Euralia looking energetic. ¡°We¡¯re fine. You certainly put on a flashy show though.¡± ¡°Ugh!? Well¡­ yeah.¡± ¡°Yuusha-sama, please give me your hand. I will heal you right away.¡± ¡°Thanks! Super! I appreciate it!¡± Ignoring Tia¡¯s astounded voice, Baan holds out his arm, and Euralia immediately activates a healing magic. The flowing blood stops in an instant, and the tension leaves Baan¡¯s face. Ignoring Tia¡¯s stunned voice, Baan extends his arm, and Euralia immediately activates a healing spell. The bleeding halts instantly, and Baan¡¯s tense expression relaxes. ¡°¡­How is it?¡± ¡°Wow, super! It doesn¡¯t hurt at all! Thanks, Euralia!¡± ¡°Euralia¡¯s healing magic is really something. That looked like a deep wound, didn¡¯t it?¡± When a Blood Wolf bites you, for some reason, the bleeding doesn¡¯t stop easily. That¡¯s why I express admiration for Euralia, who easily healed it. With that, Euralia promptly steps toward me. ¡°¡­Um, I will heal you too, Ed-san.¡± ¡°Huh, me? Nah, I¡¯m not hurt or anything.¡± ¡°Just to be sure¡­¡± ¡°Oh, okay¡­¡± Pressured by Euralia¡¯s assertive offer, I straightened up on the spot. Then Euralia, as always¡­ thoroughly heals me from head to toe¡­ Yes, as always. For some reason, Euralia frequently casts her healing magic on me. ¡°¡­I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°Ah, thanks. Sorry to trouble you every time.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s my job¡­ excuse me, I¡¯ll leave you for a while.¡± With a slight bow, Euralia steps away from us. It¡¯s a usual thing for her to want some alone time after using her healing magic on me. And then, Tia approached me with an indescribable expression. ¡°Hey Ed, are you feeling okay?¡± ¡°What do you mean? Of course, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s fine¡­ but why does Euralia always use healing magic on you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Whenever I ask her, she just says it¡¯s ¡°just to be sure¡±. Wouldn¡¯t you know more, Tia?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve asked too, but she says the same thing. I feel like she¡¯s hiding something, but I also feel bad prying into something she doesn¡¯t want to talk about¡­ hmm.¡± ¡°What are you two talking about? Isn¡¯t it obvious? Euralia super! Likes Ed, right?¡± Baan unexpectedly dropped this bombshell as Tia and I were discussing the matter. Caught completely off-guard by his words, I looked at Baan, stunned. ¡°Wait, wait, wait! That¡¯s not possible! Why would you even think that?¡± ¡°Why? I¡¯ve been asked about you by Euralia so many times. She asks what you like, what you usually do, your age, where you¡¯re from¡­ By the way, where were you born, Ed?¡± ¡°Ah, well¡­ wait, that¡¯s not important right now! What the hell is this!? Since when did this happen¡­ Tia, did she ask you too!?¡± ¡°Eh? She hasn¡¯t asked me¡­¡± ¡°Well, she wouldn¡¯t ask her love rival, would she?¡± ¡°Love rival!?¡± Tia¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at Baan¡¯s words. However, her face soon turned serious as she folded her arms and began to mumble to herself. ¡°Hmm, love rival¡­ but then again¡­¡± ¡°Damn, you¡¯re so lucky, Ed! Only you are popular! I wish a cute girl like Tia or Euralia would super! like me too!¡± ¡°No, no, no, that¡¯s not it¡­ right?¡± ¡°I know Ed is pretty popular, but her reaction¡­ It¡¯s totally different from Riel¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Tia? Hey, Tia-san?¡± ¡°Damn it! Hey Ed, if there¡¯s a secret to becoming super! popular, teach me! I also want to get super! cozy with girls!!¡± ¡°No need to emphasize that much, I think girls would come to you on their own¡­ but that¡¯s not the point! I¡¯m not popular!¡± ¡°I get it, I get it! The more popular you are, the more you say, ¡°I¡¯m not popular¡±. I¡­ I¡­ know it¡­ painfully¡­ super! well!!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get it at all!¡± Absent Euralia, contemplative Tia, and Baan crying tears of blood and shouting. In this situation where there was no salvation in sight, I was left holding my head. CH 257 ¡°Sorry for keeping you¡­ Um, did something happen?¡± ¡°Ah, welcome back. Nah, nothing much. Burn was just spouting some nonsense again.¡± The subject of the discussion returned to our chaotic conversation. Naturally, Euralia, who knew nothing about what we were talking about, looked puzzled. I quickly said something to ease her confusion. Seriously though, whether Euralia has feelings for me is quite an important matter. Love is one of the strongest emotions a person can have, and there¡¯s no shortage of parties that have been destroyed because of it. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been trying not to attract the affection of the opposite sex¡­ since around the middle of my first run-through, when I started to have some leeway. Leaving your heart in a world where you can¡¯t return to is good for no one, and if someone really likes you, they may protect you when you¡¯re ¡°exiled¡±, which could hinder your return. Even though I was created by God, I am aware that I am a total jerk for trampling on the affection of others for my own purposes. Especially towards the end, my heart became numb, and the exhilaration of getting closer to achieving my goal of ¡°going home¡± even overwhelmed my guilt¡­ but it wasn¡¯t as if it wasn¡¯t tough. That being said, there¡¯s no way I could directly ask, ¡°Do you like me?¡± So, I need to be careful¡­ ¡°Hey, Euralia. Do you super! Like Ed?¡± ¡°Wha!?¡± I let out a strange noise at Burn¡¯s sudden and direct question. Eh, what the heck!? Do you ask such a thing so casually!? Are you stupid!? Or a hero!? ¡­Ah, no. Burn is a hero. And stupid. No doubt about it. ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t quite understand your question?¡± ¡°So, I¡¯m asking if you like Ed as a man! Would you fight Tia over him? Or even¡­ a harem situation!? Damn it, Ed, you super! Get on my nerves!¡± ¡°You need to calm down, seriously. Sorry, Euralia. I¡¯ll shut this idiot up right now, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± If Euralia had joined the party with the goal of winning over hero Burn, this situation would be too harsh. For now, I clench my fist to drill some common sense and consideration into this stupid hero, and strike him mercilessly on the top of his head. Thump! ¡°Guha!? Super painful!? What are you doing, Ed!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line. Hey Burn, if you keep this up, you¡¯ll never be popular, you know? You¡¯re going to live a life where every woman you meet looks at you like you¡¯re a bug. You¡¯ll end up being looked at from a distance with a forced smile, like, ¡°Burn-sama is quite frank, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Whoa, what¡¯s that specific future!? Super! Don¡¯t want it!?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. You reap what you sow.¡± ¡°¡­Um, excuse me. How did this conversation start in the first place?¡± While Burn was wailing and clutching his head, Euralia timidly asked. Euralia, who usually doesn¡¯t show much emotion, is clearly bewildered. ¡°Huh? Because you asked me about Ed, right? About his hometown, his favorite food, and stuff!¡± ¡°¡­I did ask you various things, but that was to ensure that I didn¡¯t offend him during our travels. In fact, I asked you the same things, didn¡¯t I, Burn-sama?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Huh? Did you?¡± ¡°Yes. I asked you the same things, and you told me.¡± ¡°¡­Oh yeah, I think we had a conversation like that. But, why did you ask me directly, but not Ed? Does that mean you super! like Ed and were too embarrassed to talk to him directly¡­?¡± ¡°Ed-san is usually with Tia-san, so I didn¡¯t have much opportunity to talk to him¡­ That¡¯s why I asked you, Burn-sama.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. Sorry about that. But you don¡¯t have to hesitate to talk to me, you know?¡± ¡°Thank you. I appreciate your consideration.¡± Now that she mentioned it, I realized it must be hard to approach a man who is always with another woman. Euralia thanked me as I apologized, and Burn looked like a mischievous child who had just been caught. ¡°So, was it all my super! misunderstanding?¡± ¡°As for whether I have feelings for Ed-san, I would like to refrain from answering in this setting.¡± ¡°Eh!? Does that mean¡ª¡± ¡°Wake up, you idiot! She means that no matter what she says, it¡¯ll cause trouble, so she¡¯s not saying!¡± In this situation, any answer would cause friction. That¡¯s why she gave an ambiguous answer, but Burn, unable to understand this, gets another punch from me. ¡°Guho!? Super!!! Painful¡­ Hey Euralia, can you check my head? Can you heal it?¡± ¡°Ha¡­ Alright, please come here.¡± Perhaps because I hit the same spot, Burn seems genuinely in pain. He bows his head to Euralia, asking for her healing magic, and she gently lays her hand on his head, healing his pain. It¡¯s a peaceful and utterly idiotic scene. ¡°By the way, Tia? You¡¯ve been silent for a while now, what¡¯s up?¡± I leave those two as they are and approach Tia, who for some reason didn¡¯t join the conversation. I had the impression that Tia would enjoy this kind of talk, but her expression is uncharacteristically dull. ¡°Hmm, after all¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Tia? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re taking what Burn said seriously?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. It¡¯s not that, but¡­ Sorry, there¡¯s something on my mind, but I don¡¯t think I should speak it out loud.¡± ¡°¡­? I don¡¯t quite get it, but if there¡¯s something you don¡¯t want to say, you don¡¯t have to, right? We¡¯re not in a relationship where we need to worry about that at this point, are we?¡± The second journey with Tia, from my perspective, has already spanned several decades. We¡¯ve reached a point where we can understand each other without saying or asking, and there¡¯s enough trust to let what we don¡¯t know be. So, I have no intention of forcing her to say something she doesn¡¯t want to, and I¡¯m not restless unless I hear it. It¡¯s only natural that there are things the other party doesn¡¯t know or understand. It¡¯s not a flimsy relationship that makes one anxious without peeking at what lies beyond the darkness. However, even in response to my answer, Tia continues to speak without changing her expression. ¡°I see¡­ But, there¡¯s something that I think you should know, Ed. But it feels really bad to say it out of my mouth¡­ Ah, what should I do in situations like this?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve piqued my interest now, but what do you want me to do?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ Can you stay with me as much as possible? I think that will solve about half of the problem.¡± ¡°Ha¡­ I still don¡¯t understand anything, but if our lady wishes it, I¡¯d be delighted to accompany you.¡± I don¡¯t understand the specific reason at all, but ¡°because Tia wished for it¡± is enough reason for me to act. I quietly stand next to Tia, and she softly takes hold of my hand. I thought she might use the ¡°secret mission talk¡± between just the two of us, but I hear no voice of Tia echoing in my mind. ¡°Tia?¡± ¡°Yes, Ed?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t¡­ leave me behind, will you?¡± Her emerald eyes look up at me anxiously¡­ That¡¯s why I flick her forehead with my index finger. ¡°Ouch!? What are you doing!¡± ¡°Hahaha, you¡¯re saying things unlike yourself. Leave you behind? Who chased after me even beyond the wall of the world?¡± ¡°¡­Fufu, that¡¯s right, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Besides, I¡¯m the undying Demon Lord, right? Something even God couldn¡¯t deal with. I might die, but I won¡¯t disappear, so no matter where I am or what form I¡¯m in¡­ This time, I¡¯ll catch up to you, Tia.¡± ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s a competition? I won¡¯t lose, you know?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t lose either! No, I didn¡¯t even plan to leave you in the first place. Hey, stop thinking about such impossible things and show me your usual cheerful face. Or else I¡¯ll flick your forehead again.¡± ¡°What!? What do you think a maiden¡¯s forehead is for! You pervert, Ed!¡± ¡°A pervert, huh¡­¡± ¡°Did you see that, Euralia? That¡¯s a man who¡¯s super! popular with women using his flirtatious techniques!¡± ¡°I see. It¡¯s informative¡­¡± Before I knew it, Burn and Euralia, who had deliberately kept their distance, were secretly talking about something while looking this way. Looking at it this way, I don¡¯t think Euralia is in love with me¡­ Well, that¡¯s another matter. ¡°Hey, Burn. You¡¯ve got a lot of nerve to have a stupid secret talk right in front of me. Alright, I¡¯ll make your training three times tougher from tomorrow!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll teach you a lot too! Shall we read a book together?¡± ¡°Ugh!? That¡¯s super! dangerous! Let¡¯s run, Euralia!¡± ¡°¡­In case of injuries during training, I¡¯ll use healing magic. For fatigue of the head¡­ I¡¯m sorry, that¡¯s a bit difficult.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no one on my side!? Damn it, even so, I¡¯ll¡­ super! escape!¡± With a heroic shout, Burn starts running alone. This place is in the middle of a forest teeming with magical beasts, even if there are no signs of them around¡­ He¡¯s definitely forgotten that, judging from his behavior. ¡°Haah, really, what an irredeemable hero. Everyone, let¡¯s chase after him!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Roger!¡± At my words of exasperation, Euralia and Tia comply. Incidentally, finding Burn caught up in some web was a matter of five minutes later. CH 258 And so, despite being hit by unforeseen troubles, we gradually gained strength. Along with that, our range of activities expanded¡­ It¡¯s been three months since we teamed up with Hero Burn. We had arrived at the second ruins where the hero¡¯s power slept. ¡°Whoa, it really does exist!?! As expected of Ed, you¡¯re super incredible!¡± ¡°¡­Even the church with the most historical documents in this area did not have this information. How on earth did you come to know of this place?¡± ¡°Hahaha. Well, let¡¯s just say it¡¯s a long story.¡± The second ruin, too, was deep in the forest. Faced with a mossy stone building entwined with ivy, I evaded answering with some vague words. Needless to say, the reason I found this place wasn¡¯t due to my incredible intelligence, but because I used the [Akashic Compass] as always. While I was still keeping the existence of my banishment skills a secret, I believe I can tell Burn about this. However, I could only foresee a future where Burn slips his mouth to some bigwig. ¡°So it¡¯s inside a proper building again¡­ Does that mean someone was guarding the power of the Hero before?¡± ¡°Probably. But heroes only appear once every few hundred years, so I guess it¡¯s been forgotten.¡± When a hero appears¡­ for instance now, a large-scale re-investigation was being conducted at the Shitorowa ruins where Burn acquired the thunder magic. Once that¡¯s over, it seems the national army will be guarding it. However, if Burn defeats the Demon King as is, that ruin will effectively lose its value. It will regain its importance when a new Demon King appears far in the future. Of course, a wise ruler would try to protect the ruins in preparation for such a future, but not everyone was wise. A hundred years pass, two hundred years pass, how many people and how much budget would a new ruler, who knows nothing about the Demon King, allocate to protect a ruin they¡¯ve only heard about? For that matter, even nations don¡¯t last forever. There could be wars or changes in government during that time, and in the confusion, information could be lost, or the protection of now-useless ruins could be deemed wasteful and discarded. The result of such accumulation was this. Once the threat was gone, people forget and take it lightly. The last hero appeared a little over 300 years ago, and while fragmented information about the existence of the Demon King and Hero, or the lightning magic only the Hero can use, remained, details like this had been lost. ¡°Ah, or perhaps the previous Hero didn¡¯t absorb the power present here. There seem to be a few other places, but it¡¯s not necessary to gather everything, right?¡± ¡°Oh, I see. Of course, there¡¯s a possibility that we missed some ruins.¡± In response to my offhand remark, Tia nodded thoughtfully. Alexis had missed the Holy Sword until my second visit, so maybe these kinds of oversights were more common than we think. The important thing was to become strong enough to defeat the Demon King, not necessarily to gather all the power. ¡°Hey, hey, hey, there¡¯s more of these!? That¡¯s super! Don¡¯t we absolutely have to gather them all!?¡± ¡°Yes, indeed. I think it¡¯s very important for the church to know the location of all the powers. If we know where they are, it might be more important than defeating the Demon King.¡± ¡°Right. I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s another one, but it would be useful to gather information here. But that could also be dangerous¡­¡± Because no one knows about it, both the Shitorowa ruins and these ruins have been completely abandoned. But if they were known, there¡¯s a chance that greedy humans or the Demon King¡¯s army might have taken control of the ruins. If they have a detection method like me, being unknown can be the best defense. ¡°Hey Ed, it¡¯s super useless for us to think about such complicated matters, isn¡¯t it!? What will happen to this place in the future after we¡¯re dead, it¡¯s super out of our hands!¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re right.¡± At Burn¡¯s straightforward remark, I couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly. Ah, indeed, he¡¯s right. We can¡¯t take responsibility for such a future matter, and it¡¯s for the people of that time to decide what to do with it. For someone who¡¯s just an outsider and will disappear once the Demon King was defeated, like me, to worry about such things was exceedingly arrogant. ¡°So, let¡¯s just not worry about the future and go ahead and collect the power. Though I have no idea what it specifically entails.¡± ¡°Whoa, I¡¯m super excited! Let¡¯s go, everyone!¡± ¡°Wait a minute, Burn! It¡¯s dangerous to run like that!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fiiiiiiine!?¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ Euralia, please prepare your healing magic.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Chasing after Burn, who was likely already caught up in something, we entered the ruins. Apparently, this place had been used as a den by bandits or something in the past, and some old traps seemed to still be set in a working condition. Of course, there¡¯s no way Burn would be affected by something of this level now. He was just surprised and let out a scream, and several arrows that were cut off lay at his feet. ¡°Are you okay? Be careful, a rusty arrowhead is more troublesome than a poor poison.¡± ¡°Super! Understood!¡± ¡°¡­Um, Ed-san. I¡¯ll heal you.¡± ¡°Euralia? Was there anything in our conversation just now that indicated I got injured?¡± ¡°But, I prepared it because¡­¡± ¡°Ah, is that so? Well, it doesn¡¯t really matter.¡± ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± While Burn was breaking every half-broken trap in sight, Euralia, for some reason, used her healing magic on me, who wasn¡¯t injured at all, and Tia was staring at us with an indescribable look on her face¡­ It¡¯s a situation that¡¯s been happening quite a bit recently, and it¡¯s extremely uncomfortable no matter how many times I experience it. ¡°¡­I¡¯m done. Um, Ed-san? How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Feeling? Well, I feel fine¡­ especially after receiving the healing magic.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good¡­ that¡­¡± ¡°Hey, Ed! Do we go underground again!?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t know yet, so just wait a minute! Sorry, Euralia, what were you saying?¡± ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s nothing. Then, I¡¯ll go after Yuusha-sama.¡± When I asked her, she answered in a small voice, bowed her head, and scurried off towards where Burn was. As Euralia left, Tia approached and began to touch my body. ¡°Tia? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re not feeling any pain or anything, right?¡± ¡°Huh? Of course not. I wasn¡¯t injured in the first place.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯s really going on? Could it be that something¡¯s wrong with Euralia and I just haven¡¯t noticed?¡± Tia has been acting like this for a while now. I still believe that I don¡¯t want to ask about things she doesn¡¯t want to talk about, but caring for her and not worrying are two different things. In response to my question, Tia, with a gloomy expression, says, ¡°What would you do if I said something was wrong?¡± ¡°Well, it depends on what that ¡®something¡¯ is.¡± From my perspective, Euralia may be a bit quirky, but she¡¯s a competent person. She¡¯s certainly skilled at healing magic, and aside from the somewhat awkward interaction with Tia, she wasn¡¯t a problem in the party. Also, the uncomfortable feeling was mostly because of Tia¡¯s attitude, so it¡¯s not really fair to blame Euralia. ¡°But it¡¯s rare for you to distance yourself from others like this. Could it be that there¡¯s a problem I¡¯m not aware of?¡± Generally, Tia was quite friendly and didn¡¯t keep her distance unless the other person showed clear hostility. But from my point of view, it didn¡¯t seem like Euralia had such an intention, which is why I don¡¯t know what to do. ¡°I¡¯m just asking, but you¡¯re not being secretly harassed by her or anything, right?¡± ¡°Of course not! Euralia is a good girl. She¡¯s certainly a bit different¡­ but she¡¯s a good girl. I can tell that she¡¯s considerate towards you, Burn, and even me. But that¡¯s why¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Sorry¡­ It seems like there¡¯s something inside me that just can¡¯t accept Euralia. It¡¯s been like this since we met, and maybe it¡¯s my fault. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize¡­ But that¡¯s just the way it is, right? We¡¯re humans, and there will always be people we don¡¯t get along with.¡± It¡¯s not about good or bad, there are just people who, for some reason, don¡¯t mesh well together. If that person for Tia happens to be Euralia¡­ then there¡¯s really nothing that can be done about it. I see. Is that why Tia asked me to stay with her? Normally, there¡¯s an option to apologize profusely and leave the party, but with Burn being the Hero, that¡¯s not possible. ¡°I see. Then don¡¯t push yourself too hard. I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯ll take until we defeat the Demon King¡­ but until then, bear with it and handle things well. I¡¯ll always be here to listen if you need to talk.¡± ¡°Thank you, Ed.¡± Suddenly, Tia embraced me. The hands around my neck were surprisingly slender, and the warmth of the cheek that touched mine was subtly cool, probably due to the outside air. ¡°¡­..Now I have some energy, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Right!¡± To Tia, who was forcing herself to be cheerful, I responded without saying anything else. This world¡¯s story was a tale of a Hero¡¯s party adventuring along the classic path, which I hadn¡¯t experienced in a long time. I was hoping to enjoy it with Tia¡­ but just as when I found out that the adventure tale I longed for was entirely fictional, the world unfolding before me appeared slightly dimmed. CH 259 ¡°Alright, shall we go then¡­?¡± Afterwards, we successfully found a teleportation circle leading underground. Standing before us, Burn placed his hand on the mysterious stone tablet. Then, just like before, a pale blue lightning ran through Burn¡¯s body¡­ When it subsided, Burn turned around and shouted with a full smile on his face. ¡°Look at this! It¡¯s super! A hero¡¯s shield!¡± When Burn clenched his left hand in front of his body, a glowing shield appeared centered around his wrist, perfectly covering his upper body. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s cool. So that¡¯s how it works.¡± ¡°Oh, Ed, you didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s my first time coming here.¡± During my first round, I didn¡¯t come to a place like this. At that time, I didn¡¯t have the [Akashic Compass] but even if I did, I probably wouldn¡¯t have guided Burn here. It¡¯s obvious. Even if my attitude was bad, the ability to accurately find a place where the hero¡¯s power lies was too useful, it would have made me immune to ¡®banishment¡¯. ¡°Woah, what¡¯s this!? It¡¯s super! It looks awesome!¡± In front of Tia and me, who were having such a conversation, Burn was clenching and opening his left hand like a child, creating and erasing the shield. The way his eyes were sparkling was just like a child. ¡°Congratulations, Yuusha-sama. We are one step closer to defeating the Demon King.¡± "" ¡°Ooh, thanks, Euralia! But if I may say so, I wanted a super! Sword after all.¡± ¡°Haha, don¡¯t rush Burn. Let¡¯s save that for the next treat.¡± ¡°Next? Hey Ed, don¡¯t tell me¡­!?¡± At my words, Burn spoke up in surprise and expectation. When I smiled at him, Burn swallowed hard¡­ ¡°Leave it to me. I have found several more ruins candidates, just like this time.¡± ¡°Woahhhhh! Ed, you¡­! You¡¯re super! The best!¡± ¡°Stop it, it¡¯s too hot! Don¡¯t hug me!¡± ¡°Hehe, Ed¡¯s quite popular, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Do you need healing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not popular and I don¡¯t need it! Anyway, let¡¯s go to the next one.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Peeling off the annoying Burn, we continued our adventure to the next ruins. We walked through the forest, crossed countries, and the next place we arrived at was a freezing mountain where blizzards were raging. ¡°EEEEEEED, i-i-i-i-i-is th-th-th-th-this re-re-re-re-really¡­?¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying. Anyway, our destination is a little further up.¡± ¡°S-s-s-s-s-s-s-so i-i-i-it¡¯s th-th-th-th-th-th-th-th-there¡­?¡± Among us who are climbing the snowy mountain, only Burn is shaking with cold. His spiky red hair was almost dripping with icicles, and such Burn turned a skeptical gaze towards us. ¡°W-w-w-w-w-why a-a-a-are y-y-y-you guys f-f-f-f-fine¡­?¡± ¡°Because Tia is protecting us with her spirit magic.¡± ¡°W-w-w-w-w-why n-n-n-n-n-not me¡­?¡± ¡°When I tried to use it, You said, ¡°I¡¯m a super! I¡¯m the strongest hero, so I don¡¯t mind this level of coldness!¡± and refused, right?¡± ¡°G-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g¡­¡± ¡°Haa, it¡¯s fine. Tia, sorry but can you cast it on Burn too?¡± ¡°Roger that.¡± When Tia activated her spirit magic, Burn¡¯s trembling stopped and his blue face quickly turned red. ¡°Huuuu¡­ super! I¡¯m saved¡­¡± ¡°Learn from this and stop being so stubborn. By the way, why did you say you didn¡¯t need magic?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I thought being patient was super! Cool¡­¡± ¡°I think that was quite uncool just now.¡± ¡°Yuusha-sama¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Woah, don¡¯t look! Don¡¯t look at me like that! Super! Don¡¯t look at me!¡± Burn, who was squirming, looked incredibly uncool, a rare sight in recent years. While we couldn¡¯t help but smirk at his antics, I quickly composed myself and turned my attention forward. ¡°Come on Burn! It¡¯s a chance to redeem your honor!¡± ¡°Hmm, an enemy!?¡± From beyond the blizzard emerged a large white ape-like beast. As soon as our eyes met, the ape charged at us with a loud cry. ¡°Kikikikikikiiiiii!!!¡± ¡°It¡¯s coming! Burn!¡± ¡°Roger!¡± Me on the left, Burn on the right. We each swung our swords at the charging ape¡¯s arms to stop its movement. ¡°Kikii!¡± ¡°Tch, it¡¯s tougher than I thought? I¡¯ll go around the back!¡± ¡°Leave it to me!¡± Leaving Burn behind, I took some distance and started running to get behind the ape. Of course, the ape didn¡¯t stand by and let me do it, it swung its arm, half cut, to knock me down¡­ ¡°Not on my watch!¡± ¡°Ugii!?¡± Burn struck the ape¡¯s knee, causing the beast to stagger under the pain and its own weight. Seizing the opportunity, I circled behind it and first cut off the annoyingly waving tail. ¡°Take this!¡± ¡°Kiki¡­ Kyuoooooooo!¡± Perhaps the ape realized it was difficult to take both of us on at once, it drew a large breath. The next attack to be expected from this move¡­ ¡°Burn, it¡¯s going to unleash a frost breath!¡± ¡°Manifest, Hero¡¯s Shield!¡± A glowing shield appeared in front of Burn¡¯s body. But it didn¡¯t stop there. ¡°Whooooooooa! Super! Absolute defense!!¡± ¡°Buffoooooooo!!¡± The shield of light Burn held began to rapidly increase in size. It not only covered Burn but also protected Tia and Euralia behind him, successfully blocking the ape¡¯s blizzard breath. ¡°Brilliant, Hero! And now¡­ it¡¯s over!¡± At the moment when the ape had finished exhaling, my sword beheaded it. The remaining breath didn¡¯t blow out, and the white giant body fell onto the snow slope with a loud noise. ¡°We won. You did well, Burn!¡± ¡°Really, you were so cool.¡± ¡°As expected of Yuusha-sama¡­¡± ¡°Is, is that so!? Well, I am a super! The strongest hero, so this was a piece of cake!¡± "" ¡°Then Ed-san, I¡¯ll heal you¡­¡± ¡°Ah, sure¡­¡± Even though I hadn¡¯t suffered a single scratch this time, I knew she wouldn¡¯t listen even if I said I was okay, so I accepted Euralia¡¯s healing magic. Once that was done and we moved a little further, we reached the entrance to the tunnel which was our destination. ¡°So this time it¡¯s not ruins, is it?¡± ¡°Given its location, there might be ruins inside the tunnel.¡± While it¡¯s most likely that only a teleportation circle exists here, we can¡¯t know for sure until we go and check. After all, I was merely following the direction indicated by the [Akashic Compass] and I didn¡¯t know anything about the historical background of each location or facility. ¡°So if it¡¯s a tunnel, does that mean there¡¯s something to dig up? At least when it was being dug, wasn¡¯t there a town or something here?¡± ¡°According to the church¡¯s documents, this tunnel was closed hundreds of years ago. So if anyone were to build a town, they¡¯ll have to start from scratch.¡± ¡°Creating a town around an abandoned mine¡­ that won¡¯t be profitable at all. But if we¡¯re to stay here, wouldn¡¯t we need a facility of considerable size? It¡¯s going to be tough for those who get assigned here.¡± The ruins, or whatever, with a stone tablet where the power of the hero lies, and the teleportation circle leading there, seem to be protected by the country where they are found. So someone will come here¡­ I feel sympathy for them. Well, good luck. ¡°So, shall we go inside now? There might not be any traps this time, but there¡¯s a chance that monsters have made their home here given the environment, so be careful.¡± ¡°Super! I got it! Well then, let¡¯s go in!¡± ¡°I told you to wait for a bit¡­ huh?¡± Just before entering the tunnel, Burn stopped and turned around. ¡°Hey, hurry up! I can¡¯t wait!¡± ¡°¡­Well, you¡¯re growing up just fine.¡± It¡¯s been about four months and a bit since I started traveling with Burn. While he hasn¡¯t changed fundamentally, he¡¯s certainly grown a little. Feeling a little happy about that fact, a small smile appeared on my face. ¡°Well, let¡¯s not keep our impatient Yuusha-sama waiting. Shall we go?¡± ¡°Yes, he probably won¡¯t wait for us for even a minute.¡± ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Hurry up! Super! Hurry up!¡± Responding to Burn¡¯s voice, we also started walking a little faster into the tunnel. CH 260 ¡°Whoa! It¡¯s super! It¡¯s glowing!¡± Deep inside the winding mine that was like a labyrinth, Burn had obtained a new power from the stone tablet we found. It was a shining armor. However, it¡¯s more like a light membrane that envelops the entire body rather than an armor¡­ and this raises a problem if it¡¯s considered ¡®armor¡¯. ¡°Hey Burn, is it going to be glowing all the time?¡± Exactly, unlike a shield, armor was something you wear all the time. If it only takes effect when it¡¯s glowing, it¡¯s more than just conspicuous. ¡°I think it¡¯s very divine and wonderful¡­¡± ¡°No, surely this is no good. Even if there¡¯s no stealth, wouldn¡¯t people get angry if we were to go around glowing like this?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ Wait, super! Let¡¯s see¡­ like this?¡± At our words, Burn made a difficult face and moved strangely. Then the light subsided, and his usual equipment looked normal again. ¡°Did you stop activating the power?¡± ¡°No, super! It feels like it¡¯s being suppressed. There¡¯s a thin membrane covering my body, and I think it¡¯ll glow super when it takes damage.¡± ¡°I see, that¡¯s good enough. It was rather dazzling though, so if you¡¯re going to use it at full strength like a shield during battle, let us know. Then we can match it.¡± ¡°Super! Got it! So, this is probably the armor, so¡­¡± ¡°Fufufu, I understand. There¡¯s only one place left in mind. Probably there¡­¡± ¡°¡­There¡¯s Yuusha-sama¡¯s sword, isn¡¯t there?¡± Euralia joined in the conversation where Burn and I were grinning. Indeed, if we follow this trend, the last thing would be a sword without a doubt. I wouldn¡¯t deny the possibility of a surprising bow or spear, but I don¡¯t know how to react if the world throws a curveball. ¡°Whoa! Hero¡¯s sword!? Super! I can¡¯t wait! Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s start right now!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t go directly from here. The sword won¡¯t run away, so let¡¯s go with certainty.¡± Calming down Burn, who seemed ready to run, we descended the mountain and returned to the town. We took a proper rest and prepared before setting off. And what we finally arrived at¡­ was in front of a vast sea. ¡°Hey, Ed. Is this the place¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah, I think it¡¯s somewhere at the bottom of the sea or something.¡± ¡°Super! What should we¡­ Wait! Are we going to dive?!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, even Tia can¡¯t reach the bottom of the sea.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, it¡¯s really impossible to dive that deep.¡± At my words, Tia laughed wryly. If you continue to activate underwater breathing, you consume magic power during that time. The sea squeezes your body the deeper you dive. Even Tia¡¯s spirit magic can¡¯t handle that, so it¡¯s quite difficult to dive into the deep sea. ¡°¡­So, what should we do?¡± ¡°Probably there¡¯s a teleportation circle nearby, right? From the information I¡¯ve gathered¡­ over there?¡± Of course, I didn¡¯t actually gather any information. Well, I checked what might be in the direction the [Akashic Compass] pointed to, but there¡¯s no way such core information would be lying around. But, as we walked guided by me, there was a cave gaping open. It was in a place where you couldn¡¯t see it unless you circled around the rocky area and got close, so you would need quite a coincidence or luck to find it by normal means. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s a hole! As expected of Ed! Super! Awesome! Alright, let¡¯s dive in, super!¡± ¡°Alright, alright, don¡¯t rush¡­hmm?¡± When I glanced back, Tia and Euralia were talking. While following Burn, I quietly listened to their conversation. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Euralia?¡± ¡°¡­No, as I thought, Ed-san is amazing.¡± ¡°Yeah, Ed is amazing.¡± ¡°Yes, really¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Umm¡­shall we go then!¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± (Ah¡­ well, it¡¯s just like that.) It seems their conversation was not very lively, but that can¡¯t be helped. Time will probably solve it eventually¡­ (I wonder who will be faster?) It¡¯s been five months since we started traveling with Burn. The condition for ¡®Exile¡¯ should be met soon, but unlike before, we intend to stay in this world until we defeat the demon king. But once we obtain the last power, that time won¡¯t be far away. (It would be okay to part ways without lingering attachments¡­ but it would be nice if we could get along a little more before then.) ¡°Whoa!? Ed! It¡¯s a dragon! Super! There¡¯s a huge dragon!¡± ¡°Oh, is it the guardian of this place? Or has a wild dragon invaded¡­ Either way, we¡¯ll take it down, Burn!¡± ¡°Of course! Slaying a dragon is super! It¡¯s the ultimate proof of strength!¡± The one that stood before the enthusiastic Burn and us was a dragon covered with water scales. It should have been a formidable enemy as it almost negates physical attacks¡­ But Burn¡¯s lightning magic was terrifyingly effective, and we managed to defeat it quite easily. It was probably placed as an enemy that a hero could counter. And so, at the deepest part of our journey, Burn finally obtained the last power of the Hero. ¡°Here I go¡­ Super! Stretch! Sword of the Hero!¡± When Burn, filled with spirit, thrusts out his clenched right hand, a sword of light extends from it. Well, calling it a sword feels a bit off, as it looks more like a glowing stick extending out. It seems more like a spear or a stake. (T/N: Lightsaber?) ¡°It doesn¡¯t really feel like a sword, does it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it, Tia. I was thinking the same thing but didn¡¯t say it.¡± ¡°Guah!? No, that¡¯s not¡­ I think¡­ it should be!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Yuusha-sama. Please try to cut this.¡± Burn, who was shocked by my and Tia¡¯s words, received something from Euralia¡­ it looked like the scale of the dragon we defeated earlier. He tossed it into the air and swung his arm. The blade of light easily cut the scale, and not only that, but the cut scale turned into particles of light and disappeared. ¡°Whoa!? What is this, super!? Isn¡¯t this amazing!?¡± ¡°Oh, it really is amazing. It¡¯s just as you¡¯d expect from the Hero¡¯s sword.¡± "" ¡°I wonder which is more amazing, Ed¡¯s sword or this one?¡± ¡°Haha, it can¡¯t really compete with that one.¡± I was not so arrogant as to think that I could compete with a weapon prepared by the world¡¯s will to eliminate alien existence. Maybe it could compete with the [Dawnbreaker] forged by Master Dolton, but my skills still fall far short of Master¡¯s. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s head back to town quickly and celebrate tonight. All of the Hero¡¯s powers have finally been collected. Let¡¯s all eat something delicious together.¡± ¡°Super! That sounds great! I¡¯m all for it!¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m fine with that. How about you, Euralia?¡± ¡°The gods do not say it is evil to share joy with one¡¯s neighbor. If it is a normal meal, of course, I will gladly join.¡± ¡°Well then, it¡¯s decided!¡± We energetically set off on our path, and that night we drank and ate and made merry. Afterward, we returned to the inn and went to sleep in our respective rooms¡­ (¡­¡­¡­¡­Huh?) I was suddenly awakened by the sound of movement in front of my room. However, the presence passed in front of my room and entered Burn¡¯s room next door. The only ones staying at this inn right now are the four of us. So the owner of the presence is either Tia or Euralia, but there¡¯s no way I could mistake Tia¡¯s presence. That means it was Euralia who visited Burn¡¯s room. (She¡¯s more proactive than I thought. Or is it because all of the Hero¡¯s powers have been collected that she¡¯s starting to take more direct action?) Either way, this proved that my suspicion about Euralia having feelings for me was a misunderstanding. Now it depends on what Burn does¡­ (Well, he can do as he pleases.) As long as his romantic pursuits don¡¯t dull his sword skills, it¡¯s none of my business what young men and women do. I covered my head with my blanket and distanced my consciousness from the sounds coming from the next room, closing my eyes deep and strong. CH 261 ¡°¡­¡­Morning, huh.¡± The dawn broke and morning arrived. I wake up, slightly aware of the noises from the room next door. I doubt they would still be going on, but when you¡¯re young, you can have an excess of energy¡­ Regarding myself, there¡¯s no problem at all. Whether it¡¯s an overflowing emotion or anything else, if it continues for a hundred years, you can somehow manage it. So, I quickly got dressed and left my room. At that moment, the door of the neighboring room also opened, and our eyes met. ¡°Hey, Burn. Good morning.¡± ¡°Woaaaah!? E-Ed!? Ah, ehm¡­ I mean, Super! Good morning!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ah, yeah. Good morning.¡± I had considered the possibility that ¡°Euralia just consulted something that only a hero could do¡±, but looking at his reaction, it seems like something significant happened. Hmm, this innocent reaction¡­ makes me want to tease him a bit. ¡°Hey, Burn. About last night¡­¡± ¡°Ni-night!? Nothing! Absolutely! Nothing happened! I was alone in my room the whole time, and Euralia wasn¡¯t there at all!¡± ¡°I-is that so¡­¡­ Well, it doesn¡¯t really matter.¡± On second thought, this seems like a case that could get complicated if I tease him about it. I decided to avoid touching it until they brought it up, and I moved to the inn¡¯s dining hall with Burn. We ordered breakfast and while waiting, Tia and Euralia arrived as well. ¡°Good morning, Ed, Burn. Burn, you¡¯re quite early today, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Good morning, Ed-san, Yuusha-sama.¡± ¡°Hey, good morning, both of you.¡± ¡°Super! Good morning, Tia! And¡­ Euralia.¡± We exchanged greetings, but Burn¡¯s behavior was clearly odd. Noticing his demeanor, Tia came over to my side and whispered in my ear. She didn¡¯t use [Missing Talk] because if we got too used to using it for anything other than something that absolutely couldn¡¯t be overheard, we might rely on it too much. ¡°Hey, Ed, what¡¯s up with Burn?¡± ¡°Ah, I can¡¯t say much from my end, but¡­ it seems like Euralia went to Burn¡¯s room last night.¡± ¡°Eh? That¡¯s surprising, or should I say¡­ hmm?¡± I didn¡¯t say what they did or anything, but Tia tilted her head in thought at the solemn fact I shared. ¡°Is there a problem with those two being in that kind of relationship?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that. I would celebrate if that¡¯s the case¡­ but then what about what happened before¡­ hmmmm¡­¡± ¡°? I don¡¯t really get it, but even if the past was like that, now it¡¯s like this, so isn¡¯t that fine¡­ or is that not how it works?¡± ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re right. If they¡¯ve settled like this, then that¡¯s fine¡ª¡± ¡°Excuse me, can I interrupt for a moment?¡± The stern expression that had been on Tia¡¯s face for a while now faded away. Euralia spoke to me, who felt glad about it. ¡°Hm? What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Actually, I would like to have some of your time later. The Hero and I have something important to discuss with you¡­¡± ¡°Discuss¡­ Ah, sure. But an important discussion, huh? I wonder what it is.¡± At this point, there was only one thing that came to mind. However, pretending to be clueless as per tradition, Burn, who had my gaze directed at him, forced a slight smile. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not that big of a deal, you know? I think it¡¯ll probably be laughed off¡­¡± ¡°I see, I see. Well, reporting is important after all. You¡¯re fine with it too, right, Tia?¡± ¡°Yes, of course. So, where should we hear this talk?¡± ¡°Yes. I was thinking about going to the church in this town if possible¡­ What do you think?¡± ¡°Church!? Isn¡¯t that moving too fast!?¡± ¡°Is it? I thought that it would be a good way to resolve various things all at once¡­ Is there any problem?¡± ¡°Not really, but¡­ Ed?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ If they¡¯re okay with it, then isn¡¯t it fine?¡± While I think it would be better to take things one step at a time, Euralia was a priest, and it wouldn¡¯t be strange for her to view a relationship as marriage. Even if it doesn¡¯t lead to marriage, if they want to make their relationship official in front of God, I see no reason to refuse. ¡°By the way, Burn, you agree with this too, right?¡± ¡°Me!? Ah, yeah¡­ That¡¯s right¡­¡± ¡°If it¡¯s okay with you, then there¡¯s no problem. After we eat, let¡¯s head to the church.¡± Burn¡¯s expression was a bit cloudy, but¡­ the face of a man who¡¯s told to ¡°take responsibility¡± after being swept away by the moment was usually like this. I suppose I¡¯ll just have to talk to him personally later. After all, our journey to defeat the Demon King still continues. And so, after finishing breakfast, we all headed to the church in town. Euralia seemed to have spoken with the people there and cleared out the church. In the small church, there were no other people aside from us. We were in the chapel. The sun¡¯s light poured in from the high skylight, and the images created from the multicolored glass watched over us as Burn and Euralia stood side by side, with Tia and me facing them. ¡°Then, let me speak.¡± ¡°Uh, okay.¡± Taken aback by the unexpectedly solemn atmosphere, I responded in a subdued manner. Burn was a hero, after all. I thought this would be at most an announcement of their relationship¡­ ¡°In fact¡­ there is an entity inside me that is not myself.¡± ¡°¡­Huh!?¡± As Euralia gently rubbed her belly while speaking, I inadvertently let out a strange voice. It¡¯s a rather roundabout way of saying it, but an entity other than herself is residing within her¡­!? ¡°Hey, Burn! What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I only heard about it for the first time yesterday. I was so surprised¡­¡± ¡°Right. That would be surprising. But why¡­ oh, wow!?¡± It¡¯s been about four months since Euralia joined us on our journey. So, if she had a relationship with Burn from the beginning, it wouldn¡¯t be an impossible story. But there wasn¡¯t a hint of such a thing. Was last night special and until then everything was cleverly disguised? ¡°Hey, Tia?¡± ¡°I¡¯m hearing this for the first time too. Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t have had that conversation this morning, would we?¡± ¡°Right, of course.¡± "" It seems that I was more flustered than I thought. But with this, Burn¡¯s behavior made even more sense. A priest wouldn¡¯t choose not to give birth to a child she¡¯s carrying, and although Burn may act on a whim sometimes, he¡¯s a serious man. If he was told he has a child on the way, he would certainly take responsibility. But if he wasn¡¯t prepared for this and was told about it, he would naturally be shocked. Burn, he always said he wanted to be popular¡­ Or was that also a camouflage to deceive me? ¡°So, Ed-san. In fact, there¡¯s something I need you to verify for me.¡± ¡°Verification? Me? What is it?¡± ¡°Can you come here?¡± ¡°Ah, sure.¡± I don¡¯t know what kind of verification can be done in this situation, but I walked over to Euralia¡¯s side as she beckoned me. Moreover, even at this juncture, I was still wary of Euralia. Unless Tia said, ¡°It¡¯s okay now,¡± I probably wouldn¡¯t let my guard down around Euralia until the moment I was ¡°banished¡± from this world. But that¡¯s precisely why I wasn¡¯t paying attention to one other person. I had no doubt or danger in turning my back to him, and I didn¡¯t even imagine that there could be a threat there. ¡°¡­.Eh?¡± Something hot pierced through from behind me. At the end of my downcast gaze was the tip of a shining sword. ¡°Yes, with this it has been proven. Ed-san¡­ you really were the Demon King.¡± As I was stabbed from behind by the Hero¡¯s sword, blood dripped from my abdomen. Euralia was watching my dumbfounded figure with cold eyes. (T/N: God fucking damn) CH 262 Third Person POV ¡°EDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!¡± The moment Lunaritia¡¯s consciousness caught up with reality, she fiercely pushed away Burn, who was stabbing Ed, and laid Ed¡¯s body, now collapsed on his back, on the floor. She had not struck his neck simply because¡­ Ed was more important than anything else. ¡°Ugh¡­ ah¡­¡± ¡°Wait, Ed, I¡¯ll get the recovery potion right away¡­¡± Lunaritia lifted Ed¡¯s head, which was vomiting blood from his mouth, onto her knee, and immediately took out a recovery potion from the bag she had around her waist to use it. But¡­ ¡°It¡¯s not healing!? Why!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s futile.¡± As Lunaritia cried out at the potion that showed no sign of working, Euralia¡¯s voice echoed overhead. At her words, which sounded like a divine oracle, Lunaritia glared at Euralia. ¡°What do you mean, futile!?¡± ¡°¡­Do you know that if you use too many healing potions or healing magic in a short period of time, their effects diminish rapidly?¡± ¡°¡­I know. But isn¡¯t that the case when you use them over and over again in the middle of battle? I¡¯ve never heard of any lasting effects even a day after.¡± Yes, Lunaritia, a seasoned adventurer, knew that the power of healing was not infinite. But she also knew that the diminished power would return after a night¡¯s rest. That¡¯s why she hadn¡¯t interjected when Euralia was excessively using her healing magic. ¡°That would be true, under normal circumstances¡­ However, the power of a god is different. If I could amplify the god¡¯s power that¡¯s sealed within the Demon King with the god¡¯s power dwelling within me, and fill the Demon King¡¯s body with it¡­¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Ed!? What is this!?¡± As if responding to Euralia¡¯s words, three balls of light floated up from the hole in Ed¡¯s abdomen. They danced around Euralia and disappeared as if seeping into her abdomen. ¡°Ah, the gods! You¡¯ve finally returned¡­¡± ¡°¡­So that¡¯s what it was.¡± Lunaritia understood the source of the discomfort she had felt in Euralia, who was ecstatically stroking her own abdomen. From the moment they first met, Lunaritia had felt that Euralia harbored feelings for Ed. But if it were only that, there would be no problem. For instance, Riel also had feelings for Ed, but Lunaritia had never felt anything unpleasant about that. She was happy that Ed was liked, and she also quite liked Riel. If Ed were to say that he wanted to marry Riel¡­ While she might feel a tinge of sadness deep down, she thought she could still genuinely bless them. However, Euralia was different. Despite the clear affection, she had felt something else beneath it, something rough and very unpleasant. At first, she wondered if this was jealousy or possessiveness welling up within her and despised herself for becoming such a distasteful person. After consulting with Ed, she wondered if there were insurmountable differences in their ways of thinking and values. The true nature of that unanswerable worry¡­ was now revealed in its worst form here. ¡°Euralia¡­ The affection you had for Ed wasn¡¯t for Ed himself, but for the fragment of god within him.¡± ¡°Of course. I am a devout follower of the gods.¡± In the face of Lunaritia¡¯s glare, Euralia remained unflinching and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s a story from ten years ago. One day, suddenly, a God descended upon me. And God spoke to me. Ten years later, when a new hero will appear in this world, there will be a Demon King who has usurped the power of the Gods beside him. If left unchecked, the world will collapse, and all of this world will be shrouded in darkness. Therefore, I prepared myself. I gained the strength suitable to serve by the side of the Yuusha-sama, worked hard to become one of his companions¡­ and finally, it has come to fruition! Now, Yuusha-sama! Finish the wicked Demon King¡­ Yuusha-sama?¡± Euralia¡¯s voice was filled with doubt, causing Lunaritia to also turn her gaze towards Burn. There stood Hero Burn, shocked and in tears. ¡°Why¡­ Why is this!?¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®why¡¯? Burn, you¡¯re the one who stabbed Ed under Euralia¡¯s influence!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it! My sword¡­!¡± Suddenly Burn rushed forward towards Euralia, slashing diagonally at her with his sword of light. However, the sword didn¡¯t even scratch Euralia¡¯s body or clothes, she stood unfazed. ¡°It didn¡¯t cut¡­ What is this!?¡± ¡°The sword of Yuusha-sama is a sword that only severs truly evil beings. It only exerts its power against the Demon King and other wicked beings who assist him.¡± ¡°¡­Yesterday, Euralia told me. That Ed is the Demon King. But I couldn¡¯t believe it¡­ Then Euralia said, ¡®If that¡¯s the case, why not try cutting him?''¡± If Ed was a normal human, Burn¡¯s sword would have passed through him. Of course, Ed would get angry, but they could both apologize profusely afterward. If that happened, Ed would surely laugh and say something like, ¡°Don¡¯t mess with me! But it¡¯s really amazing that it didn¡¯t cut. Can you try it again?¡±¡­ Because he believed such a scene could happen here, Burn had swung his sword. But the reality was different. The sword meant to slay demons had pierced Ed¡¯s abdomen, and now a comrade he had believed in was writhing in pain before him. He didn¡¯t want to believe this, didn¡¯t want to¡­ But he couldn¡¯t deny it, and with a gut-wrenching feeling, Burn screamed. ¡°Why¡­ why did it go through!? Ed, were you¡­ were you deceiving us all this time!?¡± ¡°Burn¡­ ¡­¡± ¡°Ed!? Don¡¯t speak, I¡¯ll immediately¡­ That¡¯s it! Hey Burn, if you don¡¯t like us, expel us right away¡ª¡° ¡°No!¡± If they were expelled and disappeared from this world, Ed¡¯s wounds would be as if they had never existed. Finally realizing this, Tia was about to voice this when Ed tightly gripped her wrist. ¡°Ed, why¡­!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s no good¡­ the conditions¡­ and¡­ ¡° Since he began his journey with Burn, it had only been a little over five months. The six-month requirement for expulsion was not met, so returning to the ¡®white world¡¯ by being expelled here was impossible. And even the other ¡®deep trust¡¯ condition, which would have been possible yesterday, was now impossible. And above all¡­ ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ last more than 10 minutes¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­!¡± Ed, who had escaped death many times, knew his condition well. The blood flowing from his abdomen would not stop, and he could not hold on for more than ten minutes, no matter how he looked at it. Without a doubt, he was going to die here. So what should he do now¡­ What does he have to do? Even as his thoughts were tormented by the pain, Ed turned his face to Burn again. ¡°Listen well, Burn¡­ I am indeed the Demon King¡­ But I¡¯m not the one¡­ who is attacking this world right now. So your fight¡­ isn¡¯t over yet.¡± ¡°Ed? What are you saying¡ª¡° ¡°Euralia¡­ I don¡¯t think you¡¯re in the wrong¡­ so there¡¯s no need for you to worry¡­ though, it looks like that goes without saying¡­¡± ¡°Of course. I was only following the will of the God.¡± In contrast to the flustered Burn, Ed gave a wry smile to the unfazed Euralia. And finally, tilting his head back, he looked up at Tia¡¯s face, her emerald eyes filled with tears. ¡°Tia¡­ help Burn, save this world¡­ everything starts from there¡­¡± ¡°Are you asking me¡­ to help the person who killed you, Ed?¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­ the hero defeating the Demon King¡­ is natural, right?¡± "" ¡°But¡­!¡± ¡°Please.¡± ¡°Alright¡­ I understand.¡± Upon hearing Ed¡¯s weak words, Lunaritia nodded. Even if it¡¯s something she didn¡¯t want to do, there was no choice if it was a request from her precious comrade. Only her tears continued to fall freely, raining heavily on Ed¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t make that kind of face¡­ You know, right? It¡¯s true that I¡¯ll die¡­ but I¡¯ll just die, that¡¯s all¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll follow you again. No matter the sacrifice, no matter how much time it takes¡­ I¡¯ll definitely go to where you are, Ed!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be reckless¡­ then, it¡¯s a race to see whether I can return to where you are, or¡­ cough, cough¡­ which is faster¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t lose¡­ Absolutely, absolutely, I won¡¯t lose!¡± When she once crossed the barrier of the world, Lunaritia consumed a hundred years of her lifespan as the price. At that time, the lifespan remaining for Lunaritia, who was 120 years old, was approximately 80 years. (T/N: FINALLY REVEALED MY GOD) However, she never lamented it. Rather, she felt somewhat glad, thinking, ¡°This way, I can age just like Ed and perhaps die around the same time.¡± That¡¯s why Lunaritia would not acknowledge such an ending. Even if she had to kick the Demon King Of The End¡¯s butt, she would find a way for the two of them to live. As Lunaritia made this resolution, Ed gently reached out and touched her cheek. ¡°Even if the world we live in changes, even if the time we live in separates us¡­ we¡¯ll always be together. So, see you, Tia.¡± (T/N: Awww) ¡°Yes. See you, Ed.¡± Exchanging casual farewells as if they were going for a stroll nearby, the two exchanged smiles. It¡¯s not that they believed in reunion. They were convinced without a doubt that they would meet again, and that¡¯s why there were no tragic feelings there. Thus, like a parent leaving for work would do to their beloved child, Lunaritia gently placed a kiss on Ed¡¯s forehead. Inevitably, Ed¡¯s lips also touched her forehead, and each felt the warmth of the other through their touch. ****** On that day, the existence of ¡°Demon King Of The End¡± disappeared from this world axis. It was three years later that Hero Burn, along with his two comrades, defeated the real Demon King and brought peace to the world. (T/N: Goodness let my man rest) CH 263 ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.Hmm?¡± Suddenly, a stark white world sprawled before me. I¡¯d never seen such a sight, and as a dumbfounded expression took over my face, I quickly looked around. ¡°Eh, what!? What is this place!? Ah, eh, eh!?¡± Whether I looked to the right or to the left, it was just endlessly flat and white. Actually, above and below were white too. If I can¡¯t see the sky, does that mean I¡¯m inside some kind of building? Trapped? Kidnapped? Why me? How? ¡°¡­Wait, wait, wait. Let¡¯s calm down. Let¡¯s first sort out the situation.¡± Just a moment ago, I was exterminating mole crickets. Pest control in the field was an essential part of a mercenary¡¯s job, and I had ventured into the forest to destroy a mole cricket nest¡­ ¡°¡­Was it really like that?¡± The scene that came to mind should undoubtedly be my everyday life, but for some reason, I felt a strong sense of discomfort. I feel it¡­ but there shouldn¡¯t be any discomfort in such an abnormal situation. Actually, everything around me was a mass of discomfort. ¡°Did I hit my head? If this is a dream I¡¯m seeing after fainting, that¡¯d be great¡­ No, it wouldn¡¯t be. If it¡¯s a dream, it should be more fun¡­hmm?¡± Being restrained and thrown into a prison cell would be troublesome, but the complete freedom of having nothing at all here was even more so. I¡¯m not asking for the luxury of someone to talk to, but at least something¡­ As I squinted and looked around, a table and chair suddenly appeared in a place that had been empty a moment ago. ¡°¡­¡± Weird. Really weird. There was definitely nothing there a moment ago, but now when I looked right, left, and right again, there was a table and chair. I don¡¯t understand. It¡¯s my principle to stay away from suspicious things like this¡­ ¡°Well, I can¡¯t ignore it.¡± The moment I look away, if the table and chair disappear, I will indeed be reduced to a mere existence rolling around like a caterpillar in a blank world where there is nothing. As I nervously approached the table, there was also a stark white book. When I picked it up and opened it, it was filled with very self-serving content. ¡°What the hell is this? A hundred different worlds, exile¡­ Any way you think about it, it¡¯s crazy¡­¡± What I should do was written, but I had no idea why I have to do such a thing. As I frowned and looked to the side, there was a white wall and a door attached to it that had suddenly appeared. ¡°Haa¡­¡± I let out a big sigh, then turned my gaze back to the table. I¡¯m not surprised anymore by the crystal ball that has appeared just by looking away for a few seconds. This is the kind of world this is, I¡¯ve been saddled with an impossible task by someone who can do this, and I have no choice but to do it¡­ In essence, that¡¯s what it means. ¡°My only hope is this crystal ball that¡¯s supposed to give me some kind of mysterious power. Now then¡­¡± As soon as I put my hand on the crystal ball, I could feel a strange heat flowing into me. Next, what came to mind was the name [Flagmaker] and the details of its ability. ¡°I see, I see, so this is how it is¡­ can I somehow manage this, maybe?¡± If it¡¯s not about me doing something, but about something happening on its own, then even I, a mere mercenary, might be able to join something as outrageous as a hero party. In fact, it would be troublesome if I couldn¡¯t. I want to get out of this inexplicable world as soon as possible and go home¡­ back to my original world. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s just try doing it. Then let¡¯s start right away¡­ hmm?¡± Just as I was about to leave, feeling like I no longer needed to be here, I noticed an object on the table that was the first non-white colored entity in this world. ¡°Another book? What¡¯s this¡­ {Records Of The Hero¡¯s Story}?¡± The title was written in gold foil on a brown leather-bound book. There were other things written too, but those parts had been scratched and scraped off, making them unreadable. ¡°I don¡¯t quite understand, but should I read this too?¡± Lowering my hips that were about to stand, I sat back down to read the newly appeared book. Upon opening the book, what was written was a heroic tale of a hero I¡¯d never heard of. ¡°Hero Burn? Who¡¯s that? Ah, could this be the hero from the other world?¡± Muttering such things, I continue reading the book. A child born in a rural village aspires to be a hero, inspired by the stories he heard in his youth, and leaves for the city. There he has a fateful encounter and awakens to the power of the hero with his companions¡­ it¡¯s quite a common development¡­ up to a point. ¡°Eh, you¡¯re kidding me!?¡± In the middle of the story, the heroine who was a companion suddenly reveals to the hero that ¡°The man we traveled with is the Demon King, an evil existence who stole the power of God.¡± Hearing this, the hero, caught between doubts and trust, pierces the male companion with the ¡®Hero¡¯s Sword¡¯¡­ and as a result, the male companion dies. ¡°Wow¡­ But what¡¯s with this development? Shouldn¡¯t something like this have more foreshadowing from the beginning? Suddenly hearing such a thing and dying the next day, isn¡¯t that a bit too sudden?¡± Just because he had the same name as me¡­ well, Ed is a common name, so there must be many around¡­ I feel a certain uncomfortable emotion. But since there¡¯s no author in front of me, there¡¯s no point in complaining, so I continue reading the story¡­ ¡°¡­What is this?¡± The overly positive hero keeps worrying about stabbing the man¡­ the Demon King, and the elf girl who always cheered everyone up seems to have reversed her outgoing character to a more reserved one due to the effect of her mind control being lifted. "" And as the presence of the elf Lunaritia faded, the one who started to shine was the priestess Euralia, who had taken in the power of God recovered from the Demon King. She began to wield a power that was completely different from her predecessors, and honestly, it felt like it became just about Euralia. It¡¯s kind of like the protagonist has changed, even though the perspective remained with the hero. This was an interesting experiment in its own right, but of course, there¡¯s no sense of unity in the story. It would be better to divide it into two volumes and sell it as separate books. Readers will definitely be confused. I am too. ¡°This is terrible¡­ well, it¡¯s a bit interesting, but terrible.¡± There¡¯s a saying that innovative methods that no one has ever tried before are usually things that someone has tried but found to be no good¡­ and right now, I¡¯m strongly feeling that. If at least the elf was also powered up, the balance could be maintained, but it¡¯s only the priestess. Certainly, this wouldn¡¯t get read to the end if it were left lying around here. ¡°Well, there¡¯s no point in complaining about it here. Now, let¡¯s continue¡­ huh.¡± I continued reading the story, which had taken a confusing turn. The priestess woman defended against enemy attacks with the power of God, the priestess woman broke curses with the power of God, the priestess woman gets thanked by villagers and almost had a nobleman¡¯s son forced on her¡­ I reached the final page just as I was starting to lose track of whose story this was. ¨D¨D %*& World {Records Of The Hero¡¯s Story} The Final Chapter: True Peace, True Faith¡± Thus, after a journey spanning three years, Hero Burn and his party finally succeeded in subduing the Demon King. Despite the cries of joy resonating throughout the world, the humble hero did not boast of his achievements, but merely smiled quietly. Afterward, having fulfilled their great responsibility, the hero¡¯s party disbanded, each going their separate ways. The elf, awakened from brainwashing, disappeared somewhere after reporting the defeat of the Demon King. There were rumors that she had not completely broken free from the Demon King¡¯s brainwashing and, in order to resurrect the Demon King, she had turned to dark magic and had been eradicated from the world by the hand of the hero. However, Hero Burn only gave a vague smile and said no more. Hero Burn relinquished all of his fame as a hero, as well as his status and wealth, and returned to the rural village where he was born. Distanced from people due to a heart hardened by strife and a painful betrayal, time gradually healed his wounds. At the relatively late age of thirty, he married and built a very ordinary family, fulfilling his life as a villager. Finally, the priestess who harbored the power of God in her body used the funds entrusted to her by Hero Burn to establish a church worshiping the only God in this world. She, who had thrown away all she gained from defeating the Demon King in pursuit of true faith, became the greatest entity in history in name and reality, dedicating her life to prayer. Her exceedingly beautiful and noble way of life satisfied God greatly, and He shed tears of joy. These drops washed away the evil existence of the Demon King, and thus, the world took its first steps towards true and pure peace. ¡°No, it definitely became a story about this priestess Euralia!¡± As the development turned out to be unexpectedly as I had anticipated, I unconsciously slapped the spine of the book. What¡¯s this? Did they want to write a story where the priestess was the protagonist, but were afraid it wouldn¡¯t sell, so they put a male hero in the first half as bait for the readers? ¡°Phew, I feel so drained¡­ well, this should be enough.¡± I raised my eyes and put the book back on the shelf, which had been there at some point, but it didn¡¯t seem like anything else was going to happen. I stretched and walked toward the only door in the room. ¡°Well, shall we go then? To another world¡­ I wonder what it will be like.¡± Excitement at the unknown adventure, major anxiety, a strong obsession with ¡°wanting to go home¡±, and¡­ something I couldn¡¯t put into words that stuck in the corner of my mind. With all these feelings in my heart, I opened the door to a new world and stepped forward. CH 264 ¡°Phew, finally made it in¡­¡± The first time I visited a different world, it was more similar to the world I had been living in than I had expected. There was a bit of a hassle, realizing I didn¡¯t have any money as the gatekeeper told me, and I had to turn back and hunt some horned rabbits. But beyond that, I managed to get into the human survival zone without much trouble, which made me heave a sigh of relief. ¡°But this is a town in a different world, huh¡­ It¡¯s pretty normal after all.¡± I looked around restlessly, but there was nothing particularly new. I was prepared for a lot because it¡¯s a different world, but honestly, there¡¯s not much difference from ¡°the town of the neighboring country I visited for the first time¡±. If I hadn¡¯t gone through that , I wouldn¡¯t have noticed that this is a different world. ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± But still, there was a strange sense of discomfort within me. Despite the sudden arrival in an unknown world after being taken to a different world, I feel oddly calm and not very nervous. (This is strange. Was I always such a big deal?) I, who had been living as a mercenary, was just an ordinary townsman. Despite being involved in such an unknowable incident, it¡¯s clearly strange that I¡¯m so calm. But there¡¯s no way I know why I¡¯m calm. If I have to say, maybe I hit my head when I was abducted to the , or¡­ what was it? Perhaps this effect is attached to the ability I got from that glowing crystal orb? Ah, that seems likely. There are no lies. But it¡¯s not the whole truth either. That¡¯s common in negotiations with shitty clients who try to buy our lives for cheap. Those who can¡¯t discern this will be bought at a cheap price and die easily. To not waste the valuable sacrifices of my seniors, I want to go with a style of thoroughly doubting. ¡°Whoa!?¡± And while thinking about such things, someone suddenly bumped into my shoulder from the front. I stumble back a few steps from the hard impact, and the man who bumped into me throws an obviously irritated voice. "" ¡°Hm? What¡¯s with you?¡± ¡°What¡­ Ah, no, I¡¯m sorry.¡± I was about to respond with a confrontational voice to the other party¡¯s strong tone, but I immediately stopped and apologized. The other party was dressed in high-quality metal armor, definitely a noble or a rich man. If I quarreled with such a person, the best case scenario was my nest being a grave, or at the worst, I would be enjoying the prime spot in town with only my head. ¡°I¡¯m just a country bumpkin. I seem to have been excited about being in a big city. I formally apologize.¡± I straightened my posture and bowed my head slightly exaggerated. Even if I¡¯m not at fault in this situation, the only choice was to apologize, and in this case, it¡¯s even more so because I was clearly careless. If it¡¯s just a minor shoulder bump, he should forgive me with this. ¡°Is that so. Then I¡¯ll forgive you for one of your arms.¡± ¡°What!?¡± The glittering blonde man casually unsheathed his sword from his waist and swung it at me. His sword handling was that of a first-rate swordsman and it should be impossible for someone like me to defend against it, but¡­ Clang! ¡°What!? What are you doing all of a sudden!?¡± ¡°Oh? You can stop this.¡± For some reason, my body moved on its own and stopped the man¡¯s sword. The man in front of me raised a slightly surprised voice, but I¡¯m much more surprised. No, seriously, why was I able to defend? Well, that doesn¡¯t matter¡­ well, it does, but anyway, there¡¯s something more important now. ¡°Are you out of your mind!? Would you slash at someone in the middle of a town for such a trivial reason!?¡± In my world, there were nobles, but they wouldn¡¯t attack just because their shoulders bumped. If you bumped into a royal family, you¡¯d get cut down¡­ rather, you¡¯d get arrested just for getting close to them without care, but those truly noble people wouldn¡¯t walk around without guards, so there¡¯s no chance of bumping into them in the first place. But this guy just attacked me out of nowhere. What¡¯s this? Was this the common sense in this world!? How short-tempered are these people from different worlds!? ¡°It¡¯s not trivial at all. If someone blocks my way, no matter who it is, I just cut them down.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call someone you just bumped into on the street a ¡®blockage¡¯ and act cool! Respect others more!¡± While making a high-pitched noise, my sword defends against the man¡¯s. Even though he¡¯s clearly holding back, his swordsmanship should be quite sharp, but I don¡¯t understand why I can keep defending against it. I don¡¯t understand, but I don¡¯t have the luxury to think about it, so I just move my arm following my instinct and intuition. ¡°You¡¯re not bad at all. Are you actually a renowned swordsman?¡± ¡°Regrettably, I¡¯m just a mere mercenary!¡± ¡°Mercenary? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°What do you mean, what is¡­ Ah!?¡± Giiiin! A muffled sound echoed from our clashing swords, and only my sword was unilaterally cut off. Ah, it was a cheap one, but still my favorite¡­ wait, that¡¯s not the point! ¡°It seems this is the end.¡± ¡°Damn, isn¡¯t there anything¡­!?¡± Against the man who confidently thrusted his sword, I, still holding my half-broken sword, searched around. Another weapon¡­ even a piece of iron or something would give me a chance to counter, but there¡¯s no chance of finding such a thing around here. Also, the chances of getting help from the people who were watching us from a distance was slim. Unless they know me, there¡¯s no reason for strangers to help a dangerous guy who starts a sword fight in the middle of town. Besides, relying on others was Impossible when even the guards hadn¡¯t arrived despite all this commotion. Is this really a daily occurrence, or does this blond-haired man have a strong connection¡­ either way, the situation of me being cornered doesn¡¯t change. (Damn¡­ Damn it, damn it!) I desperately searched for a chance to turn things around, but no matter how much I moved my eyes, what wasn¡¯t there won¡¯t appear. Against such me, the blond man slowly raised his sword. ¡°Then¡­ it¡¯s over.¡± Thump! At those words, my heart jumped. The man¡¯s sword swinging down seemed so slow it¡¯s yawn-inducing, but instead, I became acutely aware of everything in the surrounding world. Thump! ¨COver? Is it over? Me? "" Thump! -=That¡¯s wrong. It¡¯s not like that. Thump! -=Only I can decide when it¡¯s over. So¡­ ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s finished.¡± With no caution at all, I casually thrust out my right hand. Then of course the man¡¯s swinging sword was aimed to slice through my hand¡­ ¡°Gyaaaaa!?¡± The sword bites between my index and middle finger and easily slices through my palm. As the intense pain and a gush of blood comes out, my thoughts regain their cool and common sense. ¡°It huuuurts!¡± ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡± While pressing my sliced right hand with my left, I ended up crouching on the spot. Ugh, why did I do something like that? Of course, if I take a sword that can cut through a metal sword with my bare hands, my hand is going to be cut! No, it seemed like I could have blocked it! But normally thinking, of course I can¡¯t block it! Damn, I was such a fool¡­! With my dominant hand like this, what am I going to¡­ "" ¡°Hey, Alexis! What are you doing!?¡± Suddenly, such a voice was heard from above me, who had my eyes tightly closed in intense pain and regret. Gritting my teeth to bear the pain and managing to open my eyes, what I saw was¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­?¡± A girl who looked a bit younger than me, with bright red hair and characteristic upturned eyes. CH 265 ¡°If it isn¡¯t¡­ Rouge, it¡¯s you.¡± Looking over my head, The blond man, Alexis, called out with a sigh to the redhead girl. Then, the redhead girl¡­ Rouge also raised her voice with narrowed eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®it¡¯s you¡¯! How long do you intend to keep me waiting!? And what are you doing?¡± ¡°Ah, I was just teaching a mannerless person his place. It¡¯ll be over soon, please wait a little longer.¡± ¡°Tsk, then hurry up! My time is valuable!¡± At Alexis¡¯s words, Rouge glanced at me as if looking at a pebble and said that. It seems that these two know each other¡­ and they were similar. I couldn¡¯t help but smirk at my naive hope of being saved for a moment. ¡°Hmph, are there only such people in this world¡­ Truly shitty.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s time to end this now¨C¡° ¡°What are you idiots finishing up!¡± ¡°Guah!?¡± As Alexis, who was about to swing his drawn sword, was suddenly hit by a big fist from behind, his eyes, cold and looking down on me, filled with tears. ¡°What are you doing, Gonzo!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®what are you doing¡¯! What on earth are you guys doing!¡± Behind the turning Alexis, or rather, standing in front of me was a huge old man, Gonzo, probably, wearing armor of muscles all over his body. Gonzo didn¡¯t flinch at Alexis¡¯s resentful eyes, raising his voice in anger with his bald head turned bright red. ¡°I thought something was wrong because you didn¡¯t come, but why are you drawing your sword here!?¡± ¡°Ha. As I told Rouge earlier, I was just teaching a mannerless person his place¡­ Aguh!?¡± ¡°What manners!? Speak more clearly!¡± ¡°No, so¡­¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°¡­This rude person bumped into me, so I was just punishing him.¡± ¡°Do you think there are idiots who slash people for such a reason!¡± ¡°Guuh!?¡± Gonzo¡¯s fist exploded again on Alexis¡¯s head, and the handsome blond collapsed to his knees disgracefully. Seeing this, Gonzo snorted lightly and then approached me. ¡°My companion was wrong. Here, I¡¯ll heal you now, so stretch out your hand.¡± ¡°Thanks¡­ Guh¡± If this guy is with him, he must be loaded. I thought he would use some expensive healing medicine, and Gonzo gently wrapped my hand, which I stretched out, with his big hand. ¡°O pure spirit of the gathering clouds, o normal body free of illness and torment, dress in the right and dwell in the right, and just as it is, correct the body. [Healing Aura]¡± ¡°Oh¡­!?¡± As he chanted, Gonzo¡¯s hand glowed, and the pain left my hand. A few seconds later, when the light subsided and Gonzo¡¯s hand separated, my right hand was completely back to normal. ¡°It¡¯s healed!? Are you by any chance a priest!?¡± ¡°Hahaha, do I look like that?¡± ¡°Ah, no, that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Everything is according to the will of muscles!¡± ¡°Ha, huh¡­ muscles?¡± To me, who inadvertently blurted out something rude, Gonzo answered with a smile and showed a pose emphasizing his muscles. It seems that, unlike the previous two, this might not be a conversation that makes sense. ¡°So, you¡­ ah¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m Ed.¡± ¡°Um, Ed, huh. Then, Ed, could you explain the situation in more detail? It¡¯s probably his fault, but since it¡¯s caused such a fuss, we have to confirm it properly.¡± ¡°Ha¡­ I don¡¯t mind¡­¡± Surely, a brawl in the town would normally not end with ¡®the parties involved talk and it¡¯s over.¡¯ Nodding to Gonzo¡¯s words, which seem reasonable except for the muscle stuff, Alexis, who had recovered from the pain of the punch, raised a protest. ¡°Who¡¯s the one to blame!?¡± ¡°You¡¯re enough to blame! Seriously, just because you¡¯re a hero doesn¡¯t mean you can do whatever you want!¡± ¡°Hmph. I am¨C¡° ¡°A hero!?¡± At that word, which can¡¯t be ignored, I reacted violently and raised my voice. A hero!? Is this unreasonable handsome blond guy a hero!? Why is someone like that here¡­ ah!? (Is this the effect of the [Flag Maker]¡­!?) In my world, of course, there were no heroes or Demon Kings. Well, they exist in stories, but only young children dream of them being a real existence. But, this world is different. There really are Demon Kings and Heroes¡­ who would ever think to randomly encounter the sole hero of the world in a town like this? Despite that, I¡¯ve encountered him. Not only that, I¡¯m even involved directly with him. Though¡­ (I should have thought this through better! What should I do with such a meeting like this!?) If it was just a meeting, it would be okay, but if it¡¯s a proposition to join forces and act together, such a confrontational meeting from the start is just the worst. Damn it, how can I turn this situation into a flow where we become comrades? There¡¯s a limit to just creating any kind of opportunity! ¡°Anyway, we can¡¯t be having a standing conversation like this. How about it, Ed? Will you let me make up for this by treating you to some drinks? You can tell us about the situation there.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. I understand.¡± ¡°Hmm, so that¡¯s what you guys do. Then, I¡¯ll go home first¨C¡° As I took the offered hefty hand and stood up, Rouge, in the background, spoke in a bored voice. However, before Rouge could turn on her heel, Gonzo¡¯s hand firmly gripped her shoulder. ¡°What are you saying, Rouge, you¡¯re coming too!¡± ¡°Huh!? Why, I have nothing to do with this!¡± ¡°You ignored the fact that the kid¡­ no, Ed was getting beaten up right in front of you, right? Then, you¡¯re as guilty as Alexis, you foolish girl!¡± ¡°What is that!? That¡¯s an unreasonable accusation! Hey, what are you going to do about it!? Do you understand that you¡¯re stealing my precious time!?¡± ¡°Huh!? Well, even if you say that to me¡­!?¡± For some reason, I became the target of her anger, and Rouge advanced on me. Being pressed by a beautiful girl might be a reward for some people, but for me, who doesn¡¯t possess such preferences, it¡¯s just purely scary. But even on such a Rouge, Gonzo¡¯s fists relentlessly descended. ¡°Ouch!? Hey Gonzo, what are you doing by using violence on such a cute, innocent, and adorable beautiful girl!? Are you really a priest!?¡± ¡°Sadly, I¡¯m a martial monk of the Eastern Heaven, different from the priests around here. It¡¯s my mission to serve the gods and muscles to correct children who are about to walk the wrong path with a punch!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ you¡¯re as incomprehensible as ever. Tsk, you better remember this!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re trying to waste my time here, a simple apology won¡¯t suffice anymore. Prepare yourself.¡± ¡°Eeh¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The beautiful girl and handsome guy¡­ albeit their insides were both disappointing¡­ started walking towards the back of the street while throwing unreasonable complaints. As I watched their retreating figures with a sigh, a large hand was placed on my shoulder. ¡°Hmm, then we should also go.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Emotionally, I wanted to go to my room and sulk. But I don¡¯t feel like I can shake off the hand on my shoulder, and I feel like if I miss this opportunity, I won¡¯t be able to get close to the hero again. I know all of this, but my feelings have wilted more than ever. (I want to go home¡­ I really want to go home¡­) At the beginning of my life in this world that I have no idea how long will last, I could only force a twisted smile in this discouraging situation on the first day. CH 266 ¡°Then, let¡¯s toast to our fortuitous encounter!¡± ¡°Um, cheers¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± In the bar where I was brought, I nervously raised my beer glass, following Gonzo who smiled and lifted his. However, Alexis remained silent, and Rouge, looking bored, just snorted, not even picking up her glass. No no, two out of four were unresponsive¡­ Well, I was not really toasting with all my heart either, so I was in the majority with three against one. At such a scene, Gonzo pouted in displeasure. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, you¡¯re not in the mood? Well, fine. So, kid, let¡¯s start the conversation again¡­ But first, shouldn¡¯t we introduce ourselves? I¡¯m Gonzo. As you can see, a martial monk¡­doing the role of a priest around here. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Gonzo-san, huh? Nice to meet you¡­ ¡®as I can see¡¯?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s nothing.¡± I can¡¯t find any priestly elements in the bald-headed and dazzlingly smiling Gonzo. But he definitely used healing magic, so there¡¯s no room to doubt his claim to be a priest. He probably worships some kind of muscle god or something. ¡°Now, next is you, Alexis.¡± ¡°Do you need me to introduce myself? As if there are people who don¡¯t know me¨D¡± ¡°You think there aren¡¯t?¡± Gonzo¡¯s gaze flickered towards me, and Alexis sighed softly in response. ¡°Haah¡­ I¡¯m Alexis. I never thought there would be someone in this world who doesn¡¯t know I¡¯m a hero.¡± ¡°Ahaha¡­ um¡­ thank you?¡± I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve just arrived from another world¡­ There¡¯s no way I could say that, so I put on a vague smile and deflect. If I knew the other person was a hero, I would probably have prostrated myself from the beginning. A strong, powerful, famous person, there was no way my rebellious spirit was wild enough to pick a fight with someone who has all of those. ¡°Now, next is¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m the world¡¯s greatest grand mage, Rouge-sama. I¡¯ll let you call me ¡®Rouge-sama¡¯ especially.¡± ¡°Ah, thank you¡­?¡± I have no idea what¡¯s so special about that, but I take another look at Rouge. She¡¯s about a head shorter than me, and from her appearance, she seems younger than me¡­ ¡°Um, Rouge¡­-sama?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Um, how old are you, Rouge-sama? For the record, I¡¯m twenty.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t care less about your age, it¡¯s less important than the number of rocks on the road. But I¡¯m eighteen. What about it?¡± ¡°Oh, so you are younger.¡± ¡°¡­What? You¡¯re not thinking of looking down on me just because you¡¯ve been alive longer, are you?¡± Rouge¡¯s slanted eyes glared at me, and I quickly waved my hands in front of my face. ¡°No no no, not at all! I was just amazed that you¡¯re the world¡¯s greatest at such a young age.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so? But that¡¯s to be expected. I can do things in no time that you commoners couldn¡¯t do in a lifetime. That¡¯s why I¡¯m a genius. So you understand that my time is more valuable than yours, right?¡± ¡°Ah, well, I guess so.¡± If a commoner can learn a skill in ten years that a genius can learn in one year, then that one year is worth ten times more. And that difference will never be filled as long as time flows equally for everyone. ¡°I see, that makes sense. I¡¯m not good at magic at all, so even my whole life might not be worth a second to Rouge-sama.¡± ¡°What, you get it! I hate idiots who don¡¯t realize they¡¯re idiots, but I don¡¯t mind ordinary people who are aware of their incompetence. Fine, I¡¯ll let you call me ¡®Rouge-sama¡¯ especially.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference from before¡­ No, thank you, Rouge-sama.¡± ¡°Heehee!¡± Ignoring various points I¡¯d like to address, I thanked her, and Rouge happily gnawed on a chicken wing that was on the table. She seemed like a well-behaved noble young lady at first glance, but she¡¯s eating with her hands¡­ Well, anyone asking for a knife and fork in a place like this would be a fool who can¡¯t read the room. ¡°Now, it¡¯s your turn. Go ahead, introduce yourself.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. I¡¯m Ed. Um¡­ just a regular mercenary, rank four.¡± The rank of a mercenary ranged from one to twenty, with bigger numbers indicating higher ranks. You might say rank four was nothing to brag about, but it¡¯s not that simple. That¡¯s because individual strength can only raise you up to around ten, beyond that, the ability to command an army was required. So, a guild leader who leads a large mercenary group might have a rank of fifteen even if they¡¯re individually weak. On the other hand, even the strongest swordsman would be stuck at ten if they¡¯re on their own. So being rank four at the age of twenty isn¡¯t something to brag about, but it¡¯s not something to be scoffed at either¡­ ¡°A mercenary? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Eh!?¡± As Alexis looked at me with a puzzled expression, I inadvertently let out a dumbfounded voice. The existence of mercenaries is common knowledge. To think he doesn¡¯t know¡­ Ah!? ¡°If there¡¯s something like a rank, it must be a rather large organization, right? Hey Gonzo, could it be a system from your country?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t know either. Ed, where exactly were you born?¡± ¡°Eh, um¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± This is bad, really bad. That¡¯s right, this is a different world. Just like I didn¡¯t know about the existence of the hero, this world may not know or even have mercenaries¡­ What, what should I do? How can I smooth this over¡­ ¡°Ah¡­ uh¡­ I, that, I was born in a remote countryside village deep in the mountains¡­ Ah, that, it¡¯s like¡­ the title we use within our group¡­ sort of bragging, or more like, I accidentally introduced myself with it¡­ so, that, I¡¯m¡­ unemployed¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°You¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± To my flustered confession, Alexis and Rouge¡¯s cold gazes pierced me. Guh, it¡¯s tough. My heart hurts¡­ but this pain is my own doing. If I knew this was going to happen, I should have prepared a story in advance. Even though I didn¡¯t have the time because I was attacked by the hero! ¡°Hou, unemployed, huh?¡± But contrary to those two, Gonzo, without any mockery, tears a piece of bread, tops it with thinly sliced meat and bites into it heartily before speaking. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s perfect. Hey, kid, would you consider joining our party?¡± ¡°Eh!?¡± At this unexpected invitation, I let out another dumbfounded voice. But before me, Alexis had already raised his voice. ¡°Oi, Gonzo, what¡¯s your intention? Why would you want such a guy¡­¡± ¡°Why, didn¡¯t you say you wanted to hire a porter soon? Based on what I heard on the way, he stopped your attack, even though you were holding back, didn¡¯t he? So he should be capable of defending himself to some extent. Isn¡¯t he just right as a porter?¡± ¡°Mm, that is¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± At Gonzo¡¯s words, Alexis stopped eating and pondered. Then, next to him, Rouge, who had been drinking wine from a mug, spoke up. ¡°I don¡¯t mind. Anybody can be a porter, and if he gets in the way, we can just burn him at will.¡± Scary!? What¡¯s that about? I don¡¯t think she really means to burn me¡­ right? But if I consider Alexis¡¯s actions¡­ eh, seriously? ¡°Hmm. If Alexis is on hold and Rouge and I agree, there¡¯s no problem. So, how about it, Ed? If you¡¯re out of work, why not come along as our porter?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± Gonzo, with a smirk on his face, extends his big hand towards me. Although it looked like I had a choice, there was only one answer allowed to this. ¡°¡­I look forward to working with you.¡± ¡°Hm, it¡¯s settled!¡± ¡°Hmph. Do your best.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t disappoint me, alright?¡± ¡°Ahaha¡­ I¡¯ll do my best.¡± And thus, I successfully joined the Hero¡¯s party, feeling as if I was being swept away in the grand river of fate. (T/N: Accidentally deleted them, My Apologies) CH 267 ¡°Hey, what are you doing, commoner! Hurry up and come over here!¡± ¡°Haahh¡­¡± In a forest near a certain country village, I was, naturally, the one carrying a large load. Because, well, I was the porter here. ¡°¡­Hey, I know I said it myself, but are you really okay?¡± ¡°I, I¡¯m fine¡­ don¡¯t worry¡­¡± However, my body, unfortunately, was not suited for carrying loads. I¡¯m a mercenary¡­ or rather, in this place, they call it being an adventurer. While I possessed enough physical strength and endurance to be a typical adventurer, I was more of a technician-type swordsman. Unlike the bald monk who boasted of unnecessary muscles walking next to me, I don¡¯t have the power to comfortably walk around carrying goods for four people. ¡°Hah. Wouldn¡¯t it be more efficient to have Gonzo carry all of this?¡± ¡°Well, that might be the case, but I must serve as everyone¡¯s shield when the time comes. As such, it would be problematic for me to carry the supplies, right? Isn¡¯t that what you all had mentioned?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true¡­¡± As I awkwardly walked, Alexis and Gonzo had such an exchange. Certainly, given Gonzo¡¯s muscles, this amount of luggage would likely be no problem. However, it¡¯s undoubtedly a bad idea for the one serving as a shield to carry the luggage. If you let the person who¡¯s most exposed to enemy attacks carry things, who knows when a monster attack might render it all useless. ¡°Moreover, isn¡¯t it strange to have someone serving both as a healer and a shield? Aren¡¯t they usually separate roles? Why put the priest, who is the worst to lose, in the most dangerous position?¡± ¡°I agree with that, but I¡¯ve never seen anyone else who can use healing magic better than Gonzo, or anyone who has a more resilient body. Rouge, do you know anyone?¡± ¡°That is¡­ no, I don¡¯t.¡± Alexis, who shrugged his shoulders and spoke, was answered by Rouge after some thought. Gonzo then responded to the two of them with a smile. ¡°HAHA, it¡¯s not a problem! If I, who is most susceptible to injuries, can heal myself, wouldn¡¯t that make me an invincible shield? Faith and muscles! With these two things that won¡¯t break or betray me, I can overcome any difficulty!¡± ¡°Gonzo-san is really amazing¡­¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true! Now, if you train with me, boy, you¡¯ll become strong in no time!¡± ¡°I, I¡¯ll do my best¡­¡± Under normal circumstances, I would like to politely decline, but under the current situation, the offer to train me was genuinely appreciated. After all, I have a reason to accompany the Hero¡¯s party. To ensure I¡¯m not left behind here, I first want to develop enough strength to serve as a porter. ¡°But well, if I could be greedy, it would have been even more solid if we had someone who could use supportive magic.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t help it. It would have been nice if we had found an elf who could use decent spirit magic, but we didn¡¯t find one. Well, as a result, Rouge joined.¡± ¡°What! You¡¯re not intending to treat me as a substitute, are you?!¡± Rouge sharply retorted to Alexis¡¯s words, but Alexis didn¡¯t seem to mind. ¡°I acknowledge your abilities, but this is a separate matter, right? At least, I didn¡¯t think that a self-proclaimed genius mage wouldn¡¯t be able to generate drinking water.¡± ¡°Ugh!? I¡­I can¡¯t help it! I specialize in fire magic, and water just isn¡¯t my forte!¡± ¡°Haa¡­.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± With a sigh from Alexis, Rouge turned away with a pouting face. Watching the two, Gonzo wore a wry smile. This seemed to be the state of the Hero¡¯s Party. ¡°These troublesome folks. It would be nice if they had a bit more cooperation¡­ Hey kid, can you do something about this?¡± ¡°Eh? That¡¯s a bit much¡­¡± I could only return a troubled look to Gonzo¡¯s troubled face. Such a situation requires someone who never loses their smile, who shows curiosity in everything, and who gets along with everyone quickly. If only there was such an elf¡­ huh? (Why an elf?) Elves, if anything, are an exclusive race. Because of their long lifespan of 300 years, they often look down on other races without malice¡­ Well, it¡¯s not so much looking down, but more like treating them as children¡­ and they are not necessarily cooperative. But now, the image that suddenly came to mind was that of a very friendly elf. But, I should never have met such an elf¡­ Hm? ¡°Oh, seems like we have guests.¡± As I pondered this, Gonzo¡¯s words quickly drew my attention back. As soon as I placed my load on the ground and became aware of my surroundings, I could sense the presence of demonic beasts moving towards us from beyond the trees. ¡°They¡¯re coming¡­ three, no, four?¡± ¡°Oh? You didn¡¯t miss the beast hiding in the back, seems like you at least have the minimum required strength.¡± At my muttered words, Alexis released a voice that sounded somewhat impressed. To be honest, I myself was a little puzzled by how sharp my senses have become, but I won¡¯t honestly voice it out. If I¡¯m going to latch onto the Hero¡¯s Party, it¡¯s best being overestimated, even if it means risking my life. ¡°Scissor Mantis! I¡¯m going in front!¡± With Gonzo¡¯s proclamation, a beast appeared with a slender body about two meters long and arms ending in large scythes. The Scissor Mantis, making a loud rustling sound as it leaped at us, swung its proud scythe towards its prey. But¡­ ¡°Mmmn!¡± Even the sharp scythe, capable of cutting through thin metal armor, couldn¡¯t sever Gonzo¡¯s muscle-filled arm. By exerting strength in the arm where the scythe bit in, Gonzo instead restricted the Scissor Mantis¡¯s movement. ¡°Humph, you¡¯re just a big bug after all! Haa!¡± Unable to withdraw its scythe and floundering, the Scissor Mantis had its head lopped off by Alexis¡¯s sword in a single strike. Then, Gonzo kicked away the headless Scissor Mantis, caught the additional two scythes with its body, and constricted them with his muscles. ¡°Hahaha! You can¡¯t break through my muscles with just this!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take the left!¡± ¡°Alright.¡± The Scissor Mantis was frightening because of those scythes, but if they can¡¯t move, they¡¯re not much of a threat. I thrust my sword into the soft belly of the restrained Scissor Mantis and ripped it open. Then, its organs spilled out¡­ Ew!? ¡°Eww!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down!¡± Something long and slender emerged from the spilled guts, causing me to involuntarily jump back. It was immediately squashed by Gonzo, but Alexis voiced his disbelief at my embarrassing reaction. ¡°Really, what are you doing? It¡¯s common knowledge that mantises harbor worms in their bellies, so it¡¯s standard to aim for the head when killing them, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°Hey, both of you, don¡¯t let your guard down! The last one is still there!¡± ¡°No, that one should be fine, right?¡± At Gonzo¡¯s warning, I tightened my focus once again. But Alexis, although not letting his guard down, didn¡¯t seem like he was willing to fight anymore. And before us, the last Scissor Mantis¡­!? ¡°No way, a Scythe Mantis!? Yuusha-sama, that is¨C¡° ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just watch.¡± Against the green Scissor Mantis, the brown Scythe Mantis was a purely superior individual. Being about twice as large and with nearly double the scythe¡¯s power, it¡¯s a formidable enemy that would make me immediately run away if I were alone¡­ ¡°Blazing flames, rushing winds, gathering heat, release an explosion! Strike, [Flare Blitz]!¡± Once Rouge finished her chant, countless small fireballs appeared before her. They were shot at high speed towards the Scythe Mantis, in an instant, its whole body was riddled with holes. But it wasn¡¯t over yet. ¡°[Explosive Blast]!¡± BOBOBOBON! The moment Rouge snapped her fingers, a muffled explosion came from inside the Scythe Mantis. The explosion from within its body mashed up its organs, and a foul-smelling, red and white mixed juice squirted out from the opened holes. ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s about it!¡± In front of the Scythe Mantis¡¯s corpse, which couldn¡¯t even twitch, Rouge made a triumphant face. Indeed, even though we bought some time, she defeated a beast that I could only run away from so easily¡­ ¡°Hahaha, indeed, it¡¯s the Hero¡¯s Party. They¡¯re not half-baked.¡± ¡°Hehe, what are you saying, kid. Aren¡¯t you a part of us now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Yes, I¡¯ll do my best.¡± I quietly replied to Gonzo, who placed his hand on my shoulder. Yes, that¡¯s right. In order for me to return home, I have to stick with these guys for at least half a year. Power is necessary. Not necessarily to the extent of matching those heroes, but at least enough power that I won¡¯t be abandoned. Since I don¡¯t know when they might turn their backs on me, I need to become stronger as soon as possible. (I will definitely accomplish it¡­ and return to the world where I was born.) I tightly grip my hand, resolving myself. It was the first step for me to truly become a member of the ¡°Hero Party.¡± CH 268 What is needed to become strong? If asked that, the first thing that comes to my mind¡­ it¡¯s ¡®effort¡¯. It¡¯s definitely not ¡®talent¡¯. Talent might be something that can leapfrog one¡¯s efforts to tenfold results, but no matter how much talent one might possess, if you don¡¯t take action to turn zero into one, it¡¯s meaningless. Hence, the absolute necessity was undoubtedly effort. Therefore, I strive to become stronger. However, the problem here was that I had been making normal efforts up to now. That¡¯s obvious, isn¡¯t it? Whether it¡¯s a mercenary or an adventurer, since I¡¯m risking my life doing work outside a town infested with demonic beasts, there¡¯s no way I¡¯m neglecting efforts and training to become stronger. Moreover, if I continued to work for my livelihood, I won¡¯t rest enough to dull my body or skills. You may die from underestimating your own strength and challenging a powerful enemy, or die from a little carelessness or pride, but it¡¯s impossible to die because your body has become dull. In short, my current state is ¡®average strength that an ordinary person can reach through normal effort¡¯. I needed to break through this to keep up with Alexis and the others¡­ but honestly, it was difficult on my own. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t hesitate to ask that person for help. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start training!¡± ¡°Yes! Thank you, Gonzo-san.¡± I energetically responded to Gonzo, who was smiling as if he¡¯s enjoying himself. Gonzo gladly accepted my request to become stronger as soon as possible, at least not to be a burden on Alexis and the others. That¡¯s why I¡¯m out of town with him, just the two of us, on our rest day after completing the request. ¡°So, what kind of training will we do specifically?¡± ¡°Hahaha, don¡¯t rush. And sorry to disappoint, but the training itself is very ordinary. Running, punching¡­ in your case, swinging a sword, lifting heavy things. Just repeating such obvious things.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± "" ¡°Ho?¡± Gonzo¡¯s eyebrows twitched slightly at my slightly disappointed but easily accepting response. ¡°Those who know my muscles, think that I¡¯m doing some special training. But you¡¯re not?¡± ¡°I indeed hoped there would be some amazing training method, but from the perspective of an ordinary person like me, isn¡¯t that how the world works?¡± If you¡¯re a chosen one like Alexis or a genius like Rouge, it¡¯s probably different. But I¡¯m just an ordinary person. If I don¡¯t have anything special, all I can do is stack up the obvious. ¡°Hmm. But if you understand that, why did you ask for my help?¡± ¡°Well, you know, with this kind of training, if you do it alone, you tend to slack off, don¡¯t you? I thought Gonzo-san would push me just right.¡± Unless it¡¯s a life-threatening situation, it¡¯s difficult to push yourself to the limit. The limit that one is aware of is about three steps short of the real limit. On the other hand, if you push too hard and get injured, everything will be ruined. Therefore, it¡¯s important to accurately determine the limit point, and there¡¯s no doubt that Gonzo, who was undoubtedly working out, was perfect for that. There¡¯s also the peace of mind that there¡¯s recovery magic in case of emergency. He¡¯s just the right person to ask for training. Gonzo smiled as if he understood my thoughts. ¡°Fufufu, I see¡­ if you have such a down-to-earth mindset, you might be able to do it.¡± ¡°¡­ What do you mean?¡± Feeling a slightly chilly thing behind his smile, I nervously asked. Then, Gonzo placed his hand on my shoulder with a serious expression. ¡°Listen, kid. I certainly said I don¡¯t have any special training. But I didn¡¯t say there¡¯s no special way to train. There is a way to become explosively stronger in a short period of time.¡± ¡°Eh!? What is-¡° ¡°But!¡± Gonzo¡¯s hand on my shoulder tightens. ¡°It¡¯s going to be tough, tremendously so. I¡¯m going to teach you that method now.¡± ¡°¡­Are you sure?¡± ¡°Sure. After hearing the story, it¡¯s up to you whether to do it or not. The method of training is¡­ to use rough recovery magic after intense exercise.¡± ¡°Rough!? And recovery magic¡­?¡± ¡°Your reaction indicates that you know it. Recovery magic¡­ it returns the body to its original state. Muscles increase by enduring the pain after exercise¡­ It¡¯s a change called growth. Therefore, if you use recovery magic, the muscles will not grow. Are you following?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± "" What Gonzo said was common sense to anyone who has ever thought about training their body. Therefore, Gonzo continued the conversation, as I nodded in understanding. ¡°That¡¯s where the rough recovery magic comes in. The ¡®rough¡¯ part is important, for example, something like this¡­[Healing Aura].¡± Gonzo displayed his healing power on my shoulder. Of course, I was not injured, so I didn¡¯t feel any effects, but I did sense that the light was subtly weaker. ¡°That¡¯s recovery magic without an incantation. In my case, it heals about 80 to 90 percent, but the remaining 10 percent stays as is¡­ in other words, even if you use recovery magic, about 10 percent of the muscle growth remains as if you didn¡¯t use it. Of course, there¡¯s no point in recovering just for that. In fact, it would be a loss just to recover. But by doing so, you can start training again immediately.¡± ¡°Immediately? Wait, you mean¡­!?¡± ¡°Correct. You can train as many times a day as you want, which normally you could only do every other day! As long as your spirit doesn¡¯t break, you can do it tens or hundreds of times!¡± ¡°¡­¡± At that answer, I was speechless. No, I understand. I get what he¡¯s saying, but that¡¯s¡­ ¡°Heh, I thought you¡¯d make that face. Of course. In this training, the pain during the training is not reduced at all. And yet, the effect is only a tenth of the normal. It¡¯s meaningless unless you train at least ten times the normal amount, and even if you train twenty times as much, you only get twice the effect. No sane person would do it.¡± ¡°¡­But you did it, didn¡¯t you, Gonzo-san?¡± When I asked, half in conviction, Gonzo smiled wryly. ¡°That¡¯s right. Didn¡¯t I say it? Faith and muscles, an unbreakable spirit, that¡¯s the secret to strength.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll do it.¡± My hesitation was momentary. Crushing the budding doubts, I put my determination into words. The only way for an ordinary person to catch up with a genius is to keep trying. But if time flows equally for everyone, an ordinary person can never catch up with a genius. So, what should I do? Ah, the answer was right here. A method to compress time, not with talent, but with effort, turning two days into one, two years into one, has been presented to me. There¡¯s no reason not to jump at it. As I gazed straight at Gonzo, he, too, returned my gaze. ¡°It¡¯s a tough, painful, and long road. There¡¯s almost no point in giving up after doing twenty times the work for a month or two. Are you still going to do it?¡± ¡°I will. I have¡­ a reason why I absolutely can¡¯t be left behind by everyone.¡± My desire to return home¡­ that thought drives me strongly. To that familiar world, to the friends I left without saying goodbye. And above all¡­ for the promise we made somewhere, someday, ¡°See you again.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the spirit! Then I will devote myself to training you! Even if you cry and apologize, I won¡¯t forgive you, so be prepared for that!¡± ¡°Yeah! That¡¯s what I want!¡± There¡¯s no easy way. But if there¡¯s a future ahead of the hardship, I can keep going no matter how far. While inwardly laughing at how I¡¯ve become such a passionate guy, I started moving towards transcending being ordinary. CH 269 ¡°Hmm, he¡¯s still going on, huh.¡± For about a month now, he¡¯d been based in the outskirts of a certain town. Today, as always, Rouge showed no interest in Ed¡¯s relentless training. Then another man who was by Rouge¡¯s side spoke up. ¡°It seems so. According to my estimation, it would be good if he could last up to ten days at most¡­¡± ¡°Oh, what a coincidence. By the way, I thought he would quit on the first day.¡± Rouge stood as she answered Alexis, who sat on a suitable stone and watched the training scene. She could sit next to him, and as an adventurer, she didn¡¯t care about the dirt on her clothes, but it¡¯s not like they were close enough to sit side by side and watch the training scene of their party members. ¡°Really, it¡¯s hard being an ordinary person. To have to be that desperate to get stronger.¡± ¡°I agree. But, don¡¯t you think you should put on a little more stamina?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t need it. If I¡¯m going to build my body, I¡¯d rather hire someone who has done so and have them carry me. Isn¡¯t that much more efficient?¡± ¡°¡­Heh, that¡¯s a very ¡®you¡¯ answer.¡± At Rouge¡¯s words, Alexis returned with a mix of half exasperation and half admiration. Indeed, she was both right and wrong. For a normal adventurer, even a wizard needs stamina, but Rouge is different. If she spent the time to gain stamina through unfamiliar strength training with her magic research, the results would multiply by tens of times. Then it would be better to pursue only what she is good at, and cover what she lacks with money, tools, or other people. To Rouge, the things she can¡¯t do are things she doesn¡¯t need to do herself, and she doesn¡¯t consider her inability to do something a shame. Being the strongest magician was all that mattered to Rouge. ¡°Still, that¡¯s a really harsh training¡­ Is that some kind of torture?¡± Rouge grimaced openly at the act taking place before her eyes. Overworking your body to the point of immobility, then immediately recovering and starting the same thing again, it seemed like a type of torture to Rouge that would break one¡¯s spirit. And Alexis gave a bitter smile at such an impression. ¡°You could say it¡¯s apt to call it torture. Indeed, it is torture that continues forever as long as one¡¯s spirit doesn¡¯t break. I¡¯ve done it once before¡­¡± ¡°Eh, are you kidding!? You did that!? Are you sane!?¡± ¡°¡­ Well, maybe I wasn¡¯t entirely sane.¡± That was a secret known only to a handful of people around the world, including himself. The sword at his waist was not a real holy sword¡­ When Alexis learned this fact, he questioned his own power for the first time in his life. So, he had once consulted Gonzo, whom he was already acquainted with at the time, about wanting to become strong enough to hide the absence of the Holy Sword from others¡­ ¡°¡­ Yeah, that¡¯s right. That¡¯s not something you can continue while being sane. Of course, as a person of my caliber, I could have continued it indefinitely, but everyone around me was desperate to stop me.¡± Alexis himself did not mind paying some price for becoming stronger, but the people around him did. It was not acceptable for Alexis, the only hero in the world and a prince of a powerful nation, to have anything happen to him, and the training that resembled torture caused a fierce backlash. Of course, he could have ignored it and continued, but Alexis didn¡¯t. It was a reversal of priorities to seek strength to cover up the absence of the Holy Sword, only to anger those around him and stir up anxiety. ¡°Well, looking back on it now, that was the right decision. I don¡¯t need to struggle so disgracefully, I¡¯m strong enough just by training normally.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ But if he continues the training that you gave up, won¡¯t he become stronger than you?¡± ¡°¡­ Are you hard of hearing? When did I say I gave up on training? And him becoming stronger than me? Oh, I¡¯m sorry. Not only are you deaf but also foolish.¡± ¡°Oh my, how strange? It seems that the pitiful hero who had his sword blocked by a mere mortal is grumbling? I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m an adult woman, so I don¡¯t understand the squealing of a defeated pig.¡± ¡°Fufufuf¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡­¡­¡± Alexis and Rouge, while different in swordsmanship and magic, were both people who have unwavering faith in their own talents. As an unsettling air began to waft around, sparks flew from both their eyes¡­ But the cause of that was the punch that had been rammed into both of their heads. ¡°Ugh!?¡± ¡°Agh!?¡± ¡°Seriously, why do you guys always end up fighting when I take my eyes off you!?¡± Gonzo, who was supposed to be by Ed¡¯s side, was now standing by the two of them. At Gonzo¡¯s exasperated voice, Rouge was the first to snap back. "" ¡°Ouch!? What are you doing, Gonzo!? It¡¯s unbelievable that you would punch a glamorous lady like me in the head!¡± ¡°What glamorous lady, you should put on some more muscle first!¡± ¡°Do you not understand words either!? Where in that sentence was there any element of muscle!?¡± ¡°? Muscles are glamorous and virtuous, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Enough.¡± Rouge dropped her protest against Gonzo, who looked sincerely baffled. It was already well known that any argument with Gonzo would inevitably be converted into a conversation about muscles. Then, as if swapping places with Rouge, Alexis cast a resentful gaze towards Gonzo. ¡°Hmph¡­¡­ You¡¯re the only one who can punch me in the head so casually, you know, Gonzo?¡± ¡°Gahaha! Then I¡¯ll have to keep punching you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant! Tsk, when I defeat the Demon King and become king, I¡¯ll surely have you thrown in jail for disrespect!¡± ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll look forward to that.¡± This was a typical exchange between Alexis and Gonzo, who have known each other since they were children. To Alexis, a hero and prince of a powerful nation, Gonzo was the only one he could be completely at ease with. "" ¡°So, how¡¯s he doing?¡± Having finished their customary exchange, Alexis asked Gonzo again. Gonzo¡¯s answer was somewhat lackluster. ¡°Well, he¡¯s average, I guess.¡± ¡°Average, huh¡­¡­ I suppose that¡¯s about right.¡± Facing Gonzo¡¯s blunt assessment, Alexis directed his gaze towards Ed, who was continuing his training a short distance away. While he did feel a certain brilliance in Ed¡¯s ability to block his sword, even though he was holding back, the rest¡­ especially Ed¡¯s physical ability, was just about average for an adventurer, which Alexis also agreed with. However, this brings up a question. Alexis mused, still looking at Ed. (Then why is a man who¡¯s only average working so hard? What is driving him?) If he¡¯s average, he should live as an average person. It¡¯s reckless for him to overreach and stick with the Hero¡¯s party, which wouldn¡¯t make anyone happy. At one point, he thought Ed might be clinging to the honor of ¡°moving with the Hero¡¯s Party,¡± but looking at Ed now, he couldn¡¯t possibly think that. Alexis himself understood all too well that the training wasn¡¯t so easy to continue with just that kind of thinking. ¡°¡­¡­He¡¯s really an unreadable man.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. He¡¯s certainly building up stamina, right? If a useless porter becomes a somewhat useful porter, that¡¯s good enough for me.¡± ¡°Hah, you¡¯re so simple.¡± ¡°What? Are you picking a fight again?¡± ¡°You two stop it! If you¡¯re going to continue like this, you¡¯ll have to train with the kid!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t joke with me! I¡¯ve had enough, I¡¯m going home!¡± Rouge, who had come on a whim, left to return to the town on a whim. Watching her walk away, Alexis sighed softly. ¡°¡­¡­What on earth did Rouge come here for?¡± ¡°Hahaha, didn¡¯t she just come because she was curious about the kid, same as you?¡± ¡°Me? No way. My being here is¡­ well, just a bit of a whim.¡± ¡°Huh, is that so.¡± That whim was the same, being curious. But Gonzo didn¡¯t say that out loud. He just looked at Alexis with a gentle, parental gaze, and then turned his gaze towards Ed, who was desperately working hard. Alexis and Rouge, both young and excellent, often clash because they don¡¯t adjust to each other. Gonzo wanted to do something about their relationship, but being twice their age, he could only press them down from above and couldn¡¯t stand between them. (But, kid. Maybe you can be the trigger to change these two.) ¡°Guh¡­¡­ha! One¡­ more¡­ time¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s about time. Hey, kid! I¡¯m going to heal you now, so wait a bit!¡± An ordinary man who never gives up. If a small gear desperately spinning gets into the gap of a big gear that¡¯s spinning in vain, won¡¯t everything start to spin properly? It¡¯s a convenient hope, but it¡¯s okay to expect that much as a reward for special training, right? He wished for a brilliant future for all the young people. With that thought in his heart, Gonzo walked towards Ed, who was lying on the ground twitching. (T/N: Apologies for the delays, just finished ghost of tsushima) CH 270 ¡°Hey, what are you doing, commoner! Hurry up and come here!¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Just a moment, please, Rouge-sama.¡± Responding to the rushing Rouge, I said while adjusting the large backpack I was carrying. I¡¯ve had similar exchanges before, but unlike those times, my steps are now steady, and carrying the load of four people¡¯s luggage no longer shakes me. ¡°Gahaha. kid, you¡¯ve come a long way, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Thank you, Gonzo-san. It¡¯s all thanks to you.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? The one who worked hard was you, right? I just helped a little.¡± ¡°Even so, without your help, I wouldn¡¯t have made it this far.¡± I genuinely tell the cheerful Gonzo that, flattery aside. Regardless of how desperately I tried, I probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to achieve this physical ability in just half a year. After all, I¡¯m usually acting with the hero party. There are rest days after a set period, but resting to prevent fatigue from carrying over to the next adventure is also part of the job, so the time I can devote purely to strength training is actually much less than what ordinary people might think. But the Gonzo-style training method makes the most of that limited time. My body is now stronger than ever before, and underneath my clothes is a ripped body that is¡­ somewhat impressive. ¡­Half a year. Yes, half a year. I have already spent half a year in this hero party. The fact that I am still working hard without being expelled is for the future. I mean, right? If I need to join hero parties in various worlds in the future, what I can do best is probably carry luggage. If I train my body properly in this very favorable environment, I should be able to work as a top-notch porter in future worlds. Therefore, working hard here should lead to a smooth expulsion in the future worlds. It¡¯s all calculated. It¡¯s not because I¡¯m attached to this party or starting to find fulfillment in the job of carrying luggage. The feeling of ¡°I should try a little harder in this world¡± that throbs in the back of my chest was nothing more than a calculation to get home faster. ¡°By the way, kid. Isn¡¯t it about time for our next destination?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯ll check now.¡± I was engrossed in such thoughts, but when Gonzo called out to me, I hurriedly took out a map from the bag on my waist to check. Even the map, which is a crucial military secret, is lent to us as a hero party. ¡°Yes, I think it¡¯s not much further.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t lost your way, have you?¡± ¡°No way, we¡¯ve been walking straight on the highway, there¡¯s no way we could get lost.¡± I give a bitter smile at Rouge, who¡¯s glaring at me. Unless I mistake the right and left at a junction, it¡¯s impossible to get lost while walking on the highway. ¡°Haa. A little while ago, we could have taken a carriage, but now we have to walk¡­ what a hassle.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s quite troublesome when the mining city¡¯s mines are out of commission¡­¡± In response to Rouge¡¯s sigh, Gonzo answered in a worried voice. The town we were heading to, Atorumtein, was a thriving town due to the mining of a silver mine near the town and the processing of the silver mined from there. However, about three months ago, the situation changed drastically due to the emergence of a demonic beast known as the Rockworm. Not only was a large amount of silver devoured by the Rockworm, which eats minerals, but also the mine itself collapsed due to the holes that the Rockworm had dug indiscriminately, and the source of income for the people living here suddenly disappeared. As a result, most of the residents have left the town, and even shared carriages no longer head to Atorumtein. The reason we¡¯re heading to such a place is because we¡¯ve taken on a mission as a hero party to check on the current state of the town and, if possible, to subdue the Rockworm. ¡°Aotrumtein was a large and vibrant town that processed high-quality silver mined from nearby mountains. It seems there were quite a few skilled artisans who processed the silver, and I also loved using the silverware made here..¡± Alexis¡¯s words trail off midway. The town, visible in the distance, comes closer as we walk, and the sight of the town, which we couldn¡¯t see from afar, unavoidably comes into view. ¡°I never imagined it would come to this¡­¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Mmm, this is¡­¡± ¡°This is terrible¡­¡± At Alexis¡¯ slightly saddened muttering, we can¡¯t help but let out our voices. There¡¯s hardly any sign of people in the lined-up houses, and not a single wisp of smoke rises from the lined-up chimneys. Some stalls were lined up in the street, but there¡¯s no sign of the food and goods that were likely sold there. Many stalls are damaged, and the sight of bent and broken roofs conveys a sense of desolation. A dead town. That phrase crossed my mind, and I couldn¡¯t think of any other way to describe Atorumtein, which seemed to have met its end. ¡°Excuse me, may I ask you something?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Alexis called out to a woman who was barely walking down the street. Alexis, who usually had a haughty demeanor appropriate for his status, was unusually polite. Perhaps it¡¯s because he can¡¯t be cruel enough to be hard on an older woman who was wearing shabby clothes and looks worn out. ¡°I¡¯m Alexis, the hero who has come to investigate this town and take on the request to subdue the Rockworm. Could you tell me where the town¡¯s representative lives, and where there¡¯s an inn that¡¯s still in business¡­?¡± ¡°Yuusha-sama,, huh¡­ The mayor¡¯s house is a bit further in, so I think it would be better to ask at the town hall ahead. As for the inn¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I think there are probably no inns in this town that are still in business.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Thank you, you¡¯ve been a big help. Although it¡¯s not much, please take this.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Alexis pulled a wallet from his pocket and gave the woman a silver coin. But the woman didn¡¯t react much to it, she just bowed and left. Alexis, who would usually be angry and say something like, ¡°That¡¯s quite rude for my generosity, isn¡¯t it?¡± just silently watched her go, then turned back to us. ¡°What¡¯s with you today, you¡¯re being unusually quiet? Normally, you¡¯d make a big fuss, maybe even draw your sword, right?¡± ¡°I choose my opponents. Unlike you.¡± ¡°Oh, I choose my opponents too, you know? Unlike you, I burn the ones I don¡¯t like right from the start, so it never turns into a fight.¡± Rouge responded with a meaningful smile to Alexis¡¯s provocative words. Uh, that¡¯s scary. And if you go by that logic, it means he thought I was a guy he could just chop off his arm¡­ Well, that¡¯s probably right. To Alexis, who thinks there¡¯s no one who doesn¡¯t know him, it¡¯s probably just a mercy to not cut down a guy who would dare come at him. Well, he¡¯s a prince, so it can¡¯t be helped. ¡°Well, shall we go? Ed, please secure a place to stay.¡± ¡°Eh? No, didn¡¯t the woman just say there are no inns in business?¡± I respond to Alexis¡¯s nonsensical request with a confused voice. Alexis then sighed with an exasperated expression. ¡°She said so, but we need a place to stay, don¡¯t we? Even if there are no operating inns, the buildings that used to be inns should still be there. Don¡¯t you think we could use them if we take care of them a little?¡± ¡°Well, I guess¡­ but is it okay to just use it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get permission when I talk to the mayor. So you, find an inn worthy of me.¡± ¡°Understood, Yuusha-sama.¡± Nodding and bowing, I watched as Alexis and the others left me behind. Even though I¡¯m a member of the hero party, I¡¯m just a porter. The treatment isn¡¯t the same, and I don¡¯t sit in on important conversations like this one. That said, I don¡¯t mind. If anything, I¡¯m glad to have less trouble, and it¡¯s because of this treatment that I have a place in the hero party. Having a clear job to do gives me a sense of security. ¡°Well, first I¡¯ll need to choose a building, then clean it and do the laundry¡­ wait, are there any bedding left? If I can find something in good condition¡­ and with the situation, even finding a place to eat might be difficult, so should I also get some food? Hahaha, let¡¯s work hard!¡± Because no one was watching, I put my full effort in. I take a deep breath from the bottom of my stomach and start running through the town again. CH 271 After spending a comfortable night at the inn I prepared, we headed straight for the mine the next day. Gonzo¡¯s fists mercilessly shattered the rock blocking the entrance, and we entered the mine through the gap that was created. ¡°The air isn¡¯t as stale as I thought it would be. Well, this is just the entrance area, so that may change.¡± ¡°Ed, how¡¯s the magical device?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. It¡¯s working properly.¡± What I was holding was a large version of the special lantern that miners always carry. It¡¯s currently lighting up the surroundings with a bluish-white light, but if there¡¯s something wrong with the air, this color apparently changes to red or yellow. ¡°Why on earth do I have to come to such a gloomy place¡­ and is it even safe here? You were breaking the rocks that were blocking the entrance, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Hahaha, there¡¯s no helping it since Rockworms don¡¯t come near the surface. As for the entrance, although the walls and ceiling had collapsed, the mine timbers are firm, so it should be safe for a while.¡± ¡°You¡­.. You should ensure our safety more properly!¡± Rouge, who rarely protested in such a reasonable manner, complained, but Gonzo looked troubled. ¡°That¡¯s easy to say, but what I can do is limited to that. Whether it¡¯s reinforcing the walls and ceilings, or dealing with the stale air, if we had a skilled spirit user, we could easily solve it¡­¡± ¡°Since we don¡¯t have such personnel, there¡¯s no helping it. Let¡¯s move on. Ed, can I count on you to lead the way?¡± ¡°Leave it to me!¡± We, who had been talking in a slightly wider space near the entrance, started walking at the front at Alexis¡¯s words. The passage was collapsing at a reasonable frequency, and every time that happened, Gonzo came forward and broke the rocks. This method of progression was accompanied by a tremendous sense of insecurity, but there was no other way to move forward. Of course, that¡¯s the case. If we tried to restore the mine properly, it would take years, and more importantly, the silver buried in this mountain is expected to have been mostly devoured by Rockworms. It makes no sense to invest a lot of money, time, and personnel in restoring a mine that is not profitable. So why were we at such a place? It was to kill the Rockworm that had eaten all the minerals before it moved to another mine. If the Rockworm was left alone, the other mines in the vicinity would also die. That would be a national level problem, but because of the location, it¡¯s not a matter that can be dealt with by a large army, so the request was passed on to Alexis, the hero. ¡°Hmm, there are indeed many branches¡­ So we just have to go to the furthest one, right?¡± The Map of the mine is incomprehensible to an amateur, but having one is far better than having none. Gonzo answered me as I asked while staring desperately at the complex and bizarre map that was written over many sheets. ¡°That¡¯s right. Ideally, it should be as close to the center of the mountain as possible, and if there is a dead-end mine, that would be the best. We¡¯ll lure out the Rockworm with bait there and hunt it.¡± ¡°Then, this way¡­ or this way?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with you, aren¡¯t you just carrying the bags and getting lost?¡± ¡°No, this is¡­ really complex! And what does carrying bags have to do with getting lost?!¡± Ignoring Rouge, who was glaring at me, we forced our way through several collapsed paths and aimed for the deepest part. After about two hours of wandering around, we finally reached our destination. ¡°So, are we ready to use it?¡± Once everyone was prepared, Alexis pulled out a lump of silver from his pocket. It was silver-colored, so it looked exactly like a lump of silver, but it seemed to be shining more than ordinary silver¡­? "" ¡°Wow, it¡¯s Mithril. It¡¯s a waste to use it as bait for a demonic beast.¡± ¡°Eh, Mithril!? That¡¯s a waste!¡± ¡°Stop talking nonsense! It¡¯s coming!¡± While Rouge and I were expressing the same opinion, we heard a sound that shook the earth from afar. The sound increased exponentially, and the moment Alexis threw the lump of Mithril at the wall and retreated¡­ ¡°GYUOOOOOOOO!!!¡± A Rockworm¡¯s mouth big enough to swallow Rouge in one gulp broke through the rock wall. But before its mouth could swallow us, Gonzo stood in front of it and stopped the Rockworm¡¯s charge. ¡°Guhh¡­!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, Ed!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The jagged teeth that can even crush hard minerals bite into Gonzo¡¯s body and blood begins to flow from everywhere. But with the time bought, Alexis and I split left and right of the Rockworm and thrust our swords into it. ¡°Ha! Ed, how are you doing on your side?!¡± ¡°Guh, this¡­!¡± The original plan was to stab our swords into the left and right of the Rockworm, pinning it down to prevent it from escaping. However, no matter how much force I put into it, I can¡¯t cut deep into the Rockworm¡¯s tough, elastic skin. ¡°It¡¯s no good, my sword won¡¯t penetrate¡­!¡± ¡°Tch, useless! Then I¡¯ll¨D¨D¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m about to reach my limit.¡± Gonzo said, ¡°¨D¨D¨D¨DThen, Rouge! Fire your magic into the Rockworm¡¯s mouth as it is!¡± ¡°Is that okay? Gonzo will burn too!?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that!¡± ¡°Uh, I¡­¡± ¡°You¡­ get back to Rouge and protect her! You can do at least that much!¡± ¡°Y-yes!¡± Gritting my teeth in frustration, I quickly ran back to Rouge¡¯s side. At that timing, Rouge finished her long incantation. ¡°Red flame piercing the four heavens. Breath of the blazing dance of scorching heat. Turn the dust and smoke to ashes and burn down the enemy in front of me! [Flare Blaster]!¡± From the tip of Rouge¡¯s outstretched hand, a bright red flash was fired. Just before it hit Gonzo¡¯s back, Alexis jumped in from the side, hugged Gonzo and got him out of the way¡­ and the magic of Rouge blasted into the mouth of the Rockworm. ¡°GYUOOOOOOOO!?!!?¡± Suddenly, the Rockworm, burned by intense heat inside, started to writhe its huge body and a violent vibration occurred around it. As a result, the mine tunnel, which had been fragile enough, finally reached its limit, and it started collapsing. ¡°This is bad! Run, Rouge!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not over yet! Just a little more¡­!¡± ¡°Do you think there¡¯s time to say that!? Uh, ouch!?¡± In front of me in a hurry, however, Rouge closed her eyes and concentrated on something. I tried to forcibly carry her and take her with me, but her body was so hot that I involuntarily let go. ¡°What are you doing!? Come this way¡ª!¡± GOGON! GARAGARAGARA! Between Alexis and the rest trying to escape earlier and us, there was suddenly a large collapse. As I was shocked that the only road leading outside was blocked, Rouge shouted from behind me. ¡°I got it, here¡¯s the heart¡­! Die! [Explosion]!¡± GUGOGOGOGOGOGOGO!!! The Rockworm was long gone from sight. The vibration centered on the other side of the dark hole shook the mountain even more. Oh, this is seriously bad. ¡°Kid! I¡¯ll¡ª¡± ¡°Please escape! Ask for a rescue when things have settled down!¡± ¡°¡­Understood! Then, endure there for a while!¡± Before Gonzo could speak, I shouted, and his voice came from the other side of the collapsed rock. That¡¯s right, the worst situation in this case is to die together and be wiped out. If Gonzo and Alexis are safe, they should be able to save us easily. In that case, the rest is¡­ ¡°Please, God!¡± ¡°Hey!? What are you¡ª!¡± I held the limp body of Rouge, who had just used her magic, and jumped into the hole that the Rockworm had opened, along with the luggage that had been placed nearby. Right after that, the place where we were just now is also caught in the collapse¡­ ¡°How long are you going to hold me, you pervert!¡± ¡°¡­ouch.¡± Feeling the pain in my cheek that I can only feel because I survived, I was relieved for the time being. CH 272 ¡°Ugh, this is the worst. Why do I have to go through this¡­¡± Inside the hole made by the Rockworm, Rouge, who was sitting next to me hugging her knees, muttered such a complaint. Indeed, our situation wasn¡¯t good, but that made me want to say something too. ¡°The reason we¡¯re in this mess is because you didn¡¯t run away, Rouge. Why¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Hmph, that¡¯s why you¡¯re a mere mortal! Understand this, Rockworms have incredible vitality. They won¡¯t die just from having their innards burnt.¡± ¡°Eh¡­?¡± At her words, I involuntarily grimace. If it¡¯s a living creature, I¡¯d assume it would die if its insides were roasted¡­ But it didn¡¯t die? Impressive, Rockworm. You don¡¯t just eat rocks for no reason. ¡°Especially this Rockworm, it had just had a full meal. If we had just let it go, it would¡¯ve entered hibernation somewhere out of our reach. And then, after ten or twenty years¡­ An even stronger and bigger Rockworm would¡¯ve started causing havoc.¡± ¡°Oh, that would have been quite a severe problem. So when you said something about the heart earlier¡­?¡± ¡°I was examining the inner heat of the Rockworm with the magic I fired. And I blew up the place I think is its heart¡­ I can¡¯t confirm the body, but it should be dead for sure.¡± ¡°That¡¯s amazing! Just as expected of the genius magician, Rouge-sama! Is this the kind of thing that¡¯ll make history?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about that. I just hate leaving my job unfinished. Besides, it¡¯s only natural for my name to be left in history! I¡¯m going to defeat the Demon King with Alexis, aren¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Ah, I see. Indeed, that¡¯s an unquestionable achievement.¡± At Rouge¡¯s words, who snorts unenthusiastically, I nod in agreement. If she¡¯s a great magician who has defeated the Demon King alongside the hero, her name would not only be remembered, they might even erect a large statue in her honor. ¡°Haah¡­ even so, why has it come to this?¡± ¡°In that situation, there¡¯s nothing we could¡¯ve done. Well, we¡¯re lucky just to be alive.¡± The Rockworm¡¯s hole we jumped into on the spur of the moment was a circular space about two meters in diameter. I figured it wouldn¡¯t collapse since it was dug by that giant creature itself for its movement, and it seemed my impromptu gamble paid off. ¡°We¡¯re lucky to have light and if it¡¯s this deep, we should be fine for air. We have a bit of water and food, so all we have to do is wait for rescue.¡± ¡°¡­Your carefreeness is slightly enviable right now.¡± Rouge gave me a weary look at my intentionally light-hearted comment. But the situation really wasn¡¯t that bad, especially since we managed to recover our luggage at the last moment. We intended to return immediately, so it¡¯s not much, but if we split the amount for four people between the two of us, it¡¯s essentially double the ration. ¡°Hey, when do you think help will come?¡± I scratched my head thoughtfully at Rouge¡¯s question, who had buried her face in her knees, looking somewhat less spirited than usual. ¡°Hmm. If we go by conventional means, it¡¯d be at least ten days¡­ or even up to a month.¡± ¡°What!? There¡¯s no way I can wait that long!¡± ¡°Calm down. I said ¡®if we go by conventional means¡¯, right? You know how we got here, don¡¯t you Rouge?¡± ¡°¡­Ah, right.¡± At my words, Rouge showed a faint smile. If Gonzo¡¯s Muscle Rock Digging Method was fully utilized again, we could expect a rescue in about three days. That¡¯s enough time to get by with what we have. ¡°And hey, you¡¯ve been calling me without honorifics, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, yes. I understand, Rouge-sama.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that? Are you mocking me? I could burn you right here, you know?¡± ¡°Oh, scary! Then I¡¯ll be known as the fool who died saving his friends.¡± At Rouge¡¯s glaring eyes, I just shrug my shoulders. Then Rouge looks at my face with a puzzled look. ¡°¡­Weren¡¯t you scared of me?¡± ¡°I was at first, but after being together for half a year¡­¡± I was certainly afraid of being toyed around by Alexis and Rouge, the chosen ones with their arrogance. After all, at first sight, I had my arm almost cut off and was told just to deal with it. But after being together for half a year, you understand the person. Alexis and Rouge certainly have their prickly sides, but they aren¡¯t absolutely ruthless people at their core. If they really were, I would¡¯ve been exhausted and discarded a long time ago¡­ I would¡¯ve been ¡°exiled¡± and returned to my original world. ¡°Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t heard much about you. We have time, so tell me.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this all of a sudden? My story? Nah, there¡¯s nothing interesting about me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I won¡¯t ridicule you just because you¡¯re a country bumpkin.¡± ¡°Is that¡­ wait, didn¡¯t you just say you¡¯d ridicule me?¡± ¡°Of course, right? I¡¯ll point and laugh, so hurry up and tell me!¡± ¡°This girl says the darndest things¡­ uh, let¡¯s see, is there anything?¡± As Rouge, seemingly back to her usual mood for better or worse, gave a bitter smile, I try to recall my past. But for some reason, my mind feels foggy. I can remember certain scenes, but I can¡¯t grasp the context around them¡­ huh? ¡°¡­Why are you quiet? Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t want to talk to me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. It¡¯s just¡­ I can¡¯t quite remember my past¡­¡± ¡°Huh? You¡¯re only twenty, right? Is it normal to be senile at that age?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not senile! But why¡­ hmm?¡± The more I think about it, the more my gap in memory bothers me. Like I was watching a play, I could only see the scenes that were brightly lit. Everything else was in darkness and unseeable. And instead, memories of things I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve experienced start to bubble up. Sailing the seas on a pirate ship, being a teacher at a mysterious school, forging swords with a burly dwarf, jumping through gaps in a towering stone tower¡­ ¡°Wait, why are you crying all of a sudden!?¡± ¡°Eh!?¡± As Rouge unexpectedly raised her voice in surprise, I touched my cheek. There¡¯s a wet sensation there, and sure enough, it seems I am crying. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s really wrong? If you don¡¯t want to talk that badly¡­ it¡¯s fine, you don¡¯t have to say anything.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it at all! But why am I crying?¡± ¡°How should I know! What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°Haha, yeah. What¡¯s wrong with me, indeed.¡± The reason for the tears, I don¡¯t even know myself. There should be no reason for me to be sad, but the fact that there is no reason feels unbearably sad. ¡°Hey, Rouge¡­ -sama? This isn¡¯t about me, but I just remembered an interesting story. Wanna hear it?¡± ¡°¡­Fine, I¡¯ll listen. But if it¡¯s boring, I won¡¯t let it slide for free.¡± ¡°Eh, what are you going to do to me¡­ Well, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s probably interesting. What to start with¡­ How about the story of the Hero who breaks pots?¡± ¡°? Why would a Hero break pots?¡± Rouge made a surprised face at my suggestion. Oh, this seems to be quite an intriguing topic. ¡°Fufufu, that¡¯s part of the story. So, do you want to hear it?¡± ¡°Wait, wait! If it¡¯s just a bit, I¡¯ll hear it! So, what¡¯s this about a Hero breaking pots?¡± ¡°Just wait. This story is¡­¡± In the depths of the earth where only the two of us were, Rouge¡¯s eyes, illuminated by the lantern, sparkled with curiosity. In response to her anticipation, I slowly started to recount the tale of a hero from an unknown world. CH 273 The first day of living in the cave passed without anything significant happening. The second day was the same, and probably the morning of the third day as well¡­ ¡°¡­Good morning.¡± ¡°Ah, good morning.¡± Getting up groggily and rubbing her sleepy eyes as she greeted me, I responded casually to Rouge. By the way, I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s actually morning. I¡¯d probably know if I had a clock, but those were relatively expensive and prone to breaking, so they were not something someone with a lot of baggage like me would carry around. ¡°Want to eat?¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± ¡°Alright. Here you go.¡± What I handed over was hard-baked black bread, dried meat so salty it¡¯s hard to eat as it is, and a metal cup filled with water. Rouge took them and tore the dried meat into small pieces, put it in the cup, and warmed the cup directly with her own fire magic. When the simple soup was nice and flavorful from the dried meat, she dipped the black bread in it and munched away. ¡°Sigh, I¡¯m getting tired of this too.¡± ¡°Haha, can¡¯t be helped. You can eat something tasty when we get out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Rouge¡¯s behavior lacked vigor, but that¡¯s just because she¡¯s just woken up. The fact that she can say she¡¯s ¡°tired¡± of the food means she still had some vigor left. In fact, our life here was more bearable than expected. The lantern could be used indefinitely as long as Rouge replenished its magic, and although we were scrimping, we had the bare minimum of water and food, and even a little to spare. But the most impactful thing was¡­ ¡°So? What kind of story are you going to tell me today?¡± Finally opening her eyes wide, Rouge peered at my face and asked. Yes, Rouge was quite taken with my rambling, fanciful tales, and for the past three days, we¡¯ve just been continuing such conversations. For me, the one doing the talking, it used up more energy the more I talked, and above all, my throat gets dry and the consumption of water increases. If I were to prioritize survival, I should not engage in such idle chatter. But if we spend our time in this confined space in silence, brooding, even if we can conserve physical strength, our spirits would be worn down. That¡¯s why I continued to tell stories, knowing it drained me, and Rouge also listened to them to maintain her mental stability. So, this was a necessary cost, and I didn¡¯t begrudge telling a story this time as well¡­ Hmmm. ¡°What? Are you going to tell me you have no stories to tell me?¡± ¡°Not quite like that¡­ but you¡¯re not far off.¡± ¡°What!? Wait a minute, what do you mean by that now!?¡± ¡°No, not ¡®now¡¯, but after all this talking, I¡¯m starting to run out of stories.¡± Rouge and I took turns sleeping, but no matter how you sliced it, for one third of the day, both of us were awake¡­ which means I¡¯ve been talking the whole time. At first, I felt like stories would keep coming to me endlessly, but by the third day, new ideas were drying up. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not just me. Let me hear a story from you sometimes, Rouge-sama.¡± ¡°My story? I don¡¯t have any interesting stories.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to have interesting ones. Just tell me where you were born, or why you joined the Hero¡¯s Party, that kind of stuff.¡± ¡°Well, when you put it that way¡­¡± While considering my proposal, Rouge munched on her black bread and slowly opened her mouth., ¡°I was born in a town called Yukuta in the Kingdom of Linen. My parents were slightly wealthy merchants, they had a shop in the town. Since I had an aptitude for magic, I joined the Magic Academy of Wizdas when I was about 12, and after graduation, I was working there as a research staff when Alexis recruited me¡­ that¡¯s about it.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s quite brief. You can take your time and talk more, you know?¡± ¡°No thanks, it¡¯s a bother. Besides, I have nothing else to say.¡± ¡°Really? If you¡¯re a genius, don¡¯t you have any ¡®genius¡¯ stories? Like, you defeated a dragon when you were a kid, or you repelled a villain who attacked the academy.¡± ¡°Are you stupid? If a dragon comes close enough for a child to come across it, the whole country would be in an uproar, and if the academy is attacked, the resident security guards will normally handle it. Why would I, a student or staff, have to do anything?¡± ¡°Well, if you put it that way¡­ but you¡¯ve lived for 18 years, there must be something, right? An interesting failure story or something.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing. What you call an ¡®interesting failure¡¯ is probably something like getting kicked by a horse after drunkenly kissing its butt, right?¡± ¡°Huh, that¡¯s interesting. Did you really do that?¡± Impressed by this unexpected side of her, I, however, watched as Rouge¡¯s face turned beet red as she immediately denied it. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it! And it wasn¡¯t my story! Haa¡­ anyway, geniuses don¡¯t fail¡­ I wouldn¡¯t say that, but they analyze why they failed and link it to success. So, they only make meaningful mistakes, not simple stupid ones¡­ ah.¡± At that point, something seemed to come to Rouge¡¯s mind, and she choked on her words. Her wide-open eyes were larger than usual, but her face quickly turned away¡­ I didn¡¯t miss her reaction. ¡°Oh? It seems like there¡¯s an amusing failure story for Rouge-sama, isn¡¯t there?¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s nothing! There¡¯s nothing if I say there¡¯s nothing!¡± ¡°Eh? But your reaction just now seemed like there was something. I¡¯ve been telling stories for a while now, so I¡¯d like to hear it.¡± ¡°Shut up! If you don¡¯t stop, I will¡­!?¡± At that moment, we unexpectedly heard a small sound made by someone, or something, other than us. Instantly tensing up, I started scanning the surroundings with a serious expression. ¡°There was a sound just now, right? Is it the rescue team?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not. If it was, they would have loudly announced that they were here to help.¡± We may be trapped, but we¡¯re not held captive. So the rescuers have no need to hide their presence, and there¡¯s no reason for them not to make a noise. ¡°What should we do? Should we try to make a noise too?¡± "" ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I silently considered Rouge¡¯s suggestion. Unlike the rescuers, there were other beings we didn¡¯t want to find us. Namely, if there were still monsters like Rockworms around. So until we¡¯re certain that the other party is a rescuer, we want to stay hidden as much as possible. ¡°¡­Hey you¡­ Ed?¡± ¡°Wait. Can you still hear the noise¡­?¡± To Rouge¡¯s urging, I told her to be quiet by putting my index finger in front of my mouth. When I quietly strained my ears, I could tell that there was a slight noise mixed in with what I thought was ambient sound¡­ ¡°Over there¡­?¡± ¡°Is that¡­?!¡± I turned my face not toward the collapsed and blocked passage, but towards the hole that the Rockworm seemed to have dug infinitely. The sound was coming from the other side of that darkness. ¡°Oi, Oi, Oi, give me a break¡­ Rouge, behind me.¡± I got up and drew my sword. Fortunately, the diameter of the hole was about two meters, so I could swing my sword and fight adequately. The blade was slightly chipped from trying to cut the Rockworm¡¯s tough skin, but it¡¯s still a thousand times better than being barehanded. And from behind me, I could hear Rouge¡¯s voice, who was presumably also getting ready for battle. ¡°Haa. I¡¯m uneasy about leaving the vanguard to a mediocre guy like you.¡± ¡°Haha, sorry, bear with it. I¡¯ll show you at least the pride of a packhorse.¡± Perhaps because of the pathetic figure I showed before, Rouge¡¯s affection for me seems to have increased, but her trust in me remains the same or even decreased. It¡¯s entirely self-inflicted, so all I can do is respond with a bitter smile. Yes, all I can do is try. It would be a funny story if the rescue team had come in from a different route into the Rockworm¡¯s hole¡­ Mozomozomozo¡­ ¡°Here it comes¡­ huh, whoa!?¡± ¡°Gross!!?¡± Emerging from the darkness was a horde of Rockworm larvae crawling on the ground. CH 274 ¡°Gross, gross, gross, gross! I¡¯m going to burn them right now¨C¡° ¡°Wha-!? Don¡¯t mess around! If we start a fire here, we¡¯ll be the ones who die first!¡± A swarm of young Rockworms crawled towards us. Rouge was about to start chanting a spell, but I quickly grabbed her arm to stop her. Indeed, the hole dug by the Rockworm was deep. However, it only continued deep on the side from which the young Rockworms were emerging, and behind us was a wall that had become a dead end due to the collapse. If we start a fire right in front of us in this situation, we¡¯ll be steamed to death. ¡°Then what should we do?!¡± ¡°What do you mean, what¡­ shouldn¡¯t we just leave them alone, and they¡¯ll eventually pass us by?¡± Rockworms primarily ate minerals, and while they might accidentally swallow a human in the process, they didn¡¯t actively attack and eat humans. My idea was that if we leave them alone, they will just disappear. However, Rouge glared at me as if I was an idiot. ¡°Do you seriously believe that?! It¡¯s one thing if there are one or two Rockworms, but do you really think a swarm like that will politely avoid us and move on?!¡± ¡°¡­Ah, yeah, that makes sense.¡± Rockworms can gnaw through even hard rocks with their mouths and burrow holes. Therefore, even if there¡¯s something softer in front of them, they would likely gnaw through it without a second thought. (So, what should we do? How do we get through this?) A swarm of Rockworm younglings, about ten centimeters in mouth size and fifty centimeters in total length, filled about a third of the circular tunnel with a diameter of two meters. They kept crawling out from the depths of the hole, showing no signs of stopping. Defeating all of them was impossible. And there¡¯s nowhere to run in such a narrow space¡­!? ¡°That¡¯s it! Rouge, the wall! Stick to the wall!¡± ¡°Wall? What do you mean by wall¡­?¡± ¡°Just stick to the wall! Then, like this¡­just like this!¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± I pressed my foot against the center of the circular wall and used my arms to push myself against the ceiling, securing myself in place. This way, even if the Rockworms crawl underneath us, they can¡¯t touch us. Although Rouge made a face that showed she didn¡¯t like the idea, she couldn¡¯t think of any other options and soon adopted the same pose. As the two of us struggled in an absurd and desperate situation, the Rockworm younglings, just as I had predicted, passed under us, gnawing a hole in the collapsed part of the tunnel and disappearing to the other side. ¡°We did it, Rouge! Once these guys are gone, we can go through that hole and get out!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­this is actually quite tough¡­¡± ¡°No, no, no, let¡¯s hang in there!¡± Rouge¡¯s limbs were trembling. It seemed her physical strength wasn¡¯t enough to maintain this posture for a long period of time. Sweat dripped from her face, and her expression was one of agony. ¡°Hasn¡¯t it been about an hour?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not even been five minutes yet! Hang in there! Hang in there, Rouge! Genius beautiful young magician Rouge-sama!¡± ¡°You¡­ I¡¯m definitely going to punch you¡­!¡± At my desperate cheering, Rouge glared at me. It seemed she didn¡¯t appreciate my heartfelt support. I thought it might distract her a little, though¡­ ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t¡­ anymore¡­!¡± ¡°Rouge!¡± Rouge¡¯s body floated as her strength gave out, and she fell onto the still-crawling Rockworms. Even though their mature bodies wouldn¡¯t be pierced by a sword, the young ones seemed fragile, and the impact squashed a few of them. ¡°GYUAAAA!?¡± In that instant, the atmosphere in the place changed. Rockworms don¡¯t actively attack humans, but that doesn¡¯t mean they won¡¯t resist if they¡¯re attacked. At this very moment, Rouge had transformed from a mere backdrop into an enemy who hurt their comrades. ¡°Damn it!¡± I immediately let go of the wall, stomping on countless Rockworms as I rushed over to Rouge. I held her small body in my left arm and kicked away the surrounding Rockworms with my right foot. But given the sheer number of Rockworms covering the entire area, my efforts were like a drop in the bucket. If we stay here, we¡¯ll be overwhelmed by the sheer numbers in no time. With my concentration at its limit, I looked around for anything useful, and my eyes landed on a wall where small stones were rolling down. ¡°Please, crumble!¡± With all my strength, I hit the wall that was blocking our retreat with the hilt of my sword. The wall, which had become unstable due to the large hole below it, crumbled with a rumbling sound, and a gap just wide enough for a person to pass through was created. ¡°We can go! Come on, Rouge! Go!¡± ¡°Hey, where are you touching, pervert!¡± ¡°Who cares! Just go! Hurry!¡± I pushed Rouge¡¯s head into the gap, and then shoved her rear-end hard. After Rouge disappeared to the other side of the wall, I twisted my body into the hole and slipped through to the other side. ¡°Ugh! I got through¡­ but¡­¡± What spread out on the other side of the hole was naturally the original passage. And the path ahead had also collapsed, so running away was impossible. Fortunately, the Rockworm larvae had dug a hole in the wall and were moving in a different direction from the regular route, so there was some room in the space¡­ ¡°Ouch¡­ What are we going to do?¡± ¡°No choice, we burn it.¡± ¡°You were the one who said not to burn it just now, right?!¡± ¡°That was then, this is now. The situation and our positions are different¡­ I want to think they¡¯re different.¡± Before, the wall was about a meter away, but now we can run away to the back of the regular route for about five meters. We don¡¯t know how much this difference in space will save our lives¡­ but now it¡¯s the only option we can bet on. ¡°I¡¯ll stand in front. Rouge, can you do it?¡± ¡°Hmph, who do you think I am! Buy me ten seconds!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± ¡°GYUAAAAAAAA!!!¡± I pushed Rouge to the back of the passage, and I stood in front. Against me, the young Rockworms that had left their course were swarming in one after another. ¡°Ugh! You! You¡¯re disgusting!¡± ¡°Flickering flame, laying flames. The red-hued curtain of burning heat¨C¡° I swung my sword desperately, but the opponents were small and numerous. But whether it¡¯s one or many, if we let them pass to the back, our defeat was certain. That¡¯s why I was stopping the Rockworms with my own body. ¡°Guhhhhhhh¡­!¡± On my arm, foot, stomach, chest, the strong teeth of the Rockworms sinked in, tearing the flesh. My vision flickered due to the intense pain, and my arms and legs started to twitch as if convulsing, but still I didn¡¯t stop moving. ¡°Like this¡­ in a place like this¡­! I¡¯m not¡­ going to dieeeeeeeeeee!!!¡± In a moment that felt like eternity, I screamed and mustered all my strength. And at that moment, the long-awaited red light spread out in front of me. "" ¡°Burn up! [Flare Screen]!¡± ¡°GYUAAAAAAAA!!!¡± A thin flame spread across the floor in front of me. It burned all the Rockworms that tried to come over it, not letting a single one through to this side. ¡°Over here! You¡¯re always so reckless!¡± As I gaped at the scene, Rouge¡¯s hand grabbed and pulled my collar, knocking me down. She quickly burned the still-attached Rockworms, and then doused me with a healing potion as if bathing my entire body. ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay¡­ What about the Rockworms?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. There¡¯s no way my magic can be endured by those worms or caterpillars or whatever they are.¡± True to Rouge¡¯s confident words, the Rockworms didn¡¯t break through to us afterwards. After a while, the Rockworms seemed to lose interest in us and stopped coming out of the formation. ¡°They¡¯ve retreated, huh¡­¡± To the Rockworms, our existence must have shifted from ¡°enemies to be defeated¡± to ¡°threats to be avoided¡±. Even after the flames on the floor disappeared, the Rockworms no longer attacked us, and after about twenty minutes, they all finished moving and disappeared from our sight. ¡°We survived.¡± ¡°Looks like it. Though we¡¯re probably going to get scolded when we report this.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, there¡¯s no way we could¡¯ve defeated that many. Even if we fought to the death, it would¡¯ve been nothing more than a blip in natural selection.¡± Deliberately overlooking demonic beasts that would become threats when they grow was an act close to a crime, but there¡¯s no point in fighting to the death in this situation. We might get reprimanded officially, but I don¡¯t care about that. ¡°Haaaaa¡­ I¡¯m so done. Super tired. Super sleepy.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, you¡¯re not planning on sleeping before me, are you? It¡¯s customary for ladies to go first, you know?¡± ¡°Eh? I lost quite a bit of blood, so it¡¯s actually pretty hard for me, you know?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so weak. In that case¡­¡± Rouge¡¯s voice, as always, was sharp, but I could feel some kindness in it. I looked up at her face as I slumped down onto the ground¡­ and that¡¯s when I noticed. The ridiculous amount of Rockworm movement and the accompanying shock and vibration, coupled with the effect of Rouge¡¯s magic, made the ground in this mine extremely unstable¡­ A small stone dropped from above Rouge¡¯s head, and the next moment, a rock larger than my head fell from the same place. ¡°Eh!?¡± ¡°Rouge!¡± I pushed Rouge away in an instant, and at the same time, an incredible shock ran through the back of my head. As I kissed the ground, my whole body was wrapped in a chill and an unbearable sleepiness came over me. ¡°No way! Ed, Ed!¡± (Ah, she finally said my name¡­) In her panic, Rouge was calling my name. Feeling a strange satisfaction about that, my consciousness sank into the darkness. CH 275 ¡°¡­¡­¡­.Hmm?¡± In the warm drowsiness, I quietly open my eyes. In my aimless gaze, a flavorful¡­ or perhaps an old ceiling spread, and by slightly tilting my neck, installed shelves and a table came into view. It seems this is a room in the inn I had cleaned and prepared. ¡°Did I make it back¡­?¡± As my consciousness became clear, I could remember what had happened to me. I was supposed to have taken a blow to the head while protecting Rouge, so I must have passed out after that. For the time being, I tried to sit up¡­ ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Zzz¡­¡± Rouge, who was sitting on a chair with her head resting on my thigh, was sleeping soundly. Drool was dripping from her mouth, and somehow¡­ it felt like I was seeing something I shouldn¡¯t. ¡°Hey, Rouge?¡± ¡°Zzz¡­ mumble mumble¡­¡± ¡°Wake up. Hey, Rouge-san?¡± ¡°I said, be quiet¡­ give me another five hours¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s too long! Hey, wake up!¡± It seemed useless to just call out to her, so I gently shook Rouge¡¯s shoulder. Then her eyes slowly opened, she stared blankly at my face for a few seconds¡­ and then immediately slapped my cheek. ¡°Guha!? What the hell are you doing all of a sudden!?¡± ¡°What about you!? What are you trying to do by peeping at a lady¡¯s sleeping face? You pervert!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be absurd when you¡¯ve been sleeping on someone¡­ Besides, a lady who drools¡­ Ow ow ow!¡± ¡°Mou-!¡± With the continuous explosion of Rouge¡¯s slaps, I was desperately defending myself. But Rouge¡¯s anger was far from calming down. ¡°Die! Die! Die, you pervert! You¡¯re an enemy of women!¡± ¡°I got it, I got it! It¡¯s my fault!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way I can forgive you! Why¡­ why did you do that?¡± At the end, a weak slap landed on my cheek, and Rouge¡¯s voice fell. When I tentatively lowered my guard and looked at her face, an anxious expression was visible. ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything to be saved by you, have I? So why did you help me?¡± ¡°What can I say¡­ I just acted on instinct.¡± I answered while scratching my cheek in response to Rouge¡¯s question. In reality, it wasn¡¯t that I moved with deep thought, it was just a case of ¡®I found myself moving before I realized it¡¯. ¡°¡­I see. So you¡¯ve finally developed a sense of servitude, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°A sense of servitude¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help but grin at her choice of words, as usual. I knew that she was trying to hide her embarrassment by looking away. (..Oh, I see.) And then I realized I was satisfied with my own actions. If it was back when we first met, I would have been resentful in my heart for taking her words at face value. And if our relationship had stayed that way, I probably wouldn¡¯t have saved Rouge. After all, it would be convenient. Even if I had a guilty conscience for deliberately abandoning her, there would have been no reason to blame me for not sacrificing my own life to save others. And if I had been expelled from the party by Alexis for ¡°letting a companion die¡±, I could have cleanly withdrawn from this world. But, I didn¡¯t do that. The long and harsh journey of the hero¡¯s party had built a little bit of trust between us. That¡¯s why I helped. I didn¡¯t want to see a companion die without doing anything, even though I had the means to help. That¡¯s all there is to it. ¡°Really, you¡¯re overdoing it! If our positions were reversed, I would have burned that rock in a moment!¡± ¡°Oh, that sounds reliable. I¡¯ll count on you when the time comes.¡± ¡°Hmph! I¡¯ll think about it. If you hit your head again and become even more stupid, I can¡¯t stand it!¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯m a fool after all.¡± I suddenly thought that if she burned the rock above my head, it would turn into lava and cause a great disaster, but it would be unsophisticated to point that out. ¡°Well, anyway, it¡¯s good that we both survived. Right, Rouge¡­ no, Rouge-sama.¡± ¡°¡­Just call me Rouge.¡± After I corrected the way I called her, Rouge added some more corrections. Her face was redder than the flame she uses, her lips were pointed, and she was looking away, but her eyes were occasionally glancing at my face. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ special! I¡¯ll let you call me Rouge as a really special case! So from now on, call me Rouge! Alright¡­ Ed!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Haha. Alright, Rouge.¡± I gently held the small hand that was extended while her face was turned away. Rouge snorted at my grin¡­ and I called out to the person who was probably on the other side of the door. ¡°So, aren¡¯t you coming in?¡± ¡°Hmm? You don¡¯t have to worry about me. Right now, I¡¯m just a passing muscle monk, I won¡¯t bother the youngsters! Ah, but let me warn you that you shouldn¡¯t do any strenuous exercises for a while, even if I¡¯ve healed you properly. Be careful if you¡¯re going to do something!¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t do anything. Rather, I want to hear various stories, can you just come in normally?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Stop talking nonsense and come in quickly.¡± ¡°What a boring response.¡± Perhaps it was because of the calm response from Rouge and me, Gonzo with a disappointed expression opened the door and entered the room. This is purely a matter of me being recognized as a companion by Rouge, it won¡¯t turn into a sweet and sour development which Gonzo was imagining. ¡°Well then, let me explain. But there¡¯s almost nothing to say, right? When I came to help, you were down, and Rouge was just¡­ oh, watching over you.¡± I wonder why, in the middle of the conversation, Rouge glared at Gonzo with a very intense look for a moment¡­ no, this is something I¡¯d be in pain if I pursued. Let¡¯s pretend I didn¡¯t notice. ¡°So, I used recovery magic on you who I saved and then put you to bed¡­ that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°I see, thank you¡­ by the way, how long have I been sleeping?¡± ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s been about a day. But since you seem to have hit your head hard, I¡¯d like you to rest for at least three more days, okay?¡± ¡°I understand. So, why is Rouge here¡­ no, it¡¯s nothing.¡± I wanted to ask why Rouge was sleeping here, but I was fiercely glared at this time, so I withdrew in a second. However, despite such a thing, Gonzo told us while laughing. ¡°Hahaha, Rouge wasn¡¯t injured like you. Even so, she slept for about half a day, but as soon as she woke up, she was worried about you and came here¡­ no, she didn¡¯t. Yes, it seems she visited here about two seconds before you woke up just to kill time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s just to kill time! Because I overslept, my body became dull, so I just came here as an exercise!¡± ¡°Ah, yes. I see.¡± Curiosity kills the cat. It¡¯s a famous phrase among mercenary groups. I refuse to stick my neck out out of curiosity and get it cut off, so I absolutely won¡¯t ask any further. Haha, I¡¯m a man who learns. ¡°As for Alexis, it seems he¡¯s talking to the townspeople about various things. According to Rouge, it seems he was able to defeat the rockworm, but it¡¯s difficult to prove to others if they can¡¯t confirm the body. There¡¯s also the problem of the many juveniles that escaped, so it will take quite a while for the discussion¡­ yes, at least three days¡­. it seems.¡± ¡°¡­Could it be that you¡¯re looking out for me?¡± I have to remain inactive for three days, and being forcibly detained in this town for the same duration through negotiation. Of course, there is also the possibility of it being a coincidence¡­ or rather, considering my incompetence at that time and Alexis¡¯s reaction, that possibility seems more likely. However, I couldn¡¯t just let it slide without asking. In response to my question, Gonzo grinned. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t understand complicated things. But if there¡¯s one thing I should say¡­¡± He paused for a moment, and then his large hand gently rested on my head. ¡°You¡¯ve done well to survive. Good job, Ed.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± Feeling the strength and warmth in that touch, I expressed my gratitude for the second time today. CH 276 Then for three days, I concentrated on resting my body. Although my injury was already healed when I woke up, it was ironically painful to remain quiet while in good health, being about to be crushed by boredom. However, since I myself did not understand what happened to my head, there was no choice but to obey. And then on the fourth day. At last I was allowed to get up, and as if to match me, Alexis¡¯ talks were over, and we were on the road again. ¡°Haah, this time was quite a disaster. I never thought I would expose such a failure.¡± During these three days, Alexis, who hadn¡¯t appeared in front of me even once, leaked such a mutter as if tired. The first to respond to his long-absent voice was Gonzo, who was walking next to Alexis. ¡°What, did the mayor say something sarcastic to you?¡± ¡°No way. This is not about that, this is my own problem. It¡¯s about me letting the rockworm get away.¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®let it escape¡¯? Are you doubting my words that I killed it?!¡± At Alexis¡¯s words, Rouge glared at his face with a click. But Alexis shakes his head as if he doesn¡¯t care. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. You¡¯re the talented person I chose. I don¡¯t doubt your abilities. If you say you killed it, then the rockworm must have surely died.¡± ¡°Then, what do you mean?¡± ¡°Literally, I let it escape¡­ I mean, we couldn¡¯t recover the corpse. The body of the rockworm¡­ to be precise, its stomach contents, it has quite a value. The original plan was to recover it and use it for the town¡¯s reconstruction fund, but that plan didn¡¯t work out. As a hero, doing an incomplete job is an undeniable failure.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Rouge¡¯s tone weakened immediately. But Alexis, unusually, spoke to her with a gentle voice. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You did your job well enough. The one who failed is¡­¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± My gaze flickered to Alexis, and I answered as if squeezing out. That¡¯s right, at that time, at that place, the only one who couldn¡¯t do his job was me. There¡¯s no meaning to the words ¡®I tried my best¡¯. If there¡¯s no result to go with it, effort ends in mere self-satisfaction. (Ah, is this it¡­ damn it) As I grinded my teeth hard, I muttered to myself inside. Surely after this, I will be banished from the Hero¡¯s Party by Alexis as a useless person. Even though it should be a happy thing, one step closer to the goal of returning home which was the initial goal¡­ overwhelming regret welled up inside me. But to me like that, Alexis threw surprising words. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ed.¡± ¡°¡­huh?¡± Alexis¡¯s apology, which I hadn¡¯t expected at all. Why does Alexis apologize to me? Not understanding the reason, I inadvertently asked back with a stupid look. ¡°Um, what does that mean¡­?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re just a porter, right? It¡¯s natural for a porter not to be able to fight, and it¡¯s more strange to order a porter to fight. This is completely my fault. So I apologized.¡± ¡°Oh, uh¡­¡± At those words, I felt a shocking sensation as if my chest was gouged out. Certainly, I was accompanying the Hero¡¯s Party as a ¡®porter¡¯ to the end. And the combat power required of a porter was only enough if he could defend himself. It¡¯s not a power that can confront a huge beast like a rockworm. What Alexis said was right. It¡¯s right, but¡­ what¡¯s this feeling? ¡°It seems that I had unconsciously been seeing you as more than just a porter. But rest assured. I will not make the same mistake again. I promise not to demand more than a porter¡¯s job from you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± At those words, I clenched my fists. Feeling the pain of my nails digging in, I slowly looked at everyone¡¯s faces. Looking at Alexis¡¯ expression, there was no hint that he was looking down on me. Of course, this proposal was because he was being considerate of me, not out of malice. Exposing everyone¡¯s life to danger by assigning a job above one¡¯s abilities to the one without abilities. It¡¯s an earnest proposal that ensures to acknowledge the failure and not repeat it. Gonzo¡¯s expression remained unchanged. Without getting angry or laughing, he just stared straight at me. No matter what answer I give, he will probably affirm it. And then Rouge¡­ ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Rouge snorted in boredom as she met my gaze. ¡°Hmm. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re worrying about, but you should do as you like, right, Ed?¡± ¡°Do as I like, huh¡­ haha, that¡¯s true.¡± At first glance, it may seem like she¡¯s pushing me away with her words. But to me, it felt like she was pushing my back, saying ¡°you should do what you want.¡± Ah, that¡¯s right. I had finally gotten to a point where she could call me by my name. So it would be a waste to give up now, acting weak. ¡°Yuusha-sama¡­ indeed, I joined the party as a porter, but could you also recognize me as a swordsman from now on?¡± ¡°Hmm? Does that mean you don¡¯t like my judgment?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± Against Alexis¡¯s words, which I would usually obey without a word, I clearly deny. Then, Alexis raised his well-shaped eyebrows and looked at me¡­ but I continued speaking without caring. ¡°Certainly, I was pathetic the other day. But that¡¯s why, I will become stronger in the future. So¡­¡± ¡°Ha! What kind of talk is this? Isn¡¯t that overly presumptuous? Can an ordinary person like you become the same as us with just a bit of effort?¡± ¡°I will!¡± Strongly, I declared with conviction. The words spoken out loud will not disappear. So, if I declare it out loud, that determination will become a wedge driven into the world. ¡°It¡¯s not about whether I can or can¡¯t, I will. Someday for sure¡­ no, definitely within not so long. During the journey to defeat the Demon King, I will absolutely¡­ I will show you that I can become a real comrade!¡± Inside me, I felt as if something had cracked. Things that were supposed to be important crumbled and fell apart. But strangely enough, I didn¡¯t feel bad. On the other side of the broken shell, I felt like something truly important, unlike the flashy facades, was smiling at me. Of course, I still want to go home. But I should complete what I have to do before going back. Not running away, but finishing and then returning. After everything is over, after becoming truly ¡®used up¡¯ and getting expelled. That¡¯s the path I choose. It¡¯s not imposed on me by someone, it¡¯s my way of life! ¡°Hoho, good resolve! Then I¡¯ll give you a more severe training than before!¡± ¡°It might be impossible for you to match me, but if it¡¯s you, you might be able to catch up at least a little. Do your best as an ordinary person can, Ed.¡± At my resolve, Gonzo posed with a broad smile emphasizing his muscles, and Rouge, with a sarcastic smile, cheered for me. ¡°¡­Hmm, is that so. Then I have one thing to say. There¡¯s no second chance¡­ don¡¯t betray my expectations, okay?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± I responded energetically to Alexis, who seemed to be in a good mood for some reason. I¡¯ll have them acknowledge me not with a strange power given by an incomprehensible being, but with my own strength. Looking up at the sky, I felt a new hope budding in me, even though the journey was already halfway through. The early morning sky was infinitely blue, and the sun was shining as bright as it could. The green leaves, bathed in that light, were as beautiful as jade. (T/N: Sneaky author) CH 277 And so, we who had resumed our journey, continued to visit various places and solve various problems. From fighting pirates on a ship departing a port town, traversing a mirage tower piercing the sky in the desert, to confronting a massive fire dragon in a volcano spewing magma, our adventure was truly something to be called a ¡°Hero¡¯s Party¡±. Of course, it¡¯s difficult for a mere porter to keep up with such intense adventures. That¡¯s why I, myself, had to make even more efforts to become stronger¡­ ¡°He went that way!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± We were in the infamous No Return Forest, a place called ¡°Demon Land¡± separating human and demon territories, where I found myself face-to-face with a large boar monster. This creature, smaller than other monsters at about two meters long, sported tusks thicker than Gonzo¡¯s thighs. There was no way any monster living here could be weak. ¡°Oink!¡± Snorting, scraping the ground with its claws, the next moment, a mass of black meat lunged at me at a speed that was hardly visible. An ordinary adventurer would not even be able to react to this attack and would be skewered, while those considered top-tier might barely manage to deflect it, but¡­ ¡°Hmm!¡± ¡°Bogi¨Ci?¡± My single stroke split the boar¡¯s huge body right in half. Standing in the center of the chunks of meat flying off to either side, I was not even splashed with a single drop of blood. A truly sharp attack can cut without the body even realizing it has been cut. ¡°Hmm, well, that¡¯s about it.¡± ¡°It seems you¡¯re done as well.¡± As I finished and took a breath, Alexis approached me. But the look on his face was not admiration for my technique, but a wry smile filled with some sort of disbelief. ¡°I never imagined you¡¯d really become this strong¡­ I have no choice but to apologize for my lack of foresight.¡± ¡°No, no, not at all! I¡¯m the one who¡¯s most surprised, after all.¡± Indeed, I have become stronger. During the journey, I had the opportunity to be trained by a famous swordsman. After receiving his teachings, I became unbelievably stronger at a ridiculous pace. By the way, according to the swordsman, ¡°Your growth seems less like a young person blooming and more like a master who lost his memory recalling his skills.¡± I was really puzzled about who I might be. But even if I was told that, I¡¯m just a mercenary, nothing more, nothing less. I grew up goofing around with the kids in the same village, so there wouldn¡¯t be any dramas like ¡°Actually, I¡¯m a lost half-elf child who lost his memory¡­¡± ¡°Really, you¡¯re so mysterious. It didn¡¯t seem like you were holding back before either.¡± ¡°Gahaha, isn¡¯t it fine! There¡¯s nothing to worry about if the kid gets stronger! Perhaps because of his solid basic training, his talent suddenly bloomed.¡± ¡°Haha¡­ I would be happy if that¡¯s the case.¡± To Rouge¡¯s baffled face and Gonzo¡¯s cheerfully laughing face, I respond with an indescribable smile. Well, indeed, the fact that I can apply such sword techniques in practice was probably because I was still persistently repeating Gonzo-style training. My basic physical and muscular strength have surged, enhancing my swordsmanship, to the point where I can even compete with Alexis, whom I used to think was unreachable. ¡°Anyway, I have no complaints about entrusting my back to you now. At this rate¡­¡± "" ¡°Yeah, we might be able to get through this time.¡± In response to Alexis¡¯ murmurs, Gonzo quietly replied. Since I joined the Hero¡¯s Party, three years have passed. The adventure was nearing its climax, and we were finally venturing into the Demon King¡¯s territory. However, the Demon Land, which should be called the final trial, had a harsh environment. We were forced to turn back halfway even on our second attempt, which was thoroughly prepared after the first reconnaissance. And now, it¡¯s our third attempt, fully prepared. By carrying a large amount of supplies with me and Gonzo, despite a bit of hindered movement and potential combat wear and tear, we¡¯ve already reached quite deep into the Demon Land. If we continue at this pace, we should be able to get through in a few days. ¡°Ed, how are the water and food?¡± ¡°We still have plenty. Assuming we¡¯ll use the transfer crystal to return, we should be able to last a month after getting through the Demon Land.¡± This time too, we have prepared transfer crystals for each of us, albeit with considerable difficulty. If there was no return journey, the stay time was simply doubled. There was a limit to the amount of supplies we could carry, so this difference was overwhelmingly significant. ¡°Transfer crystals, huh¡­ we used them last time too, so if it doesn¡¯t work this time, we might not be able to prepare them next time.¡± ¡°Yeah. But it would be pointless to lose our lives because we were stingy with our stuff. We should use it properly when we need to, and then consider other options.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There should still be several ruins we haven¡¯t explored yet, so we can probably manage four, right?¡± In response to Alexis¡¯ grim face, Gonzo and Rouge gave optimistic opinions. Transfer crystals are basically relics excavated from ruins, so they are not something you can get if you have money. We are the Hero¡¯s Party, so we get priority, but if there¡¯s none, there¡¯s nothing we can do. ¡°But isn¡¯t it pointless to think about failure from now on? If we succeed in this expedition and defeat the Demon King, that¡¯s the end of it.¡± ¡°Well, I suppose¡­Hmm, it seems I¡¯ve been a little faint-hearted.¡± ¡°Anyone would feel anxious after experiencing failure. But we¡¯ve used that as a fuel to prepare, and you have comrades who support you. Don¡¯t worry, Alexis, we¡¯ll carve out the path of the Hero!¡± ¡°Hmph! Of course it¡¯s going to be fine since I¡¯m here! If you have time to say pathetic things, then get moving! Ed, you too.¡± ¡°Eh, why me? Was there any part in that conversation that blamed me?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Your very existence is underwhelming, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that really harsh!? Hey, Yuusha-sama, I¡¯m doing my best, right?¡± ¡°¡­Heh, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s unacceptable for me, the Hero, to stop when someone ordinary like you is calmly moving forward. Let¡¯s go. We should be able to get through soon.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± For some reason, the party¡¯s unity strengthened through slander towards me, and we all shared a light laugh as we continued deeper. In the forest, where it¡¯s still dark at noon, keeping our nerves on edge for the powerful demonic beasts that could attack from anywhere, draining our physical and mental strength, we never stopped our journey¡­ and finally, that moment arrived. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that the outside over there?¡± We could see strong light leaking through the gaps in the trees at the end of Rouge¡¯s gaze and words. This meant that the forest was ending there. ¡°Ohh, finally!¡± ¡°Alright, just a little more! Everyone, pull yourselves together.¡± Just because we¡¯ve gotten through the dangerous territory doesn¡¯t mean the journey is over. Rather, we¡¯ll have to make our way through the Demon King¡¯s dominion to its castle, and more importantly, there¡¯s likely a tough journey ahead even after reaching the castle and facing the Demon King. But still, we¡¯ve finally reached a milestone. Suppressing our excitement, we walked through the last of the forest, on guard yet at a slightly faster pace¡­ ¡°What¡­is this¡­!?¡± ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± A clear view for the first time in a while. We each let out words at the sight before us. What awaited us on the expanded plain was a large amount of the Demon King¡¯s army, enough to bury the ground. (T/N: Sorry readers, made a mistake the Name of Demon King Of The End is ¡°Endroll¡±, found out in later chapters. I always thought it was just a way of saying Demon King Of The End. I¡¯ll keep the name Endroll from now on and edit the old chaps when I get time. Once again I apologise) CH 278 ¡°Hahaha, this is quite the enthusiastic welcome, isn¡¯t it?¡± Alexis laughed sarcastically at the overwhelming sight before him. Well, all you can do is laugh when you¡¯re faced with something like this. No matter how serious they took us, there were thousands¡­ no, tens of thousands? It was beyond my expectation that they would prepare such a ridiculous force. But, no doubt the effect would be phenomenal. Since ancient times, the power of numbers has been simple and strong. No matter how easy it was to defeat each individual enemy, the more we fight, the more we exhaust our physical and magical strength, and even the sharpness of our swords would dull. Even a hero capable of slaying a dragon could be crushed by a million goblins. ¡°What do you want to do, Alexis? Retreat?¡± ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll let us escape?¡± ¡°Not a chance.¡± At Gonzo¡¯s words, Alexis smirked bitterly, and Rouge sighed. Maintaining such a force must be difficult, which means the enemy accurately predicted when we would leave the dangerous territory. We¡¯re not foolish enough to think that they¡¯ve prepared an escape route for us. However, that¡¯s under the assumption of ¡°normal circumstances¡±. What about unconventional methods¡­ like a magic tool that allows you to escape through space? ¡°Ed, the teleportation crystal.¡± ¡°Alright¡­ wait, what¡¯s this?¡± When asked by Alexis, I took out the teleportation crystal from my bag, carefully removing the thick cloth it was wrapped in to prevent it from breaking. But for some reason, the crystal had turned a dull, dark color. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ed?¡± ¡°Well, the teleportation crystal¡­¡± ¡°They got us¡­¡± Looking at the teleportation crystal I held out, Rouge twisted her face in frustration. When we turned our gaze to her, wondering what she meant, she explained. ¡°A teleportation crystal is, after all, a magical tool. If there¡¯s enough mana, it can be inhibited. Though in such an open place, I would think only the Demon King himself, or his top executives could do that¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? If there¡¯s a general here, why don¡¯t they announce themselves?¡± ¡°They¡¯re not stupid. They know that if they die, the teleportation inhibition will disappear, so they¡¯re hiding in the back.¡± ¡°Tch, troublesome opponent.¡± Annoyed by their cunning, I can¡¯t help but curse under my breath. If they were driven by their honor and revealed themselves, I could take their head during the conversation. But if they¡¯re hiding deep in their ranks, there¡¯s nothing we can do. ¡°So the choices are either to charge into the enemy ranks and take out the leaders, or retreat back into the cursed land¡­¡± Bang! Bang! Bang! Suddenly, explosive sounds echoed from behind us, and we hastily turned around. Numerous balls of fire were being launched from within the cursed land. It¡¯s a signal that couldn¡¯t be any clearer. ¡°¡­It seems they¡¯ve set up troops behind us too.¡± ¡°Well, of course.¡± Contrary to Gonzo¡¯s bitter expression, Rouge murmured as if it was to be expected. Ah, of course. An opponent who has prepared this thoroughly wouldn¡¯t leave an escape route in the back. Surely, in the cursed land, there were forces specialized in ambush and surprise attacks, patiently waiting for their prey. ¡°¡­Phew. I wonder which is better, charging into a visible army or jumping into an unseen trap?¡± ¡°It¡¯s settled then. If we have to choose, let¡¯s take a step forward! That¡¯s what it means to be a man.¡± Gonzo, raising a ferocious smile, answered to Alexis, who shrugged. Resolving myself as well, Rouge, however, let out a big sigh, . ¡°Sigh, men are really just a bunch of idiots. Fine, if you¡¯re so eager to charge, why not go all the way to the end?¡± ¡°Rouge?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll open the path. So¡­ you guys run all the way through.¡± ¡°What!?¡± At her words, I exclaimed in surprise. But before I could say anything else, it was Gonzo who spoke first. ¡°Are you planning to die here? That¡¯s a role for us old folks, you know.¡± ¡°R-right! If it¡¯s come to this, the best person for the job is me, right? I¡¯ll figure something out, so Rouge¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I say you guys are stupid! Gonzo, you should be ready to sacrifice yourself for Alexis, and Ed¡­ well, sorry to say, but even if you stay here, there¡¯s not much you can do.¡± ¡°Uh! Well, yeah, but¡­¡± As a swordsman, the number of enemies I can take down with a single swing is at most two or three. No matter how much I struggle against a large army, the number I can defeat is limited, and from the point of view of holding them off, I¡¯m completely powerless. It wouldn¡¯t make any difference whether I¡¯m here or not. ¡°On the other hand, I¡¯m good at wiping out a large area. So it makes most sense for me to stay here. Got it?¡± ¡°But if you do that, Rouge will¡­¡± ¡°So what? If we all stay here, we all die. But if I stay here alone, I can at least create a small gap for you guys to move forward. If I¡¯m going to die anyway, I want it to mean something, you know?¡± ¡°But that¡­¡± ¡°Rouge¡­ are you sure?¡± ¡°What!? Hey, Alexis!?¡± In response to Alexis, who made an outrageous statement with a serious face, I called his name, forgetting all formalities. But Alexis was looking straight at Rouge, who in turn turned her face away with a snort. ¡°There¡¯s no good or bad. I¡¯m simply suggesting the most meaningful use of my power. Now, don¡¯t bother me, I¡¯m starting my incantation. The enemy won¡¯t wait forever.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Understood.¡± ¡°Alexis! You¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Enough!¡± As I attempted to approach Alexis, Rouge yelled at me. ¡°Stop being so spoiled! You have your own job to do, so do it to the best of your ability!¡± ¡°Rouge¡­ I¡­¡± ¡°¡­Why are you making such a pitiful face? Unlike you, I¡¯m a genius, so I¡¯ll clean up these guys in no time and follow after you. So, you should just focus on getting Alexis¡­ the hero to the Demon King.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± At Rouge¡¯s scolding, as if dealing with a disobedient child, I gritted my teeth hard. I had so many things I wanted to say, but the words were stuck in my chest and wouldn¡¯t come out. ¡°I apologize, Rouge. I certainly can¡¯t replace you.¡± Gonzo said, ¡°We will answer your dedication with the result of defeating the Demon King. Is that okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been telling you it¡¯s okay. Now, get ready.¡± ¡°Understood. Gonzo, Ed, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± Obeying Alexis¡¯s words, I gathered my strength. To not waste Rouge¡¯s determination, we must break through this army. ¡°Burn and sprout, transient life. Be born and buried again. My soul is forever in flame. Its burning heat¨D¨D¡± From behind me, I could hear an incantation I had never heard before. But I didn¡¯t turn around. ¨D¨DIf I were stronger, could I have stayed here with Rouge? ¨D¨DIf I were stronger, could I have escaped this place without sacrificing my companions? ¨D¨DIf I were stronger, would there have been other futures I could have chosen? Even if I think about it, I can¡¯t find an answer. There¡¯s no way I could. The time to increase the choices and overturn the tragedy was long past. Perfection has already been lost, and we can no longer achieve the best. Therefore, at least, I will grasp the second best with everything I have! ¡°¨D¨DI¡¯ll show you the power of the forbidden magic that the Elves had been hiding! Burn everything to ashes! [Soul Flare Blaster]¡¯!¡± In an instant, a burning heat spread before my eyes. It was a magic I had seen before. But the incredibly intense flash that was incomparable to that time passed before my eyes, erasing everything enveloped in the light without a trace. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± With a slight delay, we started running. The path just passed by the light was unbelievably hot, just being there burns the skin, tears won¡¯t stop, and the breath you take burns your throat. But we can¡¯t stop. There¡¯s no way we can. If it¡¯s a path that a companion made at the cost of her life, all we can do is move forward at the cost of our lives. While enveloped in the light of the healing magic that Gonzo used amidst the pain that numbed all other pain, we kept running. ¡°¡­Do your best as a commoner¡­ Ed.¡± The whisper that should have been unheard reached me, surely a product of my desire. So, I sent a smile to my unseen companion without looking back, as tears streamed down my face. CH 279 There in the deepest part of the land where the demonic beings reside. The Demon King¡¯s castle, the audience room. A place that could probably fit hundreds of people, but at the moment, there were only three figures. ¡°Is this all¡­?¡± One of them was the master of this castle. The Demon King, who wrapped his whole body in jet-black armor, concealing his expression, casually muttered to the two kneeling before him. ¡°Damn, I never knew the Demon King was this powerful¡­!¡± One of them was the chosen one. The Hero Alexis, hailed as the world¡¯s strongest swordsman and the only human capable of defeating the Demon King, propped himself up on his cracked sword like a cane, glaring at the Demon King with frustration. ¡°Hah¡­ha¡­ha¡­ha¡­¡± And the other one¡­ an uninvited guest. Ed, a porter who recently formally joined the Hero¡¯s party but remained an outsider no matter what. He too leaned on his sword for support, trying to regulate his ragged breaths. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Have you given up already?¡± ¡°No way¡­ considering the comrades who brought me this far, giving up is out of the question.¡± ¡°Yes, I.. we¡­ have been entrusted with this¡­ so we must¡­¡± ¡°Hmm, I see¡­¡± With his body drenched in blood and his opponents barely breathing, the Demon King slowly rose from his throne to meet the pitiful ones at their level. Alexis swung his sword at the Demon King¡¯s overly vulnerable figure, but¡­ Clang! ¡°¡­You understand it¡¯s futile, right? Such a forgery¡­ cannot harm me.¡± Alexis¡¯s sword couldn¡¯t even leave a scratch on the Demon King¡¯s armor. No matter how superior the swordsmanship was, it was meaningless against an opponent who cannot be harmed. ¡°Damn it, damn it! Why¡­ why?!¡± Alexis swung wildly. But no matter how many times he did, the outcome remained unchanged. This was the very reason why they couldn¡¯t force the Demon King to leave his throne, the root of their defeat. ¡°That¡¯s enough, it¡¯s over.¡± ¡°Guha!?¡± ¡°Yuusha-sama!?¡± With a single swing of the Demon King¡¯s arm, without even drawing his sword, Alexis was blown away. Ed rushed over in a panic, but they had long since run out of healing potions. Even so, he stood in the Demon King¡¯s way, sword drawn to protect Alexis. The Demon King sighed slightly and begans to speak. ¡°¡­I had two fears. One of them was the Holy Sword possessed by the hero. The sword, a physical manifestation of the world¡¯s laws, is a power I could never counter. And the current hero had this Holy Sword from the start. Hence, my actions were severely limited¡­ That¡¯s why I came up with a plan. Continually send demons of strength just within the Hero¡¯s ability to defeat, dulling the brilliance of the Holy Sword bit by bit with my power infused in them.¡± ¡°What, you say¡­!?¡± ¡°Alexis!? Are you alright!?¡± "" Ed called out in concern to Alexis, who was trying to get up, but Alexis shook him off and glared at the Demon King. ¡°What does that mean? Don¡¯t tell me the reason the Demon King¡¯s army invasion was particularly weak in my country was¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I ordered it so. Even the Holy Sword¡¯s power isn¡¯t infinite. Continually forcing you to use the Holy Sword by sending demons just within its power to defeat, to whittle away its strength. I planned to send a large force for the final push, expecting that by the time you cut through them and reached me, the Holy Sword¡¯s power would be less than half¡­¡± The Demon King¡¯s gaze turned to the sword in Alexis¡¯s hand . The battered sword, in a state unimaginable to those who know the tale of the ¡°indestructible¡± Holy Sword. ¡°Hahahahaha! I never imagined the story of possessing the Holy Sword itself was a lie! I did suspect something was off part way through, but I also considered the possibility of ¡®what if.¡¯ I dragged it out just in case¡­ Let me say it again. No matter how much you swing around that forgery, you can¡¯t stand against me.¡± ¡°Shut up! This may not be the Holy Sword, but it¡¯s the culmination of human wisdom and technology! I¡¯ll definitely defeat you with this!¡± ¡°So you say, Hero. Your skill is indeed admirable, to have mistaken a mere sword for the Holy Sword. But it¡¯s not enough¡­ just like them.¡± ¡°!?¡± With a flick of the Demon King¡¯s right hand, a black vortex appeared, and from it, the heads of a young woman and a mature man dropped and rolled on the floor. ¡°Ah¡­ ah¡­¡± ¡°I had my subordinates retrieve these. I was protecting them with my power, so they should be well-preserved.¡± ¡°Aaaaaaaah?!?!?!¡± ¡°You bastard!!!¡± Even though half of her face was burnt, there was no mistaking those proud slanted eyes. Even if his head was smashed, there was no mistaking those strong lips. Rouge and Gonzo. At the sight of their companions¡¯ definitive ¡®end¡¯, Ed screamed on the spot and Alexis ran towards the Demon King, swinging his sword with all his might. But the false Holy Sword shattered with a crisp sound, and the Demon King¡¯s flashing hand blade easily beheaded the hero. ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hmph. A boring end.¡± With a thud, he fell to the floor, and the heads of his companions happily rolled around on the floor in threes. Witnessing this sight, Ed¡¯s mind finally reached its limit. ¡°Hii¡­ah¡­ahhh¡­waaaahhhh!¡± Anger, fear, despair, resentment. His face, mixed with emotions that could not be categorized, was a mess with tears and snot, his sword shaking against the Demon King, his feet unsteady. Seeing such a state of Ed, the Demon King sighed heavily once again. ¡°¡­Another thing I feared. It was my main body.¡± ¡°Ho¡­ah¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. No matter how much power I acquire, my body is merely a fragment of power separated from my main body. Therefore, if the main body reached me, I thought it would be easily assimilated without suffering, and I would disappear. But¡­kukukuku¡­¡± Holding back his laughter, the Demon King removed his helmet with his own hands. Then, the face that appeared beneath it was exactly the same as the pathetic man standing in front of him. ¡°M-me?¡± ¡°Absolutely not, my main body has fallen into such a pathetic existence! I feel no power, I see no resolve! Weak! Feeble! Frail! Meager! The two things I fear, were they both worthless illusions?!¡± ¡°Aggu!?¡± The Demon King¡¯s hand, approaching, firmly grabbed Ed¡¯s face. The black fingers biting into his head tightened, and no matter how much Ed resisted, he couldn¡¯t shake off even one of those fingers. ¡°Should I thank the gods¡­ because God has separated unnecessary parts from me. Ah, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take all your power. So rest assured¡­ ¡®End¡¯.¡± ¡°Gaaaaaaaaaa!!!¡± Something was being lost from Ed with fierce momentum. It¡¯s Ed¡¯s soul, the essence of Demon King Ed, who had been sleeping in the shell without awareness, was being transferred to the new Demon King. ¡°Fuuu¡­what is this? Quite a lot, did you also collect pieces like me elsewhere? How did¡­ well, it doesn¡¯t matter. Hmph.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡­¡­ah¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± When he finished absorbing all the power of the Demon King Of The End, Endroll, the Demon King dropped the former Demon King on the floor as it was. Ed, who was twitching and moaning, had lost all interest to the Demon King who didn¡¯t look at him even once. ¡°With this much power, it¡¯s easy to control this world. Then, next I need to find a way to break the wall of the world¡­ Hmm, should I hit the elves first?¡± Feeling somehow that the elves have the technology to cross the world wall, the Demon King left the audience room.. And left in the vacant room were three heads and one man. ¡°I, am¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The last one¡¯s shaking hand reached out towards the rolling head, and without reaching its fingertips, it fell on the floor. ¡ªWorld 001 {Record Of The Hero¡¯s Story} Final Chapter ¨C The End of the World Thus, Hero Alexis was defeated by the Demon King, and the world fell into the hands of the Demon King. The world, which has lost the glory of God, is rapidly heading for ruin, and in the not too distant future, everything will return to nothingness. No one knows what will happen later. Because there is no one to see a world that God has lost interest in.